Christmas - The Ideal Christmas Dinner

It's Christmas Day and you're having the family over for dinner. The only thing you can think of is how much work you're going to have to put into this thing. Even a guest list of eight can be a real chore to cook for. And the last thing you want is for your family to go home grumbling about how bad the meal was, especially if some of those family members are in-laws. This may be your one chance to really make a good impression. But how do you do this without having to hire a high priced chef?

Well, believe it or not, there are Christmas dinners that you can prepare that are easy, inexpensive and tasty enough to send your guests home with a full stomach and a smile on their faces. If you think it can't possibly be that simple, keep reading because this is one easy to make dinner.

The first thing you have to do is break your dinner down into courses; the more the better. Guests who get a lot of food tend to be easily pleased because they feel they are getting a lot for their money. And heaven knows there are plenty of course you can dish out at a meal such as appetizer, soup, salad, etc. So where do we begin?

Starting with the appetizer, the best way to impress your guests is with a nice shrimp cocktail. Don't get those skimpy, skinny shrimp. Get the ones that are thick and long and meaty. This is a great ice breaker and will get your dinner off on more than the right foot. Don't worry about getting any fancy cocktail sauce. They're all pretty much the same. The shrimp alone, if it's good, will sell them.

Next you want a nice soup. Pick something a little fancier than a plain chicken soup. Maybe cream of chicken or cream of mushroom. Make sure that you have lots of saltine crackers to go with the soup. Serve the soup in a large bowl, not a cup. Again, you want to give your guests a lot to eat. The soup itself can even be out of a can. You don't have to make it homemade.

For salad, keep it simple. A nice green salad of lettuce, carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes will be fine. The whole key to the salad is the dressing. Make sure you have a number of dressings on the table for them to choose from. Don't put the dressing in the salad. Some people like Italian, some don't. Give them a choice. This will make them feel special that you were this thoughtful.

For the main dish, nobody likes anything more than a nice turkey. Turkey's are fool proof to cook these days with their built in little pop up timers. Make sure you have plenty of stuffing to go with it and of course cranberry sauce. Leaving out the cranberry sauce is like asking for daggers aimed at your heart. Along with the main dish, make sure you have a couple of hot vegetables like corn, green beans, carrots and cauliflower.

Finally, you want to have several desserts for your guests to choose from. A couple of pies and a cake should do fine. And of course you want two pots of coffee. One regular and one decaf. Not everybody wants to be on a caffeine high, especially if they're elderly.

By following these simple tips you are sure to have a Christmas dinner that everybody is sure to enjoy.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Christmas

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Here are some Christmas Holidays from around the world. If you haven't decided what to do for this Holiday Season you might find some inspiration here.

Visiting a major City at Christmas can be a very exciting holiday for a couple or a family. There will be plenty to do and sights to see. Two favourite destinations at Christmas are New York City or on the other side of the Atlantic is London, England.

London is of course a world famous city to start with. There are an amazing number of sights to see even before you start looking at all the special events for Christmas. After the regular sightseeing, Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard, Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, The Crown Jewels, The London Eye, etc you can settle down and plan which festive sights to see in the run up to Christmas itself.

No visit to London is complete without a visit to the West End to enjoy a show at one of its famous Theatres. While there you might even try a visit to a Pantomime which is a traditional British Christmas event.

Shopping is a major event in all cities at Christmas time and London is no exception. The lights and window displays in Regent Street and Oxford Street are worth a visit in themselves add all the wonderful stores and restaurants and you have a great day out.

There are Christmas Trees to see, Christmas Markets and Fairs, museums, galleries, attractions, restaurants, palaces and castles, parks and zoos and so much more. London would be a fabulous city in which to spend Christmas.

New York is one of the most exciting places in the world. Christmas in New York must rank highly as a favourite destination. First class hotels and restaurants. Fabulous shopping. An abundance of attractions from the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty to museums, galleries, historic sites,Ellis Island, Wall Street, Central Park and so much more. There are fine restaurants, theaters, clubs and bars all dressed up for Christmas and ready to give you the time of your life.

Niagara Falls, Canada is another fabulous place for a Christmas Holiday. The Festival of Light is held during the Christmas Season. Niagara Falls and the surrounding area is transformed into an illuminated winter wonderland to the delight of the expected 1.3 million visitors. In addition to the illuminated Falls, there are 125 animated lighting displays and 3 million tree and ground lights along the 5Km of the Niagara Parkway. These imaginative displays include the world's largest Canadian Flag, Disney Classics and "Twas the Night before Christmas," an audio-visual spectacular. There are also the firework displays over the mighty falls. This is in addition to the already beautiful and exciting Falls themselves and the other Niagara Falls attractions. The "Maid of the Mist" boat trip, the Daredevil Museum, the Skylon Tower, the Cirque Niagara, Aquarium, Museums, shops, restaurants, bars, clubs and family attractions. This is a year round favourite holiday destination for honeymooners, couples and families but Christmas in Niagara Falls is an extra special experience.

Europe has some marvelous places in which to spend Christmas. Paris for a romantic Christmas. Lapland for an exciting children's Christmas visiting Santa Claus. Sweden and its Ice Hotel for a very adventurous Christmas. The ski resorts of Austria for a traditional white Christmas, with skiing, snowboarding, log fires, mulled wine and delicious food.

Or you could chose a very untraditional Christmas and head for the sun. Australia has Christmas during its summer. All the festivities and sunshine, sandy beaches and a barbeque thrown in.

Finally right down to the bottom of the world. How about Antarctica for a Christmas adventure. Stay aboard an ice breaker and learn all about Antarctica and its wildlife. This would be a truly different way to spend Christmas, watching penguins at play and possibly seals and whales too, seeing magnificent icebergs and the awe inspiring scenery of the Antarctic.

From shopping for Christmas presents in a busy city to watching the sun set over the snow and ice there are so many wonderful and exciting places to visit around the world this Christmas.

Sunny Jones is the owner and writer of the popular online travel guide and community, Travel Advice Pages, which dispenses invaluable travel advice for worldwide travelers.