Christmas Eve/Christmas Day menus

[TipsyTraveler]

There is chocolate that doesn't contain dairy?!? Must be a regional thing...

Seriously, thanks for that. It was very informative and it sounds like a very practical approach you take. Just to be sure, booze is vegan without any modification, right?

Not always! Aside from the obvious things like cream liqueurs, beer and wine is sometimes clarified with isinglass, derived from fish swim bladders.

Btw, I just made your fudge with cream of coconut instead of evaporated milk. The first batch was a fail. Second batch, I reduced the amount of coconut cream to 1/4 the amount and it's pretty decent. I put it in the fridge to set; I haven't had a chance to see how it holds up at room temperature.

 

[wenrob]

Christmas Eve we are putting out good roast beef and ham, Swiss and Cheddar, Hawaiian rolls, shrimp cocktail, olives and chips.

Usually DD makes homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning but she has been crazy busy. A new place called Cinnaholic just opened up so I gave them a call and will be picking up a dozen with cream cheese frosting on Christmas Eve. If they’re good we’ll make this a new tradition.

Christmas dinner will be Prime Rib, Crab legs, DH’s twice baked potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts/asparagus, green beans w/bacon and onions and garlic bread. We’ve decided on no dessert since DD made an insane amount of cookies. We have orange zest dipped in chocolate, snowballs, Deidre Hall’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, cut out sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and brown butter sugar cookies.

Our get together with my sister will be much the same as Christmas Eve with the additions of cut up veggies and fruit, my crab dip for BIL and hopefully my sister’s famous pumpkin roll.

 

[Dinohood]

this year i'm making gluten free eggnog muffins for breakfast can't wait.

 

[ronandannette]

Not always! Aside from the obvious things like cream liqueurs, beer and wine is sometimes clarified with isinglass, derived from fish swim bladders.

Btw, I just made your fudge with cream of coconut instead of evaporated milk. The first batch was a fail. Second batch, I reduced the amount of coconut cream to 1/4 the amount and it's pretty decent. I put it in the fridge to set; I haven't had a chance to see how it holds up at room temperature.

Screw the fudge - it's been a tough week. I'm sitting here binging Netflix and eating salted caramel baking chips straight out of the bag...

 

[sk!mom]

Christmas Eve will be only me, DH, DS, and my mom. We will do our traditional apps meal. Mom's bringing a Chick fil a nugget tray. I'll make or buy queso with chips, shrimp cocktail, a cheese board, salted nuts, and pigs in blankets. My sister's family and DD and her boyfriend will be with us on Saturday night for cookie decorating. I'm not a baker so Christmas Eve dessert will be the decorated cookies and I've been gifted a couple of nice boxes of candy that I put back for Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning will be me, DH, DS, and DD. We will be low-key with cinnamon rolls and mimosas and leftover pigs in a blanket from the night before.

Christmas lunch will be at my sister's house with my local family. My mom has been gifted two smoked briskets so we're having that and will all contribute easy sides. Mom's making a potato casserole and her traditional molten cakes and rocky road candy. I'm taking candied brussel sprouts, crockpot cheesy corn, and several bottles of wine and beer. DD is making deviled eggs. Older sis is doing stuffed jalapenos. My host sister will make a salad, provide all paper goods, and drinks- both alcoholic and non. Her mother in law will bring something.

One big menu change in recent years has been replacing the insane amount of soda we used to buy for all of the kids with lots of wine. A sure sign that DH and I and my sister and BIL are getting old is that all of our kids but two are 21 and up and 4 of them will bring a significant other to the lunch so our wine and beer tab has grown.

We'll have a big lunch around 1 and then play games, hang out, snack and drink the rest of the day.

 

[mbf]

There is chocolate that doesn't contain dairy?!? Must be a regional thing...

My daughter is dairy free and, yes, there is such a thing as dairy free chocolate. Trader Joe's and Enjoy Life both make dairy free semi sweet chocolate chips and I was able to pick up a few dairy free chocolate bars for DD at Wegmans this week too.

This year my oldest DD will not be here for the first time ever. She and her fiancee live in Buffalo and I didn't want him to miss out with his family as he is an only child. We had Christmas with them last weekend.

Christmas Eve dinner will be DH, DD23, DS12, and myself. We will have filet mignon fondue cooked in oil, shrimp cocktail, steamed clams, lobsters, fruit salad, and french onion soup. Gingerbread with whipped cream for dessert. We will then go over to FIL's house to spend with the family there - apps will be served but we are usually too stuffed to eat anything. FIL likes to put out sandwich fixings, SIL's will make sausage rolls and a cheese platter. There will be some beer and liquor involved.

Christmas breakfast will be the same roster of people as Christmas Eve dinner - we will have french toast casserole (dairy free for DD), bacon, sausage, and more fruit.

Christmas dinner is at our house and will also be DH's family. SIL's, BIL's, nieces, and nephews will be in attendance. My DH's two brothers are both single with no kids so these gatherings are all they have. It won't be everyone as FIL will hand out his usual envelopes of money to the grandkids on Christmas Eve (therefore some will not be around for another year). It will be around 17 people total. I cook most everything. We have Honeybaked Ham, Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, beans, corn, Italian greens (escarole sauteed with garlic, potatoes, cherry peppers, and ham), cranberry sauce, lasagna, Texas Roadhouse copykat rolls, Crescent rolls, Sweet Potato Casserole, shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers. For dessert I am making cheesecake with cherries or praline sauce (vegan), Vegan cheesecakes, and cream puffs. My SIL is bringing mac and cheese and a dessert (probably a chocolate swiss roll), and my niece will bring a dessert as well I think. I like the idea the poster above had about the Honeybaked Brisket. I may have that next year instead of a turkey (which is just so messy and a lot of work).

 

[xlsm]

I've had this thread open for two days slowly working my way through it when I have time, and getting hungrier and hungrier with each post.

Trying to come up with something fun for Christmas Eve. It's just me, DH, and the kids. We must not have any certain tradition, because I've tried to think back on past years and I think we just wing it. Pizza seems to be the most common thing we land on. I would like to do apps and snacky stuff, sandwich stuff, etc, but my kids seem to think they require full meals. They might just have to get over it!

Christmas day we always do Mexican food. Separates for tacos/nachos/burritos: gr. beef, chicken, salsas of every color, sour cream, various cheeses, jalapenos, tomato, lettuce, etc. Usually we do two types of enchilada, but my ex-MIL brings them and my DH and kids barely touch them. I'm thinking of telling her to not bring anything this year and save the enchiladas for the ex-family that goes to her house later that night/the next day (she and ex-fil come to our house two hours away for lunch with us, then take the kids back with them to keep them for the rest of break. My ex-husband and his wife live where they do, and my ex-fil's kids come visit, etc)

DH and I usually sit around for a week eating leftovers, but this year we are going to WDW on 12/28 and staying through the new year. We don't need leftovers at the house going to waste. My current inlaws are coming to stay and watch our dogs, but they only eat organic food, and wouldn't touch the stuff we would have on hand, LOL!

Now I have so many ideas for things I want on Christmas Eve!! I'll be baking a lot tomorrow...I might be adding dip making to that, too!!