All Things Holiday Thread!

[Medusa]

Well, Thanksgiving and the Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice and New Year's Holidays are upon us.

Do you celebrate? What are some of your favorite foods? Do you think this time of year is too commercialized? Care to share a favorite recipe? Plans for New Year's?

This thread is for all things Holidays! or "Holidaze" if you get especially chaotic!

[Gemme]

Soooooooo overly commercialized.

I celebrate anything with food and pressies and people taking 15 minutes out of their lives to not be dickwads.

I plan to decorate for Xmas. I have plans for New Year's. I'm set!

FRUITCAKE!!! I freakin' LOVE those lil buckeyes. OMG, I haven't had them in forever but they are super yummy as well as rumballs. Real rumballs. My Gran kept all the kids happy and quiet with those rumballs. Good times.

[Medusa]

I LOVE this time of year because it means that all things pumpkin-flavored are available in quantity!!!

Pumpkin pies! Pumpkin lattes! Pumpkin bread!! Pumpkin-scented candles!! Pumpkin-colored throws!

YAY!

[ahk]

Thanksgiving is a big holiday for my wife and I-- we love to cook. Though we don't really have folks come over due to previous b.s. This year will be our first Paleo/Primal meal and I'm a bit anxious because we'll not have stuffing/or bread. lol.

I love my wife's cheese ball and deviled eggs-- I'll share one of the recipes later.

I have always felt that holidays are over commercialized-- we (family, both sides) buy 1 gift and then make all others or donate to others who need.

Christmas, not sure what's happening may be going to AZ -- and if not, then New Year's we'll travel somewhere, possibly Ruidoso-- we've been really talking about that. It'll be nice to get out of town for the holiday.

[Heavenleahangel]

I love this time of year, also because it means the holidays are upon us and I get to decorate for my son who is 6! I start with Halloween for him but get serious about things after the 1st of November getting ready for my Thanksgiving dinner. I am the cook for my entire family up here and any friends who want to come eat. Turkey and dressing of course with green bean casserole, rolls, etc.
I decorate my home and yard for Christmas and put apple/fruit pieces on my trees for the animals to have a treat. I also cook this meal for my family which will be a ham with southern trimmings. Mac n cheese, yams, corn on cob, etc. Always a red velvet cake and other goodies.
Sadly, the retailers make it too commercial and put pressure on us to spend, spend, spend. I do not get into hype of "If you love someone you will buy them..........!" It's more important for me to have family and close friends nearby and being able to celebrate another year.

[Ciaran]

I love Christmas.

Here in the UK, we (obviously) don't celebrate Thanksgiving and the other celebrations are fairly contained within the respective ethnic / religious communities.

Christmas is different. Unlike the US where many aspects still operate as normal, most things stop completely here on Christmas Day (and, often, Boxing Day too). No buses or other public transport. Very few, if any, shops open on Christmas Day etc.

During my younger adult life, I used the Christmas holidays as an opportunity to travel a lot. I think, between 1998 and 2007, I spent one Christmas back home. The others were spent in Rome, Manila, San Francisco et al.

I didn't regret it at the time - but, as I've been living the past 5 to 6 years in London away from my family, I do now.

These days, for me, Christmas is about family and my close, life-long friends back home. It's not about religion (well, it is but that's a 365 day a year thing), at least not in any meaningful sense. It's all about being back home.

After recent months, I'm very much looking forward to getting back home this year. Last year, Christmas was hectic and noisy - Tmbyfem was here, alongside my brother and his young family. This year, Tmbyfem won't arrive until post-Christmas and my brother will be celebrating Christmas with his young family in their new London home.

So there'll be fewer people which means less noise and more turkey for me. My family and friends will be around me. I'll eat and drink more than I should, probably go to mass 6 of the 7 days I'm there, reiterate to my parents and my friends how much I love them and return to London with a smile inside.

That's my Christmas.

[Jar]

I plan to decorate for Christmas. My favorite food for Christmas and thanksgiving is turkey, cranberry sauce, asparagus casserole AND my mom's dressing. My sister used to call it wet cornbread so my mom would make both dressing and stuffing. Good memories.....

