Lincoln Public Library Book and DVD Chat Blog: Christmas is coming....

I always remember this poem that my Granddad used to tell me so many years ago.

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man's hat;

If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,

If you haven't got a ha'penny the God Bless you!

Every time I think of the rhyme I think of my mom cooking Christmas Dinner. Especially the year we had a goose. We had never had a goose and did not really know what to expect. It was going to be something marvellous... a goose. My brother and I were excited. It sat in the fridge defrosting. To me it looked no different than a turkey, but what did I know.

Christmas Day arrived and I was not feeling too good. The goose was put in the oven. Back then I could smell ( I have since lost my sense of smell) and it did not smell too good. My mother started basting this bird that seemed to ooze fat everywhere. My grandparents arrived and I felt even worse. It seemed to take forever for this goose to cook. My mother kept basting and basting the goose. By the time dinner was to be served. I felt awful. My presents did not interest me at all. Then it hit... the stomach flu. Needless to say, I did not eat Christmas Dinner. I went to bed instead. In fact, I found out that I was not the only one that was sick, my Dad took one look at the food laid out on the table and that was enough for him. My brother , mother and granddad soon followed. The only person to eat Christmas Dinner that year was my Grandmother. She relished the goose and said it was perfect but a little on the fatty side. Then the next day, she was sick. For the next two days no one left the house. The goose was not put away properly so it was no longer editable. I never did get to try that Christmas Goose. To this day, I have never had goose but I can still remember the smell.

This got me thinking about Christmas Dinner. We have some great cookbooks at the library on how to make the perfect holiday feast. Many people have different Christmas Traditions just to the state the obvious. I know of people that have ham, Cornish hens, duck and of course the goose instead of turkey for Christmas Dinner.

Here are some books to help you with your Christmas Dinner Planning at the Lincoln Public Library. I know that I will be using them for ideas on how to cook the perfect turkey with all the trimmings.