Who is doing Christmas dinner, and what?

[DougV]

What are yall doing for Christmas Meals?

It is my 27th year to prepare Christmas for family and friends.  It is the first year I have been allowed to not have turkey and ham, and have been allowed to change things up.  Count now up to 35 and with exception of a salad which my wife will do and couple loaves of Italian bread I can do but will buy I will do it all.  This is my annual gift to family and friends.  I'm fixing four entrees, a beef, a pork, a shrimp, and a chicken, two appetizers (one entree and one side dish can also be appetizers) seven side dishes, homemade rolls, two cakes, a pie, and I need to come up with one more, maybe bread pudding with lemon sauce?

Anyway anybody wanna talk Christmas dinner and what you do? Potluck, family traditions, special foods, who does what, whatever?

Doug

[Cali]

Doug this is really very impressive, especially because I don't enjoy cooking and am therefore no good at it.  Like you, my husband did all the cooking & made it a point to keep me out of "his" kitchen!

Everything sounds wonderful, especially the lemon bread cooking.  A couple weeks ago I had that exact thing (it was one of Carrabba's specials) and it was phenomenal!  I'm almost glad my stomach's bothering me or I'd be raiding my fridge right now!

I'll be one of the travelers this year...me & the kids are flying up to NC to spend the  holidays with my sister.  So nope, I'm not cooking, but I can load a dishwasher with the best of 'em! 

Cali

[3timerlapser]

Prime Rib and crab legs, Have a Merry Christmas Doug
from Nick and Diane

[DougV]

Cali, took me years to get my wife to understand that settings other than high existed.  She loves to keep the house clean, I love to cook, works well. 

Prime rib and crab legs sounds great.  Merry Christmas to you too.

Doug

[Al ontario]

Since our Son will be alone this Christmas Due to marriageable Problems We are happy to spend it with him and our Grandson. For Dinner Turkey/ Stuffing / Mash potatoes / Vegetables / HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE.  /LOTS OF LOVE.
Merry Christmas All
Al Ontario

[sunny2day]

I'm solo, so it's all about me!  I think I'm going to cook a lobster and have some other good food around............   

[Blindie]

Doug,
I'm impressed and I'm a cook myself. I have done Christmas dinners for friends and family the last 35 years. This year, my husband, my son and I are going to a friend and neighbor . I'm thinking abot baking some cookies and pies. My husband always does the dishes and helps withe the prep.

Cali, save travels to you and your grandchildren. Sunny, you enjoy that lobster , get a good movie .
And to all of you happy holidays
Gerlinde

[kimakay1950]

I am in no condition to fix dinner - I usually fix Christmas Eve huge breakfast with biscuits, gravy, eggs,  fried apples, fried potatoes, bacon, sausage. I fix this for my dad as it is his favorite meal and at 83 he deserves it. People must love it because everyone usually shows up to eat. No dinner this year. His only brother was just diagnosed with lung cancer and I am dragging. We are invited to my brother-in-law's house, but i'm just not in the spirit.

[DougV]

Al, yall have great time.

Sunny solo, heck you can drop be here if ya want. 

Gerlinde, oh so I have 8 more years to go?  My son will take over for me in time.  I worked so he got to host Thanksgiving.  But for now I have the room, the time, and adequate number of ovens and burners.

Doug

[DougV]

Kimakay,

Sorry to hear about you dad's brother.  Twice I fixed Christmas dinner on treatment, managed to get it done but those two years it was work I had to do, not fun I wanted to do.  I am not huge Christmas fan, not the fault of Christmas but is the fault of the excessive and obsessive commercialization of Christmas.  That's another reason I like to cook the dinner, it is giving myself and my time to others, that to me is more in the spirit of Christmas.

But I do love the mystery Santas that are springing up around the country picking up layaway expenses for children's gifts.  Like it so much I kind of think I may jump on the bandwagon.

Doug

[Cali]

Blindie...no grandkids yet!  They may be in their 20's, but my sons are still my "kids!"

Doug, I'm with you on the commercialism of Christmas ruining the holiday as it's meant to be.  I don't do malls and try to stay away from the insanity, doing my shopping online.  I make my house festive, pray somebody comes over with cookies & pie (no fruitcake please) and spend the day with family & pets.

Sunny, you may have a friend or aquaintance who may be spending the holiday solo who'd love to get together for some of that lobster!!  For me, alone works though, there's always the phone if I'm feeling lonesome & chatty.

I loved reading about those Secret Santas!  That's the kind of story I'd like to read all year round, but Christmas & Hanukah time works!  If it takes a holiday for people to give...we oughtta have more holidays!!

For all of you on treatment who aren't feeling "up to it" this year, look around...there are many who have nothing, not even hope.  No matter how hard things are now, tomorrow is full of possibilities!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Cali

p.s.  When I've been alone and hurting in seasons past, I reminded myself that there are 364 more days in a year, all holding promise. 

[flamingo]

I'm cooking for 17 this year, I have cooked Christmas for over 30 years.
We're having prime rib with a red wine & mushroom sauce, roasted brussel sprouts, candied sweet potatoes, baby carrots, jello salad mom always makes, due to Alzheimer's she needs help, some other type of salad and for dessert my 12 kinds of cookies I bake every year.
It's the one time year that my family gets together.  It takes 3 coolers to get all the food to my parents, they are 3 hours away, but I like to do most of the prep before we get there.

I wish everyone a blessed and peaceful Christmas and a healthy New Year !

Mari

[runningbrit]

Me and second hubby are so laid back we are virtually comatose most of the time.   I cooked for him once in the 9 years we have been married...he said that "I didn't have to cook for him"...meaning my cooking is not the best so to speak.   He cooks.   I clean.   We don't like the same food.   He has to have meat and spice ...I'll have a banana or a carrot cake.   Anyway, he usually stays in bed until 3pm when he is not working.   I go to the gym early and by the time I am back he is waking up and I am going for a nap.     Hey, the couple who never sees each other, stays together!   My christmas dinner will consist of PEG/Rib and two experimental drugs or one experimental drug and that other great drug "placebo" so who knows what I will end up eating.   But I wish you all a Happy Christmas, no matter what religion or lack thereof you follow, and I hope that 2012 will be a better year for us.

[Blindie]

 Cali,

No grandchildren and I don't think it's going to happen. That's ok with me, my nephew in Germany has three little ones running around on the family farm.
Have a good one, I so enjoy your positive outlook and caring.
Enjoy this season
Lol
Gerlinde

[alice]

Wow, this will be another tx holiday but, somehow, we've always managed to pull off the usual family gathering and cook-fest and we'll do it again this year. Every year, my boys and daughter, spouses and grandkids all gather at our house--we have the biggest table  -- and stuff ourselves with prime rib, potatoes, gravy, salads, and too many pies and cookies. A small tree and presents for the grandkids only. I've already started cleaning up the house (tx has allowed that chore to slide for a long time!  ) and I put up some lights. It was hard for me to get started with the cleaning so I've just been doing one thing at a time and not stressing about it too much.

Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice. Next year, I do not plan on being on tx for a change.

alice