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Xmas must-haves | Pad Patter 21.12

bellbird

bellbird

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So I was looking at the comfort eating pages earlier and we have been discussing food and simplifying menus among our families for the big day.

Is there any dish or item you must have on the table to make it feel like Christmas lunch/dinner (whenever you celebrate)?

My traditional English-style plum pudding has disappeared from our functions over the last few years, to the point that it has now become a tradition that DH buys me my own tiny one to have at home on Boxing Day. As long as it's something I'm still able to have in Dec/early Jan, I'm ok with it but it's a Christmas must-have to me
 
I'm easy... food. :giggle I'm good with seafood or ham, mashed or roasted potatoes, and some veggie. It's the appetizers, chatting and seeing my family for me. I think that is why the appetizers are my favorite and I MUST have them there!

I'm on said appetizer duty this year. Yeah! I'm making prosciutto wrapped asparagus, stuffed mushrooms, Jalapeno Popped Crisps, and Maple Sriracha Meatballs. Maybe some Cannoli Dip for a sweeter one too!
 
Not really anything in particular. We don't really do a "dinner" or anything because I never know when people are going to be coming and going. I'm doing nothing but appetizer/finger food stuff this year. That way it will be on hand and ready whenever people get here. I'm headed to the store to get everything now (wish me luck). My plans are to do sausage balls, little weiners/sauce, ham rolls, buffalo chicken dip, chips, salsa, bacon/spinach dip, and maybe crack chicken sliders.
 
My dad will be with us on Christmas so we're having ham because that's his fave and DH is a good son-in-law. :) But for me, I'd be happy with mashed potatoes, "break and bake" rolls, and basically anything else but ham ROFL! Growing up, ham was always dry and tough and I have issues with my jaw so I don't like tough-to-chew food. DH does a great job with ham so I'm sure I'll be fine with however he prepares it, but I do wish we were having roast. Oh well: we're doing apps/tapas style food for Christmas Eve and he's making all my faves on Monday so I'm not complaining!
 
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It's a Christmas tradition to bake your own tiny pieces of flesh/fish/eggs/vegetables/potatoes etc on a large baking plate in the middle of the table (it's called gourmetten, I think it's a typical Dutch tradition)
The kids LOVE it!
 
Hmm - We need to go shopping!!

Let's see, Christmas is DD's birthday so since we are at home, she gets to pick the menu. We are having ham, etc. I also like to make Christmas Meatballs and have made them twice so far this year. They have dried cranberries in them and a cranberry based sauce.

For us it is more about the sweets -- mincemeat bars, peanut clusters, cookies to decorate, and fruitcake. We love fruitcake. The last few years we have gotten the one from Costco - yummy! Sometimes I soak it in rum, but this year we are skipping that so my parents will eat some. Daughter has some baking to do for my dad; she is making stollen (a German fruited sweet bread).

@jk703 - above is a link to a yummy appetizer. You make them in the microwave. I though it all in a crockpot and use that to warm it all.
 
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We have always had turkey and the fixings for Christmas dinner. Always. Have not ever strayed. It's kind of expected. LOL!
 
How fun to hear what everyone eats over the holiday! We always have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, creamed corn and cranberry sauce....no exceptions. But, I won't have the stuffing, corn or traditional cranberry sauce (have bought a low carb one for me). I will make sweet potato stuffing for Jen and I. I gave up plum pudding a few yrs ago b/c of the low carb diet and since we always have cookies/squares/tarts etc I don't worry about a dessert. Xmas morning was always a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and crumpets. I still eat the eggs/bacon but gave up the toast and crumpets.
 
Christmas Eve for us is a wine and Cheese and snacks night and watching our favorite Christmas movies...
Christmas Dinner is Shrimp Scampi and this year I will be making my hubby his favorite dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding :) I think in a previous life I lived in the UK :)

Merry Christmas to everyone!
 
cfile said:
Christmas Eve for us is a wine and Cheese and snacks night and watching our favorite Christmas movies...
Christmas Dinner is Shrimp Scampi and this year I will be making my hubby his favorite dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding :) I think in a previous life I lived in the UK :)

Merry Christmas to everyone!
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YUM! We do a Christmas Eve with friends... wine, cheese, and appetizers. :) I skip the wine but have some Captain, lol! The shrimp scami sounds divine! I have to google the sticky toffee pudding!
 
jk703 said:
YUM! We do a Christmas Eve with friends... wine, cheese, and appetizers. :) I skip the wine but have some Captain, lol! The shrimp scami sounds divine! I have to google the sticky toffee pudding!
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It is an English dessert.. Wiliam Sanoma is the recipe I use... YUM!
 
