Thread: A Fun little Xmas party

"cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:YQ8Vm.86006$[email protected]..
> Hi,
>
> Our little neghborhood group decided to have a small party on the 24th.
> Lunch sort of thing. It's centered about a simple gift exchange but we
> expanded to add the kids. At the behest of several of our 'grandparents'
> who can't get to go where the kids are this year, we wanted something
> simple and fun.
>
> The parents emailed over the kids names listing 5 'preferred' items from
> the parents (all small things, crayons, glitter glue pens, coloring books,
> stuff like that since many are on fixed limited incomes). Just stuff
> their know will go over well.
>
> Older kids (past crayon level) are getting more intriguing lists but still
> under 5$. Like, modeling glue, various colors of model paints, pretty
> beads, mini-glue gun sticks. Mostly it seems to be lining up as sort of
> 'crafty' things. Age 14 and up kids get mostly food items except Billy.
> Billy learned to make candles from me back in 2000 when he was 9 (grin).
> He's getting 5 coffee cans partly filled with broken crayons (peeled of
> paper) and separated by colors. Largess of various parents with lots of
> those broken crayon bits arriving in little ziplock baggies.
>
> Art's holding this one as he has a large converted garage to a secondary
> family room. He also organized the gifts. (I'm sorting Billy's crayons
> though).
>
> Food? Our traditional potluck. We trotted our long porch 'credenza' over
> (in an earlier life, it was the back bookshelf of a king sized waterbed)
> and a spiral cut 10lb ham which Sadie will cook (her's is better than
> mine). Terrance is bringing more hoppin' John. Ghiselle is bringing
> german meatballs in gravy. I'm on the list for 'some sort of veggie dish'
> which needs to be vegetarian and will go vegan as one of the families eats
> close to that.
>
> Humm, soft boiled peanuts (a southern specialty) and something else with
> cabbage base seems right based on the list growing.
>
> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?
>
>

We're doing Christmas Eve Polish Wigilia (or at least what I, a former
Southern Baptist, translates it into).....We're having all fish or vegetable
based dishes and then the grands open all their presents from Gramma and
Pop-pop (we tried Babcia and Dziadje - but an in-law and her out-law
objected - I spit in FBS's general direction)....
-ginny

In article <YQ8Vm.86006$[email protected]>,
"cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Our little neghborhood group decided to have a small party on the 24th.
> Lunch sort of thing. It's centered about a simple gift exchange but we
> expanded to add the kids. At the behest of several of our 'grandparents'
> who can't get to go where the kids are this year, we wanted something simple
> and fun.
>
> The parents emailed over the kids names listing 5 'preferred' items from the
> parents (all small things, crayons, glitter glue pens, coloring books, stuff
> like that since many are on fixed limited incomes). Just stuff their know
> will go over well.
>
> Older kids (past crayon level) are getting more intriguing lists but still
> under 5$. Like, modeling glue, various colors of model paints, pretty
> beads, mini-glue gun sticks. Mostly it seems to be lining up as sort of
> 'crafty' things. Age 14 and up kids get mostly food items except Billy.
> Billy learned to make candles from me back in 2000 when he was 9 (grin).
> He's getting 5 coffee cans partly filled with broken crayons (peeled of
> paper) and separated by colors. Largess of various parents with lots of
> those broken crayon bits arriving in little ziplock baggies.
>
> Art's holding this one as he has a large converted garage to a secondary
> family room. He also organized the gifts. (I'm sorting Billy's crayons
> though).
>
> Food? Our traditional potluck. We trotted our long porch 'credenza' over
> (in an earlier life, it was the back bookshelf of a king sized waterbed) and
> a spiral cut 10lb ham which Sadie will cook (her's is better than mine).
> Terrance is bringing more hoppin' John. Ghiselle is bringing german
> meatballs in gravy. I'm on the list for 'some sort of veggie dish' which
> needs to be vegetarian and will go vegan as one of the families eats close
> to that.
>
> Humm, soft boiled peanuts (a southern specialty) and something else with
> cabbage base seems right based on the list growing.
>
> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?

Only yours, Hon. I misplaced your address, though, so if you'll send it
to me. . . .


