Cooking for the Holidays

Exactly... genau!
No tomatoes, ever!!!

I like tomatoes in mine. Most recipes for Texas chili would call for at least a bit of tomato paste, if not chopped ones, I think. It can go either way, as long as it doesn't have that curry taste to it, I'm fine. I like with and without beans, as well, but DH isn't keen on beans, so I rarely use them unless I don't have much meat and want to make a bigger pot.

Give us a recipe! I'd love a good american chilli recipe

I agree with you, it should never taste of curry And I have snuck a little tomato paste in there on occasion, but I think it works well without, but mine is really thick, like curry thick  which is why the boy calls it texas curry

Andee - I saw this and thought of you

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1234806/Christmas-recipes-Butternut-squash-porcini-butterbean-stuffing-cake.html

Butternut squash porcini and butterbean stuffing cake Looks pretty good!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1234806/Christmas-recipes-Butternut-squash-porcini-butterbean-stuffing-cake.html[/url]

Butternut squash porcini and butterbean stuffing cake Looks pretty good!

Wow--looks amazing, thank you!

I'm thinking we're going to have monkfish for dinner on the 22nd when we open our gifts before going to the inlaws. DH is constantly banging on about some monkfish he had when we were in Cork. We have an awesome fish wholesaler around the corner from us and since we just discovered TODAY that it's open to the public during the week (not just a few hours on Saturday) I think we'll be eating a lot more fish. I'll probably make it with a side of creamy pasta. Not sure what else at this point!

Monkfish is good wrapped in bacon! 

Monkfish is good wrapped in bacon! 

Everything's good wrapped in bacon!  (she says, as she fries up a pan of bacon for dinner)

Monkfish is good wrapped in bacon! 

That's funny because when I did a quick search this was probably the most popular way to prepare it! Meg. is right, everything is good wrapped in bacon!

That's funny because when I did a quick search this was probably the most popular way to prepare it! Meg. is right, everything is good wrapped in bacon!

bacon...and caul...lots of people are grossed out by caul, but it melts away to nothing and is fabulous for keeping monkfish moist

We are doing the traditional British xmass but I am keeping my eyes peeled for hogeye jam cookie and raisin filled cookie recipes... my grandmother would make loads of them and I so want to get it right.

For the holidays:

This is done every year!

red and green m&m cookies
spritzers with green and red sugar sprinkles
candy cane cookies - a real PITA and time consuming but sooo gooood and pepperminty. Texture is more like a cake than a cookie (I discovered these by chance last year and then realised that these were what mom used to make when we were wee angels -yea I was one. Once.)
gingerbread men and cottage - another PITA but the boy loved it last year so... sagging/sliding roofs and all that
sugar cookies decorated
oatmeal cookies

I don't make too many cookies through the year so at this time of year, my mother's genes kick in and I go hog wild. I make tons so that we have them over the yuletide and I give a lot away to my immediate neighbours and for over at DD's house.

For the day:
We're gonna do something completely different this year and dedicate the day to the boy, the toys & games and just general relaxing fun. I think it's a shame for someone (namely me) to miss so much of the big day by being stuck in the kitchen. So we are opting to have the Christmas meal on Boxing Day instead.

Blueberry Pancakes and smoked bacon (our traditional xmas breakfast)

Lots of snacks, chocolates, candy, cookies etc

Small roast & veg for the late evening

Boxing Day :

turkey & stuffing
roast tatties
Yorkshire pudding
caramelised carrots
parsnips
buttered brussels sprouts
gravy
cranberry sauce

Bread&Butter Pudding

New Years :

Undecided  but probably a ham but no matter, the dinner will contain black-eyed peas!!

Bob, that sounds amazing! I hope one day I can be as ambitious as you. 

Bob, that sounds amazing! I hope one day I can be as ambitious as you. 

Thanks Jewlz! If it weren't for kids, I don't think I'd be anywhere near that ambitious.

 

That sounds really good Bob!

It's just going to be me and the Hubs so we may just go out for a Curry for Xmas. I know not very traditional but oh well. We will be having my BIL and a few friends over for New Years so that's when I'll do a big feast.

Turkey
stuffing
Green bean casserole
cookies
pies
pretty much the whole shebang!

BTW, I've never done a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling before and would really like to. I've looked up a couple of recipes but just wondered if one of my fellow UKY'ers has one that's a hit. It's hard to decide among the huge amount available on line.

Wow, my mother just did two pumpkin rolls over Thanksgiving.  I will see if she has the recipe somewhere (she made them at my uncle's house so it might have been his recipe).