Sorry Dear, Mommy's Hungover

* Update below

Last night was our first annual neighbourhood Christmas Crawl. Damn, what a good time. Each participating household took turns hosting and providing refreshment. The snacks were most savory and the potables potent. There was champagne, lychee martinis, mojitos, and many other fabulous treats...

...candy cane martinis



...oysters rockefeller



...pecan-encrusted shrimp with a mint sauce (so delish!)



...bacon-wrapped scallops



...smokes



for the grand finale, the organizers of the event had a chocolate fountain, and served port. Yum.



There was much clinking of glasses, laughter, and even dancing!

Alas, all good things must come to an end. I knew it was time to go home to bed when my neighbour and I toppled to the floor during our dip.



Cakes kindly slept in until 8 this morning (I was the sucker that drew morning shift). The good news is, now my shift is done, I’m going to have a nap and catch up on the OC all afternoon (who’s the sucka now, BP).

***

Thanks for all your Christmas dinner suggestions. We’ve decided to keep it fairly traditional as my family is pretty meat-and-potato-ish. Here’s the menu:

turkey with stuffing*
garlic mash potatoes
vegetables supreme (MIL’s fabulous recipe)*
turnip puff
cranberries

*recipes below

I asked my mom to bring dessert.

BP and I are on our own tonight. We’re going to grill a couple of steaks and stare at the tree. Maybe I’ll give him an early Christmas present, as long as he doesn’t overcook the steaks.

Happy Holidays, my friends!

***

Vegetable Supreme

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets and stems
2 Cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 Cups small fresh carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 med. onion finely chopped
1 can mushroom soup
1 Cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup butter melted
1 box seasoned crutons crushed (bread crumbs work just fine)

Cook vegetables separately in boiling water and drain well. Mix together eggs, mushroom soup, mayonnaise, onion and half of the grated cheese. Pour over vegetables and mix well. Distribute evenly in a lightly buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, pour melted butter over this and distribute crushed crutons on the top. Bake for 40 min. at 350. This is better if made a day ahead or early in the day you are using it. Enjoy and lots of love, Grandma


Stuffing

1 lb. sweet Italian turkey or pork sausage, casing removed
2 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, diced
2 Granny Smith or delicious apples, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 tsp. poultry seasoning
12 cups cubed country-style stuffing mix or 12 cups multigrain bread (24-oz. loaf), cubed and dried in an uncovered bowl overnight
2 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Brown the sausage until cooked through. Remove from heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and crumble sausage.

2. Melt the butter in the skillet and simmer the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, apples, garlic, and poultry seasoning, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the apple-vegetable mixture to the bowl of sausage, along with the stuffing mix or bread; mix well. Moisten with the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Makes 20 cups.

4. Tester's tip: Stuffing can be cooked separately in a large glass casserole dish, but more stock may be needed to replace the moisture that usually comes from the turkey cavity.

***
Update

The dinner turned out pretty fucking awesome if I do say so myself.