My sister, Miss SmartyPants, works at least 60 hours a week at her business plus she is raising her three grandchildren. Still she manages to get her Eugene house decorated for Christmas and maybe the one down on the coast for all I know.
And this is my next door neighbor Tina's place. It scares me when she gets up on the roof and hangs over. And, yes, that is a ten foot snowman. This picture doesn't do it justice but it is the only one that I took that shows the snowman because he lights up every few seconds.
This is my decorating. The ladies at the Nordland Garden Club forgot about me this year so I got my wreath at Costco for $15. Not only was it $10 cheaper, it is bigger and fresher and I think it looks very nice. Sorry ladies but I'm doing the Costco wreaths from now on.
I can't believe that it is almost Christmas already!! How did that happen?? The Bradster and I are doing something different this year. We are getting up seriously early on the 24th and heading for Oregon. We should be in Eugene by noon if we avoid the traffic. Sometimes getting through Portland during holiday rush hour traffic can be tricky.
My sister always has a big Christmas Eve dinner with lots of kids and relatives and we are going to join in this year. We are planning to get there early so I can help with the preparation of the prime rib dinner. We love to cook together and have turned out some amazing feasts over the years.
I want you to know that serving prime rib for Christmas is one of the easiest main dishes that you can do. Nothing like a turkey but it is also probably the most expensive. This year, at QFC, prime rib is going for $9.99 per pound which is $2 a pound more expensive than last year.
When you buy your roast you have to to decide on the size. You could go for a rib per person or decide how much you are gonna spend and that is it. Don't ask the butcher (who is usually your friend) because you might end up with a $120 roast like I did once. So, if you have $60 buy a six pound roast and call it good. With all the other goodies on the table you will be fine.
I never give leftovers to my guests. I keep it all for me, if there is any, that is. When I carve the roast I always hide the bones because they are delicious roasted with BBQ sauce later when the holidays are over and the days are dark and gloomy.
I consulted my sister to see how she was gonna do the roast this year. She said she was going to oil it up and rub Montreal Steak Seasoning all over it. This makes a fabulous roast. I like to do this too, but I also add a good lube of Worcestershire Sauce. Easy peasy.
She also said that she starts the roast out at 425 degrees for a bit (???) and then turns it down to 325 until done. I prefer a medium roast but some people think that is a sin. Use your meat thermometer to get it exactly like you want it. For rare you want to cook it about 23 minutes per pound but all this is variable depending on your oven. Example: 6 pound roast x 23 min = 138 min = 2 1/2 hours. I would start checking at two hours.
Okay - let's look at the ad. This is a big ad and lasts through Christmas Day so I won't be doing the next ad until the 31st. Plus, I will be on the I-5 headed to Eugene.
If your budget won't expand for prime rib you could do a turkey because QFC is running the promo where you buy $30 worth of groceries you get a turkey for $ .69 a pound. I did this for Thanksgiving and it turned out great. You could also do a Hormel ham for $1.99 a pound or even Fresh Crab for $5.99 a pound.
I also want to mention that QFC is giving you a free gallon of milk if you buy four Chex cereals. I don't really care for the cereal but my Aunt Barbara used to make this killer Chex Mix with it, so that might be an idea if you need snacks.
Here are my suggestions:
Gold Medal Flour - $2.50/5lb
Kroger Brown Sugar - $2/2lb
Kroger Spices - 50% off
McCafe Coffee - $6.99/12oz
Chex Cereal - Buy 4/get free gal Milk ($3/box)
Del Monte Vegetables - $ .50/can
Swanson Broth - $2/qt
Challenge Butter - $2.49/lb
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.50/16oz
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - 3 for $5/8oz bar
QFC Whipping Cream - $2.99/pint
Tillamook Cheese - $5.99/2lb
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1/12oz bag
Boneless Sirloin Tip Roast - $3.99/lb
Rib Roast - $9.99/lb
Fresh Cooked Dungeness Crab - $5.99/lb
Hormel Cure 81 Half Spiral Ham - $1.99/lb
Private Selection Turkey - $ .69/lb (must spend additional $30)
Pears - $1.49/lb
Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower - $ .99/lb
Celery or Mayan Sweet Onions - $ .99/lb
Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith Apples - $1.28/lb
Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts - $1.99/lb
Nature Sweet Tomatoes - $2.99/10.5oz
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.50/ea
Sweet Potatoes or Yams - $ .99/lb
My son, the plumber, gave me a Macy's gift card for my birthday and this is how I spent some of it. I got it for 30% off plus another 10% from my Macy's Wallet and free shipping. And 6% went into my Ebates account. I hope that if you are doing online shopping that you are going through Ebates. It really does add up and it is nice to get that check.
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