This afternoon, I'm slow roasting a large chicken for Christmas Eve with 'surgically-implanted' pats of herbs & butter under the skin; I decided against turkey this year as I think a fresh organic chicken is going to provide superior flavor over something that was previously frozen etc. Christmas Day will be roast beef.
Cooking holiday meals used to involve a 'ritual' of drinking all day as I sipped - quaffed more like it - the wine and brandies that went into the sauces and marinades. I like the fact that now that I am dry, I still enjoy cooking and that it wasn't the drinking that anchored my interest as I once feared. I'm still a Kitchen Nazi and will kick out anyone who tries to interfere!