The Holiday Thread 2011

[Shazam]

So the holidays are coming up fast. What do you guys plan on doing? I always do Christmas Eve with the folks, then go up to the grandparents on Christmas day. Stay there for two or three days, and then head on back. Since I'll have a break from classes for a month, I'll be working in the machine shop again. I've decided to try to make my own brake-hub puller once my shift ends. I need one to change the rear shoes on the 96, and I feel like trying to copy the original Saab design. It would probably be better to make something more adjust able, but I think it will be cool to have a tool that is just for this old car.



I managed to talk my parents into getting me half of a new exhaust system as my present. I've put on nearly three complete exhausts in the past five years. They just keep rusting out. So, I asked for the stainless BSR exhaust from Taliaferro. It's a 2.5" sport exhaust system, and ended up being cheaper than replacing the entire exhaust with stock parts. I supposedly should see about 10-15hp gain, which is cool, but I'm not much of a speed demon anyways. I'm excited, but it takes about 4-6 weeks to get it.


Also, a couple weeks back I bought myself a little gift. Got a Mosin Nagant 91/30. It's a Russian bolt-action rifle. The original design is late 1880's, but was produced for years and years, and was the main rifle of the Russian Army for WWII. They made so many for quite a long time, so they can be picked up at nearly every gun shop for a great price. Mine is 1943 so it most likely saw action, which is interesting and a little sad at the same time. All numbers match (except for the bayonet...), but I can't tell if they are forced matched. Rifle hunting isn't permitted in my areas, so it's just for shooting paper targets at the local club.


So what do you do for the holidays?

[nordwulf]

I'll be spending the holidays in the Netherlands with the family. Christmas isn't a commercial holiday there as it is in the US, even though that seems to be changing. The traditional holiday for exchanging presents is on December 5 (St. Nicholas). Christmas is usually celebrated on the 25th and 26th (1st and 2nd Christmas day) and usually everything like stores and government/public services are closed on both days. Christmas Eve doesn't seem very important, at least from what I can remember. Christmas celebrations usually involves family gatherings, good food and the usual decorations.

[SaabKen]

So Wulf, what do you guys eat over there as part of traditional Dutch Christmas celebration ?

[nordwulf]

There isn't a specific dish but it often consists of meat / game you don't eat every day like pork loin, roast beef, duck, rabbit and so on.

Other popular dinners are fondue or "gourmet". I haven't really seen gourmet (pronounced: gourmette) in other countries but it basically involves all kinds of ingredients served at the table and you can make whatever you want. Family Recipes: Dutch Gourmet Dinner
It's easy to prepare ahead of time and you can take as long as you want. And it can last a few hours. Eat, drink, talk, rest. repeat.

[tunnanxwd]

Rifle hunting isn't allowed in New York State? In New Jersey you can't and it actually makes sense. Since all but the northern area is flat most rifle projectiles will travel too far and hit something. I'm pretty sure the Catskills and other hilly areas in NY allow it though.

My WWII wall hangers are the Carcano and a Jap piece. After owning a Carcano you almost don't believe that Oswald used it to hit Kennedy.

[Shazam]

Not in my area of NYS... I'm in the white.


So Ken, what do you do for dinner? What does the foodie please his palate with?

At my folks, my mom always makes a beef tenderloin wrap thing. Basically, I take a big beef tenderloin, dress it (take off silver skin and fat) and then I butterfly it open. Mom mom takes this, fills it with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach and some other things. The whole thing is wrapped up like a Ho-Ho, then grilled. Add fresh green beans covered in burnt butter and bread crumbs to the side, and don't forget mashed potatoes. Man it's good. Then at the grandparents, it's typically some pork dish, and sweet potatoes are the go to side with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, German red cabbage, and apple sauce.

[Aero]

In Spain, the menu varies depending on the area you live in, but seafood is pretty usual, with veal, lamb, ham, turkey or fish (bream, bass) as the main course. Christmas Eve is at least at a par with Christmas itself, since most of the population here is Catholic, and presents are kept for January 6th, when the Three Kings are coming, though good ol´Santa is catching up quickly on Christmas.

[SaabKen]

So Ken, what do you do for dinner? What does the foodie please his palate with?

I try to mix it up so not two Christmases are the same (or even the preceding Canadian Thanksgiving in mid-October). Since those of our family clan who are here in town these days is like about 65% Chinese/35% Caucasian, there's still the inclination towards the roasted big bird, sometimes with a baked ham on the side. But I like to go international for the meal and advocate potlucks that would have each family make or buy one dish from a different continent/culture/country. Again just to mix it up and keep things interesting. Two years ago we had a catered roasted whole suckling pig sourced from a local Filipino restaurant, and man that was goooooood

Having said that, I generally don't like fish as a main course. Shellfish and crustaceans ok but they can get pricey for a large group of hungry people.

Ah and the dessert, perhaps the most important part of the meal (to me) after the main course. This year I might order a profiterole tower if I can find a good one that doesn't cost me an arm & leg:

[Hirsch]

Christmas has changed for me over the years.

When I was a kid, we always had a big Christmas Eve dinner usually a close friend of my dads and his family would come to the farm in Indiana and spend the night, presents were opened on Christmas morning. When my parents divorced, my mom started doing a Christmas day brunch and all kinds of people would show up. The mailman showed up year and I got high with him(if only MoM had been around back then!).

When my mom died we started going out to my aunts(moms sister) house on Christmas Eve, but that was kind of depressing. I watched my aunts give my cousins gifts, but my mom wasn't there to give me a gift.

When we moved to Denmark it was much different. Much like The Netherlands, Christmas isn't as commercialized as it is in the US. The days leading up to Christmas are filled with parties, going to visit family and friends with lots of drinking and eating and drinking. Christmas Eve is spent with family, eating roast duck and everyone sings and dances around the Christmas tree, most families in Denmark still use real candles on their trees.

Since I've been back in the US, the first year we invited a bunch of my moms side of the family over on Christmas Eve. The past 3 years it's just been me, Karina and the girls. On Christmas eve we have a nice dinner, a fire in the fireplace, if its cold enough, and we let the girls pick out a movie to watch before they go to bed. We let them open one present after dinner, the rest on Christmas morning.

[Warren Demontague]

Making dinner for Hanukkah tomorrow, and then seeing some of the extended family on Saturday for Christmas Eve dinner - which is usually a pretty nice spread involving prime rib.