Holiday Foods - Take 2 Ideas

By now your Christmas menu is probably set; if it's not, see my blog "Holiday Foods - Meals/Menus" for ideas in the archive section on the right sideboard of this blog. Usually holiday menus result in enormous amounts of leftovers which is delightful - cook once, eat for days! But a totally different flavor is often welcomed after the tastes of the initial meal. These are suggestions for some easy and delicious ways to change up your leftover turkey, beef, or ham and some other party foods as well.
Most people who enjoy turkey dinner also adore the turkey sandwich that follows sometime after, the next day or, for some, that very night. Sandwiches are a terrific way to use up turkey, but there are other ways. One of the favorites in our house is to do a complete flavor change and prepare the leftover turkey into tacos! Simply purchase a taco dinner kit, follow the directions skipping the "cooking the meat" section, and season your turkey meat with the spice packet as you heat through. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for a new treat post-turkey dinner.
Another turkey recipe we rely on is Turkey Pot Pie. With a ton of turkey and gravy left over, this meal is a cinch to prepare, uses up a lot of leftovers, and is comfort food at its best. Start with pie dough for a double crust - I use Pillsbury prepared pie doughs. You can make your own, but I find Pillsbury to be scrumptious, fast, and reasonable. Next, layer in your turkey meat, leftover veggies or frozen mixed vegetables, and enough gravy to make everything wet and stay moist throughout the cooking. Cover with the second pie dough, seal the edges, cut a couple of air holes, and bake at the temperature the box recommends. Within the hour or so you'll have a piping hot, delicious, and heart-warming meal. Serve with leftover Jello-mold, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes, and you have just about cleaned out the refrigerator. We never make just one of these - make sure to have the correct amount of pie dough on hand. If you don't have enough gravy, pick some up at the store or substitute cream of chicken soup.
Leftover ham is a fortuitous meat to have when a group is staying with you and demands delicious breakfasts. In addition to "ham and eggs" on a plate, ham can be prepared into a breakfast casserole. There are myriad recipes to choose on the internet and in cookbooks that are easy, feed a small or large army, can be prepared ahead of time, and yield a highly satisfying end product. This breakfast tends to be highly caloric with eggs, cheese, and bread in the mix, but serving many means you can take a small portion and supplement with a fresh fruit salad. Ham is also delicious and packs a protein punch mixed in to the children's Mac & Cheese.
Dealing with leftover pot roast, london broil, or tenderloin? Don't forget the sublime happiness that comes with a steak sandwich. But, a designer salad is a great idea as well. Layer your favorite salad greens on a large platter, add your leftover beef, sliced thinly and in bite-sized pieces on top, scatter with your favorite vegetables and salad add-ins, include a tasty cheese like a tangy bleu or salty feta, and lightly dress with extra virgin olive oil and a great vinegar (red wine or balsamic). This is a great way to begin to lighten your plate as we head into the New Year and everyone's thoughts tend to go to diet and exercise. Salad as main course with only a small bit of bold flavors (the cheese in this case) is a great way to reign in your holiday splurging and start getting back to normal eating. In the coming year, make a resolution to live happier and healthier, you can only benefit from that! I'm doing it and would love you all to join me!

Stay with me all this week as we tie up any loose ends leading up to Christmas... which is now only FIVE (5) days away!!! We'll look at last minute gift ideas, games to play during the holidays, how to get into and stay in the holiday mood, and, of course, end Christmas Eve with a Friday Music Blog! I hope you can join me each and every day, share your comments with me, and glean some useful information from these blogs.

Friday Music Blog

Today's topic, still nodding to the Christmas season, is songs with "Star" in the title. Again, the songs need not be about Christmas although they are welcome selections. Any song with "star" in the title is eligible. Break out your iTunes account to research, rifle through your CD collection, sort your cassettes, thumb through your LPs, and hack through your 8-tracks to find any and all songs that have "star" in the title. As a bonus, list and include any and all artists, bands, or performers with "star" in their name!

For 14 weeks I've been at this gig! I'm loving the work I do here, the time spent reading your comments, and seeing the page-views climb - we're well over 6,100 at last count! Not bad for 3 months work!! From my frequented Amazon link that provides me a modest income to your supportive words, loyal readership, and constant friendship, I am overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity of spirit.

