https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:43:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921490 Mon, 14 Dec 2020 20:57:25 +0000 erinbaderin 2921490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I am not on board with peaches and eggs! We do the same as @charm55: although usually with Rice Krispies, probably because that’s what my mom has in the pantry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921489 Mon, 14 Dec 2020 20:19:42 +0000 lady baltimore 2921489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mommy Finger: Thanks! Those look scrumptious!</p> <p>I bet DH and DD would like that icing. Meanwhile, I'll probably just smear on straight cream cheese. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921475 Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:17:39 +0000 Mommy Finger 2921475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady baltimore: Here you go! They're amazing. Of course with anything sourdough they take some time. I also make my own icing that's basically powdered sugar, vanilla and milk since no one in my family likes cream cheese. I know, we're weird. :)</p> <p><a href="https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2017/12/how-to-make-sourdough-cinnamon-rolls-step-by-step-guide/" rel="nofollow">https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2017/12/how-to-make-sourdough-cinnamon-rolls-step-by-step-guide/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921460 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 22:06:56 +0000 bhbee 2921460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyPenny: I always ate lasagna on Christmas Eve growing up also! My mom told me once it was just simple to make ahead and get on the table so we weren’t late to church. Streaming church this year but I have a lasagna in the freezer and the kids like it so I think we’ll still keep that tradition. </p> <p>We usually travel for Christmas itself but do our own Christmas on the 22nd or so at home first, so with no travel this year we’ll actually do our traditions on the 25th! We were home the two years I was having a baby a few weeks after Christmas, but had guests before and after Christmas Day so then I had to cook for them too. So just us sounds good to me this year. </p> <p>My 8yo had to write a page about a special holiday tradition and she wrote about Christmas breakfast :happy: - which is actually not fancy! Usually I do an apple pastry (frozen so just rises overnight), bacon, maybe egg casserole (prep ahead), and I’m thinking I’ll add monkey bread this year or something similar. </p> <p>Given the snacks from stockings and other presents (dh loves fancy snacks and always asks for things like cheese, exotic condiments, etc) we’ll probably just eat a meal again after naptime and still be stuffed on 2 meals. I’ve done pot roast some years but this year will be simpler with pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, baked apples, green beans, rolls. We’ll have lots of homemade cookies and I have some TJ’s peppermint joe joe ice cream so I’m not making anything else for dessert. </p> <p>We rarely do anything fancy for NYE since having kids but one thing I always did growing up was have Coke floats. So I’ve gotten the kids into that! I don’t really drink anymore so dh will get all the champagne. :silly: Last year I got dh the TJ’s chocolate tasting quiz (came in this long narrow box) so the kids set up a taste test and scored us on how well we guessed. That was fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921458 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 21:44:31 +0000 woodentulip 2921458@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: @erinbaderin: I love this! I had never heard of this but it is a staple in my husband's family. We lived out west for a while, and I learned that it is a favourite holiday breakfast meal there! It is on my list for this year, though I have never made it before! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921457 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 16:48:26 +0000 charm55 2921457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: ours is the ham, bread, cheese and cornflake one. Here’s the recipe as per our family cookbook!</p> <p>ETA: I don’t know why this is uploading horizontally 🤷🏼‍♀️</p> <p>[attach=9613/20/ql8xwq.600x450.C1029B2A-966E-4D8C-B211-32D4EBB68612.jpeg] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921456 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 16:10:20 +0000 Anagram 2921456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: @erinbaderin: I needed to know what “wifesaver casserole” is, so I googled and there are some really disparate recipes out there—some with white bread, egg, and ham with cereal sprinkled on top; and some with croissants, peaches, and eggs. </p> <p>So which type do you all make? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921455 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 06:15:28 +0000 MrsADS 2921455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Christmas Eve - my family does heavy appetizers. Cheese ball, cheesy crab bake, veggie tray, sausage balls, etc. And cookies of course. My in laws do soup - like 2 different kinds and homemade bread. Both of these are good!</p> <p>Christmas morning: usually the Sister Schubert little sausage rolls. They are soooo good and unhealthy - LOL.</p> <p>Christmas meal: typical to Thanksgiving, might do ham instead of turkey. Overall keep it simpler than thanksgiving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921454 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 21:38:08 +0000 catgirl 2921454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I forgot NYE - we always do breakfast for dinner. The past few years we have had banana bread french toast, sausage or bacon, fruit, and sparkling cider. I'm not quite sure how it started but we've been doing it for five years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921451 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 20:49:12 +0000 lady baltimore 2921451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Christmas Eve is usually spent with one branch of our local family, with lasagna and London broil, twice-baked potatoes, and Caesar salad on the menu. Christmas Day, we typically have brunch with another branch of local family - egg casserole, hash browns, waffles, a family baked tomato recipe.</p> <p>This year, I told my parents that we would spend Christmas Eve with them - menu TBD, but likely takeout, unless I get excited to try a recipe. I am so excited to stay home all day on Christmas, and plan to make cinnamon rolls (anyone have a great recipe?), fruit, and breakfast sausage.