xmas shopping extravaganza

Today was shopping day for all the xmas dinner food. I went to a specific international food store called Nissin (in Azabu-Juban) because last time I was there they had acorn squash. Well, they didn't have acorn squash today. This of course creates panic because I have to have squash. After wandering around aimlessly in the produce section for several minutes I finally decided on the 900 yen butternut squash... yes, that is like 9 bucks for a squash. I have never cooked butternut squash before - and for 900 yen, it had better be one heck of a yummy super delicious variety.

Then I got to wander around trying to find frozen pie crusts. No luck. This isn't good, because I specifically went there for both of those things. No luck on the pie crusts, so hopefully I can find one somewhere else. I later went to my local grocery stores (all three of them) and none of them had frozen pie crusts either.

Next on my list was seafood sauce for the shrimp ring... and you guessed it. They didn't have that either. After wandering and wandering, it finally dawned on me I should make it myself. Just throw horseradish and ketchup together... of course this depended upon the store actually having horseradish. And, hurray, they did have horse radish. So I'm set in the seafood sauce department.

I then had fun trying to get a roasting pan for my turkey. I didn't measure my oven, or the turkey though, so this was a little difficult. There was an absolutely huge one that was for a western style oven, and would clearly not fit in mine, and a small roasting pan. The small one looked like it was too small so I was searching and searching for a medium-sized one and even got the clerk to help me, but we couldn't find any. I ended up buying the small one... and that was a good decision. The small one fits in my oven exactly - it hits the walls of the oven. The turkey also fits exactly into the pan, so we're good for the turkey roasting dishes.

Anyway, I spent several hours shopping and picking everything up. Christmas dinner is expensive. Especially when you are paying 9 bucks just for the squash. I'm looking forward to making it though. I still can't believe the squash - it was grown in Japan! My turkey only cost 2000 yen. How can one squash be the same price as half my turkey? At least I hadn't had my heart set on turnip - they were 1500 yen for a teeny, tiny small one. Yikes!

Ok, I'll get off the squash rant. The menu for dinner is going to be:
Appetizers - cheese tray, jumbo shrimp ring
Meal - turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, squash, creamy potatos, ceasar salad, rolls w/ butter, beets
Dessert - pumpkin pie with real whip cream and coffee/tea

Of course, I feel like I am missing something (probably the turnip). Not sure what else to add in to the meal though, so I guess that's it!