Please join me next week - Christmas Week - and the week after as we continue the holiday blitzkrieg! Once 2011 dawns I will return to the original content of this blog - my personal musings, observations, and struggles that help me learn and grow. There will be food segments, movie segments, gift segments, and, of course, Friday Music Blogs, as well as other offerings that spring into my mind. I hope that you all continue to make me and this blog, Chief 187 Chatter, a part of your daily ritual. I have a strong resolve to continue and count on you all to be there!

Continued joy and happiness I wish to you all during this Merry Christmas Season!

Next week, last minute ideas for gifts, food, and merriment!

Gifts - Luxurious Stocking Stuffers

There are myriad ways to stuff a Christmas stocking as several previous blogs I've posted and the responses with suggestions prove. From homemade and free items to dollar store specials, trading cards to lip balms, and mittens to socks, there are countless combinations to filling a stocking. But when the special person in your life needs the royal treatment and money is absolutely no object, there are fantastical ways to fill a (giant) Christmas stocking. That is the focus today.

Luxurious Christmas Stocking Stuffers

-Keys to a new (luxury/sports/SUV) car with appropriate elegant key chain
-Fur, leather, or suede anything (coat, gloves, boots/shoes, etc.)
-Tickets for vacation - cruise, European, Caribbean, etc.
-Lead Crystal Champagne flutes & good bottle of bubbly for New Year's Eve/Anniversary/Tuesday
-Silk/Satin/Flannel sheets
-Weekend at a hotel/spa (like Hershey)
-Deed to a new house/2nd home/vacation spot
-New furniture
-New electronics -- Kindle, iPad, digital camera, GPS, MP3, etc.
-Tickets to the playoffs, the Superbowl, the Daytona 500, Game 4 of the World Series, U.S. Open Tennis (or golf), Lakers v. Nets game, etc.
-Tickets to a Broadway show/concert/performance
-Sterling Silver place setting or china setting from your registry
-Wedding or other invitation engraved on Sterling Silver platter or try
-Expensive collectible ornament
-Wallet, keychain, or other accessory from luxury designer (Coach, Louis Vuitton, etc.)
-New cutlery
-Gift cards with a lot of zeros at the end of the digit
-Jewelry -- engagement ring, emerald and diamond necklace, charm bracelet, pearl earrings, onyx cufflinks, signet ring, gold locket with pictures already fitted, tennis bracelet, Rolex, Movado, and anything and everything else that he/she may desire in this category.

I must admit, the only thing I've ever received from this list in my stocking is the last item, jewelry. After opening a stunning piece of jewelry from my husband hours before, I innocently reached into the toe of my Christmas stocking and pulled out a jewelry box revealing a precious gift. I do believe in Santa and finding THAT nestled at the bottom of my stocking made me feel like a giddy child again! Santa has done that to me several times (not every year, but several that I can remember) and the feeling was incredible! But that's my passion. Do the research necessary to find your special someone's passion and help Santa stuff that person's stocking with a luxurious gift.

Holiday Foods - Meals/Menus

Christmas is next week! For those of you in charge of hosting one, two, or all of the big meals it is a lofty job to plan a menu. After years of hosting and learning how to be creative with my endeavors I offer the following ideas to serve on your holiday table.

First, I entertain a lot over the holidays so not every meal here is slated to be for "the Big Day". They are merely meals that would be festive and feed a large crowd. Recipes can be found in books like The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, online at any site from foodnetwork.com to allrecipes.com, or from your own stash of family recipes. I'm suggesting the meals/menus, you need to execute.

Main Course - Meats

- London Broil that has been marinated overnight and grilled to medium
- Pot Roast seared on stovetop to get beautiful browned sides to seal in the juices and roasted for hours in the oven to render the meat tender; roasted with potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery
- Tenderloin, again, seared to get good color and seal in the juices, then finished in the oven
-Ham, small ones can be cooked (reheated) in a crockpot or any can be cooked in the oven; follow directions
-Turkey roasted to a golden brown in the oven, stuffed

Main Course - Other

-Italian Bake -- pasta, sauce made with Italian sausage (hot or sweet or both), ricotta, mozzarella and baked until hot, bubbly, and golden on top
-Pizza -- your favorite dough or crust (I use Boboli prepared crusts), pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. Quick, easy, tailor-made to please all attending, and cheaper than delivery!

