Reflections of Christmas

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours. With my kids are getting older, I keep thinking this may be our last holiday all together. I’m not saying that for pity or out of depression, but instead, I really want to celebrate their presence. So we do have a good time. We sit around and chat and catch up and I learn a little more about them each day. We went for a little boat ride to check out the decorated boats and docks in the neighborhood too. That was cool. They don’t photograph well from a moving boat but I hope you get the idea. Some were quite elaborate.

This year was especially enjoyable because I got help in the kitchen. In the past, it has been me and me alone in there. Also in years past, I have had elaborate menu schemes taken from various publications. I have since found that a more simple menu can be stimulated with some wonderful ingredients. Here was our Christmas dinner rundown (Click on the image to get the "chalk board" effect. Can you find the labeled item that is out of place?):

Rosemary Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Au Jus and Creamy Horseradish
Turkey Breast with Rosemary and Orange
Mashed Potatoes with Citrus Gravy
Dressing (One with sausage and one without)
Herbed Creamed Corn
Kale with Bacon, Vinegar and Cherry Tomatoes
Braised Leeks

Raspberry Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream (from the Thanksgiving post)

Now that Christmas is past, I won’t go in to each recipe here but I have created a folder on the Epicurious website where I have begun posting my recipes. These will be up in the next month or so. I did learn a few new things. With an eye towards simplicity and some sous-chef chopping help from the kids, I only spent a few hours in the kitchen and still turned out an 8 course meal for 10.


All in all, this was a great holiday. Everyone really seems to enjoy it. So, what’s on the table for 2009? Well, I have a couple of surprises in mind but for now, mums the word on that (mum is not a particularly strong suit of mine). I look forward to my 1st anniversary as a food blogger coming up in March and I have some feelers out to expand my culinary adventures beyond just the hobby stage. We’ll see how that goes. For now, I’ll just keep chatting here.
John and I on the water. Didn't look like Christmas, did it?
So to my friends, family and the occasional passerby that reads this blog, I wish you all more happiness than your heart can hold and a spectacular new year!!!!!