We've pretty much always celebrated Christmas alone, meaning all-day snacks. I make posole because it's my comfort food, but that's about it.

Last year we were in London and I'd made reservations at two fancy-schmancy restaurants - one for Christmas Eve and one for the day. The Xmas Eve place turned out to be awash in Russian mobsters and prostitutes...it wasn't my son's first exposure to that demographic, but he was about 1yo the last time and enjoyed the hell out of it. This time he and his father just flat-eyed me all night.

Then his father refused to go out on Xmas day so dinner was a little awkward, but very tasty.

I am still the only foodie in the family and I has a sad.

Omg, sj, your planned feast sounds magnificent!

We've never woken up in our home together on Xmas morning. We're either at mine in DE or his in MI. His family does a big Xmas eve get together at his uncle and aunt's the food highlight of which is prime rib. And then does an all-day presents, card games, snack-a-thon at his sister's. Mine does a small roast beef dinner at my folk's on Xmas eve, which used to include going to Midnight mass. Then everyone in the extended family (40 or so) for presents and brunch over the course of late morning / early afternoon Xmas Day at my parent's. Highlights being my Dad's Belgian waffles and my uncle's French toast. Then Thanksgiving like dinner (plus ham) with a big subset of the extended family at my other uncle's.

I really don't know what we'll do. I do want to get oysters up to my dad for Xmas eve, though.

Omg, sj, your planned feast sounds magnificent!

Thanks! The plan is once again to cook for two days and then not cook again for a week.

Volans, which restaurants? I miss London.

My mom made a cioppino for Xmas eve a few times. It's fancy without overwhelming the Xmas day meal. (And delicious too of course.)

Recently (the last 10 or so years) we've fallen into doing a bigger dinner on Xmas eve and then going out to eat on Christmas day. It's really made the day a lot less stressful. I'm not really sure what we'll do this year. Ordering in for Thanksgiving was okay (we called it fanzy - equal parts fancy and lazy) but it was wildly expensive in part because we ended up cooking our must-have sides and buying all kinds of charcuterie and stuff anyway. Christmas is more flexible food-wise though so maybe we'll find somewhere else to do that.

flat-eyed me

I don't know this phrase. What does it mean?

I know "side-eyed" and "looking askance" and even "bug-eyed," but "flat-eyed" is new to me, and I am still puzzling over it.

eta: maybe "carefully not reacting, yet obviously so"?

All this talk of Christmas dinner reminds me that the first night of Hanukah is TOMORROW and I have never been less prepared! I don't even have candles because a few years ago I had so many that I made a mental note to myself to not buy any more and then last year I finally used them up but didn't update my mental note to "okay buy candles now"

My mom made a cioppino for Xmas eve a few times. It's fancy without overwhelming the Xmas day meal. (And delicious too of course.)

Typically what EM makes for our xmas eve dinner. But she's not coming this year because of COVID so I'll figure something out. Maybe lasagna. Maybe au gratin potatoes. Definitely lots of melted cheese. Nachos are festive, right?

My old foot doctor was from Israel and during one visit - we'd chat while he worked on my footsies - I managed to spook him. I'm pretty obviously not Jewish, but first I knew what latkes are (who doesn't?) AND I knew the difference between dreidels made in Israel and those made everywhere else.

Now, I want a cheese omelette. I talked myself into melted cheese, and I have to say I didn't put up much of a fight.

Nachos are festive, and with red salsa and green jalapenos very Christmassy!

I think I might have candles, Jess, but I suspect they are largely broken as I think I remember stepping on the box one of the times I was moving holiday things around this year...although I din't know if I have the spoons to even check by tomorrow night. Work continues to kick my ass.