</p> <p>We don't have any NYE traditions, but you all have me craving fondue!</p> <p>Edited to @Mommy Finger: to ask for your sourdough cinnamon roll recipe! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921448 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 16:08:39 +0000 Mommy Finger 2921448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our Christmas eve meal won't change as we always just host my parents and they're in our bubble. We make prime rib, sourdough stuffing, and this brussel sprout arugula salad. DS1 will have a hot dog. :)</p> <p>Christmas will definitely look different. Our breakfast will be the same. I make monkey bread, breakfast casserole and sourdough cinnamon rolls. We would normally get together with all of our extended family but that's off the table. I'm sort of looking forward to spending the day in our jammies and ordering out. Just need to figure out if any restaurants will be open.</p> <p>NYE won't change either. Ever since DH and I met, we've always spent the night at home making an elaborate dinner. We just need to pick out the menu! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921445 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 13:42:50 +0000 wrkbrk 2921445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyPenny: We usually host Christmas Eve with appetizers and champagne and a gift exchange but that’s obviously not happening this year. Christmas Day is usually just us 3 (by design) at home in our pjs and DW makes beef tenderloin for dinner! It’s a long process and we only have it once a year. Christmas morning it’s latkas bloody marys and a Kringle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921444 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 13:39:53 +0000 lindseykaye 2921444@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: This is my strategy too! The less time I spend in the kitchen, the better. But, I still want it to feel special :)</p> <p>We have done at-home Christmas for about 6 years now so this year will be just like the rest, but without seeing local friends or attending our community events (that are mostly cancelled anyway).</p> <p>For Christmas Eve we do snowman pizza. I’ve made dough, bought prepared dough at the grocery store, or used naan bread as the base in various years. Super easy, kid-pleasing and festive enough.<br /> Christmas morning I do a make-ahead bake. Overnight french toast, strata, eggy sausage casserole, etc. This year I’m going to do a croissant/cream cheese/fruit bake.<br /> Christmas Day I put out a cheese board and make some frozen apps (pigs in a blanket, stuffed mushrooms) for lunch.<br /> Christmas dinner is a slow cooker meal that I prep for a night or two before. Most years we do braised beef short ribs with either grits, polenta, or mashed potatoes. Add a veg like green beans, asparagus, or broccolini. I don’t do a Christmas dessert since we have so many stocking treats!<br /> New Year’s we usually give the kids their own dinner and then do a cheese board/apps again with champagne after they’re asleep. Fondue sounds so fun!! I was also thinking of maybe splurging on some special seafood or something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921442 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:28:17 +0000 charm55 2921442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyPenny: it really is delicious ... eggs, bread, cheese, ham... everything good about breakfast in one meal :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921441 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:21:36 +0000 Corduroy 2921441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Last year I had nine people for four days, plus some of those people on either end. To simplify Christmas dinner I made this Christmas Tortellini Soup. It looks festive with the red tomatoes and green spinach. I'm planning to do that again this year for our much smaller Christmas. And hoping to find some crab for crab cioppino on Christmas Eve.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/christmas-tortellini-spinach-soup/" rel="nofollow">https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/christmas-tortellini-spinach-soup/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921440 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:08:05 +0000 charm55 2921440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: That is so funny !! It’s something my grandmother always made. It’s Cs favourite meal in the entire world... she asks for it every birthday for her special meal haha. In Kindergarten she wrote a book called “I love wifesaver”....her teacher was like WHAT is she talking about ?! 😂</p> <p>As for the fondue ... we always used to do it with friends too. Now we have kids and my parents are our friends LOL </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921437 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:08:42 +0000 JennyPenny 2921437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: @erinbaderin: you know, I had totally forgotten about NYE as part of the holidays! I could totally do fondue then too. I was trying to figure out if it would work because I think my kids would really enjoy it and are finally old enough that I think it could be safe. Funny you both do it as a NYE tradition! Also off to google wifesaver casserole :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921436 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:01:19 +0000 erinbaderin 2921436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: We do wifesaver casserole for Christmas day too, and I've never met anybody else who's ever heard of it before! :shocked: Actually we ALSO used to always do fondue with friends for NYE, until we had kids, and then we moved it to 'sometime around Christmas' - fondue and have the kids exchange gifts. We have a weird amount in common! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921433 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:40:48 +0000 charm55 2921433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are fortunate to live in Atlantic Canada where cases are very low and public health is allowing us to gather in groups of 20 or less for the holidays. So our traditions will look a little different (my inlaws won’t be traveling to us from a neighbouring province sadly) but overall it should be somewhat similar. </p> <p>Christmas Eve : After church we usually go to my parents for seafood chowder and appetizers. We won’t go to church this year , and my parents won’t be hosting as many as they usually do but we will still go over there. </p> <p>Christmas Brunch: Is always at our place with my parents/sister and DHs parents/sister - we will still have this with my family but my inlaws won’t be there. We do lobster quiche, hashbrown casserole, pecan butter biscuits, wifesaver casserole, sausage bites, festive salad, coffee cake and orange Julius mimosa knock off... it’s probably my favourite meal of the whole year !!