Menus

London Broil served with rice pilaf, a green vegetable, a tossed salad, and some kind of bread or roll
The secret here is to buy or make a tasty marinade that will flavor and tenderize the meat and provide a delicious dipping sauce upon completion to serve over the meat, the rice, and dip the bread. Slice the meat against the grain and as thinly as possible after you let it rest to redistribute its juices. The rice can be homemade or from a mix. Choose a green vegetable all will like and steam it in the microwave. Kids don't like greens? Make a "mock Hollandaise sauce" by mixing Miracle Whip (or mayo) and yellow mustard together to taste and have the kids dip their veggies. Use a bagged salad and some Pillsbury or other rolls and dinner is finished! Easy clean up with this one, too.

Pot Roast can be daunting for novices, but it is a very easy dinner that makes while you do other things (clean, shop, etc.). Ask your butcher to recommend a cut and a poundage so you are set for the number of guests. Searing the meat before you roast is the secret for success. Once you've done that make sure to brown your onions to caramelize them before adding the liquid needed to keep your roast moist. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery chunked to the same size so they cook evenly. Hours later, when the roast is finished, let it rest, put your vegetables in a large bowl, make a gravy from your pan drippings, and your meal is almost finished. This meat also gets cut against the grain but don't worry if it just falls apart when it sees a knife! This meat should be very tender. Serve with a green if desired but no salad is necessary. Bread or rolls is a must to sop up the gravy, or, better yet, to make 'gravy bread'.

Tenderloin is elegant, expensive, and so delicious. This meal is worthy of Christmas Night! Follow your butcher's instructions or your best recipe. Serve with twice baked potatoes, asparagus or other favorite green, a Christmas salad (something with a lot of red and green), and fine rolls/bread. A horseradish sauce to accompany is divine.

Ham is scrumptious with cheesy potato casserole, greens like broccoli or string beans, cole slaw, and biscuits. Put mustard on the table for people like me who will take her sliced turkey, split her biscuit, slather one side with mustard, and throw the ham on to make a perfect ham biscuit sandwich!

Turkey -- see Thanksgiving menus. It's perfect for the holidays, is comfort food, is elegant and easy, and will always be a staple at Christmas. Serve with all the usual sides - mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn and peas, stuffing, gravy, and rolls.

Italian Bake -- wonderful for Christmas Eve or any night when you wanted to prepare the meal ahead of time. Assemble this and cover to store in refrigerator up to two nights. Uncover and bake with aluminum foil for the bulk of the time and uncovered the last 15-30 minutes to brown the cheese. Serve with a tossed salad and baguette and dinner is finished! Very easy, very delicious, and very filling!

Pizza is a fun way to serve many different tastes, vegetarians and meat eaters, and is 'fun food'. Serve with a huge antipasta - Romaine lettuce, tuna, anchovies, garbanzo beans, ham, salami, provolone, parmesan, olives, pickled vegetables, and anything else you'd like.

For dessert there are always the Christmas cookies on a platter, pies for the turkey dinner, a chocolate layer cake for after the pot roast, a trifle for after the tenderloin, a coconut cake for after the ham, ice cream parfaits for after the Italian bake, and Christmas candies, too.

Whatever your menu, I hope these suggestions come in handy. Wishing you and yours a delectable Christmas week! Let me know if you tried any of these meals and how they came out!

Tomorrow, another look at stuffing the Christmas Stocking... in a most grand way!

Gifts - Even More Stocking Stuffers

With a nod and thanks to Jules, my dear friend and loyal reader, I am continuing this thread until my ideas are exhausted. Jules and I seem to share a lot of good tips and both love to have a stash of ideas. Jules, I'm reading all of your suggestions, use many of them, and am incorporating the others! Thank you for making this blog a part of your daily routine!!

As I did yesterday, these suggestions are no longer categorized. Plug them in with the recipient who'd get the most joy from the item(s).

