I just LOVE this idea. I was a farm kid, dirt and critters were regularly inside the house. Casual is an understatement. But at Christmas we went to Grans. She thought her only daughter married down, and living outside the city. She made her judgment known. But, I loved her warm, tidy, fancy house. Everything had a place. And her formal table! She had bone china, sparkling crystal stemmed ware, and way too many spoons, forks and knives along each formal place settings. A bread plate. A dessert came later with fresh silverware. Candles made it really sparkle. She passed too soon and my younger siblings have no memory of this. It is one of my fondest memories and gave me confidence in ways I didn’t realize at this time. It is a wonderful tradition you have. Those young men in suits!
Thank you for sharing your fancy Christmas. I got super sick about 13 days ago. I literally did nothing but sleep for 4 whole days, without really eating or drinking. Thank God I was okay enough to help my husband get the house together and prepare our Christmas eve dinner. About 20 years ago, I instituted Christmas eve dinner with the Polish food that we grew up with. My husband was in the Marines & we could never go home for Christmas. Our kids have brought people to share. They are both adults & one is in the Marine. They know that if at all possible, come home for Christmas eve. Our daughter's fiance was here last night for the 2nd time. His first was about 10 years ago when they were in high school. It made my heart sing when he said that we had turned him on to pierogi and about the places that he ate them around the country. They gave him a home feeling. They found each other again last year after they both had moved back to our city. It was a blessed night.
My parents took us to fancy restaurants at 6 or 7 years old. We’d started learning place settings etc, much earlier.We loved it. I still remember the first time we tried caviar on toast that was a salty swallow, but we learned to love it. It was fun and it prepared us for the future. It also Later reminded us that our parents loved us enough to take the time to teach us.❤❤❤
Wilted lettuce salad with a bacon dressing is my our family’s Christmas tradition for years and years. My grandmothers grandmother started it in the late 1800s
MERRY CHRISTMAS I was very ill & spent 12 hours in the ER on Christmas Eve. Not good news. So Christmas today has been difficult this Year. The main thing is we are all together this year. Happy Birthday to Jesus. GOD BLESS from Indiana Farmland
Merry Christmas, dear friends! Loved the super fancy family portrait that even captured Bear! Y'all look wonderful. Looking forward to a happy and healthy New Year! ❤️
The first time I heard about this tradition, I quite liked it. Good for you for keeping the tradition going. All of you look very nice! Well done. Merry Christmas!!
What a fun memory to make with your kids! Thanks for sharing this. It seems like you’re talking fast, I want to give you a hug and remind you to breathe. 💜 I’m guessing you’re just excited.
Love that tradition. We did the same. The good dishes came out and we ate in the dining room (usually reserved for the adults entertaining or Sunday dinners or weekday homework table - kitchen table was everyday meals). When in that room for a meal we were in always in our best clothes and we were to practice using the appropriate flatware and table manners. I hated consommé broth with brandy or something else in it. My mother loved it so I had to learn to eat it. Eating bread only breaking a bite size piece and buttering it not the whole piece of bread….those were the lessons I remember. I won’t trade the memories of those times. Life lessons around the table are priceless.
Love the Fancy Christmas Dinner tradition! The boys are growing up so fast!! Also love that the picture at the end has sweet Bear curled up by the fireplace. Merry Christmas dear Sowards family. May God continue to bless you abundantly! ❤️❤️❤️
Oh, my gosh, y'all are just beautiful in your fancy clothes, I actually gasped with delight and applauded (to myself) when you gathered at the end - so handsome and pretty! Wonderful tradition, and everyone will love looking back at these special events later on in life, I'm sure. A wonderful holiday season to all of you! ♥
I loved this idea and we did our first fancy Christmas dinner! Definitely a wonderful but still chaotic first go! Our littles are 3 and almost two so they were having a little bit hard time grasping it but I know one day it will maybe be a wonderful looked forward to tradition!
Absolutely love your tradition! Not only all the things you mentioned but it prepares the boys for that nice restaurant experience with their future brides! As for the bread, it's beautiful. Keep on doing both grains until you are comfortable with the process. Eventually you'll be rocking whole grain. Experiencing kamut and other gluten free breads!