</p> <p>Christmas Dinner - is always at my parents and will be again this year, but with a smaller crowd . It’s the usual turkey, potatoes, a gazillion sides and gingerbread cake with cream cheese icing for dessert .</p> <p>Boxing Day - Usually my aunt has a big party with Chili and fish but this year it’s canceled. We’ll probably just hang at home and honestly I’m not sad about it haha. </p> <p>NYE: We usually do a fondue and hot tub with my parents/sister and will probably do so again this year . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921431 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:30:30 +0000 JennyPenny 2921431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: hmmm...good point about not wanting to be in the kitchen. I was brainstorming fancy (labor intensive) sides for Christmas lunch but that's definitely not what I want to be doing that day. So I'll focus on prep-ahead or super simple. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921430 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:17:51 +0000 catgirl 2921430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Before we moved back near our family we did Christmas at home by ourselves. My main thing when planning holiday meals is that I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen by myself all day. That would annoy me and DH always says all he remembers about his mom on Christmas is that she was cooking all day :sad: </p> <p>On Christmas Eve we would do pasta and meatballs for dinner. I make the meatballs and sauce in the crockpot in the morning and at dinner time I just need to cook the pasta. Typically we’ll add frozen garlic bread and make a salad. Super easy. Dessert will be some of the cookies we make for Santa that morning. </p> <p>Christmas breakfast is a baked French toast that I prep the night before. In the morning I make it in the oven and also bake some bacon. Add cut up fruit. </p> <p>Christmas Day was either a ham in the crockpot with sides that I make ahead and just have to reheat. Things like: mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a cheese/broccoli bake. Add rolls and salad. Or a premade chicken pot pie with a salad. </p> <p>Also, even though I know it’s not great I use all disposable pans because I do not want a lot of clean up. I also use crock pot liners to make it even easier. </p> <p>So we’re bringing back that menu. I think we decided on the pot pie for Christmas Day because DH is having a back procedure on the 22nd and I want to make things as easy as possible.</p> <p>When things are normal we go to a big potluck party at my in-laws on Christmas Eve. Do Christmas morning by ourselves with the baked French toast. And see my family for a big meal in the afternoon. I’m actually kind of excited for a quiet holiday at home this year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921429 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:15:58 +0000 josina 2921429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Christmas Eve is usually with my parent's and is typically turkey &amp; dressing, cheesy potatoes and other appetizer-type foods.<br /> We usually open our family gifts early, and we do homemade pizza that night, one meat and one chicken Alfredo. It's usually the only time of the year we do this so makes it more special.<br /> I have homemade cinnamon rolls made and frozen for Christmas morning, I've tried a breakfast casserole before but it didn't go over well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921428 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:58:07 +0000 oldschooolmama 2921428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was just about to ask this! I was planning to order a turkey holiday meal kit from the fancy grocery store chain for thanksgiving but they sold out before I ordered. Oops. So definitely order early if you are looking into this option. </p> <p>For Christmas I'm debating between doing the same turkey holiday meal kit or having my husband cook. He really wants to cook but I honestly don't want to deal with a big mess of dishes since it is just the three of us. Normally we go see my family (they live out of state) or go to our closest friend's house and I assume we will resume that next year. So long story long, I still have no idea what we are doing.</p> <p>edit- when we don't travel to see my family I cook a big breakfast with a baked french toast, pastries, bagels, etc and my IL come over. It is nice. I'll probably still make the baked french toast this year. For dinner we go to our family friend's house and they always offer a ton of delirious food. My favorite is the maple bacon brussel sprouts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921427 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:48:54 +0000 JennyPenny 2921427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Christmas Eve Dinner: Usually we'd have lasagna at my parents' before church, but a few times we celebrated with my ILs and I love their tradition. They have champagne and snacky appetizers after church. I might give this a try with my little family this year, maybe playing board games while we snack? My other idea is fondue. </p> <p>Christmas Breakfast: We've always done this at home. Pastries and fruits with a special table setting.</p> <p>Christmas Lunch/Dinner: My parents usually do a ham, but DH doesn't care for it much so I'm thinking beef. Since it's just two of us I might just buy some nice steaks, but haven't really figured out sides yet. Or maybe this would be a fun time to do fondue? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-meals#post-2921426 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:45:38 +0000 JennyPenny 2921426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What do you usually do for your holiday meals? What are you doing differently this year?</p> <p>In the past we've usually done Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch/dinner with my parents. Since we'll likely be foregoing that this year, I figured this is a nice opportunity to decide what kind of tradition I'd like to do moving forward, assuming I'll be doing more of the hosting in the future. I'd love some inspiration and to hear what everyone else does! </p>