Christmas 2012

We had Christmas Eve at our house.

Our tree is beautiful this year – a big blue spruce

For starters:

For Dinner:

  • Ham and rolls
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Winter Greens gratin
  • Purple cole slaw (MOM or somebody who has this recipe!!! I just realized this recipe is not on EoE. Will you email it to me? How can this not be on here?)
  • Sliced oranges and grapefruits with pomegranate seeds

For dessert:

dining room
  • apple gingerbread upside down cake (made by Kirsten… and delicious)
  • Emily Jane’s brownie Santas and cookies

Chrismas Breakfast.

Mom and Dad always join us for Christmas breakfast and we always have the same thing:

Christmas Dinner at Mom and Dad’s house:

  • sauerkraut balls
  • more hanky pankys
  • shrimp
  • Roast Beef
  • popovers
  • mashed potato casserole
  • green beans
  • salad
  • and ice box pudding for dessert… of course

everything was fantastic…wonderful day…Merry Christmas!

smoked salmon platter on Christmas Eve
Grace, Jack, Claire and Sophia on Christmas Eve
it was a mustached kind of evening
Owen and Sophia
Grace opening her Christmas Eve present from Grandma and Grandpa
Emily Jane’s Santa hat brownies.
Girls in their Christmas Eve jammies
Christmas Eve photo session
Christmas morning… waiting for the egg casserole to finish cooking.
Mom’s mantle
Christmas dinner table
I made the popovers and they turned out well.
Digging into the great roast beef

 

 

 

 

Miniature Crab Cakes

Gourmet

We always use the canned crab at Costco and it tastes great.

For Crab Mixture:

  • ½ c minced red bell pepper (about 1 small)
  • 1 t vegetable oil
  • 1/3 c mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ T stone ground mustard
  • 1 to 2 t fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ t dried tarragon, crumbled
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
  • 1 ½ c panko crumbs
  • ½ stick butter, melted

Saute bell pepper in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, 2 minutes or until

soft and golden.  In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yolk, mustard, lemon
juice, tarragon, and bell pepper.  Gently but thoroughly stir in crab, salt and
Pepper to taste.  Chill mixture, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350F

In a large, shallow baking pan spread panko crumbs evenly.
Toast panko stirring occasionally, until golden brown, approx. 10 min.
Cool. (May be done up to 1 week ahead and stored airtight at room temp)

Form rounded tablespoons of crab mixture into slightly flattened 1 inch rounds .
Gently coat with panko and transfer to baking dish.

Chill at least 2 hours, and up to 4 hours before baking.

To bake: Preheat oven to 450F. Drizzle a scant amount (1/4 t) melted butter
onto each crab cake. Bake in middle of oven until crisp, approx. 15 minutes.

Serve with mustard mayonnaise (1/4 c mayonnaise, 2 1/2t mustard, ¼ t lemon juice)