OMG! What a beautiful video, made me tear up. Making wonderful memories are the best gifts you could ever give! Love your family. Merry Christmas to all. 🎄❤️🙏
Jess your philosophy was my mom's. We were poor but ate from the garden and farm so very healthy and I never knew we were poor. I ate everything but was never required to eat anything. Mom put it on the table and I ate it because that's what she made. But I was never required to eat anything I didnt want. If I wanted cereal for supper ( didnt happen often) I could choose that. I didnt like hominy or turnip greens but not being forced was a blessing because now I LOVE food (love greens, still dont like hominy)and have always loved cooking. I'm becoming a good cook in my older years. You have done right by your boys. I made your red wine jelly last week. It's wonderful. Love from Kentucky.
I adore this idea! I love our quiet and easy Christmas traditions, but we may need to have a fancy NYE or Easter dinner. Your tablescape is lovely and y'all look so great!
Happy Holidays and a wonderful new Year to you all!!!!!!! Fancy Dinner is amazing. You’ve been doing this for years and your children will remember this forever!🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄❤❤❤❤
I love your ways Jessica! My grandson's mom isn't a cook & used to say she 'hated' veggies and fish. Well, luckily I got to watch my oldest grandson & we grew veggies he could each on my apartment patio. He also ate salmon his Dad cooked. The boys wanted 2nds and I told them I was proud that they're eating fish. Now that my son passed away and they eat mostly junk, when I have them I just ask that they try. They stated they got sent to bed if they didn't eat all their food. I told them I'm different, I only ask that they try, maybe a bite. No punishment. Over time they are trying more things. I want them to try things that they don't normally have home cooked. I try to cook things they'll like. I appreciate your view on children & food. Merry Christmas!❤️🎄🎁😊
It’s all about making memories and you and Miah are doing such a good job of it. Fancy Christmas dinner is a wonderful tradition, your family seemed very excited to participate in it once again!That menu sounded absolutely exquisite. I think I need to look into she crab soup. I’ve heard about it for years and have never had it. Since I live on the coast I can go crabbing for blue crab in the warmer weather. I’m definitely going to research it. Merry Christmas to you and yours! Edit- thanks for including the recipe in the description!
Yes, it is a menu. For college I had to make a seven course dinner- no choices for the guests. I assigned classmates to cook the food while I hosted. When it was their turn to host I cooked. The one thing I forgot was to light the candles. It is all fun when you enjoy food and the people you’re serving. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
I love this tradition so much! My mom used to make fancy Christmas dinners, and we dressed in our fancy Christmas clothes. I wish I had made this a tradition with my son. Love seeing your beautiful family!
I love your ideas. All of you look so cool. I am sure they all had lots of fun dressing up and waiting for the food. Happy Holidays Jess and your family!
What a wonderful way to spend time with your family, the most important people you know! I also think that getting out of one's comfort zone creates memories, due to actually focusing on the experience, rather than just kind of going through the same thing, over and over. Discomfort is not always bad, in other words! Have an absolutely joyous and lovely Christmas, Jess and all the family!🌻💖🎅
Friends of mine used to do a suit and tie dinner regularly throughout the year, with all the forks and spoons, etc, because they wanted their kids to feel comfortable if they ever ate at a fancy restaurant or event
Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🎄 Boy do I understand! I was going to head to TN to see my kids and grandkids. They were sick last week so I decided to wait. Then I ended up sick, so had to cancel out. It is hard because I only see them once a year. Awwww eveyone looks great.
Merry Christmas, Jess! Thank you for teaching me how to be comfortable in my kitchen. Because of your help, I have made countless meals for my (small) family and am learning how to be a good host. I was reading Titus and aspire to one day be like the women spoken about in Titus 2. You are one of those women for me! (Although, I promise I don’t think of you as an “older woman”) 😂 Thank you, Jess! ❤
So glad you are feeling better! Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family ❤🎄 thank you for sharing your fancy Christmas dinner menu and prep. It sounds delicious! The she-crab (not sure if that’s how you spell it) soup is something I really want to try!
Yes, she-crab, because it should have crab roe in it and a dollop of sherry. Please don't judge it from poorly made recipes in many restaurants. The best I've ever had was in Charleston, SC. It was so delicious.
This is such a great tradition, I love seeing how you love and value your children. Just a through, btw, on 'fancy' desserts--creme brulee is ridiculously easy to make, but has a very 'fancy' rep, and is easily dressed up by something like a couple raspberries and mint sprigs on top. Or a slice of preserved orange or something. My kids' (kids, I say, they're 25-30 now) has always been white chocolate creme brulee, but there are so many ways to flavor it. I love blood orange creme brulee a lot.
