OT Holiday food

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 14:26:43 +0000 (UTC), Sally Swindells
wrote:

Having just collected Fat Sid the Turkey I wondered what everyone else
has to eat on Christmas Day?

Being vegetarians people tend to want to send us sympathy cards over
our lack of turkey, goose, or roasts. However people who eat with us
at the holidays tend not to notice the lack until somebody asks them
about it later!

Our main entree will be a platter of "stuffing", which is more akin to
a savoury bread pudding as it is not stuffed into anything and is rich
in eggs, with a big bowl of onion gravy.
This will be accompanied by piles of cheese, lots of raw fruits and
veggies, assorted dips and wafers to go with all that, fresh bread,
red cabbage, sweet potatoes baked with honey, corn pudding, brown
beans, all kinds of pickled things, and cranberry sauce.

We will also have cardamom bread, glorified rice, mincemeat pie,
gooseberry pie, fruitcake, strufuli, and plum pudding with a choice of
hard sauce or custard sauce.

I have made an assortment of candies, indeed last night we had a mild
crisis with that. I made torrone and our lad managed to stuff a
hazelnut up his nose. It came out with the application of tweezers
and much wailing. Geez, why do kids have to do stuff like that when
you are cooking sugar syrup and beating egg whites?

Cookies of course, mountains of cookies and a cookie mansion.

Endless pots of tea and coffee, a couple gallons of eggnog (some with
brandy some without), juice, and wine, and probably some soda for the
kids.

We are eating buffet style with no particular sit down time, in order
to accommodate assorted schedules and wanderers. I am expecting at
least 9 or as many as 15 throughout the course of the day.

And at the end of the day the adults will probably sit back to breathe
with some brandy and a satisfied sigh.

Lasagna on Christmas eve, and black eyed peas on New years eve, after
that no more holiday cooking til Candlemas!

We aim to eat at about 1.00p.m. and start by pulling crackers (not
biscuits) reading out the pathetic jokes, wearing the paper hats and
playing with the little plastic toys etc that come in them. This year
the crackers are silver to go with the red tablecloth and silver holly
napkin rings I made about 10 years ago.

We have been talking about crackers for a couple of years now.
Do you get boughten ones or do you make them?
After the Harry Potter books the kids are rather keen on having them.
So far as I can tell, the only mandatory parts on the inside are the
pathetic jokes and the silly paper hats.
I gather they are a sort of personal pinata that goes bang when you
and a companion pull it apart. The only ones I recall having seen
(and that on film) were the ones at the Bishop's party in "The Box of
Delights".
Info please?

NightMist

--
"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge
it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 17:34:50 GMT, Firefly wrote:

We also are
having some terrible stuffing that I won't eat and some overcooked
turkey and some sweet potatoes without the marshmallows...
fruit salad with nuts in whipped cream, french-cut green beans, yams
with nuts and tons of marshmallows on top, salad (mixed greens,

Haven't met sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Have sweet potatoes
which I boil and mash with a bit of butter and cinnamon, and eat
marshmallows in front of the fire like chocolates, but had never
thought of putting them together. Do you just put them on top and
grill them or mix them in. I'd never thought of them as being other
than sweeties.

Sally

Goose, potato dumplings, mushroom gravy, red cabbage with apples, cranberry
sauce (different strokes for diff. folks), broccoli gratin, carrots and
other assorted veg. And that will be it for the rest of the day. Might make
a pumpkin pie if I'm in the mood.
Roberta in D

"Sally Swindells" wrote in message
...
Having just collected Fat Sid the Turkey I wondered what everyone else
has to eat on Christmas Day?

We aim to eat at about 1.00p.m. and start by pulling crackers (not
biscuits) reading out the pathetic jokes, wearing the paper hats and
playing with the little plastic toys etc that come in them. This year
the crackers are silver to go with the red tablecloth and silver holly
napkin rings I made about 10 years ago.

Don't have a Starter (too much to follow), then as 95% of rest of UK,
Turkey, with Sage and Onion Stuffing. Sausage meat stuffing, Bread
Sauce, Chipolata Sausages, Gravy, Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, Brussels
Sprouts and what ever other vegs SIL brings. Oh, and also Cranberry
Sauce, but as this is a fairly recent addition in our family (one of
these new fangled American ideas!) it usually gets forgotten until
halfway through the meal!

Then traditional Christmas ('Plum') Pudding. This year very well
matured so should be good, with Brandy Sauce and Brandy Butter (some
like one, some the other). Then cheese and biscuits for (sorry,
Crackers) those with room..

After the meal Tea or Coffee and Mincepies and watch the Queens Speech
before presents. Then More tea and Mincepies and Iced Christmas Cake
(hope its cooked OK, new recipe!).

