Party Time!

As much as it pains me to admit it, I am not having a baby shower until after 'Peanut' is born.
In Jewish tradition, there is a baby naming for girls and a bris for boys shortly after the baby is born. I figure we can combine the post-birth event with a shower but that really all depends on who wants to host it. Either way, no pre-birth baby shower for me. (This is also rooted in Jewish tradition).
This is not so bad. It is going to be Christmas time right around 'Peanut's' arrival. Alex's family will be at the ready with baby things as Christmas gifts.
When it comes to gifts, we are grateful for anything however, no one should feel obliged to spend any money. We know you all care. Even if you don't, I'm believing that you do.

The shower wasn't what I meant in the title, "Party Time".
Alex and I are hosting a nifty little dinner party tomorrow for some friends of ours (who are also conveniently expecting). She's due about a month after I am. The kids won't be in the same year at school unfortunately because they are due in the new year. We could hold 'Peanut' back but by the time kindergarten registration comes around I picture myself making a bee-line for the sign up forms to get this kid off to school as soon as possible. Yay school!

Anyway, we are having a mighty feast tomorrow night. The menu includes bruschetta, french onion soup, strawberry spinach salad, lamb roast and mini cheesecakes for dessert. Om nom nom!
I love entertaining. We get to share a meal with good friends and after our guests leave, Alex and I get to eat all the leftovers while basking in our freshly cleaned house. Life does not get any better than that.
I love entertaining so much that two years ago we hosted our first Passover Seder.
It was amazing. We had incredible food, our good friends and lots of laughter. Also, my sister sang the four questions in two-part harmony with my friend Eric. It was beautiful. The clean-up was no problem and Alex and I were set for the next eight days of meals.

As mentioned before, 'Peanut's' arrival falls very close to Christmas time.
Personally, I hate Christmas. I'm a true grinch.
Without growing up with Christmas traditions in my family home, I don't quite understand why we NEED to buy people gifts because its Christmas. If you want to buy me something, buy me something! I don't give a damn what day it is...neither does 'Peanut'. I will award a more traditional courtesy to all those who celebrate however, I don't really care for gifts at Christmas time.
Like the good Jewish girl I am, I admit that I do love the food! Whatever figgy pudding is, BRING IT! I'll take some egg nog, chocolate, sugar plums and anything else food related that we get only at Christmas (even mincemeat pie).

While I was dating Alex, I would spend every Christmas with his family. Of course I would! Where else was I going to go? My family was busy going to see the latest Christmas flick followed by meeting every other Jew in the city for a traditional Chinese Food chow down. At least at Chez Crandall there was a yummy breakfast of bagels and shmear followed by 'Present-palooza'.
I am so blessed to have such incredible in-laws. They say that you can't pick your family but when you get married, you have that one opportunity to pick the people you are going to be related to from here on out. I honestly couldn't have picked a better group. They are caring and wonderful and I hope they are reading this. One year we all spent Christmas in Australia. They spent two weeks of their vacation-lives with ME! I'm nuts! That's love!
Anyway, Christmas dinner is traditionally served in the mid afternoon (when its still light out). So we usually eat around 3-4pm. Then what? Bed? Play with Christmas toys? Movie? Chinese food with my parents? Well, one year my parents did something that spawned my love of entertaining. They hosted a post Christmas-Christmas dinner.

As mentioned before, I love food. I especially love Christmas food (everything except turkey). I'm picky when it comes to a perfect turkey. The best turkey I ever had was actually in Australia. I ate it with guacamole shmeared all over it. It was the only thing on the table that was going to moisten that dry bird and help it fly into my stomach.
The year of the post Christmas-Christmas dinner was like any other year. We opened our loot at Chez Crandall and ate a predictable meal of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce. Alex stuffed himself even though he knew we were going back to my parents' house for round #2.
We got to my parents' house and my Dad had put a turkey on his barbecue and rotisserized it. OH MY GOD! This turkey was the bastard child of Swiss Chalet Chicken and Unicorn tears. I could not believe what turkey could taste like. Alex was so full he was rolling around in bed and had to have his tummy rubbed. Poor guy.
My Dad's turkey changed my whole perspective on the bird. I had to have more and I had to try every turkey recipe I could find to not only out-do my Dad's but make something I wanted to eat again and again.
The only problem was that Alex and I couldn't eat an entire turkey. So I started entertaining.
We fed everyone test turkey. I was constantly trying to perfect my turkey making craft.
I've made an herb-infused turkey and two brined turkeys. The brined birds are pretty great. We actually served the brined birds for Christmas last year.
Alex I and hosted my family and his family for Christmas dinner last year (to avoid a repeat performance of Alex's indigestion incident). The food was great. My turkey was great but not hot when served. It's hard to host a big group like that without a chafing dish.

Anyway, I am really excited to have a dinner party tomorrow.
I know that once 'Peanut' arrives I won't be able to entertain as much (or with as much class as I can muster today). We aren't making turkey because I can't physically lift one out of the oven at this juncture but I think lamb is a pretty good consolation prize. Yum!
I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts and maybe for 'Peanut's' first birthday, I'll be ready to entertain again. Turkey for all!