Christmas Dinner . . .

[rpmdfw]

. . . okay, so we've been to the grocery store three times in the past two days, and Christmas is still almost a week away. We'll still need to hit the store on Christmas Eve morning to pick up the perishables etc. But I think we've got everything else covered.

Anyway, looking at the different things in people's baskets and the different options at the meat counter, I got to thinking about the various things people do for Christmas Dinner.

I know some people do turkey, some do ham, and others do prime rib or roast beef.

So, let's talk about it. What are you doing for Christmas dinner this year?

We typically do fondue on Christmas Day, and that's not changing this year. It's a family favorite, one of my personal favorites and a great excuse to have friends over to join us.

On Christmas Eve, I'll be making homeade sauce with Italian sausage over fresh pasta and we'll do a stuffed artichoke, bacon wrapped greenbean bundles to go with it.

So, what about everybody else? What's for dinner?

 

[STOCKYJIM]

. . . okay, so we've been to the grocery store three times in the past two days, and Christmas is still almost a week away. We'll still need to hit the store on Christmas Eve morning to pick up the perishables etc. But I think we've got everything else covered.

Anyway, looking at the different things in people's baskets and the different options at the meat counter, I got to thinking about the various things people do for Christmas Dinner.

I know some people do turkey, some do ham, and others do prime rib or roast beef.

So, let's talk about it. What are you doing for Christmas dinner this year?

We typically do fondue on Christmas Day, and that's not changing this year. It's a family favorite, one of my personal favorites and a great excuse to have friends over to join us.

On Christmas Eve, I'll be making homeade sauce with Italian sausage over fresh pasta and we'll do a stuffed artichoke, bacon wrapped greenbean bundles to go with it.

So, what about everybody else? What's for dinner?

We've just changed our plans, we are coming to yours!!!!!

Seriously though we have just had major plan changes. We were going to have a romantic meal with just the two of us based on my families traditional xmas meal - Lobster to start followed by Turkey with the trimmings and ending with xmas pudding.

As of yesterday, thanks to way too many cocktails, I invited my SIL and her family over for dinner with my usual cry of "the more the merrier" (Damn those mojito's!!)

This was great till I woke up this morning and realised that 2 have become 8 (+ 3 dogs!!) so have now upgraded the turkey to a "plus size" full bird and downgraded the lobster to smoked salmon and Shrimp, all still followed by christmas pudding with a cheese board for munchies later.

itll be great as we will have the kids there, which I think will make christmas, and we only have to convert our spare bedroom into a dining room for the occassion which should be a snap!!!

Hope everyone else has a great time!!

 

[DVCDan36]

This year we are doing small snacks and hors d'oeurvres. Nothing fancy, family can come and go, enjoy some company, enjoy some food, and hopefully some laughs.

 

[ConcKahuna]

We always do Chinese take-out and snacky-food for Christmas eve. Christmas day varies, but it looks like we are heading to Sea World this year

 

[starann]

Christmas Eve we go to my DH's Aunt's house. His family is Armenian so they tend to have all different foods...string cheese, stuffed grape leaves and some other things I don't eat! This year they will also be having a pork loin and spicy baked beans. Before we go to their house at 7pm (once they get home from church) we are going to a friends house and they will be having a traditional dinner and 'picky' foods.

To his Aunt house I will bring beer bread, dip, spinnach florientine ring and homemade creamy corn. To our friends house I will bring bacon wrapped hot dogs in brown sugar, andscallops wrapped in bacon.

Christmas Day we have brunch here at our house with the in laws then for dinner we will be having steaks (good steaks!) and some fixings

The day after New Years we will go to NY to my mom's house for a full turkey and ham dinner, along with Italian stuff (her BF is Italian).

I'm pretty much betting I'll gain several pounds these next few weeks.

 

[BigTiggerGuy]

This is my first Christmas in Florida and since I was just back home for Thanksgiving I can't get the time off work to go back. Luckily, my DP is flying in tonight to stay for the week. We are having homemade baked ziti(I even made my own gravy), caesar salad, meatballs, italian bread, and homemade cheesecake for dessert. Christmas Day will be a traditional turkey dinner with TONS of leftovers! Luckily I have some friends flying down for New Year's Eve so hopefully they like turkey!
Happy Holidays to everyone!

 

[jjjmranch]

Christmas Day is spent with my inlaws. Curried chicken, garlic rice- the same thing every year. Gets boring. If we go to my folk's house, it's all polish food with a big ham.

