Another year goes by... I am not sure how many times I have use this sentence for my Christmas posting. Not enough, I guess.

 年复一年，又一年过去了，饼干做好，正值周末，送给邻居，感谢他们一年来的照顾，祝他们圣诞快乐。。。

As usual, we have our Christmas dinner on the Christmas Eve. This year, we have Elk Roast for the main course. I have never cooked Elk Roast in the past. But I can't tell that how delicious it was.
和往年一样我们家的圣诞晚餐是在平安夜。今年秋天感谢上苍先生有去打猎的机会，带回家一只驼鹿，我还从来没有吃过烤驼鹿腿，这次是第一次，真不愧为山中第一美味。

2018  Christmas Eve dinner menu:
Cold plate: Caviar, smoked Gouda cheese, Italian dry Salami, dry cranberries, etc.
Green salad with pears with homemade garlic ranch dressing
twice cooked potatoes
Roasted green beans, brussels sprouts, and sweet red peppers
Homemade cranberry sauce
Elk Roast
Homemade Buttery dinner rolls
Dessert: Homemade minced meat pie and Coconut cream pie

圣诞晚餐菜单：
冷盘：鱼子酱，熏Gouda芝士，意大利干肠，蔓越果脯，等等
绿色时蔬和梨色拉配自己做的蒜味色拉酱汁
双烤土豆
烤四季豆，烤甘蓝，烤红椒
自己做的蔓越果酱
烤无骨驼鹿腿
家做的奶油晚餐面包
甜点：碎肉果脯派，奶油椰子派

Cold plate for appetizer:
Caviar, smoked Gouda cheese, Italian dry Salami, dry cranberries, etc.
冷盘：鱼子酱，熏Gouda芝士，意大利干肠，蔓越果脯，等等


 

Green salad and pears with homemade garlic ranch dressing
绿色时蔬和梨色拉配自己做的蒜味色拉酱汁：脆脆的亚洲梨做配料老少皆爱，配上自己做的蒜味色拉酱真的很棒



Side dishes: twice cooked potatoes
双烤土豆：烤好的土豆，一切两半，取出土豆泥，拌如芝士，酸奶油，培根，少许盐和胡椒粉，放回土豆皮中，撒上芝士，350F 烤箱再烤10分钟就好了


Another side dishes: Roasted green beans, brussels sprouts, and sweet red peppers
另外一个配餐是老少都爱的烤四季豆，烤甘蓝，烤红椒，撒上盐和胡椒粉，扔进烤箱，350F，10分钟就好，再简单不过了



Another picture...


Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
In the winter, how can we not to have cranberry sauce for the roast meat dish... Homemade cranberry sauce. Paired with orange or kiwi would be the best!
自己做的蔓越果酱：
说来烤肉，这么能没有蔓越果酱！自己家做的蔓越果酱配上猕猴桃或者橘子都无可挑剔。。。


The homemade cranberry sauce gives the tangy taste and brings the full flavor of the roast meat, especially for venison, or Elk. It is a must have if you cook venison...
Make it individual dish for the cranberry sauce is our favorite.
自己做的蔓越果酱果香带甜，微带酸会让烤肉味道更浓，西方人的这项发明非常棒，蔓越果酱做成小份的非常合适


Elk Roast:
My husband got a Elk in 2018. It is first time for me to cook the Elk roast in my life. I was nervous about it because I know how much my husband loved Elk. Don't want to ruin it. I did some research on the internet and followed the warning sign not to cook too long. It came out of oven with 130F inside gave the whole family joy. Kids loved them as well which hard to believe. I guess the gene is there...
烤无骨驼鹿腿
今年先生打到一只驼鹿，这是我第一次烤驼鹿腿，别说还真有些紧张，很怕烤太干，糟蹋了辛辛苦苦的打猎战利品，查了很多资料


Homemade Buttery dinner rolls.
Our traditional butter rolls tasted so buttery even without butter. Please see my blog for the recipe.



Dessert: Homemade Venison minced meat pie and Coconut cream pie
Time is precious for me as a full time working woman and three kids mom at home. I didn't get chance to make to the grocery early enough and didn't have enough time to find minced meat pie stuffing.  The only option is to make it by myself and simplify the ingredients on hands. I made it with deer meat this year. It was unbelievable

Ingredients:
a cup of raisins and dry cranberries,
1/2 cup candied citric fruit peels,
2 cups of apples,
1 cup brown sugar, 
1 cup of apple juice,
1 cup water,
1 tsp all spices, clover, cinnamon, pinch of salt,
1 lb ground deer meat.
Use a heavy bottom pot and bring all above to boil. Simmer for 1 hr with cover. Cool and make pie filling.

碎肉派是由欧洲后裔带来美国的传统甜点，想来19世纪初美国人烟稀少的西部，物资缺少，用碎肉做的派是西部牛仔向往的美味甜点，流传甚广，如今美其名曰“碎肉派”也没有肉做的，从去年开始我家的圣诞晚餐桌子上开始了真正的碎肉派。。。今年我用鹿肉做了碎肉派，味道很棒，老公赞不绝口。。。


It is classic dessert in the wild west America. In the old days, this dessert melted cowboy's heart.....




I also made a coconut cream pie to delight the kids. The dinner is completed.
小朋友们还没有吃惯碎肉派，所以就做了一个椰蓉奶油派，晚餐就算是配套齐了。。。









Kids opened the last little window on the Christmas calendar and told me that tomorrow is the Christmas. Merry Christmas!
小朋友们打开了圣诞日历上的最后一个小窗口，告诉我明天是圣诞节！圣诞快乐！


I don't have special photo studio. I take photos on our dinner table, just for fun. Enjoy dinner together as family is far more important than anything else. Wish everyone had a happy holiday.

特此说明，所以的照片都是我家饭桌上拍的，家里灯光较暗，没有冷光，不适合拍照，但给我温馨的感觉，况且拍照只是玩儿，一家子围坐一起享受美食比任何都重要，祝大家节日快乐！