Christmas Menu 2011 and Double Birthday Dinner Menu.

This year we opted for a REAL tree, a Frasier Fir, so the house smells wonderful!!

Yesterday I planned two menus.  The easier of the two was for Christmas.  Several years ago I switched Christmas Dinner to a more reasonable for me in the kitchen meal.  I wanted to spend more time with my family and less over the meal.  At that point I started having all of the traditional dishes for Thanksgiving including both ham and turkey so everyone gets the long anticipated favorite holiday memories revisited.

At Christmas time we have beef.  We have had roasted fillet,  tenderloin made into bacon wrapped steaks and grilled , standing rib roast, and my favorite New York strip roast.  This year I have ordered form our butcher the New York strip roast.  It is my pick for a couple of reasons.  First it is delicious.  You season with ample amounts of cracked black pepper and coarse salt and roast it at 325 degrees F. for about 20 minutes per pound for medium.  It has less waste than prime rib and it is more economical.  In fact,  the price generally goes down on this cut at Christmas as more folks opt for the more traditional prime rib or tenderloin.  I like to make our own traditions and this one is a big win!!

Here is the CHRISTMAS Dinner Menu:

New York Strip Roast and
Roast Breast of Chicken
Tossed Green Salad
Twice Baked Potatoes
Hot Yeast Rolls

Desserts:

Persimmon Pudding with Whipped Cream
Christmas Cookie Assortment
Rum Cake

Since we plan to eat at noon there wouldn't be the necessity for a lot of munchies.

This Sunday we are celebrating both Joel's birthday and Michael's birthday.  Both have December birthdays.  We are smoking baby back ribs and chickens as it is forecast to be a sunny and warm weekend.

Here is the BIRTHDAY menu:

Smoked baby back ribs and chickens
Cole slaw

Baked sweet potatoes and white potatoes
Roasted carrots

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, Joel's favorite
Angel food cake from scratch, Mikes favorite
Ice Cream

Meanwhile I will be shopping and trying to figure out my new iPhone!!!  Molly ate Brian's phone while I was away in Indianapolis so we are learning new phones.  Quite a task for us "electronically challenged"!!!