Top 10 Recipes for Christmas Dinner

Great ideas for holiday cooking...

Plan the perfect Christmas dinner with our favorite Christmas recipes including Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Cranberry Drizzle and Cider-and-Beer-Braised Pork with Chocolate Mole.

Medallions of Beef Tenderloin

This beef medallion recipe will make you look like a hero in the kitchen--it looks beautiful and tastes incredible.

Duck with Sweet Orange Sauce

Want to show off this holiday season? If you can roast a chicken, why not up the ante and roast a duck! A roast duck for Christmas dinner is chic and easy. This recipe is my version of the classic French dish "Duck a l'Orange."

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Cranberry Drizzle

Sometimes there is nothing like cozying up to a rich, warm bowl of soup for dinner. This recipe invokes the flavors of the season and looks just gorgeous on any Christmas dinner table.

Collard Greens and Smoked Turkey

Enjoy a taste of the south this Christmas. This dish is simmered with smoked turkey, collard greens and bell peppers.

Potato Cheese and Mushroom Pie

Finally, a vegetarian dish to take center stage for a festive Christmas meal! This savory pie is as impressive as it is mouth-watering.

Apple-Maple Country Ham

This ham is effortless to make, but is sinfully delicious. It's Christmas dinner in a crock-pot! Plus, the leftovers are fabulous for sandwiches and salads.

Cornish Hens

Cornish hens are another great choice for Christmas dinner. Whether you are cooking for a small family or hosting a big crowd.

Spicy Maple Glazed Lamb Chops with Spinach

Lamb is a holiday favorite and I love this recipe because you simply sear lamb chops and then finish them off in the oven. An upscale Christmas dinner is served in a matter of minutes! The sweet and spicy glaze works really well with the flavor of the lamb and the wilted spinach makes it a complete dish.

Cider-and-Beer-Braised Pork with Chocolate Mole

Chocolate is a favorite holiday ingredient that many people do not typically consider pairing with pork, but Chef Symon’s recipeshows that pork's versatility enhances almost any holiday ingredient. You will receive raves from your friends and family if you serve this dish at Christmas!

Lobster Tails

Decadent lobster is often saved for special celebrations. This recipe is so easy, you will want to make it all year long!

More Christmas Recipes

• Holiday Jello Shots
• Christmas Cookie Recipes
• Christmas Dessert Recipes

• How to Cook a Turkey
• Our Favorite Christmas Recipes
• Christmas Candy Recipes

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS

POINSETTIAS
Written by Heleigh Bostwick    Thursday, 23 December 2010

Considered one of North America’s Christmas flowers, most of us purchase our poinsettias from the garden center in the form of potted plants during the holiday season. In their native habitat, the mountains of Mexico, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are actually semi-tropical woody shrubs. The US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, for whom poinsettias are named, introduced poinsettias to the US in 1825. 





Propagated by leaf cuttings, and available in a wide range of colors, California is the largest commercial grower of poinsettias in the world. Look closely at the poinsettia flower and you will see that what appear to be the petals of the flower are actually bracts. Bracts are modified leaves. The flowers themselves are non-descript consisting of small green cup-like structures. 

Poinsettias do not like variations in temperature so keep them away from drafts. As with most other members of the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family, a milky white latex sap exudes from the leaves and stems. This sap is not poisonous but may be irritating to the skin, more so in native species rather than propagated ones. 

Fire on the mountain E. cyathophora, a somewhat weedy perennial that bears a resemblance to the propagated varieties, is the only poinsettia native to the US. 

Recommended reading: 
Poinsettias: Myth & Legend 
The Poinsettia Tradition 

SIMPLY ELEGANT EDIBLE GIFTS!

After having made a few of these, I am most impressed! Throw in your own special touch or make them as per the recipe...they are scrumptious!

Homemade Food Gifts for the Holidays

(Slide 1 of 30) Start at the Beginning

Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup Mix

Making your own dry soup mix from beans and spices couldn’t be easier. Layered in a jar, it makes a very pretty gift.

Recipe: Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup Mix

Whole-Grain Roasted-Garlic Mustard

This spicy whole-grain mustard has a touch of roasted garlic and maple syrup. When you see how easy it is to make, you may give up store-bought mustard.

Recipe: Whole-Grain Roasted-Garlic Mustard

"The Death of Common Sense"

Another article to make you think...again I do not know who deserves the credit but "Thank you!"

The Death Of Common Sense
12-13-10

Obituary Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; and - Maybe it was my fault.. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I'm A Victim Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone... If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Ya'll Know Who You Are!

Don't know to whom to give the credit...but I got such a kick out of this that I could not resist the urge to send it along! After reading it...I suppose I'm one of this elite crowd as well.

Have a good one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to
take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that
values home, family, country and God.

If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.

Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are
made of. I hope I am one of those. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends.

Y'all know who ya are...

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to
be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God..'

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing
the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas'
instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when
someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your
hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces
veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an
American flag, nor intend to.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe
and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and
raised your kids to do the same.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to
a friend.

If you got this far reading this, it could be because I believe that
you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the
same beliefs as those talked about in this email.

God Bless the USA !