Momma Told Me: Family makes the day, food simply brings them together.
It seems the more young children in a family, the bigger an effort those around them will make to come together to celebrate the holidays as a whole. With my cousins and I just a few years apart, there was a good decade of revelry and holiday merriment. Not a mark on the calendar would pass without a gathering, a feast, and a party. Today, us cousins are grown up and, we seem to have all drifted our own ways. With the matriarch of our family, Momma's mom, having passed in 2012, it seems harder and harder to find that glue in which we can connect. Now, with the first great-grandchild on the way, I suspect my younger cousin will soon develop her own traditions and bonds with her newly gained and growing family. This reminds me even more that, no matter where you are in life, the true spirit of this season is love, and the moments we create to bring it all together.
That all being said, the last quarter of this year has been a challenging one for all of us. My father had planned to spend Christmas with his parents and family in Massachusetts, leaving me in California to make my own plans. Unfortunately, his mother, my grandmother, suffered a major heart attack and had to go in for an emergency quadruple bypass and pacemaker in early November. Without hesitation, my father flew back for 3 weeks to help his parents over this hurdle. Naturally, with my father back in town, I am reminded of the things I have to be so thankful for this season. Every moment is precious- and I was determined we would spend, if only a small moment, some time together to rejoice in the gifts of this season. Naturally, having just taken 3 weeks off of work, my father was in no position to host a grand homemade meal, and I had little time to whip together such a feast from grocery store lines and barren shelves. Our family once again trusted Omaha Steaks to deliver quality food with minimal fuss.
My family has trusted, and patronized, Omaha Steaks for well over 15 years. As soon as I was old enough to peer over the giant Styrofoam shipping coolers, I can recall those burgundy laced cardboard boxes. When Omaha Steaks was delivered the entire house would go abuzz with anticipation of the gourmet delicacies inside. But Omaha is much more than Filet Mignon and Stuffed Baked Potatoes people send as engagement gifts and grilling packs. The company has an ever expanding range of deli-style meats, wine pairings, pet treats, and family style meals. That's right, Omaha has several Complete Meals packages already put together at great savings, so you can celebrate your next family occasion with minimal hassle. I was especially surprised to see the seasonally appropriate Savory Pot Roast Dinner and Turkey and Trimmings
Complete Meal.
Because we were planning to host a small family gathering of 6-8 to make up for the missed holiday with my father, we decided to order the Premium Turkey Breast Dinner, just $79.99, which featured a 2lb Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, 2 (12oz) Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes trays, 2 (11oz) Sage Dressing trays, 2 (12oz) All Natural Turkey Gravy, 2 (12oz) Green Bean Casserole Trays, and 4 Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes, all pre-cooked. We also added on a 7lb Spiral Sliced Glazed Ham, doubled our side dishes for a low cost, and ordered a 4 PC Berry Tartlet package. All of our food came frozen, packaged among dry ice in a shipping safe cooler, with complete preparation instructions on the external packages. The desserts were individually wrapped, as were each tray of sides, so we could easily control the portions based on the turnout of our guests.
All of the
Omaha Steaks, pre-cooked, complete meal fit inside our oven for heating preparation. All of the heating specifications called for the same temperature, so we merely had to adjust the times we added certain items, and account for the full oven space (slower heating). In all, our thawed ham and turkey, and frozen side dishes, went from box to table in just over an hour and half. All we had to add was some frozen corn, fresh rolls, and good wine! My father, who has hosted many holiday meals throughout the years was particularly impressed by the ease of preparation and cleanup for the quality of food put out. We all agreed that the 7lb Spiral Sliced ham had an amazing texture and sweet glazed flavor that our guests continuously fought over. The Oven Roasted Turkey Breast didn't seem to be one continuous piece of solid meat, but was more of pressed while white meat from the breast. I had feared this would make it seem processed, but it was remarkable natural and quite delicious.
The Green Bean Casserole was full of rich wild mushroom slices and a thick sauce that gave the tender green beans and onion slivers a wonderful flavor. We were equally impressed with the gentle chunks of while potato found in the Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, which needed no additional seasoning. In all, this feast was on a higher level than the meal I'd spent 5 hours slaving over the year prior, and I found myself quite jealous, and vexed as to why I hadn't thought of Omaha Steaks sooner! Our guests even had the perfect single portion of desserts, just the right size of seasonal flavors to cap the post meal 'stuffed' feeling. The Berry Tartlets were simply divine, and made up for the lack of cranberry dressing on our table, with a sweet and flaky crust and warm mixed berry filling. It's fair to say this meals leftovers (yes, we even had leftovers) disappeared within 24 hours.
Pulling a holiday meal together can seem overwhelming, whether it's your first time or your twentieth. From year to year life's challenges may arise, but there is always a longing for that holiday union between family and friends, over good food. Don't let those cherished memories slip by, Omaha Steaks has complete meal solutions to please even the pickiest of home cooks and Great Aunts. From our family to yours, this holiday season, we wish you many warm new memories, and a beloved time reflecting over those of the old. Happy holidays!
What Daughter Says: Don't let an excuse get int he way of family memories, let someone else do the cooking for you!
One Momma Told Me reader will win the new Omaha Steaks Chateaubriand, 28oz Seasoned Chateau!
