Only YOU would publish your plan to eat deer-meat on Christmas! When the Lane-ettes were very young, did you point out that right after Santa and his sleigh made his deliveries, you blew a 30-06 hole right through the largest sleigh puller, dressed it and ground it up for today's dinner? Anyone want another helping?

So, Santa made it just through the chimney, while Comet made it all the way into the stew-pot! Next up: Rabbit stew on Easter, roasted eagle on Independence Day, and on February 2nd? Anyone seen Phil?

Christmas lasagna!

And sausage balls!

I think there's still some stock from the turkey in the back of the fridge, but we're not going to eat it at this point.

The next turkey is in the freezer, probably have that in a couple weeks.

My Italian sister-in-law will serve "Christmas lasagne" as a first course, then a turkey, then tiramisu.

What are sausage balls? Sausages are long, not round! And why would you eat a turkey in two weeks' time? Do you American have yet another holiday then?

MB, we didn't create Boxing Day, we just kept it.

She probably eats RABBIT stew on Easter too.

Duh! Who do you think gets the deers??? Melodylane's punkin

SugarCane, fortunately for my abysmal typing skills, the requested Salmon-en-Croute recipe is one my bride extracted from "The Food Network" website: Stuffed Salmon in Flaky Dough

She does not usually make the companion "Foamy Lemon Sauce", as the dish is remarkably delicious without further aggrandizement. What DOES go well with it is a moderately chilled pint of Newcastle Ale, which is the second best thing regularly available from your Great Britain!

We are eating turkey in a couple of weeks because we have one in the freezer.

Here's sausage balls:
http://cooking.consumerhelpweb.com/comfortfoods/bisquick-sausage-balls.htm

I have no idea if you have any of this stuff over there! I presume you can find cheese, but be aware that biscuit mix has nothing to do with cookies! As for the sausage, it's just what we would call a typical breakfast sausage over here, usually not eaten as a big long tube but crumbled and added to eggs, used as a topping on pizza, or occasionally sliced into patties and fried. Owens is a typical brand name over here. It's not bangers by a long shot.

We put the sausage balls off till today. One of our boys has branded them "Christmas pizza." I'm not sure why, but the name may stick.

Duh! Who do you think gets the deers???

I had reason to think of the gun-toting Lanes today. As I wandered through our local odd-lot discount store, searching out post-Christmas bargains, it was brought home to me that spotting Blitzen flying through the night sky well enough to squeeze off a round is likely immeasurably aided by Santa's garish red-and-white outfit. Because there, in the Christmas decorations section, was the answer to THAT particular exposure issue - a CAMOUFLAGE Santa hat!

And bullet proof vests!!

New Year's Eve at the NG household:

Appetizer: Baked Stuffed Mushrooms
Salad: Spinach/Mushroom/Tomato tossed with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Entr�e: Octopus Stewed in Wine and Tomatoes over Penne
Wine: '03 Bully Hill Chardonnay

Recipes available upon request!

HAPPY 2012, COLLEAGUES!

I like octopus, but isn't it a little chewy? If not, I would love the recipe!

The Galicians eat octopus; the chewy dark stuff, not the nice white stuff we call squid. Are you Spanish, NG?

OMG, he would be arrested in TEXAS for eating that yankee foolishness!!!

Santa in cammo!!!

MB:

Italian Octopus Stewed in Wine and Tomatoes (Polpi in Umido)

Ingredients:
� 1 lb octopus, either small or large
� 4 T. olive oil
� 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
� 1 cup crushed tomatoes or peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
� 1 cup white wine
� 2 T. honey or sugar
� 2 T. chopped fresh dill
� 4 T. chopped fresh parsley
� 1 t. chile flakes
� 2 T. capers (optional)
� Salt and pepper

Preparation:
� Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Toss the octopus into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. Discard water.
� Cut the octopus into large pieces and saut� in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saut� for another minute or two.
� Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and let it cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chile flakes and bring to a simmer.
� Add about a teaspoon of salt and the honey or sugar. Mix well, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
� At 30 minutes, add the capers if you are using them, plus half the dill and half the parsley. Check the octopus -- if small, might be tender in just 30 minutes. If they are still super-chewy, cover the pot again and simmer for up to another 45 minutes.
� When you think you are about 10 minutes away from being done, uncover the pot and turn the heat up a little to cook down the sauce.
� To serve, add the remaining dill and parsley and black pepper. Serve over pasta with crusty Italian bread.

(I usually make using a roughly two-pound octopus, and double all the other ingredients.)

SC:

Supposedly Italian/Irish, not Iberian

ML:

I'll take my chances!

Octopus! I'm starting a late new years resolution! To eat less octopus than last year. Oh yeah, I didn't eat any.

I tried squid. Once.

I'm dreading winter. We had temperatures in the 50s and 60s this week and last week. 3.5 more years until time to move to Texas!!!! The Beautiful One and I can't wait for that weather.

...resolution...eat less octopus than last year. Oh yeah, I didn't eat any.
Goody! More for me!

But really...we have cornpones here touting cooking up "Bambi & Polecat" chili, and you deride OCTOPUS? At least my cephalopod meal never spent time dragged by the undercarriage of an F-150!

And, remind me again - what goes into haggis?

(BTW: I love haggis, myself!)

Uh-oh...

Hey all,

I finally made the hearty winter soup that I referenced above. In short, I am not a cook, but have made a few simple meals, but this turned out extraordinary. I have never cookde with kale, parsnips and a few of the other ingredients, but wow. I added barley to the recipe and again wow. It's filling and I feel healthy right now after only a bowl and half. There is plenty left, so will store and get my son over here and give him a container for a couple of meals. I'm also going to email the chef who was good enough to respond to my email with a couple of questions I had to thank him. I only wish I could make this great meal for Char. She'd probably slap me for trying to spoon off some of the top of the soup for an extra serveing befor I freeze it. The only thing I would do different is to soak the white beans longer than I did. They were a little crunchy in the soup.

Tom