A Vatful of butter chicken

Bonus points if you get the title.

It will take more than 17 months to have me looking forward to New Year's Eve. Thankfully, I busied myself with butter chicken.

A number of minor screw-ups. The chicken wasn't fully thawed, the wrong cuts were thawed, too much chicken, couldn't get the balance correct. Three and a half hours. Meh.


jasmine

Some nights only frozen processed pepperoni pizza will do

And as usual, Beelzebub turned it into charcoal.

Meh.

jasmine

Turkey Pot Pie Extravaganza

This is one of my little private traditions. Taking Christmas dinner leftovers and turning them into pot pies to be had on cold, tired winter nights.

'Nuff said.

jasmine

Christmas dinner

After much backing and forthing as to venue, the family meal was here at the condo. Beelzebub is not to be trusted with anything as important as the holiday bird, so Mum took care of it (along with gravy and stuffing), tinned cranberry jelly along with my favourite corn fritters. I provided the rest. Three hours of merry-making between six of us....the menu:

Roast Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Corn fritters
Garlicky mash
Maple-glazed, Roasted Carrots and Parsnips spiced with cinnamon and cumin
Brussel sprouts with sausage
Little Penguin Chardonnay-Riesling
Egg nog with brandy
Chocolate Fruit cake, soused in Kalhua

Yes, some of us were a bit glooshy afterwards.

Supper was the traditional Chinese takeaway with the exbf...this year's installment included

Shrimp rolls
General Tsao's Chicken
Shanghai Noodles
Chicken Fried Rice
MooShoo Veggies

Good Lord, we're full.

Leftovers for a while


jasmine

Chicken and potatoes

In the run up to Christmas, I'm depending upon easy...

Ovened shakey and bakey chicken with spiced potato wedges...lots of both...will have leftovers for a couple of days.

jasmine

Team Christmas lunch

I love our Christmas lunch -- always at a half-decent restaurant, this year at a swanky-lite grill not too far from the office (which was good, given Snowmagedon, as Environment Canada deemed it).

Winter squash soup with bacon and creme fraiche
Tempura fish with frites, served with a slaw and a wasabi tartar
Coffees...no room for dessert.

jasmine

Company Christmas lunch

There's only so much one can do when feeding the masses, but my friend in internal comms who organised the doo did a fabulous job...


Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes (with real potatoes)
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Roasted carrots and parsnips
Rolls with butter
A flipping amazing cheesecake which was almost too good to be mass-produced

jasmine

Not quite breakfast for supper...

...but but close enough.

Back bacon with mashed potatoes and spiced cabbage.

Thank goodness Mum had me over otherwise I'd probably not have eaten.

jasmine

A month's worth of Christmas baking in one weekend

Ironically, Beelzebub mostly behaved himself.

Seven fruitcakes
7 dozen molasses snaps
5 dozen chocomint crinkles

jasmine

Morning after and evening after

Breakfast at Over Easy with Ivonne, as blogged on CA.

Dinner...hot dogs.

jasmine

Pre-concert meal

Trying to find someplace to eat near the ACC just before the concert, without a reservation wasn't as bad as it could have been. Only a 20 minute wait at Jack Aster's.

Crab and lobster dip (shared)
Open face steak sandwich with fried onions and French fries
half a pint of Guinness

The others had
Garlic bread
Peppercorn rotini
Grilled salmon on greens
pop
Stella

jasmine

Ladies who lunch

Decided to have a friend over for lunch--has been ages since I last had someone over for a meal. Since she's vegetarian, I was able to step out of my comfort zone (meat) and not do what so many will do when feeding someone who isn't a carnivore (pasta).

Sweet potato chipotle soup
Bleu cheese streudel with pickled pears
Frisée with balsamic dressing
Apple pie

We were happy. At some point I'll get the photos up on CA

jasmine