Scrolling through social media recently, I saw where a friend had commented that she and her people “ate like kings” on New Year’s Day. I chuckled because I could definitely relate. That phrase pretty much summed up my crew’s eating throughout the holidays. We ate like royalty and enjoyed it immensely.
Our extended family alternates Thanksgiving and Christmas each year and having been with (almost) the whole bunch over Thanksgiving, Christmas was smaller and a little more chill – just us three and Mother. Whether it’s just us four or the whole group, when we have Christmas in Livingston our tradition on Christmas Eve is a big pot of chicken, shrimp and sausage gumbo that everyone loves. In recent years, I’ve been pairing it with my friend Debbie Mayes’ jalapeno corn muffins which is a perfect addition. The combo also provides nice leftovers for after Christmas.
I typically prepare a breakfast casserole the day before Christmas and stick it in the fridge. I preheat the oven as soon as I get up on Christmas morning and put the casserole in the oven as I’m getting my coffee. By the time we’ve emptied our stockings, opened a few presents and enjoyed some coffee (and/or mimosas), it’s ready. I kept it simple this year, just pairing it with bacon and biscuits. I’ve tweaked this breakfast casserole repeatedly over the years and think I finally have it down perfectly. And my family thinks so too.
I’d initially planned on fixing a slow-roasted rosemary beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner. However, upon discovering how much beef tenderloins cost these days, I quickly pivoted and chose to go the pork tenderloin route instead. And it was delicious. Along with the pork tenderloin, I prepared mashed potatoes and gravy, my sister-in-law Andra’s delicious green beans, a new recipe from Carolyn Chambers called meyer lemon ricotta spoon bread (which in my opinion is just a fancy way of saying corn casserole with ricotta and lemon zest in the batter), rolls and Daughter’s deviled eggs. For dessert, Mother brought a French silk pie.
Battling a little cabin fever and seeking an alternative to the myriad leftovers, we took a leisurely drive to Crystal Beach the day after Christmas and treated ourselves to a meal at Stingaree Restaurant & Marina, one of our favorites. I don’t remember what the others chose, but I selected the grilled seafood platter. It consisted of barbecue crab, catfish, shrimp, crab-stuffed shrimp, barbecue shrimp, seafood gumbo and a side of red beans and rice. Afterward, we drove down the beach and hung out a little before heading back home. It was a nice little getaway.
Friends invited us over for New Year’s Eve and specifically requested that I bring my smoked salmon tart which had been a big hit a few years prior. I was happy to, and also decided to make a batch of the mini cheese balls I’d made for a party a few weeks earlier. Hubby prepared five pounds of cold boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce.
For New Year’s Day, we enjoyed the obligatory black-eyed peas, along with tamales, bacon-fried cabbage and cornbread.
Because I really wanted to spotlight the pictures, I’m not including the recipes here today. However, if there are any of these that you are interested in, please email me at editor@polkenterprise.com and I’ll be happy to send them to you.
Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year for us all … as we also attempt to get back to a more moderate style of cooking and dining.
