Christmas traditions

[pieces o nine]

We'll do some family oriented dinner on TG although I still think the date as a celebration for genocide.
...

That's why I love this bit so very much!
[youtube=425,350]2VbYZDohsHk[/youtube]

[Griffin NoName]

Isn't it odd turkey feaures at Thanksgiving and Christmas? Surely for festive animals, fowls, etc. they should be unique per festival. Seems unfair turkeys feature twice.

[pieces o nine]

The "Christmas Ham" and "Easter Ham" are also holiday staples here in Amurka.  As a child I once asked why we celebrate the birth of a Jewish rabbi with a ham.

Just one more question met with a horrified, lingering silence... 

[Sibling DavidH]

Sing 'Oi vay Maria'.

[Opsa]

We (the carnivores in my family, anyway) we thinking of going English and trying a goose for Christmas this year. (Anglos- please post goose recipes, as we have no idea.)

I don't think of Thanksgiving as a celebration of genocide, but as a celebration of the sharing nature. The red people shared dinner with the white people, after they had helped them learn how not to starve in this land that was alien to them at the time. I'm sure it took a lot of courage on the parts of both parties, just as it does today to face family members after the conflicts of the year.

I kind of like Thanksgiving, because it's just about being together. Put down the tomahawks and muskets and pass the sweet potatoes. Maybe if our pie-holes are filled with pumpkin we can have a peaceful meal together.

It's so non-commercial that it's barely a blip in the U.S. market. The stores go right from Halloween to Christmas decorations without a pause.

It's almost a secret holiday!

[WendyH]

Hi, Opsa, here's my recipe for Christmas goose:


Roast Goose.

This needs to cooked in much the same way as roasting any bird, though it is like duck quite fatty so worthwhile cooking it on a wire tray in the roasting tin, so that the fat drips down and away from the meat.

A good strong flavoured stuffing can be used.   I like to use a mix of celery, mushrooms and apricots or apples.    Finely chop them and  mix together with breadcrumbs, sage or other herb and seasoning.    If it needs a bit of binder add some hot water.           Alternatively a couple of lemons quartered and put in the cavity will give a nice subtle flavour.    

When the goose is ready to put in the oven, prick the skin all over with a sharp fork or knife.    Scald the skin by pouring boiling water over it, and then pat dry with a paper towel before lightly powdering with some plain flour.    Put in a very hot oven for half an hour 425o F 220o C and then reduce the heat to 3500C 1800 F for a further 3 hours.
Geese are rather large 10 – 12 lbs which is the timing for this.    If larger then cook for longer [approx 15 minutes for each 1lbs].      

To test that any bird is cooked put a sharp knife or knitting needle into the breast and if the liquid that comes out is clear then it is cooked, if it is slightly cloudy then cook for longer.      

When it is fully cooked take it out of the oven, cover with silver foil or a thick tea towel and leave to stand for 15 minutes whilst you are making gravy, and finishing the rest of the meal.

I like to serve with a gooseberry sauce – boil up some gooseberries and a cooking apple, add a little sugar – it needs to be quite tart so that it cuts the fattyness of the goose.     Sieve or puree and serve cold with hot roast goose.

Have a nice Thanksgiving, everybody.


Note from David:
I hope this arrives in the right place, as the forum suddenly seems to be listing the threads backwards - i.e. last post shown on top of page 1.  Weird!

[WendyH]

Curiouser and curiouser: threads are displayed normally on Fartbox but reversed on Chrome!  Anyway, the post is up (somewhere).

EDIT: We've now found that what is in fact happening is that when we log in as Wendy, all threads are displayed inverted, but as David all is normal.  That's why Fartbox showed normal - it logged in as D whereas Chrome was temporarily set to W.     

[Sibling DavidH]

 
OK, I was very slow: it was a setting in Wendy's profile.  I had no idea such a thing existed.
It's still a bit odd, though - I'm sure it was OK last time she was logged in.

[Swatopluk]

That's why I love this bit so very much!
[youtube=425,350]2VbYZDohsHk[/youtube]

on my part.
My favorite in that movie is this:
[youtube=425,350]buZZyUBwymA[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buZZyUBwymA
She should have received an Oscar for that alone.

[Opsa]

Welcome, Wendy! And thank you so very much for the recipe. I'll print it out for Mr. Ops. He'll be so pleased.

I love Wednesday Adams with all my teensy weensy shrivelled and charred pumpy heart parts!

[Darlica]

I usually go to a hotel party for the few days over Christmas, but cannot afford it any more. That means I will spend Christmas entirely alone and isolated, family all too far away, and none prepared to visit me, and friends all busy with their own families. I reckon on about a fortnight of desperation. No wonder suicides go up at Christmas.

I have the 24th and 25th off this year, L on the other hand works the 24th which is the BIG day here in Sweden...

I'm sad to hear that you wont be able to go to your hotel party this year, spending major holidays alone sucks, I know.

[Opsa]

The things that make me happiest at this time of year are the lights and the fact that the ginger preserves go on sale and I can afford some to put on my bagel.

Ooh- and chocolate oranges!

[Sibling DavidH]

^ Oink!

[Opsa]

Hey- we don't eat them all at once!

We had pumpkin muffins for breakfast today, though!
< YUMSIES!

[Sibling DavidH]

On Thursday we had ECHO's xmas disco, which is an old tradition by now.  The disco and all their staff work for free and are brilliant with the participants.  It's such fun to see participants, carers, staff and volunteers all dancing away.  It's much too loud for Wendy and me, but we stay for an hour, chat with everyone and take photos.  Sad: the little old lady who recently tried to walk to Leominster twisted her ankle getting on the minibus, and couldn't dance.  We cheered her up a bit.

Friday was the Xmas lunch at a pub; 30 of us eating, all in Santa hats and tinsel.  The food was very slow in coming, but it just gave us more time to talk and socialise.  I love these gatherings.