3P presents flawless framework for finishing up a very merry meal! Get ready and get set with Christmas hints for decking out your Christmas dinner table + fashioning a Holly Jolly Menu for your guests. This year 3P went evergreen and ever gorgeous for our holiday table, and crafted up a menu packed with classic Christmas cuisine.
Let’s set this table! We started off by laying out a cream colored cloth, with just the right amount of Christmas-y holly print. Adding burgundy sequined placemats to ground each plate tied in colors beautifully, while allowing our real star to shine: our centerpiece. By gathering fresh evergreen, that you can pick from your own backyard, or collect from your local Christmas tree lot…and adding additional fresh sprigs of greenery and red berries right from our own patio…a stunning centerpiece came together in minutes. Running a red ribbon through branches, and placing large Christmas bulbs throughout completed our look.
Filling small glasses, whether shot glasses, liqueur glasses, or even votive holders with cranberries and small candles adds light, and a unique freshness that ties into additional greenery. These candles were a Harvest Festival find, but you can find these 4 inch mini’s at your local craft store such a Michael’s. Their holly berry adornments matched perfectly with our theme. When filling each glass be sure to press in berries to ensure they’re stable, and of course never leave them unattended while lit.
Each place-setting comes dressed with a Christmas cracker, a beloved family tradition for every Christmas table. We purchased these gold crackers from Pier One last year around New Years for an amazing sale price. We cracked open the box this year, and decorated each cracker with a sprig of evergreen. After dinner, everyone will enjoy popping these open, sharing jokes, and wearing our tissue Christmas crowns.
Our Holly Jolly Menu for our very merry evening:
Our family looks forward to Prime Rib every year, and while it can feel like a big undertaking…with a few helpful hints…your roast will come out perfect every time! After scoring our roast, we liberally rub it with LOTS of fresh crushed garlic, fresh cracked pepper, and kosher salt. Seal in flavors by roasting at 425 degrees until browned, then baste it generously with red wine while roasting for that perfect flavor.
Chris has been making “GG Potatoes” for family holidays for years, and we featured the recipe for them HERE…they’re creamy and cheesy…the perfect accompaniment to prime rib, and wonderfully matched with veggie sides. Brown sugar glazed carrots will be served along side sauteed garlic spinach. These sweet and easy carrots are a breeze to bake, check out the recipe HERE! My favorite Food Network recipe for quick and easy sauteed garlic spinach can be found HERE…it’s very fast to make, and full of flavor!
With so many cookies and cakes served during the holidays, we wanted to “lighten” things up a bit with dessert: a “Lite” Christmas Trifle! Pineapple and raspberries add a tangy sweetness to this delicious dessert topped with fluffy “frosting”.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel Cheese,softened
2 cups fat-free milk, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Vanilla Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) light Whipped Topping, thawed
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen raspberries, thawed
1 pkg. (8.5 oz.) angel food cake, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Beat Neufchatel in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, mixing until well blended. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups milk and pudding mix. Mix until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Mix pineapple and raspberries in a separate bowl. Arrange 1/3 of the cake cubes in 3-quart serving bowl; cover with layers of 1/3 each of the fruit and pudding mixtures. Repeat all layers 2 more times. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
With the table set, our menu planned, and crackers ready to pop with fun…we can’t wait for Christmas Eve with family and friends. Do you do your “big dinner” on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? What’s on the menu this year?