[Jar]

The past few years my mom and I go shopping for toys and food. A few days before Christmas we go to several charities and make deliveries. It gives me the true feeling of the holiday. I want to carry on this new tradition this year too.

[PinkieLee]

YAY for holidays :)

For the last 10 years or so, we've gone out to eat for Thanksgiving. Now, with only me, my mom & my brother, it's actually cheaper and less wasteful to go somewhere like Cracker Barrel or Black Eyed Pea. Of course, there is no cleanup too! D has a huge family get together at her grandmother's house and I usually go over there for dessert (or round 2 for food) with them.

Just like Medusa, I love anything PUMPKIN flavored and have been secretly stocking up on my pumpkin spice coffee creamer!

I am fighting every urge I have right now... not so patiently waiting for the day after Thanksgiving so I can put up MY tree. Yes, in our house we have 2 trees (my girlie tree that has more bling on than should be allowed, and D's UT & camo tree complete with shot gun shell lights :winky: Yes, even our wrapping paper matches our trees!!

We (meaning me) are actually thinking about making gifts for folks this year. I normally do some baking to give but I'm thinking about doing some kind of craft. I've just gotta do some digging around on Etsy or Pintrest :)

[Gemme]

The past few years my mom and I go shopping for toys and food. A few days before Christmas we go to several charities and make deliveries. It gives me the true feeling of the holiday. I want to carry on this new tradition this year too.

Love this.

I enjoy going to the stores that still participate in the Tree Angel program, where local kids in the system have cards with 'wants' (usually electronics or toys) and 'needs' (usually clothes) listed, along with their sizes and preferences. I pick a couple of angels when I can swing it and have a ball shopping for them.

For those that don't know, I was in the system for a couple of years and there was one children's home that I was assigned to that was absolutely fantastic for things like this. They had fundraisers and sent out the kids' 'wish lists' (we could put 10 things on the list and at least 5 of them HAD to be clothes/necessary things but the others could be anything we wanted to ask for) to their benefactors and for weeks before Christmas the kids would have to go to the mail center and bring back boxes and bags of stuff. The anticipation nearly drove us mad, especially the younger kids and first timers, but it really made us feel as if we weren't alone in this world; that people outside of our immediate families (for those that still had family members they were in contact with) knew we existed and cared if us kids had a 'good Christmas' or not.

It kind of brings up the whole over-commercialization of Christmas debate, but when you're 8 and your life has brought you to the point where you are basically a number in a file, just like everyone else, knowing that someone took a few minutes out of their day and a few bucks out of their pocket to do something FOR YOU, that's fucking amazing. And we were far more grateful for the things we received than most kids were.

[Rockinonahigh]

The hollidays will usely be a small family thing,with the exception of my pool team christmas gift exchange then my son has a get together with frinds.Most of my family has either gone over the bridge or live a long way off
in this case we exchange cards plus phone calls.I do decorate a bit but don't go over bord with it,I also do some charity/volunteer work when I can to help the season be better for folks who are in need.I find the hollidays a lot over done with commershalism and the gimmie gimmie thing.All the hollidays use to be a big thing in my family with a big tree,gift giveing,fancy meals and all.But without the folks that made it special it has dwindled to what it is.AS for special recepies I try to do something diffrent now and then even tho I still bake to many things that either end up in the freezer or trash if we cant eat it all.I like apple pies,James(my son) likes cherry so there is one of each the at some point a make a butter rum cake then som italian pastries.By then all the health changes we have made to get in better health and lose weight have gone right out the window.Oh heck thats what new years is for,to start all over again.

[WingsOnFire]

Most definitely over commercialized...

I love love love Thanksgiving and a huge dinner with family and friends... Not sure yet this year what my plans will be but I am sure I will be partaking in several dinners with friends. I love the smell of Turkey baking in the oven, my favorite foods are stuffing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.. mmmmm and all the fixings in between....

I want to decorate my house this year for Christmas. It will be my first year living on my own but I am sure I will be celebrating it with everyone who cares to share their time with me.