Then about 7 we somehow eat again - cold turkey, ham, pork pie and
salads, followed by lots of fattening desserts!

Somehow we also manage to consume chocolates, nuts, dates and alcohol!

POP!!!

The one year we did have a starter, DS, then about 3, burst into tears
'I thought we were having turkey!!' For the last 27 years he has been
reminded of this!

Sally

We're having a pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh homemade
French bread, cranberry salad, vegetable (probably peas). DD is bringing
the dessert (a trifle, I think).

Julia in MN
--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

Howdy!
Louise, since you're having veggie soup and beer bread,
and beer comes in 6/12/18/24 packs anyway g,
I'll pass along my recipe for Tavern soup;
got this recipe from a newspaper years ago:
a.. 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
b.. 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
c.. 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
d.. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
e.. 3 cans (approx. 14 ounces each) chicken broth
f.. 2 tablespoons butter
g.. 1 teaspoon salt
h.. 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
i.. 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
j.. 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
k.. 1 can (12 ounces) light beer at room temperature
PREPARATION:

Combine celery, carrot, green pepper and onion in slow cooker. Add chicken
broth, butter, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Strain mixture; puree vegetables in blender and return to pot with broth.
Increase to HIGH setting. Dissolve flour in small amount of water; add to
broth.
Or boil it up faster on the stove top. VBG
Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until blended. Pour in beer.
Cover and cook on high 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and soup is
hot.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
You can leave out the cheese, but we don't. G

Ragmop/Sandy--quilting & wondering if we have enough tamales...

"Louise" wrote in message
news:tJByd.550053$wV.143306@attbi_s54...
After just reading that menu, I'm not going to have to eat for another
week (although some would say I could go much longer than that without any
harm!).

After years of huge Christmas Day dinners at Grandma's, our family now
generally goes to Mom's house and we eat a much smaller meal -- generally
soup and sometimes sandwiches. This year we decided a break in tradition
was necessary -- we had our gift exchange a week ago, as my brother and
his family were moving and wouldn't be here on Christmas Day. Of course,
the rest of us still want to get together to celebrate the day, but we (I)
didn't think it would feel the same to be at Mom's without the entire
family there. So, everyone will come to our house, and our menu will
consist of chili, vegetable soup, potato soup, beer bread, and corn bread.
Oh, and ice cream sundaes for dessert.

--
Louise in Iowa
nieland4 at mchsi dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa

"Sally Swindells" wrote in message
...
Having just collected Fat Sid the Turkey I wondered what everyone else
has to eat on Christmas Day?

*Snip*
The one year we did have a starter, DS, then about 3, burst into tears
'I thought we were having turkey!!' For the last 27 years he has been
reminded of this!

Sally

Oh my! You have been missing out! I've never heard of such a thing!
he he he... Well here is how you make candied yams (or sweet potatoes)


6-8 med. sweet potatoes or 1 can candied yams (lg.)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 orange (just the juice)
1 bag marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans)

Mash sweet potatoes/yams. Add the brown sugar and the juice from 1
orange. Add nuts; mix well. Cover the mixture with marshmallows. Bake
until marshmallows are brown, at 325 degrees.


The marshmallows stay on top, kind of like a casserole. You scoop out
the whole mixture with a spoon. Well, as kids, we always just ate the
marshmallows! But the brown sugar/marshmallows/nuts/and yams taste
sooooo good! Let me know what you think after you try it. I cannot
hold it against you that you never heard of candied yams...just don't
serve them minus the marshmallows! Ha ha ha!

--
Firefly
**
You can use the sig to net me at
ductape if you want to email me.
**
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me


On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 19:11:14 +0000 (UTC), Sally Swindells
wrote:

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 17:34:50 GMT, Firefly wrote:

We also are
having some terrible stuffing that I won't eat and some overcooked
turkey and some sweet potatoes without the marshmallows...
fruit salad with nuts in whipped cream, french-cut green beans, yams
with nuts and tons of marshmallows on top, salad (mixed greens,

Haven't met sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Have sweet potatoes
which I boil and mash with a bit of butter and cinnamon, and eat
marshmallows in front of the fire like chocolates, but had never
thought of putting them together. Do you just put them on top and
grill them or mix them in. I'd never thought of them as being other
than sweeties.

Sally

We'll be eating crabmeat appetizers, baby carrots and celery with dill
dip, parmesan cheese and garlic pita chips, home made pickles, sweet and
sour meatballs, chinese chicken wings, Canadian pork pie, spiral ham and
baked beans, pineapple and hot pepper relish over cream cheese with
crackers, sharp cheddar cheese and pepperoni tray, lots of Blackberry
Merlot, and two trifles for dessert.

