Holiday Food

This year, we’ve opted to have both a Christmas Eve cocktail party for 28 and Christmas dinner for 14. It somehow seemed simpler to host two events back to back instead of spreading them apart.

So I’ve been baking for two weeks and started preliminary food prep today. Christmas Eve’s menu will be hors d’oeuvres and sweets:

• caramelized onion tartlets
• roasted dates stuffed with goat cheese
• cucumbers and smoked salmon with lime aioli
• mini quiches (a frozen cop-out)
• grilled shrimp skewers with a chipotle dipping sauce
• cheese and salami platter
• mozzarella/grape tomato/basil skewers
• olives with orange and marjoram
• an assortment of crackers
• Italian ricotta cake
• ginger cookies
• orange-almond biscotti
• oatmeal cookies with cranberries, pecans, coconut, and white chocolate
• devils food mini cupcakes with peppermint frosting (courtesy of my friend Carolyn)

Christmas is easy, because every year I make lasagne. I can prepare it in advance, and then I actually get to enjoy my guests instead of hanging out in the kitchen. All I have to do is whip up a salad and warm a couple of baguettes in the oven.

This is hardly a blog post…more like my to-do list for the next 48 hours.

Cheers!

Do the weather gods not realize this is California?

We’re not talking Lake Tahoe here. This is the Sierra foothills…a mere 2700 feet in elevation. The snowfall is unusual for this early in the season, but so stunningly beautiful!

Let it…well, you know

Who needs Christmas lights designed to look like icicles when you can have the real thing?

Making the most of a snowstorm