December blessings to you with all the sweetness you can stand!
Today instead of the usual sharing from my 1926 copy of Sarah Field Splint's book
THE ART OF Cooking and Serving
with Chapter 3 Helpful Cooking Equipment,
I'm jumping over to CHAPTER 25
Menus for Special Occasions.
Sarah's menu for Christmas is as follows:
Christmas
Oysters on Half-Shell
Stuffed Celery ~ Ripe Olives
Stuffed Celery ~ Ripe Olives
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Bread Sticks
Roast Goose or Duck ~ Fried Apples
Glace Sweet Potatoes Creamed Cauliflower
Dinner Rolls Currant Jelly
Heart of Lettuce Salad
Mince Pie French Ice Cream
Nuts and Mints
Coffee
This sounds delicious to me and helps me to relax a bit more about having a formal meal on Christmas Day. I tend to get too worked up over entertaining.
The way my small Dining~room is set up I will place the meat dish, dinner rolls with butter on the main dining~room table along with the relish items and salt/pepper. The salads and cooked vegetables, nuts and mints will be placed on the sideboard/buffet. Dishes will be stacked on the buffet and the silverware will be rolled in napkins placed in a basket. Beverages will be passed out after everyone is seated. More than likely it will be iced tea and water.
After we have ate the main meal, the buffet dishes will be removed and replaced with dessert. The dessert dishes and silverware will be placed on the buffet along with a coffee urn, cups, saucers, stir spoons, creams and sugars. Sodas will be in the kitchen. It will be a Help Yourself Buffet.
If my parents come for the day they will sit at the main table. Children and Grandchildren will be seated in Family~room.
It looks like we will be purchasing a stainless steel coffee urn and fold up chairs with card table from Sam's. I have been eye balling a urn for about 8 years...think it is overdue!
This week I will continue to clean the house for Christmas and decorating. Next week, I'll be making the menu out for our holiday and doing the shopping for the goods. I need God's peace on all of this. Being ill has slowed me down and I get aggravated at how slow I move.
Even when you are good at planning or prepare way ahead of time, you gotta go with the punches. Life. Handle with prayer and preparations so your patience doesn't run out.
Me, myself, and I are in need of prayer. I have been weaning myself off of some medicine I was put on when my heart was beating irregular. My husband and daughter are witnesses as to how cranky this has made me. I am hoping that within the week I will be cheerier.
~Deanna~
6 comments:
Deanna,
I pray for you each day and know that God will make you healthier and stronger!
I love the sharing of the menu from the 1926 book and your plans for Christmas dinner. Our dining table is in the kitchen since our house doesn't have a formal dining room. We put all of the food on the kitchen counters and everyone serves themselves (buffet style). There is no room on the table for food so we have to use the buffet approach. I use the good china and serving dishes to make it a bit more special since the formality of a dining room is something we don't have. For Christmas this year I am trying something new with a Christmas morning brunch. I got the idea from the magazine "Christmas Cottage." We are having my m-in-l, her beau, as well as some friends over to enjoy the brunch. I enjoy entertaining like this even though I will be cooking up a storm from early in the morning until everyone arrives. For Thankgiving I hadn't much time (or money) so I used 'cheater' foods and it worked out well. Everyone raved about the food even though it wasn't exactly homemade. I used canned yams (mashed them) and added ginger, allspice, cinnamon, brown sugar in a pot with a bit of vanilla coffee creamer. After it was cooked I put it in a baking dish with apple butter on top and baked it in the oven. As for the stuffing-I used instant stuffing with sauteed smoked turkey sausage and onions. It was a huge hit. The gravy was one of those powdered packets that you add water to. Needless to say everything was very easy to prepare and everyone loved it. Sorry this comment is so long!
The comments you leave for me always warm my heart. It's amazing to me how close we can feel to people we have never met face to face. Thank you for your friendship:).
Blessings,
Kim
KIm, I'm delighted you shared with me. I want to try your recipe for yams! This sounds awesome!
Would you be willing to do a post with pics on your lovely blog?
I always enjoy stopping by your place.
Always friendly and kind.
d
Dear Deanna,
I loved reading your post and the menu from the book and plans for Christmas dinner.
Sending lots of love and prayers your way and I hope that you feel better.
Hugs & blessings
Carolyn
Carolyn, Thank you so much for the prayers and kind words!
You will be having family coming in, you can allow them to help you! :) And don't make it to hard on yourself. Remember it's about family and enjoying time with them....I doubt anyone will remember years down the road what was served or not served. :) But will remember memories of visiting and laughing! :) I'm making a new banner for your blog...:) keep calm and keep it simple. :) Ok...think I'm done now. :) hehe
Hi Michele,
Very good banner...have to agree with the simplicity part.
Excited you all are coming. Making preparations so we can make happy memories.
God bless!
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