Ah, Christmas morning…with teenagers. Their natural sloth wars with their desire for the Christmas loot, and they compromise by getting up at 10:00 rather than noon—so it means that I get to sleep in and everything is calm.
Although I do confess to now and then missing the little guys pounding on the bedroom door at 5am and jumping up and down and squealing. Maybe if I started giving out better presents, like this:
I’m going to get a cup of coffee and put my feet up for a while — may you all have an equally placid, non-frantic Christmas morning.
Surfaced slowly at 08.12 GMT (approx) – fed the CAT her midwinter-festival breakfast (Two sausages) then made our own.
A lazy light lunch of Catalan fine Ham, quail’s eggs and Mayo (Plus French Artisanaal Beer) ….
The GOOSE is for this evening, stuffed with interesting mushrooms, and a magnum of Pol Roger champagne to wash it down – with roast potato-cubes, and chicory as side- veg.
BurP!
Merry Cephalopodmas, Pharyngula!
We’re still in that early-morning phase of life, although my children had the decency to sleep until 6:30. By 9 we’d been through the toys, broken up two gamecube-related fights, and were in post-gifting relaxation time. Called my parents to inform them of their Neflix gift, and found it was just in time; of course my dad had already checked his email for the morning and found the “Thank you for subscribing!” message, and was about to cry identity theft. Stupid netflix – the best part of a year of that for a gift is taking it out in little chunks each month, but their “gift” subscription is pay all at once, so I had to go ’round it by, well, identity thefting my dad and setting up a regular account with his info (my credit card, of course). Happy hacking holidays to all!
The best of the season to the Myers family, and the family of Pharyngula readers.
Merry Christmas, and I hope you’ve incorporated this old Spanish holiday tradition into your seasonal festivities:
http://blackskytheory.blogspot.com/2006/12/ive-changed-my-mind-i-love-christmas.html
I’ve got to say, with those Cephalopod cookies, you might just be a cooler parent than my ‘rents. Though they can be pretty cool too.
Have all your fun you guys, but next year I’m combating Global Warming with “Mammuthmus” the Ice Age Holiday! It’ll vary from year to year with the onset of good snowfall, but in lieu of that, on Dec. 22nd, everyone will celebrate by turning down their thermostats and opening all refrigerator doors!
Can’t be said enough:
Hank,
I second that.
Hoping that everyone who hangs out here or wanders by has a wonderful week. Happy Monday from the wet and warm, Willamette Valley.
My kids are 10 and 7 and we had to wake them up! That is the first time that has ever happened at my house. My man-beast woke us all up early because he was all excited about our new air hockey table. Now the neighborhodd children will have another excuse to inhabit my house. *sigh*
I’m so glad PZ is a ‘Christmas atheist’, as that means I can wish him and his family and the whole sick Pharyngula crew a happy Xmas with a deep-bellied ho ho ho.
G. Tingey, what is this interesting fungal stuffing of which you speak? Our goose (which we ate, in line with local tradition, at 1300 GMT+1) was stuffed rather boringly with the usual apples, chestnuts and raisins. I’d love to hear how you do it.
But the starter, which I made up off the top of me head, was great: pan-seared foie gras and bacon on toasted mini-croissant halves with cranberry preserves. Do give it a try.
My 21 and 17 year old boys were up at 8 – firing their new Nerf toys at daddy to wake him up……
Just got our best Christmas present ever a few minutes ago. Our 14-year-old cat, who was a strictly indoor cat her whole life, had slipped out a door that had been accidentally left open over a week ago & vanished. We’d canvassed the neighborhood, checked with Animal Control, no luck. I’d pretty much written her off–except she just turned up at that same door, nervous & limping but evidently generally OK. (If somewhat pissed off …) Happy happy happy dance!
Scott, that’s a wonderful Christmas story. Thank you for sharing!
Mrs. Tilton, my question is for you and the rest of the English/European folks who eat the big Christmas shindig meal at midday: when ever do you start cooking your fowl? My mom had a 7.75kg turkey, started it at about 11AM, and it wasn’t done until 6PM. We’re Canadian, so we tend to eat later, but that was a late Christmas dinner even by our standards (we often eat around 4:30-5PM.) I’m just sort of wondering whether you cook it on low all night, or get up at 4AM, or…?
PZ, I hope your Christmas was better than mine! :)
I’m still winding down from my four grand-nephews…. (my bro is 10 years older than I…)
Yikes. 8,7, 4, 8-mos. the 8-mos was the most entertaining because he’s still small and figuring it all out. I’m worn out but still kinda buzzing from the day’s happenings.
Scott, I’m very happy for you, that could have so easily ended in tragedy (my two current cats would NOT go out the door unless you shoved them, but I’ve had others that would shoot out the door given any opportunity, including a 2-year-old that was gone so long I despaired that someone else had found her so pretty that they’d gone, ‘what a nice cat to be a stray, maybe we should keep her inside…’
Ah, our goose didn’t go into the oven until about 16.00hrs, and given 4 hrs at “Gas Mk 4” = 180 C.
Stuffed with an olive-bread/mushroom stuffing:
Olive bread – about 8 thin slices, and put through food processor to crumbs.
Add warm milk to dampen.
Fry up LOTS of butter & sliced garlic, add approx 12oz ( = 350-400 g ) of mixed mushrooms { In our case Cep/Trompette du Mort/Horse Mush/Commercial mush & a little bit of our own picked wild )when just damp-cooked, add 3 beaten eggs, anchovy essence, herbs (ours homegrown) salt & “fgbp” mix thoroughly with bread, and insert into goose.
You need a very large casserole for this, and you put about a pint of perry, and 2-3 sliced onions under the goose.
Pour about 1/2 pint of boiling water over it – AFTER you’ve pricked the skin, then sprinkle with caraway seeds, and shove in oven.
After about 2&1/2 hrs also add peeled good spuds, halved & put in sides of casserole.
Eaten with chicory and more mushrooms, and the aforementioned magnum of 1995 Pol Roger.
And yes – BURP!
Eaten at about 20.30,