holiday big meal

Someone remembered I can cook. So, I figured I'd ask what ya'll are doing, and when (Christmas, Eve, Boxing Day, already had it)?

For me, Christmas Eve I'm making lasagna, a heavy one with salami, pepperoni, ricotta, and mozzarella. Chef salad, steamed broccoli/cauliflower, and rolls- the dough is in the freezer now. Fortunately, my brother does desserts better than I do, so he's making pies.

We tend to do deli platters for Christmas. Everyone opens presents together and then eats when they're hungry or bored playing with their new toys. Cold cuts and cheese, pickles, olives, fresh vegetables, crackers. Everyone does a little work and can eat when they want. No-one cooks all day or gets stuck with a huge pile of dishes and misses out on that first day playing with new toys. And lots of pie, like enough for one each in a variety of fillings.

Thanksgiving we have a huge meal, Christmas we browse.

Since it will probably just be the two of us, out in the wilds of Arizona, we will probably have what we had on TG...a big hunk of red meat on the BBQ, with a baked spud and some veggies. Maybe a nice green salad too...

Christmas dinner this year will be only my Darling Bride and I. More than likely it will be a quiet thing, nothing too special. Darling Bride is pretty much down in the dumps since our oldest son is moving from South Jersey to Tampa with our only 2 grandchildren in tow.
2008 will include multiple trips to Tampa.

Have a happy and safe holiday evryone.

Wild game prepared in a number of ways, heaps of potatoes, corn, beans, and hopefully some of DW's freshly made oat bread. Oh, and a nice port.

Merry Christmas!

-Blast

On xmas eve, we are going to a brazilian steak house with a big crowd.

On xmas, we are doing a small lunch/dinner for us (just wife and myself) and another couple. Just a basic turkey, homemade green bean cassrole (had my first one last month - how can something so basic be soooo good?), corn bread stuffing, and 4 types of desserts (dessert is my favorite part of EVERY meal).

Rest of week will be filled with being at work or at the beach with some sort of umbrella drink in my hand.

Our Christmas celebration is a series of meals, starting with Christmas eve morning. I will be making a mountain man breakfast in one of my dutch ovens, composed of fried shredded taters, onions, smoked kielbasa sausage, diced Hatch green chiles, eggs and shredded sharp cheddar cheese, with salsa on the side. This will be served with fresh buttermilk biscuits and country sausage gravy.

Lunch will be skipped, mainly because after breakfast no one needs to eat again for at least 6 hours. Dinner will be Venison/Jalapeno/cheddar summer sausage, smoked cheddar, crackers, veggies and dip. Dessert will be hot chocolate with cookies, peppermint bark, and tangerines.

Christmas morning will be an assortment of pastries and fruit, coffee cake in one of my dutch ovens, and of course coffee. Snacks will be out most of the day (remnants of the cheese, sausage, veggies, cookies, dips; whatever hasn't been eaten previously). Christmas dinner will be a 10 lb rib roast cooked medium rare, mashed potatoes, beef/onion/wine gravy, home made buttermilk yeast rolls, baked butternut squash rounds, and lettuce and tomato wedges with roquefort dressing. This year I am having to also grill some sockeye salmon for one of our guests who doesn't eat beef anymore.

Dessert for Christmas night will be Christmas spiced apple cake with bourbon candied pears and bourbon sauce drizzled over the top.

That enough for ya?

I will be making breakfast for the DW, college DD (if she shows up that early), and my DS. I usually making omelettes and/or Freedom Toast or something along those lines.

We will start the unwrapping of the gifts precisely at 10 a.m. (it is the only time I have any control the whole year). We stop at 10:10 am to sing happy birthday to our DD. We then resume the festivities.


Lunch will be a commerical honey-baked ham 'cuz that is what my DD wants this year. You see, since it is her birthday she gets to decide what is for lunch/dinner.

All in all it is a pretty sedate affair. Nice though.

"Our Christmas celebration is a series of meals, starting with Christmas eve morning. I will be making a mountain man breakfast in one of my dutch ovens, composed of fried shredded taters, onions, smoked kielbasa sausage, diced Hatch green chiles, eggs and shredded sharp cheddar cheese, with salsa on the side. This will be served with fresh buttermilk biscuits and country sausage gravy."

Care to share that recipe for mountain breakfast? Sounds good.

We'll do a traditional (for us) standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, veggies and pies. Be my Mom's 86th Christmas so I'll probably be doing some of the cooking. DD1 will be joining us, DD2 will be having Christmas in Alaska (last year it was Hawaii).

Hope y'all have a warm, safe, dry and happy holiday.

PS. Special round of cheer for all of you wearing a uniform be it military, LEO, EMT, nurse and all of you who make mine and my family's life free, safe, and secure. Thanks!

A early breakfast of fresh scattered, smothered and covered hash browns, eggs the way you like them, country ham and biscuits, biscuits and gravy, homemade pecan maple smoked bacon, fresh breads.

Dinner will be Black Angus Prime rib with au jus, cooked over a pecan, apple, cherry and red oak wood fire fire. Fresh smoked Salmon. Creole and Garlic butter injected smoked Turkey. Turkey and sausage dressing, sautéed mushrooms creamy seasoned bacon mashed potatoes, home made from scratch green bean casserole with fresh fried onion topping, broccoli, yellow squash, honey onions, garlic brussels sprouts, relish plate, homemade cranberry sauce, a homemade hot deep dish apple pie with cheddar cheese, a homemade cherry pie, cherries jubilee.

"...DW and me danced naked..."

You are my kind of guy! We have the nightly Nudie Bar in our home on wheels. Neighbors have to visit in costume, which can get interesting/discusting!!!

Semi pot luck with Mother's side of the family tomorrow afternoon. The part I know about will be fresh smoked ham and pecan pie cups (1 1/2" pecan pies w/ cream cheese crust). Immediate family will be doing breakfast Christmas morning with eggs, bacon, biscuits, sausage balls, party mix, & dip.

Dad's side will be Christmas Day evening. Don't have the faintest idea on the menu there.

I'm underway again,
It's the only holiday I know, my friend,....

Baked Turkey
Yams
Apple Pie/ice cream
(I don't know what else)

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!!

Mountain Man Breakfast:

In a large dutch oven heat 1/2 cup olive oil over med high heat. Shred 3 or 4 medium potatoes and place in a ring on a microwave proof plate; microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Drop in pieces into hot oil and cover. Cut up 1 lb of kielbasa in half lengthwise, then across the grain in 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Dice 1 medium yellow onion and 3 medium green chiles, seeds and veins removed. Break a dozen eggs into a bowl and beat until blended. When potatoes have browned some flip them in the oil. When browned on both sides, add sausage, onions, and peppers and gently stir the mix occasionally until the onions are cooked through. Drain off most of the oil and return to medium heat and add the eggs. Cover and let sizzle for a few minutes, then break up the mix and flip them over some and cover for another few minutes. Add in the shredded cheddar cheese to the top, remove from heat, replace the cover for 5 minutes and serve with salsa.