Christmas Eve

What are you doing on Christmas Eve?
What did I do today?

Horseradish sauce for prime rib. DONE
Sweet/sour sauce with black cherries. DONE
Champagne-vinaigrette for salads. DONE
Marinate blueberries and dried cherries for salad. DONE.
Peel and seed two pomegranates. DONE
Chill champagne. DONE
Wash all stemware and water glasses. DONE
Find napkin rings and choose napkins. DONE
Mix martinis and chill. DONE
Set the table. STILL IN PROGRESS

This list and more and my only tasks are the salads and sauces. My dear hubby roasts the prime rib and makes his speical Yorkshire pudding. My sister brings a dish and friend Frankie makes dessert. How's that for planning?




For several weeks I have enjoyed the bold and vibrant patterns of the red and white cloth my sister Jan found and bequeathed to me. One bias border later, voila, our Holiday Table cloth. Don't you just love it?






After spending Christmas in Williamsburg some years back, the legacy of that holiday continues to grace our table. The large, spiked cone is centered on a tray with floral clay and then fresh holly and apples are fixed in place ready for in the center of the table. A few sprigs of fresh rosemary add texture and a light, fresh fragrance.







Getting the center piece centered and making room for the candles, glassware, napkins and setting the table for six.
Pulling out the selected wine glasses, water glasses, coffee cups and arranging the charger plates for the aperitif. This year the choice will be an espresso-vanilla vodka martini OR a pomegranate-vodka martini. Either is refreshing to the palate.
And we are almost done.


Still a few hours to go. After dinner I will toss the salads and make up six bowls. Adding a dry piece of toast to the top and then covering tightly with plastic wrap will keep them fresh until dinner time tomorrow afternoon. Just before serving I will dump the toast, top the salads with sugared pecans, a shaving of Valdeon, a smoked blue cheese and a few pomegranate seeds on top.

Tonight we celebrate with champagne and a Grand Mariner souffle. And read some poetry. I have been listening the Mannheim Steamroller's holiday album all afternoon. Maybe a dance or two? Then early to bed.

Tomorrow DH takes over the kitchen and I just watch. And then I have a surprise for my sister. Stay tuned.....bb