Christmas

Years ago I became friends with my dinner companions on a holiday cruise in the Caribbean.  One of the women told me about her family Christmas traditions and said I should join her family the next year.

I did and I've been heading to Boston to join their family for Christmas every year ever since - except the two years I was in Samoa.

It was great to be back with them this year.  I hadn't seen most of the family for three years and the change in the kids was startling.  So grown up!  Some things though, were exactly as I remembered.  Here are some photos:

My contribution to dinner was this cake. Chocolate fudge with butter cream frosting and a chocolate ganache glaze. Although I'm more of a cooker than a baker, it was declared a success. 

Prime rib is the traditional main course and Cindy did an amazing job with this one. Perfectly seasoned and done. Throughout the entire day I kept mentally comparing it to Samoa.  The number of gifts, the variety and types of food.  The only thing that was the same was that extended family was together, laughing and celebrating.

Another tradition is that two of the siblings (and me) attack the ribs before dinner is served. I was chewing a chunk of rare prime rib as I took this photo.

Lots of gifts, lots of activity, lots of laughing.  This was before dinner. After we ate, we rested and caught up and discussed where the two graduating seniors will go to college next year.  It was a great day.