What is a must-have for Christmas?

[Doug Hamilton]

Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner followed by a movie. Last night it was "Scrooged" with Bill Murray.

Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee for breakfast while we open presents...aka boxes of ammo.

Tonights movie could be the 1966 How the Grinch "Stole Christmas" or maybe "It's A Wonderful Life". At the same time, "Die Hard" is always an option.

I like your picks. Last night we watched "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. Probably my all time favorite Christmas movie. Three nights ago, my wife and I went to a small local dinner theater where we saw "Die Hard" while eating chicken wings.

Merry Christmas!

 

[steve white]

I found this old hunk of meat:

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I’ll trim it up to see if it’s still good…


Then we’ll probably eat some of these Pacific Saltwater Mud Bugs:
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Maybe some old Elk BS I found in the freezer:
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Little football… Go Niners!

Then relaxing near the fire:

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Well, we didn't have that grade of meat, but bro in law Danny sure knew how to season those fajitas! I ate more by the grill than in the house!

 

[fourfive8]

Wide topic, I know. Strangely, at our house a must-have is QUALITY tamales--not easy to find these days! You almost have to find an individual maker which also means you don't tell anyone where you get them, as they almost certainly are limited in how many orders they will take. Found a great new source today, am stuffed to the gills on Christmas Eve, and expected to carve out a share tomorrow. Merry Christmas to all!

Ditto about good tamales. Where I grew up someone would always do up a pig. Large iron pot over a fire with red chile. Then tamales, fresh tortillas and posole. I'd leave the blood pudding to others Usually a family or two in the area were the tamale specialists which was not a secret. Always high demand, so supply was limited and tended to be seasonal.

Around here, Western Slope CO, finding both good tamales and good red chile is akin to finding unobtainium. Most choices here in nearby cafes and restaurants (6 or 8 of them) seem to be an amalgamated and standardized style from farther down in Mexico- I dunno? Although Guatemala style is a little different and good to my taste. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley strip in NM and the food there is unique. I think somewhat of a cross between Pueblo Indian and Mexican. Of course green chile from the area is well known. Right now nothing would be better than a plate of proper tamales smothered with good red chile. Then huevos rancheros covered with that same red chile sauce for breakfast.

 

[Stephen Ausband]

Well, the usual. Family, of course. Good food. And then there are traditions peculiar to families. My father always wanted fried oysters on Christmas morning. (Also Bloody Mary cocktails. Steamed oysters the night before or all during the holidays.) First photo is me frying oysters in our little hunting cabin in the hills last December. (I'm carrying on that tradition, Dad.) Second is steamed oysters back on Oak Island, NC, with friends. And then a Christmas hunt for ducks, deer, whatever is part of the holidays too (though not after the Bloody Mary cocktails). Third photo is my lab, Mac, saying, "you cut, I'll pull, and we'll skin this big sumbitch."