Christmas dinner hangover.

[Zeke]

The kitchen, not me. MG, what a mess. All day to cook and all day today to clean up (if I finish). I wonder if it's worth it? Family members here maybe 3 hours. I've been at it one way or another, including all the shopping, for about 7 days.

What say you?

[billybek]

Not sure why but our bird needed to go into overtime to finish. It was perfect but we didn't eat until almost 8pm.
Kitchen was a disaster but my wife did most of the cleanup last night.
It was just us and no other family so it seems to be an awful lot of effort.

[Scott Douglas]

We were supposed to go to our son's house yesterday so we could be there for the kids. Wife woke up with a sore throat so we cancelled. We had made stuffed flank steak to take with us. She had baked cookies all day the day before. Flank steak gets messy what with the beating it to tenderize and then cooking all the stuffing too. I ended up cleaning up the kitchen as she had an auwee on her finger that hurt when hot water hit it. She cooks by just doing it, no matter the mess she makes. I on the other hand coming from a 'clean as you go' environment at work, like to clean up the work area after certain tasks are done with.
Needless to say we have lots of cookies to eat. She gave away one of the flank steaks to neighbors. She kept the one with cheese/spinach stuffing by mistake. It was OK but not great. The bacon in it saved it as far as I'm concerned.

[flatbutt]

My daughter typically hosts. We all bring food and help with clean up but we are generally all together for more than 3 hours.

[Jims5543]

My wife did not feel good Christmas eve all day. We were supposed to go to my parents and waiting until Christmas morning to decide. She still did not feel good so we decided to skip going there.

Then we realized we needed to eat dinner. A trip to the deep freezer came back with 3 viable options that would defrost in time for dinner.
Chicken wings
Steaks
Sweet Italian sausage

Since a Misfits box was delivered Friday, wife said. Let's do Sausage / peppers / onions with some sliced potatoes for good measure.

I fired up the Blackstone flat top out on the porch and cooked it all at once.

Minimal mess and cleanup.....and it was delicious. That flat top does most all of our cooking lately. I have cleanup on it down to a few minutes. Best money spent on an outdoor appliance ever.

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[LakeCleElum]

Between decorating and cooking, my wife works non stop for 2 weeks. I feel guilty as I spend one hour shopping on the Interweb and I'm done. She says I make up for it by plowing snow non-stop and haul all the decorations up/down from the garage attic......

[Baz]

No issues here at all. None!

Christmas Eve dinner for just myself and Mom.

Cooked a 9 lb. turkey breast in the oven, Carved off as much meat as I could. Put the carcass in my largest crock pot along with some broth and let it simmer until yesterday morning.

Sides were mashed potatoes (Bob Evans) already made - just heat in microwave.

P. Farm dressing - easy to make on stove top.

Gravy made with packet that came in the turkey.

Cranberry sauce (from a can - very easy).

Pillsbury crescent rolls - baked in oven - easy.

Steamed Birdeye veggies (microwave - very easy).

Tossed salad - store bought. Publix here makes a nice one.

Welch's Sparkling White Grape non-alcoholic wine.

I put enough for Mom and I into Rubbermaid containers to bring over to her place. Dished out onto our plates and microwaved to heat up. What was left over I left with her in the same containers. Very simple and easy.

The food was amazing too - everything came out unreal.

Cleanup not bad at all either.

Doing deck work outside today - just got back from HD with more lumber...

[Zeke]

Scott, when I cook a simple dinner everything gets cleaned/washed as I go. Of course that is a must when dealing with poultry. Everything gets a wipe with disinfectant at each handling of the bird.

But there's that last half hour when making gravy, putting things in serving dishes, carving the meat, heating the rolls, that thing starts to pile up in the sink and then anywhere there's a flat spot left on the counters. Or even the floor if I know I'm done with it.

We don't pass plates around, we do a buffet type serving trying to keep a little distance as we go. Every other spot for a place setting at the table was vacant. Everyone got tested in time for results by Friday. I went nowhere after that but can't speak for the others. I was the only one with a mask. And I was so busy, I didn't eat dinner until later. I sat at the table for 15 minutes (masked) after all were served, but something is always forgotten. This time it was the water pitcher to fill the empty water goblets. Had to laugh about that. Back up getting things.

I tried to keep everyone out of the kitchen. You know how it is, on a normal holiday "there are too many cooks in the kitchen." Mostly drinking wine.

(added) — Jim, I really like that flat top. I'm getting one!

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

I fired up the Blackstone flat top out on the porch and cooked it all at once.

Minimal mess and cleanup.....and it was delicious. That flat top does most all of our cooking lately. I have cleanup on it down to a few minutes. Best money spent on an outdoor appliance ever.

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I'm guessing that's LP yes? Does it tolerate weather well? Flatty like.

