Christmas Day and Dinner

On Christmas Day Dad came over and we toasted to Christmas and opened presents, most of which were supplied by NC Catherine and were greatly appreciated. After that we sat and played a game of Scrabble and then I began to prepare our Christmas dinner. Here is a photograph of our Scrabble board, and one of the chicken salt/pepper shakers that L. gave me.
While I might not otherwise have bothered, I ended up getting a tree so that our little people guests could enjoy the fun of decorating it.
Here is an ornament that J. gave me. I may fast become that woman with all the chicken paraphernalia.
When Dad and I went to Sansom Street Oyster House, we ended our Center City time at DiBruno Brothers, where I went a little cheese crazy. Let's see if I can tell you what all is what. Cabra La Mancha was a semi-soft goat's cheese that I liked very much. A little Delice Bourgogne is never a bad way to go when considering creamy, brie-like cheeses with a little bit more going on in the taste profile. We went with the creamier of Roqueforts something that started with 'Carles.' I'm reading off the receipt, which cuts off some details. Dad also thought that a little Livarot would be a nice addition; I agreed. And then a big hunk of Cotswold. I also put a little citrus/ginger salami out as well as chorizo, also purchased at DiBruno Bros.
I also took out the wooden cheese instruments Dad gave me at some other holiday in the past two years. The tablecloth was one Mom gave me months back after declaring my roommate's dining room table especially ugly.
So he- and she-J. and N. and S. came for Christmas dinner, which was a lot of fun. I worried that the apartment wouldn't be big enough to contain the kids, and I haven't actually been a sit-down dinner hostess type in over three years, so I forgot how much I like feeding people, even if I manage to make every smoke alarm go off and spill wine all over the oven. S. tried a bit of the cheese while working out.
For dinner I made a mushroom lasagna. I read a number of different recipes before kind of creating my own. But I did, for the first time ever, try making a Bechamel sauce, and I was quite pleased with the results.
I also poached a salmon in white wine on a bed of mint with shallots on top. I definitely didn't overcook it, which was my primary fear, but I think maybe I could have given it another five minutes under direct heat before letting it rest. He-J. made a great green bean casserole type dish too. Not really a casserole?

The kids went with apples and peanutbutter. She-J managed to skin an entire apple in one piece; I was very impressed.
Throughout the cheese and dinner courses we went through a bottle of champagne and one or two bottles of white. Maybe Dad will figure out how to leave a comment and let us know what those wines were. Perhaps one was a white Bordeaux and the other a Sancerre? Maybe not. I could be making that up.
S. and Dad had some sort of conversation.

I plugged my television and DVD player in (I watch just as much television as the next person, just on-line) and set the kids up to watch Dumbo. Turned out the lights and gave them a lantern too.

But the movie didn't hold their interest as much as the grown ups did. And I didn't help it by being more than willing to make them quite a bit taller than usual.

This looks like it ended poorly/like I have no defined face...but you would be wrong, S. did not wallop his head two seconds after this photograph. And I do, in fact, have a face with defined end points on the whole. I'm just in mid-no N. you cannot climb on my shoulders while I am still making sure your brother doesn't fall over speaking mode.
The boys also had a puzzle, which both she- and he-J. worked on a bit while N. climbed on and around them.

In this photograph I like how it looks like N. is talking to the tree. Also: note that there are many decorations on the tree, most of which were homemade by she-J. and S. It was the most well decorated per square inch tree in all the land.
For dessert She-J. made cookies. A lot of cookies.


Only one of which was shaped like a chicken. I ate it. Even after someone put their grubby little fingers all over it;)

I forget exactly what was going on here, or why. But it seems that instead of telling N. to get his brother's filthy sock out of his mouth, I chose to take photographs.
For both socks.
Hopefully N. hasn't gotten hoof and mouth disease.
S. was strangely pleased with activity it seems. It was a festive evening and I enjoyed it. It reminded me that I am capable of cooking a proper dinner for other people, and that my house can be cleaned up and made fit for such things (well, this was made easier because I just threw all my roommate's stuff into the hallway). Maybe I'll turn a corner and encourage people to eat with me more often. I'll definitely invite the J. and J. crew back, if they'll come, which I think they would because she-J. told me as much. Woot. Thanks to Dad for underwriting the cost of the meal and driving up to be a part of the holiday.