shopping for Christmas dinner

This morning Rod and I went shopping for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner.
Outside of the entrance to the grocery store were stacks and stacks of oysters. People were lined up to buy them.


Rod bought some oysters and they will get eaten tonight. He bought the ingredients to make Oysters Rockefeller.

Another thing we see a lot of at the grocery store is foie gras. Lots and lots of foie gras. There is even more than normal. A new counter was set up to sell it and a woman was standing behind the counter handing out samples.

Here is our Christmas Eve dinner;
foie gras
seafood pasta with mussels, shrimp, crab, scallops and clams
bolognese pasta (for the kids)
prefou (a regional speciality - a long flat garlic bread)
salad
chocolate cake with a little Santa on top for dessert

Here is our Christmas Day dinner;
tomatoes and mozzarella
baguettes
beef bourguignon
potatoes
another cute little cake with Santa on top


Oops, I think Santa needs a little help getting back up.

It was festive but busy at the grocery store. Even Santa was there handing out candy and walking around.

We purchased most of our ingredients at the grocery store. I would normally purchase more stuff at the market but the market day was moved up a day and some of the vendors won't be there.

Tomorrow at the market we need to buy the fresh veggies for salad and tomatoes for the tomato and mozzarella dish. Rod also wants to buy some more fresh seafood for the seafood pasta. Our area has lots of fresh seafood since we aren't far from the ocean. The French love to buy their seafood at the market. The seafood counters always have a line.

I asked a neighbor what they have on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for meals. He asked if I wanted to know about the traditional meal or what his family was having. He told me that his family was ordering a salmon for Christmas Eve and they were having turkey for Christmas Day. He said turkey on Christmas day is popular. They were not having potatoes with their turkey, but chestnuts. He also mentioned oysters and foie gras.

Having Rod here has added to the festivities. It is more fun to have him here sharing in everything than trying to explain it all to him on skype.
The weather has been rainy the last couple of days so we have stayed in a lot. We are watching movies and playing games. Right now Rod is looking up a youtube video for Joey on how to draw a fighter jet. We have to find something for Joey to do on these rainy days.

JOYEUX NOEL!