The Kitchen Magpie’s Christmas Menu 2011

I am hosting Christmas for the first time in….errr…come to think of it, have I ever hosted Christmas at my place? The year I was due to give birth any moment with my daughter doesn’t count, I don’t remember anything other than I am pretty sure it was at my old house, my mother did everything, I didn’t have enough energy to lift my eyelids open and I had heartburn and was sleeping sitting up in an armchair.

Not exactly what I call “hosting Christmas”.

This year, I host. Baby, am I hosting! Hosting every family member we can squeeze into my house. Ok, well 6 adults and three rambunctious children. And I can’t wait. That makes me twisted and sick somehow, that I can’t wait for the punishment coming soon weird, I know. But occasions like this give me that chance to try out so many recipes that I have had in the back of my mind, just waiting.

So I wait for one holiday and attempt them all! Bring on the crazy, I can take it.

Everyone and their dog has done the French Toast baked casserole. It’s been around since Baby Jesus took his first breath. I have been meaning to try one….and have dreamed up a sneaky little recipe that I want to try that’s different, of course. French bread didn’t really appeal to me…so…I’ll be trying something new.

In case you are wondering, if the recipe completely tanks, I have plenty of Texas toast bread ready to be made into real french toast to save the day! Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

So the breakfast menu:

Breakfast : French Toast baked casserole, fruit, bacon, maple syrup, whipped cream. Coffee. Lots of coffee.

Lunch? Ha, does anyone seriously do Christmas lunch? Perhaps I should have renamed the above menu to “Brunch”, but to be honest the kids are up so early we do eat breakfast right on time. Lunch on Christmas Day does not happen in my family. But I have to make a small effort, so here goes:

Lunch – chocolate from various stockings, cheese balls, sausage, liver pate, crackers.

Supper, oh, Christmas supper. The main meal of the day, the star attraction, the coup de grace of an amazing day. The meal that out of all 365 days of the year, puts the most pressure on the cook preparing it.

Don’t fail or you’ll ruin Christmas! In other words: Have Visa and take-out menus at the ready.

Dinner: Roasted Hutterite turkey which is usually over 20 freaking pounds with homemade stuffing, make ahead cheater baked potatoes in a pan, mom’s perogies if she brings them which she better, green bean casserole, homemade highbush cranberry jelly and steamed veggies.

Oh, did you notice the green bean casserole in there? Here’s a little secret.

I’ve been dying to try that recipe. For years. We all know that there is something wrong in my genetic makeup, that I love Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup so much I will eat it plain out of the can with a spoon. I have a problem. But as good cooks do, I pass up my junky, low-brow cravings and make healthy meals for the family, sans soup, so rarely does canned soup enter my household.

And my word, canned fried onions? I am laughing typing this. Seriously. There are so many things wrong with that sentence. Top it with canned fried onions. Hehehe.

But it’s MY Christmas dinner and I am trying that blasted casserole. I want to know what the fuss is about!

Moving past what has probably lost me 30 readers in as many seconds, I will continue.

To The Great Pie Table. I’m doing it! I’m going for gold, baby! Three homemade pies will grace the table…at least. These are the ones I have pegged as for sure.

Pie Table:  Raisin Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Butter tarts and whipped shortbread cookies.

I shiver with pie anticipation.

Now, sorry to say, none of the recipes are coming until after Christmas. I am baking up the pies tomorrow, but they won’t be taste tested until Christmas Day and I would never post a recipe here without tasting it myself first.

Other than the green bean casserole which is all over the web, I have been working on and developing the recipes for stuffing, cheater baked potatoes and my version of baked French toast all this week, but as they are going to be mine, they will change as I cook and taste and finesse. I can’t post them until perfected.

So there we have it.

Oy. Does anyone see what I have left out of the menu’s? I just realized it and I am not going to edit it in. Let’s just say that it’s the bane of my Christmas cooking every year. So if you have been reading my site these past few weeks, you’ll know my nemesis.

I even have a reminder to take it out, programmed right into my phone. Who can tell me what I forgot as usual?

And while you’re at it, what’s on your Christmas menus? Who does sweet potatoes? What’s your desserts? Turkey or ham or prime rib? Send me links to your site if you have them!

Five more sleeps until Christmas!

Love,

I Can’t Wait To Make Everything Magpie