"A joyous stir was now audible in the hall." ~ Jane Eyre
Early this morning I brought bagels to my sister's so we could have a planning session over a nosh and coffee. Since Christmas Day is two weeks from Monday, the menu had to be finalized! Sharing the cooking will be me, my sisters, and my brother-in-law's mother. The only item we are not cooking is the chocolate cake above, which my sister is ordering from Williams Sonoma. Isnt it festive?
If there is a modern day Miss Emma Woodhouse, it is my sister, Missy. She loves "news" and "parties" and all social occasions! Aside from the menu, we planned out the set up and table scape for the day as well. Notepads in tow, recipe books out, and lots of dialogue filled with excitement. I am trying to decide how I want to do placecards. I was thinking perhaps of getting candy canes and attaching gold ribbon (since the china has gold accents) to them with a tag and write the name in calligraphy. I will head to Michael's Crafts later on this afternoon to see what other ideas I can come up with.
I just got home and am sipping some gingerbread spiced tea (thanks to Frumteachers recommendation!) and revised the menu. I feel like I am drinking a ginger snap. Its delicious. For Christmas Day, I am making a vidalia onion pie, spinach gratin, mushroom stuffing, sauteed peppers, a honey cake, and a winter fruit salad with brandy.
It would be nice to hear what others are going to be dining on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, especially if you have family traditions! Our menu is certainly based on Armenian cuisine. I thought I would reprint the menu here as well. (Beurek is philo dough baked with cheese and dolma is stuffed grape leaves.)
Christmas Menu 2006 - Revised!
I. Appetizers
Beurek
Russian Salad
Dolma
Eggplant stuffed with Feta
Olives/Feta/Pita
Clam Pie
Vidalia Onion Pie
II. Main Course
Roasted Lamb with Potatoes
Spinach Gratin
Sauteed Peppers
Mushroom Stuffing
Greek Salad
III. Dessert (with soorj)
Red Velvet Cake
Honey Cake
Chocolate Cake (Williams Sonoma)
Winter Fruit Salad with Brandy
posted by ThursdayNext | 12:09 PM
13 Comments:
I don't know half the words on your menu, dearest, but I'm sure you'll enjoy! haha (I tease because I love). Our Christmas Day meal will be regular old American:
Our tradition:
Fried Oysters (w/sharp cheese on the side)
Mac and cheese
Ham biscuits (with real VA ham, which is kind of famous. Except, I hate ham and do not eat it. My family looks at me as if I am a kook. haha)
Potato salad
Either green bean casserole or corn pudding, or both
Yeast rolls
Dessert to be determined.
If this sounds similar to Thanksgiving, it should. It's my 2nd favorite meal of the year. The best part, though, is hearing Bree say grace, and hearing little Cal coo from his little chair. :)
Hope you enjoy your day!
:)
Marty ~ Your menu inspires me to contemplate driving down to VA on the 26th for leftovers with you. :) I can't wait to see photos of Cal and Bree on that day!
Most of this sounds great - the feta - the lamb... sounds like a feast (all too much - but hey ot IS Christmas)
Barry ~ I hope that you will have a great Christmas dinner despite being overseas. Too much? Not in this Armenian family. ;) My grandmother Anoush's spirit lives within me: if its not enough to feed an Army and a Navy, than its not enough food. ;)
That Cake! I must have that cake. I am already planning the new Tea Party menu and it involves that cake.
For quite a while, Christmas was Delmonico roast. We were elated to find out the first time we had it that Delmonico roast is actually uncut prime rib. Then there was Yorkshire pudding and Sauce Provencal.
Nowadays,
That is one hell of a cake! I don't think I could bring myself to cut it.
You don't kid around with this holiday stuff do you? I thought my Italian family had a lot of food...they got nothin' on you my dear!
In my family, we almost always eat prime rib and stuffed ham, with the other usual suspects:
twice baked potatoes
green bean casserole
home-made rolls
salad
baked asparagus
Christmas cookies
and believe it or not: Fruit Cake!
Yes. In my family, we actually eat fruit cake b/c my mom's homemade fruit cake is aMAZingly yummy. It has almost an entire bottle of whisky in it and NONE of those horrible candied fruits on top. Oh sigh..I am hungry right now, and I just ate breakfast!
I don't think I would be able to bring myself to cut that W&S cake, Amy. It's too pretty!!!
I made Spinach Gratin for thanksgiving. It was a family hit!
By the way, menu looks amazing!
Can't wait to hear how it turns out!
Whoa! So, I had this whole comment that I was going to type and then I saw that Marty does not like Ham biscuits with VA ham. Soooo not allowed. Ham Biscuits with a real VA ham is a staple at EVERYTHING. They are the best. I showed up to my godmother's on Thanksgiving and was stuffed from eating at my aunt's-- but then I saw the Ham and then I saw the biscuits and it was all over. I ate some more:-)
Your morning sounds great and the menu wonderful. I do not know what we are having this year. It will be different.
I stumbled across your blog when I was reading another one, and am tickled by your love of Jane Austen. Too fabulous! And that menu for Christmas looks great too. :-)
Ours usually varies. Lately we've been having more appetizers etc. It's been a nice change. (Except for the fact the we are constantly eating!) :)
wow!..now I'm hungry!
There's a recipe from chocolateandzucchinin.com (that is also in this months "Food and Wine") that I am going to try... Green Bean Salad with Toasted Pecans. I'll let you know how it goes.
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