Is anyone else done celebrating?

[femmocrat]

It is 2:30 ET here and our company just left to go and visit other relatives. Everyone even helped with clean-up, so I am off to a well-deserved nap! I feel like I have been going non-stop for weeks! Whew!

Hope you are all enjoying the day, and spending it with people or someone you love.

[Locut0s]

1. Congrats sounds like you had a good time. Just getting started here...

Had Christmas breakfast. About to open stockings and presents. Tonight we go to uncles for dinner

Happy Holidays everyone!

[LiberalEsto]

2. I am done cooking for today. Hooray!

My older daughter is making the lasagna for dinner. I am incredibly grateful to her for that. And dessert's already made.

I spent the past week cleaning to make the house tolerable for her boyfriend, who is a sweetheart, but very allergic to cats and dust. With two cats, two dogs, a messy husband and another daughter who messes up the kitchen constantly, it is not an easy task. I bought an air purifier and cat wipes to cut down on the kitties' dander.

Yesterday, with my husband and younger daughter sick, and the older one and her boyfriend rushing to do last-minute shopping, I cooked a traditional Estonian Christmas Eve dinner--roast pork, sauerkraut, potatoes and cucumber salad -- plus a vegetarian main dish, mushroom strudel, and baked 3 loaves of kringel bread and enough honey-spice cookies, to bring a plateful to the church cookie reception. Usually I do the baking a day or two earlier. Then the older daughter, her boyfriend and I went to the 8:30 pm service at the UU church.

This morning I made eggs Benedict for brunch. Now the dishwasher is running and I am ready to fall asleep.

My older daughter and her boyfriend will head out tomorrow morning to visit his family in Pennsylvania but plan to return for New Year's Eve.

[Locut0s]

6. A helping had can be great this time of year can't it...

I helped out with our Christmas dinner as much as I could. Did about 50% of the cooking, made the apple pie for desert, set the tables, etc. Given I live with my parents still I feel guilty and try to do what I can. My mother won't let me do some things sadly.

BTW the description of the food you cooked has me drooling

Merry Christmas!

[LiberalEsto]

8. You cooked half the dinner & made pie?!!!

By any chance, are you available for adoption?

What did you and your mom cook?

[Locut0s]

9. Lol...

Last edited Wed Dec 25, 2013, 06:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Well to be honest our dinners aren't as elaborate as they used to be. We came to realize that the amount of praise you received for your hard work wasn't always proportional to the amount of effort you put in. It is up to a point, and we make sure to always cross that line, but past this it just started to feel exhausting every year What did we make?

Store bought Vegetarian Lasagne
Two types of steak, one of them bacon wrapped.
Lemon herb potatoes
Salad with walnuts and pomegranate
Our now famous olive oil and cheese grilled veggies
Sweet Potatoes
My now famous Apple Pie

Here's some pics of the prep:

[PasadenaTrudy]

12. Wow, a real kitchen

My tiny apt kitchen only allows 1 comfortably. Gives me an excuse to not cook at least

[Locut0s]

15. As they say it's not the size that counts...

It's what you do with it. I'm sure you are great at cooking. And as I mentioned below its actually an IKEA kitchen.

[PasadenaTrudy]

20. Counter space

helps. I have next to none! I get sick of moving things to the closet, like the toaster if I'm going to use the Foreman Grill....grrrr. This apt was built in 1915, so people didn't have many gadgets and outlets back then.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. drool over your kitchen

the gaqs stove, all that counter space and all the underlighs.
would not mind being "stuck" cooking in that space.

[Locut0s]

14. Lol thanks. Would you believe it's an IKEA kitchen?...

We redid the whole thing a year or two back. All IKEA, not as expensive as it looks.

[LiberalEsto]

17. How do you make those lemon-herb potatoes?

They look great

[Locut0s]

18. Pretty simple buy man are they good!

Boil yellow potatoes till about 3/4 done.
Cut in half
Squeeze about 2 lemons worth of lemon juice over them
Season generously with salt and pepper
Sprinkle with oregano, dill whatever your fav spices are
Bake with slices of lemon till golden brownish.

My own creation but it worked very well

[LiberalEsto]

19. Thank you. This sounds wonderful

and I like the fact that no oil or butter is needed. Can't wait to try them!

