Merry Christmas to all! I hope you and your family are having a blessed holiday season and continue to embrace the joy throughout the coming year–because when the magical Christmas cheer emanates from Jesus, it prevails year-round.
Regarding Christmas eats, I’ll go ahead and call this year a big success! (Only exception was the turkey breast that went bad before I could cook it on Christmas Eve, but the huge turkey legs more than sufficed.)
Beginning the festivities with Christmas Eve dinner:
- Herbs de Provence turkey legs (roasted with onions, oranges, and fresh thyme)
- Gravy (infused with those turkey pan flavors)
- Wild rice stuffing (half with hot Italian sausage, half without)
- Bourbon bacon pecan sweet potato casserole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
- French green bean casserole
- Skillet cornbread
- Pear and gorgonzola salads with maple balsamic vinaigrette
- Honeybaked ham (not made by me)
- Citrus-spiced cranberry sauce
Then deeeessssssserts:
- Bourbon spiced pumpkin pie and fresh whipped cream
- Cacao brownies (with a Biscoff cookie butter swirl!)
- Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Buckeye pie (courtesy of the sis)
I know. A little over-the-top for one meal for a family of four. But I don’t get to cook for my often, and I just couldn’t resist.
Then, after visions of sugarplums and wrapping paper overload the next morning, came
Christmas brunchtime!
…although pretty disconcerted because our daily eating habits are anything but aligned.
- Gingerbread pancakes with maple cream cheese and pecans with a side of fruit for my mom (the sweet tooth) and myself
- Eggs Benedict (featuring avocado, Honeybaked ham, poached eggs, and Hollandaise with thyme) plus peppered bacon for the savory-lover
- Finally the snacker rolled in the kitchen for pre-made coffee cake and baked cinnamon apples.
Next up, for the two of us who must eat 3 complete meals per day, I whipped together a late lunch of bagel melts with avocado, “Bruschetta” jack cheese, turkey bacon, fried eggs and sun-dried tomatoes. OMG YUM.
To ring it all in, I couldn’t hold back for dinner Christmas night:
- Beef tenderloin and pork tenderloin (seasoned with this insanely delicious Hawaiian rub, grainy Dijon, plus a honey orange Dijon glaze for the pork)
- Spinach mushroom artichoke twice-baked potatoes (seriously one of my fav things ever)
- Garlicky lemon broccoli (roasted alongside the meat)
- ciabatta rolls (courtesy of Publix) and leftover pear salad
- leftover feast of desserts from Christmas Eve
