I'll give this thread another jab to make sure it's done, LOL -- Ei - love the nails and color (& the salad sounds major yummy!). 'bug and Chelone - Im sorry to report that the Giant food stores apparently dont know about the shelf life of cranberries - they can be found in neither fresh nor frozen form (luckily I have some of the latter in the freezer) -- I am not going to go on the NoVA quest to find the durned things today - I did however, decide, that an FB recommended ale could welcome in the new year - so Blue Moon it is... Kathy - I had hard time stopping laughing at the "need to finish the Xmas cheese" -- I said tht w/ the fig/goat cheese appetizer -- until I discovered it seemed 5 lbs had hit the scales somehow.... so into the trash the last slurps went; and the ham to the freezer for travel to PA, etc.... Already hit the book store and stocked up on some mags (not enuf garden ones out right now, bummer); a couple of net flix, a pizza for later, and ta ta... I hope someone can start the New Year/ New Decade Idyll.... Jab, jab -- happy new year to all (Im happy to grow 4 Inches upward also if someone will supply the diet..). --Cindy

Christmas Eve is our big family gathering, we include a dinner for 20. We serve buffet style, but sit at dining tables. (I discovered that 20 is the perfect number: 10 at the DR, 10 in the sunroom at two folding banquet tables) We went with a simple dinner menu this year: beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes (two trays from costco, they were great, and pretty in my new red-orange Dansk pan) and a simple Chistmas salad my aunt made. Elegant! Appetizers were made/brought by others: just shrimp w/sauce, an artichoke dip with crackers, and my kids always make the classic Lipton soup dip. Dessert was the most complicated: DH made his mom's Walnut glory cake which calls for 9 count'em 9 separated eggs. But it's not called "glory" for nothing! Our Scandinavian tradition calls for rice pudding which, for the first time, came from my kitchen. It was a tad soupy, but delicious. And folks brought cookies and candy. Christmas morning DH made our traditional "Eggs McDH" and mimosas. We forgot to make the fruit medley, but that's okay. Then we went to my folks' and my brothers met us up there, for baked French toast (made with Challah, best French toast ever!) and bacon. Christmas night is our quiet intimate dinner at home of leftovers, at the dining room table with the party dinnerware. Me, I felt like the Very Hungry Caterpillar: I ate "one nice green leaf and felt much better". Literally, I had the salad with no dressing lol! Ahhh.

phoggie, you are the devil incarnate! That is diabolical. You are not in charge of making the Saran ball for MY party next year! We did this also this year (again) -- everyone loved it, so much fun. Great party game for certain!

A repost. I will be using my grandmother's Theodore Haviland NY "Pink Spray" china. The menu is: Turkey and oyster dressing (9x13 pan) with giblet gravy English Peas Sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows) Fresh berry cranberry sauce Rolls Five cup salad Pumpkin pie with whipped cream I will probably have to add canned green beans and canned corn for the youngest two grandchildren. This a request from them. No extra seasoning and no frozen or fresh allowed, LOL. Seasoned, injected, wet brine, or dry brine not wanted. Also no grilled, smoked, or fried turkey. The grilled, smoked, and fried is okay in the summer, but not for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Anything with added salt is not wanted at anytime. My husband is very sensitive to salt and does not like it (I don't like that much salt either). Yes, it will be cooked in a covered roaster to 165* and allowed to rest. It will be carved before getting to the table. The mess will be in the garage frig before anyone gets here and saved for turkey stock. I am not knocking anyone else's way of doing their bird (unlike someone on here), but this is the way we like it. We have lots of juicy turkey. Plenty for leftovers and enough to freeze for all the other turkey dishes we like.