Two batches of Christmas Jam are made and ready to give out to friends and family. I also cleaned out the freezers of anything 'fruit', which got defrosted in a huge bowl and made into Many Fruits Jam.... which is also very good. People are getting a jar of each this year.

Nothing, we're having our dinner on the 30th. I do need to make a list and print off recipes, since everything I'm making this year is something new.

Nothing yet. Several diabetics in our family, so I do not make candy and cookies. My family will be here on Sunday the 22nd. Since several of them have three “Christmas meals”, they have requested chicken and noodles...which I will fix the day before.

Nothing. I thought I was going to be able to skip the family Christmas gathering this year but i was talked into going and cooking for it. It's on the 29th. I work 4 nights before that so I will likely make most of the food in the mornings when I get off the two days before,then go when I get off the morning of and finish everything. At least the main source of my annoyance at such things will be away for the hour or so beforehand. My parents will be at church, so I should be able to pull everything together and have it ready before they are back home,which is the ONLY reason I agreed to do it. My dad made me so mad at Thanksgiving, it ruined the day for me. In addition, a brother of mine that was not there at Thanksgiving will be there on Christmas, and does a good job at both keeping him out of my way, and bringing me down from any rage. There will be lots of people, and the menu is huge,but I have handled it before and will do it again gladly. Everything will be made ahead this time.

Hi, Glenda. Sure wish you were closer so you could spend Christmas with us.

Already made three batches of tea cakes and there is only one cookie left. Kept having folks to drop in ,served hot tea and tea cakes. Glad they are all gone as I kept picking up one. Glenda we are using several of your recipes for our dinner. Have all of them written in my handwritten cookbook. Our granddaughter always looks for Miss Glenda's recipes. Her first recipe when she was four years old was your chocolate cake made with sour cream.

I haven't even decided what we are going to eat.

But I did make some delicious pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

The weather kicked me around last week, but as of today I have fried chicken nuggets (mostly for Mr. Picky, but plenty) and big zucchini pancakes done for our Christmas day family Hanukkah dinner. I hope to get the latkes done tomorrow. I'll make applesauce closer to the day.

The rest of the dinner will be brisket (easy!) and some kind of leafy green. People mostly want to gorge on latkes.

Toll House cookies and cut out Moravian Ginger cookies for dessert, and berries.

Easy and low key. Nothing new, but all good.

Tap water.

Made mince pies yesterday.

I have most of the cookie dough made and in the freezer, it'll all get baked when the kids come to decorate. I'm done with fudge and will do Chex Mix Thursday. We don't even have a day set yet, for Elery's family or for mine, I'm just waiting to be told what to do, LOL.

Annie

We have made 4 kinds of cookies. Ate some, froze some. I’m thinking of making a few more. Our dinner will be ham. I need to figure out the side dishes and appetizers, maybe even a punch. I’m also think about that 15 lb turkey in the freezer. I might make it somewhere between Xmas and New Years. Thanksgiving was so good, I want a repeat!

LOL this question gave me ANXIETY!! Glad to hear I am not too far behind the 8ball. I had so much prepped for Thanksgiving and there is soooo much other stuff to do with this holiday--shopping/wrapping/decorating/baking prepping for meals has been on the back burner. Today I begin...but feeling like I don't know where to begin!!!

I have made Gruyere Grits. We may have them Christmas morning with either Eggs Benedict or with Brunch Casserole, or we might have them Christmas evening with the tenderloin. Sister and I haven’t firmed up our plans enough yet.

I made Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip cookies yesterday. I gave most of them to neighbors. If I didn’t, I’d eat them ALL!!

I’ve stepped into my discomfort zone and taken up baking. Made a Bûche de Noël over the weekend for my (ahem) school project. Now I’m tackling my mom’s traditional Christmas cookies which she typed out and put into a booklet for me eight years ago. I’ve probably got close to ten calls in to her so far, so I’m glad I’m doing this while she’s still around to help. I also asked MIL for a few of my wife’s favorites, and will work on some of those today.

foas - any pics of your Bu^che de Noel? (Wish I had an international keyboard!) I'm going to try again for the big family party. The remains of my first try will become cake pops for my grandkids.

