Seasonal Entertaining

[kirbyfan]

Good Grief Bumper! I'm only, like a 4 hour drive to your place...how do i get on that list? The menu looks unbelievable!!!

[Seakony]

Can you mail me the leftovers?

[pkfirefighter]

The wife and I always have a dinner for the family on Christmas Eve or Chritmas Night. Depending on when I work at the fire department. This year on Christmas Eve, we broke all traditions and had a shrimp boil for 12 people for dinner. 12lbs. 16-20ct. shrimp, 5lbs. new potatos, 24 half ears or corn, garlic, onion, spices etc. Everything was great and the shrimp turned out awesome. It was a great break from ham! Has lots of left over shrimp for etoufee, cajun shrimp pasta, and snacking.

[Bumper]

Originally Posted by Tommygurl

Hey Bumper.....Does Mrs Bumper have a recipe for Cheese Straws??? My Granny used to make them!

Yep, I'll get it for you.

Originally Posted by seakony

Can you mail me the leftovers?

You'd be most welcome to them, Rita, m'love, but I'm afraid a lot of the stuff wouldn't likely "travel" very well. You'll just have to come and get 'em.

Originally Posted by kirbyfan

Good Grief Bumper! I'm only, like a 4 hour drive to your place...how do i get on that list? The menu looks unbelievable!!!

Four hours might be pushing it a bit, but a nice leisurely five hour drive would get you here without too much trouble. And all Peeps are on the guest list. We even have room for a bunch of you to plug in your cars. Can't be more hospitable than that. (That probably needs explaining for some of our southern friends. You see, you get this extension cord.....ah, never mind.)

[HAWKEYE]

Wow! What a spread! Happy new year to you both. Craig & Kristi.

[jmac]

I am on that said list & I hope I can get away to get in there. The menu sounds amazing & I can vouch for Mrs. B's cooking (along with YWG Deb's), it's amaaaaazing!!!!
I'm hoping to get there Bump, I am so in need of my Bumper hug, haven't had one since February. Get off my lazy butt & get working right now!!! Have a total mess around here.

[Donny]

Originally Posted by Bumper

So what’s on the menu for this year? Well....

Mini Reuben Sandwiches (That miniature pumpernickel bread grilled with a filling of corned beef, sauerkraut, Dijon mustard, and Swiss cheese)

Golden Dragon (Pork meatballs with chopped water chestnuts in them, wrapped in bacon, then broiled. Served in a chafing dish in a sort of sweet & sour sauce.)

Empanadas

Won Ton Appetizer Bites

Piroshki (A Ukrainian favourite. Little buns filled with sauerkraut, bacon and fried onions)

Feta Phyllo Pizza

Thai Beef Skewers

Barbequed Cedar Planked Salmon

Philippino Spring Rolls (We buy a couple of hundred of these every year from a delightful Phillipino lady. They’re delicious and we couldn’t make them for what she charges for them.)

Quesadillas (Courtesy of the quesadilla machine we borrowed from YWG Don & Deb.)

Cheese (Danish Blue, Smoked Gouda, Imperial, Old Cheddar, Double Glouchester, Cheshire)

A variety of crackers and Lavasch (Greek flat bread)

Cheese Crisp Cookies

Pate

Oriental BBQ Pork

Sun-dried Tomato & Feta Cheese Souffle

Antipasto

Shrimp with Southwestern Remoulade
Hot Spinach Dip

Cheese Straws

Fresh Veggies and Poppy Seed Dip

Assorted Olives (The regular Kalamata and green ones, plus some stuffed with jalapenos, or garlic cloves, or almonds)

Sweet Dill Pickles

Fresh Fruit and Chocolate Fondue

Apricot Pecan Thrones

And from the cellar, a wide variety of wine - both homemade and commercial, but all good stuff. We would never serve anything we wouldn’t drink ourselves. Anything from a giant California Zinfandel that will - unless you’re an experience wine drinker - kill you and then go after your family, to an inoffensive Green Apple Riesling “Granny Wine”, and everything in between. We generally go through about 30 - 35 bottles. Oh, and beer too, of course. Both chewy homemade ale and commercial offerings.

Anybody hungry or thirsty yet? Well, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood tomorrow, Saturday, December 29, you’re more than welcome.

Anybody else have any long-standing seasonal entertaining traditions like this?

Sounds like a Great time.
I'd come yer way and cook you a salmon/steelhead or two if'n it wasn't so dang cold up thar! (oh, and if'n I had the time off from work!)

[Tommygurl]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Yep, I'll get it for you.



You'd be most welcome to them, Rita, m'love, but I'm afraid a lot of the stuff wouldn't likely "travel" very well. You'll just have to come and get 'em.


