The Turkey

Dad and Dorin on Christmas morning.

Christmas dinner was a sit down turkey meal with all the fixins for 15.  My mother presided. 

Preparations began in earnest in her kitchen in Madeira Park on Christmas Eve. 

“How many cups in a quart Joc?” 

I am the teacher in the family.  I should know these things.. right?  Except, isn’t Canada supposed to be metric?  “Four quarts to a gallon..” I say.  “Not sure about cups.. isn’t the US different than Canada anyway?  4 cups to a quart.. I think.  Where did you get the recipe?”

They had ‘googled’ it.  Maybe Canada… maybe the US.. does it really matter?  Mom has always made a great turkey!  Why do we have to do it differently this year?

My brother and his mother had decided to try something new and wanted to soak the turkey overnight in a brine: apple juice, water, salt, six garlic cloves and ice.  They put the turkey in a bag, in a pot, in the fridge.. they added the juice, the water.. the ice.. even though it didn’t fit.. and

Well.., the fridge is really clean now. 

And the dinner was really delicious!  

The turkey was amazing, as were the brussel sprouts my John had brought from Vancouver. The ‘salad’: a concoction of basically pickled vegetables.. peppers, onions.. amazing.  Of course mashed potatoes, two types of stuffing.. wine.. great company.  

And then there was desert.. my mother’s amazing Christmas cake.. tarts, squares, cookies.. and there were chocolates: the kind with the soft, creamy centre. 

Ron brought tea. 

Sara brought Logan.. and her in-laws. 

Mary came, with her camera.  But she enjoyed the meal so much she forgot to take pictures.

John came with Robbie. Jackie's New Zealand/Scottish partner, came to visit for a few weeks, and Anna was there.. on Skype. 

Yup.. dinner was great.  Company headed off while a few of us stayed late for tile rummy. 

Christmas in Canada!  Ya gotta love it!