Christmas Dinner Menu-2012

This is our planned menu…we are expecting at least 20 for dinner…

Appetizers–served in the afternoon with Knudsen Sparkling Juices

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Bruschetta

Gouda Cheese

Dinner in the Evening:

Soup, Salad,  and Bread:

Potato Soup

Green Salad

French Bread

Main Course:

Cross-rib Beef Roast

with mushroom sauce

Herbed Spatchcocked Turkey

Rice Pilaf

Cooked Green Vegetable

Raw Vegetables

Dessert:

Lemon Meringue Pie

Blueberry Pie

Carob-Pecan Pie

Chocolate Beet Cake

with 

Ice Cream or Whip Cream

Coffee

Tea

What is on your menu plan?

Chocolate Christmas Pretzels

Each year the granddaughters come over and we play with Ghiradelli Chocolate and Christmas pretzels from Sam's Club!

Donning aprons.

It all started when the oldest granddaughter was about 2 years old. She wasn't old enough to handle decorating "Christmas" cookies. But she was able to drop the Christmas shaped pretzels into the chocolate.

Removing broken pretzels.

Dipping pretzels.

The oldest "cook."

The littlest "cook."

Simply melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. When melted remove the top to a kitchen towel. This will soak up any moisture and be heat protecting and keeping. Let the little ones drop the pretzels into the chocolate. Grandma can fish each pretzel out with a fork and lay it on some wax paper.

Finished pretzels.

Someone playing in the chocolate, again.

The girls also like to sprinkle the wet chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles or with some white chocolate. Let dry. Then bag.

Putting pretzels into fancy bags.

Store in air tight container in freezer for long periods of time. It helps to keep them from immediately disappearing!

Linked with: Raising Homemakers

Canned Pumpkin

I enjoy using  pumpkins to decorate my kitchen in the fall. I simply set them around in out-of-the-way corners on the floor. Maybe with a decorative gourd or two.

After Thanksgiving I process them. The easiest way I've found is to cut the pumpkin in half.
Remove the stem and seeds. A spoon with a sharp edge helps to scoop the seeds out-like an ice cream scoop or large serving spoon.

I then place the halves upside down (skin side up) on silicone sheets on my cookie pans.
Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour. This will depend on the size of pumpkin halves and how full you have your oven. Bake until a fork easily goes through the skin.

Now using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop the flesh out of the skins. This should be easy to do.

Put the pumpkin flesh in a large pot to heat. If your pumpkin is not juicy add a couple tablespoons of water. Once you pot of pumpkin is hot it is ready to fill your canning jars. Can in a Pressure Canner.

A quart jar will make a nice large pumpkin pie.