Eating My Way Through Christmas Day

This Christmas was a little different at our house. My third-born managed to make her way home from South Korea several days ahead of Santa but my second-born is stiuck in Ohio until the 27th.

Which led us to postpone our gift-giving ceremonies for a few days

Which meant we had a few holes in our normal Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities.

Which we decided to fill with food.

Alright, admittedly, at our house - and probably yours too - food is a big part of every Christmas. But this year, we pulled out all the stops to treat ourselves to some extra yummy meals. And while we all know that food can never fill in the empty space of a missing loved one, we gave it our best shot.

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^ Christmas Eve Dinner 

My oldest daughter suggested a change from our traditional appetizer buffet: Chinese take out. Mad genius. We placed an order at a neighborhood restaurant called Lotus and picked up our food on the way home from church.

Lo Mein
Orange Chicken
Kung Pao Prawns
Beef + Broccoli
Egg Rolls
Steamed Rice

A fun way to kick off a day of serious eating, and we’ll definitely do it again next year. Our only regret? When it comes to American Chinese delicacies, there’s a clear champion. Shoulda just gone to Panda Express.

^Christmas Breakfast

What do you do when half the family wants French toast for Christmas breakfast and the other half wants waffles? I’ll tell you what you do; you make both. And a big ol’ heap of bacon to go with.

No regrets.

^Christmas Lunch

Charcuterie boards are the post-modern solution to a quick and delicious meal. Grab an assortment of meats, cheeses, crackers, spreads, fruits, and nuts; style your heart out; and serve.

We didn’t think we were hungry but we pretty much demolished the entire arrangement.

^Christmas Dinner

We take our holiday food traditions quite seriously and do not tamper unnecessarily with the menu or the recipes.

Grilled flank steak
Roasted green beans
Macaroni + cheese
Green bean casserole
Mashed potatoes + gravy

Predictable, perhaps, but thoroughly enjoyable.  I ate every bite.

^Christmas Dessert

Gone are the days when my young daughters began consuming candy at nine o’clock on Christmas morning and by dinner time, had zero appetite for sweets. Not that there’s anything wrong with eating handfuls of peanut m&ms while still wearing your pajamas but now we can enjoy swanky treats like this chocolate cake with white chocolate ganache filling and raspberries on the side.

And that’s fun too.

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So although we are still counting down the days till we are all together again, and we watch wistfully as our presents sit under the tree for a few extra days, we definitely made the best of it by eating our way through Christmas Day in fine style.