I Have a Holiday Plan

For many, Christmas is a sacred time of religious observance, for others a family time and for some, it’s a commercial fete of indulgence. Which means for all, there is a lot to eat.

Since we have weathered the glutinous and gluttonous Thanksgiving Holiday, the rest of the holiday observances are much easier.

I am looking ahead, and know that I will be cooking two holiday meals: our “Christmas Eve” which is not really on Christmas Eve, and our “Christmas Day”, which again, is whenever we can get everyone together. We are at a generational transition in our family, so we go with the flow on holidays.

Christmas Eve is not very formal: Christmas Day is more so. I have planned my menus already (subject to change, of course) to give me time to test drive a few of the items that I haven’t attempted before.

Christmas Eve is when our parents come over, and watch the kids open presents. We have teenage boys, so we also have girlfriends and one or two Christmas orphans. In the past, we have treated this as a soup-sandwich-and-dessert event, but I thought we would go a slightly different route this year. I am doing Oyster Stew, which is a favorite of several of my family members, a stuffed potato bar of sorts, and cookies.
Christmas Day is when my husband’s family gets together, and it is a little more formal. It is also the most difficult for me to navigate eating GF. My side of the family has another Celiac, so we have them well-trained (without much protest, I might add), but we really don’t get together with my hubby’s side often enough to attempt it. His mom has read up on it, and my one sister-in-law has cooked for me-quite well, but I think I will not attempt to make Christmas day fully GF this year (Thanksgiving pretty much was). Since Thanksgiving went off so well, I am cooking the main course at Christmas, and everyone else is bringing appetizers and desserts. My current menu is; roast beef, a four-cheese potato bake, roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, a citrus Grand Marnier salad and an apple Waldorf green salad. I also have a nice crop of chard and mustard greens in my little green house, so they may show up on the menu as well. Just so I can show off and say, “Look what I picked today.”

What's on the menu at your place?