[craigster59]

What was supposed to be dinner for 7 turned into dinner for 2 thanks to the virus.

I had bought a spiral cut ham from Costco so all that needed to be done is douse with orange/ pineapple juice, coat with brown sugar and heat up for 2 hours.

We had some Green Giant broccoli in cheese sauce (the 2 yo Granddaughter loves it, go figure) so popped that in the microwave, Pillsbury biscuits in the oven and the Wife made instant mashed and gravy.

Boom, dinner was served. Lots of leftovers and a hambone for bean soup to be made later.

I have to say that Costco ham is WAAAY easier than wrestling with a turkey and the kids usually like it better anyway.

I also have one of those Blackstone griddles, a great tool for any cook's kit!

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I'm guessing that's LP yes? Does it tolerate weather well? Flatty like.

Yes it is LP, I purchased a hose adapter as my portable one was set up for 1 gallon tanks. I adapted for 20lb tanks.

I have only had it since October so I cannot attest to its tolerance to weather. I keep it covered with a grill cover when not in use. I plan on having it full time under a roof by next summer when the rain starts again.

Lowes sells them in all shapes and sizes. I have a 24" portable (to take RV camping) there are table top versions and monster 36". I am happy with the 24".

We cooked pancakes and bacon this morning and will be grilling burgers on it this evening. The only thing I use my fancy new gas grill for is steaks now.

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[Captain Ahab Jr]

I missed out on Christmas day this year, in bed all day with a nasty cold

Could be a lot worse with all the nasty virus's going around so have nothing to complain about

[bob deluke]

Wife and I went to my sisters for Christmas dinner. Had clams casino, shrimp cocktail, baked scallops, antipasto, stuffed shells, spiral ham and assorted homemade Italian cookies. Too much food, stopped at stuffed shells. When my mom was alive, she made the traditional Italian ‘7 fishes’ spread for Christmas Eve. We’s start eating around 4 p.m., stop around 7, open gifts, go to midnight mass, come home and have pasta with calamari sauce. We helped with the dishes, finally went to bed around 3 a.m. Christmas Day, re-lived it all over again. Man, I miss those feasts, but no way I could eat all that food today. My stomach couldn’t take all that rich food. Good times though…

[Zeke]

Bob ^, sounds great.

[ckelly78z]

My wife, and daughter usually do most of the cooking, while I do most of the cleanup before, after and anyone shows up/leaves, but also doing dishes/kitchen cleanup directly after the meal.

I am the one cleaning the house, getting extra chairs out, leaves in the table, setting the table.

[Evans, Marv]

Just my wife and me. We're not getting out among crowds much at this time. We had a simple steak dinner with no mess. Went for a short hike up "Cowles Mtn." in the S.D. area during the day. I'd like to find a small turkey and make it with stuffing, etc. this coming week, just because all this talk about turkey had made me hungry for it.

[Scott R]

W had Christmas dinner at the United Club in Honolulu. They always have cup-o-noodle for the kids.

[Brian 162]

We had a 20 pound turkey with mashed, stuffing, peas and roasted potatoes for 3 people. It looks like a bomb went off in the kitchen. I did most of the cleanup. I clean and wash pots/and dishes as we go along.
We had hot turkey sandwich with potatoes for dinner tonight. Turkey soup is being made tomorrow.

[Baz]

I finished my turkey soup mid-afternoon yesterday. Just in time to share with a couple neighbors. I asked another friend of mine who declined ..."I already have too much food here right now!"

Neighbors shared with me homemade lasagna, apple cobbler, cherry ham, carrot cake, caramels, some kind of pastry things that were delicious, and a half gallon of freshly squeezed OJ.

My bi-annual physical is on Thursday and for the past couple months I've been working hard to stay trim and eat healthy and now all of a sudden temptation is on my doorstep!

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by bob deluke

Wife and I went to my sisters for Christmas dinner. Had clams casino, shrimp cocktail, baked scallops, antipasto, stuffed shells, spiral ham and assorted homemade Italian cookies. Too much food, stopped at stuffed shells. When my mom was alive, she made the traditional Italian ‘7 fishes’ spread for Christmas Eve. We’s start eating around 4 p.m., stop around 7, open gifts, go to midnight mass, come home and have pasta with calamari sauce. We helped with the dishes, finally went to bed around 3 a.m. Christmas Day, re-lived it all over again. Man, I miss those feasts, but no way I could eat all that food today. My stomach couldn’t take all that rich food. Good times though…

Sounds like my childhood. It was like a repeat of Thanksgiving that ALWAYS featured turkey, lasagne, escarole and beans (pronounced shkadole and beans), broccoli rabe, braciole and on and on. Not to forget Grandmas rice pie with those weird red and green bitts in it. Man we just ate for hours and then played Po-Ke-No.