#holiday-gatherings

#holiday-gatherings

The arrival of the Nagar Kirtan procession, featuring dhol drummers, Gatka displays and decorated floats, drew large audiences around the square.

Sunday roast at six o'clock sharp. The smell of gravy wafting from the kitchen. Everyone seated around the same table, no exceptions. The clatter of cutlery on proper plates, not a phone in sight. If you grew up in a boomer household, this scene probably triggers some serious nostalgia. But describe it to today's kids, and they'd look at you like you're describing life on another planet.

Turkey breast halves, roasted in less than an hour, can be the star of delicious midweek entrees. Or view those roasted turkey breasts, sliced and packaged, then stored in the freezer, as a great addition to sandwiches, as well as casseroles, pasta or salads.

My dad would be up at dawn, not to prepare some elaborate feast, but to set up the treasure hunt he'd created using clues written on the backs of old envelopes. Each riddle led us kids to another spot in the house, building anticipation for modest gifts hidden in creative places. The whole thing probably cost him nothing but time and imagination, yet thirty years later, I remember those hunts more vividly than any expensive present I've ever received.

Letting our dogs lick the dishes before we put them in the dishwasher!