All the time growing up, we had what my Momma called, Roasted Beast. I absolutely went NUTSO over having a roast for Christmas, but my IL's are not into that. They want turkey or ham - and before my MIL got Alzheimer's, we would have home made lasagna for Christmas dinner. I would love to steer my family back to Roasted beast but my parents have passed on, and my family is spread out all over the west coast.

Maybe next year I'll float the idea again...I already ordered the ham.
 
Merry Christmas to all! We don't really have anything special, unless the kids are coming over, which they're not this year. My mom made her special hot chocolate and homemade sweet rolls every Christmas morning for years. Sometimes I cheat and make the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.
 
Mashed potatoes made by my mom. I'm a good cook (& I often make things better-tasting than she does --- shhh!) but I cannot compete with her potatoes. I have followed the recipe exactly multiple times and they just don't taste QUITE the same.

I was horrified (HORRIFIED!) to be served potato salad at Thanksgiving at my ILs' this year.

We have ham for Christmas and turkey for Thanksgiving. We have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rolls at both. The rest of us fill in with side dishes.
 
Everyone has moved away so I don't really cook for holidays any more. My SIL is coming over and we are having a feast prepared by Bob Evans restaurant. They cook and I reheat. It is traditional turkey, dressing, etc. and pumpkin pie. I really miss the big family gatherings and all the food.
 
MiekSter said:
It's a Christmas tradition to bake your own tiny pieces of flesh/fish/eggs/vegetables/potatoes etc on a large baking plate in the middle of the table (it's called gourmetten, I think it's a typical Dutch tradition)
The kids LOVE it!
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That sounds so fun!

LeeAndra said:
We have ham for Christmas and turkey for Thanksgiving.
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Us too!
 
Turkey is Thanksgiving. Ham is Christmas. And the cheap extra turkey from Thanksgiving usually comes out for New Years Day. LOL!

We are having ham, scalloped potatoes, veggies, and rolls for Christmas, usually around 2pm. This does double duty for me. It'll be turned into sandwiches if anyone is hungry later, and lunch sandwiches on the 26th. And we'll have chicken cordon blue on the 27th, and baked beans with the ham bone for New Years Eve.

We are going to my friends again for Christmas Eve and appetizers, so it's been requested to make pretzel bites.

We used to have a tradition of going to MIL's and having soup after the cemetery on Christmas Eve, but we aren't going this year.
 
Pachimac said:
All the time growing up, we had what my Momma called, Roasted Beast. I absolutely went NUTSO over having a roast for Christmas, but my IL's are not into that. They want turkey or ham - and before my MIL got Alzheimer's, we would have home made lasagna for Christmas dinner. I would love to steer my family back to Roasted beast but my parents have passed on, and my family is spread out all over the west coast.

Maybe next year I'll float the idea again...I already ordered the ham.
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We had lasagna for Christmas when I grew up too.
 
Growing up we always had a Swedish smorgasbord for Christmas Eve, followed by a dessert buffet after Christmas Eve service and opening of tree presents. We'd have potato sausage, boiled potatoes with white sauce, pickled herring, pickled cucumbers, Swedish brown beans, a special Swedish cheese, rye and Christmas breads, cheeses, and my mom's green jello salad (obviously not Swedish!!). I try to do the same, and we have for a while, but since I can't eat meat anymore we don't make the sausage and substitute Swedish meatballs (this year I bought frozen ones from ikea. Bad me). I also won't do the brown beans and jello salad.

Christmas Day we spend with my in-laws, so it's whatever they feel like fixing to eat, and that's fine with me! Since they moved into a retirement community we eat in the dining room (amazing food!) and they'll have a huge buffet to graze from. Gotta love it!
 
cfile said:
We had lasagna for Christmas when I grew up too.
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Pachimac said:
All the time growing up, we had what my Momma called, Roasted Beast. I absolutely went NUTSO over having a roast for Christmas, but my IL's are not into that. They want turkey or ham - and before my MIL got Alzheimer's, we would have home made lasagna for Christmas dinner. I would love to steer my family back to Roasted beast but my parents have passed on, and my family is spread out all over the west coast.

Maybe next year I'll float the idea again...I already ordered the ham.
Click to expand...
Yes us too, lasagna /' pasta al forno' was the special event family gathering meal even when it was stinking hot (as Aussie Xmases usually are)
 
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