Chet Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 When I worked in the meat department for a grocery chain, Christmas time was one of my favorite times because you got a chance to hear about the different traditional meals that your customers prepared for Christmas eve or day. This is the one thing that I still sort of miss in my retirement, not being able to talk to people about their traditions. So I thought I would start a conversation here and see what all you people have for traditional family eating habits. I'll start it off. Ours comes form my wife's side of the family it is Portuguese and is called vinha d'alhos, I think that is how it's spelled. It is pork marinated in wine or vinegar along with pickling spice, garlic, pepper and a little salt. Marinates 3 - 4 days then Christmas morning we fry it up and serve it with eggs and french bread that has been dipped in the marinade and also fried up. When I first tried it when I was dating my wife, I wasn't sure I cared for it but now I couldn't get through Christmas with out it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 My sister carries on a traditional chocolate cake recipe from our grandmother. One that involves marshmallows and requies a spoon to eat. And a coma-like state of lethargy for an hour or two afterward...man, its good! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 Our food traditions seem plain and boring. We have ham or turkey, cheesy potatoes, and a green bean casserole. Our deserts are more of a tradition. Always ginger snap cookies and decorated sugar cookies. Other traditions are playing whist for many many hours. A more recent tradition seems to be trying to dodge work schedules. Someone always ends up having to work so we have to make last minute changes to our schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 When there was someone to cook for, we had Turducken and oyster dressing, every year. This year a smoked pork shoulder, "Pulled" of course with some homemade coleslaw, and my buddy "Jack Daniels" is going to drop by for about a fifth. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: Always ginger snap cookies Oh man, this is my favorite cookie. When Kathy makes them for the holidays she makes some extras and freezes them in portion to last the year. If there were a ginger snap eating contest I would be in contention for a top spot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tom King Posted December 22, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 Ever since I was a little boy, and I'm sure before I was even old enough to remember, we always had the same meal at Thanksgiving, and Christmas. When I was little, they were always at my Grandmother's house that my Dad grew up in. That Grandmother died in 1968, but my Aunt that lived in the home house kept up the tradition until she left us in 2004. The meal was always Large. Turkey, Virginia cured ham, dressing, and maybe 6 vegetable dishes, all made from fresh ingredients. Every few years, when another In-Law Wife had matured enough to become a memorable cook, another dish would be added. My own Wife now furnished a Cranberry congealed salad with other fresh fruit in it. All the same furniture was moved, from the old home house dining room, including the large Oriental rug, into my Parents' dining room, and the traditions continued there. My Mother, now 103, had to be moved into an Assisted Living place recently, and we were fortunate to find someone to rent her house, as it sits, but this was the first Thanksgiving, and will be the first Christmas ever, not to have the same home cooked meal, and gatherings around that large table. Where my Mother lives now, there is a Cracker Barrel that's fairly close. This past Thanksgiving, the tradition changed, but the large gathering occurred at that Cracker Barrel, so my Mother could attend, and in spite of the sadness from the ending of the memorable tradtional meals, all had a good time. My Mother even joked, as we were leaving, that it was nice to not have to clean up. I expect we'll do the same thing for Christmas. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 29 minutes ago, Tom King said: My Mother even joked, as we were leaving, that it was nice to not have to clean up. Ain't that the truth. This is the only down side to any big family meal, but a small price to pay for family fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Dave H Posted December 22, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 My ex mother-in-law stayed with us for Xmas one year, she said she wanted to make eggs Benedict for breakfast for everyone as it was a family tradition. She insisted she needed a silver platter for the presentation I told her we didn't own one but, we had a crystal platter and, she said that wouldn't do. So I asked why the silver platter and she replied there's no plate like chrome for the Hollandiase 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lewisc Posted December 22, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 3 hours ago, Chet said: Ain't that the truth. This is the only down side to any big family meal, but a small price to pay for family fun. One of our latest traditions has to use fancy paper plates. Makes clean up quite simple. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Minnesota Steve Posted December 22, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 Mincemeat pie is my favorite and so I always like having it, and sadly my kids and wife won't eat it so I have it all to myself. :-) Otherwise it's ham, sweet corn, mashed potatoes, etc. pretty standard fare. And then since my wife is Russian... we have second Christmas on January 7th. That usually entails duck or goose. pickled herring, Russian potato salad(if you haven't had this it's delicious), beet salad, pickled carrots... all sorts of small dishes. Russian potato salad takes a bit to make as you dice up everything... potatoes, chicken or ham, eggs, pickles, carrots, peas, onions, dill... and mayo. I can't do it justice... every person makes it differently, but this is a good article on it. https://valentinascorner.com/olivier-salad-recipe-russian-potato-salad/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 22, 2019 Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 About our only consistent tradition is setting up the tree Thanksgiving weekend. I suppose the singing of carols is typical as most of both sides are musical. