OT Christmas Dinner

Okay guys, it's a week before Christmas and I need inspiration.
We have no real traditional Christmas dinner. I've done everything from
the turkey and/or ham thing to Beef Wellington (which was a big hit but is a
LOT of work) to a cold cut platter. Grilled venison tenderloins, grilled
pork loins, baked chicken breasts. No one cares what we have. And after 30
years, I've run out of ideas.
I have eight people, all adults. In-laws don't do steak because it's
gets too difficult to chew. No matter what we have, MIL will bring her
famous rolls. I prefer something that doesn't require a LOT of last minute
complicated work because things get a little hectic. I have one oven, four
burners, a microwave and a gas grill (which DH is willing to operate for
whatever). (NEXT house will have at least two ovens!)
I have considered everything from stuffed chicken breasts (but haven't
decided what to stuff them with), to pork roast to hamburgers and hotdogs to
two or three types of soup and a collection of homemade breads.
Ideally, we'd have something sufficiently low-carb (fat doesn't matter)
to balance off the high-carb desserts that will be required. That rules out
the lasagna I also considered.
DH has suggested just going to a good meat market and seeing what looks
good. Problem is he thinks we can wait until Wednesday to do this. I am
WAY too anal-retentive to wait until then to settle on a menu.
HELP!!!! I don't mind a little work - it's kind of a Christmas present
to the family - but if I do the work, I'd like it to be something that's fun
for me to make and serve also. Mostly that requires that I get a little
excited about making it - and I'm just not getting there this year. I've
got shelves of cookbooks and they're no help inspiring me.

What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

~~Judy

In article ,
Judy wrote:
What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

The Jewish Christmas tradition, at least in the US, is to
go out for Chinese food and a movie. That probably won't
work for you.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

"A form of looting" - Nobel Laureate George Akerlof on
the Bush administration's economic policy

In article ,
Judy wrote:
What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

The Jewish Christmas tradition, at least in the US, is to
go out for Chinese food and a movie. That probably won't
work for you.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

"A form of looting" - Nobel Laureate George Akerlof on
the Bush administration's economic policy

In article ,
Judy wrote:
What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

The Jewish Christmas tradition, at least in the US, is to
go out for Chinese food and a movie. That probably won't
work for you.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

"A form of looting" - Nobel Laureate George Akerlof on
the Bush administration's economic policy

In article ,
Judy wrote:
What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

The Jewish Christmas tradition, at least in the US, is to
go out for Chinese food and a movie. That probably won't
work for you.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

"A form of looting" - Nobel Laureate George Akerlof on
the Bush administration's economic policy

"Judy" wrote in message
...
Okay guys, it's a week before Christmas and I need inspiration.
We have no real traditional Christmas dinner. I've done everything
from
the turkey and/or ham thing to Beef Wellington (which was a big hit but is
a
LOT of work) to a cold cut platter. Grilled venison tenderloins, grilled
pork loins, baked chicken breasts. No one cares what we have. And after
30
years, I've run out of ideas.
I have eight people, all adults. In-laws don't do steak because it's
gets too difficult to chew. No matter what we have, MIL will bring her
famous rolls. I prefer something that doesn't require a LOT of last
minute
complicated work because things get a little hectic. I have one oven,
four
burners, a microwave and a gas grill (which DH is willing to operate for
whatever). (NEXT house will have at least two ovens!)
I have considered everything from stuffed chicken breasts (but haven't
decided what to stuff them with), to pork roast to hamburgers and hotdogs
to
two or three types of soup and a collection of homemade breads.
Ideally, we'd have something sufficiently low-carb (fat doesn't
matter)
to balance off the high-carb desserts that will be required. That rules
out
the lasagna I also considered.
DH has suggested just going to a good meat market and seeing what
looks
good. Problem is he thinks we can wait until Wednesday to do this. I am
WAY too anal-retentive to wait until then to settle on a menu.
HELP!!!! I don't mind a little work - it's kind of a Christmas
present
to the family - but if I do the work, I'd like it to be something that's
fun
for me to make and serve also. Mostly that requires that I get a little
excited about making it - and I'm just not getting there this year. I've
got shelves of cookbooks and they're no help inspiring me.

What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

~~Judy



Wow, Christmasdinner actually gets a lot more difficult if you can have
anything =).
I liked the thought of stuffed chicken breasts, I like them stuffed with a
mixture of feta, tomatosauce (unflavoured), fresh basil and lemonjuice.