I am with Gemme... I ALWAYS participate in the angel tree service... my employer has always had that for their employees and I absolutely love participating.

[CA_BabyCakes]

I love the holidays!! Love having the whole family over and doing different holiday themed activities with my kids on the weekends! I especially love baking with my brother and helping my grandma make tamales, Mmmmmm....

[easygoingfemme]

Love the holidays! Over commercial or not, I don't have to buy into the hype but choose to celebrate my own way and have fun.

Halloween is a great kick off. My daughter usually plans a costume a year in advance and has been known to spend months and months sewing and creating. Then we usually have a party with our collective homeschooling families. When the kids were younger, they would go out treating, but now they hang out in their costumes and watch a semi-spooky movie and just be themselves. The parents hang out in another room with wine and snacks and relax. We're also taking the kids ice skating in the afternoon this year for "Halloween on ice":hangloose:

Thanksgiving has changed a lot over the years. About 20 years ago my mother started making it really big after recovering from breast cancer treatment. For a while we'd have extended family travel and come and we'd have up to 30 people together for the meal. Then older generations started getting older and the party dwindled because it was too hard to travel. Last year my grandmother died a few days before Thanksgiving and that was hard. She loved Thanksgiving so much. This year, as I did last year, I will take over making the dishes my Grandmother made (Corn bread pudding, Indian pudding, chocolate cream pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes...) and my mom will make an entree and we will get together for a nice big meal.

The day after Thanksgiving we stay home and play board games and avoid the crazy outside...

Someday between Thanksgiving and Christmas (which we celebrate) my daughter wakes up to find I've cancelled everything so that we can have an all out crafting blitz and we start playing holiday music and make wintery crafts all day.

Christmas eve we have dinner at my parents house, usually something simple like quiche and salad (My mom doesn't like to cook and my dad doesn't think to take over) and we just visit.

I host Christmas day at my house. Overnight I make steel cut oats in the crockpot, and then in the morning my daughter and I make a few quiche. Usually my daughter spends the week before baking sweet breads and muffins. I put all that out with a big bowl of fruit and a lot of coffee and family comes. It's sort of small, my parents, and by brother, his wife, and their son who will be 1 1/2 this year. Everyone eats a lot and there is an exchange of gifts, largely centered around the kids. My family is pretty practical and other than my brother, most of us are not too into tangible goods as gifts, so often gifts are things like registrations for a class someone wants to take, or tickets to a play, or a gift certificate to go somewhere special. I make a huge dinner with shellfish, some sort of poultry, loads of vegetables, etc. Then we bring out the pies and cocktails. We usually run well into the evening once we've gotten through it all.

The day after Christmas my daughter and I play whatever new games might have come into the house and eat leftovers and do not leave home.

My guy and his kids will get here a day or two after Christmas, so they can spend the actual holiday with family who lives right there near them. We will take a few (home based) vacation days to go snow tubing, have board game marathons, and relax. Don't tell, but my father is building all of the kids wooden stilts, because they experienced them at a festival over the summer and loved them. So I foresee a fair amount of time being spent watching the kids master the art of stilt walking. Depending on how much snow and ice we get, this could be very interesting, or scary.

New years, last year my guy and I went to dinner at an Irish pub, followed by an awesome stand up comedy night at a local theater. We're going to do that again this year. My daughter will visit with my parents while we're out and then we'll all be home probably an hour or so before midnight. I don't have a television so we might put on a computer to watch a ball drop somewhere, or not, not a big deal.

Fun to read everyone's holiday plans!

[Jar]

ahk... wanted to know what asparagus casserole was ..... My mom makes it (I've never attempted it yet). In a casserole dish she layers asparagus, sliced boiled eggs, mushroom soup and cheese. She makes 2 or 3 of these layers and tops it with crumbled crackers, then bakes it for about half hour or a little more. Good stuff!

[Gráinne]

The kids already "did" Halloween at Magic Screams, a sort of haunted amusement park (Magic Springs). It's a good thing, as there's supposed to be bad weather moving in by then.

