So...whats for dinner?

I'm guessing most of the ingredients are spices????

My whole chicken....Now, I always brine it overnight before putting it in the 350F degree oven. Sometimes I add a cut up lemon or a cut up apple in the cavity (peel/skin included). I've tried onion and I don't really like the onion.

The leg ends finish first so when they look done, I cover the ends with aluminum foil and continue until everything else is done.

I roast a whole chicken quite often....rub it with a little EVOO and squeeze the juice of a whole lemon on it...then, put the lemon inside...liberally sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder with parsley on whole bird.  Start at 425 and reduce temp to 350 after first 20 mins. Usually needs to roast about an hour and a half..often cover with for last  about 15-20 mins so as not to burn.  Usually turns out delish! (This is all for an approx. 4-5 lb bird.)

Monica - so nice to hear from you and with good news too. Congratulations!

I too, would like to wish my friends here who celebrate it, a very Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukkah. I hope you get to spend it with family and friends eating good food. Love you all!

Prime rib ready to go into the oven. Think I'll add green peas & call it a day.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and Hanukka and Solstice.

I like that Mr. Christmapiller ornament.

In a little bit, I'm going to bake the pumpkin and make the pie. The crust is ready. I'm also going to make my orange-pineapple-sour cream-coconut dish. And I'm going to start on the sourdough rolls. I didn't get a chance to try out the cast iron biscuit dish, so I don't know if I'm going to use it or not. Sharon's mom is bringing over a bunch of side dishes, so we should be good for tomorrow.

DD talked me into making a potatoes au grautin dish she found in a Fine Cooking magazine. I've never done that before, so that will be an experiment. In addition to the turkey, I'm going to give one of the standing rib roasts a try. Both are a sort of Christmas present to DD.

I had to give DD her present, an iPhone7, early. Her cell phone had been on it's last legs since early November--being bent and cracked when a drunk bicyclist crashed into her while she was walking back to her dorm--the last of the phone's legs finally collapsed a couple of days ago. She was thrilled.

The other thing we did was to make sugar cookies today. While cruising the mall a couple of days ago, I found a dog bone cookie cutter. DD loves all things dog and she loves cookies. Combining the two things was perfect in her mind.

The other thing for tomorrow is the annual zimmet kuchen. It's a German sweet bread cake with a cinnamon & brown sugar topping. Believe it or not, I had to go to 4 different grocery stores to find the needed shortening.....

This is one of those family traditions that was twice almost lost. My grandmother and grandfather used to make it every Christmas. After my grandfather died in 1981 (the day before their 70th anniversary), Gram had to talked into making it for Mickey and I so we could watch and figure things out. We made it once in 1982 and after that, like my grandmother, I didn't feel like making it anymore. The tradition was almost lost again. In 2003, my dad's last Christmas, he described it to then almost 5 year old DD and the two of them talked me into making it again and rekindled the tradition.

Happy...I love the chicken with the hint of lemon flavoring. As for the tomato jam....is there a recipe? It's getting close to orange marmalade time, so I'll have "the gear" out....hint...hint... :-)

edited to add.

Special, I was typing while you were posting.

Thank you and I will add my good wishes to yours.

and edited some more to change their to the "more better" there. I can't believe I had to do that. :-)

The brioche sticky buns and brioche loaves are rising in the fridge. Christmas Eve dinner is done. Tomorrow, we do some stockings and the tree before Olivia and family have to head to his family celebration. Looks like I have not been here since about October 9th..... my life force is fading and I have to choose where I spend my energy. Right now, my dear sweet Olivia is where I choose to put what energy I have. She is amazing.

She loves my cooking. Here she is after enjoying some baked sweet potatoes.

To all of you, the best of the season. I hope you are all well.

*susan*

Susan - thank you for stopping by the table for a minute tonight. Sounds like you're still cooking up a storm. Olivia is such a cutie. We miss you but certainly understand why this little one has the upper hand. You are in our thoughts always!!!

Hi Susan. I'm glad you posted here. Olivia is certainly a good reason to not be here. :-)

Merry Christmas

Susan, so happy to hear from you. Olivia is a gem, no doubt. I don't blame you for focusing your energy there. We miss you much, but it seems you're always here in spirit.

Lacey, poor dh. You must try to keep him upright. Sounds like a whirlwind holiday for you, but at least you don't have to cook!

The kids and grand-dog have gone. Whew! I have cooked till I can cook no more! The roast beef tenderloin came out perfect, as did the Yorkshire puds. This is the first time they didn't immediately fall - they were a thing of beauty. The horseradish cream made with creme fraiche was awesome, roasted fingering potatoes with fresh herbs and garlic, haricots verts and waldorf salad completed last night's meal. Well, except for The Cake. Boy was that good.

Breakfast was a Nigella Lawson recipe for a breakfast casserole with sausage, croissants, eggs, cheese and cream. Just wow. We had assorted sweet breads, grapefruit and orange slices to go with it. Tonight's meal is at friends, so no more cooking for a while.

Tomorrow we go to move dad. He had requested that I bring him ham and beans and cornbread, so I will make that for him, although the pressure cooker will do most of that work.

Happy holidays to all!

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah (no latkes or sufganyot yet--though Bob did have a fried knish yesterday). This was dessert last night at Butter (sorry, but I ate the chocolate amaretti and linzertorte star before remembering to photograph the cookies and spiked eggnog):

This morning at Tavern on the Green--first, cauliflower velouté with poached oyster:

Next, lobster risotto:

Chilean sea bass on quinoa pilaf:

Dessert: black cherry baked Alaska:

Bob in front of the Tavern tree:

Yours truly--in front of the tree and a selfie in the hotel room:

Jeez, guess I should make sure I am on the last page before I post....HAHAHAH

Sandy, great pics!

Eric, I am not a good cake baker. Breads, pies and pastries are more my thing. But oh how I love cake. This cake proved to be an exception to my lack of skill. It was moist with a tender crumb. I wish my grandmother's had shown me how to make things.

Beautiful food photos, Sandy.

Gorgeous cake, Nance.

Susan's post was a special Christmas treat.

Our 7-yr-old Olivia had a happy Christmas. She is such a good child.

Your family Christmas sounds so nice, Moon. Yours, too, Eric.

Wishing us all a healthy 2017

Dinner last night was a tepid greasy latke from Manny's at Midway Airport, bought on the run between gates and eaten on the flight to DCA. At least it was authentic for Hanukkah, right down to the applesauce. We killed an insane amt of time at LGA due to a combo of anal-retentiveness and weather delays, but even 30 seconds at LGA is an insane amount of time. I believe that place is Hell without the flames. (At least Terminal B is). The monitors kept telling us our flight to Midway was "delayed," gate B5, and the weather in Chicago "93F." (WTF)??? We were supposed to leave at 3:55: got a text saying "4:30, gate 5B." At 4:30, people started lining up.....for KC! Just then came the gate-switch announcement. We didn't take off till 5:40. Bob & I shared a pork-and-broccoli-rabe sub.Barely made my next flight.

Last night's supper was grilled tri-tip roast, baked potatoes and a salad of arugula and other veggies.  Delish!  Tonight will be beef stroganoff ( from left over roast) over rice with roasted Brussells and the rest of the salad. Thinking we will invite my mom as she LOVES stroganoff. 

Wondering if the rice is a more southern approach instead of egg noodles...what do you prefer?