A Day of Feasting

As it is with many other families, food is an integral part of our family's celebrations.

We had a breakfast buffet replete with fruit and sausages, french toast casserole, eggnog pound cake, cranberry muffins, chocolate chip dip, hot chocolate bar and fresh squeezed orange juice.

The buffet was tweaked for lunch by removing the french toast and adding crackers and a platter of summer sausages and a variety of cheeses.  For our meat and cheese platters, white cheddar and pepper jack cheeses are a staple but then I like to throw in something new.  For this meal I added a sampler of Spanish cheeses - Iberico, Cabra al Vino, and Manchego.  We really enjoyed the Manchego (we must get that again).

Ah, my sweet family around the dining table.  I love images such as these.
The dinner menu was ham, apple-cranberry chutney, broccoli with cheese sauce, our favorite fresh green beans, homemade macaroni and cheese.  The chutney and the mac-n-cheese were both new additions to our Christmas menu and, I imagine, they will be on the menu in the future.  The kiddos loved the mac-n-cheese and I loved the chutney.

Apple-Cranberry Chutney
2 c. peeled and chopped apple
1c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (I used the apple peel vinegar that I made this past summer)
1/3 . brown sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest (I used chopped dried orange peel that I had processed for my pantry)
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
small pinch of ground clove

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to low simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, uncover and cook to reduce liquid.
Easy and yummy!
(I think that I am going to try to can some of this to place in my pantry.)

After a full day of feasting there was no need for dessert.  We just finished off dinner with a smidge of chocolate (well, the smidge of chocolate was optional and most opted not to indulge).

It was a day of culinary triumphs - satisfied taste buds and full bellies.