You have to love that down-home Bush family, humble, unpretentious, down to earth, in short: normal people. Here's what their holiday season entertaining menu looks like, via Salon:
Display of Specialty Cheeses and Winter Fruits (Served with a Bountiful Display of Lavish Specialty Crackers and Spiced Pecans).
Colossal Shrimp Cocktail and Jonah Crab Claws (Served with Ramsey’s Cocktail Sauce and Spiced Remoulade).
Stuffed Turkey Breasts with Winter Mushrooms, Cheese and Brandied Cranberries.
Sugar Cured Virginia Ham with Hot Pepper Mustard (Served with Warm Blue Corn Muffins).
Chicken Fried Beef Tenderloin with White Onion Gravy (Served with Tiny Icebox Rolls).
Herb Roasted Lollipop Lamb Chops served with Warm Yeast Rolls.
Oh, there's much more.
Honey Cup Mustard Sauce.
Fresh Tamales with Tomatillo Sauce and Black Beans.
Baked White Cheddar Farfalle.
Sweet Potato Soufflé.
Asparagus Tier with Lemon-Garlic Aioli.
Golden and Crimson Beet Salad with Orange, Fennel, and Feta.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Peppermint Crunch.
Pecan Sandie Tree (Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes) with Layers of Cookies.
Holiday Ornamental Cookies: Barney, Miss Beazley, Christmas Trees, Snowflakes, Candy Canes.
Red Hat Box Mascarpone Cake.
White Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream Filling, Red Marzipan Frosting and Red Ribbon Bow Decoration.
Coconut Cake.
Coconut Chiffon Cake, Coconut Pastry Cream Filling and 7 Minute Meringue Frosting.
Chocolate Roulade (Christmas Log): Soft Ganache Frosting with a Chocolate Sponge, Meringue Mushrooms, Magnolia Leaves in White Chocolate, Raspberries.
Mini Tartlettes.
Pecan Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Orange Chiffon and Chocolate Boston Cream Pie.
Chocolate Truffles.
Homemade, Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache.
Long Stem Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce.
Warm Macintosh Apple Cobbler With Oatmeal Crumble.
Pumpkin Trifle.
Spiced Pumpkin Mousse with Whipped Cream and Shaved Dark Chocolate.
Here's the sample menu from Project Renewal, a charity group that works with the homeless:
* Main Dishes: Barbecue Chicken, Pork Chops with Onion Gravy, Roast Beef with Mushroom Sauce
* Rice and pasta: Roast Red Potatoes, Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Rice and Beans
* Vegetables: Italian Medley, Green Beans, Carrots with Dill
* Dessert: Our famous home-baked cookies, fresh fruit, chocolate pudding
And oddly enough, if you look at an Army/Marines cookbook, you won't find any mention of lollipop lampchops.
Remember: wartime is a time for shared sacrifice. Those guys in Iraq are sure to get the same level of comfort. Or maybe not.