Cameron’s 10 Days of Christmas, decor, food, and party advice
On the first day of Christmas my true gourmet gave to me…..some decor, food and party advice! We are officially 12 days away from Christmas and over the next 10 days I am going to do the impossible. I’m going to create 10 different Christmas meals everyday for the 12 days to help everyone have the best Christmas ever. Today I want to start with some more traditional ideas and recipes in the hopes that you will find them to be as fulfilling for your table as they are to mine.
Traditional Meal for the traditional at heart:
Dishes on the Menu:
Smoked Ham
Mashed gouda potatoes
White gravy
Mixed vegetables
Southern Biscuits with butter and assorted jams
Fresh fruit sorbet
Now don’t get overwhelmed with this menu. The smoke ham is very easy to do:
Smoked Ham
1 5-10 pound Ham
1 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 clove (ground)
Combine wet ingredients and clove together to form a baste and baste the ham. Then using a smoker or similar device smoke for 6-10 hours until golden brown in the rind of the ham. Serve hot Enjoy!
If you don’t have a smoker, combine the same ingredients, wrap in a simple flour and water dough and bake at 400 degrees until the dough is hard and crusty and then remove the ham from the crust and enjoy!
Mashed gouda potatoes
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup gouda, white cheddar, and swiss
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp garlic (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes until tender, combine cream and milk, mash and mix until creamy. Add cheese and continue to mash until entirely combined and creamy. Serve hot.
White Gravy
Any packet gravy is fine, but if you want to go over the top with the gravy situation you simply take the drippings from your ham, and put over medium heat in a saucepan. Add corn starch and water until the mixture reaches a suitable consistency and serve with your meal!
Southern Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring*
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening, chilled
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
3/4 cup milk
Combine wet ingredients. Combine Dry ingredients. Fold together until they make a neat dough that does not stick. Form into balls (or roll into a log and cut) and make 2-3 inch disks with the biscuits and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
A quick decorating tip
Even if your having all the food at the table served family style having a nice table theme is always a good idea. Also, chargers can add a little bit of extra holiday joy and are very inexpensive. Don’t forget to also get created with serving dishes and utensils. If you have a long table or alot of people don’t forget to have multiple plates of things moving around the table so everyone can get food quickly!
That’s meal one. We have many more to go before Christmas. I’d appreciate your comments!
