quote:

Originally posted by JaneDough

Bill: Good for you & your wife! Most of us don’t take time to celebrate nearly half of what we should, so DOUBLE celebrations are a good example to set. BTW, Mr. Wit is Jewish too. We celebrate our holidays, but also enjoy [other people’s] Christmas decorations, music and movies.

Elise: I’m BUSTED! [}:)] Lobster is in fact non-Kosher. Judaism is a very flexible (i.e., open to interpretation) religion. Most Jews no longer keep Kosher (for various reasons), some keep Kosher only in their own homes (that’s what my family did), and some don’t keep Kosher at all (CheeseWit & I, except @ my parents’ home, and some of our friends’ homes, where they’re STRICTLY Kosher). Bottom line: when it comes to eating lobster (and any other yummy non-Kosher treats), SOME people can rationalize ANYTHING! [;)]

Yeah, I’ve noticed there’s this interesting Chinese food exemption…

Sundancer, it now looks like a scene out of Dr. Zhivago….all the trees laden with snow, the Chugach Range is totally white, the skiing is world-class powder. There was alpenglow on the Alaska Range today, we could see Denali and Foraker from Anchorage and the moon is always visible. Supposed to have highly active Aurora tonight. Who cares what they serve on Christmas? The spirit is already here!

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

Just got back from Walmart and they had their prime rib on sale for half price. It was Vacumn packed from Thanksgiving which did not sell. It had been $75 and I bough it for $30,

I can’t wait for Christmas Eve.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

A HUGE SCORE for Sundancer! Wow, that IS cheap!
We got invited over to our friends’ house for Christmas dinner so the Cajun prime rib is gonna be for Christmas eve…..Lord knows what we’ll be served on Christmas Day? Carrot sticks? Bleeeech. Doesn’t matter. It’s Christmas.

This year i will be spending Christmas eve and morning in Brooklyn with my daughter and then driving to Massachusetts for Christmas dinner with my Dad and brothers. Since i have not been "Home for the holidays’ in many many years, my brother offered to cook anything i wanted for Dinner.[:D]We are having STEAMERS & LOBSTER for dinner![:D]Not very "traditional", i admit,but WHO CARES!!![:p]

It will seem strange though,because this will be the first holiday season at "home" since my Mom passed away 10 yrs ago this week. She is missed,…..alot.

My suggestion would be to go with Prime Rib. It’s the one time of year we’ll splurge and buy two full roasts. Easy to make and nobody ever complains. Accompany will be Irish Smashed Potatoes, Asparagus with Hollandaise and freshly baked crusty bread. Appetizers will be Jumbo Shrimp, Jewish Chopped Chicken Liver pate with Rye Crisps and Onion. Assorted Cheeses, Meats and Smoked Fish. Will have to admit my favorite is the relish tray my wife prepares. Several varieties of half-sour pickles, pickled eggs and Herring we brought over from the old country. Beverages Egg Nog, Dewars, several micro-brew beers, soft drinks, coffee. Deserts will be assorted premium chocolates.

quote:

Originally posted by EliseT

quote:

Originally posted by JaneDough

When I was a [young Jewish] kid, we’d be invited to my Dad’s business partner’s home for Christmas dinner. Both husband & wife cooked a sumptuous meal together from scratch, ALWAYS starting w/ the best lobster bisque I ever tasted (then or since). For the entree there’d usually be some kind of exotic (to me) meat, like venison, on one occasion actually bagged by Dad (yes, there ARE Jewish hunters!) & his partner on a hunting trip. And I’ll never forget the whipped(!) potatoes, with lots of butter, cream & black pepper, and a surprising dash of sugar.

They lived in a glass-front house on top of a hill overlooking the town below, and as far as downtown Philadelphia on a clear night. The floors were all white marble, with hot water pipes underneath, so they never had to wear slippers! (Oh, the things kids remember!) A tradition developed (I’m Jewish, remember?) where one of us kids would always manage to [accidentally] knock a glass Christmas ball off the tree on our way out, and it would crash to the marble floor, smashing into smithereens. Luckily, they had a good sense of humor, and we still got to open our special gifts they’d placed under their tree for us.

