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The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost,
Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration,
politics without God, heaven without hell.
William Booth
“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
― William Saroyan
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill
Ignorance is not an opinion, liberals
I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
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Do you have a family favorite, family tradition, A yearly meal you eat for Christmas? Is it something ethnic that you’ve had all your life, like many Italians eat fish for Christmas? Is it going to be something new and gourmet this year?
geeez2014
GeeeZ .... 
Well . . . my SEAsian bride is purty much murkanized by now, so I reckon we’ll have the standard turkey with dressing and yams and green bean casserole and cranberries and pan-de-sal, and so on.
But you can betcher booty there’ll be some pansit (or pancit) and adobo inna house. Pancit is Pi’pino de rigeur for any occasion, signifying long life and prosperity, ‘specially birthdays, even Jesus’. And you can’t find a Pinoy, man or woman, who’s not a self-proclaimed expert at making adobo.
Now . . . the biggest export item from the Philippines is Filipinos. As there are roughly 105 million of ’em in the R.P. and another 10 million or so world-wide, I reckon there must be approximately 115 million recipes for adobo, and prob’ly half that many for pancit. Odd, too, ’cause the idea of adobo was introduced by the Spanish, and pancit was stolen from the Chinese.
Incidentally, Milady is one FINE — no, make that GREAT — cook . . . but my chicken adobo is better’n hers. So there!
I think we’re tied in the lasagna cookoffs, but I make the biggest mess doin it — 4 meats, 5 cheeses. Otherwise, she’s got me beat on purt’near ever’thang else . . . ‘cept omelettes, of course — it’s a guy thing, right?
Think we’re goin with corned-beef ‘n’ cabbage with blackeye peas ‘n’ cornbread for New Years lunch. But still . . . there’ll be pancit and adobo onna table. Betcha.
Natcherly, since I have chronic hypertension and a major cholesterol problem (inverted LDL/HDL ratio), I won’t be able to eat but a smidgin of any of it ‘cept taters ‘n’ veggies ‘n’ breads. Grankritters, tho, will pig out. Dogs’ll make out purty gud, too.
And NO NFL FOOTBALL! Principles.
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Hi Z! My wife makes an awesome batch of Christmas citris cranberry drink (served hot from the crock pot) that includes cranberry, orange & lemon juices, cinnamin sticks and other secret ingredients (like a shot of my Captain Morgan’s spiced rum in each mug)… As for food, my mom started a tradition of Christmas brunch out of necessity when my older sibblings married off and dinner schedules with in-laws started to conflict. A huge honeybaked ham surrounded by a smoked salmon platter, various egg casseroles, quiches, cheesy potatoes, pancakes, those cool cocktail sausages, etc, etc, (nothing fancy – just regular brunch fare) and maybe a mimosa or Bloody Mary (or 3). My parents have been gone for many years now, but we’ve kept the tradition as our own kids and spouses have created their own scheduling conflicts. Ah well… this year the Mrs and I will head over to watch my 8 month old granddaughter’s first Christmas morning – then off to noon Mass – then home to my punch! Merry Christmas!
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I have always loved Christmastide! Christmas 2017 is the Christmas of the New Kitten here in the AOW household.
In my family, Christmas Eve dinner has always been traditionally very American. No fish for us! And no Christmas dinner either! We celebrate the birth of the Savior on Christmas Eve.
Upon my mother’s death, I took up the torch of the Christmas Eve Family Buffet: ham (Honey Baked), roasted turkey breast, potato salad, deviled eggs, cole slaw, jello salad (I couldn’t fix it like Mom — despite my having her recipe), punch (no booze), pineapple-and-cheese casserole, and Claxton Fruit Cake (I substituted cookies, of which I had many because of teacher gifts).
Dinner was always followed by singing carols around the piano.
Upon Mr. AOW’s stroke, I passed the torch to my cousin, and the dishes changed a bit. Mac ‘n cheese is her specialty, so no more pineapple-and-cheese casserole. Instead of cole slaw, she serves green beans slow-cooked with bacon. They have a smoker, so we have smoked turkey in addition to Honey Baked ham. Typically, she makes two apples pies. This year, she may serve a scaled-down Christmas Eve dinner because there was a recent death in her family (her stepdaughter’s fiance died a few weeks ago — unexpected and “a suspicious” death; stepdaughter is expecting his baby in March). Unfortunately, we haven’t joined my cousin for Christmas Eve dinner since 2014 because of my spinal troubles. We hope to join them tomorrow.
No piano there, so no singing of Christmas carols. 😦
Sometimes, we join our formerly-Canadian friends for Boxing Day (December 26) to exchange gifts and to fellowship after their wonderful standing-rib dinner. We also gather around their piano to hear the grandchildren play and sing; this used to be difficult to bear because their musical skills at that point we minimal. Not now! They are now accomplished musicians.
PS: Last year, I didn’t give a damn about anything Christmas. Writhing in agony, I spent Christmas Day in the Emergency Room. This shows how little I cared about Christmas last year: just yesterday, I found two Amazon gift cards I had received last year; I had put them aside and had forgotten all about them. Totally out of character for me!