Got a text from SIL--I am to make a pumpkin pie for the family gathering. I DON'T MAKE PIES FOR CHRISTMAS. I find it too ironic. We eat candies and cookies and leave other desserts for another holiday. To add to the irony my mom tells me she had the job to make the PP for Thanksgiving and NO ONE wanted to eat it--because everyone is waaay too full. I have my family gathering/celebration this weekend so plenty to do. sigh. I did get plenty done today--potatoes/cranberries/dip prep...shopping so feeling on top of things but seriously a boring pumpkin pie!??????

Arcy, get thee to a bakery!

"Got a text from SIL"

Texts go two directions. Here are some options:

" I DON'T MAKE PIES FOR CHRISTMAS"

"Sure. Costco, Mrs. Smiths, or Marie Callender's? You choose."

"What's a pie and who do you know who has pumpkins this late?"

"We eat candy and cookies on Christmas. No point in making a pumpkin pie nobody wants to eat."

"If Santa brings me an extra day, I'll make you a pie, but don't count on it."

"I'll bake your pumpkin pie if you make a scratch Bûche de Noël fresh on Christmas Eve."

"ROTFL! Good one Sis. Your jokes get scarier every year."

I never want to see another cookie again! I am about halfway through baking over 600 cookies! 12 different flavors.

My rugelach was a complete and utter failure. I've never made it before and didn't see the part where it said to divide the dough in 2. I made one giant, thick 12 inch circle and put all the filling, and then wondered why each one basically exploded into a big goopy pile in the oven! Oh well, lesson learned, lol. The baked mess and you can see some of the thick and oozing ones ready for the oven with no idea of their fate. :)

Today I worked on the ox roast I will serve at a family party I am hosting on Dec 29. Yesterday I roasted a 10# sirloin tip until it was rare. Then I chilled it overnight. Today I sliced it thinly with my electric slicer. I then froze it in beef broth until the day of the party

LOL Zac--thats what I keep being told!! I only wish we had a decent one in my little town!! If I weren't the black sheep already I would have responded with "How about I bring a huge array of Christmas goodies instead"..but these people do not appreciate suggestions!! Nothing easier or more boring pie wise....I will manage but I need something clever to say when the pie is all there and I need to go home with my pan!!

@arcy_gw, if you want to thumb your nose at the fam by bringing a fantastic dessert, I’ll post the pumpkin cheesecake someone here posted eons ago. I, of course, have taken liberties with the recipe.

I love plllog’s comments and Zalco’s advice!

Glad it’s not just me. I was texting with my MIL about cookies and she mentioned she’d be bringing a coconut cream pie. I was hesitant to say no - I seem to annoy her easily lately - but I had to do it. Told her that with homemade cookies pouring in from all sides I didn’t think we should have any pies or cakes. She didn’t respond, which is unusual. She doesn’t like to take no for a answer. As I’m typing this I’m wondering what the odds are she’ll bring one anyway. ;)

Arcy, I admire your determination to keep the peace and cooperate. It takes fortitude. A trick I learned from Linda: Buy a pie plate at a thrift shop and leave it with the pie demander. A trick I learned from an IRL friend: Use a heavy coating of oil spray on the pie plate you bake in and slide the pie whole out of your dish and into a disposable foil pie dish. If you want to be passive aggressive put it in the biggest, ugliest Christmas disposable you can find. You can bake a pie in paper--it really does catch fire at 451° F, and the highest temp I know for pie is 425° F, and that's not pumpkin. Be even more passive aggressive and put a little too much liquid in the pie, cover half with foil, and overbake it, then defoil, slide it onto a doily (snicker) on a really big cheap platter, and insist on putting it in the fridge when you arrive, loudly, until you've shuffled around everything else enough to fit your giant platter. And if the pie slides around and gets messed up, along the way, c'est la vie. You didn't want to bring pie anyway. Give them the shards and say, "Merry Christmas," sweetly. :)

I really appreciate all the support! Truth is it's been since 4th of July ???? years ago since I attempted a holiday with these people. That time I was told to bring mash potato casserole to a steak cook out. I was BEWILDERED at such an odd summer BBQ request! The road side stands are over flowing with fresh sweet corn and I was making mashed potatoes!?!? So I was BRAVE and made my swap suggestions. I was told "I asked K (the 15yr old son) and he said it would be ok!!." A 15 yr old BOY is deciding for 25 people?!?! Good thing DH is a home brewer. We had to bring his burner and huge pot to prove we could do this!! Foodonastump I am glad to hear I am not the only one who thinks the Christmas treats are dessert enough!!

