Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

My family does the big Christmas thing on Christmas Eve, which also happens to be my oldest brother's birthday. We try to sit down to dinner (or lunch for some of you folks)at 1:00pm. We have the following: ham, turkey, chicken & dumplings, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, rolls, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes (with and without marshmallows), and cranberry salad. Desserts: apricot cobbler (for the birthday boy), pecan pie, pumpking pie, cherry cream cheese pie, chocolate cream pie, and all the Christmas cookies, bon bons and date roll candy that you can indulge in. We open presents in the evening.
Have a Merry Christmas!

Growing up, we always had a big mid-day meal. But celebrating with my in-laws the past few years, no one wanted to host the huge meal. So for a few years we would trade off between the daughter-in-laws and my MIL and would host a brunch, everyone bringing a dish or two. We basically nosh on that all day while opening gifts. My FIL usually had a ham from one or more of his vendors, so we would have it on a side table available for sandwiches for those who wanted more food. It worked out quite nicely until my MIL and FIL moved to Dallas (we're in MI). So, last weekend we had appetizers at my sister-in-law's place and the kids opened those gifts, then Sunday we'll have a quite dinner (1-2 pm) at home with just Hubby and I and the kids. It's almost a letdown, but it beats all the travel and hullaballoo. I think we'll enjoy the quiet day together.

Time: 3:00 PM, because it will be the only meal of the day.

We'll be having Honeybaked ham with side dishes. I love side dishes.

Also my aunt's rum cake (which you can catch a buzz off of).

Typically mid afternoon (3 or 4). This year: ham, mashed potatoes, veggies, rolls, probably some form of dessert

Christmas Eve dinner was at 5pm-ish: Honey Baked Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes AuGratin, Corn, Brussel Sprouts, some sort of Jello salad and five kinds of Pie (Chocolate Cream, Banana Cream, Lemon Meringue, Pecan, and Cherry).

Christmas Dinner will be early afternoon: Turkey, Dressing (with Cherries), Squash, Mashed Potatoes, that Green Bean Casserole, another form of Jello salad, and the remains of the Pies from Christmas Eve. ... With leftover Turkey Sandwiches Christmas Evening.

Pretty much our standard tradition when we are doing the cooking.

Dinner starts at about 1:30. Ends at about 6 pm. First course: Shrimp, scallops, etc,.

Second Course, pasta - usually, raviolo, sausages, meatballs, bragoli's,

Third Course, meat, beef tenderloin, delmonico potatoes, squash, greenbeans, peas, salad, break, gifts,

Fourth and final ; desserts, pies, cookies, pastries, coffee, tea.

Last - Bed. MMMMMMMMMM a good day.

Late to the table *G* We eat late, 8:30. It's usually because I take the week after Christmas off and just a day or two before, so I'm just coming off the midnight sleep schedule. We had turkey, stuffing, fresh green beans, red potatoes, olives and fresh pumpernickel bread and fresh apple cider. Apple crumb pies with vanilla ice cream for dessert. For Christmas lunch we always have broccoli and cheese quiche. Christmas Eve dinner is Red Lobster :)

Christmas dinner was at 4pm, this year, and was our best year, ever! Normally, we'll have a meal similar to Thanksgiving, with the turkey and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and the glaven. Sometimes it will be salmon or lasagna, depending on what my parents want to eat. This year, we had salmon, olives, cranberry sauce (homemade), white rice, pancit, soumon (Filipino sweet rice), adobo beef, green salad, fruit salad, Brazilian lasagna (it has ham in it!), a flan-like bread pudding and eggnog ice cream. And lots of sparkling cider of various flavors. I think I'm leaving something out, but it was a marvelous meal. My fiance's mom (she's Filipino) met my parents for the first time, we had a single mom and her baby over (Brazilian) and another single family friend (she usually brings cranberry stuff. It was a great time. Thanks for letting me reminisce and drool!! :-)