You Want WHAT for Christmas Dinner? (vent, sorry)

[The Mystery Machine]

Well for starters on Christmas we don't schelp around so it wouldn't be an issue. If they invited us over I would politely explained that we stay home on that day.

A nice compromise would be coming over for dessert.

 

[Allison]

Last Christmas Eve our family had dinner at Morocco (EPCOT) then turned around and had Mexican food for Christmas dinner the next day. Got soooo tired of the traditional turkey dinner and all the trimmings. Sometimes it's fun to step away from the box and do something different.

I agree. That sounds wonderful.

It's not about the food to me though. I don't really care what we eat.

If it is a big problem, I think other family members should speak up and talk about it instead of being upset behind the scenes.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

In the long run, it doesn't matter what any of us think. What matters is what is going to work for your immediate family. If you really don't want to spend the time with the large group, then staying with your family at home will be the best for you! If you think you need to be with the larger group, then you'll be eating burgers and 'dogs!

It does get tiresome though. I've had more problems with this Christmas dinner than any before. The original menu was scrubbed with three of the expected guests announced at Thanksgiving that they no longer eat red meat. OK. One of those three doesn't eat turkey, so that was out too. OK. Then there was menu three, nope too many things that so and so doesn't like... now I'm on a revised version of menu four. It features two main choices and I'm tellin' ya', that's it! I love to cook for folks, I truly do, but I also want to feel like I am giving them something of myself, not becoming a restaurant where individual orders are taken!

Ooops. Sorry. Didn't mean to rant.

To the OP. Do what works best for YOU and your family!

 

[Chattyaholic]

To me, it's really sad when what's for dinner is more important than getting together with family and enjoying each other's company.

Couldn't you have your own "traditional" turkey/dressing dinner at another time, and still get together with the rest of the family and just eat whatever the host/hostess wants to prepare? After all, it sounds like "they" are doing the cooking, not "you."

 

[Mermaid02]

To me, it's really sad when what's for dinner is more important than getting together with family and enjoying each other's company.

Couldn't you have your own "traditional" turkey/dressing dinner at another time, and still get together with the rest of the family and just eat whatever the host/hostess wants to prepare? After all, it sounds like "they" are doing the cooking, not "you."

I guess I'm the only one who thinks maybe the OP doesn't enjoy the Aunt and Uncles company so much. Traditions are really important to a lot of people- I might partake in burgers and dogs at lunch time, but you better believe we would go home and have our traditional meal for dinner.

 

[MichelleVW]

We always went to my Grandma's house for Christmas eve whne I was a kid- we had an appetizer buffet, taosted ravioli, hot wings, veggie and fruit trays, cold cuts for sandwiches, and chicken salad among other things- and lots of dessert choices- we stilll do that- our family is huge and making a traditional sit down meal was/is difficult this way the food was put out on warmers, chaffing (sp) dishes and crock pots and you could eat whenever or as much as you wanted to throughout the night. Christmas Day we were too tired after Santa, church and 2 more family visits to care what we wer eating!

That's the way my family always does it too. I didn't know that a big Christmas dinner was a tradition for people until I was probably in high school!!

 

[Micca]

It's only food. You can make a big "Christmas" dinner any day of the year.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I didn't realize traditional for X-mas dinner was turkey and stuffing. I thought that was the Thanksgiving meal?

We do a big beef roast, gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. Sounds close to burgers and potato salad, no? Same basic foods, just prepared a little different.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope you have a lovely holiday no matter what you're eating

 

[mrsdisneyfan]

We have 2 Christmas dinners here. We have traditional with my husbands family on Christmas day but my sister MariDisney lives 2 hours away so we celebrate again with them on the Saturday after Christmas. We always have traditional turkey and stuff on the 25th but when she comes it is a free for all. We have done Tradional and Italian. Last year we did the entire 'Ohana menu. That was a riot. This year we are thinking "Cape May" or maybe "Whispering Canyon." We have also discussed Fair Food. Things like sausage and peppers and pizza fritas and funnel cakes.

 

[MariDisney]

We have 2 Christmas dinners here. We have traditional with my husbands family on Christmas day but my sister MariDisney lives 2 hours away so we celebrate again with them on the Saturday after Christmas. We always have traditional turkey and stuff on the 25th but when she comes it is a free for all. We have done Tradional and Italian. Last year we did the entire 'Ohana menu. That was a riot. This year we are thinking "Cape May" or maybe "Whispering Canyon." We have also discussed Fair Food. Things like sausage and peppers and pizza fritas and funnel cakes.

First of all, no one out side of Scranton knows what a pizza frita is, so good luck on that one.

