Roast Goose

Well, here he is, Garamond the Goose (the Wonderspouse always names them), our Christmas festive bird!

This year we'd planned a quiet Christmas at home (just as well, since the weather really isn't suitable for travelling anywhere), and so far it's been very peaceful. This morning was very much like any other morning, except that I opened my parcels from Scharwenka while the Wonderspouse made Eggs Benedict for my breakfast.

The parcels from Scharwenka were the only ones around since the Wonderspouse and I don't do parcels. Neither do we do crackers, and we don't decorate the house either. We're not REALLY Christmas people, having neither religion nor children and two very scattered disjointed families. We focus much more on New Year, on our goals for the future, and on making a new start!

However, we do like a good feed! And I enjoy the rare luxury of drinking in the mornings (I hardly ever drink during the day because I'm almost always driving somewhere). So I like a dry sherry mid-morning, after freshly ground coffee, wine with lunch, and then port, sweet sherry and whisky throughout the afternoon and evening!

The Wonderspouse cooks a fabulous roast goose with all the trimmings we like. He even makes sausagemeat and chestnut stuffing for me (it's my favourite) even though he's not fussed about chestnuts he roasts and peels them on Christmas morning! Then there's sausagemeat and black pudding stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips and turnips, carrots and peas (because I like them), and, of course, brussels sprouts (if we can get them to shut up for long enough - see yesterday's blip)!

We don't have pudding after lunch - lunch itself is quite sufficient (especially as we have a whole goose leg each), but we have puddings, cakes and chocolates in the evening - along with anything else we might fancy - I quite like a bit more sausagemeat and chestnut stuffing and a slice of cold goose! The cats will also have THEIR Christmas treat at suppertime - goose giblets & goose - usually much enjoyed!

The other wonder of being at home is that we can sleep on the sofas when we want and enjoy the Christmas telly. I've spent time this morning coordinating the videoing and watching schedule. We're currently watching Cinderella from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and this evening we have Dr Who, Strictly, and then Poirot! Excellent!

So the rest of the day will be spent thinking about our goals, snoozing in front of the TV, and nibbling or supping as we desire! I've absolutely hated Christmas for most of my adult life, after loving it as a child. However, when it's like this it's really rather nice. No sitting at tables, no pressure, no answering awkward questions about jobs, no driving in hideous weather, just us, the cats, and the goose! Yummy!