Christmas 2022 Planning Document: Tapas on Christmas eve and Christmas day brunch

 Christmas Eve Tapas Planning Document

Favorites from previous years. I put my favorites in bold and at the top.

Hot Spiced Meatballs w/pineapple

Beef tenderloin.  Ordered from Borderland Meats in Norway, MI Rub the meat with salt and pepper, garlic and parsley.  I used this marinade approach  BEST EVER MARINATED BEEF TENDERLOIN.(Wrap in saran wrap and marinate for 2 days.)  Delicious.

Shrimp-Cilantro Lime (another Ruth Reichl recipe) I am going to capture this one. My new favorite way to make shrimp.  I love the sweet and spicy marinate/dip).  Excellent with a Rose. Served Revolver. OR Classic Shrimp cocktail!!!!!!

Fig Empanadas (Thanks Katie, for the recipe. Love, love love these)

Beet deviled eggs

Pat is bringing the ingredients for this appetizer: red fig jam on bruschetta with goat cheese, toasted almonds and pork belly bacon.

Claire suggested: blinis, cranberry Brie puff pastry bites,

WE ALSO NEED DESSERTS

Pat suggested chocolate covered toffee and snowman cookies

Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy

OTHER FAVORITES

Three Cheese Walnut spread w/apples and pears (this is amazing)

Crab Cakes via chef Patrick (Thanks Pat for sharing your recipe and coaching me from afar. I hope you are with us next Christmas.) served with corn relish.

Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Drizzle

Manchengo cheese slice topped with a dollop of Dianne's pepper jelly and an almond

Fondue Cheesecake Bites with Red Grape Relish

Definitely a Brie option:

• Baked Brie with honey pistachios and served with cranberries and apple slices.
• Brie with cherry jam and pepper jelly from Dianne.  We love this. A keeper. Be sure to have enough baguettes.
• The Best Wine and Brie Pairings

Two new appetizers: 

1. BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEAR AND RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA WITH SAGE OIL  from The Floating Kitchen and  
2. Baked Broccoli Poppers with Honey-Sriracha Dipping Sauce from Oh My Veggies. The Butternut Squash app was a big success.  We used goat cheese instead.  The squash spread was incredible. We saved the broccoli app for January 2nd.  They were delicious.  I love the honey sriracha sauce and the peanuts. A little too spicy for Mike but it is a dipping sauce.

Christmas Day Brunch

• An egg dish:

Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms

                    or

                     Sumptuous Egg Casserole

                    Christmas-Morning Casserole

• Cheese Potato Casserole

• Smoked Ham with Cherry Bourbon Glaze

                Purchased ham from Borderland Meats in Norway, MI

                Recipe for the glaze from Vindulge

• Need fruit and or a salad, some options

Mary Lou is brining:  Cranberry Spinach Salad and a Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

            Grapefruit salad with honey mint dressing

            PEAR POMEGRANATE SALAD. (NOTE: Claire made the pear pomegranate salad for the                 McGlynn's and it was a big hit)

• Rolls, especially for sandwiches later
• Mustard sauce
  
  
• Need dessert
• Here is what I am thinking Chocolate Truffle Raspberry Cheesecake.
• Almond Joy Bars
• 7 Layer Bars
• other possibilities
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Cheese Tart or Tarte au Fromage Blanc
• Cheese Cake

Save for a different day Red wine Braised beef short ribs

So many special moments this Christmas; like hugging Claire after her LONG travel, sipping sparkling wine while cooking up a storm with Claire. I couldn't have done it without you Claire. Singing carols at Cedars Edge Wine and Gift Shop, dinner at the Chippewa Club toasting Harry Parsley with his amazing wine, Christmas eve tapas and wine with Claire and Mike, watching the Packer Game with family and enjoying Christmas brunch, competitive euchre match with John, Claire and Lorraine, watching movies with Mike and Claire. 

The wine

TIMING

December 19th (Day 7) Monday

• make empanada filling
• boil eggs and add to beet infused water/vinegar
• Mustard sauce

December 20th (Day 6) Tuesday

• Make noodles and sauce for "Noodler Doodler"
• Cook bacon for bacon stuffed dates

December 21st (Day 5) Wednesday (drove to Green Bay and home again)

• marinated tenderloin

December 22nd (Day 4) Thursday. Drove to Rhinelander to get Claire. Plus Claire

• Enjoyed a pizza from Crispinas

December 23rd (Day 3) Friday. 

