A very British Christmas, food, and at least a bit ON topic.

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 6553

Neil wrote:
"Mice Pies"

 I know, I know, enough already, but Mice pies? Maybe I'll just stick 
to mince pies.  Anyway thanks Simon, Neil and everyone else for 
giving me some great ideas. I was thinking that maybe I couldn't find 
a Goose around here anyway.  Turkey is a bit of a rehash of 
Thanksgiving but we tend to eat it anyway.  There's also ham, and 
stuffing (Amanda's stuffing sounds really good). Of course there's 
also about 6-7 extra pounds come January that you finally shed by the 
next November...

 
> Dessert: Christmas pudding - with brandy done carefully, so we do 
not burn
> down half the house or my eyebrows. I object to loosing eyebrows to
> something I will not even eat (and I think just object to loosing 
them full
> stop).

While I don't itend to lose my eyebrows  I was planning on making one 
of these.  I mean is it really Christmas without it?
 
> Another Course: Coffee (tea for those of us who do not drink 
coffee), brandy
> and chocolate mints and maybe mince pies.

> 
> Neil wrote: "You could serve cold roast beef for tea as you will be 
picking
> from the turkey carcas for at least a week and it's nice to have 
some
> variety in your flesh-eating (ahem, I'm a vegetarian)."

OT story: I have a friend who is a vegetarian.  We were in Italy and 
at a paticuarly bad resturant.  While everyone else ate, chips and 
cold chicken her plate contained only a large slab of cheese. This 
occured after I'd lost a lot of sleep which may be why I found it 
incredibly funny.

>... turkish delight and chocolates by the
> sackload whilst viewing Christmas 'specials' on the telly.

Beg me to ask what is Turkish delight exactly?  I remember having it 
at a school party years ago. Something like jello but without water?

NOW to the ON topic portion of this message...

During Harry's first year at Hogwarts his Christmas dinner consists 
of-
 
'A hundred fat roast trukeys; mountains of roast boiled potatoes; 
platters of chipolata; tureens of buttered, silver boats of think 
rich gravy and cranberry sauce."

Not to mention Wizard Crackers, which give off some gifts more 
interesting than those of regualar crackers.  Fred gets several live 
white mice, a rear admiral's hat, and Dumbledore swaps a wizards hat 
for a flowered bonnet.  Harry recieves-

"A pack of nonexplodable, luminous ballons, a Grow-You-Own-Warts kit, 
and his own new wizard chess set." 

They also get Flaming Christmas puddings and Percy almost breaks a 
tooth on a silver sickle in his slice. Then for dinner they get 
Turkey Sandwiches, crrumpets, trifle, and Christmas Cake.

Harry's second Christmas at Hogwarts isn't described in as much 
detail but it mentions it was quite good.  His third Christmas finds 
almost no one staying at school.  

It mentions the crackers again and Dumbledore and Snape pull, to find 
a witch's hat with a stuffed Vulture.  

It also mentions roast potatoes and turkey.

In the Fourth year they have Turkey, and pudding, for luncheon and it 
mentions that the Christmas Crackers are  made by "Cribbage".

At the Yule ball there was a menu and so Harry chose Pork Chops but 
there must have been a wide selection.

Now if I don't burn my Creme Brulee I'll be ok!  Does anyone else get 
the feeling that whenever we have a food discussion I'm the one to 
start it?

Scott

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"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in 
fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your 
mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the 
here and now?  Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." - John 
Lennon 

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