What are you having for your Christmas meal?

[htc]

Just curious to see what everyone is doing for your Christmas meal?

Christmas eve, I am going to grandmother-in-law's house to celebrate. We usually do store bought finger foods: chicken wings, cheese plate, cookies, sandwich rolls.

xmas day: breakfast at mother in law's house: something called apple skeevers (never had these)

xmas dinner: my dad's house for prime rib, not sure what side dishes will be made.

 

[wasabi]

Daughter's getting married on Christmas Eve. We will be having a buffet dinner at Ihilani Hotel and Resort. The ceremony will be at sunset, on the hotel grounds overlooking the ocean.

 

[Lifter]

CONGRAT's! Wasabi!

What a great day for you all!

The "traditional" stuffed turkey for Christmas, this year a 20 lb bird, stuffing to match size, smashed potato, veggies, wine and/or tomato juice, Christmas Pudding, pumpkin pie, etc! (Firms up in another week, with inputs from beloved children!)

Christmas Eve, since we are bringing in the "rental hottub", will likely be a "hot tub" related smorgasborg, with bacon wrapped scallops, and waterchestnuts, grilled tuna steaks, crabcakes, shrimp of at least two recipes (considering starting a thread on this!), many sliced veggies with a few different "dips", given God can find it possible to forgive the bacon thing and find this "meatless"...similar "knick knacks" and finger foods for the evening, as we welcome the neighbours to drop by and visit, and probably run up the world's worst Long Distance bill on the phone, calling all relatives, but its only once a year...five days with the eldest daughter and son being here in all the year long, why get "cheap" or "scimp" anywhere? we can do that on any other of the 360 nights...

Lifter

 

[marmalady]

Two dinners here, one on Christmas day with just me, DH, and my two sons - Roast Beast, potato gratin, some green veg - whatever looks good - and a salad. And Christmas cookies for dessert.

Monday after Christmas - DH's clan descends on us from NC, and we''re doing a ham with raisin/cider sauce, biscuits, green bean casserole (courtesy of SIL), maybe a black eyed pea succotash, baked stuffed potatoes, and pear/almond tart for dessert.

Happy Cooking, everyone!

 

[thumpershere2]

Xmass eve we will do fondu, cubed garlic bread dipped in cheese sauce and cubed venison steak and several dipping sauces, a few different veggies to dip, Little smokies wrapped in bacon, dill pickle roll and cheese and crackers. Xmass day it will be a ham dinner with mashed garlic potatoes, Wild rice hot dish,Sweet potatoes, corn, cottage cheese with pears and freash rolls. Blueberry pie a la mode.Sounds like alot for just 2 people but I won't make that much of each.But then we do have 2 cats and 2 dogs to think of.Happy Holidays everyone.

 

[PA Baker]

On Christmas Eve, DH and I will have my parents over before church. I'm going to do a spiral ham, scalloped garlic 3-cheese potatoes, green beans with walnuts, cranberries, and either a cake or Christmas cookies for dessert.

Christmas day, we'll go to my parents and do the traditional turkey, stuffing, potato thing (essentially Thanksgiving over again!). For this one, I get a break and am only responsible for cranberries, sweet potatoes, and apple pie. We'll have a tray of muchies and Christmas cookies out all day since we won't eat until late afternoon.

In-laws are coming for a couple of days between Christmas and New Years. I'm not sure what I'll have for them. I have to work so I'll probably keep it easy and make a lasagna or something. And of course, more cookies!

 

[DampCharcoal]

Wow, Wasabi, I'm jealous! What better way to spend Christmas Eve! Congratulations, everyone around here describes that as the dream wedding (yes, even the rough, tough, manly men.) If I get airfare can I crash the reception??? Did I mention that I'm jealous? Did I also mention that it's snowing and cold and would KILL to be on a sunny beach right now? Sounds like a blast, Wasabi, best wishes for your family!

 

[htc]

Wasabi, congrats! You're gonna have a blast! Let us know how it all goes, and espcially how the food was!

 

[marmalady]

Congrats, Wasabi! What a magical time to be married! Will we see pics - maybe?

PA Baker - Would you mind sharing that garlic 3-cheese scalloped potato thingy? Pleeeeese!

 

[wasabi]

Thank you lifter, htc, marmalady (I'll see what I can do about pics), and Damp (wish you were here).

 

[Haggis]

We normally do a themed Christmas, whether by cuisine or something else. This Christmas Day it is salads. Unusual perhaps, but we will see how it goes.

