It's That Time Again: Planning for Christmas! :P

If I can be of any help, the pork we like to do both at Thanksgiving and at Christmas is super simple, easy to make, and light. We travel a lot to Hawaii and really like their pulled pork. (No BBQ sauce. Just pork.) All you need to do is get a pork butt or shoulder, rinse it off, *lightly* coat in salt (sea salt or light salt mix will do), put it in a crock pot on low or slow, add 2 cups pineapple juice and cook for about 8 hours. When it's done, use serving forks to tear apart the meat into shreds and add a cap and a half of liquid smoke. Stir, let sit for a few, and serve. Simple and easy. The Hawaiians call it Kailua pork -- and it is served at their family gatherings, or us tourists now call a luau.

Hi A.---First, I'd like to share a couple of websites that would offer great meal plans. They are www.eatingwell.com and www.vegetariantimes.com. I've gotten great ideas from both.

If you really want to use pork loin, I have a GREAT dry marinade reicpe. I just sprinkle it on and then bake the loin roast. This actually can be used for all pork cuts.

2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp salt
2 Tbl special spice seasoning mix for pork (recipe follows)
2 Tbl grated lemon or orange rind
Crush garlic w/salt until mixture is like a puree and salt has absorbed garlic oil. Add the other ingredients and mash together. Pierce meat in several places w/fork or skewer and rub the marinade where the holes are. Rub remaining marinade over the surface of the meat. Place in covered dish in refrigerator and marinate about 6 hours. Prepare pork by any baking, broiling or frying method.

Special Spice Seasoning for Pork
2 Tablespoons EACH ground bay leaves, cloves, mace, nutmeg, paprika, and thyme
2 Tablespoons EACH ground basil, cinnamon, and savory or parsley
5 Tablespoons ground white pepper

For any spices not already ground or crushed, you can use a spice grinder or electric blender. Mix ingredients and store in an airtight jar on the spice shelf.

We ALWAYS have red cabbage cooked with apples and red wine vinegar with this pork roast. With mashed potatoes, it's a very traditional German dinner. You could also serve a really nice, festive holiday salad with leafy greens to compliment the cooked foods. For your picky eater, you could lightly steam some carrots and then finish them with a light brown sugar glaze.

I do love the roasted veggie idea as well. ALWAYS good and I've seen more people eat beets and brussel sprouts when roasted and they've always hated beets and brussel sprouts. Don't forget to roast some fennel bulb with those veggies as well. In fact, carrots, peppers and sweet potatoes are fabulous roasted also. I just toss in olive oil and seasoned salt. You can use the leftovers for a great roasted veggie salad the next day.

For dessert you can serve a blueberry and nectarine compote, which can be served by itself or over a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. The compote is topped with a bran flake cereal, slivered almond/honey 'crisp'. Contact me if you'd like the recipe for that. Feel free to call if you have any questions. I love collecting recipes and I'm happy to share.

Good luck, D. ###-###-####

If you have time to browse a website I would recommend allrecipes.com. I have had great luck with ideas for everything from basic everyday dinners to fancy feasts! The comments on the recipes are very helpful as are the ratings. This site has never failed me because I read the reviews and take the suggestions given. Good luck and have a wonderful holiday!

Why not roast some root veggies along with the pork - potatoes and parsnips work really well and you can drizzle the parsnips with maple syrup for the last 10 mins to make them gooey and sweet crunchy too - my kids love roasters!!Check out a cooking site online for details.
For desert why not try something you can make ahead of time then you spend less time in the kitchen on the day itself...apple pie and fresh cream would go well with pork.

I am not exactly sure about what advice you wanted so I will jsut take a shot. I have hosted lots of parties/family events. There will always be a point when you are standing in the kitchen, however you can minimize this.

1) Plan a menu that can be made ahead and put in the oven on the day of the event like 24 hour omelet, creme brulette, scalloped potatoes(keep them covered in water in the fridge then assemble the next day and sit in oven),

2) Do as much prep as you possible can the day before, vegetable platters, cutting and chopping and peeling, etc

3) Divide the dishes up between you and your husband and you can take turns doing one dish at a time while the guest are there so that you can both mingle, jsut not together

I have a great recipe that we love for boneless pork loin in the crockpot. It's a teriyaki pork roast and you put apple juice, soy sauce and a few seasonings in the crock pot and let it cook. I don't usually make gravy, but the juices would be great for it if you are planning on making mashed potatoes. I don't have time to look up the recipe right now, but let me know if you are interested.