piratesmate
<font color=red>Drah-gun! I don't do that tongue t
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2001
In the Thanksgiving thread mousebit asked for a separate thread about what goodies we make for Christmas. I think it's a good idea to start fresh.
For us, the comfort foods of Thanksgiving are no longer on the menu for Christmas. When the kids were young I realized I was missing out on spending time with them - especially since I was working 50+ hours/week - by cooking in the kitchen all day.
So I instituted some changes, much to DH's chagrin. After some trial & error (I tried cooking it all ahead; we tried stopping on the way home from my parents' house for Chinese; etc etc) we settled on a Brunch Graze Fest! Some items come & go, but there's always some version of this.
We start with stollen & muffins/sweet bread and Frunch (from Boma) while we open gifts. Then after the gifts (or at least most of them) have been opened, we add the hot breakfast foods. Then we finish gifts & start playing with them before adding the lunch type foods. Most of the food stays out all day (unless spoilage is an issue of course) and people just nibble all day. There's often a renewed attack on what's left about 7pm or so.
I'd love to hear other ideas since we've been doing this a while & I get bored easily. The one criteria is that it has to be either very simple or can be made ahead & stored a day or two.
Christmas Stollen
WL Strawberry Banana Bread
Orange Muffins
Cinderella's Au Gratin Potatoes
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Overnight Breakfast Casserole
AKL Frunch
Fresh Pineapple
Clementines
Chex Mix
Cookies
Crab Rangoon
Peel-and-Eat Shrimp and Crab (usually fake)
Ring Bologna (for those who don't eat shrimp)
Smoked cheese, cheese ball, etc & crackers
Spinach Dip in a bread bowl
Veggies & other dip for those who don't eat spinach
Dole Whips
Bread Pudding (from one of the resorts)
Face-First dip & chips or maybe a 7-layer Dip
For us, the comfort foods of Thanksgiving are no longer on the menu for Christmas. When the kids were young I realized I was missing out on spending time with them - especially since I was working 50+ hours/week - by cooking in the kitchen all day.
So I instituted some changes, much to DH's chagrin. After some trial & error (I tried cooking it all ahead; we tried stopping on the way home from my parents' house for Chinese; etc etc) we settled on a Brunch Graze Fest! Some items come & go, but there's always some version of this.
We start with stollen & muffins/sweet bread and Frunch (from Boma) while we open gifts. Then after the gifts (or at least most of them) have been opened, we add the hot breakfast foods. Then we finish gifts & start playing with them before adding the lunch type foods. Most of the food stays out all day (unless spoilage is an issue of course) and people just nibble all day. There's often a renewed attack on what's left about 7pm or so.
I'd love to hear other ideas since we've been doing this a while & I get bored easily. The one criteria is that it has to be either very simple or can be made ahead & stored a day or two.
Christmas Stollen
WL Strawberry Banana Bread
Orange Muffins
Cinderella's Au Gratin Potatoes
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Overnight Breakfast Casserole
AKL Frunch
Fresh Pineapple
Clementines
Chex Mix
Cookies
Crab Rangoon
Peel-and-Eat Shrimp and Crab (usually fake)
Ring Bologna (for those who don't eat shrimp)
Smoked cheese, cheese ball, etc & crackers
Spinach Dip in a bread bowl
Veggies & other dip for those who don't eat spinach
Dole Whips
Bread Pudding (from one of the resorts)
Face-First dip & chips or maybe a 7-layer Dip