At the moment looking at 3-4 salads, including:
- Warm Chicken Salad with Pistachios and Grapefruit
- Salad of Figs, Prosciutto, Mozarella and Basil
- Salad of Pancetta, Poached Egg, Salad Greens and Parmesan

As well as some little tapas/mezze style munchees such as Arancini (rice balls with blue cheese filling, coated in breadcrumbs and fried), grilled/marinated capsicums and semi-dried tomatoes, felafel etc.

As for desserts I'm thinking of doing 2:
- Strawberry Jelly and Vanilla Bavarois

as for the other one I am still undecided, maybe a nice sorbet, or something hot to contrast with the colder meals (although when you looking at about 35-40'C on Christmas Day, hot stuff isn't the best) or perhaps even a Mandarin, Caramel Sauce and Shaved Chocolate Salad to keep the salad theme going.

 

[SierraCook]

Christmas morning we usually have scrambled eggs with English muffins, sausage, etc. or buttermilk pancakes with sausage or bacon. Then we have something light for lunch: cheese, salami, and crackers, salsa and tortilla chips, bean dip, etc. Then we are having ham, scalloped potatoes, green salad, fruit salad, bread, etc. for dinner.

 

[Zereh]

Our focus this year is on brunch. Mimosas, strata, waffles, potatoes, fruit bowl and a yummy almond pastry are the for-sures so far.


Z

 

[mudbug]

Haggis, your meal sounds unique and delicious! Love the dessert salad idea.

 

[Ishbel]

We're having roast goose this year (I tend to alternate with turkey and goose!)

Starters - we usually don't bother as the main course at a British Christmas lunch usually overstuffs us anyway!

Goose
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Game chips

Glazed carrots
Brussel sprouts
Petit pois (frozen!)
Cauliflower

Bread sauce

Lots of gravy

Followed by

Flambeed Christmas pudding served with cream or brandy butter

In the evening we usually just 'nibble' at a Cheese board, for those brave enough, served with home-made oatcakes and Jacobs crackers for cheese, with celery sticks and olives and grapes... the cheeses on offer will include

Stilton
Wensleydale
Caerphilly
Dunlop
Stinking Bishop
Cheddar from the Isle of Mull
Camembert
Danish Blue
Brie - very ripe!
St Agur
Boursin
and a German smoked cheese

Any cheeses left will be finished off in the week between Christmas and Hogmanay - or at our usual Hogmanay celebrations.

 

[marmalady]

Ishbel, I've always wanted to visit Scotland - if you invite me for that wonderful Christmas dinner, I'd have the excuse i need to come on over! Sounds heavenly - especially the cheeses!

Just a side note, my oldest son did a tour of Europe during college - he spent three months, and visited most every country with the exception of Portugal and Bosnia! His absolute #1 favorite country was Scotland - he fell in love with it!

 

[Ishbel]

Well, I cook enough for a regiment, Marmalady - so there'd be plenty for you!

I love cheeses, but limit myself for most of the year - except for visits to France, when I cannot resist just a leeeeeetle slice off the edge of whatever the restaurant has on their cheeseboard (Well, OK, it's more than a little edge.... 8)

Scotland has many fine cheeses. I've eaten Cheddar from the 'real' Cheddar, in Somerset - and I'm very fond of Davidstow Cheddar, but the very best, in my opinion, is cheddar from the Isle of Mull... Dunlop, too is a nice cheese.

Scotland really is a great country. We have a rich history and culture - and our cuisine ain't all that bad, either - as I think I've tried to show on this site with some of my family recipes I can certainly see why your son would fall in love with my home city. Edinburgh has so much to offer, from fairytale castles like Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, to the glorious Georgian 'New Town' (from the early 1700s!)

 

[Haggis]

Thank you Mudbug, I am looking forward to it making and eating them all .

I just have my fingers crossed that I can find some good figs (or any figs for that matter) around Sydney. Good ones are hard to come by and all figs are rather expensive here .

Unfourtunately I probably won't be able to lay my grubby little hands on some buffalo mozzarella either, was very much looking forward to perfect white, smooth delicious balls of creaminess. Will have to settle for regular kind, ah well, can't have it all.

 

[Lifter]

OOOOOH!

Ishbel, Wensleydale cheese, with a really good port wine...it just doesn't get any better as an after dinner thing....

Thanks for this "memory jog"!

Lifter

 

[Ishbel]

You're welcome. I love the variety of British cheeses!

Double Gloucester, Lancashire, various goats' cheeses, ewes milk cheeses, Scottish crowdie Sage Derbyshire etc....

And the varieties of European cheeses available here in every supermarket is also a great plus.... I love French cheeses, anything from Roquefort to St Agur.