LillyL2 - I was reading your modification of the pound cake recipe, and have a question. As a long time baker myself, I'm curous as to why you "nix" the salt? Salt in baking helps bring out the flavors.

Good thinking with the orange juice. I love citrus flavors in baked goods. I also like the fact that you cut the sugar. I also sometimes decrease the sugar in sweets (depending on recipe) as I find most recipes ask for way too much sugar.

You are correct in making sure ingredients are at room temperature as it does facilitate blending.

Well, it has been consumed and the boys are off to feed the horses their Christmas treats, but here goes:
shrimp cocktail with really strong horseradish sauce, kalamata olive spread with wheat crackers, a really yummy goat cheese and garlic spread,

Main course: Roast beef with potatoes and carrots in pan drippings, asparagus with lemon-sesame butter sauce, cole slaw (required by my husband), baby lettuce salad with walnuts, apples and Gorgonzola cheese with a raspberry-chipotle vinagrette, whole wheat bread from the bakery down the road

Dessert: pecan pie (spiked with rum) and whipped cream
No wine today (I'm on call), but we drank our next to last bottle of Barranco Oscuro that we brought back from Spain last evening--Yum.

Merry Christmas to all.

How full are you :))

Now I can truly face the New Year with a Good Resolution! I will never eat this much again.

(yeah right)

Did everyone have a lovely time?

Scarlett,

I want to hear more about the around the world trip and the new wardrobe. The elves got to it. ((a))

Had an as well as can be expected time. Looking forward to the New Year. ((b))

The elves got to what? your dinner??

Flyboy- Too right about the Nueskes. Don't forget the bacon, with or without the pepper coating It is the best bacon ever and I had some for breakfast this morning. I am amazed when I read the posts coming in from everywhere in this world and then realize that you are probably very close to me as I am in Wausau right now, also about 30 miles from Nueskes. Around the world, or around the corner, Merry Christmas to all!

jmb67, I sometimes don't have unsalted butter, so I got into the habit of nixing the salt. Also, in addition to certain members of the family being diabetic, some also like low salt food.

It's just a matter of adapting the recipe to the tastes of the family...Besides, if it doesn't taste quite to my taste, I can usually slap some cold ice cream over a warm poundcake....Or Nutella at a pinch...

Lil

It's been totally frantic the last few days so, my apologies for posting late.

I had 14 plus 2 kids on Christmas Eve. the menu was Festive salad (lots of dark greens and bright reds); Venison casserole, Pommes Anna with celeriac through it, Italian bean and parmesan casseroel for the veggies, and (I've forgotten what the veg was) Followed by Gooey chocolate puddings, and cheese.

Three stayed over into Christmas Day; and we started with Champagne, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and did
pressies. My niece came to help with preparations and then the father and husband of a friend turned up looking for her wedding ring, which she'd lost the night efore (she found it in her bed). So we had more champagne- well, you have to, don't you.

Then the family arrived and had champagne cocktails, spiced buts and stilton sables and red peper humous. The meal for 8 was:- Turkey or Masala Nut Roast; rosemary roast potatoes, baked beetroot, bread sauce, wine sauce, hazlenut stuffing- as well as the sage and onion that was in the bird; followed by Christmas pudding and cognac and creme fraiche ice cream, with hot rum sauce.

Then we had cheese and mince pies. then I fell over:)

We had a wonderful homemade Southern Chrstmas meal...Ham, Turkey, squash casserole, oyster dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, gravy, rolls, cranberry relish and pies for dessert...MMM, then we all fell asleep !