Tisn't The Season

Still spending almost all our time at home with each other, my family planned a Not-Christmas celebration for last Saturday to break up the monotony of most of our days since March.

We have taken to giving our real holidays themes over the past couple of years, and so we came up with one for Not-Christmas too: the theme was British Christmas. We applied this theme to decorations, outfits, activities, and the food.

A neighbor kindly lent us an artificial Christmas tree and a couple of wooden reindeer, and my backup dancer and I created some bunting. We staged it all in the basement, both because it's cool and we'd be in winter garb, but also because we don't spend much time down there, so if we used our imagination and squinted a bit, it felt like going somewhere different.

The day began, of course, with opening presents in our pajamas. This we did with Christmas carols playing and a roaring fire playing on the TV. It was very festive, and there was much delight with gifts like cordless headphones (for me) and Barbie Dreamtopia Rainbow Lights Mermaid (for Patrick. Ha ha ha just kidding!).

Then I prepared The Full English Breakfast, taking special pride in adding a New Jersey touch by substituting Taylor Ham for bacon, since English bacon is not like American bacon anyway. 

Taylor ham on the griddle

In general, I minimize my meat consumption for the sake of fighting climate change, but I make exceptions for special occasions, and Not-Christmas is about as special as it gets.

My backup dancers watched "A Christmas Carol" while I was preparing the food.

I embrace all opportunities to wear costumes. My outfit featured Union Jack colors and a flag belt buckle, and a nod to royal fashion with a hat. 

Pat had a Dickensian costume, and Emma was the Queen.

Unlike the "full English" at brunch, I am proud to say that dinner was an earth-friendly vegetarian meal. Sides were mashed potatoes (Joy of Cooking), roasted beets in an orange sauce, English (of course) peas, and popovers, which were the only item that didn't turn out well, I'm afraid. The main course was a mushroom and spinach Wellington (Tasty), made with frozen Pepperidge Farm puffed pastry. 

This is actually two overlapping sheets of pastry - the photo is deceptive

Based on the size of the pastry pieces, I actually made two Wellingtons, which took about 10 creamer-sized potatoes. I had made the mushroom filling the day prior, then put it into the fridge to stuff the Wellingtons on Not-Christmas day. I brushed the Wellingtons with egg before sticking in the oven, for a nice brown shine.

I served it all with a gravy of made from French onion soup that I'd made for dinner the night before, then blended smooth. I sort of regret not adding nutritional yeast to this gravy; that would have increased its savoriness -- it tasted good, but a little too sweet.

It's not a British Christmas without pulling crackers!

The day's final glory was the Christmas pudding (Christina's Cucina) that I'd prepared eight days prior, then kept in the fridge. 

One of us was more excited about the pudding

I tried but failed to light it on fire on Not-Christmas, as is tradition, but it tasted great anyway, served with whipped cream.

And that's a wrap for Not-Christmas! When we do it all again in five months, we hope with all our hearts that other people we love will be with us.