Stocking Stuffers

-A piece of Christmas china -- Spode, Lenox, or some no name brand that's full of holiday cheer and ideally can be added to each year
-seed packets, gardening tools, gardening gloves -- for the novice gardener throw in a "how-to" book
-Super glue, gorilla glue, Elmer's glue, glue sticks for hot glue guns, or paper glue sticks
-duct tape, electrical tape, Scotch tape, masking tape
-scrapbook supplies -- stickers, tools, papers, cut outs
-stickers -- for kids, adults, teachers, teens; get alphabet ones, favorite characters, pets, etc.
-balls -- ALL KINDS -- golf, tennis, basketballs, soccer, footballs, ping pong, super balls, Nerf balls, Magic 8 Balls
- lip balm -- with SPF, with aloe, with color -- keep those lips kissable and healthy all winter long -- from Chapstick and Carmex to Blistex and from Bonne Bell and Bath & Body Works to Burt's Bees, there is something out there for EVERYONE!
-sun screen -- get a high SPF as there is nothing attractive or sexy about skin cancer! "Tanned" skin is unhealthy skin.
-visors -- add this to the sunscreen!
-tie tacks, lapel stays, tie bars -- help the men in your life accessorize handsomely; bring back men wearing ties and dressing up!
-ties -- get one, two, or several to stuff his stocking, but give him tickets to somewhere cool for him to wear the ties. One seasonal tie (Christmas themed) is okay, but stick to classic, gorgeous silk ties.
-kitchen gadgets -- cool ones that work; grab your expired coupons and run to Bed Bath & Beyond! They take ALL of the expired coupons, always use them in multiples, and always give you the most expensive items discounted. They have a large array of great kitchen gadgets/tools and carry the great brand OXO.
-nail polish and remover -- a classic red, a pretty pink, or a metallic for New Year's Eve, even a green, blue, yellow, or purple for the adventuresome type. Add the remover as a bonus!
-bath poof, bubble bath, shower gel, back brush -- treat them to these items that make an ordinary shower or bath into an at-home spa treatment
-back scratcher -- not sure this is a good one? Then you must not own one. The back scratcher is one of the best inventions EVER! Get one that has a long enough handle to get the center of the back and is strong enough to survive (no thin plastic toys).
-certificate for a mani-, pedi-, spa treatment -- for the man or woman in your life who is overworked and under-pampered; this gift shows you REALLY love and appreciate them.
-homemade coupon for back/body massage -- this ought to warm up the cold nights of winter!
-trading cards -- Baseball, Pokemon, or any other sports or game cards the kids/teen/adults are in to.
-Zippo lighters -- I do not condone smoking AT ALL, but for times when a lighter is needed the Zippo is the ultimate. Purchase one that matches the recipient's personality (there are so many to choose) and add the fluid and flints, too.
-really nice chopsticks -- small works of art and usually reasonable and renders take home Chinese or Sushi even BETTER!
-jacks, Tiddly Winks, pick-up sticks, Old Maid, Crazy 8s, War, etc. -- classic and inexpensive children's games
-View Master slides -- even with computers and video games, children still enjoy their own View Master to escape from the ordinary.
-seashells -- bonus points if they are from the beach and not a store! From Santa's summer beach retreat, perhaps?
-food mixes - soups, dips, brownies -- anything dried and needing wet ingredients to bring a scrumptious concoction to life with very little effort
-really good stapler and staples
-really good scissors with a sharpener as a bonus

Tomorrow, more holiday recipes. I am, however, not finished with Stocking Stuffers. Thursday's list will be all about how to stuff the over-the-top, the sky's the limit, no hold's bar, luxurious Christmas Stocking.

Start printing these blogs about stocking stuffers and get ye to the market before Christmas is here!

Gifts - More Stocking Stuffers

This is an ever-growing list. Upon posting the blog about Stocking Stuffers last week I immediately began a new list of items I had left off. My notebook is overflowing with ideas! For those of you who have yet to start, those looking for more ideas, and those of you who were unimpressed with the first go around, here is today's offering. Remember, Christmas is now less than twelve days away and Santa can always use a bit of help stuffing those stockings!

This list will be compiled without categories - plug in the items where you think the recipient would enjoy! Also, please remember that a stocking stuffer can just as easily become the sole gift for a friend, neighbor, teacher, or special someone in your life. Most of these items can fit the bill for any occasion while others are just really good to fill the stocking. You decide!

