Life is what happen while you are waiting on the oven timer to go off……..
Why is it that our holiday memories are so tied to the smells and taste we experience. Smell has a huge impact on memory. A smell will waft by in the breeze and I will be instantly taken back to what ever memory is sparked by that olfactory sensation. I remember the way my grandmothers kitchen smelled. I remember the way she smelled.
I have to wonder sometimes what Muffinhead will remember about time spent at my house. Yesterday the DD and I spent time in the kitchen. I was supervising in the yearly macaroni and cheese making (oven timer………back in a minute)
Cookies cooling on the counter……..
So where was I…….right back to the mac and cheese, which is the DD favorite, she was rather distressed when she found this item lacking on the Christmas dinner menu. I had decided to make scalloped potatoes instead.
She said “But if you don’t make it now I'll have to wait until Campmeeting to get it again!”
Well I did a bit of menu shuffling and she is now a happy camper. However I did have on stipulation. It was time for her to learn how to make the mac & cheese herself. Well I think the baton of homemade mac & cheese has been handed down successfully, she did a wonderful job and when tasted it I could not have done a better job myself!
On of the favorite things we do as mother and daughter is menu planning, I think her interest is more to ensure that she has some editorial control in getting her favorites on the menu, but I take whatever mother daughter time I can get my hands on during the wonderful teen years and thank the Lord for the moment.
Over the last few day we have been assembling our menu and over dinner the other night we put the final touches on what will be offered up.
So here it is……….
Christmas Eve
Veggie Lasagna (this has been hanging out in the freezer for a while just wafting for the right moment) The last thing I want to do when I get home from church on Christmas even is mess with a big meal!
This new recipe will depend greatly on my time management. If I can make it over to the H=Mart then we will have some oysters later in the evening…..however you know how those last minute thing kind of fall to the wayside!
Bread Sticks
Peanut Butter Cookies
Cranberry Christmas Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
There goes the oven timer again………..be right back!
One cookie sheet cooling on the counter the second one baking off in the oven. Why do you hatch the to[p of peanut butter cookies with a fork anyway? I’ll be goggling that later on I am sure!
Christmas Brunch
My Son and his family are coming over for brunch on Christmas morning so I have a nice leisurely brunch planed. Most of it I can get done ahead of time and then just bake off in the oven on Christmas morning….
Sausage & Cheese & Egg Breakfast Casserole ( a holiday tradition, we sometime have Stuffed French Toast but this year I wanted to try a new sweet sticky bun recipe (see below for the link) so I wanted to to a savory casserole instead!)
Pineapple Casserole
Scallop Potato’s (Paula advised to never try a new recipe during the holidays but I am breaking her rule and giving this new recipe a try, I may regret it bit if it fails we will still have plenty of other offerings to choose from)
Mimosa’s
O.J.
and there may be a latte tossed in for good measure!
Christmas Dinner
Dinner will be a smaller offering as it will be just the three of us sitting down to the table. So I am keeping it simple and all of it can be made in advance except for the asparagus and hollandaise, but then that is so super easy that it isn’t even funny!
Spiral Sliced Ham (I am not sure what kind of glaze I am going to use but I am sure I will come up with something sweet and maybe a bit savory as well)
Mac & Cheese
Asparagus & Hollandaise
Cranberry Sauce
Spinach Salad with Red Onion, Bacon, Mandarin Oranges and Seasoned Croutons( this is the hubs favorite, except for the red onions but he just picks those off and gives them to me)
Dessert
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Mouse
Well that what’s on the menu at the Be Still and Know table for the holidays.
Oven timer again……
Well the last batch of Peanut butter cookies are cooling on the counter and I am moving on to the the Oatmeal Raisin.
Before I hit the publish button today…..
What smells remind you of the holidays or even a special loved one?
What is the one dish that just makes the holidays for you?
Merry Christmas y’all I hope you have a beautiful day.
Blessings
R
Comments
As for me & my house, we are doing a Feliz Navedad Christmas Eve with all things Quacamole. Christmas Day will entail traditional turkey fare. Somewhere along the way we'll eat bread pudding, pumpkin & apple pies. Alas ... ANOTHER 4 pounds!
Blessings for a merry Christmas,
Kathleen
23rd: Fri. night, my night to host dinner...honey baked ham, green bean casserole, baked beans, fruit/nut bread
24th: kid's night to prepare: spaghetti/meatballs, garlic bread, italian salad
25th: Karen's night: pork ten'loin, grated sweet pot bars, chocolate layer cake
I love the smell of cookies baking. We make shortbread, melting morsels, colorfully iced cut-out butter cookies, butter balls, and this year we tried some sea-salt chocolate caramels and some graham toffee. So much yummy stuff--and the kitchen smelled great for several days! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Have a wonderful Christmas!