For Thanksgiving, I'd hoped to work at the food bank or a serving before having dinner at home. With my family gone, it's all on me.

Christmas, the kids and I are going to Oregon for my brother.

[Soft*Silver]

my holidays have changed over the years. I use to go all out decorating, inviting family over for get togethers and meals, etc when my daughter lived with me. As she matured and moved on, my health also started to decline so I had less ability to decorate but I still held dinners. Then even that changed. I went to people's houses instead. I was too poor to afford to make meals and frankly, had no one left in my life. Its amazing what poor health does to a social registry.

I met chrissy, and in the beginning, I wanted to do the holidays again because he was with me. But alas, he was still so hurt over the trauma from his past around holidays, that he could not enjoy them. He helped me put some things up for decor' but I forfeited alot because I knew it was hard on him. But, over the past few years he has come to see these holidays in a new Present light. He is beginning to enjoy it now.

And now, I am back together with my daughter, and she is pregnant. I will have a grandchild to enjoy Christmas with! We are invited to their house for Thanksgiving and they are coming to our for Christmas. I am ready to pull out all the decorations again and burst open the holiday dinnerware! A baby!!! A BABY!

life has its ebbs and flows. When I was most desolate and depressed living away from Ohio, I never thought I would feel loved again. I feared I would leave there and be unconnected to anyone ever again. My heart was broken at so many different levels, but on the larger scale, that sense of having a place in the world, was shattered. I was without family, friends, a lover, a home, no horses, no god, no job, no health, no nothing. Never have I been closer to the edge of my world than then. And now, I am celebrating again. I am at the top of my mountain and singing like that crazy nun.

So, for some, holidays might be very dark times, a candid snapshot of all that is lost or never had. Life can change tho, as it did in mine. It took everything bit of courage I had to go on, inch by inch, but it worked. So I guess I am saying this...that if your holidays are dark moments, lift them up however you need to, in order to put that tinsel on your tree...

[Corkey]

We went to a pumpkin patch, they had a corn maze that was of the Brig Niagara. We didn't do the maze because it was too much walking for us. But they had a college student who painted the pumpkins, we got one and the stand made of iron that looks like arms holding the gourd. We showed up a day early, oh yes we did! (Ami wondered why we were the only ones there).
Does not mind supporting our local farmers.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Love this.

I enjoy going to the stores that still participate in the Tree Angel program, where local kids in the system have cards with 'wants' (usually electronics or toys) and 'needs' (usually clothes) listed, along with their sizes and preferences. I pick a couple of angels when I can swing it and have a ball shopping for them.

Thanks Gemme, I'm going to make it a point to do this for at least one kid this year. I don't have any kids younger than teens to shop for any longer, and somehow shopping for a little kid just makes Christmas that much more Christmas-ier.

-Georgia

[GeorgiaMa'am]

I will have a grandchild to enjoy Christmas with!

Grandbabies change everything, especially at holidays. In my extended family when there are babies and little kids, everyone just _tries_ harder to be better, to get along, to be less cynical . . . I think we all want the kids to have happy memories. [Now my cynical side is creeping up to think some disparaging remarks, but I won't do it! I will not! I'll remember that it's good to have regular reminders (like holidays) to do the right things, lest we all forget their importance.]

Congratulations on the new grandbaby, Miss Tia! :hk13:

-Georgia

[Bèsame*]

Turkey tip...

If you brine your turkey, which makes the bird really moist and tasty, DON'T make gravy from the drippings!!! from the voice of experience! not a good idea.

Remember, brine is made of salt and gravy will be yucky!!!

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQltaOZU163wAJdqL3C8Xyg0QFBZUHsI WaHjbPmBT0pzMrYonkqKA

p.s.
If you have a gravy boat, don't forget to use it.

[Medusa]

I baked 5 dozen cornbread muffins for absolutely no reason today while working at home and kinda panicked a little when it occurred to me that I would have to do something with them.

SO!