I think you'll be pleased with the results! All you need is oven space and a bunch of ramekins. I always make extra because they last well in the fridge@@The_Farmers_Table
My philosophy with my kids when they were growing up was that they had to try new things. If they didn't like it that was fine, there was always things they would eat. I also asked that they try things they don't think they like because our tastes change as we get older. My kids are 25 and 23 and will eat almost anything, if they don't like something they will pick it out. My husband is a very picky eater because his mom made his plate and he had to eat everything on it or go to bed. I refused to do that to mine. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Merry Christmas! I was in the fortunate situation that I had to dress up often as a child because of my father's work. Not always the most fun as a child, because it really is a more of an adult world, but it is a part I'm very thankful for as an adult. I can tell you even if you don't have a choice it is still called a menu hahaha. My daughter has less of such an upbringing since my husband doesn't like the very fancy stuff, but I am proud to say that she is a good eater. She eats most things. So later there is not much trouble there. My menu tonight (in the Netherlands we have second Christmas day, what is boxing day elsewhere) is a trio of carpaccio, deer steaks with asparagus bacon rolls, a salad with white cheese and berries, potatoes gratins and a grand dessert to top it of. And she's already looking forward to it, my foodie.
Hey Jess, what I do on my spin salads is dried cranberries. I also added walnuts. It pairs nicely and looks very festive!! Merry Christmas!! I'm sure everything will be grEat. That is called a menu. It's usually on the plate at "fancy dinner" places. ;) Thanks for the video in this season of BUSY!!
Sweet video, and I really enjoyed hearing your philosophy about food and exposing kids two different things outside their comfort zone. We have very similar thoughts on that!!! The meal sounded awesome, the family pics are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your life with us❤Merry Christmas!!!❤
Jess that was so moving episode. I froze the picture so I can enlarge it to see all your beautiful faces. Ohhh how I wish I can go back in time for our special Christmas Eve. We also dressed up. Beautiful memories. 🫂🎉 Thank you so much for sharing and reminding me. I am happy and sad the same time. Cherrish these moments they will pass so quickly. ❤
I made homemade tiramisu today. Watched a video. When the chef said to just dump all the heavy cream in, I did. Won’t do that again. I made it for my son. He said it tasted good, but he had to use a spoon for sure. A little runny. Next time, I will add the milk slowly. Everyone looks great! I love your tradition! ❤
I put a pizza ban or a cookie sheet on rack under my Dutch oven when baking bread & the bottom of the bread never 👎 gets too dark. Also I cook all my bread in a cold oven 425 degrees for 45 minutes & then take off the lid & cook for 15 minutes more & it’s always perfect. I learned that from Ben Starr’s TH-cam channel 😊❤
I love the fancy cup deserts at costco. I cook 95% of our meals but I’m not much of a baker. Except for christmas cookies. My favorites are the little crème brûlées they sell but the tiramisu works in a pinch 🤗
Merry Christmas Jess and family! I love the idea of a fancy Christmas dinner. What a fun tradition! I made cider braised pork tenderloin tonight for dinner. Served with baby kale and mashed sweet potatoes. It's so good and so easy since it's cooked in the crockpot. This mama is usually tired by the end of Christmas day so it was nice to have a meal cook all day and I didn't have to do too much to get the rest of the meal made.
I made homemade tiramisu today. Watched a video. When the chef said to just dump all the heavy cream in, I did. Won’t do that again. I made it for my son. He said it tasted good, but he had to use a spoon for sure. A little runny. Next time, I will add the milk slowly. I love your tradition! ❤
My mom n dad always had dress up zchristmas eve dinner. The more formal the better. I am 71 n still remember those dinners. My mom died in 3p0i n my dad kept up the dress up in mom's memory. Dad died in 2014 n none of the familt gets together. I miss those dinners. Good for you to make traditions.
My favorite sourdough is Rye , use dark rye like 300 grams & white wheat 200 grams & 500 grams white bread flour. 200 grams levin,25 grams salt,30 grams honey,3tablespoons caraway seeds. 650 grams of water 💦 or add tiny more if you want it wetter. The rye soaks up a lot more water 💦. Anyway some folks don’t like rye but we love ❤️ it. 😊
Merry Christmas Blessings and so glad you’re feeling better. My son came out for this holiday to find himself quite ill. Flu I think. So it’s definitely going around. Your holiday tradition is beautiful and wonderful. Love the decorated table and I bet they lived the meal. You and Miah have an amazing beautiful family. ❤
Merry Christmas Jess, Miah and the fam. Y'all need to reign it in a little though. Some folks might be thinking that y'all are connected to the mafia. Ya know - With happy special fancy Christmas dinner and all. Kids dressing up in suits at dinner - - Something's going on. LOL. Whether this channel or the other channels. Always a breath of fresh air.