I'm trying to bake a leg of lamb for Christmas Eve. First time. We'll see if the kiddos like it.

New Years Day is always at the inlaws again (notice a trend?). Beef stew with all the fixings.

We're not big partiers on New Years Eve, so I need some good ideas!

 

[C&G'sMama]

We take our traditions from DPs family and mix in our own. I'll start on the night of the 23rd making dough for Apple Kuchen. It's a recipe from my FIL's mother that my MIL took on and is passed on to us. I will get up early on the 24th to cut the apples and make the kuchens. Lots of butter, cinnamon and sugar. The kids and I will then deliver them to friends and relatives.

DP will start in. We've decided on a roast this year. Usually we do turkey but there's a story about my 93 yo mom making the gravy for Thanksgiving this year, burning it and turning us off turkey for awhile.

We'll also make pigs, another German influence from DFIL's mom. Her version had pork and beef mixed with rice, wrapped in cooked cabbage leaves, covered in sauerkraut and baked. Ours is made with ground turkey which is how DP's mom makes them. We'll also have snacky stuff.

Christmas morning we'll make a breakfast casserole and that's it for our cooking. We'll spend the day grazing on what we've made the last couple of days. Except for the years we go to Myrtle Beach to spend with DPs family it's just the 4 of us (we like it that way) and we spend the whole day in jammies and opening presents.

On the 27th it's a whole new menu for "issue free" Christmas something we started years ago with a group of friends that DP has known for 20 years and me for 15. There will be lasagna, greens and beans, anti-pasto etc.

And of course. "Leave your issues at the door, you can pick them up on the way out"

 

[glenpreece]

We go to a differant Aunt's house each year but the menu is always Turkey and Ham with all the usual trimmings. Depending on which Aunt (or my Mom) is hosting determines the stuffing concoction that year.

 

[wallyb]

Crown Roast.

 

[chwgmjay]

Apparently we're having fried chicken this year? For the first time... I'm sure there will be potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberries, and some form of dessert as well.

 

[chwgmjay]

Apparently we're having fried chicken this year? For the first time... I'm sure there will be potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberries, and some form of dessert as well.

Forgot to mention that when we go to my grandparents for "Christmas" the 2nd week in January, we'll likely end up having sloppy joe's, lutheran-style hotdish, homemade pickles, sharp cheddar on rye bread, some form of potatoes, several different vegetables, and about 30,000 different kinds of cookies, candies, and desserts.

 

[wallyb]

, and about 30,000 different kinds of cookies, candies, and desserts.

 

[M4travels]

This will be our first Christmas as expats. There will be a group of about 14 - 16 of us with the host house providing the roast turkey (would LOVE a prime rib roast but that would be a stretch down here!!) and the rest of us bringing the trimmings. It'll be a very relaxing day with lots of food, drink, and just great company!

 

[wallyb]

This will be our first Christmas as expats. There will be a group of about 14 - 16 of us with the host house providing the roast turkey (would LOVE a prime rib roast but that would be a stretch down here!!) and the rest of us bringing the trimmings. It'll be a very relaxing day with lots of food, drink, and just great company!

Sounds perfect!

 

[zeitzeuge]

Our family has always done something very low key for Christmas Eve. On that night we all have homemade chili and cornbread and sandwiches. It's also the night we open gifts. Christmas Day, we have the traditional dinner of Turkey and ham, but if the men in my family were successful at hunting (rolls eyes), we'll have deer, pheasant and possibly wild turkey as well. Which I avoid.....

 

[Gypsybear]

Probaby just a sandwich and a nice nap......DP always goes home to his family for the holidays (yes, he's still in the proverbial closet), and I stay here...so no need for a big spread/meal.

 

[akcire]

We will go out to dinner on Christmas Eve--you will see why in a moment.

We do an open house for Christmas, menu depends on the tally I get this week (normally around 50-75). We have a boneless turkey breast or 2, a Honey Baked Ham, a standing rib roast (prime rib), and a crown pork roast. Then there are the smaller main dishes shrimp, real swedish meatballs, crab, a vegetarian hot pasta dish---no more fake turkey's. Also sometimes some grilled items. Two giant vats of soup--vegetarian friendly french onion & chicken noodle. Another half dozen side items. Also a full banquet table of desserts (I just made those this weekend). Since it is cold here, all our non-alcoholic drinks are stored outside. Imagine a walkway of soda and juice containers, packed in snow. Milk for the kiddo's is kept in the refrigerator (just in case). A full bar is run out of our home office, with alternating people manning the ice bucket; no signature drinks are served just a good selection to keep everyone happy.