Okay, it's true. I'm punchy. Yesterday, I turned over 3 pounds of chicken breasts into fried chicken nuggets, and four large (for grocery store not garden) zucchini into fried zucchini pancakes. Today, six pounds of potatoes and a pound of onions became dozens of latkes. The freezer is happy. I'm tired. :) I still have sweet potato/red onion latkes to make tomorrow, but if I don't get them done, no one will go hungry...

I made my shopping list already. Does that count in any way?

Y’all remind me to *never* get on @plllog’s bad side. Those are some wonderfully wicked pay-backs!

Chi - Sorry to hear your frustration. I nearly flipped last night, was making Leckerli (a Swiss honey cookie) and fought for like 20 minutes to spread out the dough, during which time my Pyrex measuring cup fell and exploded but the dough was hardening... fortunately I had shoes on which is unusual because I couldn’t stop to clean up. Put the pan in the oven and realized I never added the ground nuts. Took it out of the oven, chiseled it off the pan, MW’d it to re-soften a bit, mixed in the nuts.. amazingly they turned out great!

Edie - Just saw your post. I post from an iphone so the accents are easy. Here’s a pic of the BdN:

Your mushrooms look great. And you did the frosting so nicely for the bark effect.

FOAS, that's gorgeous!

Bbstx, LOL! But the premise is different for me. I'd just have said, "So sorry, but no, I can't make the pie." :) What I didn't realize until I read it back later is that the platter lady is a relative. Much worse than what I described, and definitely the model for it. :D It seems funny. Now.

Yesterday we made the savory sweet potato casserole.

Everything else will be made the day of. DH does most of the prep work and is a very fast worker. He cut up most of the 12 sweet potatoes as I assembled the casseroles. He never wants to cook anything in advance that he makes. I like to cook in bulk so that is why I like to cook and freeze

Two of the casseroles went into the freezer one went into the fridge and the other one got eaten by all of us.

I am always so envious of people with a heritage that is celebrated during the holidays!! I am a pasty white American whose past got forgotten generations ago. My mom's mother died so young she was unable to "pass on" any German recipes etc. The Polish housekeeper who "raised" her did her job well but did not find it her job to impart tradition on to my mom. Love seeing all the traditional goodies!!

arcy, it's interesting that you say that. My dad was Italian, my mom is German and Swedish. She made lasagna and such for my dad using his mom's recipe, however we were not "raised Italian." And I wouldn't say our meals had German or Swedish influence either. My cousins are 100 percent Italian and were raised that way, my husband 100 percent Irish and was raised that way. Sometimes I wish I felt more identified with a specific heritage, as you say. I also love seeing and hearing about all the holiday traditional foods.

Made nothing yet. I don’t bake for Christmas as a general rule. We don’t eat sweets much except the random dessert now and then. Our kids and grandkids are all coming for our big Christmas celebration and dinner on Sunday. I am now making my list.

We will go to my DD’s for Christmas brunch and open gifts with her, our SIL and DGD on Christmas Day after a lazy morning opening our gifts to each other over coffee. DD has to work that night so we will call it a day early and go home so she can rest before her shift (She is a nurse practitioner in the ER so y’all pray for a quiet night).

At this point, I have planned the menu and made out the grocery list. Plan to go shopping tomorrow and start with what can be prepared ahead on Saturday. I have purchased the 4-Bone Prime Rib and will unwrap it today to start the air drying process in the refrigerator. Here is the final menu:

Prime Rib

Beef Au Jus

Horseradish Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes (cauliflower)

Amazing Aunt Audrey’s Green Bean Bundles (Will use the ingredients but not bundle the beans, but bake in a casserole dish and sprinkle crispy, crumbled bacon over the top of the casserole.)

Cheesy Onion Casserole

Buttery Pan Rolls

Unsweetened Iced Tea (my family does not care for sweetened iced tea) guests can sweeten, if desired

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Am making the cauliflower "potatoes," because one of the guest is extremely allergic to all nightshade plants. Poor guy! What he is missing!

We decided homemade cookies and homemade ice cream would not be as heavy as the desserts we usually have prepared (and had very little eaten). Probably will not have the cookies and ice cream immediately after dinner, but an hour or two later.

