A post in which it is Christmas dinner

I was up early this morning to get the peas started.  I haven't made them before and didn't know how long they would need to cook.  I weighed my Amish cheese for the macaroni pie.  I wanted to make it with all Amish cheese, but I found when I weighed it out that I had paid $25 for a pound and a half of cheese.  Yeah.  It had better be good.  A half pound was swiss, which I wasn't using, but there was a half pound each of sharp cheddar and butterkase so I had enough to make the pie itself.  I would just have to go to the store for the last half pound to put on top.  I put that together, and then put the sweet potatoes together.  I was having those because they are Tony's favorite.  I really wanted to do this dinner today for Tony.  Rhonda isn't close to her bio family (with good reason), and Tony doesn't see a lot of them.  Generally if he gets a home-cooked meal it comes from my kitchen.  I should actually cook for him more often, I guess.

I ran to the store for cheese and the couple of odds and ends that you're always missing when you start putting a big meal together, but I had most everything I needed.  When I got in, I put the cheese on top of the macaroni (it's actually better if you let it sit before you bake it), and did the topping for the sweet potatoes.  Then I baked the corn bread.  I was having Parker House Rolls because they're my favorite, but Rhonda eats her peas  with corn bread, so I wanted her to have some.  I made homemade corn bread today, which I hardly ever do.  I'd rather have Jiffy, and when I make it for myself that's what I make.  My corn bread came out pretty, which is tricky because this recipe is a bit iffy to make.  A lot of the time it falls.

I did the corn pudding for Rhonda.  That's her favorite, and made the Quorn Turk'y Roast.  I got in touch with Logan, and found out that he wasn't going out of town with Russ and Billy, so I invited him to come eat.  I also called Lady Beth and got no response.  I had talked to Dana earlier yesterday and invited them, but hadn't heard back.  So we were four, which was fine. 

I took a break and went to get Rhonda and Tony.  Tony was excited, bless his heart.  He loves my food, and I love cooking for them.  It does my heart good to feed them.

When we got back to the house, I made some kale Rhonda and I had found when we were out shopping.  It was beautiful kale, and I sauteed it with spring onion and other stuff to try to get it tender.  Unfortunately that didn't happen, and it didn't turn out very well.  I had too many things going on.  I peeled my potatoes and put them on to boil, and when they were done and mashed, I pulled the macaroni, corn pudding, and sweet potatoes out of the oven and put the bread in.  I made the gravy and we were ready to eat.

We used the mod red dishes I haven't had down in forever.  I guess I really need to get rid of them since I have so many more dishes now, but it makes Rhonda nervous to eat off the Depression Glass, and I don't have enough Wedgwood dinner plates to serve on yet.  I would have hated to use my Bubble Glass since I use that for everyday.  The red dishes seemed a good compromise.  I had intended to set the table, but I have to do that right before you eat or it's impossible to keep the cats off the table.  As it turned out by the time dinner was ready I had so many things going on I didn't even think about it.  I didn't even get a tablecloth out, and I really wish I had.  But the meal was good, it was enjoyed with people I love, and spirits were good.  It's hard to want more than that. 

There was a LOT of food.  I had made over on purpose so Tony would have left-overs to take home.  The macaroni was epic - of course with that Christian designer cheese it should have been, but it was a notable pie.  The furkey was fine, my gravy was good.  The rolls I forgot about, but they came out fine.  The potatoes were a little lumpy.  I should have mashed them by hand, and they could have cooked for just a bit longer.  The kale was vile.  Rhonda loyally took it home, but I doubt they ate it.  I wouldn't have.  The corn pudding tasted good, but was under-done.  They ate it anyway.  The sides were just barely done enough to be passable, but the middle was gushy and doughy.  The sweet potatoes were a triumph.  It was the first time I have ever made Grandma's recipe that they set up and were right.  I was very pleased with that.  The corn bread was bad.  I'm just going to use a different recipe.  I have Miss Ruby's, which actually won a prize at the fair.  I don't know why I haven't been using it.  I hate that other one went in the cook book.  I didn't taste the peas - there was just too much food on offer - but Rhonda said they were good.  Bless her loyal little heart, she probably would have said that anyway. 

They packed up food to take home, and so did Logan, and I still had plenty left to eat on.  I was wiped.  It had been a long day on my feets.  Even though I had worn Crocs and all and tried to save my legs, I was pretty much all in.  Tony offered to wash up, bless his heart.  I knew I loved that boy.  I sat and talked to them while they washed dishes, getting up occasionally to put something away, but basically I didn't have to do anything, which was wonderful. 

When the kitchen was clean we went into the living room to talk and visit for a while.  After the dinner settled we had Mother's Peter Paul Mounds cake for dessert.  She had made it for Christmas, but everyone ended up eating pound cake, so I had brought half of it home.  That is one fantastic cake.  It was one of my favorites when I was a child, but it is incredibly rich.  I was glad that it was eaten and appreciated. 

Dessert finished, I ran them home, came back and fell into bed.  I felt like I had done something good today.  I guess I don't get any stars in my crown for something I get so much pleasure from, but it's still a good feeling.