FAMILY CELEBRATIONS IN AND OUT

Inside a Japanese Restaurant ,Perry brought his family to celebrate his son's i5th year birthday. That was his wish to go to a restaurant to skip cooking at home. The menu was handed to them by the food server and each one of them his wife and three children picked their choice. John the birthday celebrant chose fried noodles with tofu mixed with pork and vegetables, snow peas and thinly sliced carrots. Their main dish was a boatload of shushi. Shushi was the favorite food of Jess the eldest in the family who is 18 years old. How many times have he brought home a tray of shushi to add to their family dinner at home that his mother Emery ordered him to bring home. Joy who is the youngest wanted Chinese soup to moisten her palate aside from the drinks they ordered. The boatload of shushi was a complete meal for the family who are fish lovers. Fish was always included in their food choice to provide protein in their diet for easier digestion and absorption and good for their health. Emery took a bit of washabi to give a hot taste and pickled ginger on top of the fresh sliced salmon Perry took some of the rice inside seaweed rolls to mix it with the fresh salmon on his plate. He got a share from John's tufo noodles and took a small bowl of soup from Joy's big Chinese soup bowl Together they savored their meal until the dessert was served. Usually they have a piece of cheesecake to closed their meal so they went home full and satisfied. Perry and Emery had to prepare a Thanksgiving meal with both parent's side of their family. Perry's parents lived nearby while Emery's parents lived a bit farther about forty five to an hour drive. Emery's father William can still drive while her Mom Carole don't drive at all. Perry;s Dad Peter and Mom Elizabeth are both drivers. Perry thought of serving roast beef, potatoes and bacon, Yes, he wraps bacon to another kind of meat that I couldn't remember saying it will add taste to the meat. Perry did the cooking while Emery with the instruction of Perry who knew how to cook let his wife prepares the meat for roasting. The meat is marinated with spices and cooked slowly with the potatoes and carrots inside the kettle until it gets dry. Perry's parents brought their own recipe, the same with Emery's parents. They enjoyed a nice family dinner and exchange the latest news and happenings about their family. What's nice to hear was the latest achievement of their grandson Jess at school who will play in their school concert and how nice to be there to watch his performance at school. How about Joy who has started her arts classes to learn more about colors and shapes. while John goes swimming at their swimming classes on campus. These activities makes life more meaning to the family mixed with activities. While Perry's parents were busy maintaining their property Emery's parents are fully retired living in the apartment building because William had many health issues.

Perry's schedule at work caught up with Joy's birthday so they decided to have a Pizza Party at home. There were choices for the kids what kind of pizza they would get Hawaiian, Salami Cheese Vegetable or Mushroom pizza, However they can get different slices from each box of pizza. Aside from pizza they can get a bag of chips and a canned drink or box of fruit drink. There's a bowl of vegetables broccoli sweet peas tomatoes and sliced bell peppers to go with the pizza meal for a good stomach digestion for the kids. Here comes the cutting of the cake for Joy's 12 years birthday. Perry lighted the 12 candles and the friends of Joy sang Happy Birthday song for her. "Make a wish" they said. Before Joy blew the candles she made her wish to the delight of her friends. It came to the part of opening cards and gifts. What a surprise to get a beautiful fairy dress for Joy and greeting cards with money in it, Yes Joy will put the money in her bank account by her Mom. They went downstairs to the basement and have some games and the others went outside in the wide backyard to play. All dispersed when the party time ended for the kids. Joy brought her gifts to her room and picked a stuff toy to add it on her bed to keep her warm while

sleeping.

The family has to celebrate a family milestone so both sides in the family were invited to a popular buffet restaurant for lunch. It was the 20th wedding anniversary of Perry and Emery. There were varied menus in the restaurant which is mixed japanese, chinese but pizza of different flavors were also served and there was a salad bar. sushi section Western food ham and roast beef. fried chicken legs ,buns while mixed meat and vegetables which are Eastern food beef -broccoli, tofu-noodles pork, and soup recipes surely were satisfying and appetizing. Around the table the family toast their wine glasses to remember the occasion ,Perry and Emery sealed it with a kiss. It was a family celebration to be remembered.

On that Christmas Day Perry and Emery was the host of a big Christmas Party celebration inviting all Perry's relatives on her mother side, from great grandparents to the latest great great grandsons and grand daughters of both Perry's great grandfather and great grandmother with their seven children. Perry's Mom was second to the eldest. It was a potluck dinner. There were two long tables in the basement of Perry's house where the guests were seated inclusive of Monserrat Family. It was a pot luck lunch where food were abundant bringing their own recipes assigned to a particular family. Cuttlery received during Perry's and Emery's wedding were brought out to be used while different kinds of pots and kettles from the relatives were brought in. Babies were there to be nursed children to play and to know each other. In the menu since it was a western celebration cheese was abundantly served mixed in casseroles , sliced cheese with crackers and most of all the cheese, ham and macaroni salad with raisins. This is a yearly celebration of the Monserrat family that everybody is looking forward to for bonding and enjoying the family meal from first second third and fourth generation respectively.

So the International Foods Tufo, Cheese, Salami and Pizza fill our appetite and worth celebrating their importance for our health.