Holiday Meals

[LSlycord]

Do you celebrate holidays with special meals? Our family does and we have two big ones coming up. Thanksgiving and Christmas. The menus change very little and I'm always the cook. To me, the meals are kind of sad now...we live away from all family so it's just the four of us. But the kids still love it and they expect the same menu, no matter what! I was talking to Sydney (my daughter) the other night and she listed off all of the menu items she expected for Thanksgiving...then asked if she left anything off. She didn't.

How about you? What are your holiday meal plans like?

 

[marijke]

On christmas eve my son and his family come for dinner ... on christmas day my mommy, my sister and brother in law come ... i haven't thought about what i will prepare yet .. some warm fish as a starter, a soup and a main course with turkey ... and a piece of cake for dessert ...
We then celebrate New Year's Day at my sister's ... it's usually 'gourmet' there ...

 

[LSlycord]

On christmas eve my son and his family come for dinner ... on christmas day my mommy, my sister and brother in law come ... i haven't thought about what i will prepare yet .. some warm fish as a starter, a soup and a main course with turkey ... and a piece of cake for dessert ...
We then celebrate New Year's Day at my sister's ... it's usually 'gourmet

That sounds like a wonderful holiday season! We used to go to my parents with my brother and his family for Christmas Eve. I miss that!

 

[bcgal00]

Our Canadian Thanksgiving was quiet. Since it is only 3 of us now, I didn't bother with a big meal. Usually we would have baked ham, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, salad and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Xmas has always been a turkey with cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and while my mom was still with us, we'd have plum pudding and brown sauce. She passed away yrs ago so I no longer have the plum pudding as I am the only one who likes it now.

 

[LSlycord]

Our Canadian Thanksgiving was quiet. Since it is only 3 of us now, I didn't bother with a big meal. Usually we would have baked ham, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, salad and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Xmas has always been a turkey with cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and while my mom was still with us, we'd have plum pudding and brown sauce. She passed away yrs ago so I no longer have the plum pudding as I am the only one who likes it now.

I still make cranberry relish at Thanksgiving because my mom loved it. I have one small serving and no one else eats it at all. I may remove it from the list...come to think of it, Sydney didn't mention it.

I used to have scalloped oysters at Christmas because both of my parents loved it. However, once they were both gone, I sure wasn't going to make that with the price of oysters!!!

 

[Kythe]

The Canadian Thanksgiving was in Oct. Usually we have a turkey as that is what DH likes but this year he decided it was too much work for me so we had a roast beef instead.
Christmas will be the turkey done the way Gordon Ramsey suggests. Works every time.
Lots of roasted root veggies, homemade cranberry sauce, mushroom and sausage stuffing etc. Hubby bakes shortbread a few days before and I always make sure there are a variety of cookies, a fruit crumble and the obligatory pumpkin pie.

 

[LSlycord]

@Kythe Sounds delicious! Our stuffing also has mushrooms and sausage plus bacon and apples. I love stuffing!

 

[faerywings]

The only holiday that I really care about food is Christmas. I don't eat turkey/meat with bones (blech) so Thanksgivign is me scarfing down mashed potatoes and bread. Christmas Eve, we always go to my mom's and she puts out appetizers and lasange. Christmas Day is usually more appetizers and dips, bruschetta, and such at my house. But we have to have Christmas cookies at all holiday meals

 

[LSlycord]

I eat the turkey...but honestly would be just as happy if we just had sides...because, boy do we have the sides.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

We have corn pudding every year and green bean casserole. This is a different year for me - I'll be gone - but I just found out that I'll be spending Thanksgiving with my daughter's friends, in Florida. She should be recuperated enough by then to have a nice day.

 

[EvelynD2]

Our kids and grands come over on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I cook a turkey on Thanksgiving and lots of sides. Our daughters and daughter-in-love bring sides or desserts as well. Last year we decided we would do charcuterie boards for Christmas Eve. One person will bring meat and cheeses, one will bring veggies, one will bring fruit and one will bring dessert. It was a lot better than we spending hours in the kitchen cooking. I do make a small ham for Tod and myself on Christmas Day as our kids and grands are at their homes celebrating.

