Holiday Dinners

Holiday Dinners



In my young adult years, I always had the fantasy that I would be the Martha Stewart of the holidays - emerging from the kitchen, June Cleaver style, gracefully placing a beautifully roasted bird in the middle of a table welcomed graciously by smiling family members. The turkey beautifully browned on a porous polished plate exuding an aura of practically visible smells of deliciousness.


Two years ago, my family promised to indulge my fantasy. It was my turn to host the holiday gathering. I spared no restraint and graciously invited 25 people over for a holiday feast. I began diligently searching for recipes, both new and great family classics. I Googled videos on how to stuff my 28 pound bird as I held him hostage in my deep freeze. I meticulously spelled out the menu and intentionally told everyone NOT to bring anything because I had it covered.


The night before my turkey was well stuffed; all the prepping that could be done was done. The table was set with Martha style fashion. As I tucked myself into bed, I envisioned the compliments and approving oohs and ahhs from my guests as they relished my sensational entrees and sides. I woke up way before the sun to get my fabulous holiday performance started.


As the sun came up and the delicious smells were pouring from my kitchen the first phone call came. It was from family out of town… apparently it had snowed last night and in the midst of my dinner preparations I had missed the catastrophic downfall outside. They couldn’t come. Although disappointed, I dismissed my regret and assured myself that despite being down to 10 guests, we will just have plenty of leftovers. Then the next phone call came, apparently, the downfall was way worse than I realized. Our local friends and family were imprisoned by the snow and would not be able to make it either.


Fighting back tears of anger at Mother Nature and disappointment that all 25 guests would not be basking in my culinary glory, I heard a whimper in the living room. My daughter is holding her stomach looking at me with droopy sad eyes and complaining she doesn’t feel good. She is shadowed in by my husband and my mom, who had agreed to stay the night to help me with the preparations, all in a similar shade of dysenteric green. They all three took a quick u turn out of the living room to their respective bedrooms.


Unbelievable. It seemed my pinnacle of holiday dinner mastery had just been flushed to nonexistence. I dropped my head in my hands on the counter as I surveyed all the savory dishes around me. In bounced my 6 year old son, the remaining household member who hadn’t succumbed to the stomach bug. I grasped to my last bit of hope and boosted him up on a bar stool to take in the bounty that was waiting display for the holiday table.


He slowly scans over the buffet of holiday exclusives and then looked up to me with his cute brown eyes and gently requests, “Mom, can you make me a peanut butter and jelly?”


However fantastic or disappointing your holidays may be – don’t forget to be safe with your holiday dinners. Even in the most ideal situations, turkey safety requires diligence. Here are a few basics:


• Eating within two hours? Keep the food at least at 140 degrees. Keeping food warm is not enough.


• Eating much later? Remove stuffing and refrigerate. Cut turkey into small pieces and refrigerate. Refrigerate potatoes, gravy and vegetables in shallow containers.


• Reheating? Reheat thoroughly to 165 degrees or until steaming and hot.


For more holiday meal safety tips, go to www.cdc.gov/features/turkeytime.