Holiday Traditions

[goosehd]

@Alex or anyone who has done this…

How hard is it to make beef wellington?  Spoke with Laura and we might try it for Christmas dinner this year.  Looked at recipes and videos last night and it seems pretty straight forward, but don't want to screw up dinner.

Can you let me know if you get a chance?

[Alex]

It's pretty easy, to be honest. The key is good preparation and giving yourself enough time to chill everything in between the construction stages. Then an instant read probe thermometer is key, and also make sure you factor in temp increasing as the meat rests when you pull it from the oven.

I do a bit of a hybrid between these:

https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/beef-wellington/
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/beef-wellington-recipe

@goosehd

[Alex]

Then for the jus, I usually do this one, but omit the juniper (its a sauce for a venison dish, hence the juniper in the original)

[goosehd]

You’re a saint!  Was looking at Ramsay’s recipe and video last night.  I think I may go for it…really appreciate the help!

[Alex]

Good luck, and feel free to DM me about it if you'd like closer to the time!

[Oaktavia]

My soon to be mother in law made what she calls Angles on Horseback…which are marinated bacon wrapped oysters. I tried the in North Carolina over the weekend while visiting her for the holidays. She says because they taste Heavenly and are gone as fast as horses run...but that is also what the recipe book called them. So tasty.

I have been taking it upon myself to slowly transform our Xmas tree into a Krampus tree...but the ornaments are expensive so I am buying just one or two each year. So far we have a Krampus tree topper and a couple of ornaments. I know I can make some with images from a Krampus postcard book too. I can share photos of our tree later today if anyone is interested. Eventually I would like to replace all of our ornaments I inherited from my parents with Krampus related ones.

Now that I have a fiancée, we spend Xmas eves together instead of with our parents or siblings. Which is nice because when my younger brother drinks too much he turns into a weird as*hole. Last Thanksgiving he called me names and picked fights left and right. I choose to not engage with him when he gets like that. Amanda and I decided it's best to spend the minimum amount of time around him from now on...

We will have oysters and venison steaks for Xmas eve dinner. Hunting season in MD so far has yielded one doe (shot by my Uncle Bill) which has filled up our freezer with ground, loins, chucks and steaks. Venison compares not to beef in my opinion. Amanda is going white tail hunting with us this Saturday evening for the first time.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to check this thread. I love this time of year.

[goosehd]

@Oaktavia Please share!!  I love wild game (ducks, moose, caribou, deer, etc…)  We always seem to have some wild game in the freezer and just finished a fantastic moose stew a few weeks ago.  My wife's 80 uncle has been hunting for moose 20 years and finally got his first one this fall.

The stew was divine.

Can't wait to see your Krampus tree, and more than relate to family tensions at the holiday's...We've stopped going to a few of the family functions because of a few relatives...

[Giles]

@Oaktavia:

now that I have a wife, we spend Xmas eves together instead of with our parents or siblings.

I freakin' wish…..

[Giles]

[Oaktavia]

@Giles:

@Oaktavia:

now that I have a wife, we spend Xmas eves together instead of with our parents or siblings.

I freakin' wish…..

Haha well we spend Xmas day together, just avoid spending nights with them now. Also- nice tree!

[Alex]

Here's ours

[Oaktavia]

@goosehd I have yet to try moose but I would love to one day. So neat to hear about your Uncle inlaw. I'll post a few tree photos later!

[goosehd]

@Alex @Giles Well done gentlemen!!

[goosehd]

concerning relatives…Every few years it would seem like we were celebrating Festivus and the "Airing of Grievances" instead of Christmas.

[DrPat]

@Giles:

Lights look like they are the perfect height to get caught under your chin as you pass through the door [emoji6].

[mclaincausey]

Love this thread!

While I hope that being in the hospital Christmas morning doesn’t become a tradition, I expect spoiling the baby we were finally about to take home after 6 days for her birthday and then Christmas will become the core of our seasonal routine. Brandi is already planning a big 1st Birthday party themed “my favorite things” (which includes things like berries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Cheerios).

[Giles]

@DrPat:

Lights look like they are the perfect height to get caught under your chin as you pass through the door [emoji6].

For various reasons the room on the other side of those doors is housing a shit load of surplus to requirements furniture, the doors cant even be opened at the moment ….

[goosehd]

@Giles:

@DrPat:

Lights look like they are the perfect height to get caught under your chin as you pass through the door [emoji6].

For various reasons the room on the other side of those doors is housing a shit load of surplus fishing equipment, the doors cant even be opened at the moment ….

Fixed it…

[Giles]

I don't have any surplus fishing equipment.  I have a lot, but none surplus (at least, in my mind)….

[goosehd]

I got busted one time…I had been out and found a sale (not a very good one), but...purchased two rods and reels for doing deep lake fishing.  Put them in the garage and kinda forgot about it.  One day Laura was looking for something in the garage and stumbled across them.  Got into a little trouble, but not too bad...so I guess not really surplus, but stock that I haven't used yet.