Free For All Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 I'm going to spend Christmas with my sister this year and we were talking about our family's traditional holiday sides & treats. One I always remember is a cranberry Jello salad with celery, pecans, mandarin oranges, sometimes little bits of cream cheese. Probably pretty common, but it was good. Also, my mom would always make a big 'ol batch of Chex mix- ours always had chex, pretzels, cheese crackers and nuts. I used to eat that stuff like crazy. Nothing really exotic in our family. My dad would always have some great oranges on hand, and there was always a variety of candy- my favorite was the toffee covered in chocolate and nuts. Candied fruit too, although I wasn't into that until later. I'm going to a holiday party tonight and I'm taking my usual contribution- a warm queso made from Velveeta, picante sauce, sausage with a little onion & garlic powder and pepper. Sometimes I put chipotles in, but some people don't like 'em, so I will leave them out this time. Not in any way a healthy food, but it's sooooo good and always is a big hit and goes fast. Anybody ever make Hoppin' John for the New Year? I'd be curious to hear of our board members' off-the-beaten-path holiday guilty pleasures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 The one tradition in our family is a side dish made with lime Jell-o made with cream cheese (or you can use vanilla yogurt) and garnished with maraschino cherries. It was a tradition at my mother's house when she was young. At their first holiday dinner together, Dad took one look at it and gave it its name: green mold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 Pumpkin pie is a big favorite here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 Not too many traditional favorites from my childhood, except for when grandma would make fruitcake. She didn't make it a rum cake, but she would soak it in bourbon (dad always had a jug of Jim Beam in the house). The cake would be on the kitchen counter under a towel, and once or twice a day for a few days grandma would lift up the towel and splash liberal amounts of the booze on it. Sadly, I had not developed a taste for the brown liquors at that point, so it wasn't very appealing to me. I'm sure it was quite tasty... In recent years, my own traditions include a very simple 5-minute fudge recipe (sometimes with walnuts or pecans), and chocolate covered peanut butter balls. Both are always a big hit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 Anybody ever make Hoppin' John for the New Year? My ex used to make that actually. Haven't had it in years, but it was a good New Year's treat. And Dan - we called it "Green Shit" at my house when I was growing up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 And Dan - we called it "Green Shit" at my house when I was growing up! Its good stuff though, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I LURVE Christmas Pudding! (That might be what Glenn called fruitcake - but usually brandy goes in it over here.) They keep well, so I usually manage to get my missus to get an extra one so I can have it in July! MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 The one tradition in our family is a side dish made with lime Jell-o made with cream cheese Not a good thread to read while eating breakfast. Second the comments on the Christmas Pud with lashings of brandy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 (edited) My wife, who's Irish, makes a killer Christmas pudding, usually making it before Christmas in year X to be eaten in year X+1. For those unfamiliar with the practice, the pudding is hermetically sealed, steamed for hours and put in storage. Every couple of months she takes it out and steams it for hours again. It stays sterile all year round and develops delicious flavors by the time it's eaten. My father-in-law has traditionally made a wonderful Christmas fruitcake, also prepared months in advance and regularly splashed with Irish whiskey. He's been ill this year, so I don't know if he was up to it. Here in France the customary holiday fare includes champagne, oysters, smoked salmon, and foie gras with a sweet wine. This year I'm preparing my own foie gras for the first time. Also I like to make a good old-fashioned egg nog. Edited December 7, 2008 by Tom Storer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 MG, fruit cake is most definitely not another name for Christmas Pudding. Its widely regarded with revulsion, as its the "go-to" gift for people you don't really care about. The joke is that there is only one fruit cake, and it just gets passed around every December 25. And Bob, don't knock Green Mold/Shit til you've tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 MG, fruit cake is most definitely not another name for Christmas Pudding. Its widely regarded with revulsion, as its the "go-to" gift for people you don't really care about. The joke is that there is only one fruit cake, and it just gets passed around every December 25. Apparently, only until it reaches you, Dan. Do you have a sign on your door - "the fruitcake stops here"? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I like a good fruitcake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Yes - any time of the year. When I was at work, members of the Retirement Fellowship from the office used to come in and hold a fair several times a year in aid of a charity. One lady always brought in fruitcakes she'd made. And I always bought two - one to take home and one to share with my staff (though I confess to usually getting two slices of that one) - what's the point of being boss if you can't have two slices of fruitcake? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 MG, fruit cake is most definitely not another name for Christmas Pudding. Its widely regarded with revulsion, as its the "go-to" gift for people you don't really care about. The joke is that there is only one fruit cake, and it just gets passed around every December 25. Apparently, only until it reaches you, Dan. Do you have a sign on your door - "the fruitcake stops here"? MG No, because anyone who has given me a fruitcake has gone off the gift list thereafter. The lesson is learned pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Oven-baked goose, stuffed with apples and pears (it reduces the fattiness), served with small potatoes boiled and caramel coated (rolled in a mixture of sugar and butter in a pan), red cabbage. And,of course a delicate wine-infused sauce. Red wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 That goose sounds scrumptious. When I was a kid, back in Americkay, we occasionally received a fruitcake as a holiday gift. But it was never a home-made fruitcake. It was purchased from some kind of mail-order catalogue and sent by some distant relative. These fruitcakes were heavy, overly sweet, and studded with the kind of candied fruit that, if you buried it in the backyard, would be unchanged if unearthed a century later. No wonder fruitcake got a bad name. In Ireland the Christmas fruitcake is called simply "Christmas cake" and, although you can buy them from bakeries, the homemade kind is often served with pride and eagerly devoured. They are dense but richly flavored and have an almond-paste frosting. No relationship to the much-decried American-style atrocity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 And Bob, don't knock Green Mold/Shit til you've tried it. It was the jello that got me. I hate that stuff ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 And Bob, don't knock Green Mold/Shit til you've tried it. It was the jello that got me. I hate that stuff ! Oh. I figured it was the concept of using cream cheese with the hot water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I like me some good jello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 My mom makes these chocolate coated coconut/walnut balls that are all I want for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 My mom makes these chocolate coated coconut/walnut balls that are all I want for Christmas. Schweddy Balls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 MG, fruit cake is most definitely not another name for Christmas Pudding. Its widely regarded with revulsion, as its the "go-to" gift for people you don't really care about. The joke is that there is only one fruit cake, and it just gets passed around every December 25. Apparently, only until it reaches you, Dan. Do you have a sign on your door - "the fruitcake stops here"? MG No, because anyone who has given me a fruitcake has gone off the gift list thereafter. The lesson is learned pretty quickly. Oh, I misunderstood your post completely! Must be Jim with the fruitcake sign on his door. (Just realised what I've written.) MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 My mom makes these chocolate coated coconut/walnut balls that are all I want for Christmas. Schweddy Balls? Nooooo..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 MG, fruit cake is most definitely not another name for Christmas Pudding. Its widely regarded with revulsion, as its the "go-to" gift for people you don't really care about. The joke is that there is only one fruit cake, and it just gets passed around every December 25. Apparently, only until it reaches you, Dan. Do you have a sign on your door - "the fruitcake stops here"? MG No, because anyone who has given me a fruitcake has gone off the gift list thereafter. The lesson is learned pretty quickly. Oh, I misunderstood your post completely! Must be Jim with the fruitcake sign on his door. (Just realised what I've written.) MG Not necessarily...there's some awful fruitcakes out there....but some scrumptious ones as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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