My wife did a Chinese stir fry (beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms) in order to honor the cliché that Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas.
I had to work today so we did a reduced family dinner last night. Sorghum glazed country ham (my best one yet), broccoli casserole, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, and sweet and sour cabbage. Various desserts were contributed including peppermint frosted cupcakes, peppermint ice cream, and maple pecan fudge. I have many leftovers.
We do it to “honor” A Christmas Story (and also because we don’t need a huge meal after a large breakfast). 
Though I think I overdid it on the chilis - I can’t feel my lips …
The wife and I had a nice Christmas Eve dinner at California Pizza Kitchen here in Waikiki.
For my husband and myself, I fixed turkey, dressing, cabbage salad (like coleslaw, but more tangy) and corn. I bought one of those big “message” chocolate chip cookies for dessert, decorated like a wreath.
We’re now making a big pot of stock from the turkey carcass. Hmmmm - the smell of turkey soup !
I had chicken breasts fast approaching there use-by date, so it was Tuscan chicken with pappardelle to take to work. My least traditional Christmas meal in probably a decade 
. Tasty though, so I can’t complain in this weird, weird Holiday Season.
Eh bien? how was the Diner Christmas experience?
We had a fine time. The one woman had told us earlier she wouldn’t attend, so 2 pilots and 3 male FAs made our way to the diner. It looks like it had been a disco in the 1970s and only slightly updated since. Still had mirrors everywhere and loud patterned carpet and some amazing patterned very well-worn Naugahyde on the booths. Downstairs was a big empty dance floor w busy circular bar & (thankfully unoccupied) DJ station. Upstairs was a loft area overlooking the dance floor which was the main restaurant area.
The food was basic but plentiful. I had a perfectly serviceable grilled salmon with grilled mixed veggies and a dollop of (probably instant) mashed potatoes. Others had fried catfish, chicken parm, meatloaf, etc. Washed down with a bit of Verrye Cheape Wine. The place even had the classic display case next to the cashier’s with the over-the-top fancy 4-layer cakes 8-10" tall, insanely sweet pies, etc. This is in Georgia after all.
By the time we left 2 hours later the place was a bunch more crowded than I’m comfortable with during COVID. These were all locals from the sound of it, not hotel people. But having a joyous time. I guess going out to eat Christmas dinner is now a US tradition, COVID be damned.
All of us had been in the biz for 20+ years and shared lots of good war stories about holidays spent on the road. Both happy events and those really lonely shitty events too. Many tales of the tangled path that led to being here and now.
We walked back to the hotel & went our separate ways. This morning us two pilots left 2 hours before they did. They’re based in Miami as well so we’ll cross paths again eventually. But it might be a year before I bump into any of them again. It becomes a strangely intimate sort of nodding acquantance.
For Christmas Day itself, I went over and picked up a few McRibs from McDonald’s, the only sandwich I ever stoop to buy from them.
I got a duck for myself and then had a bit of a mental meltdown on Christmas. So, tonight, I am roasting myself a belated celebratory meal. Quack, quack!
Sounds yummy; how’d it turn out?
Damn, now I need to get me a duck! Thanks for the suggestion.
We had a small roast cut from a whole beef tenderloin I bought at Costco. Young asparagus accompanied it, and I made a big batch of Yorkshire puddings and some au jus to pour into them. Apple galette for dessert.
I love Yorkshire puddings so much that I could have the as the entire meal.
Still living in a motel after hurricane Sally. The house is almost habitable - floors but no interior doors, cabinets but no counters, selective electricity. Finished enough that I can commute and cook at the house.
The new fridge was recently stocked. So, for Christmas I baked a potato in the little Oster oven and cooked a rib eye steak in the Instantpot with onion, mushrooms and broth. When the cycle was done I tossed in some carrots for another 5 minutes. Put it all in a baking dish and that in a cardboard box for transport.
Back at the motel I used the microwave to reheat and served it up on our two plates. Not much but it was lavish compared to local take out.
We decided to bring some roast beef to my mom’s, and so I made the cinnamon star for dessert, so we could bring that over while it was still fresh. (It was a masked visit, but we left food for my mom and my daughter, who is working as her aide.) That means I bailed on the popovers – too much oven juggling. The cinnamon star came out nice, though.
We did our monthly grocery shopping yesterday (trying to minimize time in public places due to the pandemic) and they had really nice looking ducks. So I picked up a fresh duck. I will cook it new year’s eve. Yum. I love roast duck
Some of the best feasts are the ones with a story of overcoming great odds to a otherwise meager end.
Congrats on your success at Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!.
Glad it went well! Hated to think of you dining on Pringles chips and a Coke from the snack bar in your hotel room. 
We normally do Turkey as my wife and brother in law are Argentine and cow is for the parilla , however this year we went to theirs and did a prime rib roast and it was simple and awesome. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding flan and tiramisu ( some people have a sweet tooth)
Evening finished with High West Campfire whiskey and presents.
Our kitchenis still under construction so eating frozen foods for a few more weeks.
Jimmy Deen sausage egg and cheese croissants with Matouks sauce is my current lunch food. That said I am about to make a stew in the slow cooker in the outside kitchen
It was just me and hubby on Xmas Eve. So we had frozen pizza from the local pizza parlor! A couple giant steps above from a regular store bought frozen pizza.
Xmas Day was supposed to be just the 2 of us again but somehow my MIL wormed her way in 
. I made lasagna, garlic cheese bread and a salad. I also made a blueberry dump cake for dessert with vanilla ice cream.
It was way too quiet. We’re not used to such an uneventful Xmas.
Yeah, but I’m ready for veg out!