My Christmas Menu 2016

A few of 2016 Christmas memories.


Every year I host Christmas Dinner since we moved to Pittsburgh.  I usually had both holidays when we lived in Harrisburg but since the move ten years ago some of the hosting has been shared with my daughter and daughter- in- law which I really appreciate.

I love the holidays but quite honestly they are tiring.  I love baking and cooking and enjoy how much my family loves what I prepare but I have many memories of my mom being the host and she was always so tired.  Her house was small and her kitchen was so small it was hard for her to move around if we gathered around her while she prepared so she shushed us away to the other room while she got everything ready.  We always asked to help but other than set the table she wanted to do it by herself.  She would have the kitchen window open (in the middle of winter) and she would be perspiring something terrible.  I used to feel so sorry for her but she liked having us there but it really was too much for her.

I now see where I am getting to the age that all this is starting to get me tired as well so I decided I would do things a little differently than Mom did or even my mother- in -law.  They worked the day and eve of Christmas instead of preparing ahead of time.

I believe that doing some early prep works for me.  I don't feel my mom ever really enjoyed holidays because other than cookies she made the salad and pasta whether it was ravioli or cappelletti very close to the actual holiday. Actually that day or a day before.

I start the beginning of December making my pasta dish, soup and sauces and so far this year I have already made 10 bags of gnocchi and froze them, several pounds of braciole and sausage, hot and mild and meat and marinara sauce. Today I made my soup and mini meatballs for Wedding soup.All freeze well and will be fine for Christmas.

All in all I feel this works for me and when Christmas comes I plan on the night before putting together our antipasto and then removing any items the night before from the freezer(gnocchi not until I am ready to cook them on Christmas) so as to thaw and the next morning only have minimal cooking and plating the dishes.

Dessert will be cannoli, ricotta or custard, Molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream and a few cookies I plan on making. Probably Italian, pizzelles and possibly chocolate chip.  Not too many cookies this year.  I'm leaning on cookie bars as a possibility.

This is my plan and I know it will work. Below is an example of what my Christmas dinner this year will include. 

Large Antipasto

Wedding Soup

Potato gnocchi (photo is ricotta gnocchi)

Braciole

Sausage and meat sauce as well as marinara sauce

Cannoli both custard and ricotta filled

Chocolate Molten Cake too!

Spanish Tortilla

Recipe repost:👍

Hello everyone. I adapted the below recipe to my liking and cut the recipe in half.  My baking dish was a little too large for the amount I made so my tortilla was not as high as I would have liked it to be but it was definitely enjoyed by my hubby and I.  I served it with a nice summer tomato and romaine salad with a sweet balsamic dressing.

**The next time I make this I am going to add more red peppers and also make my potatoes cubes smaller.

Note:   I think this would make a great breakfast brunch dish to serve when you are having family or guests.  Fresh fruit also would compliment it. 

  
2 T olive oil or the dish
1 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes cut in 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
4 scallions
1 med. red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 to 3 tsp. red pepper flakes
10 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
6 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano Italian cheese

Heat oven to 375

Lightly grease a 2 qt. baking dish
Boil potatoes until tender
Drain and set aside

Chop scallions and save green parts separate
Dice red pepper

In a large skillet with approx. 2 T olive oil place peppers, onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. stirring until vegetables are tender.  Add drained potatoes and gently mix to combine. Transfer vegetable mixture to baking dish.

In a large bowl whisk, eggs and sour cream.  Stir in the cheddar cheese, Italian cheese, and 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over the vegetables and stir gently to distribute the ingredients.

Bake until puffed and golden and set in center approx. 35 to 40 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

From my kitchen to yours,

Woman's Day/Sept.2013

8/30/16

8/14/13

Our Christmas 2015 Menu

Here's our Christmas Menu.  It's pretty much the same each year with different variations of antipasto, pasta and desserts. Our family insists on tradition so there is always some red sauce on our table as well as the Cappelletti soup.