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 5 minutes ago, Tpt life said: About our only consistent tradition is setting up the tree Thanksgiving weekend. I didn't realize how many people did this. When I was a kid we put it up sort of late in the season because my mom liked to keep it up until Epiphany. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted December 22, 2019 Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 We have several, I love xmas and having my family home the most. We start xmas eve by heading to the Honey Baked Ham Company to get the ham for Xmas dinner and soup packs for New years eve. Then we stop buy my favorite aunt and uncles to drop off our woodworking gift. They love getting them, her living room is like a showroom for my work I have been doing it for so many years lol. After that we head home and once the kids get there its always Hors d'oeuvre's and games on xmas eve. Christmas day we open our gifts have brunch and then a large dinner later in the day. Usually movies and games etc throughout the day. Not going to lie I can't wait...but now I need to get back to to the shop and finish those gifts 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 My wife makes Potica Bread. It's hard to explain but it's cinnamon and ground walnuts on thin dough rolled up into loaves so that you have flaky pastry between the cinnamon/nuts layers. Very laborious to make and very delicious. It originates in Slovenia and her family picked it up when they lived in the Pueblo, CO area when she was a child. Apparently there is a population of Slovenians in the Pueblo area. Who knew? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 Dave, many years back I had a piece of Potica Bread. It was a commercial product, in the sense of mass produced, which I know is probably not the same as what your wife makes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick S Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 22 hours ago, Chet said: When I was a kid we put it up sort of late in the season because my mom liked to keep it up until Epiphany. My mom always insisted on the same thing. We'd get the tree the weekend before Christmas, then always go for hamburgers at Bob's Better Burger in Midland, TX. When I got a little older I realized that trees were always discounted as Christmas got closer and wondered if that had something to do with it. We always have pork tamales on Christmas Eve followed by green chile, sausage and egg casserole for Christmas breakfast. Then usually a rib roast for dinner. I'm getting hungry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legenddc Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 It's nice to hear everyone's traditions. We started 3-4 years ago staying home on Christmas Eve and making calzones with the kids. No idea why my wife picked it. Christmas dinner is usually a turkey/ham at my parents house. I think the 'standard' tradition. My in-laws always have hominey and sausage for breakfast when we get together for Christmas. Never really loved it, but I think I would miss it if we didn't have it. With all of our families growing it's just nice to get together. We celebrated Christmas a couple of years ago with my inlaws on a Friday night drinking beer and eating appetizers and it was still fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 38 minutes ago, Mick S said: My mom always insisted on the same thing. We'd get the tree the weekend before Christmas, then always go for hamburgers at Bob's Better Burger in Midland, TX. When I got a little older I realized that trees were always discounted as Christmas got closer and wondered if that had something to do with it. We always have pork tamales on Christmas Eve followed by green chile, sausage and egg casserole for Christmas breakfast. Then usually a rib roast for dinner. I'm getting hungry. Dang Mick I'm coming to your house for xmas that sounds amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 6 hours ago, Chet said: Dave, many years back I had a piece of Potica Bread. It was a commercial product, in the sense of mass produced, which I know is probably not the same as what your wife makes. I didn't know there was a commercially made Potica. I didn't know the stuff existed until I settled down with my wife. These days it doesn't feel like the holiday is complete without that smell of baking cinnamon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark J Posted December 24, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 24, 2019 Meals and locations for them seem to vary from year to year and decade to decade, but since our kids were on solid food I've always made French toast on Christmas morning. And it's always served with true maple syrup (there's nothing like boiled tree sap). I make the best French toast. The trick is simple. I use crusty French or Italian bread. Let it soak fo a few minutes and use a fork to crush the crusty edges. When its "egged" through and through it's ready to cook on low to medium heat. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2019 4 hours ago, Mark J said: And it's always served with true maple syrup (there's nothing like boiled tree sap). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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