Christmas Baking Plans

I get to host Christmas this year for my family.  My mom is here from Arizona and my sister and her family will be coming from Wisconsin.  That's five adults and twelve kids.  It's tricky, though, because my daughters sing at 4:00pm Mass and they (we) need to be there at 3:15.  If we want to eat at a decent hour for my sister's family to drive back to Wisconsin, we need to eat at 6:30 or so, which is one hour after we will be home from Mass.

So, consider this my on-line plan.  Here is our menu:
Appetizer
Shrimp and cocktail sauce
Accoutrements
Rustic Whole Wheat Artisan Bread
Pumpkin Oatmeal Artisan Bread (from Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day)
GF/EF/DF crusty Artisan Bread (from Healthy Breads in 5 Minutes a Day)
Fresh Spring Green Salad* (Sister is bringing) with Kalamata Tampenade and Sun Dried Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Tart (optional store bought dressing for those adverse to olives and goat cheese tart*)
Grandma Marion's Strawberry Banana Salad* (Sister is bringing)
Borscht (Beet and cabbage soup)*
Main Course
Ratatouille*
Baked Potatoes* AND Delmonico Potatoes
Apple Cider Glazed Ham*
Beverages
Assorted beverages (Orangina, non-alcoholic wine, soda, Peppermint Mocha Godiva Coffee)
Dessert
Christmas Cookies (Some *) (Sister is bringing some)
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake with Peppermint Whipped Cream (A GF/EF/DF Devil's Food Cupcake with Rice based Whip Topping and sprinkles of broken candy cane for the three year old*) - our birthday cake for the Infant Jesus

* are things the really allergic three year old can have.

I also need to find time to get the house whipped into shape.  We have opted to only make two or three different kinds of cookies this year.  Grandma Sue sent some of her world's best chocolate chip cookies.  We can't top those, so we will only add a few for variety.  The kids have picked sugar cookies, sunbutter cups and peppermint melt-aways.  We will make the last two gluten free, dairy free and egg free.

My Christmas baking also includes a few food gifts for elderly neighbors, too.  I like to bake them bread.  This year I will be making braided bread wreaths made from brioche dough with candied cherries or Bambino bread  (see the picture?)  Which would you make?  I am drawn to the message the Bambino bread sends, but love the look of the wreath.  I will also make one for my sister's family to eat on Christmas day. 


Tomorrow's to-dos:
Roll, cut, bake and frost sugar cookies
Make sunbutter cups
Make brioche dough

Thursday's to-dos:
Make peppermint melt-aways
Make pumpkin-oatmeal dough and wheat dough for Christmas Eve
Shape, rise and bake Christmas gift breads
Prep ratatouille and put in crock pot for Christmas Eve
Prep and place in zip-loc bags all the ingredients but water for Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Make borscht and put in other crock pot
(Put crock pots in the extra fridge)
Prepare Delmonico Potatoes up to final bake and put in fridge
Prepare Apple Cider Glaze and bacon for the main dish ham
Make Kalamata Tampenade

Friday Morning to-dos:
Shape, rise and bake both breads for dinner
Defrost shrimp
Plug in crock pots
Cut out squares of puff pastry for goat cheese tart and bake

Friday Afternoon to-dos:
Put ham in the oven with precooked bacon.
Put potatoes in oven (both bakers and Delmonico)
Set out silver ware and glass ware
Get all serving items on serving area
Put coffee and filter into coffee maker and add water
Bring in coolers and put drinks on ice

Friday After Mass to-dos:
Put out the shrimp and cocktail sauce for the appetizer
Turn on coffee maker
Slice breads
Assemble goat cheese tarts (puff pastry, slice of goat cheese, puff pastry)
Glaze the ham
Put out the salad, dressing(s) and sides (sun-dried tomatoes, other veggies, goat cheese tarts)
Set up the serving area
Put Hot Fudge Pudding Cake together and put in the oven to bake while eating dinner
Whip cream for Hot Fudge Cake and refrigerate

Friday After Dinner to-dos:
Serve cake, cookies and coffee and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus
Open gifts
Do dishes
Crash