'Twas Merry and Bright

There's nothing like spending Christmas with family. This year we spent it with my husband's family in Las Vegas. Although we see them regularly, I felt something magical about this trip... I like to think it's the Christmas magic.

Going to my in-laws' house is like going to your favorite all you can eat buffet. Believe me, they always prepare tons of food. And for Christmas, it's doubly exciting because aside from the food, my mother-in-law decorates the entire house so festively, and it is a sight to behold. So here, I eagerly share with you some of our Christmas pictures.

Here's the entry way that greets you!


Mama Bernie starts decorating right after Thanksgiving. She has collected the Christmas decors through the years. And as a tip, she buys her decorations a day after Christmas - you know, during the (in)famous after-Christmas Sale. That's something that my eldest daughter finds weird, but I find it to be a smart shopper's idea.

I've been married for 21 years and, since I married young, I practically grew up with my parents-in-law as my second parents. Over the years that I've known them, what I find remarkable about their relationship is the acceptance they have for each other (a key ingredient that makes marriage successful). My in-laws are two different persons yet they complement each other. They are always in sync, always working as a team. That's why our vacations are always memorable... Take this Christmas, for instance...


Meet Mama Bernie, who is in charge of the asthetics, as well as organizing and planning the whole production. She is very particular about food presentation. She has different sets of utensils, for different themes, and for different moods. When you set the table, make sure to use the right setting. If you use the wrong set, oh no! You definitely won't pass Mama B's standards. Her pantry, let me tell you, is Impromptu Diva heaven. I could whip up any dish with the ingredients in her pantry: be it Asian, American, Italian, ahhh-- name it and she's got it! I have yet to emulate her organization skills... Papa Tony always praises her for her planning. She had the menu and the itinerary sent to us a month prior, which definitely helps build up the holiday excitement and anticipation.



My father-in-law is in charge of the execution in the kitchen. He's very particular on how the food is cooked. Everything must be precise. And he has a very sophisticated palette. I love Papa Tony's lifestyle... he has so many passions and hobbies and he commits himself to those 100%. I think that's his secret to staying young. He is very well versed in so many aspects in life.. and of course it includes food. He has shared so many techniques with me that I am excited to share with you in the coming posts.

My daughters and I pitching in....


Christmas for our family is always centered in the kitchen. We're always surrounded with food, but somehow, we're always making more food. I thought I was food'd out already; as several days before the trip, I told myself: GO SLOW ON THE FOOD WHEN YOU GET TO VEGAS. But alas, I FAILED! Tell me how I can possibly resist this glorious food:

Christmas eve dinner spread

Custard Flan oh it was so rich and creamy... oh so divine!

Christmas Morning... breakfast spread
Sponge Cake (mamon) bought from Red Ribbon.. It's undeniably everyone's favorite...
Christmas Dinner

What I love about family get-togethers is the bonding that takes place. Whether it's through shopping, enjoying cocktails, playing family games (like Jenga and Scattegories), attending Church together, or just plain chillaxing, the bond that ties us is magical. This special bond is both magical and strong: how else can our family still be so close when we're geographically so apart? And in our busy lives, spending a few days together is just sweet and wonderful... surely it builds memories that warm our hearts. It makes us grateful for the kind of family we have, and wishful that there will be more Christmas dinners like this together. And for the other members of the family who are not in our midst, the holidays makes us miss them even more! It makes us constantly hope and wish that the next Christmas will be spent with them.


This was the piece de resistance during our Christmas Dinner... and I'm going to present the recipe below, which Papa Tony shared with me:

RIB EYE ROAST ALA PAPA TONY
We need:


Rib Eye
Olive oil
Mustard
Rosemary
Bay Leaf
Salt
Pepper
Garlic



Directions:
To cook evenly, the roast must be at room temperature. Our roast was previously thawed and we let it stand for about 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. This will ensure that the roast will be cooked evenly. You don't want your roast to be well done on the sides then raw in the middle.

It is also important that the prime rib is tied. Fortunately, we bought ours tied up. If your meat isn't prepared as such, tie the roast on both ends using cooking twine. You can also ask your neighborhood butcher to tie the meat for you. This will allow the roast to be evenly cooked.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash the roast and pat to dry.

Make a slit on the sides of the roast, and insert garlic cloves.
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Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary together. Set Aside.


In a mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and mustard together.
Add garlic-rosemary to the mixture. Rub it generously around the roast.
Use a heavy stainless steel roasting pan and place the roast, ribs down. Make sure to use a pan that should be able to catch all the drippings from the prime rib while being roasted. You need all the drippings to make au jus and gravy later on.

Put the oven temperature at 450 degrees F to sear the rib roast. This will take about 15-20 minutes.


Then turn the oven to 325 degrees F for the rest of the cooking time, which depends on how big your roast is. Our roast, which was about 18 lbs, took 3 1/2 hours to cook. Cook until rib roast reaches an internal temperature of 130-140 degrees F. Make sure to check the internal temperature by inserting the thermometer right in the center of the rib. (Another tip, invest on a good meat thermometer. It eliminates guess work; you don't want to mess up cooking your prime rib.) Remove from oven and let the roast sit approximately 15 to 20 minutes covered with foil before serving.

Carving directions:


Place the cooked prime rib on a large cutting board. Make sure to have something that will catch the drippings. We made a well out of aluminum foil to catch the juice. Remove the twine. Using a sharp carving knife (we used an electric knife), separate the ribs from the meat.
Slice the meat across the grain with your desired thickness. Serve it with sides of Au Jus Juice, Mushroom Gravy or Horseradish Sauce.


As the year comes to an end, I'd like to say, Happy New Year to all of you dear readers... as I look back, 2009 gave me and my family some highs and some lows, yet we are still always grateful. We look forward to 2010... very hopeful and yes thankful...