• Hash brown potato casserole
• egg dish
• pickled onions
• cut up cheddar cheese
• Stuffed bacon wrapped dates
• Make Empanadas dough

December 24th (Day 2) Saturday. Christmas eve

• Make Empanadas
• Marinated Moz ball, tomato on skewers
• Deviled egg filling and stuffing
• Meatballs

December 25th (Day 1) Sunday Christmas Day

• Prepare whisky Cherry glaze for ham
• Assemble egg dish

Christmas 2020

 We have had 3 amazing weeks with Claire this year, Dec 6 - 29, 2020

Week 1

The weather was mild with temps in the 40s.  I could have put my kayak in the water. Claire worked 10 - 12 hour days and we enjoyed fun conversations, wine and wonderful food at the end of those long days. Claire used my office and set up in the dining room and kitchen. It has been fun relocating and enjoying the views.

On the weekend we searched for Sunday Funday wine. Claire needed the wine for some cocktail research. We traveled to Little Lake, MI and found the wine at Brown's Store.  We also found the wine in Gwinn, MI. It was a fun trip. We circled back to Iron Mountain, attended mass at Immaculate Conception. The Christmas dinner at The Chippewa Club was canceled due to pandemic restrictions in MI. We ordered an array of appetizers and a tenderloin dinner to go.  What wonderful taste sensations.

This first week was also Mike's introduction to the Harry Potter series.  It was fun watching this again.

There were stunning sunrises, Beautiful white swans and other water fowl to observe. 

And stunning night skies.

Mike and I picked out the tree on Tuesday after church and we decorated it on Sunday.  It is the best tree ever and so much fun decorating it together.

Week 2

Tons of work continued for Claire, Mike and myself along with a trip to Eagle River, for an eye appointment, a trip to Escanaba for packages. Mikes travels for doctors appointments and work.

We also had a visit from Santa, Santa's elf and Rudolf. What wonderful neighbors. Santa and his elf enjoyed one of Claire's amazing Holiday Cocktails along with Cranberry Salsa, cream cheese on a cracker. 

A fun Virtual Wine Study event.  We are tasting through then Holiday Vinebox together. This week we sampled some French white wines.  Claire and I also tried a wonderful white Bordeaux. Most of my work concluded on December 18th and I could turn my attention to holiday preparations. Claire and I started by creating our Christmas eve menu which included some experimental appetizers. We tested the stuffed mushroom recipe over the weekend and made almond joy bars and my moms pecan lazers.

I will remember these days of work and conversations, of walks in the woods, of beautiful river views.  This time with Claire and Mike has been most precious.

Week 3

Snow on Monday shifted our trip to Minocqua to Tuesday. Claire and I had to be super efficient with stops at MCC, the post office, Ann Marie's, Kathy Bosacki's, Trigs and Tasty Take n Bake. We got back just in time to travel to Escanaba for a wonderful dinner ala John Dailey. I got to share Linda's fruit cake with Lorraine.  It was heavenly.  Now I know what fruit cake is suppose to taste like.

We tasted through amazing wine while Claire was home. This is a sampling of the wines from week 2.

Claire helped me with the Christmas cards on Wednesday and we mailed them in Norway on our way to pick up the tenderloin from Borderland Specialty Meats, Foods and Smokehouse. This is an amazing place and super friendly people. We decided to cook the tenderloin on Christmas day,  What a great idea. I smothered it in herbs, seasoning and garlic so it would be ready.

Claire and I began making the appetizers Wednesday afternoon through Thursday.  

Two new appetizers: BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEAR AND RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA WITH SAGE OIL  from The Floating Kitchen and  Baked Broccoli Poppers with Honey-Sriracha Dipping Sauce from Oh My Veggies. The Butternut Squash app was a big success.  We used goat cheese instead.  The squash spread was incredible. We saved the broccoli app for January 2nd.  They were delicious.  I love the honey sriracha sauce and the peanuts. A little too spicy for Mike but it is a dipping sauce.

Thanksgiving 2022 - Cabin

 Thanksgiving 2022 - Cabin

To make ahead:

• Bread for the stuffing: I have a bread machine and love it for this purpose.
• Turkey or chicken stock. You will need this for the dressing and the gravy. I plan to try this recipe. Roasted Turkey Stock. This recipe is fantastic!!!
• The Cranberry Salsa and Cranberry Compote can also be made ahead. While you are at it, make this as well. Cranberry Barbeque Sauce. The link will take you to 2 fun things to do with left over turkey.
• NOTE: the dressing is VERY time consuming.
• One day before: make the pies.

