Christmas Eve Snacks and Christmas Day Dinner

[babylisa4]

Ok so don't remind me that I am planning all of this at the last minute but:

I'm having both Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner at my house.
Christmas Eve is more of a snack, appetizer kind of thing and Christmas Dinner is the full thing with turkey, dressing etc. But I can't really think of what I should have - I'm not creative at all today. Can any of you tell me what kinds of things you are fixing for these two days to give me some ideas? Thanks and Merry Christmas to you all.

 

[bclydia]

Hi. In my grocery store deli section I can find all kinds of spreads. I've picked up an Asiago and Artichoke dip, a Red Pepper Feta dip and some antipasto. Actually I made the antipasto but you can get a jar at the store. I'm going to put out all three around a big plate of different crackers. If I were having family over, I would probably put out some cheese and maybe some kolbassa sausage too.
Sausage rolls are very Christmassy. I'm thinking of easy things you can just pick up at the store. Chicken wings or meatballs are easy to throw in the oven.
I'd add a veggie tray and you're good to go! Also, available in your grocery store pre-made!
For Christmas Dinner, we always have a turkey with a sausage stuffing and the bacon cooked over the turkey. We'll have garlic mashed potatoes and gravy.
As for veggies, I'm actually going to make that cliche green bean casserole. It's not traditional at all up here in my part of the world but I see it in magazines and on commercials and figured I need to give it a try!
I'll also steam broccoli and cauliflower and serve it with an easy cheese sauce.
For dessert, my Mum has made a chocolate orange steamed Christmas pudding that we'll have with whipped cream, brandy butter and chocolate raspberry sauce.
I will also put out some of the Christmas goodies I've made -Naniamo bars and butter tarts are both a must!
Best of luck to you! Just keep it simple and don't stress too much over it. It's Christmas and you need to enjoy it too!
Lydia

 

[babylisa4]

Thanks bclydia- (I have a Matthew too!)

 

[piratesmate]

I wouldn't be much help I'm afraid. I'm looking for easy stuff so that I can enjoy the holiday too! LOL

Things I've done but am skipping as too much work for me this weekend are:
Crab Rangoon (like wontons)
Strawberry Banana bread
7-layer dip

We're grazing all day on Christmas here at home. We're visiting my parents on C'mas Eve as it's Dad's b'day but that's all this year. Mom's not up to having us all at the house together. So this is what we're having:
Christmas Stollen
Frunch
fresh fruit: Pineapple, clematines, grapes, apples
Breakfast casserole (with eggs & sausage)
Orange muffins
shrimp & ring bologna (DS won't eat shrimp)
cheese & asst crackers
crab dip
tortilla chips & dip (kids call it "Face First Dip" - as in how you eat it LOL)
Chex Mix
cookies
spiral ham (actually the leftovers as that's tonight's dinner)
baked potatoes
Spinach Dip

 

[TN Traveler]

Tonight we're going to my MIL's for dinner and tomorrow to my Mom's for Christmas Day Lunch. We are a very typical Southern Family...perhaps a little more Southern than most "ya'll"!! My MIL will probably have a ham and then between my SIL, myself and my MIL we'll have mashed potatoes, pinto beans, green beans, fried corn, fried sweet potatoes, turnip greens, deviled eggs, mac & cheese, broccoli casserole, a relish tray, and assorted rolls, biscuits and cornbread muffins. Of course we'll have several different desserts including fudge, cookies, coconut cake, chocolate pie and probably boiled custard. My BIL makes AWESOME boiled custard. It's as good as my mother's and NOBODY makes boiled custard as good as my mom's!!

Christmas Day we'll go to my Mom and Dad's where we'll be joined by my brother and his family, my cousin and her family, my aunt (Dad's sister) and her husband and of course my family. Mom is baking a ham too and will have (chicken n dumplings as well. In addition we'll probably have a 7 layer salad, a tossed salad, green bean casserole, broccoli w/cheese sauce, some kind of potatoes, fried sweet potatoes, dirty rice, deviled eggs, and who knows what else. Of course we'll have all the usual desserts of fudge, cookies, banana nut bread, and pies. Since we eat around 1, we usually don't have anything for breakfast other than a bowl of cereal or toast. I have some AWESOME country ham that my brother gave me so I might fix country ham & biscuits. Just depends on what time we get up in the morning and who wants what.

On New Year's Day I usually fix an assortment of "grazing foods" such as pigs in a blanket, hot wings, honey bbq wings, misc salads (I LOVE salads) a pot of pinto beans, corn bread, and I MIGHT get a honey glazed ham to have ham and biscuits. I make it easy so we can watch football all day!

I think pigs in a blanket is one of the easiest things to fix as far as an appetizer goes. Also you can put the weanies in a crock pot w/BBQ sauce and let them warm all day and eat when you want. I have a sausage and cheese dip that my family really likes a lot...Get a pound of sausage...mild or hot, whichever you prefer, scramble and brown it like you do hamburger for spaghetti sauce or taco meat, drain off the fat and put it in a small crock pot. Add a jar of cheese whiz. Mix well together and serve w/assorted crackers. You'll want to keep your temp on low and stir occasionally. YUMMY! Cheese balls are always good too and of course the ever present veggie tray w/Ranch dip!

Whatever you serve I'm sure it'll be great. Just remember the true meaning of Christmas and enjoy time w/your family.

Karen aka TN Traveler
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[Minnie&Mickey]

On Christmas Eve (today), we will be going out to lunch to celebrate my youngest daughter's 18th birthday. She hates for us to do anything Christmasy on her birthday, so all of the presents will have to be in regular birthday wrap and the cake can't have any Christmas decorations on it. She wants to go to Olive Garden, and we are hoping it won't be too crowded. After that, my husband will have to go back to work and he won't be home until about 9:00 (we own a liquor store and it is extremely busy on the holidays). While we are waiting for him to get home, we will be munching on a shrimp platter, 7 layer nacho dip and chips, Christmas cookies and candies, and that will be it for today (the diet starts on the 26th).

Tomorrow morning, my oldest daughter (21) has to be at work by 7:00 am (she works at a hospital), so we still haven't figured out when we will open presents. My youngest wants to do it at 5:00 am, but the rest of us want to do it tonight. My husband has to work on Christmas day for a little while (we also own a convenience store and they are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year...our Christmas wish is to sell the store really soon, so that he can spend some more time at home with us), so when everyone gets home from work around 5:00, we will have Christmas dinner. This year I will have a Honey Baked Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, pasta salad, crescent rolls and pumpkin bread (from a mix that I picked up at the Honey Baked Ham store). Dessert will be leftover birthday cake, and this cute gingerbread tree that I bought at Michaels (a kit...hope it is as simple as it looks). There will only be 6 of us for dinner (my husband and kids, my mother, and the youngest daughter's boyfriend...thank goodness the oldest daughter's boyfriend is out of town...he would eat us out of house and home!), so I don't have to make too much of anything.
Hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and a scrappy new year!