Wow thanks for sharing g another fancy dinner I’m working on my daughter to do this once with china we have inherited I remember eating off of it when I was a child and I want to once more do the fancy dinner too MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤❤❤
So glad you're better in time for Christmas! I am on day 6 of some nasty virus and had to cancel our Christmas plans of hosting the family. My kids are all grown, so it's just my guy and me and a chicken to throw in the oven. I've been wanting to try making beef wellington! Nice to watch you do it. Happy Christmas, Sowards family!❤
That is so sweet to have a fancy dinner... we always make a Christmas casserole which we only make once a year cause it's very rich, but always have leftovers... so as kiddo is home til new years it makes a good breakfast option and freezes well... not that it lasts that long usually.. this time her boyfriend and my mom came over so half was gone this morning 😅 so it may last 3 more days. I also made chicken pot pie today as well so there would be leftovers and there is 3/4 left (my mom had left at that point) guarantee it will be gone quickly my kid had 2 bowls .. I liked it because I made roasted chickens and one went into the pot pie and had it ready today I just needed to mix the top and pour it over and bake it so everything was pretty much made ahead so I could just relax and enjoy the presents and stuff. I have always told my kid if she doesn't like a recipe or something could be done differently for her to like it better to let me know ... because I don't want to keep making something when she absolutely hate it... most things she doesn't have a problem.. I made a pumpkin soup once ... neither of us could stomach it I don't know if it was me or the recipe but it was so bad I couldn't stomach to even to just eat it so it didn't go to waste.. it was priceless we both took the first bite and I was trying to keep my face neutral cause we both made immediate eye contact and she was like mmmm noooo that's gross.. I was like oh thank goodness cause then I could be like yeah that's gross 😅
I just LOVE this idea. I was a farm kid, dirt and critters were regularly inside the house. Casual is an understatement. But at Christmas we went to Grans. She thought her only daughter married down, and living outside the city. She made her judgment known. But, I loved her warm, tidy, fancy house. Everything had a place. And her formal table! She had bone china, sparkling crystal stemmed ware, and way too many spoons, forks and knives along each formal place settings. A bread plate. A dessert came later with fresh silverware. Candles made it really sparkle. She passed too soon and my younger siblings have no memory of this. It is one of my fondest memories and gave me confidence in ways I didn’t realize at this time. It is a wonderful tradition you have. Those young men in suits!
Thank you for sharing your fancy Christmas. I got super sick about 13 days ago. I literally did nothing but sleep for 4 whole days, without really eating or drinking. Thank God I was okay enough to help my husband get the house together and prepare our Christmas eve dinner. About 20 years ago, I instituted Christmas eve dinner with the Polish food that we grew up with. My husband was in the Marines & we could never go home for Christmas. Our kids have brought people to share. They are both adults & one is in the Marine. They know that if at all possible, come home for Christmas eve. Our daughter's fiance was here last night for the 2nd time. His first was about 10 years ago when they were in high school. It made my heart sing when he said that we had turned him on to pierogi and about the places that he ate them around the country. They gave him a home feeling. They found each other again last year after they both had moved back to our city. It was a blessed night.
My parents took us to fancy restaurants at 6 or 7 years old. We’d started learning place settings etc, much earlier.We loved it. I still remember the first time we tried caviar on toast that was a salty swallow, but we learned to love it. It was fun and it prepared us for the future. It also Later reminded us that our parents loved us enough to take the time to teach us.❤❤❤
Wilted lettuce salad with a bacon dressing is my our family’s Christmas tradition for years and years. My grandmothers grandmother started it in the late 1800s
I love hearing about family traditions that have lasted so long!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I was very ill & spent 12 hours in the ER on Christmas Eve. Not good news. So Christmas today has been difficult this Year. The main thing is we are all together this year. Happy Birthday to Jesus. GOD BLESS from Indiana Farmland
I am so sorry to hear that. Praying!