I am putting them in the oven overnight to stale and then I'll break them up in the morning and put them in freezer bags to use in my cornbread dressing in a few weeks ;)

[Rockinonahigh]

I have a trick I use to keep a turkey moist with lots of flavor,I take a can of peaches 1/2 stick I puree the peaches juice and all then melt half stick of lite butter and a half shot of good white wine( use the kind you would drink or if you don't care for wine,leave it out)Then mix it all together thin enough to use in a injector,then shoot the bird up every where you can,if it;s to thick add more peach juice ( do not add water as it will mess the whole thing up..For the cavity I stuff one large juicy peeled orange cut in half one large apple peeled,quartered and un seeded with a couple if sticks of celery stuff it in the bird after you season the cavity first with what ever you care to use.Cross his legs then tie with cooking twine.Now wrap in foil snugly the cook in a turkey pan or roaster till done.A fue minits before it comes out of the oven take to top foil off to expose the turkey,pop back in the oven til it turn golden brown.I promiss this will workas it never has failed to work for me.

[Jar]

I am putting them in the oven overnight to stale and then I'll break them up in the morning and put them in freezer bags to use in my cornbread dressing in a few weeks ;)

My mom makes the best dressing I've ever had! I love the stuff. She won't be here for the holidays so I'll be attempting to make it for the first time. Wish me luck :|

[ahk]

My wife she makes good stuffing-- with herbed fresh baked bread, water chestnuts, green chili turkey sausage, celery, onion, garlic,fresh sage, and drippings from the turkey.

We haven't decided if we wanted to do it or not this year-- since we've kind of have gone gluten free-->paleo--->primal. We are still deciding on it.

This year we decided to make a turkey breast and still cook it the way we normally do with a larger bird. I brine mine with apple cider, cold water, fresh rosemary leaves, garlic, kosher salt, pepper corns, bay leaves, maple syrup, orange peels, and bay leaves. I boil mixture then let it cool. Let turkey bathe in it over night. Its been one of the best mixtures we've come up with.

So what does everyone usually serve with their bird? or main dish? (for those who don't cook the Tom)

[Corkey]

My wife she makes good stuffing-- with herbed fresh baked bread, water chestnuts, green chili turkey sausage, celery, onion, garlic,fresh sage, and drippings from the turkey.

We haven't decided if we wanted to do it or not this year-- since we've kind of have gone gluten free-->paleo--->primal. We are still deciding on it.

This year we decided to make a turkey breast and still cook it the way we normally do with a larger bird. I brine mine with apple cider, cold water, fresh rosemary leaves, garlic, kosher salt, pepper corns, bay leaves, maple syrup, orange peels, and bay leaves. I boil mixture then let it cool. Let turkey bathe in it over night. Its been one of the best mixtures we've come up with.

So what does everyone usually serve with their bird? or main dish? (for those who don't cook the Tom)

Palio stuffing recipes.
http://www.paleofood.com/stuffings.htm

[ahk]

Palio stuffing recipes.
http://www.paleofood.com/stuffings.htm

Thank you.

Actually, been considering this one (http://paleomg.com/thanksgiving-caramelized-onion-sausage-stuffing/)

:fastdraq:

[Jesse]

I do not have any family really, but that will not stop me from cooking. I bought two 16 lb turkeys this week on sale for .59 a pound. I will roast both and then debone and can them in the pressure canner, so that I can nosh out on roasted turkey all year. :) Not sure what I am going to do for Christmas just yet.

[Kätzchen]

I love the season of winter holidays, moreso, I love to pretend I'm Ms. Santa during the month of December and do random, unexpected acts of kindness for those who live in my neighborhood. My favorite thing to do is bake holiday goodies and leave them in the washeteria (on the weekends) because even though the door is *supposed to be locked*, children in my neighborhood often use that area as their 'fort' -- a place where they can keep warm when they're shooo'd outside to go play and probably haven't had much to eat. I also, because I've been poor most of my life, like to think of myself as Ms Santa when I check on dryers of clothes, left by other dwellers in my community, that are over-packed with clothes that need to be dry and can't possibly be dry in an hour's worth of time.... So when I catch a dryer full of clothes like that, I use my laundry card and put more time on the machine, so that their clothes will actually be dry.

