Holiday Eating

Well. We survived Thanksgving without too much trauma. Since I had to work, as usual on holidays, we decided to have the family dinner on the Sunday after. Daddy got to have an oyster roast on the actual day (since I wouldn't be there to gag at the sight/smell of oysters), so he was amenable to the idea.

Mom, who watches WAY too much Food Network, decided to try a version of one of Anne Burrell's recipes for the main course. We had a boned, flattened turkey breast, filled with stuffing, rolled up, and wrapped in bacon before roasting. The stuffing was a sausage/mushroom/cornbread mix. Both were insanely good!

I was supposed to bring a side and dessert. The problem was that I had a CFS flare-up over the weekend that left me both exhausted and weak as a kitten. I had intended to bring Pioneer Woman's Fresh Green Bean Casserole, but that didn't quite happen. I still made a green bean casserole, but it was more a mix of Ree's & the instructions on the can of Trader Joe's Fried Onion Pieces. (which kick ass, BTW) I used TJ's Cream of Portobello Soup, a couple of chopped strips of Whole Food$ Black Forest Bacon, and 8 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms, along with a sack of blanched, fresh haricorts verts. (skinny green beans) Oh, and a splash of half & half. It would have been good if I'd cooked the beans longer and cut them in half. It wasn't bad, but green beans shouldn't be that hard to eat.

Dessert was a loaf of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread mix, baked up. Topped with some homemade whipped cream, it was delicious!

(I am not being paid to endorse Trader Joe's. I just happened to try and like the products mentioned above. Ditto for Whole Food$)

So now we're looking ahead to Christmas dinner...which we may also have the Sunday after, depending on how our schedule shakes out at work. We've done Crown Roast of Pork for several years, and roasted hams. I'd rather not do turkey again. I was going to suggest something totally different this year and offer to prepare a baked salmon, but recently found out that my mom doesn't like fresh salmon. She likes lox, and salmon croquesstes made from the canned stuff, but not fresh. I might try to redeem myself after the green bean fiasco and make a better batch for Christmas. Or should I stick with the now-traditional brussels sprouts w/bacon & onion? I'm thinking corn pudding might be a nice change of pace as well.

Whatever it is, Christmas dinner will most likely be good, and we'll all probably eat too much of it. Which, to me, is the best part of a holiday meal!