Prayers for full recovery!❤
Indiana here too 🙋♀️
Merry Christmas blessings to all 🤗🇨🇦🌲 Thanks for bringing us along & sharing your beautiful family with us! Precious🥰
Thank you for sharing your special family dinner,so fun to everyone dressed up. Blessings to you all 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻 Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas, dear friends! Loved the super fancy family portrait that even captured Bear! Y'all look wonderful. Looking forward to a happy and healthy New Year! ❤️
The first time I heard about this tradition, I quite liked it. Good for you for keeping the tradition going. All of you look very nice! Well done. Merry Christmas!!
What a fun memory to make with your kids! Thanks for sharing this.
It seems like you’re talking fast, I want to give you a hug and remind you to breathe. 💜 I’m guessing you’re just excited.
Love that tradition. We did the same. The good dishes came out and we ate in the dining room (usually reserved for the adults entertaining or Sunday dinners or weekday homework table - kitchen table was everyday meals). When in that room for a meal we were in always in our best clothes and we were to practice using the appropriate flatware and table manners. I hated consommé broth with brandy or something else in it. My mother loved it so I had to learn to eat it. Eating bread only breaking a bite size piece and buttering it not the whole piece of bread….those were the lessons I remember. I won’t trade the memories of those times. Life lessons around the table are priceless.
Love the Fancy Christmas Dinner tradition! The boys are growing up so fast!! Also love that the picture at the end has sweet Bear curled up by the fireplace.
Merry Christmas dear Sowards family. May God continue to bless you abundantly! ❤️❤️❤️
Oh, my gosh, y'all are just beautiful in your fancy clothes, I actually gasped with delight and applauded (to myself) when you gathered at the end - so handsome and pretty! Wonderful tradition, and everyone will love looking back at these special events later on in life, I'm sure. A wonderful holiday season to all of you! ♥
I loved this idea and we did our first fancy Christmas dinner! Definitely a wonderful but still chaotic first go! Our littles are 3 and almost two so they were having a little bit hard time grasping it but I know one day it will maybe be a wonderful looked forward to tradition!
I love your home decor! The chaos of kids, pets, spouse interaction.....You all are a blessing in your energy, the palpable love....love to you all!!!
This is a beautiful tradition and it's these traditions that teach our children how to love themselves.
Absolutely love your tradition! Not only all the things you mentioned but it prepares the boys for that nice restaurant experience with their future brides!
As for the bread, it's beautiful. Keep on doing both grains until you are comfortable with the process.
Eventually you'll be rocking whole grain. Experiencing kamut and other gluten free breads!
OMG! What a beautiful video, made me tear up. Making wonderful memories are the best gifts you could ever give! Love your family. Merry Christmas to all. 🎄❤️🙏
Merry Christmas! Making memories is the best part of the holidays ❤️
Merry Christmas, have a blessed day!
It is marvellous that your kids are so important to you guys!!!!
Jess your philosophy was my mom's. We were poor but ate from the garden and farm so very healthy and I never knew we were poor. I ate everything but was never required to eat anything. Mom put it on the table and I ate it because that's what she made. But I was never required to eat anything I didnt want. If I wanted cereal for supper ( didnt happen often) I could choose that. I didnt like hominy or turnip greens but not being forced was a blessing because now I LOVE food (love greens, still dont like hominy)and have always loved cooking. I'm becoming a good cook in my older years. You have done right by your boys. I made your red wine jelly last week. It's wonderful. Love from Kentucky.
Merry Christmas thank you for showing all the family dressed up 🙏😘🇦🇺
What a fantastic tradition! Thanks for sharing it with us Jess. Merry Christmas to you and your whole beautiful family.
Merry Christmas 🎄 what a lovely tradition ❤
What a lovely tradition. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
I adore this idea! I love our quiet and easy Christmas traditions, but we may need to have a fancy NYE or Easter dinner. Your tablescape is lovely and y'all look so great!
Happy Holidays and a wonderful new Year to you all!!!!!!! Fancy Dinner is amazing. You’ve been doing this for years and your children will remember this forever!🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄❤❤❤❤
I love your ways Jessica! My grandson's mom isn't a cook & used to say she 'hated' veggies and fish. Well, luckily I got to watch my oldest grandson & we grew veggies he could each on my apartment patio. He also ate salmon his Dad cooked. The boys wanted 2nds and I told them I was proud that they're eating fish. Now that my son passed away and they eat mostly junk, when I have them I just ask that they try. They stated they got sent to bed if they didn't eat all their food. I told them I'm different, I only ask that they try, maybe a bite. No punishment. Over time they are trying more things. I want them to try things that they don't normally have home cooked. I try to cook things they'll like. I appreciate your view on children & food. Merry Christmas!❤️🎄🎁😊
Beautiful Christmas ❤ Thanks for sharing
Merry Christmas! You bless my life by sharing yours! ❤❤❤
Lovely tradition.
