Christmas Comes Sooner Up North

     Blogging has taken a back seat the last couple of weeks while Kevin's been home; we've been making a point of doing some fun and festive family activities and I've started cooking for the upcoming weekend. With my husband home from sea for just a couple of weeks, we're actually celebrating Christmas Day on the 12th, with a small Christmas Eve gathering the night before. There will just be six of us for Christmas Eve, with a supper of heavy hors d'oeuvres, and seven for Christmas Dinner the next day (different guests) - small crowds from an entertaining standpoint. Nonetheless, we have big plans. Here are my menus; perhaps you'll find some inspiration for your holiday festivities. 

Hors d'oeuvres Supper

Roasted Brined Pecans (placed strategically around room - great with drinks)

Buffet:
Roast Beef Roll-Ups (deli meat w/ red onion slivers, horseradish, bleu cheese crumbles)

Swedish Meatballs w/ sour cream sauce (yes, 2 beefs, but I'm craving these old family faves, and the
    flavors of the 2 dishes are very different)

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail (Barefoot Contessa) - w/ Crosse & Blackwell seafood sauce to save time

Pickled Baby Beets (recipe from famous north Georgia restaurant, made ahead)

Savoury mini-tarts - 2 veggie-based fillings for a later post - one delicata squash, one spinach

Cheese platter: Stilton w/ dried apricots, Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Herbed Chevre logs, grapes,
     cherry tomatoes, figs - perhaps with prosciutto

Beverage Buffet:

Mulled Wine

Sparkling Juice for the minors

Favorite cocktails of the 2 individual adult guests

Clausthaler alcohol-free beer for Kevin

Dessert Buffet for both events

Lane Cake - a Southern specialty - coconut, currant, pecan, candied cherry & bourbon frosting

Mini Jam Tarts - very Canadian/English

Lacey cookies - storebought

Chocolate Mini Dessert Cups (storebought) filled with Orange Chiffon (semi-homemade)

Homemade Cinnamon Candy (if I have time)

Christmas Breakfast

Egg Casserole (make-ahead)

Breakfast Sausages

Drunken Cantaloupe 

Mulled Cider

Mid-Day Christmas Snack Platter

Pepper Jelly on Cream Cheese served with seeded crackers

Roasted Brined Pecans

Christmas Dinner

Prime Rib Roast w/ Woodman's Creamed Horseradish

Oysters gathered locally by my husband, w/ Mignonette or Ponzu sauce

Party Potatoes (make-ahead mashed)

Cranberry Salad (congealed - made ahead)

Pickled Baby Beets (same as night before - made ahead)

Layered Salad (made 1 day ahead)

Roasted Onions w/ sage, pecans, balsamic vinegar

Lemon Brussels Sprouts (Martha Stewart on youtube - the only 'last minute' dish)

Seeded buns (storebought) with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Butter (made ahead)

     Email me if there's any particular recipe or instructions you'd like me to share. The email address is in the column on the right side of this page. I'll post after this weekend on the original recipes - savoury tarts,  jam tarts, and the roasted onions.