Editor's Note: Today I am wearing a scarf by Seaward & Stern, a skirt from Banana Republic, a silk blouse from J.Crew, a sweater from Anthropologie and heels from J.Crew.
I've been hosting Christmas Day for my immediate and extended family for 18 years, since my twins were 4 years old. Before that, we all went to my Aunt Jan's house for Christmas, but once the kids got old enough to understand Christmas, they didn't want to leave their new toys from Santa, and so we started the tradition of Christmas day at my house.
I have been cooking the same thing for years, and while some recipes have changed due to what's available at grocery stores, most of my recipes have remained steadfast.
For our main course I make Beef Tenderloin from this recipe from Tidewater on the Half Shell.
It is a total crowd pleaser and I love making it every year.
My family had a go to recipe for Cheese Grits that we had every year at Christmas for, and I am not even exaggerating, 50 years. Then Kraft went off and discontinued their Garlic Cheese Roll and I haven't been able to get the same consistency since!
I did find a new recipe last year in Tidewater on the Half Shell
and I liked it almost as well as our original grits recipe.
If anyone has figured out how to get the same consistency when substituting other ingredients in the place of the beloved Kraft Garlic Cheese Roll, please, do tell!
I also make a wonderful baked Macaroni & Cheese---ingredients below.
I got this recipe from my friend, Lizzy Brookshire.
These are two dips that I've made in the past for Holiday parties and they are always a big hit. Serve with fritos for appetizers.
I do an appetizer where I cut uncooked bacon into three long strips and wind the strips around a 1/2'' wide store bought bread stick (it looks very much like a candy cane when I do this). I roll each "candy cane" in Kraft Parmesan cheese---I has to be the Kraft kind because it needs to be very finely grated as opposed to roughly grated. I bake these on 200 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked. You must watch them carefully as there is a very fine line between the bacon being cooked and burning the bread sticks. You can use plain or sesame seed bread sticks, but I prefer the plain. These are truly divine!
I make a salad with Tours Nut Mix made by Vending Nut Company. Tours was a popular Fort Worth restaurant that closed in the 90's, but these nuts were part of their signature salad and I just love them. I use La Martinique French Vinaigrette on the salad as well.
I do green bean bundles by wrapping bunches of blanced green beans in 1/2 a piece of uncooked bacon and dousing them with Worcestershire sauce and baking them on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.
For sweets, I order gingerbread men and sugar cookies from Bluebonnet Bakery.
A look at my holiday table from years past!
All of the (now mostly grown) "children" in our family from Christmas a few years ago.
Etta James' At Last is one of the most classic and beautiful songs ever made. I adore it and it always puts me in a supremely good mood.
I did not cook dinner last night as Mother and I were at Thirsty Thursday at Rivercrest!
Happy Weekend to all of my readers!
No comments:
Post a Comment