Anyone else started their Christmas Eve / Christmas cooking yet?

[Heidi]

It's 11:20 a.m., and I've been up since 5:30 a.m., making a "drowning sauce" and rubbing compound for prime rib, and five dozen orange cookies. Next: peeling potatoes for sour cream-and-chive mashed potatoes. Call Me Wesley's mom is coming to dinner tonight. :D

[Az]

1. HA!

We've been baking cookies for the past week. There is flour spilled out from the kitchen into the dining room and I think a sprinkle is floating in one of the fish tanks. Doh... they got it.

I have determined that my fiance has an allergy to flour. Whenever she gets near it she is compelled to bake it.

[Heidi]

2. I usually start baking a week before Christmas,

but my mother-in-law over-baked this year, so I caught a break in the cookie-baking department. :D

:hi: Az!

[Broken_Hero]

3. no, not yet

got the turkey defrosting right now, but thats all we've done so far...but damn, prime rib sounds oh so good...:D

[Heidi]

4. It's a big hassle to get a turkey here,

so we just go with prime rib every year for Christmas Eve. It's a heckuva lot easier for me to deal with than a turkey, anyway. (I have an aversion to handling dead bird. :scared: )

Are ya'll home for Christmas Eve and Christmas? :pals:

[Broken_Hero]

5. well, yeah

home in Missouri...I got my brother here, he came up last night, from Jackson, Miss....and I'm going to have my father/mother in law stay the day/night with us today...plus my brother in law, and his wife will be stopping by some time today...whew, I should be in bed, I'm tired...Tammy's been sick all damn day....

You know what they should invent, a popsicle, that has medicine in it, for like sore throat/sinus...

[jmm]

6. I'm already done.

Of course all I had to make were some cookies and muffins so finishing early wasn't too difficult for me :D.

[Heidi]

7. You're smarter than I am, gf.

I discovered halfway through mixing the butter and powdered sugar for orange cookies that my mom didn't send me any cream of tartar in my annual "CARE" package. Thank goodness for the internet(s): you can substitute two teaspoons of lemon juice for one teaspoon of cream of tartar. :D

Merry Christmas, jmm! :hug:

[NMDemDist2]

8. i've been sporadically cooking on and off for the last couple days

made bread friday, and whipped up the cream for pie toppings

got a couple Cornish game hens I'll do today

and i'll probably bake some more today or tomorrow but with just the two of us there's no pressure. I can blow it off if I feel like it

:hide:

[Heidi]

10. I should have planned so well.

:blush:

Really, it hasn't been too bad because I started early and spread it out all day. Your Cornish game hens sound _yummy_. :hi:

[NMDemDist2]

12. yeah, well, about that.......

I just realized I didn't buy bread for the stuffing (kinda on purpose, but not really)

so now I'm debating whether to make cornbread or cube up some of my homemade bread

sigh......


but I'd better get moving on SOMETHING pretty quick

:rofl:

[Heidi]

13. I'd go with homemade bread cubes,

although I was raised on southern cooking and have a real "thang" for cornbread dressing. (Sadly, my mama can't make cornbread dressing to save her life. It's always too liquid. The standing Thanksgiving joke in my family is, "Who made the dressing? Oh, Mom made it? Did someone remember to buy straws?" :rofl: It's always better the second day, after it's had time to congeal in the fridge. :spray: )

[NMDemDist2]

14. that was my plan, but Hubby nixed it. and I quote

"You're not gonna WASTE that bread on stuffing are ya???"

so the cornbread batter is resting as we speak......

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

9. I'm just getting around to making my Mom's Christmas cookies today

We're invited somewhere tonight and tomorrow night, so no cooking for me.

[Heidi]

11. Ooooooooooooooooooooo! Cookies!

What kinda cookies, DTBK? I'm hungry and I can smell the prime rib cooking. :P


(And congratulations on passing the bar exam, you warrior goddess for justice! :yourock: :hug: )

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

25. Thanks, Heidi!

Just sugar cookies - but it's a really good recipe. I just use the Pillsbury vanilla frosting with food color added, colored sugars, nonpareils, etc. Save some prime rib for me - sounds yummy!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

15. I'm about to go do some damned apple crisp-making now.

But my family's got the game beat. See, we hold a "Christmas open house" tonight, where people are invited to bring desserts to share, and eat dinner before they show up on our doorstep.

BWAH! No real cooking for me. :P

[Heidi]

16. Rub it in, will ya?

:rofl:

It's an hour before dinner here, and I'm staaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrving. You apple crish sounds divine. *swoon*

Merry Christmas, gf! :hug:

[malta blue]

17. Started last night with the fruit and sausage

stuffing for my pork roast. In a little while I will start tackling the open faced crab empanadas and the manchego mashed potatos. My guests are bringing dessert.

