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If you don't want turkey for
Christmas
dinner, how
about
Prime Rib Dinner I
(7-course dinner)
Prime Rib
Dinner II
(Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner)
Learn how to cook the
Perfect Prime Rib.
 Honey-Glazed Ham Dinner Menu
(with recipes)
Ham 101
-
Learn all about the different types of ham and
how to cook them.
 Roasted Crown of
Pork Loin
Truly one of the most magnificent of all holiday entrees!
Impress your guest with this attractive Roasted Crown Loin of Pork. It is a real
show stopper!
How about substituting your oven-roasted
turkey for:
 Barbecued or Grilled Whole Turkey
This is a very easy and efficient way to cook your Christmas turkey.
No mess in your oven or the kitchen. A whole turkey may be prepared on either a
gas grill or a charcoal grill. This method requires a covered barbecue grill and
heavy duty aluminum foil. Your turkey will be crisp outside and juicy inside.
 Cajun Fried Turkey
This is the best way of cooking a turkey
I've ever tasted.
The turkey is anything but greasy as
the deep-frying process seals the outside and the turkey remains
incredibly juicy, while the skin gets wonderfully crispy.
 Smoked Turkey
Learn how to smoke a whole turkey.
 Turducken
This regional delight has become one of the latest food
fads. From the outside it looks like a turkey, but when you cut through it, you
see a series of rings making up the three birds and three stuffing.
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Turkey Hints & Tips:
Turkey Basics - How to purchase, stuff, and
roast a turkey - Choosing a fresh or frozen turkey - How to thaw a frozen turkey
- How to prepare turkey for stuffing.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner Planning - Stress-Free
Holiday Dinner
- How to plan and prepare your Thanksgiving dinner in advance without stress.
Turkey Terminology - Types of Turkeys
- Learn the differences between the
different types of turkeys in the marketplace.
Guidelines for Brining Poultry
-
The secret to juicy chicken breast is simple - brine them before grilling or
baking! It's very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware.
Guidelines For
Roasting a Whole Turkey
- Learn how to safely and easily prepare
and roast your turkey.
Advice on
Stuffing a Turkey Safely
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As the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday draws near, learn how to safely
stuff your turkey.
Using a Cooking or
Meat Thermometer
-
Have you ever cut into a
turkey to see if it has finished cooking? Cooking thermometers take the
guesswork out of cooking, as they measures the internal temperature of
your cooked meat and poultry to assure that a safe
temperature has been reached, harmful bacteria have been destroyed, and
your turkey is cook perfectly.
Making Perfect
Turkey Gravy
- Hints and tips for making that perfect
turkey gravy.
Handling
Leftovers Safely
-
Leftover" foods are cooked foods that you or your family do
not eat within 2 hours after they are cooked. Improper handling or
storing cooked food is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the home.
Let's Make Turkey
Stock
-
My favorite thing to do the morning
after cooking a whole turkey is to make homemade
turkey stock from the turkey carcass. It
is so easy to do and so delicious! The
turkey stock can be used for a delicious
soup or frozen for future use.
Food Safety Pages:
Buffet and Party Safety
Also includes what to do if your guests have been
delayed at least an hour
Golden Rules of
Food Safety
IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! If you have any
question in your mind about the freshness or safety of eating a food product,
throw it out. It is better to be safe than sorry!
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Christmas Dinner
Menu
Ideas and Recipes
Christmas Turkey Dinner with Stuffing
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Christmas Appetizers:
Serve light appetizers before your dinner, as you
don't want to fill up your guests.
Some ideas are below:
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Cranberry Salsa with Cream Cheese
or
Cranberry
Holiday Spread or |
Goat Cheese Torta or
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Platter of assorted cut-up fresh vegetables,
chesses, and meats
plus
Dill Dip for Vegetables
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Christmas
Main Dish and Side Dishes:
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Oven Roasted Turkey
America's traditional Christmas turkey dinner meat.
Learn how to safely and easily prepare and
roast your turkey.
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Turkey Stuffing
Advice on
Stuffing a Turkey Safely
Whether you call it
"stuffing" or "dressing," what's not to love about turkey stuffing? It's
often one of the best parts of a turkey dinner. It is so easy to prepare. Also be creative - add your
family's favorite ingredients.
