Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Christmas Menu

I hosted family at my house for Thanksgiving and I'm doing it again for Christmas.  This wouldn't be a problem most years, but it does feel slightly overwhelming this year.  My house is a complete and total disaster after spending this last week on semi-bedrest.  Not a single decoration decks my halls.  Gifts, while thankfully purchased, have yet to be wrapped.  All these things can be remedied in a long afternoon of cleaning, decorating, and wrapping.  My problem is the menu.

I love turkey; after salmon it's my favorite meat.  I generally serve the same meal for Christmas and Thanksgiving:  turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, corn, green salad, and a relish tray.  I like turkey so much that I always stock up for the year when they are on sale and I currently have four turkeys in my chest freezer. 

Sounds great, right?  Wrong.  The problem this year is that I'm pregnant.  I'm not just pregnant, I'm pregnant with weird food aversions and queasiness.  Turkey is the one food that has consistently made me sick each time I try to eat it.  At this point, just thinking about the smell of turkey is enough to turn my stomach.

So turkey is out for the centerpiece of my Christmas dinner, what else can I make?  Chicken isn't fancy enough, duck and goose are fatty and will most definitely make me vomit, fish doesn't seem "Christmas-y," and I don't care for pork.  What does that leave?  Beef, I guess.

Steaks on the grill don't seem all that festive and a pot roast is something I'd make any ol' night.  I thought about doing a prime rib roast, but I don't care for the cut.  Then it hit me:  beef Wellington.  Of course!  It's fancy enough for Christmas and I'm pretty sure that everyone will like it. 

Unfortunately, pink meat, usually so appealing to me, is yet another thing that makes me ill these days.  That makes it tough to serve up a medium rare supper and it would be just wrong to overcook the meal for everyone just because I can't handle the look of it.  After thinking about it a little longer, I think I'll make individual servings instead of one big filet roast.

The only problem I can see with this plan is that beef Wellington, while easy enough to make, does require a lot of work and I just don't think I'll be up for it after getting the house put together.  Frankly, it's exhausting just to think about all the work that's ahead of me.  I may just end up serving a pot roast.

What does your family serve for Christmas dinner?

2 comments:

  1. Keep it simple, no one is going to judge you for making Pot Roast. Individual Wellingtons sound like a total PITA.

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  2. Thanks Jenny! I'm pretty certain that I'll do the roast because I'm really not looking to do any extra work at this point.

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