We are hosting our first Christmas dinner next week. For months now, I've been brushing off queries about it with a casual, "It's totally fine. I've got a plan and it will be easy" attitude. It's symptomatic of a common approach to big tasks I have, which is to think about it in broad strokes, make a plan based on them, and then consider it "done" until two weeks out. What this strategy lacks, however, is details.
Once you start writing them down, the details start stacking up. And then so does the panic. "Roast vegetables" is a great idea. But which one? Wait, which ones? What did Melissa Clark say about that again? To roast them! Many kinds! And then... garnish them? With what again? Yogurt? Not just yogurt? Hot honey, apple cider vinegar, cumin seeds? Do I have those things? Do I need to buy them? Wait - do I have a tray for them? She said I needed a cool tray. That's just the vegetables!
Ugh.
I also forgot that all this fancy food costs money and -- brace yourself -- turkey is not free. I did not know they were so expensive! I have been nibbling at turkey pieces for all these years thinking about calories (not high!) and not cost (high!).
Then there is an odd amount of guilt from the people invited:. "Are you sure you want to host? We can order takeout. Would you like to just order takeout?" These same people will crowd into my condo kitchen and relentlessly ask if they can help, and when it's clear they cannot due to the size of the kitchen and the complexity of the operation underway, they will perch nearby and "keep me company," which is a polite term for distracting me while I juggle 100 different tiny details.
Did I know what I was signing up for? Yes, and no. In broad strokes, it's a nice idea.. At some point, grandparents must acquiese their duty and desire to host and pass the torch to the next-most-able person. But in reality, it will be a crazy day and food will be burnt and I will feel frazzled. Just like they have for the last 50 years.
And maybe that's okay too.
Here's the plan:
Turkey pieces (stuffed? Maybe)
Garnish
Charred lemon
Figs?
Two purchased stuffed pork rolls from St Lawrence Market
Macaroni and Cheese (maybe cut into squares with a little fun toothpick?)
Roast vegetable platter
Carrots (orange)
Red Onion (purple)
Cauliflower (white)
Broccoli (green)
Tomato? (Roma? Red?)
Yogurt garnish
King's Hawaiian Rolls (Had to Google Hawaiian)
Green Salad (Apple walnut?)
Donated
Appies
Dessert
To drink
Wine (pinot? 13th street gamay?)
Juice for kids
Milk
Bubbly (xmas berry)
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