Small Memories

Every family has its favorite dishes for the holidays, traditions that have been passed down year after year.  Maybe it is time to spice things up and introduce some new recipes or at least make some variations to some favorites.  It’s a good idea to incorporate family favorites from your spouse’s family (if you can get them to share the recipes), especially if you can’t get together with that side of the family. Here are a few different Christmas dinner menu ideas to help you find your own groove this holiday season.

Appetizers - Why not have a few appetizers set out, so people can snack while dinner is finishing up?  Set out some healthy things to munch on, like fruit and veggies or cheese and crackers.  It’s easy to set up a nice tray; even just a foil lined pizza pan covered in clear plastic with Christmas designs on it can dress up the table.

Side Dishes - Tired of the same old stuffing or mashed potatoes?  Try some souped up stuffing.  Take some precooked chicken (or left over turkey from Thanksgiving), picked off the bone and then mix that with your favorite cream soup (chicken, mushroom or celery) and some sour cream, top with stuffing, add a little water and bake according to the directions on the stuffing box.

Other side dishes can feature different vegetables, noodles or potatoes. You could also have some fruit side dishes, like baked apples.  If it’s a family gathering where everyone brings a different dish, then try out that recipe you’ve been wanting to make but haven’t.

Main Dishes - While a ham or turkey may be traditional for Christmas dinner, how about a roast?  It’s simple to cook a nice, moist roast using a slow cooker.  Place the meat in the slow cooker, add some broth or au jus, some favorite spices and let it cook while you are enjoying the family.  Add some vegetables; simply select ones that cook well in the slow cooker and there is one less dish to make.

Desserts - Everybody loves desserts, especially at the holidays. We tend to overindulge in them.  Try to find some desserts that are still delicious, yet a little less filling. Gelatin, especially if you make red or green, is always a hit around the holidays. Add fruit or make it into squares or even fun shapes with cookie cutters.

Instead of having very heavy desserts try having an angel food cake. Adding red and green candy or sugar sprinkles gives it a festive look.  Have a variety of bite-size desserts, such as mints, chocolate covered nuts or peanut butter balls.  This will give guests a variety and help curb the need to overindulge as well.

Do you have alternative holiday menu ideas? Feel free to add your Christmas dinner menu ideas below.

The kids are home for Christmas break and are bored already.  The weather is cold, wet and nasty.  What do you do?  Keep them busy making something with their hands.  Here are some fun craft ideas that kids will love.

Christmas cards are always a great craft.  Provide the kids supplies like construction paper, card stock, scissors, glue, glitter (the bottles of glitter/glue in one package are a very nice low-mess way to dress up a project), pencils, crayons or markers and old Christmas cards.  Let the kids use their creative energy to make wonderful handmade cards that can be shared with family and friends.  By cutting pictures out of old cards, even the younger children can make something really nice (and recycle at the same time).

Snow globes are a favorite holiday project.  If you want to make your own, gather glass or clear plastic containers, like baby food jars or mustard or mayonnaise jars.  Wash and dry them completely.  Gather small plastic Christmas or winter decorations. Try to find some that float. Winter themed stickers or small foam cutouts are also nice. Decorate the outside of the jar with stickers or glue a few of the foam pieces on it.  Attach a couple of the floating pieces (things like snowflakes or stars work well) to string and glue a figure to the inside with the string underneath the figure to anchor it (which will become the base).  Fill the jar with water and some glitter. Carefully glue the lid in place using waterproof glue and let dry.  Once dry, shake it, set it lid down and watch the glitter swirl around.

 Candy crafts can be fun, as well as a tasty gift. A train can be a quick craft that can be used as a decoration or gift.  Use a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers) for the main part of the train.  Use individually wrapped round candy, like peppermints for the wheels. For the front, glue a square candy, such as a caramel with a chocolate kiss on top.  If you add a string, they can be used as a tree decoration.  Experiment with other kinds of candy to create other things, like robots, animals or even angels.

Garland trees can be a great project. This is especially true if there is limited room for a Christmas tree.  Take a large piece of green poster board and cut a circle, with a slit out to make a cone.  Tape it with clear packing tape.  Take an artificial pine garland and wrap it around the cone, completely covering it to create a small tree.  Fasten the ends in place so it doesn’t unwrap.  The tree can be decorated with lightweight paper ornaments that the children can also make.

Create your own fireplace. A cozy fireplace can warm up any room but not everyone has one.  Let the kids make one. Find a large cardboard box and cut an opening in the one side for the fireplace.  Using sponges, paint bricks on the box, leaving space in between to be the mortar.  Paint the inside black if you want.  Paint flames on the inside back section of the box. Use paper towel rolls to stack up in the fireplace as logs.  Decorate the top to look like a mantel.

Get creative and think up your own Christmas crafts as well.  Children will love the fun involved in creating these crafts and so will you.  You can even give the crafts as a gift which will warm even the biggest grinch.