What's For Christmas Eve & Christmas Day?

[robls]

Spaghetti, homemade meatballs, homemade sauce, sauted mushrooms and stuffed squid on Christmas Eve.
Homemade ravioli, homemade meatballs, homemade sauce and homemade wedding soup on Christmas.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Of course then I thought about the fact that my DH announced the other day that he will be making meatloaf on Christmas day. Now, you have to understand he's never made a meatloaf...he says "it will be fun to experiment."

Oh dear, that brings up a memory.

When I was about 20, one of my roommates girlfriends (who was very loosely related to me) decided she would do some of that there cooking stuff and make us meatloaf. Thinking back on the results, seems she used a very cheap fatty ground meat and not enough bread crumbs.

Anyhow, she baked this thing and it shrunk to about half the size of the loaf pan, and then sat there boiling away in a substantial amount of its own rendered fat. When she plucked it from its bath and sliced it, it was found to be still raw in the middle. So she fried the slices in a pan until the pinkness went away, which I believe was about 35-40 minutes per slice.

To say that we could have strapped this baked/boiled/fried substance to our shoes and worn them for the rest of our lives without breaching the sole would be a very fair statement. We attempted to cut and chew the stuff for a while and then waited until she left the room to quickly scrape it off into the trash can.

I do have a really, really, really good meatloaf recipe right here if you want to minimize the horror and anxiety...here:

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...recipe-posting-thread-25331-2.html#post471865

 

[Sarah in SC]

CFB's food stories are the best!
I once made Christmas cookies--the recipe called for shortening, and so I thought I could substitute lard (well, it WAS cheaper). Um, just so you know, that doesn't make them taste very good. And I fed them to the vegetarians next door, even worse!

We go to my parents for Christmas eve lunch (probably pork loin) with all the squalling young-uns, then home to peace and quiet, then back out the door in the morning to drive to DH's mom's. She is an awesome cook, not fancy stuff like my mom, but I love her cooking! New Years we're going up to Asheville for a music show with friends and renting a house. It will likely involve a fair bit of alcohol, hard to say what food.

 

[Danny]

Oh dear, that brings up a memory.

When I was about 20, one of my roommates girlfriends (who was very loosely related to me) decided she would do some of that there cooking stuff and make us meatloaf. Thinking back on the results, seems she used a very cheap fatty ground meat and not enough bread crumbs.

Anyhow, she baked this thing and it shrunk to about half the size of the loaf pan, and then sat there boiling away in a substantial amount of its own rendered fat. When she plucked it from its bath and sliced it, it was found to be still raw in the middle. So she fried the slices in a pan until the pinkness went away, which I believe was about 35-40 minutes per slice.

To say that we could have strapped this baked/boiled/fried substance to our shoes and worn them for the rest of our lives without breaching the sole would be a very fair statement. We attempted to cut and chew the stuff for a while and then waited until she left the room to quickly scrape it off into the trash can.

I do have a really, really, really good meatloaf recipe right here if you want to minimize the horror and anxiety...here:

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...recipe-posting-thread-25331-2.html#post471865

tears are flowing down my cheeks as I type..love a good meatloaf (ground beef-veal-pork-crumbs) and mashed potatoes


Christmas eve our family tradition is to go to our favorite Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis (think Christmas Story) except no duck but fresh seafood pan fried noodles and a whole fish then go to a late movie (sometimes it's our own personal theater) and get back about midnight and open some presents.

 

[Caoineag]

I have no idea really...though breakfast will include water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and smothered in bbq sauce, so yummy. That is the only confirmed item...

 

[bbbamI]

Gotta love CFB stories!

If I tried to guide him to a recipe, he'd say, "recipe...I don't need no stinkin' recipe!" Then he would ask me how to turn that oven thingy on.

About 28 years ago, he made a pie....homemade crust and all. It looked great when he put it in the oven...problem was, when he took it out an hour later, the crust (top and bottom) had completely disappeared.

Bless his pea pickin' heart.

 

[Moemg]

As a kid we always had a big turkey dinner for Christmas .It was good but wasted on us kids who would have been happy with a bologna sandwich and left in peace to play with our toys.Then we would get packed up and go to my Aunt's house who had never gotten married or had any kids very boring but she would always give us cards with $50.00 this was in the 50's and that was a lot of money then .She would also offer us a weak hi-ball and frozen pound cake .I have some crazy relatives .

 

[Sarah in SC]

I want to be that aunt, moemg!
I actually had some awesome great aunts like that. It sounds like you had a lot of fun with her! Note to self--get some frozen pound cake before the holiday!

 

[deserat]

Christmas Eve is usually spent skiing and then we eat a very nice lunch at the lodge. Christmas Day and New Year's Day we watch lots of football on TV and I make 'snicky-snacks' for the TV viewing - I bought some mushroom turnovers, I will make some goat cheese and smoked Salmon spread, some salami with crackers. For breakfast we'll have some eggs with prosciutto and cheese. On Xmas Dinner, I bought a leg of lamb, so I'll probably make that with some potatoes or rice and a salad. For New Year's I've made a shrimp/champagne risotto before which was awesome. It also has some asparagus. Oh, and we drink champagne, either straight or as mimosas

 

[Meadbh]

Rubber turkey, huh?

Oh, it's not that bad with the cranberry sauce. Better than IV nutrition, which is what most of the patients will get. And it's free if you aer working Christmas day!

 

[bbbamI]

Ok, you've convinced me...save me a seat!

