The Menu

It's taken 42 years, but we finally get to (have to) host Christmas at our house. Here's the menu...

afternoon hor d'oeuvres:

antipasto platter (olives, pickled veggies, susage, cheese)

gerkin pickles

shrimp platter

something else my mother is doing

cookies

dinner:

Stuffed pork loin

gratin potatoes

carrots & asparagus

homemade braided bread

salad

cranberry sauce

figgy pudding

desserts:

cherry pie

french silk pie

pumpkin cheesecake

red velvet cake

I did the cheesecake for Thanksgiving, and it was unbelievable. Delicious. I also just mixed all ingredients together rather than layering as recipe says. It's fantastic, and that streusel topping is like no other pumpkin pie. The red velvet cake, below, will not be iced until tomorrow. It unbelievably, takes an entire 1oz container of red fod coloring. It worried me having the 2 year old trying to help me make this one for fear of how pink my kitchen may be afterwards.

The younger two also whipped up three dozen more cookies. With 5 of us, they go fast, and we need a plate for Christmas day, as well as to leave for Santa. They are far from lovely, as I did not roll them and cut with cutters this year, but what they lack in grace, they make up for in color. I think I have spent $15 in colored sugar sprinkles this year!! Here we have sugar cookies, gingerbread, peanut butter-hershey kiss blossoms and white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies...enough for an afternoon or two!
Tomorrow's agenda includes having hubby vacuum again, clean bathroom, and make bread. I have to frost the red velvet cake, prepare veggies and pork, find out what time church is, and breathe! Maybe somewhere in there I can dream about a week away sewing in peace :-)

cheers-