Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas Eve in thirty minutes or less...

Last year’s Christmas Eve did not go according to our traditions. I was working at a department store for the season and somehow ended up with the 5:30 am shift. Yes, the store actually thought there might be a last minute Christmas shopper willing to buy a purse at six in the morning. (They were wrong, but that’s another story)
My dad and brother were also working, but both of their cars were struck dead that month, so my poor mother had to drive them to work and pick them up. Naturally, they worked on opposite ends of town. Throw in some seriously biting cold and needless to say by the time we all got home our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of hand-made manicotti just wasn’t going to happen.
Enter modern convenience! Turkey and gravy in a microwavable pouch that takes only seven minutes. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, from flakes to creamy in just three and a half minutes. Candied yams that only needed to be poured from their freezer container into a pot and stirred until warm. And the cranberries needed only a can opener to grace the table.
Yes, I know some of you are appalled out there, but honestly it was one of the best Christmas Eve dinners I’ve ever had…plus the whole idea was so fun.
We did manage to set out the nice china for the meal, but we all opted to wear pajamas to the table. Tradition just isn’t any fun if you can’t spice it up every once and a while.

No comments: