Last Minute Christmas/New Year's Menu Ideas for Busy Cooks Recipe

Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve, and it's the "Big Night" for my family. We celebrate with most of Europe, with the whole family gathering for dinner. We head off to church together, and come home for dessert and then we open our gifts. The next morning, we sleep in, call each other, thank each other for our gifts. Game over. Christmas Day has always been uneventful for me, as I gather all the Christmas paper and choose which bows and gift bags can be recycled for next year. It's a good morning to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and stay in my pajamas for most of the day.

(Since I've published this post, I need to update that the Prime Rib Dinner turned out to be stellar. You can view the recipe/directions by clicking…