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller 12-10-2009
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog - a fun read

In article <4b252c09$0$17268$[email protected]>,
"Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
> We're doing Christmas Eve Polish Wigilia (or at least what I, a former
> Southern Baptist, translates it into).....We're having all fish or vegetable
> based dishes and then the grands open all their presents from Gramma and
> Pop-pop (we tried Babcia and Dziadje - but an in-law and her out-law
> objected - I spit in FBS's general direction)....
> -ginny

They gave up Dziadje for Pop-Pop? Sweet Jesus.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller 12-10-2009
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog - a fun read

cshenk wrote:

>
> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?
>
>



Our neighborhood garden club is having one this afternoon at the
neighborhood clubhouse, husbands and dates invited. Luckily the
Broncos are playing this morning (losing badly, too) so the game
won't be competing.

Heavy hors d'oeuvres is the menu. I picked up a Honey Baked
spiral ham yesterday and spend an hour this morning laying it
out attractively on two large platters. Someone else is bringing
small rolls, mustards, and sliced cheeses.

I also made an old recipe for "Chinese" sweet and sour meatballs,
ground pork with minced water chestnuts, ginger and spices in a
chafing dish with pineapple, green pepper and a tangy sauce.

There will be cheese platters, phyllo-wrapped stuff, rumaki,
six desserts, and all the other stuff you'd expect from ladies
who range from 30s to 70+. Most of them are very good cooks.

One of our members is a wine distributor and has offered to
provide all the wine and beer and even the glasses. Lovely!

It is always a fun event, one that most of the husbands are
happy to attend. Last year it ran two hours over the stated
time and we recruited the late-stayers for cleanup duty.

Now if I could only get as motivated to decorate our house!

gloria p

On 2009-12-13, gloria.p <[email protected]> wrote:

> out attractively on two large platters. Someone else is bringing
> small rolls, mustards, and sliced cheeses.
>
> I also made an old recipe for "Chinese" sweet and sour meatballs,
> ground pork with minced water chestnuts, ginger and spices in a
> chafing dish with pineapple, green pepper and a tangy sauce.
>
> There will be cheese platters, phyllo-wrapped stuff, rumaki,
> six desserts....

> One of our members is a wine distributor and has offered to
> provide all the wine and beer and even the glasses. Lovely!

> It is always a fun event, one that most of the husbands are
> happy to attend.

> time and we recruited the late-stayers for cleanup duty.

Dang, that all sounds good. What's the address? I'll gladly clean
up.

nb

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> In article <4b252c09$0$17268$[email protected]>,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> We're doing Christmas Eve Polish Wigilia (or at least what I, a former
>> Southern Baptist, translates it into).....We're having all fish or
>> vegetable
>> based dishes and then the grands open all their presents from Gramma and
>> Pop-pop (we tried Babcia and Dziadje - but an in-law and her out-law
>> objected - I spit in FBS's general direction)....
>> -ginny
>
> They gave up Dziadje for Pop-Pop? Sweet Jesus.
>
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> http://web.me.com/barbschaller 12-10-2009
> http://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog - a fun read
>

I know, just lowered FBS another peg on the 'Poop-o-the-Day' list.
-g

In article <4b254424$0$17393$[email protected]>,
"Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:


> I know, just lowered FBS another peg on the 'Poop-o-the-Day' list.

FBS?

I googled it:

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/FBS


Acronym Definition

FBS Fetal Bovine Serum (culture media)
FBS Football Bowl Subdivision
FBS Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division 1-A)
FBS Fasting Blood Sugar
FBS Fidelity Brokerage Services
FBS Fatboy Slim (band)
FBS Federal Bureau of Statistics (Pakistan)
FBS Funktionsbausteinsprache (German: Function Block Diagram)
FBS Failed Back Syndrome (post-surgical condition)
FBS Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome
FBS Fixed-Base Simulator
FBS Fetal Blood Sample
FBS Foreign Body Sensation
FBS Frequency Based Scheduler
FBS Flexible Bandwidth Service
FBS Fight Before Surrender (Christian punk band)
FBS Fresh Body Shop (band)
FBS Forward-Based Systems
FBS Future Business Systems (North Caulfield, VIC, Australia
accounting software)
FBS Fédération Belge de Scrabble
FBS Field Bus System
FBS Fighter-Bomber Strike
FBS Finance Battlefield System
FBS Floodplain Boundary Standard
FBS Fellow of the Burgon Society
FBS Fusion Block System
FBS Fleet Broadcast System
FBS Facilities Based Carrier
FBS Frequency Bank System
FBS Flare Buildup Study
FBS Front Bass
FBS Fast Burst Synchronization
FBS Fahr Berechtigungs System (Mercedes-Benz)
FBS Flat Bottom Structure
FBS Freight Billing System
FBS Functional Baseline Solution
FBS First Break Suppression (seismic data processing)
FBS Focus Business Services (Cyprus)
FBS Fortified Barrier System
FBS Fat Baby Syndrome (aka macrosomia)
FBS Full Belly Syndrome
FBS Fall Board Skins

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:29:39 -0800, Dan Abel <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <4b254424$0$17393$[email protected]>,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>> I know, just lowered FBS another peg on the 'Poop-o-the-Day' list.
>
>FBS?