Then it all starts again tomorrow with the horseradish crusted prime rib with all the fixings.

Have a great dinner!

[Heidi]

18. Did I mention that I'm starving????????

It's now 6:12 p.m. and dinner isn't until 7 p.m. Your dinner sounds _delish_. :cry:

[malta blue]

19. I could use one of those orange cookies

right about now.

[Heidi]

20. In lieu of that,

I will PM you the recipe tomorrow morning. How's that? :hug:

[malta blue]

23. Thanks Heidi

:hug:
Enjoy!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

21. i was 6 hrs in the kitchen just baking yesterday...today...more of the same

i love it!

[scarlet_owl]

22. All I'm making is a tiramisu cheese ball, and I'm making it tomorrow.

We aren't having a big feast this year. We are just doing little smokies, chips and dip, and my cheese ball for dessert.

[auntAgonist]

24. There's just the two of us ..

I'm making a quiche for brunch tomorrow. Honey Spiral ham for dinner with baked sweet potatoes, broccoli and a tossed salad. Biscuits and honey. Pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

aA
kesha

[Beausoir]

26. Just took the prime rib out to sit at room temp before cooking it.

Am about to start in on the spicy egg dish for brunch tomorrow.

[enigmatic]

27. Mrs E is doing battle as we speak

We've got a 27 pound Hutterite Turkey to contend with, and after she finishes baking Pumpkin Pie, I'm going to see if we can actually FIT the turkey in the oven!

[leftofthedial]

28. I'm serving the gang tonight.

already made a couple of big pans of chicken enchiladas (casserole-style to feed the crew)

homemade tamales need thawing and steaming

got a pot of beans on the stove

a little later, I'll whip up some guacamole and some other snacky stuff and a corn dish, steam some tortillas .. .

right now, it's chex party mix time!

[yellowdogintexas]

29. baked a cake after we got home from church. Chocolate pound

cake, cooling in the kitchen now.

I have a turkey breast, green beans, brussel sprouts (fresh ones), squash, potatoes for tomorrow. We will probably eat it mid afternoon, depending on how late we eat breakfast.

[Scout1071]

30. I finished a breakfast casserole about an hour ago. Contemplating make ahead

oven-baked french toast. I think I'm going to go for it. Xmas only comes once a year, it's easy, and I have a wine buzz I'm not ready to give up just yet.

[6000eliot]

31. Just finished potatoes au gratin.

The house smells really good.

[Heidi]

32. I know exactly what you mean.

If I could reproduce the smells of my mom's and granny's homes around Christmas when I was a kid, Christmas would be even Christmasier. :hi:

[radfringe]

33. we did our Christmas Dinner on Sunday

Spent Saturday cleaning house, running errands (not Christmas shopping, that was done a week or so ago)

While I also have tuesday (12/26) off from work, my partner does not. So we decided to have our Christmas dinner on Sunday, thus leaving Christmas day to be slugs.

All we have to do today is:

1. open presents
2. feed the dogs/cats
3. take the dogs out to do their business
4. make a few holiday phone calls
5. haul in some wood for woodstove and tend it during the day
6. heat up leftovers (yum - best part of a turkey dinner)
7. watch movies and/or take a nap

[Swamp Rat]

34. I made crawfish etouffee and today I am making seafood gumbo

both over brown rice. Today the side dish is string bean souffle and stuffed melatons... and a repeat on the Spanish and Greek black olives, Camembert and blue cheese, and cashews nuts... and pumpkin pie w/ whipped cream. :9

[Heidi]

35. Hi, Swamp Rat!

That sounds delicious! Nice to see you. :hug: :pals:

[Swamp Rat]

36. Merry Christmas!!!

:hug:

[fortyfeetunder]

38. Awesome, SR!

That's sounds yummy. When is dinner served?
And have a great day!

[fortyfeetunder]

37. Garlic mashed potatoes

I made a bunch last night for Christmas Eve dinner and it went mostly uneaten. Guess what's on the Christmas day menu?

[lildreamer316]

39. Let's see:

Day before yesterday I made:
Spicy Sausage and Cheese Balls
Gingerbread Cookie (the dough; it has to be refigerated overnight to set)
The brownies for the Chocolate Suprise
A beef casserole

Yesterday:
Concocted the Chocolate Suprise (layers of Cool Whip; brownies and fudge syrup)
Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Today:
Rolling out Gingerbread Cookies.
Baking the 8 pound ham & sweet potato casserole.