Christmas Party

Here you go ClumsyShrub. A serious post.

I'm the first grandchild in the family to get to host the family Christmas party, and I'm looking for ideas... We haven't set the menu yet, and our end, at least, is going to have to be on a budget, but I'm always looking for new receipes. Main course, sides, finger food, snacks, large volume drinks, etc...

There will be 25 people or so, ranging in age from about 5 to 97. Most will be 25 - 60.

So on top of food ideas, I'm looking for music ideas (I'd like to do more than turn on the radio), fun games (we played Taboo and Outburst a couple weeks ago, those were fun), and any other thoughts you may have.

I always had pheasant as a child rather than turkey, and anyway goose is the traditional christmas bird

That must be one of the things we shrugged off over here, goose.... It's nowhere traditional here, turkey is.... You can find a goose if you look for it, but it's not a common bird to buy at all.....

We used to have pheasant when we hunted but I've never seen them for sale anywhere....

fried turkey = sex

pardon moi for the typos

My family does the same thing every year...a beloved tradition. Dozens of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins crammed into close proximity for hours. We do it buffet style...seems to be easier than trying to shove 10 tables + chairs in the house. We set a center table with the food, and everyone can walk the line, pick what they want then go find any available seat or just stand with a group. Saves on the "I dont want to sit next to so-and-so bickering", or "oh, we cant put them together" crap too.

I second what RC said about "Green bean casserole is a must with Campbell's mushroom soup & Durkey's fried onions on the top, at least here...". Guess it must be a northern thing.

Both mashed potatoes and rice are cheap and can go a long way complimenting meat dishes. For Xmas, we usually have a roast and a ham, with the green bean cassarole, plus some form of scalloped potato (for the ham)

With our family, there are always kids, and if you are going to be hosting kids, I would suggest a pasta dish...baked Penne or the like. Its dirt cheap, and pasta is inoffensive to most...more impostant, even most of the spoiled picky kids will eat it. At 89 cents per 16 oz box, if it goes to waste no big loss.

Finger foods are always good, can be inexpensive and go a long way. Mixed platters of plain or Buffalo chicken fingers, (with staple celery slices of course), cherry tomatoes, mixed cheese cubes, crackers, peparoni slices, crackers (do it yourself hors d'oeuvre's) always get finished.

A couple of coolers of soda and beer top it off. With the obligatory, assorted christmas pitchers of screwdrivers, marguritas, and whatever other mixed drinks the host wants to make.

Desert is usually store bought pastries or cakes. (we have some good bakeries here)

Sweet rolls are always a good idea and don't cost much. I second the ham as well since it is always a good alternative to turkey. A bucket of vanilla ice cream and a few apple pies are easy and make a good dessert.

And WTF is up with that god awfull sweet potato (or yams) thing with the marshmallow topping. Seriously, that sh!t is foul.

Internet radio is a good way to go. There is a massive selection of stations to choose from in all genres.

I keep on hoping they'll all forget about it, and they commercialise it instead. *sigh*

*wanders off to get drunk on sacramental wine*

That's nothing compared to my yuletide log.

I'd stand well back if I were you.

You need to try some peanut butter pie!

OK, I've been out a bit, didn't go to work today and that's where I post the most from...

@ RC - green bean cassarole is AWESOME!!!

@ Turpit - It will likely be buffet style. Lots of crock pots. Pasta of some sort is a good idea... I'll make sure to recommend it. I also like the finger food idea. I'm thinking we will put out a lot of snacks for lunch and the grab bag, then have dinner after that.

@ Anoobis - Yams / marshmallows are AWESOME! Look forward to the mother-in-law making that for thanksgiving every year. Hadn't thought about Internet radio. Wonder if it will stream well enough over wireless. One way to find out...

@ WW's - not sure if PB pie is a real thing, but it sounds tasty. I'm a sucker for Peanut Butter...

@ Tom - how long do we have to wait for you to grace us with your knowledge?

This focking shyte is awesome!

I had some for the first time last week and I'm now hooked for life.

Seriously, I have an outstanding recipe for a very fine egg custard. Really delicious. Great with a dessert as a a base for a creme brulee.

And no, I'm not joking or referring to my slimy man-paste. For once.

@ Wingy
Do you put a little lemon zest in the pastry for the egg custard? Just wondering if it's a similar one to the one I use. Mine is a heart attack in every slice, so many eggs and so much butter.


@Jef
My birthday is Christmas Eve, I'll post you some good tips when I sober up, probably sometime around February eighteenth.

@ Toms - too bad, I though you would come through for me. Yours were the answers I was looking forward to the most.

@ Wingy - sounds good! I'm anticipating your custard! [/looking for trouble in an otherwise serious thread]

(please note I haven't mentioned your wife in some time)

I got to thinking about turkey again.... Have you ever deep fried one??? They're great that way...

One year I fried one & baked one normally stuffed... I did smaller birds like 20 pounds each.... Everybody was trying to pick which one they liked better.... It ended up just about a tie..... It was something different that year anyway.....

Ours aren't dry, but I have a covered turkey roasting pan that goes in the oven.... That's one secret to moist turkey....

The other secret is to pull the turkey out of the oven & let it rest in the pan covered for at least 20 to 30 minutes before you touch it... That allows the juices to adsorb back into the meat.... Most people that have dry turkey carve them right away after taking them out of the oven... The juices will just run out of it that way....

I did a search around & this was the only photo I could come across that looks like my turkey roaster...

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-ALUMINUM [...] dZViewItem

I inherited mine from my folks.... My wife bought another one at a garage sale.... They have newer ones around at the stores, but this is the type of roaster I was talking about, just FYI.... Too bad it's sold, $10.00 was a steal!!!

Hmmm, wingding passing on a blatenlty obvious opportunity to make a jizjoke. Strange things are afoot at the circle K....Physician, heel thyself (pun intended)

I dont know if its sad, or scary. Deviations from some trends indicate abnormalities which may be hazardous.

Wingding passing on a cumshot = sign of the 'pocyklipse???

Fixed.
l'll try it.

Don't spoil the surprise.

No, it's my charming wit and dashing good looks, plus my culinary expertise [/complete bollox]

I was surprised myself!!!!

*where's the conversion chart*