Christmas food. I don't do a big Christmas dinner, instead on Christmas Eve (when we do our present opening) we have an hors devours buffet. I'm not sure how this got started in DH's family, but back home everyone brings 2 or 3 to Grandma's house and we lay them out and snack instead of having real supper, and we play games and visit and open gifts.
We don't live back home, DH is in the AF, so it's just us and the 4 kids. We still do this, but it's just me fixing the fancy snacks. And I start from the time we get out of bed and are still fixing stuff till just before supper time, and we just snack on it all day long.
These pics are from the last Christmas we had Stateside back in Idaho, cause I forgot to take pics of the food this year. Some things are staples, but other things change. As the kids are getting older they are helping more (thank goodness, cause those yummy snacks sure are fiddly to make) and have more input in what we have on the buffet too.
Pictured are: mini apple turnovers (puff pastery cut into small squares filled with chopped up canned apple pie filling, then the corners are brought up, pinched together, and it bakes up like that) meat balls (1lb ground beef, 1 large hand full Parmesan cheese, equal amount seasoned bread crumbs, mix, make balls, bake till brown) Stuffed mushroom tops (I dont remember what I stuffed them with, but I did top them with cheese, sorry) Reindeer cookies ( a nutterbutter cookie decorated with a pretzel, chocolate chips, cinnamon candy to look like a reindeer), a cheese ball and crackers (store bought)
This year I made: Bri puffs (puff pastery cut into small squares filled with brie, then assembled as above, you dip it into Blackberry jam that has been spiked with hot pepper sauce, so it's just a little bit spicy), Spinach dip cups (store bought filo cups, filled with spinach dip, 1 lb thawed/drained spinach, 1 block cream cheese, 1 c sour cream, 2 tbs Gourmet Burger seasoning (by Mc McCormick) ) Lil Smokies (2 packs lil smokies, 1 jar grape jelly, 1 jar chili sauce in a crock pot) Steamed Artichokes dipped in butter, a cheese and fruit platter, Avocado dip and crackers, the cookies we baked.
On Christmas Day I make something easy, or prepare ahead a couple days so I have something to pop in the oven. This year we took the Married Missionaries out to eat a a local family style Japanese place (yay Japan where things are open!) they were going to just raid their fridge for left overs too so this got them out for a treat, and we really love the Savages!
Brie Puffs! I must make those! How long do those bake for?? Dang, that's so easy, and I've had the whole brie wheel in puff pastry before, but I adore the idea of bite sized.
ReplyDeletehmmmm.... spiked blackberry jam... amongst the rest. I'd get curvier there!
ReplyDeleteah zut, heu... is me, steph aka missg!
ReplyDeleteWow, so much food. Every year my dad makes breakfast on christmas...your so lucky
ReplyDeleteLJ, you bake the puffs for as long as the package tells you to, I buy packaged puff pastry.
ReplyDeleteOne year, I learned how to make Creme Puff shells, and filled some with cream and some with Chicken salad, they were surprisingly easy. I made them again for one of the kids parties, I think I blogged it here somewhere?
Oo, we do hors d'oeuvres on Christmas Eve, too, over at my Grandma's. Those apple turnovers look amazing. You make everything look so easy, Jessica! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the buffet idea Jess!
ReplyDeleteI gatta do that.....but our Mexican dishes aren't so buffet friendly:(
But I can make OTHER foods huh?:)
mmmm....puffs:) yum!
oxo