Christmas Dinner 2011, part one

Christmas is a nice holiday in our home, as it is also Doreen's birthday. We have celebrated the holiday with the same people for many years. The menu has sort of coalesced into a more or less standard selection of food. Goose is always the focus, and we always have red cabbage. We usually have mashed potatoes, and often green peas. This year, as last, we also had cauliflower gratin. For a new treat this year, we had a Honey Baked Ham! It was delicious.

Here, the day before, we are making the stock for gravy.


We also make the mushroom soup in advance.


You have to blanch the bird to help tighten the skin a couple of days before you roast.


This is blanching the goose.


You also have to pick out all the last little feathers.


On Christmas Eve, Doreen always picks up some beautiful flowers:


Then we start cooking.

Bread for stuffing,


Blanching the cauliflower,


Making sandwiches for lunch,


Stuffing ingredients,


Peeling and coring apples,


Apples,


Putting the goose in to roast. We were a bit behind our time this year. No matter.


Red cabbage,


Stuffing. Some of the stuffing went into the bird. Some was just baked.


Apple cider for the cabbage,


Honey Baked Ham!


Accompaniments for the Pâté,


Whew. Time for Champagne!


and Pâté.