To dine for
When we were kids, we pored over the Christmas catalogues. We spent hours taking turns selecting items for our Christmas lists and sometimes, much to my mother’s horror, we would cut our selections out, rendering the catalogue well, useless.
As the big day neared, we would wonder if any of our wishes would end up under the tree and I would shake and squeeze the packages in the hope that some of my selections would be there.
Today, it appears our pre-Christmas conversations and selections go, more often than not, to food. The pre-festive preparations, the “day of” menu, the following the “day of” menu, the snacks, the baking and the trimmings.
Now we make our selections from the numerous weekly grocery flyers. These new age gift catalogues promote the turkeys that are on sale, feature the selections of flour and candied sugar and highlight the latest in snacks (my favourite part). My family scours these catalogues and we regularly share vital information. It is not unusual that I get a call urging me to go to the store immediately for the latest critical on-sale item. There is nothing quite like the voice of disappointment if I don’t make it in time. In my family, this is unacceptable.
There is really no corner of my life that the conversation does not turn to food. My friend and I walk at least a couple of times per week. What do we talk about? What we had for dinner and what the latest and best recipe is. I just learned from her that one specific food outlet offers 10% off grocery orders on Tuesdays. I know what you are thinking…great news right? Although we know instinctively that we are walking to lose weight, and of course there is that fitness thing, I leave the walks hungry and that’s dangerous.
My Sundays this time of year are reserved for frying, baking, preparing, and decorating food. There is a lot of pre work to do and all of it, every bit and morsel, has an element of food attached. Like a regular fitness regime, my family has a regular food one. We meet weekly to lovingly prepare food and while we are at it, we sample quite a bit.
When we don’t know what to do one afternoon we go for coffee and something sweet. When we want to get together in the evening, we follow appetizers with dinner, dessert and snacks. When we don’t know what to bring as a hostess gift, we bring the popular items of wine or chocolate. And lately there are more and more items under the tree that are “food” oriented. And although my body isn’t exactly benefiting, my mind certainly is. There is a reason they call it “comfort” food. And I am wrapping myself up in it all.
As a child, I think that I would have cried if I had gotten a fruit basket under the tree. Today as I am lovingly checking out the food “catalogues” (flyers just doesn’t sound important enough), I am, as they say, having “visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.” I am not certain what a sugar plum is, but it sounds like it would be tasty and that is the perfect gift for me.
Happy holiday dining everyone!
Sue Prodaniuk has worked in the field of communications, marketing and advertising for a variety of private companies, public organizations and not-for-profit groups. You can contact her at sprodaniuk@tbaytel.net or visit her website at www.sueprodaniuk.com
