Preparations are underway for the big Christmas Eve party we are hosting. Here’s how the menu is shaping up:

From family members:

Shrimp and okra gumbo
Corn and crab chowder
Roasted turkey
Baked ham
Christmas cookies
more desserts

From us:

(Smoked) oyster roll
Salmon spread
Jezebel (spicy apple jelly spread)
Artichoke casserole supreme
Cajun jambalaya
Chocolate cherry bar cookies with hazelnuts

I’ve been to Nor-Joe’s already to buy their Italian cheese and everything-flavored flat bread, and I’ve already been to the grocery store and have baked the cookies. Saturday, I’ll start the jambalaya. Then Sunday and Monday, cooking and cleaning a-plenty. With Christmas songs playing in the background.

As of right this moment, I am sitting in a quiet, darkened, slightly chilly house. The hubs and Sun are running an errand, and the in-laws are visiting friends. There’s a lot of work to be done for the party, work I am looking forward to. We use my mother-in-law’s china (she gave to the hubs years ago) and she’ll get to enjoy it with us for the first time. Plus I get to use all my lovely serving pieces that I’ve acquired over these five short years. I love every last one of the things we use.

This party was traditionally held by my mother growing up. Then my three brothers swapped it out, with my sister hosting it occasionally. Then there were divorces and moves and the hosting of it got to be difficult. Then I got married and moved out of an apartment and was able to host it myself. I’ve hosted it four out of the past five years. I’d host it every year if I could. Now my sister and a brother are wanting to host it again and we have begun swapping it out again.

This party is like a part of my family. I’ve missed it only one year–the year I was taken to Ohio to meet my future in-laws. I enjoyed my visit to Ohio, but longed for my family party on Christmas Eve.

My family isn’t perfect and we don’t all get along as well as we could. But there is no other place I’d rather be on Christmas Eve than surrounded by my family eating the foods we all lovingly prepared.