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Turkey Gravy
I can't imagine a turkey
dinner without having gravy. Turkey gravy is so easy-to-make
and absolutely necessary with mashed potatoes. |
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Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Wonderful recipe - use this easy-to-do potato dish for your next
Christmas dinner.
This recipe is especially great when serving a crowd as it eliminates the
mess and last-minute hassle of whipping potatoes.
Mashing potatoes is not difficult, but it does take time. I use this
recipe every holiday to save myself time. This is also a great potluck
dish, as everyone loves mashed potatoes.
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Grandma Gertie's Sweet Potatoes
This sweet potato dish is a "must" for our
Christmas Dinner every year.
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Cranberry Relish
My son-in-law, makes this
wonderful family recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinner. He uses the
traditional method of grinding with an old hand-crank grinder. His mother, Joan Weller,
told me (in confidence) that you don't really need to use a food grinder
(you can use a food processor). It was her
way of keeping her son busy and out of the way when she was fixing the holiday dinner.
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Tangy Tomato Aspic
This gelatin salad is a favorite family
comfort food that we make and serve for
Christmas Dinner every year. Very easy to
make and so refreshing and delicious!
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Green Beans Supreme
This
green bean dish is considered the ultimate comfort food with some America
families. Most holiday meals
(especially Thanksgiving and Christmas) wouldn't be
complete without this green bean dish. This dish can be prepared early in the day.
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or
German Creamed Spinach
This dish is absolutely wonderful! It's a family favorite at our house for all holidays and special occasions. Even children like this spinach dish!
I was taught how to make this German recipe by my children's grandmother. |
Relish Plate (pickles, olives, etc.)
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Caesar
Salad or
My all-time favorite salad is the Caesar Salad. To many, including myself, this is the
King of salads. If a restaurant offers it on the menu, I usually request it when dining out.
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Fresh Fruit Salad with
1-2-3 Fruit Dressing
This is very refreshing
and delicious
fruit salad. I use
whatever fresh fruit is in season when making this salad. The combination of
citrus fruits in the dressing gives the salad a wonderful delicious flavor!
Sometimes the older recipes are the best recipes!
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Make Ahead Butter Rolls
or
This
is my favorite roll recipe to use for holiday dinners, especially Thanksgiving
and Christmas dinner. Very easy to make ahead and bake at the last minutes.
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Mom's Refrigerator Rolls
or
My mother received this
recipe from my grandmother, who got this recipe from her elderly neighbor in the 1930s. We
figure this recipe is approximately 100 years old. Don't worry - This recipe has been tested in
today's kitchen. In our family, these rolls are always made for the holidays.
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Various Breads
(In order not to have to heat rolls in my oven
this year, I made various homemade breads the day before Christmas.) |
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Served with sweet butter and/or my grandson's favorite,
Honey Butter.
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Christmas Dinner Desserts (lots of great ideas
and choices):
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Pumpkin Cheesecake
Never again have to make a pumpkin pie for
the holiday. This cheesecake is absolutely
wonderful. Let your family be the judge! I
usually make this cheesecake ahead of time
and freeze it. |
Pumpkin Pie
How about making this very easy and traditional pumpkin pie
for your Christmas dinner? |
Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Trifle
How about a light dessert? Wouldn't this be an excellent dessert
for your Christmas Dinner?
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Old-Fashioned
Mincemeat Pie
This has been my favorite holiday pie since I was a
little girl. My grandmother, Mabel Myers, used to make her own
homemade mincemeat. |
Pecan Pie
The only way this pie
could be better tasting is to serve it warm and top with a big scoop of
vanilla ice cream.
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Fig Pecan Pie
I first tasted this delightful fig pecan pie on a trip in western
Australian. This pie is absolutely wonderful! The figs are a delightful
addition to the traditional pecan pie.
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Chocolate Pecan Pie
This delicious chocolate pecan pie is taken above and beyond the usual pecan pie's
corn-syrupy incarnation. A layer of bittersweet chocolate
adds richness to the dessert while simultaneously balancing
its sweetness.
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Devonshire Cream,
Crème fraîche
or
sweetened whipped cream |
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Finale:
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Coffee
How to make a perfect cup
of coffee
 How To Use a French Press coffee press, plunger
press and/or press coffee
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