It’s all about making memories and you and Miah are doing such a good job of it. Fancy Christmas dinner is a wonderful tradition, your family seemed very excited to participate in it once again!That menu sounded absolutely exquisite. I think I need to look into she crab soup. I’ve heard about it for years and have never had it. Since I live on the coast I can go crabbing for blue crab in the warmer weather. I’m definitely going to research it. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Edit- thanks for including the recipe in the description!
Merry Christmas and blessing to you all!!!
Merry Christmas Miah, Jess, and all your family!
I smiled, remembering how much Toby raved about this tradition (and the Costco dessert). Blessings on your family today and always! Merry Christmas!
Yes, it is a menu. For college I had to make a seven course dinner- no choices for the guests. I assigned classmates to cook the food while I hosted. When it was their turn to host I cooked. The one thing I forgot was to light the candles. It is all fun when you enjoy food and the people you’re serving. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
I love this tradition so much! My mom used to make fancy Christmas dinners, and we dressed in our fancy Christmas clothes. I wish I had made this a tradition with my son. Love seeing your beautiful family!
I love your ideas. All of you look so cool. I am sure they all had lots of fun dressing up and waiting for the food. Happy Holidays Jess and your family!
Merry Christmas from Montreal Canada 🤗🎄🇨🇦
Merry Christmas to all of you!🎁🎄
🌺Absolutely beautiful and such a wonderful tradition, may God continue His Blessings on ya’all!
I also got sick the week before christmas, and had to spend since then playing catch up. Sending hugs and light for the seasons and health.
Such a sweet thing Jess. Merry Christmas.
What a wonderful way to spend time with your family, the most important people you know! I also think that getting out of one's comfort zone creates memories, due to actually focusing on the experience, rather than just kind of going through the same thing, over and over. Discomfort is not always bad, in other words! Have an absolutely joyous and lovely Christmas, Jess and all the family!🌻💖🎅
How beautiful the table! Kudos to Miah well done! Beautiful family photo/Merry Christmas God bless you, thank u for sharing!🌲🥳🕊hello from AZ🌵
Merry Christmas Jess and family. Blessings
I agree, diversity IS beautiful. Bless you for being so authentically you ❤
Friends of mine used to do a suit and tie dinner regularly throughout the year, with all the forks and spoons, etc, because they wanted their kids to feel comfortable if they ever ate at a fancy restaurant or event
Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🎄
Boy do I understand! I was going to head to TN to see my kids and grandkids. They were sick last week so I decided to wait. Then I ended up sick, so had to cancel out. It is hard because I only see them once a year.
Awwww eveyone looks great.
Love watching this tradition every year! ❤
What a fun tradition Jessica! Merry Christmas to the wonderful Soward family!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Merry Christmas, Jess! Thank you for teaching me how to be comfortable in my kitchen. Because of your help, I have made countless meals for my (small) family and am learning how to be a good host.
I was reading Titus and aspire to one day be like the women spoken about in Titus 2. You are one of those women for me! (Although, I promise I don’t think of you as an “older woman”) 😂
Thank you, Jess! ❤
That’s a beautiful compliment, thank you. Titus 2 is a good reminder to all of us. 😊
So glad you are feeling better! Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family ❤🎄 thank you for sharing your fancy Christmas dinner menu and prep. It sounds delicious! The she-crab (not sure if that’s how you spell it) soup is something I really want to try!
Yes, she-crab, because it should have crab roe in it and a dollop of sherry. Please don't judge it from poorly made recipes in many restaurants. The best I've ever had was in Charleston, SC. It was so delicious.
I try to grow a healthy relationship with food with the kids too. It's so important. Merry Christmas and Happy Winter Solstice to you and yours!
This is such a great tradition, I love seeing how you love and value your children. Just a through, btw, on 'fancy' desserts--creme brulee is ridiculously easy to make, but has a very 'fancy' rep, and is easily dressed up by something like a couple raspberries and mint sprigs on top. Or a slice of preserved orange or something. My kids' (kids, I say, they're 25-30 now) has always been white chocolate creme brulee, but there are so many ways to flavor it. I love blood orange creme brulee a lot.
I’m going to practice that this year and prepare for next year. We LOVE crème brûlée but I’ve never made it
Oh and Bananas Foster! So easy!!!! And you can do a flambe' version. anything flaming is so fun.
