Holiday buffet graze

This year I thought I'd try a twist on the traditional sit-down Christmas dinner: an easy-going, grazing Holiday buffet. My husband and mother-in-law were slightly shocked to say the least. They are conservative and prefer their traditions. The extra guests I'd invited thought that was a terrific spin.

Here's the menu with recipe links if applicable:

Deep-fried Cajun turkey

Cornbread Stuffing with sausage (oven-baked, not turkey stuffed).

Green Bean and Fingerling Potato salad
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Bean-and-Fingerling-Potato-Salad-10194

Sweet potatoes with Cranberries, Pecans and Goat Cheese
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/11/sweet-potatoes-with-pecans-and-goat-cheese/

Roasted vegetables (asparagus, red onion, acorn squash, button mushrooms seasoned with Good Seasons Italian dressing packet and olive oil)

Cheesy mashed potatoes

Pears with bananas, kiwis and pomegranate seeds

Green salad with cranberries, pomegranates

Numerous sugar cookies, petit fours, two caramel apple pies, one cherry pie, one peach pie and one home-made angel food cake.

And last but not least, the wines served were:

Highflyer Aviator, William Hill Chardonnay, Four Vines Naked Chardonnay and started all with an Italian Lambrusco.

And everybody still wound up sitting down at the tables for dinner. Oh Well! Can't change tradition, but you can shake it a bit.