Christmas Menu

My parents always have a BIG dinner on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The last few years I've been encouraging them to cut back and make life more simple. Although the food is great it is a lot of work to prepare it and clean up. My dad's mom was a great cook and we said she always had to have at least 10 dishes when we came over for Sunday lunch. I'm not joking. She knew how to put out a big spread. Food seemed to be her way to show she loved us. Look at my waistline and you'll see I still confuse food and love!

So anyway, her tradition continues. To the best of my recollection here is the menu:

Ham (I wanted bone in, but I think a boneless has been purchased).

Sweet Potatoes - my dad makes wonderful sweet potatoes. The goo at the bottom tastes like candy. Our sweet potatoes must have toasted marshmallows on top.

Corn Pudding - This is a recipe my Ma-maw (mom's mom) used to make all the time. It is a tradition we must continue. We even have the dish she baked it in. I am particularly fond of it.

Cranberry Salad -Mom adores this salad. I could do without it, but I firmly believe that if there is dish someone likes for the holidays they should get it.

Cheese Grits - Yummy! These grits are baked with garlic and cheese. Michael even likes them. They may be a bit strange to people from the north. I think there is a funny story of my cousin's husband sneaking his to the dog and getting caught.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad - It has bacon, sunflower seeds and a sweet and sour dressing (and broccoli and cauliflower too, of course!).

Green Beans - Because there has to be something green.

Hot Rolls - If I have time I'm going to make some fresh ground wheat rolls. If not, we will have store bought rolls.

Stuffed Celery - My grandma (dad's mom) used to have this on her holiday tables. This is in rememberance of her. If possible, I steal some stuffed celery before the meal.

Carrot Cake - Mom makes a mean carrot cake - rich and moist. Of course I always say dirt would taste good with enough cream cheese frosting.

A Trifle - Michael has donned my sister-in-law, Shari, the Queen of Trifles. She didn't bring one to Thanksgiving (throwing Michael off) and promised one for Christmas.

I think Mississippi Mud Cake has been scratched off the menu since Shari is bringing a trifle. We once calculated the calories in an entire cake. It was beyond ridiculous. You might as well unbutton your pants before you start eating it. It is not for the faint of heart.

There may be some things I've forgotten. You know in some countries this amount of food is unheard of. I am so thankful for the abundance we have. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways, and I don't say that in an "oh isn't that nice" sort of way. God is really good to us and we should live our lives in thankfulness and worship of Him. I am so looking forward to spending Christmas with my family. Although we have our problems, they are my family and I wouldn't trade them for anything.