Christmas Eve / Day Menu Plans

Being transplanted to The Villages together for the holiday for the first time is a season of "new" traditions. Our girls have their own families and are getting fully into creating their own personal traditions with their children.

This year we will be gathering with neighbors for an evening of cocktails (BYOB) and appetizers on Christmas Eve. I'm going to take all the Christmas Cookies I made, along with some sturdy plates, for everyone to create a cookie platter to take home with them. No one leaves the party without a plate! LOL

Christmas day will have us celebrating with our friends, Lyn & Bill. Lyn & I will be preparing a Christmas feast while Dane & Bill are out on the links playing 18 holes (their contribution is to stay out of the way, I guess). Lyn & I will make a standing rib roast, mashed potatoes (possibly dutchess if we can get them piped out and pretty), Brussell sprouts, green beans and a nice light Asian slaw we've both made in the past and really love. Dessert will be cookies (big surprise) and homemade ice cream.

Cassie has to work on Christmas and Christmas eve but expects to be home by dinner time on the 24th. I don't have dinner finalized except that I have bought some new potatoes, green beans and a rib roast (3 bones @ 9.99/lb.) We had brussel sprouts last night. Cassie made Bourbon chicken, parmesan grilled mushrooms over wild rice, candied brussel sprouts with gorgonzola, spinach/spring mix strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing, and a bottle of moscato d'asti.

Boy, isn't is nice to have someone else do the deciding and cooking for a change?

After Christmas my neighbor asked me if I would show her how to cook some meals - she's going to purchase the protein and I'll supply the sides.....sounds like a winning combination for me. Oh, she's going to make suggestions of what they are hungry for....that's the hardest part, for me anyway. I can cook just about anything, I appreciate a suggestion of what would make others happy.

Mr. Amazing always has his standard, "I just want good food...." ~ but rarely comes up with a good suggestion. He is going to get his 15-bean soup he wants after the holiday. We're going to be around a lot of friends for Christmas Eve and Day so I am NOT making him bean soup until we have a couple days without the chance of him embarassing me in front of others.....LOL

We sure got taken yesterday in the meat market..Standing rib on sale $7something a lb.so we ask the butcher how many lbs for 8 pl.He takes the bones off then attaches them to the bottom with string..Let me tell you I have not seen such a HUGE roast. 18lbs..$155. Then I thought ,well seems to me it is 1lb per person..That sucker will not fit in any pan around here lol. My guess we cut it half..lol.

Hahahaha - EXPECTING the butcher to do the math when HE'S the one selling you prime product....

but if you cut a big ol hunk of that beef off and wrap & freeze, you will still have plenty for 10 people. I wouldn't want more than 10# - 11# for a group of 10, and that still allows for leftovers. JMO

Just got done making a teriyaki sauce to bake on some Little Smokies & Pineapple chunks to take for cocktails at the neighbors tonight. I was just going to take the cookies but decided the hot sausages sounded good to eat. And since they were a BOGO, no real cost involved.

I made some Challah last night. The recipe said 40 to 60 minutes so i set the timer for 40 and put the thermometer probe in set at 190.  After 30 minutes it started smelling over cooked so i checked.  The probe thermometer said 140 but the crust was almost black.  I checked with a thermopen and it said 210.  The birds will get last night's bread and i am making another one for dinner tonight.

The thermometer probe is in the trash.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
     

My plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:

Eve: late night over my cousin's. Buffet style food...
Eggplant Parm; Chicken, Ziti, Broccoli, Lasagne, Calzones, (not even Italian!--Irish and Polish)
Huge Salad, rolls,
tons of appetizers: veggies, chips, dips, hot appies, cheeses and crackers..and some fig preserves to serve with it
Dessert: brownies, coookies, and more cookies...fruit salad

Day:
Over my other cousin's around 1pm
Appies--who knows? maybe stuffed mushrooms, cheese, crackers, chips and dip...
Roast Beef!!! double stuffed potatoes--? veggies---and rolls
Dessert:
Ice Cream, Custard Pie, and cookies!!!!

Yes, I did make cookies...thanks everyone for you help!
I am taking some for Christmas Eve..
Christmas Day, I am in charge of dessert!!!

NormM wrote:I made some Challah last night. The recipe said 40 to 60 minutes so i set the timer for 40 and put the thermometer probe in set at 190.  After 30 minutes it started smelling over cooked so i checked.  The probe thermometer said 140 but the crust was almost black.  I checked with a thermopen and it said 210.  The birds will get last night's bread and i am making another one for dinner tonight.

The thermometer probe is in the trash.

It wasn't a Thermapen brand, was it?

Darn, but that's crummy to happen when you probably wanted to relax a bit today.

The thermapen worked just fine. It was the one with a probe on a wire that lied to me. I think it was a K Mart one.