Look for links in the label section of my blog.  It is to your right.  If you can't find the recipe you are looking for message or comment on this post.  I am short on time so I did not link  the recipes but I will answer your comments or questions for sure. :).

 This years antipasto was a real challenge!  

Antipasto 

Cappelletti soup

Very Similar

Chicken spinach and mozzarella roll-ups

Mozzarella stuffed meatballs

Fresh baked bread

Dessert

Rum cake with fresh whipped cream 

Various Homemade cookie delights 

Cheesecake topped with strawberries 

Fried ice cream

Coffee, tea and fruit punch

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!  Buon Natale!

12/21/15

Brownie Cheesecake!!!

I haven't had much of a chance to go over many recipes that I have collected over the years.  Today I started to browse through the many sheets of magazine papers that I have collected.  This is one I am definitely going to make for our Christmas or even Christmas Eve dinner.  Any leftovers will easily store in your refrigerator.

This recipe was cut out from People Magazine 2005.  It looked delicious then (I have the picture) and after reading it again I am definitely making it this year.

Everyone in my family loves cheesecake and the grandchildren love their brownies so if you have chocolate lovers this mix might work for you too!

Brownie Cheesecake

1 pkg (13 x9  inch size pan) brownie mix

4 pkg. (8 oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup Sour Cream

3 eggs

2 squares Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted, cooled slightly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 13x9 inch pan with foil extending over sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray.  Prepare brownie batter as directed on package, pour into prepared pan.  Bake15 minutes or until top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set.

Meanwhile beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add sour cream;mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over partially baked brownie batter in pan.(Filling will come almost to top of pan).

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set.  Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake..  Cool.  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. (I always refrigerate cheesecake over night.)  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Lift cheesecake from pan using foil handles.  Drizzle with chocolate, let stand until chocolate is firm.  Cut into 16 pieces to serve. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

12/23/12 original
12/19/13
8/19/14
11/3/16

Boston Cream Cake!

One of our family favorite desserts has been Boston Cream Cake.  This is my guilty pleasure...

  I thought I'd try my easy version of the recipe and I'm very happy to tell you that it was really good and it didn't take much more than using a box mix, cook and serve pudding and my chocolate icing to almost duplicate (sorry Mom) the recipe. 

 Nothing tastes as good as a scratch cake but with summer almost over and kids back to school I think this may be a nice cake to make for everyone. Lots of us foodies have children and grandchildren who love dessert so I thought I would try to simplify a family favorite without making baking too time consuming.

  The grandchildren were visiting today.  Last evening I did 3/4 of the prep, refrigerated the filled cake and iced it this a.m.  This a  cake that must be refrigerated!  Enjoy!

This would be a nice dessert to share with some friends when entertaining!

Cover when filled and store overnight if possible .  Or refrigerate several hours before topping the cake with the chocolate icing.

Cover and refrigerate( I placed a few toothpicks around the cake and then covered with plastic wrap).

 I took the shortcut and made this easy version of Boston Cream Cake.  It turned out very very good.  I do have the recipe using homemade custard.  Just email or comment and I'll send it to you.  




Ingredients:

 1 box Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix.  (bake according to directions)
  
** Note: I used a bunt pan and when the cake was baked and completely cooled, using a serrated large knife,  I cut the cake in half.  I think it is easier than using two 9" cake pans.

2 pkgs. vanilla (cook and serve vanilla pudding)  Make according to directions on box.  Note: Use whole or 2% milk because I made this with 1% milk and the pudding was thin.

Icing

1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla 
2 cups or more confectionery sugar
approx. 1/4 cup milk (judge the amount of milk how thick you want your icing)

Sift confectionery sugar, add cocoa and mix together.  Add milk and  vanilla.  Mix well by hand until all is blended and smooth.  Note:  Be careful when adding milk. Do so very slowly so as not to add too much milk.

From my kitchen to yours,

6/10/13
8/28/13
9/17/15
11/23/15
1/29/16
 

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