Christmas without you
White Christmas and I'm blue
I love you I miss you
So sad but so
true
Christmas without you
Like a mystery with no clues
Like fireworks with no fuse
Christmas without you”
Christmas is a time to be spent with those who we love and love
us. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to go through the holidays without some of
the people who we love and hold dear to us. The Christmas lyrics in the
beginning speak about that emotion we get when we have to remember all those
Christmas memories with the people we loved very much and who are no longer here
with us. It’s even more painful to lose a love one close to the holidays since
you have been planning on how to celebrate with everybody only to realize that
in the end a love one has passed on to heaven to watch over you.
On October of this year someone very close to me throughout my
years of life passed away. He was a great grandfather, uncle, father, and
especially a great husband to my aunt. This year I wish to give back to my
family by hosting a small get together at my cousin’s house in order to spread
some Christmas cheer around the family. I wish for my aunt, cousins, and second
cousins to still have a wonderful Christmas to where they can remember and for
my uncle who is watching above taking care of us to be happy that we are
celebrating with him in spirit.
I wish to have the event a couple of days before Christmas
because I will be sending a letter to all my family members about what I wish to
do this year and will need their cooperation in bringing materials for the
event. Materials will include lights, tree, food; Christmas carols sheets,
Christmas movies, and more importantly their love.
One of my cousin’s will let us use her house for the event. My
cousins have agreed to bring the lights, tree, boxes of hot chocolate packets,
and extra things to decorate the house and tree. My sister has agreed to bring
some Christmas cookie recipes for she is the one that always makes cookies for
every holiday and will be having the grand kids involved in helping her. My
mother and I will be providing the ingredients for the Maple Roast Turkey and
Gravy. One of my aunt’s grandkids
volunteered to bring the movie Elf so we all can watch together. My
uncle will be providing the gingerbread kits for the kids to make during the
event. One of the grandkids will be bringing Christmas carol books for us to
sing.
The first thing on the list will be for everyone to arrive around
1:00 so we can start putting up the lights early before it gets too dark.
Everyone will have to separate into teams so we can have the lights up as
quickly as possible. While this is taking place outside, there will be family
members inside the house decorating the Christmas tree and any other Christmas
decorations that they would like to add.
The second thing on the to do list is preparing the Maple Roast
Turkey and Gravy plus some extra sides like mash potatoes, corn, bread rolls,
and salad. We will have to start on this around 3:00 for the main dish will take
about four to five hours to be ready. Whoever is available on that day and ready
to cook will be joining my mother and I in preparing the meal.
The third thing that will be taking place is my sister having her
little Christmas cookie workshop with my aunt’s grandkids. She will be showing
them how to make holiday cookies and instruct them step by step on how to make
them. While my sister is working
with the older grandkids on how to make the Christmas cookies my cousins will be
helping their smaller kids in making their own gingerbread house.
The fourth thing taking place will be having the house fully
decorated, the main dish almost ready to eat, and somebody from our family
bringing my aunt to the house for the Christmas cheer surprise.
Then I hope we gather around the table to eat what everybody helped make
for their will be people that did the mash potatoes, corn, breed rolls, and
salad. Others would have helped my mother and I with the main dish.
Next I hope to gather around the living room with all the family
ready to watch the movie Elf with some hot chocolate and my sisters Christmas
cookies.
I hope that we will be able to sing Christmas carols after the
movie and along with a prayer thanking God for letting this event take place in
bringing us all together in unity for that is what Christmas is all about.
How to Make Maple Turkey and Gravy
Directions
White Christmas and I'm blue
I love you I miss you
So sad but so
true
Christmas without you
Like a mystery with no clues
Like fireworks with no fuse
Christmas without you”
Christmas is a time to be spent with those who we love and love
us. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to go through the holidays without some of
the people who we love and hold dear to us. The Christmas lyrics in the
beginning speak about that emotion we get when we have to remember all those
Christmas memories with the people we loved very much and who are no longer here
with us. It’s even more painful to lose a love one close to the holidays since
you have been planning on how to celebrate with everybody only to realize that
in the end a love one has passed on to heaven to watch over you.
