Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year. We are two days out and need to go over a few things.
One of the gifts I bring to my family holiday gathering is a special Christmas dinner. We break from tradition and enjoy Beef Tenderloin for Christmas. Yes, it is a little pricey but I watch for the sales and pick up tenderloin for about $6.00 per pound. It is one of the holiday treats that I enjoy looking for each year. This year I was getting way too close to that $20.00 a pound purchase but my local Wesselman's Market with the help of my very favorite butcher came through last Thursday! Yahoo! When it's this cheap you have to buy a lot. It freezes well for up to 6 months and easily becomes a gift that keeps on giving!!!
So back to organizing that holiday meal. Today is a great day to set the table if you have a dining room. If you won't be using it until Christmas day it just adds to your holiday decorations and looks festive.Now you need to go over the menu and be sure you have everything you need from the store. If you read the last month of blogs on MealEssence.com you are well ahead of schedule and won't be doing any last minute shopping because you are prepared! I have a last minute request from my very dear Mother for her Grandma's Cranberry Relish. I will be making it today because it is so much better after it sits for a few days. The remainder of my menu will be easy to put together on Christmas day while our tenderloin is cooking.
Senora Salad
Beef Tenderloin with Gorganzola Sauce
Baked Mashed Potatoes (saves me a little time)
Aspargus with Almonds
Grandma's Cranberry Relish
Raspberry, White Chocolate, and Almond Trifle
Dessert is always special because I like to do something new and different. Something that doesn't include the Thanksgiving Pies or the Christmas baking items. This year we will be having a recipe I found on the bon appetit web site. I made a couple of changes to lower the caloric value of the dessert without compromising the goodness. Once the reviews are in I will post my version of this delicious trifle on MealEssence.com. I am looking forward to wowing my family with this yummy find!