Christmas Stocking Stuffers

-Animal crackers in the circus box with the string (can be hung on a Christmas tree, too)
-Holiday-themed dish towels and oven mitts (or every day styles)
-hand lotions/hand sanitizers
-"smell-um goods" like cologne, perfume, after shave
-FREE Hallmark pocket calendars (add important dates for the recipient for a truly lovely gift)
-personal grooming products if you know the person's favorite brands
-cotton balls/Q-Tips (especially if they are lavishly made or pretty)
-Silver cleaner/jewelry cleaner (the better the quality the better the gift)
-hair accessories
-baseball caps
-bandanas
-crayons, markers, colored pencils (Crayola is still among the best)
-decorative sprinkles for cookies/cupcakes
-honey, especially locally harvested or flavored
-tea bags, hot cocoa packets, or coffee
-for couples only -- sexy underwear/lingerie
-toothbrush and toothpaste, especially the newer spin technology
-a horoscope book to start the new year
-a magazine subscription tucked/wrapped in to the current issue
-pocket-sized tissue pack, especially with designs
-dried pasta in neat shapes/jar of gourmet sauce
-a box of breadsticks
-flavored oils
-shopping list pads, coupon book with current coupons
-turtlenecks/tee shirts
-flip flops/slippers
-SOCKS!!! dress socks, sports socks, trouser socks, funky socks, slipper socks
-reusable bags - this is a gift that keeps on giving as many grocery stores and Target give a nickel back per bag!
-keychains - millions of styles to fit the recipient; add a house key, car key, trunk key, etc.
-Lego separator - an inexpensive tool Lego sells to separate the blocks without losing your nails! My son is getting one this Christmas and I'm going to get a manicure!!
-salt and pepper shakers -- add salt and pepper in bulk to fill and refill
-mugs, thermal travel cups
-ice cube tray with cool shapes (stars, hearts, sports balls, etc.), swizzle sticks, shaker
-New Year's Eve paraphernalia -- hats, crowns, noise makers, serpentine, bubbles, Champagne!
-Heart items for Valentine's Day -- it's only 6 weeks away once the holidays are over!
-Snowmen items for winter decorating/collecting
-jump rope, exercise DVD or bands -- help them to stay on track to good health in the New Year
-ear buds/iPod speakers/noise canceling earphones
-stationary, notecards, stamps, pens

I have a lot more! I'll post tomorrow part 2 of this week's list. You are limited only by your imagination and, in some cases, your budget. But along with some store-bought items, remember to add freebies, homemade things, coupons, and the like. And, starting at the end of this holiday season, start collecting year-round so when the end of December returns, you have mountains of goods to stuff everyone's Christmas stockings!

Thank you for stopping by. See you tomorrow!

Friday Music Blog

Welcome back in to the Friday Music Blog! Today's focus is songs with "Angel" in the title. Although Christmas songs, carols, and hymns are a great place to begin, the topic is wide open. Choose songs from any genre, just kindly include the artist/performer and, when necessary, the album. This should yield a long list of selections so let's get to work! I'm anxious to read what choices are made. Looking forward to a comprehensive list!

Ho Ho Hope you had a great week and are acquiring a ton of facts, ideas, tips, and recipes to sail through this Christmas/Holiday Season joyously. For those of you wishing for the holidays to be behind us and "normal blogs" to return, that time is quickly approaching. For those of you soaking up the holiday help, there are still a couple of more weeks left! Either way I appreciate and value you being here, reading, leaving your comments, and supporting me.

Please check back throughout the weekend to see how the FMB responses grow, to check and recheck the "Stocking Stuffer" blog for suggestions, - heck, just print the thing out and hit the stores! - as well as the "Gift" blogs, refer to the "Holiday Recipe" blogs, and even peruse my older blogs about "The Healing Power of Touch", "The Art of the Kiss", and even "Forgiveness".

A friendly reminder to those who shop Amazon or those who haven't but do not want to face the crowds at the mall, the deals are crazy good this week! Simply use the link at the right hand sidebar of my blog to get into Amazon (it's one extra step for you) and every purchase you make and that gets shipped helps me out immensely.

Join me next week as I offer even more holiday topics, gift ideas, stocking stuffer suggestions, recipes, and tips. Thank you again for your readership, loyalty, support, and kindness!