ISO Christmas Dinner suggestions

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
You're both more than welcome...It's good to see you here luv,s Princess good to get a chance to talk with you.
kadesma:)

As much fun as I would have and the fantastic company I will have to beg off. I'll be spending Christmas with my "extended family," my patients. DH and I will celebrate the holiday a couple of days later...with all the fixin's. It's a good thing I have an understanding real family who are happy to share me with my patients at Christmas.:)
 
thanks, kades! ignored my computer for over a month, i tend towards that, then jake bought me a netbook, that is VERY fussy, though very petite!
 
kadesma how do you afford it!? that's so much food. my parents used to do that when I was a kid plus loads of presents and decor, honestly they were putting themselves in the hole a bit. we're in a situation where we cannot afford to even buy decor, and fortunately the baby is so little he won't know if he's getting gifts or not. hopefully it'll be dif in a few yrs b/c I'd love to make our home look festive! I'm gathering tradition ideas too.
 
When my kids were ;ittle, we kept a christmas club and my parents shared the food bill with us, our menu has expanded as the kids grew and friends started joining us. I was very lucky my husband owned his own pharmacy and I got the pleasure of staying at home with my children.When they were little my dad insisted in he and I going shoping for our tree as we did when I was tiny. first decorations were very simple and the kids did a lot of them colored paper formed into rings and glued to gether..I still have one from each child..Now my tree is all white lights, angels, silver crystal,gold ornaments and bead and icecycles..But you know a tiny tree with one string of lights and a little tinsel and your childs ornaments is a wonderful thing.I have several friends and both my daughters add to my collection of angels one at a time and before you know it..You have a tree you've dreamed of..But the most important thing is sitting around that first little tree all of you with a cookie and hot chocolate..Watch the smiles and peaceful look on their little faces. There is your most prized decoration.
kadesma
 
We plan on going to dh's mom's house in Tennessee. Not sure what we are having but I'm doing the cooking! Probably a traditional meal of beef roast and turkey and ham, potatoes and sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry salad and ice cream. There will be varying numbers of family members there for several days.
 
The only things "in stone" so far are, Early Bloody Mary's and Mimosas...A whole bone-in double smoked ham, and Smoked Duck and Andouille Gumbo!



Hey Miss Beth {{{Hugs}}}:)
 
The years that we are visiting dh's family in Turkey, we obviously do nothing. (It's a Muslim country.) When we are in the US, we go to my aunt's and I have no say in what is served. Usually ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, etc.

However, I get to make our X-mas eve supper and I always serve a châteaubriand with bearnaise sauce as the main event. There are only 4 of us, so I get one that is about 2lbs. from our local organic butcher. I serve a couple of hot hors d'oeuvres while preparing and put out a cheese plate with some nice stinky cheeses. The sides are usually roasted vegetables of some sort. I make my own bread and serve it with honey butter. I'm not great at pastries, so the dessert is usually a pie from a local place that makes them from scratch. There are not *many* items, but those that are there are really great!

I really enjoy reading everyone's holiday menus. It's a great idea starter!
 
Christmas Eve is the big deal for the kids..Everyone puts in their food wish so it takes me at least 2 days to do it all. There is a very large platter of meats and cheeses,salami,mortadella,copa, toscano salami, pastrami, turkey,ham,prosciutto, cheddar,provolone,swiss,jack and then there is at least 3 kinds of olives,peppers,roasted red peppers,then comes a platter of homemade foccacia, stuffed onions, deviled eggs, salmon platter,crackers and a cream cheese,dill sour cream dip for the salmon.a round loaf of french bread filled with spinach dip, clam dip and chips,avocado dip with baguette,,
the kids orange favorite,all kinds of fruit in season sprinkled with pomegranite seeds,fondue,platter of oysters and shrimp and then cookies,cake,candy, drinks,Everyone eats for hours and at about 3 in the morning I collapse,then get up and start my dinner which this year is prime rib,coated with a mix of chopped and sauted mushroom,shallot,garlic,parsley and marjoram,then wrapped in prosciutto and then snuggled in puff pastry...garlic mashed potatoes,our usual artichokes with garlic parsley and butter, homemade stuffing, fruit and green salad and nice warm French rolls.Italian crunch cake for dessert.
Amen it's done
kadesma

Stuffing with beef?? Do you use beef broth instead of chicken?:LOL:
 
Every Christmas I pick a recipe that I've never fixed before, usually from a cuisine I'm not familiar with and arrange a menu around it. Like Mandarin Chinese, Indian, German, etc.

I have done this on several occasions. It *is* a ton of fun and I get really excited about new ideas and menus. The fun part for me is the planning and researching of recipes and tracking down the foods.

I think my two favorite years were the Mexican dinner that I made. Turkey with mole' sauce, tamales, mexican rice, fruit salads, fresh tortillas, etc. Frank's father, who is a meat and potatoes type of guy, nibbled a bit, then filled up his plate. It's such a good memory.

My other favorite meal was a medieval meal that featured a very savory stew with some other delicacies from way back when. It was extremely flavorful and hearty. Also, it warmed everyone from the inside out. Perhaps that was due to the very large bottle of burgandy that the recipe required. *smiles* Definitely a good memory. :rolleyes:

~Kathleen
 
I have done this on several occasions. It *is* a ton of fun and I get really excited about new ideas and menus. The fun part for me is the planning and researching of recipes and tracking down the foods.
My other favorite meal was a medieval meal that featured a very savory stew with some other delicacies from way back when. It was extremely flavorful and hearty. Also, it warmed everyone from the inside out. Perhaps that was due to the very large bottle of burgandy that the recipe required. *smiles* Definitely a good memory. :rolleyes:

~Kathleen
I've come across a few things that have become staples in our year round diet this way. Like Stroganoff Meatloaf and Chipotle Chicken.

A medieval meal sounds fantastic...excuse me, I need to do some recipe research.:pig:
 
Stuffing with beef?? Do you use beef broth instead of chicken?:LOL:
Well now, let's put it this way...I give my family what they ask for. I don't believe that it's set in stone that stuffing can't be served with beef if that is what they ask me for.So to answer your question, beef stock.
kadesma
 
Well now, let's put it this way...I give my family what they ask for. I don't believe that it's set in stone that stuffing can't be served with beef if that is what they ask me for.So to answer your question, beef stock.
kadesma


I hope I didn't upset you. I just never heard of serving stuffing with beef. Sounds interesting. I will have to give that a try sometime.
 
I hope I didn't upset you. I just never heard of serving stuffing with beef. Sounds interesting. I will have to give that a try sometime.
Patty, you didn't upset me... I'm a firm believer in there is no set in stone rules in cooking.At least for me. What makes you happy and makes your family happy to me is more important than some chef's idea of how the world should be run. If you love a certain thing, such as our family's home made ravioli you make it and yep kids you can have some mashed potatoes. make your loved ones happy is a better rule of thumb than any cookbooks...:LOL:
So, you see I'm pretty easy to get along with.:angel:
kades
 
I firmly believe that the traditions you make for yourself are the most meaningful. For the last ten years Dh's and my Christmas' have been shared with the patients I take care of. We call our families, exchange gifts and all that, but here it is just us, no family around. So DH shares me with my patients and I am the happiest sharing the nightshift with them.

Our Christmas dinner is whatever we decide to do and when we decide to do it, usually on our anniversary which is two days later.

My advice to young couplesis: create your own traditions, take the best of what you remember as kids and combine them, and it should evolve with something new and bright each year.
 
Back
Top Bottom