On October of this year someone very close to me throughout my
years of life passed away. He was a great grandfather, uncle, father, and
especially a great husband to my aunt. This year I wish to give back to my
family by hosting a small get together at my cousin’s house in order to spread
some Christmas cheer around the family. I wish for my aunt, cousins, and second
cousins to still have a wonderful Christmas to where they can remember and for
my uncle who is watching above taking care of us to be happy that we are
celebrating with him in spirit.
I wish to have the event a couple of days before Christmas
because I will be sending a letter to all my family members about what I wish to
do this year and will need their cooperation in bringing materials for the
event. Materials will include lights, tree, food; Christmas carols sheets,
Christmas movies, and more importantly their love.
One of my cousin’s will let us use her house for the event. My
cousins have agreed to bring the lights, tree, boxes of hot chocolate packets,
and extra things to decorate the house and tree. My sister has agreed to bring
some Christmas cookie recipes for she is the one that always makes cookies for
every holiday and will be having the grand kids involved in helping her. My
mother and I will be providing the ingredients for the Maple Roast Turkey and
Gravy. One of my aunt’s grandkids
volunteered to bring the movie Elf so we all can watch together. My
uncle will be providing the gingerbread kits for the kids to make during the
event. One of the grandkids will be bringing Christmas carol books for us to
sing.
The first thing on the list will be for everyone to arrive around
1:00 so we can start putting up the lights early before it gets too dark.
Everyone will have to separate into teams so we can have the lights up as
quickly as possible. While this is taking place outside, there will be family
members inside the house decorating the Christmas tree and any other Christmas
decorations that they would like to add.
The second thing on the to do list is preparing the Maple Roast
Turkey and Gravy plus some extra sides like mash potatoes, corn, bread rolls,
and salad. We will have to start on this around 3:00 for the main dish will take
about four to five hours to be ready. Whoever is available on that day and ready
to cook will be joining my mother and I in preparing the meal.
The third thing that will be taking place is my sister having her
little Christmas cookie workshop with my aunt’s grandkids. She will be showing
them how to make holiday cookies and instruct them step by step on how to make
them. While my sister is working
with the older grandkids on how to make the Christmas cookies my cousins will be
helping their smaller kids in making their own gingerbread house.
The fourth thing taking place will be having the house fully
decorated, the main dish almost ready to eat, and somebody from our family
bringing my aunt to the house for the Christmas cheer surprise.
Then I hope we gather around the table to eat what everybody helped make
for their will be people that did the mash potatoes, corn, breed rolls, and
salad. Others would have helped my mother and I with the main dish.
Next I hope to gather around the living room with all the family
ready to watch the movie Elf with some hot chocolate and my sisters Christmas
cookies.
I hope that we will be able to sing Christmas carols after the
movie and along with a prayer thanking God for letting this event take place in
bringing us all together in unity for that is what Christmas is all about.
How to Make Maple Turkey and Gravy
- Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a
heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20
minutes). Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 of the thyme and marjoram and all of
the lemon zest. Add the butter or margarine and whisk until melted. Add salt and
ground pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until cold (syrup can be made up
to 2 days ahead). - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190
degrees C). Place oven rack in the lowest third of oven. - Wash and dry turkey. Place turkey in
a large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of the breast to loosen breast skin.
Rub 1/2 cup of the maple butter mix under the skin of the breast. If planning on
stuffing turkey do so now. Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter mixture over the
outside of the turkey. With kitchen string tie legs of turkey together
loosely. - Arrange the chopped onion, chopped
celery and chopped carrot around the turkey in the roasting pan. If desired the
neck and giblets may be added to the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining thyme
and marjoram over the vegetables and pour the chicken stock into the
pan. - Roast turkey at 375 degrees F (190
degrees C) for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees
C), and cover turkey loosely with foil (shiny side towards turkey). Continue to
roast until very tender, basting occasionally with pan juices. About 3 to 4
hours unstuffed, 4 to 5 hours stuffed. Pierce the leg joint with a fork, if the
juices run clear or faintly pink then the turkey is done. Transfer turkey to a
platter and cove with foil. Reserve pan mixture for gravy. - To Make Gravy: Strain pan juices into
a measuring cup. Spoon fat from juices. Add enough chicken stock to make 3 cups.
Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. - Mix 3 tablespoons of the reserved
maple butter mixture with the flour in a small bowl to form a paste. Whisk baste
into broth mixture. Add the chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced
and thickened slightly, whisking occasionally. Add apple brandy if desired and
season with salt and ground pepper to taste.
Directions