Your Holiday and New Years Eve Traditions? Ideas Please!

buffalochris

Hello Everyone!  

 

My fianc? and I have been together for 2 1/2 years now.

 

I would like to start new Christmas and New Years Eve traditions with him.

 

What traditions do you have? Advice for new couples?

 

Please let me know! I appreciate all comments!

 

Thanks everyone!!!

 

-Chris 

 

 

quiltedinky

For New Year's my hubby and I stay home and watch anime and eat Chinese food for NYE. On NY day we have orange juice and champagne that was supposed to be drunk at midnight.

Jimian

My husband and I just got married, and this will be our first Christmas living together. We were looking for new traditions too. We did little things like decorating our tree together and then drinking hot chocolate and watching our favorite childhood Xmas movies. His aunt also bought us a box of handmade ornaments, each has a different meaning and it comes with a poem explaining what each ornament represents. We read the poem out loud as we placed each ornament on the tree. For Christmas morning I was thinking of making a food that I would make every Christmas morning (I was thinking Cinnamon buns or a french toast casserole...something fattening and delicious that we would save for Christmas morning).

MommyLiberty5013

At Christmas we get goodies we like and watch The Nativity Story and A Christmas Story together. We also decorate the tree together.

Also, we have a recordable ornament. Each year we record a new message (short) to be listened to the following Christmas.

kipnus

We've been bringing in Christmas traditions from both of our families. From my side, we made and decorated gingerbread houses (from scratch!), we attended a Christmas Eve service at church and had a "Swedish Christmas Eve Supper," and we got our stockings on Christmas morning. From his side, we set up a nativity scene, ate hallacas, and exchanged all of our presents (except for the stockings) on Christmas Eve.

For NYE, my family has sushi and wine and watches a silly movie. His family eats 12 grapes and makes a wish with each one as the clock strikes midnight. We'll see what happens this year. 

rikkidawn28

For New Year's Eve, my husband and I cook salted ham hocks, cabbage, and black eyed peas with a side of  sweet cornbread. I also like champagne for New Year's, sometimes Mimosas.

The eating of the cabbage and black eyed peas is suppose to bring money and luck into the new year.

This yr, we will be having an integrated cooking "event" for New Years with our neighbors. Everyone will contribute their fave items.

Q: How do you make French toast casserole?

 

 

 

MSUgrad12

Ingredients

• 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• TOPPING:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Maple syrup, optional

DirectionsPlace bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.Cover and bake at 350? for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired. Yield: 12 servings.  Make Sure you store it in a plastic bowl and clean the pan immediately-ish. I made the mistake of throwing the pan in the fridge with aluminum foil and it was really difficult to clean. If you want a healthier alternative, I found this about a week ago that I'm going to try.    Gluten-Free Baked Oatmeal Casserole
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raspberries {any berries work}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

 

Preheat oven to 375?F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal).
In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar.