Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Thanks so much for all of the great ideas. I pulled out the Silver Palate cookbook and served:
-beef bites with Roquefort dip,
-chicken salad on Town House crackers,
-shrimp cocktail,
-cheese straws,
-crudite & Alouette cheese
-cheese, meats and crackers
-G&T's, Madras, white wine, and, of course, Evian & Perrier
It was lots of fun and the food disappeared!

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Breakfast Casserole! So easy, and you can make it ahead. We always have that, cinnamon buns, OJ, and mimosas for the grownups. Although this year we're going to Mass Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve, so maybe just OJ & coffee.

And why, when products say "Now with less sugar!" do they always contain Splenda? How about just using less sugar?

Dry ice, which they will sell to customers for tailgating at the all-important OSU football games, and for Halloween spooky effects. I do have a Graeters within 3 minutes from my home - ooh the Coconut Chip! Love Jeni's Fig & Goat Cheese too...

Ok, we all know that Corned Beef & Cabbage is not Irish, but American, right? That said, we're having cottage pie, soda bread and a nice stout, plus green milk for the kids (must make my children relive some of my Irish-American childhood!)

My Mr Coffee espresso machine. It only cost me $30 and makes me a delicious cappuccino every morning.

@moibec: Forgot to order the oplatki, so we're missing that this year (thought I was ok with that 'til I read your post - boo hoo) but we will have mushrooms, keilbasa, poppy seed bread. My husband is Italian so we do a version of the Seven Fishes. Our friends are Japanese-American, so sushi will be one of the seven. Their daughter loves calamari. How great is America?

You are not alone. Check out this article from Philadelphia Magazine http://www.phillymag.com/articles/trends_down_with_chicken_nuggets/ Of course, it's a typically sarcastic Philly Mag article, but maybe you can make some connections. Good luck!

Mom's cucumber salads: 1)cucumber, onion, oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt & pepper or 2)cucumber, onion, mayo, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt & pepper. Now my kids crave 'em too!

Well, we tried homemade cheeseteaks, soft pretzels and macaroons on Sunday, but it didn't work!

cheddar cheese, lettuce, yellow mustard, potato chips (yes, on the sandwich), all on Italian bread.