I have no idea how many people are coming, could be 10, could be 20, so
I just keep bringing out whatever gets warmed up next and people pick to
their heart's content. We have a couple of cranky ill-mannered kids
coming and I don't want to subject everyone to a sit down supper trying
to keep these kids quiet, so we'll just do a buffet and sit by the
fireplace or the back porch or whatever the weather allows. Casual is
definitely the order of the day.

Denise in NH
My quilt guild:
www.amoskeagqg.org

Our holiday is a bit of a two-parter: Xmas day is at a relative's, which is
whatever they choose to serve plus whatever everyone else brings. Probably
the closest thing to "traditions" are that the appetizers folks bring tend
to be the same every year....tends to be fairly "normal"--turkey or ham,
mashed potatoes, corn, salad, and whatever else turns up

The smaller gathering (six people) is at our house on Christmas Eve: I go
for the buffet approach, oodles of nibbles, mostly.

Here's what's doing for tomorrow:

Homemade fresh salsa and tortilla chips (this is also what I take for
Christmas day, so I make oodles of it)
Carrots and radishes and cauliflower (all raw) and dill dip
Deviled eggs
Three cheese spreads and salami and various crackers
Green and black olives, pickled beets, pickled okra, dill and sweet pickles

Christmas cookies, peanut & almond M&Ms and assorted nuts in the shell

Several lunchmeats and breads for sandwiches

Folks then graze as they see fit.

Eventually, when everyone gets off work and is there (both DDs work until
nineish in the evening), we open presents......

--pig


On 12/23/04 08:26, in article ,
"Sally Swindells" wrote:

Having just collected Fat Sid the Turkey I wondered what everyone else
has to eat on Christmas Day?

Ragmop, the recipe sounds great! Will give it a try soon (especially if it
doesn't warm up around here!).

18-packs? Haven't seen those! Surely can't be that I haven't looked hard
enough.

--
Louise in Iowa
nieland4 at mchsi dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa

" Ellison" wrote in message
news
Howdy!
Louise, since you're having veggie soup and beer bread,
and beer comes in 6/12/18/24 packs anyway g,
I'll pass along my recipe for Tavern soup;
got this recipe from a newspaper years ago:
a.. 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
b.. 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
c.. 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
d.. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
e.. 3 cans (approx. 14 ounces each) chicken broth
f.. 2 tablespoons butter
g.. 1 teaspoon salt
h.. 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
i.. 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
j.. 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
k.. 1 can (12 ounces) light beer at room temperature
PREPARATION:

Combine celery, carrot, green pepper and onion in slow cooker. Add chicken
broth, butter, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Strain mixture; puree vegetables in blender and return to pot with broth.
Increase to HIGH setting. Dissolve flour in small amount of water; add to
broth.
Or boil it up faster on the stove top. VBG
Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until blended. Pour in beer.
Cover and cook on high 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and soup is
hot.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
You can leave out the cheese, but we don't. G

Ragmop/Sandy--quilting & wondering if we have enough tamales...

"Louise" wrote in message
news:tJByd.550053$wV.143306@attbi_s54...
After just reading that menu, I'm not going to have to eat for another
week (although some would say I could go much longer than that without
any harm!).

After years of huge Christmas Day dinners at Grandma's, our family now
generally goes to Mom's house and we eat a much smaller meal -- generally
soup and sometimes sandwiches. This year we decided a break in tradition
was necessary -- we had our gift exchange a week ago, as my brother and
his family were moving and wouldn't be here on Christmas Day. Of course,
the rest of us still want to get together to celebrate the day, but we
(I) didn't think it would feel the same to be at Mom's without the entire
family there. So, everyone will come to our house, and our menu will
consist of chili, vegetable soup, potato soup, beer bread, and corn
bread. Oh, and ice cream sundaes for dessert.

--
Louise in Iowa
nieland4 at mchsi dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa

"Sally Swindells" wrote in message
...
Having just collected Fat Sid the Turkey I wondered what everyone else
has to eat on Christmas Day?

*Snip*
The one year we did have a starter, DS, then about 3, burst into tears
'I thought we were having turkey!!' For the last 27 years he has been
reminded of this!

Sally

Julia in MN wrote:

We're having a pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh homemade
French bread, cranberry salad, vegetable (probably peas). DD is
bringing the dessert (a trifle, I think).

Julia in MN

Goose, potato dumplings, sweet potato and apple casserole, creamed tiny
onions, a green veg -- whatever looks good at the store tomorrow,
cranberry/orange relish, wine -- probably a Pinot Grigio. Tea, coffee
and plum torte later on, after all that is digested. All I need to
figure out now is the timing. DS has a part time Xmas vacation job for a
couple of hours Xmas morning and a couple of hours in the late
afternoon. So dinner will either be finished by 5 pm or will be starting
at 7 pm :-)

--
--
Anne in CA
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl Crow
http://home.covad.net/~arudolph/annes.htm