Uncle Al was a big man with the biggest hands I’d ever seen in my life! He used a cereal bowl w/ a giant handle on the side to drink coffee because his fingers were too big to fit through a normal coffee cup! As massive as he was (he reminded me of Paul Bunyan), Uncle Al was a very gentle man, and always impressed me that he was so skilled in the kitchen. (MY Dad, G-d bless him, didn’t know his way around his own kitchen!)

Once I grew up (and Aunt Edith and Uncle Al passed away), we celebrated the traditional "Jewish Christmas:" Chinese food & a movie. <LOL> Or, the whole family would get together @ Mom & Dad’s (nobody usually worked that day), and celebrate my birthday (the 26th). Now, Mom winters in FL, it’s my first holiday season as a new bride, Hanukah (one of many Jewish holidays born out of the tradition of "They tried to kill us; we beat them; LET’S EAT!") overlaps with Christmas (which falls on a Thursday) and I have to work on my birthday (Friday). So, it’s anybody’s guess what Christmas dinner will be like this year.

Lobster? I thought that wasn’t kosher? Or did you "have to" eat it to be polite?

My mother always believed in being kosher. she would not cook or eat pork (funny how it’s one of my favorites now), would not mix meat and milk etc. There was one exception—-she loved lobster! In later years especially, my traditional Mother’s Day dinner that I cooked always revolved around live lobsters. I never went into the rationale of why it was not included on her "kosher" list. Guess I just liked it too much myself to ask why!

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

RE: Carrot Sticks

At last year’s holiday party, I chewing on a carrot (ok, sucking the dip off of a carrot), and I take a bit, and start to choke. Yeah, the non-breathing, life threatening kind of choking. One of my co-workers gives me the Heiniken remover and out pops the carrot, along with everything else that I’d consummed up to that point in the party. Threw up in the kitchen, all over everything in the sink.

Embarassed? A little, but better than dead.

I don’t eat carrots anymore.

On the plus side, it gave me more room for the main course and desert, since i didn’t have those appetizers weighing me down.

LOL "Heiniken remover" – yep I hate when someone takes my beer away too!![;)]

Holiday eating tips.. [8D]

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt Scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt Scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with Gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between Christmas and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like
frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can’t leave them behind. You’re not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the
mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it all cost. I mean, have some standards, mate.

10. And one final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the
party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips. Start over.

But hurry! Cookie-less January [:(] is just around the corner.

Ah yes Festivus. the holiday where you voice grievances against anyone u want and do feats of strenght and amazement.

Jane, Here in semi-small town Southern Oregon, we have two congregations. Lots of Jews move to the rogue valley because of this. One rabbi will not allow mixed marriage, while the other rabbi does them all the time. Lots of inter-faith marraiges in Ashland, home of
mountains of mystic mumbo jumbo. We were married by our local bar owner-unitarian minister-fireman and had Sarma and chicken wings for the snacks…. we just like holiday food no matter what holiday it is.
bill

I would be remiss not to congratulate my bride on achieving Hamburger status. Nice going!!
Now let’s start planning our holiday traditions; A Festivus for the Rest of us!!

Bill: Good for you & your wife! Most of us don’t take time to celebrate nearly half of what we should, so DOUBLE celebrations are a good example to set. BTW, Mr. Wit is Jewish too. We celebrate our holidays, but also enjoy [other people’s] Christmas decorations, music and movies.

Elise: I’m BUSTED! [}:)] Lobster is in fact non-Kosher. Judaism is a very flexible (i.e., open to interpretation) religion. Most Jews no longer keep Kosher (for various reasons), some keep Kosher only in their own homes (that’s what my family did), and some don’t keep Kosher at all (CheeseWit & I, except @ my parents’ home, and some of our friends’ homes, where they’re STRICTLY Kosher). Bottom line: when it comes to eating lobster (and any other yummy non-Kosher treats), SOME people can rationalize ANYTHING! [;)]

I really love doing a different meal every Christmas.We’ve done the standing rib.I loved the cajun recipe!Duck,beef and pork tenderloin.barbeque,Indian,Chinese.The last few years since we,ve had grandkids,we started doing just starters-all kinds of appetizers.Everyone can come and go.We get to try out new recipes and we get to eat all night! We have family sit downs a lot so it’s nice to relax and the kids aren’t required to stay,tortured,at the table.The kids get into it and select and make their own contributions. The family that cooks together eats alot!