I have a bone-in turkey breast for Christmas dinner, but if I find a good deal on a smaller ham in the meantime, I might consider having that instead, and saving the turkey breast for after the holidays. I love a good ham, and haven't had one in a while. I cooked acorn squash for Thanksgiving because I hadn't had one in a while, and I got it at a good price. Since squash is sold by weight and they tend to be larger, they can be expensive. I decided to try the acorn squash, even though I hadn't had one in a long time. I was very happy with how it came out, and am hoping to serve it again at Christmas dinner. I sliced it in half and cooked it halfway, then pulled it out, scored the inside so the flavors would seep in, added some butter and brown sugar, and finished cooking it. It was fabulous. So, my Christmas dinner will consist of either turkey breast or ham, acorn squash, some variation of potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, probably carrots and green beans, and a dessert. I haven't decided on what to make for dessert yet. I love a good pumpkin pie, but I might make a fruit pie for Christmas. What are you having? Do you cook the meal yourself, have help, have it catered, go to someone else's house, eat out, etc.?
On the day before Christmas, the wet market here usually have a sale on chicken so you can expect most houses have chicken dishes for Christmas. Our favorite though is menudo which is a pork dish. But to avail of the discount opportunity, we always have the traditional chicken macaroni soup. That soup is great with chicken liver and gizzard.
The traditional dishes for Christmas feasts here are either a turkey or tamales. I prefer the tamales with a side of my moms homemade salsa. For dessert I think I will be making some hot chocolate and accompony it with some cake. I can't wait for Christmas now to gather with my family while having the best feast of the year.
The grocery stores in my area tend to have specific sales in the weeks leading up to each holiday. Dry baking stuff like flour, sugar, etc. usually goes on sale first. As the date gets closer, it's stuff like butter, cream cheese, and other stuff for baking and appetizers goes on sale. Then, it's meat and produce just before the big event. So, I tend to shop for my stuff in the order of the sales. We used to do ham for Christmas, but everyone seems to prefer turkey, so we're doing another turkey with all the trimmings (if I can find one on sale). I'm going to Aldi this weekend to see if they still have turkeys and to get some of my other items.
Gosh, I don't know! I am not even sure where I am going to be for Christmas yet. It is still being ironed out. If I stay home, I will make a ham I guess. I would make some kind of brocoli casserole to go with it..rolls, other trimmmings..and not sure about the dessert.
I ended up buying a small ham, and will cook it with pineapples and cloves. I'm going to save the turkey breast for another time. I had so much turkey at Thanksgiving and afterwards with leftovers that I wanted something different. I picked up an acorn squash the other day, and am going to cook that the same way I did at Thanksgiving, with the butter and brown sugar. I haven't decided on the rest of the menu, but there will be a few vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, and some sort of dessert or desserts.
My mother says that she will cook chicken with mole sauce along with a 3-leches cake for dessert. When we cook a huge feast, it's usually the entire family that helps out because we start very early and all things that need to be done can't usually be finished by just one person. For more dessert, we're planning on purchasing a cheesecake from this bakery that bakes better than we can.
You guys are making me hungry for ham. I think I'll see if I can find a small one on sale. Maybe I'll make it for New Year's or something, although I don't usually do a big dinner for that occasion. I guess I can do ham and turkey for Christmas. Since our main festivities (turkey and gifts) will be on Christmas Eve, I suppose I could pop a small ham in for Christmas Day. Hmmm, or I could just serve turkey sandwiches and relax, ha ha. Yum, @TheKnight. I want to come over and eat dinner at your house. It sounds good, and I love the idea of everyone in the kitchen working together. Do they all help clean up too?
During Christmas I guess the common food in most houses is chicken and rice. This food normally serves as the breakfast or lunch on that day. In the evenings we normally settle down for a sumptuous local meal which in most cases is pounded yam and a very rich soup.
Of course, we all cook then we all clean well, except the kids. They just help cook because they want to but we don't make them clean. We all wash our own share and if someone doesn't want to wash, we leave those plates dirty and next time they want to eat, we give them the dirty plate they left and they decide whether they want to eat on that dirty plate, ha.
Interesting. I love learning about different customs and foods. Where do you have your evening meal? Is this restaurant food of things you bring home to cook yourself? In our area, we usually have a feast of ham or turkey with all the trimmings (which includes things like mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, vegetables, bread, and some kind of dessert, often pie). Some people dine out, but traditionally, the meal is prepared at home. Ha ha, thanks for the giggle. Maybe I should try the dirty plate thing around here. I bet I would get more help with the dishes that way! I swear I'm going to switch to paper plates full time.
This Christmas we're going to have pizza probably delivered from Pizza Hut near by. I asked my Mom what she wanted this Christmas celebration meal and surprisingly she said pizza with pepperoni! She's 90, so I wanted to get her something she'd like to eat. Usually I'd get a small roast and make a pot roast, with pumpkin pie and ice cream for dessert. I'd add soft store bought bread that Safeway has those small individual loaves they sell for .99 or get my favorite kaiser roll from a local grocer Don Quiote for it costs just 1.59 for 3 medium size rolls. Then butter them generously with butter and toast to eat with our luncheon of pot roast. We put potato, onion and celery or carrots. This year it's pizza from pizza hut with a side salad, sweet potato pie from Walmart and maybe vanilla ice cream that's low fat and no sugar added for our Christmas luncheon. Happy and Merry Holidays whatever you choose for your Christmas feast. (image from youtube.com)
It is our tradition that in any special occasions we select the chicken for our main dish either it is roasted or adobo or whatever food preparation which my wife fits for our discriminating taste. Filipino's fiesta or festivity is not complete without "lechon" or roasted pig. As I have said we are not used to eating that kind of food.
Well, that's fun. I think it's really cool that you want to please your mom and give her a treat. If pizza is what she wants then pizza is what she should have. A nice, tender, pot roast is always a good choice. I made one for supper last night, since I finally found it on sale. They have been pretty pricey around here lately, but my husband loves a good roast. I was going to make it for Sunday dinner, but plans changed. When he said he'd be home early last night, I figured it was a good night for a big dinner. I only wish they'd had more roasts (I got the last one). I would have got another while it was on sale and popped it in the freezer for later. I'm still doing turkey for Christmas, since my kids have their hearts set on it. They really love it, and during the holidays is really the only time we have it.
You should and let me tell you, it works very well. Now everyone around here knows that their own choice can create a consequence. If you always clean up for them, they're just always going to assume you'll give up on telling them to clean up and just clean it yourself at the end anyway. You need to have consequences for these things.
@thisnthat Life is really nice when the whole family enjoys a good meal. It's nice to have a happy family. We do try hard to keep our family happy. Life is good when family is happy! Merry Holidays!
Don't laugh if I tell you all that my Christmas dinner is not my choice but it is entirely the choice of my hosts. Yes, I am invited by my friends for Christmas dinner and being a vegetarian served vegetarian dishes. So I do not eat all the turkeys and chickens but I still manage to enjoy it as much as my friends do.
Amen to that. It just feels good to know that the people you love are safe and comfortable and happy. A Merry Christmas to you and yours as well. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday. We are still deciding the finishing touches for our Christmas dinner. I think we are adding broccoli with cheese sauce to the menu. One of my grandkids eats broccoli like it's candy, but not everyone else is as fond of it. I figured she should have some. We are having our holiday on Christmas Eve, so I better get back to work!
Actually, I ate most of the ham earlier, so I think I am making enchiladas for Christmas. It is a little non traditional I know, but I found a good recipe. I think everyone likes Mexican food. I would have made some kind of Christmas casserole but most take eggs, and my son is not a big egg person.