@@The_Farmers_Tabletry the flambe' versions. You have boys. Boys and a dessert on fire...cant go wrong.
I think you'll be pleased with the results! All you need is oven space and a bunch of ramekins. I always make extra because they last well in the fridge@@The_Farmers_Table
@thedirtprincess3293 oh, good idea! Those are also super easy
Merry Christmas! Beautiful tradition! Blessings! Everyone looks so sharp! Beautiful!
6:26 Nature is wild and filled with diversity, because that’s how life thrives when nobody’s thinking too hard about it. Merry Christmas everyone 💚
My philosophy with my kids when they were growing up was that they had to try new things. If they didn't like it that was fine, there was always things they would eat. I also asked that they try things they don't think they like because our tastes change as we get older. My kids are 25 and 23 and will eat almost anything, if they don't like something they will pick it out. My husband is a very picky eater because his mom made his plate and he had to eat everything on it or go to bed. I refused to do that to mine. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Merry Christmas!
I was in the fortunate situation that I had to dress up often as a child because of my father's work. Not always the most fun as a child, because it really is a more of an adult world, but it is a part I'm very thankful for as an adult. I can tell you even if you don't have a choice it is still called a menu hahaha.
My daughter has less of such an upbringing since my husband doesn't like the very fancy stuff, but I am proud to say that she is a good eater. She eats most things. So later there is not much trouble there. My menu tonight (in the Netherlands we have second Christmas day, what is boxing day elsewhere) is a trio of carpaccio, deer steaks with asparagus bacon rolls, a salad with white cheese and berries, potatoes gratins and a grand dessert to top it of. And she's already looking forward to it, my foodie.
Hey Jess, what I do on my spin salads is dried cranberries. I also added walnuts. It pairs nicely and looks very festive!!
Merry Christmas!!
I'm sure everything will be grEat. That is called a menu. It's usually on the plate at "fancy dinner" places. ;)
Thanks for the video in this season of BUSY!!
Omg the suits and dresses! Ben's tie is lovely ♥️♥️
Christmas Blessings everyone!🌻🐛🌿💚🙏💕👵❤️
Sweet video, and I really enjoyed hearing your philosophy about food and exposing kids two different things outside their comfort zone. We have very similar thoughts on that!!! The meal sounded awesome, the family pics are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your life with us❤Merry Christmas!!!❤
You all looked so beautiful and handsome! Thank you for sharing your beautiful fancy Christmas dinner with us, it sounded wonderful! Merry Christmas!
Awww...everybody looks so sharp!
Merry Christmas. Why are you not crying over those onions? 🧅🧅🧅 Your table looks lovely. Everyone looks so nice and fancy. Enjoy
Another winner of your fancy dinner. Well done. Hope you stay well.
Lovely 😊 family, table looks beautiful. Happy Christmas 🎄 😊
When you didn't post more videos, I had a feeling you were under the weather. SO glad you took care of yourself, and that you're feeling better. :)
Awesome dinner 🥘 and lovely pictures..Kathy 😊
Merry Christmas to you sweet Jess and to your beautiful family.❤❤⛄️⛄️
Jess that was so moving episode. I froze the picture so I can enlarge it to see all your beautiful faces. Ohhh how I wish I can go back in time for our special Christmas Eve. We also dressed up. Beautiful memories. 🫂🎉 Thank you so much for sharing and reminding me. I am happy and sad the same time. Cherrish these moments they will pass so quickly. ❤
I made homemade tiramisu today. Watched a video. When the chef said to just dump all the heavy cream in, I did. Won’t do that again. I made it for my son. He said it tasted good, but he had to use a spoon for sure. A little runny. Next time, I will add the milk slowly. Everyone looks great! I love your tradition! ❤
Aww! So fun!! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 🎄 (BTW… The Red Wine Jelly was a huge hit!)
I put a pizza ban or a cookie sheet on rack under my Dutch oven when baking bread & the bottom of the bread never 👎 gets too dark. Also I cook all my bread in a cold oven 425 degrees for 45 minutes & then take off the lid & cook for 15 minutes more & it’s always perfect. I learned that from Ben Starr’s TH-cam channel 😊❤
I love the fancy cup deserts at costco. I cook 95% of our meals but I’m not much of a baker. Except for christmas cookies. My favorites are the little crème brûlées they sell but the tiramisu works in a pinch 🤗
Merry Christmas Jess and family! I love the idea of a fancy Christmas dinner. What a fun tradition! I made cider braised pork tenderloin tonight for dinner. Served with baby kale and mashed sweet potatoes. It's so good and so easy since it's cooked in the crockpot. This mama is usually tired by the end of Christmas day so it was nice to have a meal cook all day and I didn't have to do too much to get the rest of the meal made.