Four hours might be pushing it a bit, but a nice leisurely five hour drive would get you here without too much trouble. And all Peeps are on the guest list. We even have room for a bunch of you to plug in your cars. Can't be more hospitable than that. (That probably needs explaining for some of our southern friends. You see, you get this extension cord.....ah, never mind.)

Thanks Bumper!!
Nick just installed pro heat in the truck...no need to plug in for us! Up North they have to leave the trucks running 24 hours a day!!

[jmac]

k, I'm back home safe & sound. It was amazing, of course, Jackie & Bump are amazing cooks. The wonton bites were to die for & the homemade Clodhoppers (not sure how far outside Winnipeg area they are as they are a home grown company), trust me, they were amazing.
The best part, my BUMPER HUG!!!!! and 2 of them. It was so great to see you Bumper & Jackie along with YWG Don & Deb and Zelda & Mr. Z and Jackie's Mom. We were chillin' & visiting, Zelda chilled some not as much as the Peep Meet, no sangria tonight. Zelda.....Feb 27, Manne's. Be there!!!!! Thanks so much Bumper & Jackie for opening your home, it was a ton of fun.

[Seakony]

No food eh???? I guess I will have to settle for a hug in March.

[YWGDon&Deb]

Originally Posted by jmac

k, I'm back home safe & sound. It was amazing, of course, Jackie & Bump are amazing cooks. The wonton bites were to die for & the homemade Clodhoppers (not sure how far outside Winnipeg area they are as they are a home grown company), trust me, they were amazing.
The best part, my BUMPER HUG!!!!! and 2 of them. It was so great to see you Bumper & Jackie along with YWG Don & Deb and Zelda & Mr. Z and Jackie's Mom. We were chillin' & visiting, Zelda chilled some not as much as the Peep Meet, no sangria tonight. Zelda.....Feb 27, Manne's. Be there!!!!! Thanks so much Bumper & Jackie for opening your home, it was a ton of fun.

You gotta love a party where the "staff" have as much fun as everyone else. It was exhausting but so much fun. Eat. Drink. Plate a tray of Mini Egg Rolls for YWGDeb to work the room with.

Eat. Drink. Plate a tray of half Mini Ruebens and half Peroshkis for another Kitchen Elf to work the room with.

Out to the dining room table to assess the state of the "static" dishes and wine bottles and get another glass of red for myself . Grab my 21st Golden Dragon from the dish on the way by to make sure they are still hot. These things are addictive!

Back to the kitchen in time to dump a hot quesadilla onto a cutting board to be sliced and plated up for delivery!

Chatting with friends and Peeps all the while. Drinking red wine. Refilling red wine glasses for Kitchen Elves. Did I mention drinking red wine?

Another fabulous Bumper & Mrs. B. Open House and a definite PJ day around here today!! Thanks so much, Bumper and Mrs. B.

jmac, Zelda, Mr. Z., it was great to see and hug all of you again!! See you on the beach next, I suspect!!

Zelda... Feb 27... Manne's Biergarten... 7:00 pm... Be there!

[jmac]

Don quote Another fabulous Bumper & Mrs. B. Open House and a definite PJ day around here today!! Thanks so much, Bumper and Mrs. B.

Don, I thought you were gonna work out today!!!!!

[roni]

We will have some people over for NYE.

We take some special steps to make sure that only people who are fellow losers come.

We make the invitation late enough so that non-losers already have plans. We encourage them to stop by on the way to the non-loser plans to spend a little time and have a drink with us, that way they can be grateful they did not have to stay here all evening.

One time we had a NYE party and invited people early. Lots of people showed up and we had to stay awake until nearly one in the morning.

Doesn't happen so much now

[YWGDon&Deb]

Originally Posted by jmac

Don, I thought you were gonna work out today!!!!!

And I most definitely did to work off those Golden Dragons and everything else, Jackie!!!!!!!

Started my normal "90 minute" workout at 9:07 and finished 2 minutes early at 10:35. Since the gym is in my basement, I don't need a lot of fancy workout clothes. Went for a shower and pulled on some clean PJ's (not Rudolph PJ's like YWGDeb wore all day today, even over to the neighbour's to drop off some baking and stuff ) but comfy enough.

[MikeW]

My brother from Chicago and his family (his daughter asked if it's always this warm this time of year, we said no it's usually warmer. Told her to think about that when applying for college), and my other brother and family came over to our house yesterday. Had homemade tamales (remember we made those last weekend at the neighbors), and other Mexican food for dinner. Played board games, watched THE Game on TV, and played tackle football in the living room. My parents were supposed to come as well, but canceled at the last second because my mom wasn't feeling well (happens once and awhile as she battles cancer).

NYE will be at the neighbors across the street. Only 2 curbs to trip over to get home. Should be lots of good homemade Mexican food there. I doubt if I'll last long into the night (morning) there, I'm still exhausted after the flu. BonnyW will stay later, I trust they will take care of her and get her home.