Me too. But I'm always confused by those things.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On 2009-12-13, Dan Abel <[email protected]> wrote:

Natch, you missed Flying Bull**** Syndrome.

nb

"gloria.p" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?

> Our neighborhood garden club is having one this afternoon at the
> neighborhood clubhouse, husbands and dates invited. Luckily the Broncos
> are playing this morning (losing badly, too) so the game
> won't be competing.

Heheehe can't have that!

> Heavy hors d'oeuvres is the menu. I picked up a Honey Baked
> spiral ham yesterday and spend an hour this morning laying it
> out attractively on two large platters. Someone else is bringing small
> rolls, mustards, and sliced cheeses.

I got one for Sadie to cook. Fact, she's better at this than I am. Dunno
what she does, but it's good stuff!

> I also made an old recipe for "Chinese" sweet and sour meatballs,
> ground pork with minced water chestnuts, ginger and spices in a chafing
> dish with pineapple, green pepper and a tangy sauce.

Delicious! Ghiselle cornered the meatball market this time. Anita is
bringing rice in her HUGE ricemaker (dang thing is like 20 cups?)
That for the meatball gavy and other stuff. I bet that sauce of yours would
be good on it as well!

> There will be cheese platters, phyllo-wrapped stuff, rumaki,
> six desserts, and all the other stuff you'd expect from ladies who range
> from 30s to 70+. Most of them are very good cooks.

Hehehehe. Yeah, we will have fruit and veggie plates. Silina is bringing
steam/baked yams (10 lbs or so).
Taint as fancy, but it's home.

> One of our members is a wine distributor and has offered to
> provide all the wine and beer and even the glasses. Lovely!

Now that is cool!

> It is always a fun event, one that most of the husbands are
> happy to attend. Last year it ran two hours over the stated
> time and we recruited the late-stayers for cleanup duty.
>
> Now if I could only get as motivated to decorate our house!

Today, we did the tree. Last week, the minimal outside lights for the kids
to see.

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote
> "cshenk" wrote:

>> Art's holding this one as he has a large converted garage to a secondary

> Hon. I misplaced your address, though, so if you'll send it
> to me. . . .

Hehehehe,right here at home! Wish you lived local as we'd be happy to add
another!

In article
<[email protected]>,
Dan Abel <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <4b254424$0$17393$[email protected]>,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> > I know, just lowered FBS another peg on the 'Poop-o-the-Day' list.
>
> FBS?

First-born son.
The one who was in the Navy a couple years back. :-)
HTH. (Happy to help.) "-)

In article
<[email protected]>,
Melba's Jammin' <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article
> <[email protected]>,
> Dan Abel <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > In article <4b254424$0$17393$[email protected]>,
> > "Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > I know, just lowered FBS another peg on the 'Poop-o-the-Day' list.
> >
> > FBS?
>
> First-born son.
> The one who was in the Navy a couple years back. :-)
> HTH. (Happy to help.) "-)

Thanks. I'll learn English yet!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]

In article <YQ8Vm.86006$[email protected]>,
"cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?

Sounds like yummy fun. :-)

No, just with immediate family members...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
[email protected]
Subscribe: [email protected]

cshenk wrote:

> Anyone else doing an Xmas party?

We had eight people come over for a Chanukah dinner party yesterday. Does
that count? I made:

- Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
- Asparagus with Bagna Cauda

- Cream of Eggplant Soup

- Rack of Lamb with Schug (With 10 of us, I allowed one rack per couple.)
- Stir-Fried Okra Pods and Red Capsicum with Spiced Coconut Milk
- Curry Polenta with Bananas

- Watermelon-Lemon Granita
- Cherry Pie (with a Star of David cutout in the crust)
- Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Jon has been working on rebuilding our wine collection. For this occasion he
managed to procure a Methuselah of Taittinger Brut Reserve 1998. There is
some champagne left over, which I plan to use for risotto in the next day or
two.