We always have the same traditional things for christmas, and I don't think
you would really like any of it, so it wouldn't be of much help to you if i
started listing it. =) We do have one tradition when it comes to food that i
think is pretty clever. Except for the traditional stuff, everyone gets a
favourite thing on the table (if it is not too difficult to make). Luckily
people have chosen things that you can buy readymade if you want and that
helps. On the list of those things are fancy patées for one person, cold
smoked reindeer, caviar, I want to have a kind of marinated salmon etc. For
everyone that food is needed for christmas dinner to feel right. These are
all starters and we stuff ourselves with them, when we get to the ham, it
doesn't matter that I don't like ham much, because I am not very hungry
anymore =).

Rosa

"Judy" wrote in message
...
Okay guys, it's a week before Christmas and I need inspiration.
We have no real traditional Christmas dinner. I've done everything
from
the turkey and/or ham thing to Beef Wellington (which was a big hit but is
a
LOT of work) to a cold cut platter. Grilled venison tenderloins, grilled
pork loins, baked chicken breasts. No one cares what we have. And after
30
years, I've run out of ideas.
I have eight people, all adults. In-laws don't do steak because it's
gets too difficult to chew. No matter what we have, MIL will bring her
famous rolls. I prefer something that doesn't require a LOT of last
minute
complicated work because things get a little hectic. I have one oven,
four
burners, a microwave and a gas grill (which DH is willing to operate for
whatever). (NEXT house will have at least two ovens!)
I have considered everything from stuffed chicken breasts (but haven't
decided what to stuff them with), to pork roast to hamburgers and hotdogs
to
two or three types of soup and a collection of homemade breads.
Ideally, we'd have something sufficiently low-carb (fat doesn't
matter)
to balance off the high-carb desserts that will be required. That rules
out
the lasagna I also considered.
DH has suggested just going to a good meat market and seeing what
looks
good. Problem is he thinks we can wait until Wednesday to do this. I am
WAY too anal-retentive to wait until then to settle on a menu.
HELP!!!! I don't mind a little work - it's kind of a Christmas
present
to the family - but if I do the work, I'd like it to be something that's
fun
for me to make and serve also. Mostly that requires that I get a little
excited about making it - and I'm just not getting there this year. I've
got shelves of cookbooks and they're no help inspiring me.

What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

~~Judy



Wow, Christmasdinner actually gets a lot more difficult if you can have
anything =).
I liked the thought of stuffed chicken breasts, I like them stuffed with a
mixture of feta, tomatosauce (unflavoured), fresh basil and lemonjuice.

We always have the same traditional things for christmas, and I don't think
you would really like any of it, so it wouldn't be of much help to you if i
started listing it. =) We do have one tradition when it comes to food that i
think is pretty clever. Except for the traditional stuff, everyone gets a
favourite thing on the table (if it is not too difficult to make). Luckily
people have chosen things that you can buy readymade if you want and that
helps. On the list of those things are fancy patées for one person, cold
smoked reindeer, caviar, I want to have a kind of marinated salmon etc. For
everyone that food is needed for christmas dinner to feel right. These are
all starters and we stuff ourselves with them, when we get to the ham, it
doesn't matter that I don't like ham much, because I am not very hungry
anymore =).

Rosa

"Judy" wrote in message
...
Okay guys, it's a week before Christmas and I need inspiration.
We have no real traditional Christmas dinner. I've done everything
from
the turkey and/or ham thing to Beef Wellington (which was a big hit but is
a
LOT of work) to a cold cut platter. Grilled venison tenderloins, grilled
pork loins, baked chicken breasts. No one cares what we have. And after
30
years, I've run out of ideas.
I have eight people, all adults. In-laws don't do steak because it's
gets too difficult to chew. No matter what we have, MIL will bring her
famous rolls. I prefer something that doesn't require a LOT of last
minute
complicated work because things get a little hectic. I have one oven,
four
burners, a microwave and a gas grill (which DH is willing to operate for
whatever). (NEXT house will have at least two ovens!)
I have considered everything from stuffed chicken breasts (but haven't
decided what to stuff them with), to pork roast to hamburgers and hotdogs
to
two or three types of soup and a collection of homemade breads.
Ideally, we'd have something sufficiently low-carb (fat doesn't
matter)
to balance off the high-carb desserts that will be required. That rules
out
the lasagna I also considered.
DH has suggested just going to a good meat market and seeing what
looks
good. Problem is he thinks we can wait until Wednesday to do this. I am
WAY too anal-retentive to wait until then to settle on a menu.
HELP!!!! I don't mind a little work - it's kind of a Christmas
present
to the family - but if I do the work, I'd like it to be something that's
fun
for me to make and serve also. Mostly that requires that I get a little
excited about making it - and I'm just not getting there this year. I've
got shelves of cookbooks and they're no help inspiring me.