We literally invite everyone, and they are only required to RSVP--and if they own them or can borrow them bring a folding chair. This never stops people from making a dish---which is often funny. I guarantee we will have a bunch of single guys buy chips & dip. We always have the strangest mix of people, co-workers, neighbors, old friends, crazy Swedes. [This is something I have done since college. I literally had Thanksgiving in my dorm room one year for 20 (I had a small kitchenette).] I turn the dining room into a buffet with 4 large tables, and everyone eats in the living room (if they can't do stairs) or the basement. I have tons of folding tables. We only have one house rule, unless you are a doctor on call (and we normally have a few) or on-duty deputy you must check your electronic devises at the door or leave them in your car.

Before you are all impressed. I have a huge extended family at home in Sweden, so meals of this size are common (mine is probably on the smallish side). My mother used to teach at Le Cordon Bleu, and also worked running a large hotel food program, ironically I hate to cook. I know how, I learned by osmosis; I just don't like doing it. This is my once a year meal extravaganza. I get invitations to others houses all year long, and this is my repayment.

Best reason to cook this meal--the people that show up and how they interact. For example: last year old Irish Catholic priest sitting next to 8 month pregnant lesbian neighbor (who already has 3 other kids) and her partner, debating the merits of the church, the stance on sexuality, and the role of women. Then we had a good debate downstairs between an Israeli, a Kuwaiti, and a couple of Palestinians. My husband's best friend, an observant Jew, eating his weight in pork products--he claims special dispensation due to the christian holiday. Abdul, a muslim sheriff's deputy, who shows up dressed like Santa; he is on his meal break (and takes a bunch of food to go). Most of the on-duty deputies stop by to eat--since everything easy is closed on Christmas. My polish speaking father-in-law (70's) hitting on a 20 year old polish girl. Everyone gets along, so it is good times.

I house sit for one neighbor, who drives to WI every year; and in turn use their oven to cook a meat--usually the turkey. My Greek neighbors came over uninvited one year, because they saw all the people and police cars--it was fine with us. Now they come every year and bring their family--so there are 9 of them with grandkids. It works out well, because it gives me an extra oven (they live directly across the street). Depending on their health, they also make a dish or two, sometimes it is as simple as a bowl of nuts or as complex as a hot lamb dish.

Generally people arrive around 1--the hot dinner buffet is open 3-7 ish--and people hang out until 9 or 10, we often have groups playing cards Pinochle & Euchre. Some just come for dessert. Some stay a couple hours and go, we never know. Others show up at 1 and don't ever seem to leave. The heavy drinkers may stay until midnight (but since I have a bunch of friends who belong to a temperance movement we always have someone to drive them home--including one who drives a school bus for her job and has permission to use it if needed). One or two people may prearrange to spend the night, but generally by midnight I am done. I get everything all boxed up and don't have to cook a morsel of food for at least a week.

The only other party-type meal we do is my husband's summer barbeque. It is run pretty much the same way, except it includes a couple of tents, a lot of ice, an obscene amount of encased meat product, and a rented port a potty. All are welcome.

 

[wallyb]

Probaby just a sandwich and a nice nap......DP always goes home to his family for the holidays (yes, he's still in the proverbial closet), and I stay here...so no need for a big spread/meal.

Well Boo.
Come up to Maine!
Tons of food and SNOW!
... and me

 

[C&G'sMama]

Best reason to cook this meal--the people that show up and how they interact. For example: last year old Irish Catholic priest sitting next to 8 month pregnant lesbian neighbor (who already has 3 other kids) and her partner, debating the merits of the church, the stance on sexuality, and the role of women. Then we had a good debate downstairs between an Israeli, a Kuwaiti, and a couple of Palestinians. My husband's best friend, an observant Jew, eating his weight in pork products--he claims special dispensation due to the christian holiday. Abdul, a muslim sheriff's deputy, who shows up dressed like Santa; he is on his meal break (and takes a bunch of food to go). Most of the on-duty deputies stop by to eat--since everything easy is closed on Christmas. My polish speaking father-in-law (70's) hitting on a 20 year old polish girl. Everyone gets along, so it is good times.

Can I come? While the food sounds wonderful, the people watching sounds even better.

Have a good one.