The Menu

Wine: I love to start with Champagne. My family loves Cabernet Sauvignon so many will switch to Cab with appetizers. I am going to serve a Chateau du Moulin a Vent Moulin-a-Vent 2019 with dinner.

Appetizers:

• Lorraine also brought cheeses and sausage.
• Lorraine brought hard boiled eggs and we made Deviled Eggs.  They were a big hit!
• Tim & Judy will be bringing an appetizer. They brought shrimp, cheeses and crackers, potato chips and dip.
• CRANBERRY SALSA OVER CREAM CHEESE. NOTE: I love the Cranberry Salsa with leftovers. I did not serve this.

Turkey - from Borderland Specialty Meats, Foods and Smokehouse I order the turkey and they brine and season it for me. DELICIOUS!

Dressing - apparently chestnuts are hard to find. I could purchase 5# for $57.75. So can't make Mom's chestnut dressing. Cranberry, Sausage and Apple Stuffing. NOTE: make the bread chunks smaller.

Cranberries

• Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• Mama Parsley's Cranberry Compote

Potatoes

• Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed potatoes

Gravy - John usually makes the gravy but just in case. Here is a recipe. I don't plan to make this ahead. I like to use the drippings from the turkey. My Mom also made a stock using the giblets from the turkey.

Make-Ahead Gravy NOTE: John added sliced fresh mushrooms, sliced onion and the can of cream of mushroom soup to the bottom of the roasting pan 1 hour into cooking.  I also added about 2 cups of red wine. We used 4 cups of the turkey stock thickened with cornstarch which was then added to the pan drippings plus. John's gravy was to die for.

Rolls/Biscuits - I discovered that many people like rolls or biscuits with dinner. I thought I would try this recipe. Sweet Potato Biscuits. John is in charge of rolls this year.

Vegetable - I struggle with this one. This is one of my favorites but not everyone likes this

• Raw Corn and Radish Salad with Spicy Lime Dressing. 
• I am thinking about trying this.  BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD or PEAR POMEGRANATE SALAD. (NOTE: Claire made the pear pomegranate salad for the McGlynn's and it was a big hit)
• Another option is Tangy Green Bean Salad. I made this but not sure if this is the right option.  Need something different next year. Another Tangy Bean Salad to try.
• Another option Gulliver's Corn. Ann Hughson use to make this when we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Hughson and Moran families.

Dessert

• Pumpkin pie with  whipped cream. I am going to try this recipe. The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie from New York Cooking
• Apple pie
• I have also served this Wine-Sherbet Finale Refreshing after a big meal.

The Next Day/Weekend

• I make a turkey stock and use that for soup. Roasted Turkey Stock
• I tried this Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe this year. Yum! You need a lot of heavy cream and milk which I happened to have on hand.
• Cranberry Barbeque Turkey Pizza. I make the pizza crust in my bread machine but you can use premade pizza crust.

Tangy Green Bean Salad

 Tangy Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 no 2 can French style beans, drained (I use fresh)
• 1 small can tiny peas, drained (I use frozen)
• 4 sticks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced. (red pepper adds a pretty color)
• 1 small can pimento, drained and chopped (I usually don't use)
• DRESSING
• 1 T salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Wesson oil
• 1 T water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• dash pepper

Combine all ingredients

This is another version with more ingredients. I am going to give this one a try.

https://cleanfoodcrush.com/tangy-green-bean-salad/

Appetizers to try for Thanksgiving - 20201

 All recipes are from NYC Cooking

Florentine Dip

Figs Stuffed With Goat Cheese  Sadly , no fresh figs

Baked Brie With Quick Cranberry Jam

Potato Leek Soup

 Linda Peck made this soup and her husband Tom shared it with Mike and I on November 15th.  This was the opening day of deer hunting in Michigan.  Tom shot an 8 point buck in the morning and we were celebrating with Champagne and potato soup. A great pairing!

Linda said that she makes it with half and half rather than heavy cream.  Also, fresh ingredients are the key as is well drained Nueskes bacon.

Link to recipe

Anise Pork with Figs and Apples

 Food & Wine posted this recipe in a collection of fall recipes. I fell in love. It is one of my go to recipes.  I make it all year round. The recipes was published in May 1996 by By Marcia Kiesel

Anise Pork with Figs and Apples