I made homemade tiramisu today. Watched a video. When the chef said to just dump all the heavy cream in, I did. Won’t do that again. I made it for my son. He said it tasted good, but he had to use a spoon for sure. A little runny. Next time, I will add the milk slowly. I love your tradition! ❤
My mom n dad always had dress up zchristmas eve dinner. The more formal the better. I am 71 n still remember those dinners. My mom died in 3p0i n my dad kept up the dress up in mom's memory. Dad died in 2014 n none of the familt gets together. I miss those dinners. Good for you to make traditions.
You all looked so pretty. I wear my old sweats. Good memory pictures for you to keep. MERRY CHRISTMAS
Beautiful family ... Merry Christmas!
Such a wonderful treat for someone like me sitting here caretaking my dad. LOVE this video! LOVE your family and you! ❤ Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!! We had beef Wellington that my husband made and it was amazing and I know yours was too:)
Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New Year Blessings to You and Your Beautiful Family
My favorite sourdough is Rye , use dark rye like 300 grams & white wheat 200 grams & 500 grams white bread flour. 200 grams levin,25 grams salt,30 grams honey,3tablespoons caraway seeds. 650 grams of water 💦 or add tiny more if you want it wetter. The rye soaks up a lot more water 💦. Anyway some folks don’t like rye but we love ❤️ it. 😊
I am you with cooking vs. baking ♥️ Merry Christmas!
Thank you ! Merry Christmas !
Merry Christmas Blessings and so glad you’re feeling better. My son came out for this holiday to find himself quite ill. Flu I think. So it’s definitely going around. Your holiday tradition is beautiful and wonderful. Love the decorated table and I bet they lived the meal. You and Miah have an amazing beautiful family. ❤
Merry Christmas to you, Jess, and all of your family. What a wonderful and beautiful moment to share with us all.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Jess, Miah and the fam. Y'all need to reign it in a little though. Some folks might be thinking that y'all are connected to the mafia. Ya know - With happy special fancy Christmas dinner and all. Kids dressing up in suits at dinner - - Something's going on. LOL. Whether this channel or the other channels. Always a breath of fresh air.
Wow thanks for sharing g another fancy dinner I’m working on my daughter to do this once with china we have inherited I remember eating off of it when I was a child and I want to once more do the fancy dinner too MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤❤❤
Merry Christmas to you and your family
So glad you're better in time for Christmas! I am on day 6 of some nasty virus and had to cancel our Christmas plans of hosting the family. My kids are all grown, so it's just my guy and me and a chicken to throw in the oven. I've been wanting to try making beef wellington! Nice to watch you do it. Happy Christmas, Sowards family!❤
That is so sweet to have a fancy dinner... we always make a Christmas casserole which we only make once a year cause it's very rich, but always have leftovers... so as kiddo is home til new years it makes a good breakfast option and freezes well... not that it lasts that long usually.. this time her boyfriend and my mom came over so half was gone this morning 😅 so it may last 3 more days. I also made chicken pot pie today as well so there would be leftovers and there is 3/4 left (my mom had left at that point) guarantee it will be gone quickly my kid had 2 bowls .. I liked it because I made roasted chickens and one went into the pot pie and had it ready today I just needed to mix the top and pour it over and bake it so everything was pretty much made ahead so I could just relax and enjoy the presents and stuff.
I have always told my kid if she doesn't like a recipe or something could be done differently for her to like it better to let me know ... because I don't want to keep making something when she absolutely hate it... most things she doesn't have a problem.. I made a pumpkin soup once ... neither of us could stomach it I don't know if it was me or the recipe but it was so bad I couldn't stomach to even to just eat it so it didn't go to waste.. it was priceless we both took the first bite and I was trying to keep my face neutral cause we both made immediate eye contact and she was like mmmm noooo that's gross.. I was like oh thank goodness cause then I could be like yeah that's gross 😅
Love your fancy Christmas dinner idea. Your a good momma
Merry Christmas!! ❤
I have always looked forward to your fancy dinner......hugs to you all and Merry Christmas!!!!!
Good idea! Merry Christmas