I don't think anyone has figured out yet, who it is that does this every year, in all the years I've lived here; but the kids might have an inkling of an idea because there have been times that I've been caught by children, in the washeteria, leaving treats for them to eat.

<<<~~ *Ms. Santa* :blush:


ps/ Your cornbread sounds delicious! I may have to make a batch of it today for my son (he loves fresh, out of the oven, cornbread and buttermilk).

[Medusa]

Well, I am going to venture out to the grocery store tomorrow to pick up the last of the dinner needs. Hopefully the weather will hold out. Had a bit of sleet today and I do NOT drive on anything slick :)

So far, the meal consists of the basics:
Turkey and dressing
mashed potatoes
candied yams
macaroni and cheese
green beans (that Jack won't eat because I throw the turkey neck in there while they simmer and she says it looks like a penis)
rolls
deviled eggs
and something chocolate

A certain beautiful boy and I made fudge together last year and I suspect that will be happening again. ;)

[Leigh]

I love to hear all of the holiday talk, especially since I am a HUGE fan of Christmas ~ I love to decorate, go shopping, spend time with my family and just enjoy the season. I do agree in many ways that xmas is so over commercialized that people get so wrapped up in the gimme/i want part of it, no one realizes that this holiday isn't all about giving gifts and spending tons of money. Its about celebrating the love between people (though that should be celebrated all year long), getting together, and just being with the ones you care about. I'm very much looking forward to just being able to celebrate being with those who love me, and will no doubt be looking forward to starting my own traditions and memories next year :)

[Breathless]

I love the holidays.. all of them.. all year around.. :)
This one particularly, we have standard plans... decorating, the house, and or yard, paint a few new ornaments, every year.. a must. :) Baking with my kids, sometimes together, sometimes individually. Handing out cards to friends and family with a baking treat, usually cookies or a loaf (banana, zucchini or pumpkin) Christmas Eve and morning have always been mine with my children and their friends. Everyone is always welcome. Now that they are adults, it is just that much more important to hold on to those days, at least in my opinion. Usually.. after everyone is done work for the day, they meet back at my place for drinks& eats& games. I usually prep the night before, wings, ribs, crab dip, cheese and crackers, homemade veggies and homemade dip.. my kids favourite hashbown casserole, and a couple new recipes I try each year. Egg nog of course :) and various other treats. We finish last minute Christmas things together, from wrapping gifts for other family members, and break out the wii for some competition.. Christmas morning with fruit platters, and chocolate fondue, and gift opening. Then they are off to see the rest of the family, and i don't usually see them again till around the 29th or so, sometimes not till the first week of the new year. Both my children are grown, or almost (soon to be 18 and 21) so i am ever grateful for the moments that i still get with them. Right now it is hard to get their time, with their own g/f and b/f, in laws and extended family. Soon they are going to have families of their own, and babies too..
So after 10 am, I'm on my own, this year I'm thinking I'll either work it or go to the movies or both :)
I agree with most, that the holidays are very commercial, but I also believe that we have to own that as our own doing. Hold on to, and make our own traditions that make it and keep it about what it should always be about. Spending time with loved ones and giving! Our time, and compassion are always the best gifts and the most priceless.

[homoe]

I LOVE this time of year because it means that all things pumpkin-flavored are available in quantity!!!

Pumpkin pies! Pumpkin lattes! Pumpkin bread!! Pumpkin-scented candles!! Pumpkin-colored throws!

YAY!

It's only a matter of weeks until all things pumpkin will start to show up! I already saw pumpkin shaped Reese's peanut butter cups at Fred Meyers! Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, holiday goodies ..I can hardly wait for it all...:eating:

Sidebar: I've also gotten a few presents purchased already....:present:

[homoe]

~~
I do realize sometimes holidays can be depressing for those without family or friends close by but as for myself, I enjoy the shopping for gifts that I know will bring joy to others. Besides gift I LOVE sending food goodies such as Seattle's Chocolate Truffle bars, See's Eggnog Truffles, Racine Kringle, oh the list goes on and on. Who doesn't love finding something delicious and tasty in a gift box around the holidays!