What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

~~Judy



Wow, Christmasdinner actually gets a lot more difficult if you can have
anything =).
I liked the thought of stuffed chicken breasts, I like them stuffed with a
mixture of feta, tomatosauce (unflavoured), fresh basil and lemonjuice.

We always have the same traditional things for christmas, and I don't think
you would really like any of it, so it wouldn't be of much help to you if i
started listing it. =) We do have one tradition when it comes to food that i
think is pretty clever. Except for the traditional stuff, everyone gets a
favourite thing on the table (if it is not too difficult to make). Luckily
people have chosen things that you can buy readymade if you want and that
helps. On the list of those things are fancy patées for one person, cold
smoked reindeer, caviar, I want to have a kind of marinated salmon etc. For
everyone that food is needed for christmas dinner to feel right. These are
all starters and we stuff ourselves with them, when we get to the ham, it
doesn't matter that I don't like ham much, because I am not very hungry
anymore =).

Rosa

"Judy" wrote in message
...
Okay guys, it's a week before Christmas and I need inspiration.
We have no real traditional Christmas dinner. I've done everything
from
the turkey and/or ham thing to Beef Wellington (which was a big hit but is
a
LOT of work) to a cold cut platter. Grilled venison tenderloins, grilled
pork loins, baked chicken breasts. No one cares what we have. And after
30
years, I've run out of ideas.
I have eight people, all adults. In-laws don't do steak because it's
gets too difficult to chew. No matter what we have, MIL will bring her
famous rolls. I prefer something that doesn't require a LOT of last
minute
complicated work because things get a little hectic. I have one oven,
four
burners, a microwave and a gas grill (which DH is willing to operate for
whatever). (NEXT house will have at least two ovens!)
I have considered everything from stuffed chicken breasts (but haven't
decided what to stuff them with), to pork roast to hamburgers and hotdogs
to
two or three types of soup and a collection of homemade breads.
Ideally, we'd have something sufficiently low-carb (fat doesn't
matter)
to balance off the high-carb desserts that will be required. That rules
out
the lasagna I also considered.
DH has suggested just going to a good meat market and seeing what
looks
good. Problem is he thinks we can wait until Wednesday to do this. I am
WAY too anal-retentive to wait until then to settle on a menu.
HELP!!!! I don't mind a little work - it's kind of a Christmas
present
to the family - but if I do the work, I'd like it to be something that's
fun
for me to make and serve also. Mostly that requires that I get a little
excited about making it - and I'm just not getting there this year. I've
got shelves of cookbooks and they're no help inspiring me.

What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

~~Judy



Wow, Christmasdinner actually gets a lot more difficult if you can have
anything =).
I liked the thought of stuffed chicken breasts, I like them stuffed with a
mixture of feta, tomatosauce (unflavoured), fresh basil and lemonjuice.

We always have the same traditional things for christmas, and I don't think
you would really like any of it, so it wouldn't be of much help to you if i
started listing it. =) We do have one tradition when it comes to food that i
think is pretty clever. Except for the traditional stuff, everyone gets a
favourite thing on the table (if it is not too difficult to make). Luckily
people have chosen things that you can buy readymade if you want and that
helps. On the list of those things are fancy patées for one person, cold
smoked reindeer, caviar, I want to have a kind of marinated salmon etc. For
everyone that food is needed for christmas dinner to feel right. These are
all starters and we stuff ourselves with them, when we get to the ham, it
doesn't matter that I don't like ham much, because I am not very hungry
anymore =).

Rosa

"Judy" wrote in message
...
What do you guys have for holiday dinners?
Are there any foods that are required for it to feel "right"?

Christmas eve nearly always includes homeade tamales. Sometimes
they are a gift from one of John's co-workers, other times I have
bought them from a small market in town (sold by the dozen). I
love them, and have always insisted on bringing them. After almost 10
years, they are now part of tradition.

This year, we are bringing a turkey. My husband is going to attempt
smoking it in his Traeger. He is a wonderfully creative BBQ'er, so
I think it will probably be great. My own family usually has some sort
of poultry (duck, goose or turkey) and ham. My in-laws usually
do turkey or chicken, and prime rib.
Shelly & The Boys