 

[faerywings]

I spoke too soon about holiday meals. :/
After 4 (5??) phone calls and two emails to my mom yesterday, I think I am having Thanksgiving dinner here. All I know is that the discussions left me with a killer headache and that is about it

 

[LSlycord]

We have corn pudding every year and green bean casserole. This is a different year for me - I'll be gone - but I just found out that I'll be spending Thanksgiving with my daughter's friends, in Florida. She should be recuperated enough by then to have a nice day.

I am so happy that you will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with Steph's friends...that will make a good memory and lots of good scrapping!

 

[LSlycord]

I spoke too soon about holiday meals. :/
After 4 (5??) phone calls and two emails to my mom yesterday, I think I am having Thanksgiving dinner here. All I know is that the discussions left me with a killer headache and that is about it

That is not good! I'm definitely not thankful for this turn of events for you.

 

[LSlycord]

That

Our kids and grands come over on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I cook a turkey on Thanksgiving and lots of sides. Our daughters and daughter-in-love bring sides or desserts as well. Last year we decided we would do charcuterie boards for Christmas Eve. One person will bring meat and cheeses, one will bring veggies, one will bring fruit and one will bring dessert. It was a lot better than we spending hours in the kitchen cooking. I do make a small ham for Tod and myself on Christmas Day as our kids and grands are at their homes celebrating.

That sounds delightful Evelyn. Thanksgiving and lots of sides are perfect companions.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I am so happy that you will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with Steph's friends...that will make a good memory and lots of good scrapping!

Yes, we're looking forward to it. Sometimes, we have to embrace change.

 

[ClaireG]

As we are English, but live in the US we have embraced Thanksgiving. My Dad is from Jamaica, so Christmas Day we always have a West Indian style breakfast - ackee, salt-fish, fried dumplings (a bit like biscuits), scrambled eggs and fried plantains. It is my fave meal of the year. And now I cook it and my non-Jamaican Hubby loves it!

 

[ClaireG]

Our kids and grands come over on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I cook a turkey on Thanksgiving and lots of sides. Our daughters and daughter-in-love bring sides or desserts as well. Last year we decided we would do charcuterie boards for Christmas Eve. One person will bring meat and cheeses, one will bring veggies, one will bring fruit and one will bring dessert. It was a lot better than we spending hours in the kitchen cooking. I do make a small ham for Tod and myself on Christmas Day as our kids and grands are at their homes celebrating.

I love this! My bestie is a HUGE charcuterie board fan, I just bought her this amazing book all about creating them.

 

[Kythe]

I spoke too soon about holiday meals. :/
After 4 (5??) phone calls and two emails to my mom yesterday, I think I am having Thanksgiving dinner here. All I know is that the discussions left me with a killer headache and that is about it

OH no! Share the burden and the cost. Have everyone bring something as Evelyn suggested. ha ha If you want to get really organized, make up a sign up sheet with general categories of things to bring and include clean-up. Then circulate one at a time it so that each person puts what they are bringing and sees what spots are taken then send it to the next person.

 

[faerywings]

OH no! Share the burden and the cost. Have everyone bring something as Evelyn suggested. ha ha If you want to get really organized, make up a sign up sheet with general categories of things to bring and include clean-up. Then circulate one at a time it so that each person puts what they are bringing and sees what spots are taken then send it to the next person.

thankfully it's just going to be my family, my parents, and my kids' SO's. It's going to be a hodgepodge of stuff depending on what my mom is able to cook and what I pull out of my freezer LOL!!!
DD's fiance has dinner with his family first, DS is working most of the day and I'm not sure when he will be back home and not sure if his GF is able to come or not.
If I put a signup sheet for my family, they'd all sign up for something and then tell me I am the one who would need to buy/cook it hahaha!!