What the Dickens!

Well you know we love a good party...  And a theme party is the best, because it proves an excellent guide around which to plan a meal and the evening's shenanigans...

Last night's theme was A Charles Dickens Christmas Dinner, and as always, we had a good time, hauling our sorry carcasses off to bed late in the night, having proven ourselves to be veritable Fezziwigs!

Come along as we revisit a special night...

The Menu:

Roast Turkey (nary a goose to be gotten in our burg...)
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Baked Apples
Brussel Sprouts with pancetta and brandy
Orange cramnberry sauce
gravy
home made biscuits
Orange Marmalade Cake
Flaming Christmas Pudding
Hard Sauce

A picture of the marmalade cake:

And the brussel sprouts, which proved a hit:

We set the table mid-afternoon, and had to borrow some folding chairs for the slightly lower folding table we purchased to add on to our dining room table:

Besides my ongoing love affairs with my little spruces in their mini ice buckets, I also had four small vases of the most lovely pink-hued roses.  I love very small or short bouquets on the table - all the better to see you with, my dear...

And then just before the guests arrive the candles are lit and we are like two children waiting for the excitement to begin!

When the guests arrived they were greeted with a cup of wassail (yum!) or a glass of champers and an assortment of English cheeses.

Oh and they were greeted by this man:

 Yes, he insisted on renting a costume befitting the theme and stole himself a rose for his boutonniere...

I trotted out last year's Nougat London frock, as I love it and so rarely get a chance to wear it and since Kate Middleton is recycling, well of course I must as well..

All parties begin and end in the kitchen.  A good-looking bunch, dressed to the nines..

Us digging in!

 There were recitations, I penned a poem to commemorate our past year, titled aptly enough "A Visit from Charles Dickens".  The crowd was most appreciative, though if truth be told they had had much to drink by now and might have cheered for anything...

Between the main course and dessert we did fireworks!  I forgot to take a picture of the fireworks, but let me say this:

1) they were fantastic - thanks Master G!
2) it was bloody cold - -15 by the time we got out there in our frippery!


We returned to the table for dessert, when who should arrive at the door but himself, Charles Dickens!

After greeting one and all, he took a seat and agreed to read a shortened version of his new story, A Christmas Carol.

Mr. Dickens has a most melodious voice and as we got to the first scene, who should arrive but Mr. Scrooge!

And here he is with the Ghost of Christmas Past, the epitome of Spring-time!

Every good party begets its own collateral damage..

 But what care we, for there are dances to be danced, quiet conversations to be had, shenanigans to be shenaniganed..  Excuse blurry photos - photographer was most unsteady...

 

 

 

I always consider these events to be gifts for my friends, whom I love very much and it is such fun to pull out all the stops for them!

Unfortunately, we forgot their parting gifts in the mad dash for the taxis, little scrolls with a poem by Alden Nowlan that Barry is fond of quoting after all such events... Never mind, they'll get theirs when they come back for their cars..

But here's the poem for you all, by one of New Brunswick's preeminent poets:

The Night of the Party

 

Never have I seen women
wiser or more beautiful.

Never have I known men
so witty, so sensitive.

Here in my living room
Are the twenty most remarkable
Persons in all the world.

And me, the one fool,
who must dance
although too heavy
on his feet, sing
although his vocal cords
are out of tune.

But that is the price
I pay for such
companionship.

My friends,
I do not get drunk for myself,
I get drunk for you.

"The Night of the Party" by Alden Nowlan, from What Happened When He Went to the Stove for Bread. © The Thousands Press, 2000.

 

And as Tiny Tim was heard to say: God Bless Us, Every One!