10 days until Christmas and things are simultaneously winding down (last piano lesson for the year, first/last basketball game, etc) and gearing up (cleaning rooms, and hanging mistletoe).

We are hosting my mom, Kris, Cara, and my two nieces for Christmas and are very much looking forward to it. Both David and I enjoy hosting and love when anyone, especially family, comes to stay.

In preparation, I’ve made the menu for the four days they will be here, including breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. I ask everyone for input on what foods make it feel like Christmas to them (a giant Swiss cheese, for example, is a Stathas family tradition). Then I consider the flow of our days (possible ice skating??) and the balance of items I can make ahead versus make at the time of the meal.

Long story short, I feel this is a meal plan that is custom fit to my family’s traditions and likes, not necessarily one that can be copied and pasted for any group. That’s to say, I’m not sure quite why I’m sharing it except in case you, like I do, enjoy seeing peeks into other people’s planning and food choices. * denotes requested and/or traditional for our family

So with that lengthy introduction, I present to you, our four day hosting Christmas menu!

Christmas Hosting Menu Day 1

• Breakfast/Lunch: N/A. Everyone will be driving in.
• Snacks: Thai Curry cashews*, Swiss cheese*, crackers, summer sausage*, olives, grapes
• Dinner: Chicken Fajitas (because it’s a single meal that works for everyone) with black beans, guacamole, and cheese dip (I hear the kind Costco carries is delicious).

Christmas Hosting Menu Day 2

• Breakfast: Bagels with cream cheese, lox, capers, and red onion, eggs, strawberries, mandarins
• Lunch: Quinoa salad, mixed greens, ham and Swiss sandwiches, apples
• Dinner: Seafood Gumbo* (David usually makes up his own recipe for this, but it’s based loosely off Emeril’s recipe) over steamed rice with cornbread

Christmas Hosting Menu Day 3: Christmas Eve

• Breakfast: Bagels with cream cheese, lox, capers, and red onion, eggs, strawberries, mandarins
• Lunch: Quinoa salad, mixed greens, ham and Swiss sandwiches, apples
• Afternoon/Dinner: This is a typically a snacky meal for us as we spend this afternoon playing outside and playing games: leftover gumbo (it makes a ton), Mexican dip*, Swiss cheese*, summer sausage*, crackers, olives, Thai curry cashews*, veggies and Knorr dip*, chips and caramelized onion dip*, Christmas cookies (that we’ll decorate using my go-to sugar cookie recipe)

Christmas Hosting Menu Day 4: Christmas Day

• Breakfast: French Toast Casserole, Sausage and Egg Casserole, Veggie and Egg Casserole, mandarins, blueberries
• Lunch: I’m cracking up because all I have written on my paper is Bloody Marys, but we’ll eat all the leftover foods, dips, snacks, etc
• Dinner: Beef tenderloin* with orange horseradish sauce*, Stathas family Christmas potatoes, buttery sautéed mushrooms with herbs, farro and arugula salad, rolls, pecan pie

What is your favorite food tradition of the holiday season?

Days Until Christmas: 10

Christmas Movies Watched: Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Home Alone 3, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3, Just Friends (just me), The Polar Express, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, Deck the Halls, Christmas Chronicles, Christmas Chronicles 2, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer