Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Current Obsessions

Since I got back from Vegas, I have been thinking about the menus for the various days and meals we will or should be eating in the coming days. I have also been trying to pick and choose from among the traditional cookies my family usually makes, asking Son for his input of course.
I haven't made much progress, but I have made some decisions (sort of?). To wit:
  • Christmas Eve: MB has decided that this year, instead of making tamales, we will buy them from Victor's. We took a research trip out there. Delicious!
  • Christmas Day: We'd like to have some local, organic meat, baked potatoes and Caesar Salad. Easy!
  • Appetizers: On Christmas Eve, I'd like to have a selection of appetizers, like the obvious veggie platter, perhaps with our traditional cottage cheese dip or maybe something new, like this herbed goat cheese dip? Or perhaps these Spanish style tapas, such as shrimp or tortilla?
  • What about Christmas morning? I think I'll make the cranberry maple cake I made this year. See these pics from last year.
  • Cookies? I already made the peanut butter chocolate bars. Son demands the 7 Layer Bars. I bought stuff for the peanut butter kiss cookies, but might not make them, because we have to make sugar cookies. Those are required. I'm trying to draw the line there, but I will miss the oatmeal butterscotch chip cookies. But oh well. I'm trying hard not to gain too much weight over break.
  • Drinks? Red wine of course, and maybe some Claus-mopolitans. And perhaps some more bubbly wine. And egg nog, with rum of course. And maybe some Baileys to add to the coffee. Yum....
I would love to hear what you will be eating, especially ideas for appetizers. I think I would rather eat lots and lots of appetizers and save myself the trouble of making any big meals.

7 comments:

Lisa B. said...

You know, you can get away with making a zillion different cookies as long as you give nine-tenths of them away to your neighbors and friends.

One of my favorite things I ever made was crab cakes, except I substituted mostly shrimp (crab is soooo expensive!), with remoulade sauce. I made them tiny, so they could be eaten as appetizers. They're a little bit of a project, but I was also able to keep some refrigerated, uncooked, for a couple of days, which meant I could also have them for lunch, a big big bonus. You could maybe even freeze them.

ErinAlice said...

Okay we are eating the same thing on Christmas day. Christmas eve I am going to put together a nice cheese tray with some smoked salmon, these great cheeses and olives I got from Costco, as well as some really great crackers oh and some homemade bleu cheese stuffed olives. Along with this-our traditional halipses. Yum!!We are trying to cut down on cookies too. I am trying gingerbread instead of sugar but may need to make some sugar too! Happy Baking!

Anonymous said...

Your cranberry maple cake was gorgous; I'm sure it will be again. I keep trying to hone menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and even New Year's, but all I can do is squander hour upon hour gawking at plane tickets to Hawaii and learning my (virtually enhanced) way around various islands there. Sigh . . .

E.S.

Elisa said...

Oops. That should be "gorgeous," not "gorgous." Where is spell check when I need it? Where?

Aligates said...

I have to call the elders to inquire as to what they're making cookie-wise before starting my own baking. For Christmas I think John's doing the cooking, he has some plan...but I also know my mom is doing salmon, which is so ironic, because she'd never do fish back in the days when I wasn't doing red meat. Back then it was all about the standing prime rib. I have a killer crab dip recipe I can give you, it's hot and made with canned crab (but it's okay, really!) and topped with pecans. Not healthier than cookies, I guess, but savory!

Aligates said...

Oh, and also: glad to see Tom Colicchio on your list of sexy bald men!

susansinclair said...

Are Clausmopolitans the same as cosmos, only more jolly? Because I *do* get quite rosy-cheeked when I drink 'em...