This year's Yule Feast

 Well, another successful medieval style Yule feast was accomplished yesterday!

It was a bright, sunny Solstice day, but chilly (never made it out of the 40s), so I was able to have a cook fire, AND an after-sunset Yule fire!

A friend came over in the afternoon.  We shared the honey cakes and wassail that I had made earlier, and sat by the cook fire, while I cooked the veggies.

We exchanged gifts, then she went home, and I got back to work.  Dave helped me by getting the little birds prepped to go over the fire.

The menu this year was: 

Mashed carrots and turnips (mixed together), with cream and ginger.  These were boiled over the fire in a cauldron, while my friend was here.

Cornish game hens, brined, then stuffed with onion, raisins, and fresh rosemary.  These were roasted over the fire, and finished in the oven to reach a safe internal temperature.

Pears, spiced, and cooked in wine with rose water.  (I had cooked these earlier in the day, on the stove, while the wassail was also cooking.)  This was served with a dollop of heavy cream.

The meal was exquisite.  Served with brown ale to drink.

We sipped wassail by the fire, after dark, and it was truly lovely.

I worked hard all day, and then couldn't sleep until some time after 2 am.  SO, I am tired today, but satisfied.

Today, I need to wrap Dave's gifts to go under the tree, which we got set up last weekend.

On Friday, the supervisor sent out an email that said we can all work from home next week.  In my mind, I said "except me,"  because I have to go get paperwork in order to do part of my job.

This morning, though, I remembered that she has scanned the paperwork to me on previous occasions, so I texted her to see if she is going to the office tomorrow.

Hopefully, I will hear back before my "office day" alarm time tomorrow morning!

For our Christmas Eve gathering, our friends from Switzerland, who usually join us, are the only ones coming.

Two friends, who have come in the past, made it clear that they didn't want to be invited again, so .. they weren't.

I am going to make a broccoli dish, and the spoon bread, and, of course, we will have Virginia ham.

Then, Christmas day is going to be the usual.... we will open gifts, and have left over ham and biscuits for breakfast.

We both have to work the next day, from home (thankfully), and on Friday, I have my heart ultrasound and chest CT in the morning, and chemo in the afternoon.

Right now, I am off to take a leisurely, warm bath to start my day.

Happy holidays, bright blessings, and have a good week!