I know several has started buying christmas. I was wondering if anyone has started planning their Christmas Eve and Christmas day meals yet? If you have got any ideas have you started buying supplies yet? I have been putting a little thought into it. First we go to the in-laws for Christmas Eve supper. Christmas Day Nothing planned for breakfast yet. For lunch I am wanting to do a meat and cheese tray , chips not much else figured out yet. Last year I did the meat tray and it went over good. My family liked it. So share your ideas and plans.

I haven't even figured out what we're having for Thanksgiving yet.  Need to put that on my to do list for this week.  We will have a family meeting when DS#1 comes home for Thanksgiving and I'll finalize the Christmas meal plan after that. 

Shellia

If Mom dies before Christmas, it'll change my plans.

If Mom is alive, I'll eat Christmas at the nursing home. I have no clue what they will have, but in the past it has been roast beef or ham.

I plan to stock the kitchen with foods I like so I can eat things that I enjoy. I am not sure of what I'll buy yet.

I have a mini Virginia ham that goes well with spoon bread.

I am either baking a cake or a pie.

If Mom has died, I will start new traditions and that might include eating Mexican or Italian food. If my aunt is up to company, I could go see her.

Mom and my aunt are the only relatives who care about me and who want to see me. I do, however, have friends who enjoy my company. There is an old saying that you can pick your friends even if you can't pick your family.

I could handle eating Christmas dinner alone. Aurora would be most happy to eat her wet food while I eat my meal. I'll be okay if I have some books to read and the tv is working.

I'm hoping that I can complete my needlepointed Nativity this coming year. That's the whole reason for celebrating the season. It isn't about the Christmas presents.

on the 24th we have foot long hot dogs .. it started back when we had just gotten John and James we have the hot dogs because Mommy so busy Then on Christmas we have ham  & chicken . stuffing , potatoes ,  gravy . green beans . carrots .. lots of vegetables  and we have a Christmas cake 

On the 26th we always have chicken and dumpling why because that what my MIL always had because that what her Mother had and then back to the great great Grandma .

I'm not entirely sure yet b/c I don't know what DH's extended family is doing and if we are going to be able to go.  Here are my plans if we stay at home for the 2 days:

Christmas Eve dinner -- a hearty soup, like potato or chicken noodle, with grilled sandwiches

Christmas breakfast -- breakfast casserole and sticky french toast (tradition)

Christmas lunch -- I like the idea of a meat & cheese tray; that way everyone could help themselves and it would be super-easy to have it made it up a day or 2 before and just set it out the day of.

Christmas dinner --  large roasted chicken or turkey breast, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, veggie tray, a jello salad of some kind, gravy, scratch bread, and 2 kinds of pie (pumpkin and apple most likely).  I would go all out for this meal, but if we're home at most there will be just 5 of us and I would make enough for leftovers the next day so we could all relax and eat whenever and whatever we were up for.

 For Christmas dinner I got a fresh picnic pork roast on sale (.67/lb) I've been storing it the freezer. I'll debone, butterfly and cut the hock off. Sauteed garlic and diced onions, fresh dill and one lemon zested, salt and pepper on the skinnless side. roll up tie with butchers twine, score the skin and toss into the oven till the meat is done and the skin has crisped up like cracklings. For the sides we'll prob have our standars, potato salad, greens, limas and rice, dressing w/ gravy, a raw veg plate, pickled plate and some cheeses. For dessert a strawberry cheese cake (if I can get the stuff on sale) a peacan and pumpkin or sweet potato pies, with whipped cream.

cyn

It's just DH and me, and so our Christmas dinner is scaled down compared to most folks. Although, other empty nesters, childless couples might be interested. I used to go all out, made everything from scratch, semi-scratch on the rolls since I did use the bread machine to make the dough, made cornbread from scratch, not even jiffy.. to make the stuffing, etc. By the time the day after the holiday rolled around, I was beat. I ended up doing almost as much the first holiday it was just us, and we had so many leftovers, I ended up freezing some. We ended up eating on it off and on until January. Ugh.. no more! I finally bought smaller casserole dishes 1 to 1 1/2 qt instead of the larger 3 qt ones to cook in.

Since we both like dark meat, I get a package of two turkey thighs. Started seeing them in the store a couple yrs ago and love it.  Never did like eating around all the sinew on drumsticks. Then I make a box of cornbread flavored stuffing mix, and just put the thighs on top. The stuffing absorbs some turkey juices and makes it taste homemade, and like it came from inside a turkey.  I do canned cranberry sauce since I love it, even though DH hates it. I do a very basic healthy-ish sweet potato mash. All I do is peel, boil & mash 2 or 3 sweet potatoes, and add butter, salt, and a little cinnamon. Tastes just as good as the sugary casseroles, we think. Green bean casserole.. couple cans of canned beans, cream of chicken (we dont like cream of mushroom) and those fried onions. That's pretty much it. I might add some of those frozen rolls.. sister someone, I forget the brand name :)  but haven't done that in a while. I bake one pumpkin pie and top it with cool whip or reddi whip, whatever we're in the mood for.  There usually is only leftover dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and green beans, which we eat for lunch the next day and then we're done with leftovers.  Oh, almost forgot.. there is a lot of cream of chicken soup leftover after making the green bean casserole, since I only use two cans of green beans. I use the rest of the cream of chicken soup as a 'base' to make a gravy for the dressing. What I do is add an equal amount of milk to whatever is left in the can, then heat it till it is simmering.. then I shake up some flour and water in a jar, and drizzle it into the hot soup, to thicken it. add salt and pepper and I have a great creamy gravy.  yes it's true.. I'm so cheap I cant even throw out part of a can of soup :)

For Christmas I usually do a boneless ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and buttered corn, then have Christmas cookies, fudge etc we get from one of his relatives who loves to give baked goods for her gifts, which I love.. no guilt and I dont have to bake!

 

I'll be having a houseful this Christmas, with all the kids and their families here. My daughter will be making Beef Wellington and doing most of the cooking, so I'm not really sure what she has planned beyond that, but it will be a big dinner. I will be making pumpkin pies, jello with fruit and nuts and dinner rolls, but mostly I'll be staying out of the kitchen.

We'll have oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast to go with the stocking goodies.

On Christmas Eve, we will have our traditional oyster stew dinner with chili or something for those who don't like oysters (in-laws! )

I have almost everything on hand already, so won't be doing a big shop for the meals.

we