Throwback Christmas!

It's throwback Thursday and as we cruise to another wonderful Christmas I thought I would repost this from a couple of years back. So many of you always tell me how much you love the meal pics so here goes.... My favorite Christmas decoration.  A winter swan I found from a museum going out of business. My sister gave everyone a cinnamon bun tray with all the additions ready for our Christmas breakfast....great idea! This picture shows how the rustic serving pieces and all special serving pieces make your meal look more robust and important.  My sister grabbed a hotel silver pitcher to serve her breadsticks wrapped with prosciutto shown behind my old cutting board. The fried calamari looked perfect on this antique porcelain platter.  The taste was also perfection! My sister was supposed to bring a small antipasti to my house for Christmas dinner.  She assured me 3 times she didn't go overboard...you be the judge! She made 2 kinds of stuffed mushrooms one with sausage and and one without. Also homemade cheese straws. I love my sister's coffee station on the antique silver tray. LOVE this cheese server.....paper thin curls with fig spread. After the LIGHT hors d'oeuvres, snort, cocktail hour we had dinner Menu Truffle risotto with piglet mushrooms Roasted kabocha squash with pomegranite seeds, above, Standing rib roast with carmelized cipollini onion reduction Spinach gratin Whipped potatoes with lemon Mixed green salad In my family the doneness of the meat is a major topic before the big day AND a big stress!  I am sure all of you who like rare meat can relate to this.  The pressure mounts for the hostess (especially this non meat eating hostess) as family member after family member asks question after question...  "Where did you get the meat?" "Why did you buy 2 roasts and not one?" "What temperature did you start it at?" " What pan are you using?" "Cover it!!"  Or  "Don't cover  it!" "You should put it on a higher rack !"  "We should have used the cooler" "don't open the oven! " where's the thermometer?" " stick it in here not there!!" It's  TRULY hysterical!! And the BIG stress is if my father chimes in with concern about the meat because, of course,  you DO NOT WANT TO DISAPPOINT THE ITALIAN PAPA !! So I did what any great chef du village would do.....asked my husband to be in charge of the meat!!! He can obsess about qtips so you can imagine him the week before Christmas. He bought 2 new thermometers!   I was completely confident as I went about all the other tasks of the meal. It became a reason for male bonding pictured above.  He put a post it on the oven warning everyone NOT to open the oven because that's another thing this family of cooks does....walks through the kitchen and opens pots and ovens. Let's just say my Thermidor oven is very unreliable. I suspect the temperature did not reach the necessary 500 degrees With the parade through the kitchen I didn't say one thing until he took it out and decided it was done because of the temperature. It was  a gross grey on the outside and I said "I'm not serving it like that!" Without missing a beat, he went down to his workroom and came up with a blow torch and crusted that roast to perfection!  And I announced as I often do "And THAT'S why I married him!!" He really is Macgyver! I don't have a finished platter picture because all hell breaks loose carving and getting it to tableside hot and not overcooked!  As you probably can tell we all do well under stress, HA! and you feel as though you finished a great marathon when it's reported how delicious it is.  And don't think it would be sugar coated with polite comments of deliciousness.  Two years ago it was overcooked and as soon as the platters were brought to the table "the people" let us know.  I don't know why people don't like the holidays.....it's always so exciting!  I realize when your kids get older their participation in the planning and cooking of the meal replaces the excitement of the gift giving Christmas morning and it's really fun. Love silver trays... I always have one favorite Christmas pic, above. The  fact I got my granddaughter to nap on Christmas Eve I considered a major score! I am hosting Christmas Again this year which will only bring more great comments and memories. Wishing you holidays of warmth and laughter and wonderful things in 2017. Love and hugs,  Bonny  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep in touch and see the latest finds, workshops and GreatHouse news!    Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items EMAIL ME with any questions.     GreatHouse Bonny Neiman    p.908-522-8900  www.bonnyneiman.com   12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ HOLIDAY HOURS Christmas Eve 9:30-12:30 Christmas Day closed New Year's Eve 10:30-3 New Year's Day closed