12 Days of Christmas --- Dinner Ideas

If I plan a menu through the month of December (back in October), will it make the holidays go by with a little less stress? Just wondering because I'm so am hoping for that!

While jotting dinner ideas on my calendar I started thinking it would be fun to serve up some sort of food for those 12 days counting down to Christmas. (Yes, here I am, making a simple idea complicated again!) So, I've browsed from time to time, all the way up to Halloween, and now, before completing my menu, I can't help but share all my research with you! So, have a look, then share your ideas with me!

(BTW, I thought this video of the MOTAB singing the 12 Days of Christmas will be a fun way to start Day 1.)

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   Day 1 --- Partridge in a Pear Tree

Fresh Pears (This is a nicely presented!)

• canned pears
• pear dessert
• Harry and David pears
• Roquefort Pear Salad (see 1st review / can replace bleu cheese with Gorgonzola cheese)
• Christmas Cinnamon Pears
• Gingered Pears
• Autumn Pear Dessert
• Piles of Pears and One Amazing Coffee Cake 

Day 2 --- Turtle Doves

Turtle Cake --- This is beautiful! (However, I will use this chocolate cake recipe instead --- it's super easy to make, you don't need coffee an it's one of our favorites.) I think I'll have a scope of vanilla ice cream with that!

• turtle chocolates and dove bars
• Pretzel Turtles
• Turtle Bread
• Turtle Soup (I will use beef or turkey) or Turtle Mock Soup
• Turtle Cheesecake (Mmmmmmmmm... this looks yummy too!)

Day 3 --- French Hens

Stuffed Cornish Hens (2 hours), Apricot-Glazed Cornish Hens (for glaze only)

• Rich and Simple French Onion Soup
• French Bread or French Baguettes
• French Green Beans
• French Fries
• French Vanilla Hot Chocolate

Day 4 --- Calling Birds actually "Colly Birds" (means blackbird/crow)

Calling Bird Cut-out Cookies

• Buy or cut out a bird shaped stencil. Spread cream cheese on crackers and use the stencil for things like finely chopped chives, black olive, paprika, chopped egg yolk, to make the birds on top.
• Colly Bird Pie (I think I'll make 2 pies some night soon and freeze one of those for later --- or --- I might just make a regular old pot pie and make reference to the children's rhyme with blackbirds baked in a pie.)

Day 5 --- Golden Rings

• gold-foil wrapped chocolate bells (for ringing)
• oranges sliced into rings
• onion rings with a hamburger
• Cowboy Donuts (for 5 golden glazed doughnuts --- or glazed will work)
• Christmas Bread Wreath (for breakfast)

Day 6 --- Geese-a-Laying

Duck Egg and Brussels Sprouts Hash (I'll just use hen eggs from the store...)

• Breakfast for dinner: something with (hard boiled?) eggs
• Mexican Sunrise Scrambled Eggs

Day 7 --- Swans-a-Swimming

Swan Cream Puffs

Day 8 --- Maids-a-Milking

Milk Duds, Popcorn and a Family Christmas Movie (But, what's for dinner?)

• something with lots of milk (i.e. cheese, custard, yogurt)
• Chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream
• Tres Leches Cake

Day 9 --- Ladies Dancing

Pink Ladies (With so many sweets, just make 1/2 a batch --- these are rich and oh, so good.)

• Pink Lady apples (can use to make Raw Apple Crisp, Apple Cider (juice the apples through a juicer)/Wassail, apple pie)
• Gingerbread Ladies (1, 2, 3, 4) --- Can be baked and frozen until Day 9!

Day 10 --- Lords-a-Leaping

Chicken a la King (can make double and freeze extra for the 10th Day)

• Beef Wellington (Takes 4 hours or more to make and cooks up med. rare) Sounds good but might want to find something easier...
• Gingerbread Men with crowns iced on (see ladies dancing and make them both)
• Capering Baron of Beef au jus, Trinidad Hops Bread and Grasshopper Pie
• King Cake (traditionally on the 12 day to celebrate when the wise men travel to the baby ends --- "King/Queen for the Day" trinket) King cake - Wikipedia
• garlic-crab-legs (King Crab)
• Burger King (Don't forget your coupons!)

Day 11 --- Pipers Piping

Snowman Stew (Make 11 snowmen with little pipes drawn on with mustard.) I will use this slow cooker Beef Stew recipe because we like it and it's pretty easy, I'll just add the snowmen towards the end of the cooking time, maybe even pour it into a casserole dish... but that might be complicating a simple idea. Here's some good crusty bread to serve with it.)

• Scottish food for Pipers --- Pork and Sauerkraut Casserole
• pipe frosting onto sugar cookies
• Duchess Potato Christmas Trees

Day 12 --- Drummers Drumming

California Rolls --- video (These are drum shaped, add something for drumsticks ---  chopsticks?) These can be made a day ahead. (Serve with instant Miso Soup and steamed veggies.)

• Simple Chili (in crock pot) with Rosemary Breadsticks
• 12 Cinnamon Rolls (for Christmas breakfast) or dozen of anything
• Oven-Fried Drumsticks