Festival of the Feasts

This is not to be confused with the Jewish Festival of the Feasts, this is totally the gentile style of  festival, most commonly celebrated in food indulgences between the United States Thanksgiving (not be be confused with the Canadian one)through New Years Day.

This celebration will commence usually the night before Thanksgiving with food tasting of the feast prepared for the next day. Mostly the breads. Love the breads! Thanksgiving Day is started with a hearty breakfast of eggs, biscuits and bacon, loads of coffee to keep the cook stimulated to finish the meal preparation for the BIG meal later in the afternoon. That meal will fill the table with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, sweet potatoes combined with brown sugar and butter, home made rolls (it's all about bread!), Yorkshire pudding, cranberry sauce (jellied please), tossed and chopped green salad, fresh broccoli with hollandaise sauce and gravy.

When the food is consumed and the kitchen is cleaned, the coffee pot is again turned on and the pie eating begins. We will consume the traditional pumpkin pie with real whipped cream, blueberry pie warmed up with vanilla ice cream, and pecan pie, a must have from childhood though I am probably the only one who likes it.

And the coma begins. Lots of left overs, and the day after is the traditional Thanksgiving Sandwich, with REAL mayo, stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, lettuce and a bit of mashed potatoes.

Just as you begin to feel like living again, it's time to begin the cookie party. I bake for my extended family, co-workers and neighbors. They get banana bread from all the bananas I had to put in the freezer during the summer heat wave, a new recipe for German Chocolate pecan bars (new from my cousin, and WOW they are delish) and some dipped Madeline's. I prepare my list for Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day breakfast and dinner. This year for Christmas Eve we had enchiladas (wanted tamales), ketchup rice (The Girl's fave), refried beans with pico de gayo, sour cream and cheese. Dessert was fried banana and ice cream.

Christmas Day breakfast was not the usual french toast. No one likes it but me. We had waffles, eggs, coffee (lots) and bacon. Then I start dinner. Our fare includes prime rib, Yorkshire pudding ( we like this stuff), mashed garlic roasted potatoes, home made crescent rolls, salad, fresh green beans, sweet potatoes and au jus for the meat, gravy for the potatoes. Again with the clean up, coffee and then dessert. Always a blueberry pie and a peach pie.

This if followed a week later with New Years Day feast. Oh my, to be a Midwestern transplant, via parents. You must have the following on your table for good luck. Whatever. Cabbage, pork and black eye peas are the requirements. I don't like ham, so I make a lean pork roast with onions and garlic, black eye peas, and usually slaw. Not this year. I just didn't want cabbage. My year is going to be bleak. Top the dinner off with parsley potatoes, pork gravy and rolls. Way more manageable.  Dessert was chocolate fondue with raspberries, pound cake and brownies.

Thank you Jesus! This season is OVER. I am sooooo tired of cooking and stuffed with rich food! I still have one loaf of banana bread that everyone can slice and toast for breakfast, but I am done, done, done....stick a fork in me done cooking and eating. I've put the good plates away for the year, washed all the linens and put them in the closet and today is "de-decorate" day. I realize it is not yet Epiphany or the 12th day of Christmas, but I need my house back in  order and some sense of normalcy.

I love the holiday, and enjoy cooking, but the older I get, the less I like the clean up. It requires getting down low and up high to retrieve the needed dishes for baking and serving. The hips tend to let me know that stool climbing and squatting are becoming a not fun activity. I think it may be time to consider taking the money spent on these meals and go on a Caribbean cruise, where the buffet is all prepared and no clean up required besides a shower. Food for thought.