I have been hearing of a lot of people lately having prime rib on Christmas, which just seems so wrong to me. I say it's turkey or nothing...well, maybe ham. Anything else, not so much. Of course, to each his own. It's really about the company you're keeping and not the cranberry sauce.

 

[KirstenB]

my aunt and uncle, who just moved back to alabama from georgia in august, are already running roughshod over our family christmas celebration-they say that due to the amount of leftover food at thanksgiving, they'd prefer to bbq hamburgers and hotdogs and have potato salad (or mashed potatoes), baked beans and desserts. WTH? since when is christmas dinner a picnic? where's the turkey? where's the dressing and cranberry sauce? my 77 yo grandmother who has ALWAYS loved holiday meals most of all, is agreeing with them! when my DH found out, he said "forget it, we'll just stay home christmas day" so now i'm caught in the middle *sigh* i really wish sometimes that i could just skip any and all family holidays. someone just shoot me now...

I have to agree with the majority...just go. While you're there your turkey/ham whatever can cook all day long and be waiting for you when you get home. Or everyone can volunteer to bring something, and your contribution could be your fave traditional food. I soooo don't care what I eat, but I have siblings and parents who love their traditions, so I suck it up and prepare traditional foods.

 

[Wishes2you]

In my other post I spoke in favor of traditional dinner. In our case we do
prime rib on christmas Day. I agree with others here that it is about spending time with familly that is most important. I happen to love cooking for my familly and to me that is all part of it as well as all of us sitting around the table eating food we truly enjoy. That is what matters. We do try new things each year but there are certain things that we like to have every year. At our house we actually have 3 different family gatherings. One with my Inlaws, Christmas Day just the 3 of us, and then a few days after christmas with my family. We also have friends over a few day before christmas. So needless to say there is lots of food here. Most of all we have a great time together.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I don't care what we eat as long as I'm with family. Christmas Eve will be pizza and who knows what we'll have Christmas day. IMO, there is no set traditional menu for Xmas like there is Thanksgiving (turkey) so it's all good. I'm ALL about trying new and exciting things. One year we did all appetizers for Christmas and it was great!!

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I actually don't see the big deal. Isn't christmas supposed to be about spending time with your family. Who cares what you eat?? A BBQ might be fun!

I agree 100%. We don't do a formal dinner. We always have chili, sandwiches, chili cheese dip, relishes, cheese ball, etc. Lots of desserts. All finger food - and we spend the entire day together - everyone eating when they are hungry and whatever they want. The rest of the time is spent conversing, watching movies, playing games, taking pictures and just enjoying each other's company.

The last thing I want to do on a holiday is slave over a stressful traditional meal.

We never dress up either... anything goes. Sweats, Jeans, dress clothes.... whatever each individual is comfortable in!

Can you tell we are a pretty laid back family??

 

[2angelsinheaven]

We do a BBQ type thing on Christmas Eve, we have sandwhich fixings, salads, chips/dips, crackers w/ cheese and meats, chili, etc. On Christmas Day we have the traditional large dinner, this year it will be Ham.

 

[Wishes2you]

That's the thing everyone creates there own traditions within there own families. I think it is great to hear all the different things that everyone has for christmas dinner.
I may not have a barbeque for christmas dinner but that doesn't mean I think
there is something wrong with someone else having one. Besides it's usually
to cold here at christmas it would take forever to cook dinner.

 

[rie'smom]

Who's hosting? If it's your aunt and uncle, then they get to decide. We fry turkeys,have gumbo,potato salad,and other foods that may not be traditional but whoever hosts the holiday decided the meal.

 

[ilovejack02]

Who's hosting? If it's your aunt and uncle, then they get to decide. We fry turkeys,have gumbo,potato salad,and other foods that may not be traditional but whoever hosts the holiday decided the meal.

Gumbo family here too!

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

We have the just about the same dinner for Christmas day that we have for Thanksgiving. Our entire family loves the leftovers too. If I went to a relative's house on Christmas and they wanted to have a BBQ, that would be fine. I'd just have my big turkey meal on Christmas Eve. I'm not going to change our family's tradition because of someone else. But I'm not going to miss out on being with other family members because of our family tradition. I think you can do both.

 

[mrsdisneyfan]

First of all, no one out side of Scranton knows what a pizza frita is, so good luck on that one.

I have been hearing of a lot of people lately having prime rib on Christmas, which just seems so wrong to me. I say it's turkey or nothing...well, maybe ham. Anything else, not so much. Of course, to each his own. It's really about the company you're keeping and not the cranberry sauce.

Oh so I came up with 'Ohana and Cape May all by my lonesome. And by the way pizza fritas are awsome.