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Whatever we can mooch from wherever we end up.
Perhaps even a restaurant.
We were going to Frankenmuth for dinner at the Bavarian Inn since no invites and then yesterday my sister messaged that my niece wanted us over Christmas Day so now we’re changing our reservations for another day.
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Will there ever be a day with out the String bean casserole complete with mushroom soup and the silly onion rings? I sure hope not!!
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Bunkerville, actually, I get your sentiment, but I hope SO 🙂
Bocopro…thanks for the rundown! I hope you fully enjoy the good eats and get a kick out of seeing the grandchildren enjoy the traditional foods!
Jerry, I loved hearing about your folks’ traditions, etc. I know what you mean about in-laws schedules conflicting. I have a lot of sisters and am grateful all of their in-laws are more Christmas Eve people so we can all get together Christmas day..>EXCEPT for my sis on the beach in Dana Point who has 6 grandkids now so that whole family’s staying down there…so times change. Except Mom had her yearly Tree Trimming Party last Saturday night and they were all there.
I spend Christmas Eve with Mom, then we will be a relatively small bunch at her house for Prime Rib on Monday……….have a wonderful time yourselves!
AOW, we sing, too….Dad and Uncle John used to do the greatest “Up on a Housetop” together…with 25 of us all around them laughing and urging them on! Our family carol is TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS and Daddy used to pick a person for each ‘item’ and try to remember to point to that person as their time came…lots of laughs again. And then the lovely carols, too…..
I’m so happy you’re feeling SO SO much better than last year….and wish you a very happy time.
Ed, so glad you’ll be with family…AND enjoy that restaurant you like so much. Give Scherie our best Christmas wishes, too. I hope she’s been feeling well.
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Being by ourselves my wife plans on having just chicken w/mashed potatoes and a salad. No big deal. We were again invited to a friends home but declined, preferring to let them be just their family. Perhaps next year we will be back in the Northwest with family.
For obvious reasons, we are always glad when the first to the year rolls around.
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So Sweet to watch FOX and hear of two births of FOX employees..including Elizabeth Phran. Leland Vittert actually talked about what a BLESSING those babies are….nice to hear words like that used by young men on television…. 🙂
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Mal…as long as there are MASHED POTATOES 🙂 I wish you and Mrs. Mal a very lovely Christmas chicken dinner…..
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Mashed potatoes are Joni’s favorite, also, Z. And I like ’em, too!
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Here’s my favorite: PECAN BRANDIED FIG PIE. I make it every year. Just finishing the last slice today. It’s not your Marie Callender-ish pie with a few pecans floating on tasteless goo, but REALLY yummy. The figs “fill in” the spaces to add complexity of flavor and texture. But Epicurious uses WAY too much sugar. I cut out 1/4 of it – no problemo. It’s the only change needed!
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pecan-fig-pie-with-brandied-whipped-cream-105849
I dry my own figs in the summer and use them. Great topped with sour cream or drizzled with Grand Marnier to cut the sweet.
I miss the bit of caroling we did at home with mom at the piano – nothing like your family. I was taken with the little nativity set at your place, and decided I needed to re-start a tradition. Found one on Amazon last night that looks like it will work!
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Baysider, I love Pecan pie, also. I bit rich for frequent consumption, though. Marie Callenders wasn’t this way when Don Callender still owned the company. It changed after it was sold. Why they buy something that is successful, then change it, is beyond me! I take pie for medicinal purposes, understand! (“Take 2 slices and call me in the morning”). ;o)
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Medicinal purposes!! What a hoot, Mal. And, yes, I’m sure it changed a lot. It IS rich. That’s why it’s once a year. 🙂
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Mal’s decision to stay home reminded me that when I was an airman in the Air Force a thousand miles from home, my sergeant asked me to his home for dinner with his family.
I felt uncomfortable intruding on his family time.
I’m so sorry I declined his hospitality. He was a little hurt that I preferred staying in the barracks to visiting his home. As I would be.
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Baysider, I wish you’d noticed the other nativity, on my piano…I have an extra one meant for stepdaughter but it’s never worked for her to pack it and take it to Munich…or the South Pacific Islands, etc., when she’s been here! I’m going to email you! I’d LOVE you to have it.
I love the idea of using your dried figs for that pie and so happy you enjoy it so much.
You are a super cook!
Marie Callendar’s lemon pie is INcredible. I’m really tough on lemon because Americans make it insipid and the French make it wonderfully tart; so does Callendars’…It always surprises me.
Ed, that’s a touching story…I SO get your feelings about it. We want to do what’s right for others but sometimes that isn’t just the ticket, is it. Sometimes they WANT to ‘put themselves out’! lovely….shows your heart.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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@Z,
“Prime Rib on Monday”
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM; now that sounds un-beatable to me!
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Mad does a bone in prime rib roast, yorkshire pudding, and some vegetable and ceaser salad that I whip up. A good dinner coming tomorrow !
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