We will have a dinner party for Christmas also, but I already posted that
menu. I'm not ready to start working on that yet, I'm still disheveled from
last night!

Chappy Chanukah!

In article
<[email protected]>,
Melba's Jammin' <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <4b252c09$0$17268$[email protected]>,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > We're doing Christmas Eve Polish Wigilia (or at least what I, a former
> > Southern Baptist, translates it into).....We're having all fish or
> > vegetable
> > based dishes and then the grands open all their presents from Gramma and
> > Pop-pop (we tried Babcia and Dziadje - but an in-law and her out-law
> > objected - I spit in FBS's general direction)....
> > -ginny
>
> They gave up Dziadje for Pop-Pop? Sweet Jesus.

What is dziadje? If I try to pronounce it, it sounds like the word
for chicken in Arabic.

Regards,
Ranee @ Arabian Knits

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

In article <hg52l2$onv$[email protected]>,
"Julana Benaroon" <[email protected]> wrote:

> - Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
> - Asparagus with Bagna Cauda
>
> - Cream of Eggplant Soup
>
> - Rack of Lamb with Schug (With 10 of us, I allowed one rack per couple.)
> - Stir-Fried Okra Pods and Red Capsicum with Spiced Coconut Milk
> - Curry Polenta with Bananas
>
> - Watermelon-Lemon Granita
> - Cherry Pie (with a Star of David cutout in the crust)
> - Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

This all sounds so good! Could you post the eggplant soup recipe?

Regards,
Ranee @ Arabian Knits

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

In article
<[email protected]>,
Ranée at Arabian Knits <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article
> <[email protected]>,
> Melba's Jammin' <[email protected]> wrote:
(snip)
> > They gave up Dziadje for Pop-Pop? Sweet Jesus.
>
> What is dziadje? If I try to pronounce it, it sounds like the word
> for chicken in Arabic.
>
> Regards,
> Ranee @ Arabian Knits

"Grandpa" in Polish.
Babcia is grandma.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller 12-10-2009
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog - a fun read

Ranée wrote:

>> - Cream of Eggplant Soup
>
> This all sounds so good! Could you post the eggplant soup recipe?

You are very kind. Sorry to say I don't have a precise recipe, but here is
the method:

Poke holes in globe eggplant with a small knife. (The eggplant will cook
down and some will be discarded, so I allow about 500 grams of eggplant per
guest. Globe eggplant have more pulp and less peel, so I prefer them for
this recipe.) Put eggplant on a hot grill and roll around whilst cooking
until slightly charred and soft. Allow to cool, then cut in half lengthwise
and scoop out the pulp. Include just a bit of the charred skin, but discard
the rest. Mix pulp well with a spoon and then force through a fine sieve.
(This will remove any large hard seeds.)

Mince onions (about one medium onion for every 4 guests) and cook in a pot
with butter over medium-low heat. When softened, add the sieved eggplant
pulp, a generous pinch of salt, and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook
for about 5 minutes. Thin with water if necessary. Blend mixture, working in
batches if you have too much for it all to fit into the blender at once.

Return to heat and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and add milk, cream,
and about a tablespoon of chickpea flour per litre of soup. The amount of
milk and cream that you add will vary, just add in equal amounts until the
soup is the consistency you want. The chickpea flour keeps the soup from
curdling, so do not omit it. Bring to a bare boil, turn the heat down, and
cook another 5 minutes. Just before serving stir in about two teaspoons of
lemon juice per litre of soup. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lemon
juice as needed.

Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly-grated nutmeg, then a sprinkling of
lemon zest. (It's important to garnish in the order given, because
nutmeg-covered lemon zest is not attractive!) If you have the time and
desire to make it look posh, you can add these garnishes in decorative
patterns, but bear in mind that they are both very strong flavors, so don't
overdo it. If you are not fond of nutmeg (or if it would be redundant
because you are serving egg nog or something else with nutmeg), you can
sprinkle very lightly with ground cinnamon and ground cayenne chilli pepper
instead.

If you make this ahead of time, you should take it only to the point just
before adding the milk, cream, and chickpea flour. You can make the soup
vegan by replacing the butter with olive oil and replacing the milk and
cream with soy milk. That soup is still good, but I am fond of the flavor
the butter brings, and the richness from the cream. In the past I have made
a similar soup using coconut milk and Thai red curry paste, but I will leave
that for another post.

--
KICK the malingering dole-bludger!