Don’t get me wrong, I truly love and cherish the true meaning of Christmas Day, it’s just all the other stuff that goes with it that always seems to put me in a horrible funk. Some years I beat it, some I get beaten. This was not a year in which I was victorious over the funk. I’ve heard about it all morning today, but hey, that’s over now!

Didn’t help to have been so horribly sick for almost two weeks before the big day. Was just kinda feeling a bit better last Friday, and ended up spending the whole day out and about, and the early eve. with the Good Wife finally getting some shopping done. Sat., Christmas Eve, we not only had to do our regular marketing, but finish the Christmas shopping too, what there was to be of it.

Christmas Day rolls around and so far so good. Easy, relaxed morning, ending with breakfast at her mom’s, a trip to the cemetery to place flowers on her father’s grave, and back to wrap presents, make pies & rolls, and then dinner. We hoped to serve by 5:30 or so. We didn’t miss it all by that much!

After wrapping, and getting the 20 pound roast in the Webber by 3:30, I started on the pies. I used to be a pretty proficient pie maker back in the day, but that was with what seems now like unlimited counter space and two ovens. Our kitchen here is the size of a galley, so a bit of choreography is involved for doing much of anything. For some reason I decided to make four pies, two pumpkin and two pecan. I used the Cuisinart method of dough prep, and had a revelation about mixing the flour and fat that for some reason had always before passed me by. Such is the nature of hurrying, you break down preconceived notions of routine and can discover something new, and important.

Still didn’t make handling short dough any easier! Let me digress a bit and tell you something about my work habits. In the kitchen, at the computer, and in a past life, at the potter’s wheel, I curse a blue streak that would make any hardened sailor proud. I used to be accused of having a dense, dark-blue cloud hanging over me as I potted, which certainly kept curious onlookers as well as students and professors from bothering me as I worked. I guess yesterday was such a day, as folks kept asking me if I was OK in the kitchen. Must not have insulted the Lord, or not much anyway, as the crust for the pies came out well.

Oh boy, I forgot to start the rolls! It was now getting too late to do them right, but I put everything in the bread maker anyway, which is how I prepare the dough now. I figured that I could give everyone bread today anyway and that there would be plenty to eat last night without it. And then I had another revelation. I have for a few years nailed the taste of my maternal grandmother’s rolls, but not the light and fluffy texture. I recalled something about only one proofing before panning her rolls, so I only let the dough go through the initial cycle in the machine, panned up two sets of rolls, and let them have only a second rise before going in the oven. Eureka! Grandma’s taste, and mouth feel. Maybe she sent an angel down to thump me on the noggin’ for all the cussin’, or shoot, maybe she did it herself. Whatever, I’ve got that down now, too.

The meat came out great, the veggies too. No one ate any pie, which is not unusual, so we sent one each down south with her brother. I had a piece of the pumpkin this morning with my coffee. The crust melts in your mouth, tasting like French butter pastry. Ah, success! I even got to talk awhile with my sister in Atlanta before all the package frenzy started. My boy didn’t call, but we talked on Thurs. and he is doing fine.

I feel much better today. I hope those that put up with me yesterday will get over it soon enough, but I do love them. I’m thankful for the gift of friends and family. I’m most thankful that God gave us the greatest gift of all, the chance for eternal salvation.

Now, I’ve just gotta work on that attitude adjustment before someone decides that I need to get whupped up the side of the head with a tire tool! (db)

This entry was posted on Monday, December 26th, 2005 at 2:04 pm and is filed under Okie on the Lam. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.  |   Print This Post  |   Email This Post

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