What's on your Christmas Menu this year?

A proper traditional Christmas dinner, same as every year. Turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts, stuffing, cranberry, gravy, etc...

Yes!  That's what I'm having & the bacon wrapped sausages...at my in-laws like we do every year, meaning I don't have to cook!  Woohoo!    And Christmas pudding...    (I would rather have a nice boozy trifle instead!)

Oh the festive drinks are sure fun!

Mmmmm! Yes I'd love to hear if anyone has any new/different/interesting/exciting cocktails - maybe I'll get a new idea!

I should caveat that by saying hot cocktails are out for me - except for the Baileys (or other liqueur) in coffee, or maybe a shot of brandy or peppermint schnaps in cocoa.  I can't stand mulled wine <instant headache, barf>. And hot toddies, hot buttered whatever, etc etc really aren't for me!

But yummy cold/chilled cocktails - mmmmm!  We always start with snowballs, followed by lashings of fizz, wine & who knows what?!  Oh & I love me a frisky bison too! 

(I would rather have a nice boozy trifle instead!)

That's probably what we'll have. I do have a lovely homemade Christmas pudding courtesy of my aunt, but after a big meal I just find it too heavy. We might have it sometime leading up to Christmas instead.

Last year for Christmas dinner afters, I made homemade mince pie ice cream and it was lovely! Served with confit kumquats!

Mmmmm! Yes I'd love to hear if anyone has any new/different/interesting/exciting cocktails - maybe I'll get a new idea!

I was watching the Hairy Bikers a few nights ago and thought their Christmas pudding vodka sounded good:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmas_pudding_vodka_45343

We've got the optimum Christmas arrangement this year - breakfast with the in-laws, and then the rest of the day to ourselves! And since we just had turkey at Thanksgiving, we're doing a ham, which we already bought on special offer and is sitting quietly in the freezer.

So I'm looking forward to leftovers involving ham, green beans, and potatoes!

My parents are coming here, so I'm cooking which means I can eat and drink what I want. This isn't always the case when we go to my sister's for Thanksgiving (especially the drinking part). The hard part is that they don't like some of the things we do, like sprouts and wine! Regardless, I'll make sprouts and we'll have wine! My mom's only request is my garlic dauphinoise potatoes, so I'll make those. And DH has to have the potato stuffing his mom makes. I think we're going to have ham since we have turkey on Thanksgiving, but I'm waffling a bit on that. DH is used to having ham and turkey, which I would make, but we don't have enough people to eat all of that. I was thinking I'd get a turkey leg to make for him so he can have a bit of both. I'll saute sprouts with bacon and finish them with some blue cheese crumbles. I need to make some other type of veg that my parents will eat - probably green beans with almonds. Dessert will be Christmas cookies and treats. I thought about making pavlova, but we'll see if that happens!

As far as I know, it will just be myself and DH this Christmas. My first Christmas away from my family. I'll probably follow with tradition in my family and make chicken stew Christmas eve (still wish I could find saltine crackers!) and for Christmas day we have a duck. I'll probably make yorkshire puddings to go with it, but I haven't a clue what else to have. 

If the hpt is negative (I can test Christmas day) I'll be able to have wine on Boxing day. If it's positive, no wine for me! (We are hoping for a positive)

I'm doing a leg of lamb... doing it the way Nigel Slater does in this video...


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0129277

Also doing roasties and sauteed sprouts with chestnuts, onion and bacon.

That's all I am sure about so far... no idea about pudding yet.

For Christmas Eve, I'm doing pulled pork.  Just going to bung a pork shoulder in the slow cooker, pour over a jar of Mrs Renfro's green salsa and let it cook all day while I'm at work.  Then when we get in from the pub, we'll shred it and have it with flour tortillas. 
Between the leftover pulled pork and the leftover leg of lamb, we should have some good sandwiches the rest of the week!

Oh!  and Friday night on Landward, Dougie Vipond went to Arran Brewery and amongst other things, they whipped up a hot beer cocktail, which was their Oatmeal Stout, heated (they used a red-hot fire stoker!), and with a glug of cinnamon liqueur in it.  That sounded amazing to me, so I am thinking about getting the stuff in to try it!

Oh!  and Friday night on Landward, Dougie Vipond went to Arran Brewery and amongst other things, they whipped up a hot beer cocktail, which was their Oatmeal Stout, heated (they used a red-hot fire stoker!), and with a glug of cinnamon liqueur in it.  That sounded amazing to me, so I am thinking about getting the stuff in to try it!

Wow that sounds good!

It isn't a cocktail, but this Christmas we've been drinking Bailey's Orange Truffle and it's really yummy. It's like a liquid Terry's chocolate orange. With booze!

Looks like the in-laws will be coming to stay with us on the 27th.

Planning on making baked salmon, rice, and green beans as well as gluten free ginger bread cookies for dessert. If they arrive earlier than dinner, or stay overnight, I haven't a clue what to make that's gluten free and nut free. I hate food allergies.

It isn't a cocktail, but this Christmas we've been drinking Bailey's Orange Truffle and it's really yummy. It's like a liquid Terry's chocolate orange. With booze!

Sounds heavenly!  I am going to get some of this today!

Oh!  and Friday night on Landward, Dougie Vipond went to Arran Brewery and amongst other things, they whipped up a hot beer cocktail, which was their Oatmeal Stout, heated (they used a red-hot fire stoker!), and with a glug of cinnamon liqueur in it.  That sounded amazing to me, so I am thinking about getting the stuff in to try it!

Hmmmm....might have to get The Pot Still guys to whip that up on my next visit!

This year, we are having the family get together on Christmas Eve. Even at that, mom and dad both have to work, so it will be evening. We are keeping it simple with ham and cheese sandwiches, crisps, a raw veggie platter and a boatload of desserts, including cookies, cheesecake, pumpkin pie and whatever anyone wants to bring.

We generally do the big feast for Thanksgiving and keep the Christmas menu simple so everyone has time to watch the Christmas movies and take time to enjoy opening gifts without feeling we need to rush.

Edited to add: I forgot reindeer eggs. Despite the fact I have many, many Jello jiggler molds, it is tradition (started by my brother and his kids) to have Jello jiggler eggs for every holiday. So, we have Easter eggs at Easter, turkey eggs at Thanksgiving, reindeer eggs at Christmas, etc.

I'm not cooking at Christmas but I feel very organised now - I have my New Year's Eve menu all sorted this far in advance & much of it already here in the house! 

Some nibbles - smoked salmon pâté, and I also want to make these little Stilton cheese parcels in puff pastry that I saw Nigel Slater make on one of his Christmas shows.  Plus I'll be doing pulled pork in the slow cooker - Tracey gave me the idea - I think she is doing that for Christmas Eve, IIRC.  Maybe do a crudités plate with some ranch dip.  And I think my friend will probably bring a pudding.

We are just having a couple friends over.