 

[RunningBum]

12 hour drive north to Nebraska Thursday night to go visit family.

Christmas eve we'll have my favorite hometown pizza with my folks, all the brothers and sisters, and everyone's family. We open presents, and then play card or board games.

Christmas day will be most of the family getting together for either turkey or prime rib (I haven't heard yet), and more games.

The day after, DD and I escape and make a nice quiet 18 hour drive to Virginia. We'll do some skiing and just hanging out. She flies out early New Year's day so we'll have our usual quiet eve, and not make midnight. I'll come back home and watch college football all day on Jan 1.

 

[Orchidflower]

Son comes in, so there is only Grandma and I and the son. I'm cooking:

Big cheese ball rolled in pecans with water crackers
Lots crudites (carrots, stuffed celery, marinated mushrooms, etc.)
Ham with a sweet sour glaze made from maple syrup/balsamic vinegar (really good)
Hot German potato salad
stir fried spinach (we love it!)
Homemade fruitcake; homemade whiskey cake; homemade toffee bars; lemon cookies
Everything homemade! I love to cook!!!!

Some of the dinners on here sound just fabulous!!!! Yummmmmm!!!!

 

[haha]

Christmas Eve is our day to host the family. I seem to be socked into a tradition of bacalao (very extravagant version with sudried tomatoes, capers, hot cerry peppers, etc.) and baked stuffed shells, with veggies (especially broccoli rabe sauted with lots of garlic) and the usual appetizers. If I have time this year, I may do homemade bread as well.

This sounds superb! I am reading a book called The Little Ice Age. It explains how Basque fisherman ranged far into the north, fishing for and salting cod which became the staple known as bacalao throughout the Mediterranean. It is even popular in modern Cuba!

Every year I try salt cod at least once, but usually go back to making whatever I want to make with fresh cod. I am not very good at the soaking etc. needed to deal with the salt.

Ha

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Ha - here's an old new england dish I've made with both the salt cod and smoked haddock.

For the cod, rinse it thoroughly for about 5 minutes under cold running water. Soak it for 24 hours in the fridge, replacing the water every 6-8 hours. Then soak it in milk for another 8-12 hours.

Remove any skin or bones.

Make a batch of unseasoned, no additive mashed potatoes, just boiled skinned taters mashed up. Make a simple white bechamel and add a pound or so of defrosted frozen pearl onions, season the bechamel well with salt and pepper and a bit of ground clove. Go easy on the salt.

Poach the cod or smoked haddock in a small amount of milk until its beginning to get tender.

Put a 1-1.5" layer of mashed into a large baking dish, top with the fish, and pour the onion bechamel over it, bake it at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until you get a little light browning of the bechamel.

This works out well in drawing out the salt, the milk soak and poach helps add flavor, and any excess saltiness in the cod is well offset by the plain potatoes and the bechamel.

Also very nice with the smoked haddock, as a baked finnan haddie.

 

[dumpster56]

Colossal Shrimp Parmesian

The really big shrimp, butterfly, breaded with panko bread crumbs, makes a real crusty coating.

A homemade Red Sauce real spicy, Fresh Mozzarella fresh ground pepper,Fresh grated romano and parmesian cheeses, Proscutto chopped and thrown on the top and put under the broiler just before serving.

Nice

A real nice Pinot is great with it who says you need a white with seafood!

 

[dumpster56]

12 hour drive north to Nebraska Thursday night to go visit family.

Christmas eve we'll have my favorite hometown pizza with my folks, all the brothers and sisters, and everyone's family. We open presents, and then play card or board games.

Christmas day will be most of the family getting together for either turkey or prime rib (I haven't heard yet), and more games.

The day after, DD and I escape and make a nice quiet 18 hour drive to Virginia. We'll do some skiing and just hanging out. She flies out early New Year's day so we'll have our usual quiet eve, and not make midnight. I'll come back home and watch college football all day on Jan 1.

What is your ride these days?

 

[Dawg52]

I plan to smoke a turkey. Out of town relatives will bring all the sides. I requested a chocolate chip pecan pie from my mother. Those are soooooo good.

An update: My mom went ahead and made my pie. Lord have mercy! It was awesome. If you like chocolate and pecans, I highly recommend this pie. Just a regular pecan pie mix with 6oz's of dark choc chips mixed in.

Hope I see y'all tomorrow. Afraid I might slip into a coma after eating this baby.

 

[lets-retire]

As my BIL put it we have bait and spaghetti for Christmas Eve. Actually it is calamari, fried smelt, and spaghetti with an olive oil and anchovy sauce.

Christmas Day would normally be leftovers from Christmas Eve, but this year we're going to the MIL house and I don't know what she is cooking.

 

[education]

It sounds like there will be some good eating this holiday season. I guess I need to say what I usually have. Christmas Eve is buffet style: Center stage will be a pineapple boat with strawberries & pineapple; marinated mushrooms; taco chips with bean dip; potato chips with french onion dip; meatballs and two types of dipping sauce; spiral ham & various breads and rolls with salad dressing, spicy mustard, pickles, etc.; veggie tray with olives, pickles, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes,pepperoncini; beer and Fish House Punch.

Christmas morning: sausage & mushroom quiche; fruit salad w/yogurt dressing; clams casino; assortment of sweet rolls; Bloody Mary's; orange juice; coffee.

I hope you all have a great holiday and that the market is up in 2008.

The Professor