I'm "Home Alone" for the week. Wife gone to No Cal to visit her Family for the Holidays. I made myself some killer chili the other day. With fresh corn bread, MY Christmas dinner. LOL.

Our youngest son always does Christmas dinner for my wife and I. He was an aspiring chef at one point. The other kids are doing their own thing as we have our "Christmas" the night before. This year looks like:

Roasted red pepper lobster bisque
Mix green salad
Leg of lamb
roasted potatoes
brussels sprouts chopped and sauteed with bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coffee and more Christmas cookies for dessert.

Nighthawk® "Beef Patty 'n Gravy" microwave dinner.

flashguy

The last 10-years, we've changed it up and started doing themes for our Christmas dinners. Past years it's Cajun so Turducken is the main, when it was Chinese things like Peking duck, roast pig, and noodles, last year was Italian so Porchetta is the featured main. This year, we're going Spanish, tapas and vermouth-based cocktails to start, then I'm making a giant pan of paella.

I put my rub on a 7 lbs. Boston butt roast last evening, and this morning it went into my smoker with some hickory wood. It will take 8-10 hours @ 225F. With that this P.M.(supper), Sea Salt and coarse ground peppered Brussels Sprouts, baked beans with pieces of beef brisket ends, and finish it all off with cherry pie and ice cream.

Of course, in order for the smoker to function properly, I make up a HOT Bloody Mary with fresh(off of tree) Mexican limes, and sit and watch the smoker work, and look at the mountains.

It is a tough life, but somebody has to do it!!

Merry Christmas all.

Alcatra with red potatoes and green beans, Hawaiian sweet bread, and strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert.

I just had some red beans and rice from Popeyes

Ham with pineapple rings and cherries. A small turkey will be available for the non ham eaters. We like apple pie and pumpkin pie for dessert. May you all have a great Christmas!

I had a hot dog, 3 chicken taquitos, some potato chips, and an avocado. And, peace and quiet.

crab cakes made by our local fishmonger

Lasagna and garlic bread are in the oven now, neighbor brought over some homemade dessert treats, and beer glass is full of cold Natty Light.

Daughter, son-in-law, 2-year old, and 4 month old are continuing our holiday tradition by being over at the hospital emergency room. Son-in-law was carrying 2-year old down the (our) stairs and they both went down. I think granddaughter is alright, son-in-law might have a bad sprain.

Ribeyes. (Quarter for scale.)

I won't go into the rather lengthy list. We had enough for 25 people and served only 3 children and 5 adults. I just overheard my wife comment to her sister that "We probably didn't need that second cheeseball." That's the take away. It was the second cheeseball that put us over the top.

Appetizers

Cheese; Swiss, Gouda and Cheddar
Crackers
Fruit; grapes, berries, apple and orange
Shrimp
Bowls of Dried Fruit
Bowls of Nuts
Bowls of Snap Crisps

Dinner

Turkey - Smoked on BGE
Spiral Ham
Green Beans and Onions
Acorn Squash - grill on BGE
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce

Dessert

Raspberry Cake
Salted Caramel Cake
Cheese Cake
Ice Cream

Stuffed shells

I put the homemade marinara sauce in the crockpot at about 5am. I stuffed the shells after the presents were opened. After the shells were prepped for the oven, I made a pound cake for dessert. We ate about 1:00. I took a nap about 2:30...

Annual Christmas Seafood Dinner.

CrabLegs, Fried Shrimp, Clam Strips, Baked Potato & Red Lobster style Cheddar Bay Biscuits with a Pinot Grigio from Breitenbach Winery.

Ham, turkey, and all the fixings.

Grumpy, that looks FANTASTIC! I've started looking forward to your seafood posts!

Livin' the dream!!! I did have turkey and dressing, though...