Christmas Eve Dinner

A few years ago, I boycotted crazy Christmas meals. The family made such a huge deal out of having 50 different items on the table that I would spend days getting everything ready and then by Christmas Eve, I was so exhausted that I couldn't enjoy a single minute of the holiday.

I decided to change all that and go with traditional yet simple foods. Now the family enjoys their favorites every year and I can enjoy the day too. I found a way to make the holidays more enjoyable and I hope you can too!! Cook what you want and enjoy your day. If you go with traditional yet simple foods, no one will miss a thing!

Turkey is one of the traditional yet simple foods that can stay on the menu. There's a little prep time involved but once you have the bird in the oven, you can relax which makes it an easy choice. It also makes the house smell really good and will bring back many memories if it's something you've grown accustomed to every year.

If you enjoy having a cookbook in front of you where you can feel the pages and see the illustrations of each recipe, check out some of the recipes in this holiday favorite.

Most years, I serve lasagna as our Christmas Eve dinner. It's a warm comfort food that most people welcome. Served with breadsticks and a salad, you have a perfect meal. I love tradition but one year I had just had enough of the ham and turkey and wanted to make something different. I love lasagna and make a pretty good one so that's what I made and it was a big hit with the whole family!

Another traditional food item for the menu is mashed potatoes with gravy. Made with milk and real butter, you can whip them until they are smooth and creamy. Serve with butter and gravy for a wonderful tasty dish! Sometimes I think that kids would be happy with mashed potatoes for dinner with nothing more. Definitely a favorite at our house!

If there's nothing else that the finicky kids will eat, you can count on them eating corn! Corn goes perfectly with mashed potatoes and poultry. You can eat it alone or swirl it in the potatoes. A little salt and butter will make them irresistible. Even the smell is wonderful!

It wouldn't be Christmas without a dish of olives on the table. We go through a few cans of black olives while the green ones sit a little longer. You can usually find a local store that sells specialty olives in the deli department. Try a few different flavors for a change!

The best hot chocolate I ever had was made with homemade whipped cream, so thick and delicious, with chocolate shavings sprinkled on top.

Did you know that it's simple to make homemade whipped cream? I never realized how easy it was until I did it by mistake. All you need is some whipping cream, sugar, and a little vanilla. You can get the whipping cream in your dairy section at the grocery store. It's usually pretty close to the milk. Pour it into a bowl, add a tablespoon or two of sugar (taste it and if you need more sugar, add it) and then put in a little vanilla. Again, you don't need a lot, maybe a teaspoon or two of the vanilla but taste your whipped cream as you add the vanilla. That's it. It just pour these three ingredients into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until it fluffs up into the best whipped cream you've ever had! Put it on top of your hot chocolate and then add some chocolate shavings for a super taste sensation!!

A plate of Christmas cookies sitting out brings fond memories of childhood Christmases long ago. They have a comforting smell and the texture is like no others from any other time of year. While you're waiting for dinner to be ready, you can pop a cookie in your mouth and enjoy! I love spritz cookies but my favorite Christmas cookies are poppy seed cookies.

I changed up our tradition and made a new one.. lasagna! Have you ever done the same thing? Do you have the same foods every year or do you try new dishes? Do you have people bring dishes to pass or do you make it all? What about cookies? Do you make a lot or just one or two kinds?