Unfortunately the Estonian potatoes I made are loaded with butter. I boil them until just done, roll them in melted butter and bake in the oven until they start to brown. Then sprinkle dill on top of them. We have this only once a year. Estonians eat a lot of butter and sour cream, but I've phased those out of our normal diet.

Here's my version of Estonian sauerkraut.

Drain all the liquid from a package or 28-oz can of sauerkraut, rinse the cabbage well, squeeze out the water. Put it in a slow cooker and pour a bottle of dark beer over it. Stir in 3/4 cup of brown sugar, add a bay leaf, a couple of black peppercorns and several allspice berries -- powdered allspice is okay too.

Place a salted and peppered pork roast on top of the sauerkraut, put the lid on and cook on high or low until the pork is done. I don't time it, just start the cooker in the late morning and let it cook until about 5 pm.

Then take out the roast, top it with a couple of spoonfuls of lingonberry preserves (sold at Ikea) and let it brown in the oven briefly. It's served with more lingonberry preserves on the side, though whole-berry cranberry sauce can be used as well.

[Locut0s]

22. OMG Om nom non...

I'm a sucker for any slow cooked meat, and I love sauerkraut too! Thanks for the,recipe sounds wonderful. My mother used to make this slow cooked pork roast Chinese style. It was slow cooked over the course of a whole day in soy sauce, five spice, whole boiled eggs, mushrooms, and more. When it came out of the pot it was literally melt in your mouth, food orgasm She hasn't made it in a long long time since both my parents went vegetarian. I really should make it with her soon so I can memorize the recipe for myself!

As for my potatoes, thanks, I might have added a drizzel of olive oil but no butter. But let's face it the good things in life aren't good for you Some of my most cherished memories revolve around the food in Malaysia and China growing up as a kid. A good portion of that food was nowhere near healthy, but damned if I wouldn't step in a time machine to relive those flavours.

I hope Christmas has been loving and joyful. I wish you the same on New Year's and may 2014 see advancements in you and your families lives. Though ultimately the ONLY important thing is love, and it sounds like you have little to worry about there.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

PM me any time if you feel like it

[PassingFair]

3. Got 19 people coming at 6:00

Guess I'd better get out of my pajamas and start cooking.....

[fizzgig]

4. we're just now getting the waffles started

it's 130 mst, sister and i are making breakfast, husband is asleep on the floor and dad is hiding in his room.

dinner won't be until 630 or 7, i'm sure.

enjoy your nap and merry merry!

[mrmpa]

5. We're done..........

3 brothers, 2 sisters in law, 2 nieces, 3 nephews and the girlfriend of one nephew just left. A neighbor couple from down the hall just knocked and a niece and her boyfriend are expected later this evening.

No one helped in cleaning up, that's my job.

Well I thought we were done.

[ailsagirl]

7. Ahhh... good for you

Now you can enjoy a well-deserved rest

[R B Garr]

10. Not yet. Just now doing the fresh herb goat cheese mix for the stacked beet salad

Soon the prime rib (just a two-bone) will go in, and then I'm going to make Giada's recipe for honey poached pears with some Moscata wine and a vanilla bean.

Yesterday I made a ham and a sweet potato gratin that is not sweet at all and just wonderful. It's the second year I've made this gratin recipe, and it's a keeper. The sliced sweet potatoes are roasted with fresh sage, garlic, and cream.

After the ham, we had this cheesecake, which is divine. It is one of those recipes that look just like the picture when you make it at home.
Bon Appetit's Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Syrup
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/greek-yogurt-cheesecake-with-pomegranate-syrup

For the last few years, I've made this Christmas morning, and I'm still in love with it. You can make the compote ahead of time, and it just gets better. I don't think I'll soak the bread overnight again, but it's worked before fine that way.
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggnog-French-Toast-with-Cranberry-Apple-Compote-105976

Sounds like you are taking a well-deserved nap. I really enjoyed everyone's responses here. Enjoy the holiday!

[femmocrat]

21. Can I bring my family to your house next year?

Wow, that cheesecake is gorgeous! Thanks for the great recipes!

[R B Garr]

23. lol, thanks! I feel the same way when I see what others are doing.

I want to be there. It all sounds so good!

[PasadenaTrudy]

11. Haven't had dinner yet

Only 2:51 in CA...

[B Calm]

16. Still eating christmas cookies.