I want something easy but not boring.
Soup and salad? My family traditionally does lasagna on Christmas Eve, but a big pot of hearty soup might do.
Around here one of the traditional things is Dungeness crab...
Angel: I appreciate you guys looking out for Connor all summer. It's just—he's confused. He needs time. That's all. Fred: Right. Time, and some corporal punishment with a large heavy mallet. Not that I'm bitter.
'Just Rewards (2)'
Natter 71: Someone is wrong on the Internet
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Consuela - Dec 18, 2012 3:18:23 pm PST #4995 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Jesse - Dec 18, 2012 3:21:40 pm PST #4996 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
I would like a ham tradition, but my mother mixes it up. Christmas Eve we have family, and sometimes a ham, sometimes tourtiere (pork pie), this year I think she's doing pulled pork. So I guess we always have pig? Turkey on Christmas, because we don't have Thanksgiving at home.
None of those are especially onerous to make, aside from time and pulling the pork.
flea - Dec 18, 2012 3:23:08 pm PST #4997 of 30001
information libertarian
I was actually looking at shrimp scampi recipes. Part of the problem is negotiating between what I would like to eat (TJ's appetizer dinner is right up my alley!) and what my 73 year old in-laws from Cleveland would like to eat (Honey Baked Ham is right up their alley.)
Calli - Dec 18, 2012 3:29:06 pm PST #4998 of 30001
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs
My family often does a standing rib roast. Pricey, but we only have it once a year or so. Other years we've had a ham.
Scrappy - Dec 18, 2012 3:29:52 pm PST #4999 of 30001
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
How old are the kids? If they always have pizza, I you might have it, at least for them. Then the grown-ups can have something more adventurous.
Trudy Booth - Dec 18, 2012 3:32:45 pm PST #5000 of 30001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart
Ham is nice. Then you can have ham and eggs for breakfast one day, ham sandwiches for lunch another, and in the end use the bone to make split pea soup.
Mmmm... ham.
Sue - Dec 18, 2012 3:32:59 pm PST #5001 of 30001
hip deep in pie
My family's Christmas Eve tradition is the great Irish/French tradition of...cabbage rolls. Made earlier in the month and frozen. Turkey always for Xmas day.
Burrell - Dec 18, 2012 3:36:52 pm PST #5002 of 30001
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!
Around here one of the traditional things is Dungeness crab...
That's a family tradition around here as well. Doesn't happen every year, but it happens on the good ones. I'm thinking about making a rib roast on Christmas as I used to make them for my MiL and I'm missing both.
flea - Dec 18, 2012 3:39:23 pm PST #5003 of 30001
information libertarian
I have been meaning to make tourtiere for years, ever since Dani told me about it. Maybe New Year's, although we always seem to get stuck in the kielbasa tradition.
The kids are 10 and 13, and the way they eat is ridiculous. They actually make a pizza that is just dough and cheese for them, because they don't like pizza sauce. I think they have probably never eaten a vegetable in their entire lives. The only things I have ever seen them eat are peanut butter on white bread with the crusts cut off, applesauce, sugar cereals, turkey and mashed potatoes, and hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries.
I am pretty sure there is a Honeybaked Ham store INSIDE MY KROGER. How handy would that be. Maybe we could do ham AND appetizers. With some little buns to eat the ham on.
brenda m - Dec 18, 2012 3:41:04 pm PST #5004 of 30001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
Honeybaked ham is both awesome and easy.
We have a family recipe version of touriere that makes frequent Xmas eve appearances.