Better late than never, right?
I know this is being posted waaay too far after Christmas to be considered inspiration, but I like to record big menus for inspiration for myself later on.
We had a wonderful Christmas this year, with both kids being old enough to get excited about the decorations and holidays (even if the Little One didn’t completely realize what was going to happen) and a house filled with out-of-town family for the better portion of a week. I loved being able to create our own family traditions over the past few years, fusing traditions from mine and my husband’s families. We made the peanut butter balls that his mom made when he was growing up, a little piece of his southern tradition. We make my family Christmas cookie, a Polish cookie.
Making my family’s Polish cookies was the part that I cherished most this year – my daughter, myself, my mom and my grandmother at the counter with rolling pins and frying pans. Even Mr. Nutterbutter was at the counter with a rolling pin, pushing the larger one towards my 80+ year old grandfather so that he could roll out the dough too (at least until he started eating flour by the fistful.) I’m so thankful that my children have been able to experience some of my favorite childhood moments, now with their great grandparents.
Anyway, I hope your holidays were merry and bright, filled with happy memories and good food. And without further ado, below is the menu for our Christmas holidays.
{Menu}
Christmas Holidays, 2016
Friday was a little like Christmas v1.0 for us. My brother, sister-in-law and nephew were here for just a night, so it was our day to do Christmas with them.
Friday: Lunch for 11
Chicken Soup
Pierogis and Latkes
Leftover Pizza
Friday: Dinner for 11
Beef & Sausage Lasagna
Spinach Lasagna
Garlic Ciabatta Bread
Salad
Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday this year. In my family, we follow the tradition of a meatless Christmas Eve. I’ll admit that our menu doesn’t vary much from year to year, due to picky palates and a general love for these dishes. The main course of crab cakes tends to stay the same with the sides and vegetarian option changing.
Saturday: Lunch for 11
Pierogis and Latkes
served with sour cream and apple sauce
Saturday: Dinner for 11
Appetizer:
Onion & Fennel Soup Gratin
Entree:
Crab Cakes with Creole Sauce
Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Cream
Wild Rice
Roasted Butternut Squash
Sunday was Christmas morning. We had a mix of family staying the night or arriving at the house super early to watch the kids open presents, so we had a large brunch followed by an early afternoon supper before people headed for home.
Sunday: Brunch for 11
Cocktails:
Mimosas or Sparkling Pamplemousse
Brunch:
Chocolate Chip Scones
Tomato Asiago Frittata
Mushroom, Leek & Parmesan Frittata (adaption of the above recipe, inspired by this recipe)
Fruit, Yogurt & Granola
Sunday: Supper for 11
Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with and without Bacon
Desserts & Munchies for the Week:
Cheesecake
7 Layer Cookies
Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Chrust (Polish fried dough cookies)
Sponge Cake
White Chocolate Covered Oreos
Peanut Butter Balls