Christmas preparations.

[sailortats]

My annual Christmas delight is the, despised by some, fruitcake with a "hard sauce" topping. Hard sauce is merely, butter, sugar and a little vanilla extract. For me it would not be Christmas without this.

[kiltedrennie]

I've been looking into trying some of the interesting Christmas items like Clootie pudding. I watched a video of someone demonstrating how to make one. Looks interesting.

[piperdbh]

I plan to make my Thanksgiving fruitcake tomorrow. As for differences between Thanksgiving and Christmas menus, in my family Thanksgiving follows tradition: turkey, dressing, various things made from root vegetables, various things made from apples, pumpkin pie. For Christmas, we don't follow a particular menu. At the two large family parties we attend, everybody brings whatever they want.

[TheOfficialBren]

We do (basivcally) the same for both holidays.

Turkey (deep-pitted), ham (roasted), stuffing, various salads and casseroles, cranberry sauce (always at my insistence), corn on the cob, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie (yuck), fresh veg.

There are some occasional variations once-in-a-blue-moon but they are intermittent. Mostly, the same menu for each holiday. It's a tradition in our family.

I'd rather enjoy a change of pace just once...Sushi Thanksgiving! Thai-Mexican Fusion Christmas!

[ratspike]

I've got the double whammy of being a vegan who's never been big on holidays. For a long time Thanksgiving was always Thai food. This year I'm thinking a huge vat of Navratan Korma and a Field Roast sound lovely. My wife's family has an equally oddball tradition for Christmas. They do a nacho type thing, so I make a vegan adaptation of that along with a completely epic guacamole and a mountain of baked goodies.

[Pleater]

In Yorkshire the Christmas cake is usually brought out along with - cheese. Particularly the white crumbly Cheshire. It is perhaps an acquired taste, but well worth the trial.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[StevieR]

In Yorkshire the Christmas cake is usually brought out along with - cheese. Particularly the white crumbly Cheshire. It is perhaps an acquired taste, but well worth the trial.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Yep, this is something we've always done. Don't know why, there's no Yorkshire blood in the family. There was always something very satisfying about sitting down to a late supper on Christmas day, (with the kids tucked up safely in bed) a slice of cake, a piece of cheese (Lancashire tasty in my case) and a glass of Highland Park!

[StevieR]

Clootie dumpling and Christmas pudding are both very similar suet and fruit based puddings. Christmas pudding was also traditionally steamed in a cloth but steaming in a bowl or basin is now more popular. Happy to pm you my nan's recipe if you fancy a go! You've still got time but need to be quick as they need to mature for a few weeks.

[Laird_M]

We only do Xmas for the kids as its not a Buddhist celebration.
Will be making a traditinal style cake this weekend, and a clootie dumpling nearer the time.

Only snag is we nomally put our tree at the bottom of the stairs or by our bay window. We've now moved Imi's computer downstairs by the window and she wanted a bearded dragon for Valentines which is at the bottom of the stairs...

Xmas eve we have a goat mutton curry with lots of gravy, pol sambul (grated coconut with toddy vinegar, onions and chilli), tose (rice flour pancakes) and dahl. And I wear my kilt as I ALWAYS eat too much. The wife's cooking is superb, and its one of my favourite meals, so I can let it out...

[David Thorpe]

Having spent many years in South Texas, I was introduced to deep-fried turkey, pan de polvo and home-made tamales. All are delightful holiday treats.