*Cloyce was first coined by Cammy a few months ago cos it was just so much easier then typing ‘clem and joyce’ on our group messages all the time 🙂

After the first Xmas dinner party we threw on the 17th, we did another one two days before Christmas where i accidentally over-invited up to 17 people. Was a bit panicky at first till we borrowed additional stools from my dad so not everyone would have to SIT ON THE FLOOR.

I decided to plunge into cooking my first turkey and brined it for a day (2 days would have been better) in apple & cranberry juice and spices. I blogged about the prep *here*.

Throwing all the spices in to mix was super fun! It’s like playing masak-masak… but IRL. Cos it IS real life Joyce -_-

Nigella said to brine the turkey in a pail but the only pail i had was the one we use to mop the floor with. No. I wasn’t so bad as to feed people food done that way, and mentally slapped myself after my subconscious considered it for a supermininanosecond. So i stuffed it as best i could into my biggest soup pot.

Never saw my fridge so packed before.

All the recipes i used that day are from Nigella’s Christmas book Tina gave me for Xmas. It’s superb and i totally recommend it to anyone! EVERYTHING turns out the way you hope it to!

On the day of the dinner party i did my LAST Christmas gift run in the morning at Mid Valley. What a mistake. I mean, it was great that there were so many shops to buy presents from, but when i left at 2:30pm i almost cried. It was so jammed i kept on counting the minutes to when i could put my turkey in the oven, not to mention all the other dishes that had be queued up for at least an hour each after that.

I reached home at 4pm. That gave me 4 hours to cook dinner for 19 people. I meant to start at 2pm latest so it would be relaxing!

Threw all my shopping down and ran straight to the kitchen to start. Clem got home 10 minutes after me and i was shrieking that he help me set up the new food processor i’d bought that day. His face went slightly black and i was so annoyed as to WHY setting up a food processor is so difficult, when he moodily admitted that he had bought me one for Christmas too. Oops.

Anyway, we managed to pull together a whole turkey, turkey sauce, pumpkin & goat’s cheese lasagna, goose fat potatoes, ham, beef, salad, and array of sauces for the food.

In the middle of all the flurry, the Guinness PR called me and said they were at my office trying to personally pass me this cardboard wreath i tweeted about wanting a week earlier, but whoops they didn’t know i was on leave. In the end the poor girl (Kavitha?) drove through Friday evening traffic to deliver this to our door!

Oli and JP arrived first, then these haiwans arrived after.

At this part in my blogpost, i would have liked to put pictures of the food i served. But i was SO BUSY I FORGOT TO TAKE ANY PICTURES!!! Was too involved with getting everything hot and on the table for everyone to eat.

I didn’t even get to take a picture of the first turkey i’ve cooked in my life. All i got was this:

The carcass of the turkey. I guess that’s a good sign right.

Other good signs. I was so scared there wouldn’t be enough food to feed these monsters that there were extra trays of potatoes and lasagna hidden in the kitchen.

Damn i forgot to take pictures of any dessert -_- I told everyone that they could bring drinks and dessert cos i tak larat to cook dessert as well as dinner. 2 people said they were bringing dessert… more showed up with desserts, each enough for 10 people. I think we had a total amount enough for 60 people! No one complained and some happily doggy-bagged their favourite ones home.

JP & Oli brought a magnificent chic ice cream cake. Tania baked Nutella bread and butter pudding. Hoe Yin came with a massive BOX of Just Heavenly cakes.

Hoe Yin was telling me how he brought chocolate durian cakes and i laughed. After 5 minutes i realized he was serious and said, “You brought DURIAN into a white man’s house?!” and laughed even harder. Didn’t mention it to Clem at all and thought i’d wait and see what happened.

A little while later, Clem walked around the dining area with his face scrunched up, thinking there was a gas leak in the house. Someone pointed at the durian cake on the table and said: “Durian.”

It was immediately banished to the balcony table.

I have to say tho, that Just Heavenly choc durian cake is addictive… it’s not like the durian is processed in the making, but you can literally taste the flesh and feel the duriany texture while eating it!

Love Ming’s Christmas suit! After that it was too hot so he took it off.

Kubz got his beard shaved like that for a costume party the day before. He liked it so much he let it be.

Kevin, Ming, Jess

Durian-hater

Dhanya

Clouds tried on Kubz’ wig and i thought she looked so cute, like an Asian Annie. Till she downed a shot in my face and the image went away. Asian Annie don’t drink like that… 



I caught a picture of Dhanya eating and not realizing i was watching her. This is one of her MANY expressions that flicker on her face the nanosecond before food goes into her mouth.

Didi and Dhanya don’t drink alcohol at all. And Chelle… occasionally does? I didn’t even see her drink that night! This is their food buddy handclap watchamacallit. They were just sitting at the dining table screaming about food half the night.

LEFTBLOCK LOVE

Hoe Yin, me, Chelle

Chelle, Dhanya, Didi, Kubhaer

Danny’s like a sneaky photobomber

Clem, Wilson and Clouds.

In essence, i guess i’d have to say Clouds is Wilson’s godmother cos she was the first one who asked Clem what his name was. Aps helped draw his face on, so she’s 2nd godmother.

I had to keep chasing Tania out of the kitchen cos she wanted to do the dishes. She said she likes doing the dishes when she’s tipsy but i didn’t want anyone to wash at my party! 4-hour cleaning lady for RM55 hello.

Kevin, Ming snarls, Sarah

Clem thought i was crazy to give everyone a Christmas present. But i had presents for half the people coming and it wouldn’t have been nice to give to just some friends and how could we do that quietly?! So i just got socks for the rest of the men i didn’t know what to give. Socks are easy. And we all need them. Heh.

We gave Clouds & Kevin a puzzle they could spend time playing with together. They sure spent a lot of time trying to read the instructions and getting the game back into the box (ok given they were slightly drunk). So i’m sure they’ll spend a lot of time on it!

FAI

KUBZ

Rahul and his present

Proper perasmian of present picture

This must be the drunkest saddest lion our apartment has ever seen.

I was laughing like crazy when i saw this picture a few days after. Especially when i noticed someone taking a nap on the right.

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