I baked an apple pie today and as soon as it is good and cool I will wrap it and put it in the freezer for Christmas.

Sue

I have not done any cooking or baking yet. DH and I cook a seafood feast on Christmas Eve for our family gathering of 10. Everything is prepared the day before or on Christmas Eve, It is a lot of work and a very intense cooking day, but the family looks forward to it and appreciates it. My mother and MIL passed the recipes to me and I would not be surprised if my grandchildren continued the tradition. I do have one grandson who is allergic to most seafood, so I do make meat sauce with sausages and meatballs for him ahead of time and reheat in my slow cooker. Christmas Day is my day off although I do assist with serving and clean up at my daughter's.

Your menus sound delicious and the baking you have done is impressive. Chi, I bet your rugalach baking error did not dampen anyone's enjoyment.

Walnut Creek, have you shared your green bean casserole recipe? Or could you :)?

Sure. I got the recipe right from this site. As stated above, I will use the ingredients but not bundle the beans, but bake in a casserole dish and sprinkle crispy, crumbled bacon over the top of the casserole.

I still call this site Gardenweb. It was known by that for so many years, I just can't use the word Houzz. The comment at the bottom was from phoggie, also of this site.

Green Bean Bundles

A family favorite. Amazing Aunt Audrey@gardenweb

4 16-oz cans whole green beans

1 pound bacon

1 stick butter

1 t garlic powder

1 c brown sugar

S&P

Preheat oven to 375.

Drain green beans. Cut bacon strips in half. Wrap a piece of bacon around 12-14 green beans forming a bundle. Place in a baking pan and set aside.

Over low heat, melt butter in a small saucepan. When butter is melted, add brown sugar, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, heat the mixture just until it starts to boil. Drizzle the mixture over the green bean bundles. Cover the baking pan.

Bake 45 minutes covered, then remove cover and bake 10 minutes more. Maybe broil them right before serving to crisp the bacon a bit.

phoggie

AAA...my family loves these green beans also. I did not fix them for Thanksgiving and a grandson wondered where they were so they will be served when he comes for Christmas!

Bake for 55 minutes?? That seems excessive in the extreme for a fully cooked canned vegetable that only needs to be warmed before serving! Fresh, raw green beans I could understand but not for canned ones.........I would think at that length of time they would be not much more than bacon wrapped mush.

I am waiting on my yeast rolls to raise and then I will bake them, let those cool and then freeze. I am slowly getting there. I do have my frozen big bunch of chicken thawing in the fridge for the making of the chicken broth for my noodles. Maybe do that in a few days.

Sue

Great progress, Sue! I couldn't deal yesterday--I **gasp** read a book and we went out to dinner. I'm hoping to get some sweet potato latkes made this weekend. Groceries on Monday.

Thanks WalnutCreek, the ingredients sound good!

Just made the marinade for the beef roast that turns it into Sauerbraten. It will sit in that in the refrigerator till Christmas when I then cook it in the slow cooker. That and other German dishes are our traditional Christmas dinner.

Errands: Yesterday, I went to the big national chain grocery and pharmacy, and got staples, papergoods and stuff only they have, plus the PO to put my mail through the slot inside. Today, Trader Joe's where I was gifted a fabulous parking space against all odds, and laid in salad stuff, pears and oranges for the baking potentials, fresh peas and some really nice yellow squash, plus everyday stuff which was in woefully short supply. Dinner (today) is saved! My fridge is mad at me again, but c'est la vie. Monday is buy the meat and veg day, rain or shine. Most likely rain. Ugh. Ripstop nylon grocery bags help, but still ugh. It's going to rain tomorrow, and I have to go out. I won't be lugging food, though if it's clear, I might take latkes to the freezer at the house where the Christmas Day Hanukkah dinner will be.

I have more errands than cooking for this little party. :)

All of my children/grandchildren will be here tomorrow (22nd) so I have cooked most of the day and everything is as ready as it can be before last minute! I was exhausted and my back was crying so I stretched out on my bed and made the rest of my Christmas phone calls! So bring on the day..,and blessings to my friends at The Table!

I haven't started cooking/baking yet. Party is Christmas Eve so I want everything to be as fresh as possible. FOAS, your Bu^che de Noel is amazing. I hope mine turns out half as well.