The final countdown.

So we're into the home stretch for the holidays. Hope everyone is ready.

I finished the wrapping last night. Then went out and impulse bought yet another item for munchkin. Now I have a couple more to wrap. Maybe tonight.

I finally baked the cutout cookies that I made dough for last weekend. Then decided that I couldn't live without some press cookies. So I made the 3 family traditional press cookie offerings. Now I just have to decorate the naked cutout cookies and the press sugar cookies.

The only other to do before tuesday is to make some chex mix. It is DH's family tradition to have that to munch on. I figure if I'm having the familial hoard on Tuesday and a bunch of DH's friends on Thursday making a bunch is a fine idea.

I was worried about finding a substantial enough turkey to feed the familial hoards. The local stores seemed for some reason to max out at 17 pounds. So I went to another chain 1 town north and snagged a 23 pounder. I have named him Francios (geeze I didn't think it would be that hard to spell - just think frenchified Francis). I gave him a french name because I figure he's at least as big as 3 french hens. No worries until the lady behind me checking out said - "you'd just better hope he thaws by Tuesday". Great. Now I've got thaw anxiety. Must thaw giant bird without inviting unwanted bacteria. I don't even know how long you cook that big a bird. Fun, fun, fun.

Oh yeah and I got a ham. Not from anyone I work with - from one of our clients. Talk about a nice guy. He provided 8 hams so everyone in the office got one rather than just the boss. I had been figuring that if I couldn't get a big turkey it would be a turkey/ham combo dinner. It is however, a bit more complicated in coordinating (with only one oven) and DH turned his nose up at that option, so I'm happy to have found Francios.

Happy Holidays.

TTFN