Saturday, December 22, 2012

Holiday Menus and Thier Success

One of my blog goals for this year is to enable a viewer to click on a recipe and then see all the recipes that accompany the flavors.  It's very easy to "get down a rat hole" as I like to call it.  That's when you think of all the things you'd like to serve and then when it's said and done, everything looks alike, is cooked in the same manner, or tastes similar.  The odd thing about this is you don't see it coming until the moment all the food is served.  You can laugh, we've all done it AND we've all attended events where it's been done.

I have a post describing how to entertain successfully and for ease in finding it, I added a tab "Entertainment".  In plain English, I describe how to throw a successful party.  Number One on the list begins as my mother taught me...well with a list....several lists, actually.  Organization is key and a list(s) will produce just that. One of the main ingredients is to think of your menu as a matrix.  You need marks in all areas.

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen over the next few days. My father is visiting and arrives tomorrow landing at 5pm.  I have to drive about an hour each way to and from the airport.  On Christmas Day we are expecting 9 adults and 7 children for drinks then 7 adults and 5 children for dinner.

Sunday Night (arrival night):
Blue Cheese Spread (make a day ahead) and Pretzel Thins with cocktails
Chicken Tetrazzini (Make early in the day and refrigerate)
Fresh Cranberries (Make a day ahead)
Christmas Cookies (Already made)

Christmas Eve
Breakfast:
Belgian Waffles (made to order)
Breakfast Sausage

Lunch:
We will go out for a bite for something light, as I have to pick up my Standing Rib Roast and would love a trip to the gym for a quick work out which are all in the same area.

Dinner:
Edam Cheese and Crackers
Salad
Chicken Marsala over Angel hair Pasta, Barbera D'Alba (Italy)
Fudge Pudding Pie (Make in the morning) with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream and my mother's Hot Chocolate Sauce (recipe not on this site, but will make a day ahead)

Later in the evening, enjoy the tree and lights with a cookie and Homemade Eggnog (recipe not on this site) but you can make my #1 Google Hit, Nutella Martini's.

Christmas Dinner dining table set entirely today.

Christmas
Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs
Cream Scones (make on Christmas morning)
Peach Ginger Chutney (Christmas Gift for my husband)
Fresh Fruit (Cut up fruit the night before and add banana's in the morning)
Fresh Squeezed Orange and Grapefruit Juice to order.

Lunch:
If anyone needs a bite, leftover Tetrazinni or Broccoli Soup that I made the other day, or anything else in my refrigerator.

5:30pm Hors d'oeuvres:
Cocktails and Hamilton Russell, South Africa
Boiled Shrimp and cocktail sauce (I asked my mother-in-law to bring the shrimp)
Homemade Stuffed Artichokes (make these 1 day ahead, recipe to come)
Mozzarella and Grape Tomatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic
Pasta Rollatini (make these 1 day ahead, bake when ready to serve)

7pm Dinner:
Standing Rib Roast (6 Ribs) with Pan Gravy and Horse Radish Cream, decanted, Chateau Roland de By, 2009.
Yorkshire Pudding (recipe to come)
Crispy Dutch New Potatoes (They can be boiled the day before and finished the day of, recipe to come)
Roasted Carrots with Parsley Butter
Sauteed Asparagus with Parmesan
White Chocolate Creme Brulee with Fresh Raspberries, Perrier Jouet.(Brulee can be made a day ahead and Torched or Broiled the day of, Ghirardelli, recipe to come)

December 26th
Will consist of eating our favorite leftovers and me putting up my feet.






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