Cancelled travel plans and need a plan B for Christmas

[Anonymous]

Thank you for suggestions. Maybe an outdoor restaurant? Just 3 of us - DH, DC and me. I hate cooking. Any suggestions for Christmas Eve and Day at this late date? DC or VA.

[Anonymous]

Go do the lights at Brookside or Meadowlark Christmas Eve. Christmas Day open presents, go for a hike as a family, get Chinese for dinner and watch a Christmas movie.

[Anonymous]

Order a Buche de Noel for Xmas Eve — Praline, Tout de Sweet, Tatte, Fresh Baguette, and Patisserie Poupon.

We’ve also borrowed an Icelandic tradition and have a secret-Santa style book exchange early on Xmas Eve. So it’s a day of books and cake! Highly recommend.

Depending on how old DC is, you could order a Raclette grill from Amazon. (If DC is a preschooler, I’d skip this plan — attractive nuisance!!). This is our Plan A! Procurement (cheese, cornichon, potatoes, proscuitto, veg) — but no actual cooking involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Order a Buche de Noel for Xmas Eve — Praline, Tout de Sweet, Tatte, Fresh Baguette, and Patisserie Poupon.

We’ve also borrowed an Icelandic tradition and have a secret-Santa style book exchange early on Xmas Eve. So it’s a day of books and cake! Highly recommend.

Depending on how old DC is, you could order a Raclette grill from Amazon. (If DC is a preschooler, I’d skip this plan — attractive nuisance!!). This is our Plan A! Procurement (cheese, cornichon, potatoes, proscuitto, veg) — but no actual cooking involved.

Love this idea!

[Anonymous]

Order the food for pick up from a grocery store or restaurant.

Music, candles, cinnamon rolls the night before (bake in the morning). Or use a tube and just do them in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Where to buy Buche de Noel?

[Anonymous]

Today is the last day to order Buche de Noel at Tout de Sweet, the Bethesda patisserie owned by a French chef. Every year they have the traditional ones (nut-free), and new ones the chef makes up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where to buy Buche de Noel?

Praline, Tout de Sweet, Tatte, Fresh Baguette, and Patisserie Poupon.

are the places I’ve bought them — Bethesda/Gtown locations. I think Paul has them as well.

[Anonymous]

Un je ne sais quoi in DuPont Circle seems to be taking orders until the 22md.

[Anonymous]

Whole Foods or Wegmans holiday carryout.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the Raclette idea. It's novel, fun, makes a meal into an event. Fondue is similar concept of an event-meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Order a Buche de Noel for Xmas Eve — Praline, Tout de Sweet, Tatte, Fresh Baguette, and Patisserie Poupon.

We’ve also borrowed an Icelandic tradition and have a secret-Santa style book exchange early on Xmas Eve. So it’s a day of books and cake! Highly recommend.

Depending on how old DC is, you could order a Raclette grill from Amazon. (If DC is a preschooler, I’d skip this plan — attractive nuisance!!). This is our Plan A! Procurement (cheese, cornichon, potatoes, proscuitto, veg) — but no actual cooking involved.

+1 Love raclette. Add a vin de Savoie are you are all set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Order a Buche de Noel for Xmas Eve — Praline, Tout de Sweet, Tatte, Fresh Baguette, and Patisserie Poupon.

We’ve also borrowed an Icelandic tradition and have a secret-Santa style book exchange early on Xmas Eve. So it’s a day of books and cake! Highly recommend.

Depending on how old DC is, you could order a Raclette grill from Amazon. (If DC is a preschooler, I’d skip this plan — attractive nuisance!!). This is our Plan A! Procurement (cheese, cornichon, potatoes, proscuitto, veg) — but no actual cooking involved.

You can rent a Raclette from Swiss Bakery (Braddock Rd, North Springfield). They have 2 models, with 2 very different price points. And you can pick up lots of your ingredients there!

[Anonymous]

Posters, please explain a raclette to this Np! I looked it up on Amazon and it was described as a tabletop grill. I don’t get why this is a fun/ festive way to eat. Are specific foods cooked on it? Does everyone sit around it watching the food cook? I am clueless but very intrigued and would love more details. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Posters, please explain a raclette to this Np! I looked it up on Amazon and it was described as a tabletop grill. I don’t get why this is a fun/ festive way to eat. Are specific foods cooked on it? Does everyone sit around it watching the food cook? I am clueless but very intrigued and would love more details. Thanks!

You sit around and talk and drink and assemble your own combinations of ingredients. Everyone has their own little pan for cheese (and the meat/veggie grill part is shared — we use a few sets of small tongs to manage that part). It’s a play with your food kind of moment (cf fondue). And works for groups that include vegetarians and supertasters as well as omnivores. Basically, it’s leisurely and communal (yet customized by each individual).