Christmas Eve Eve

Hi everyone! I'm sure your traveling or out celebrating or doing lots of other fun things rather than blog reading today.

But!

I wanted to pop in for a quick post just in case you are in fact doing a little reading, and you know I always have a million things to say anyhow. Plus, I can't leave you just before Christmas! First up, I want to say Merry Christmas! And send you a virtual Christmas card from Shaun and me. This is the card that I designed and we sent out to friends and family and I want to virtually send it to you as well:

I took this photo last Christmas right after the giant snow storm last Christmas. I used my brand new camera at the time and really fell in love with everything about this photo. The soft colored lights, the snowy outdoor terrace, the dimly lit background...It looks like Christmas to me! So Merry Christmas, from The Humistons!

Today I'll be cooking up a storm for celebrations over the next few days. Here's the plan:

1. Christmas Eve

We'll be spending the day and evening at my parents house for their annual giant Christmas celebration. For dinner, we do a round of cold appetizers and then a round of hot appetizers instead of a big dinner. We all love to cook in this family, and so the hot appetizer thing came about so that we could all make dishes and no one person would be slaving over a huge dinner...which everyone is usually too full to eat anyway. I'm making a duo of chicken salad. For the cold course, I'm whipping up a batch of chicken salad veronique to be served on crackers. Grapes, tarragon, roasted chicken...this is really my favorite chicken salad ever!

For the hot course, I'm testing out a new idea. I'm taking the traditional chicken salad and making buffalo style! I plan to do a play on buffalo chicken dip - but with more chicken than cream cheese - and fill up lettuce wraps with them. Then, I will drizzle a bit of blue cheese on top. What do you think?

I'm also making my upside down carmelized potato and parsnip tart (which is then cut into bite sized pieces and served warm). I made this last year and it was a hit!

2. Christmas Day.

We spend Christmas Day with Shaun's family and for the occasion, I'm whipping up a little feta cheeseball with all the fixin's! Adorned with olives and crackers, this cheeseball from My Baking Addiction is my favorite new appetizer. It's soft, salty and perfect on my favorite Club Multigrain crackers. For dessert? I'm whipping up some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. I just need some chocolate cupcakes in my life. Perhaps I'll garnish them with a chopped up candy cane? Only time will tell...

3. Day After Christmas Eve

We'll also be spending this day with Shaun's family and for this, I plan to do my famous ultimate pizza dip:

...and I'm going to attempt a white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. I found a Betty Crocker recipe that I really want to try. For some reason, cheesecake has been calling my name! I'll let you know how it all comes together.

As you can imagine, I'm a little overwhelmed just thinking about all of this cooking today! Not to mention that Shaun and I have our holiday date night today which is actually turning into date afternoon & night because we are hitting a showing of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo at 3:20 today. Now I'm off to get my food shopping done so I can get cookin'!

I hope you all have the best Christmas ever! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have a fantastic, wintery weekend and just enjoy some time with friends and family! It's my favorite time of the year!

xo,

Rachel

Comments

[Raquel]

Same to you Rachel!

[emily (a nutritionist eats)]

Merry Christmas Rachel!!! (and Shaun)
Can I come to your celebrations? Your food sounds amazing...

[Sherri]

Love that photo of your tree!!!
And I am working today, not out traveling or shopping or having fun!!! (but reading your blog while here at work did brighten up my morning!)
Enjoy the MOVIE!!! Can't wait to hear what you think about it!
And enjoy your families.
Merry Christmas.

[Laura]

I love that picture - it is totally gorgeous! I hope your "Eve Eve" date was wonderful and that you had an excellent Christmas!

[Kitchen Belleicious]

Love the christmas card and I only wish we could have a eve date! Hope yours was great!