It's a wrap. Thanksgiving dinner, Day 2

This afternoon, I put the barbacoa back in the oven. After cooking it for another 2 hours, it was FINALLY done! Total cooking time: 9 1/2 hours. We tried some for lunch and had more for dinner.

So, was it worth it? The jury is still out on that one. Biscuit Boy would say yes. Biscuit Pup gives it two paws up. Me? It was good, but I know it could be better. And armed with this notion in mind, I'll give it one more try. We'll probably make it again for Christmas, but I'm going to go into negotiations with Biscuit Boy about making something else as well. Perhaps the barbacoa can be a lunch time dish.....hint, hint. That gives me the opportunity to make something I'm more confident in for dinner. Like my family's traditional Christmas lasagna, hint, hint.

This tradition began in 1976 and was our first Christmas in Tennessee after moving from New York. Keep in mind, Tennessee in 1976 did not know of yummy NY foods like bagels, bialy's, REAL pizza (not pizza hut), ect. So when mom realized that she couldn't get her favorite brands of pasta or tomato paste in the local stores, she saved enough of our recently moved from NY stock to make up a big ol' pan of lasagna for Christmas dinner. To us, it was the best meal we could have asked for. Good home cooking. And ever since, it has become our traditional Christmas dinner.

One memorable Christmas Eve, mom just finished making up her lasagna and realized that she didn't have any room in the fridge to store it overnight. Thankfully it was very cold outside, freezing to be exact, so mom wrapped up the pan and set it out in the enclosed deck on the table. The next morning, I woke up before anyone else and being the good daughter, brought in the lasagna and set it in the oven so it could thaw a little before it needed to be cooked. However, I forgot to tell mom what I had done. She wakes up about an hour later, shuffles into the kitchen, let's the dogs out (we had four at the time) and goes about getting coffee started. A few minutes later, we hear a blood curdling scream. It's mom and she's standing outside on the deck frantic because her lasagna is missing! She's yelling at the dogs thinking one of them dragged this huge, heavy pan of lasagna out into the backyard. We're all standing at the door trying to calm her down when it dawns on me..... Sheepishly I say, "Hey mom, I already put the lasagna in the oven." Silence for about 5 seconds before we all start laughing while we try to get the thought of one of the dogs dragging about an empty lasagna pan around the back yard. But for some reason, the dogs failed to see the humor in it........ their thoughts.... "so close, soooooo close."