Another year over
and a new one just begun”
John Lennon sang that song years ago.To me it’s still relevant. If you want to read the full lyrics, click here http://www.metrolyrics.com/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics-john-lennon.html .
We had a wondeful Christmas, a bit hectic, but full of family and of course food.
Many families celebrate with a Christmas turkey, but not us. After the Thanksgiving bird we’re ready to move on to something else. That being said, I can’t miss out on the sales and $.59 per pound is just not to be passed up. So what do I do with that 59 cent turkey? Smoke it! Done right, Smoked Turkey has a flavor like no other and retains its moisture, too. I always ask Michael to slice a few thick pieces for dinner and then slice the rest down thinner for sandwiches.

I don’t know how your color shows up on this picture of sliced smoked turkey breast, but on my computer it looks pink. That is not under-cooked turkey. It is the rich smoke flavor that traveled all the way through!
A couple of new recipes were added this week. Chicken Rosa Maria was based on a dish served at a local chain restaurant. Oh my, was it ever good! It was a little complicated to put together, but cooked quickly. A new side dish, Risotto with Mushrooms and Spinich went with it nicely.

The next night’s dinner was not such a success. I’m always trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to persuade Michael to eat more fish. Ok, I’ll try once more. He prefers his fish fried, likes Po’Boy sandwiches, and a good spread of Coastal Remoulade ought to mask any of that “fishy taste” that turns him off. Wrong, wrong, and wrong! The fish was baked, not fried. There was too much bread. And worst of all, the cod tasted like FISH! At least he liked the tomatoes, but they slipped off onto his plate to be eaten with a fork. Well, I tried. Christmas Eve I went back to the familiar, Shrimp and Grits .
Even without any small children to wake us, Christmas morning came early. Bella was ready to open her presents! She’s quite the pro.

Lizzie, not so much. You can almost see her thinking…”I don’t know what to do with all this, so I’ll just sit here and guard it.” And that’s what she did.
Emily did the bulk of the Christmas entertaining at her house this year. As usual, she did a good job. Emily has turned out to be an excellent cook and hostess. Her main course on Christmas Day was a baked ham. I took a couple of side dishes to go with it all, our ususal Broccoli Casserole, Faster Yeast Rolls, and a Red Velvet Cake. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but this year I used a box cake mix. Last year’s recipe is really a superior cake, but I just didn’t want to deal with all that red food coloring again. I’m a pretty sloppy cook and red food coloring makes a mess! Notice the candy canes holding the wrap off the icing. That trick works well.

We went back over to Emily’s the day after Christmas and were joined by Aaron’s family, including  Jen’s mother, Joyce. Our late lunch that day was a collection of soups and such. Emily makes a good chili and a good cheeseburger soup. I took a pot of Clam Chowder and a Dutch Apple Pie.

I must have been worn out that day, because neither recipe came up to standard. I poured too much milk into the chowder and selected the wrong pie dish. The chowder had little clam flavor and the pie ran out all over the place. We all had a nice time anyway.
“And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young.
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear” John Lennon
Be thankful for what life give you.