Kitchen Duty

I was in the kitchen from about 9 am until 2:30 this afternoon... started out taking the special "Santa" cups that we use every Christmas Day out of the cupboard above the fridge. Noticed how dusty the top of the fridge was... that led to realizing that the top of the cupboards were beyond nasty. So, anyway. Now all the tops of the cupboards in the kitchen are clean(er). And I didn't break myself or anything else.

After that I settled down to baking & cooking. Thankfully, older dd (with help from ds) agreed to make another double batch of pizzelle cookies (that was on my list). We make these every Christmas. Most we give to friends and family. Some we keep for ourselves. My mom gave us the pizzelle baker early on in our marriage. So glad for it!
So, the pizzelles taken care of, my job was to bake two pies: pecan and pumpkin, make salmon dip (a new recipe that I'm excited about!), put together a breakfast casserole (December 25th being the only day out of 365 that I make one of these), prepare "Heavenly Carrots" (a family/holiday favorite) and make cinnamon rolls (the recipe that I make every year on Christmas).

So, that's all done now and everything's in the fridge or cooling on the counters.

Our menus for tomorrow:

Early breakfast (the kids open their stockings right away -- as soon as we can get everyone into the living room. After that, we have our first breakfast of the day)

mini cereal boxes (once-a-year thing)
fresh orange juice (as in not-from-concentrate)
coffee (for the grownups)

Break (roughly half-way through present-opening)

cinnamon rolls
clementines

Brunch (after present-opening)

breakfast casserole
hash browns
hot apple cider
juice

Afternoon snack (if anyone is hungry!)

variety of cheeses
salmon dip
crackers
grapes
almonds & pecans
leftover breakfast casserole
punch (ginger ale & juices)

Dinner (in the evening, served after the ice show on TV :-)

roast beef
mashed potatoes w/gravy
sweet potato casserole
Heavenly Carrots
asparagus w/hollandaise sauce
Sister Schubert's rolls
pecan & pumpkin pie (w/cream)

Phew! Such decadence.

We're off in a bit to a Christmas Eve service and then a party at friends'.
Have a lovely evening & day tomorrow!