The most wonderful time of the year

                This Christmas, I volunteered to cook dinner. I wanted to make the classics, so that everyone would be happy (we’re all about tradition in my family), but I wanted to find some new recopies to put a slight spin on things. I used my favorite cooking site, Sparkrecipies.com to figure out what I wanted to cook. You can look at the cookbook I put together with the ones I picked here. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Mackenzie’s family, and got back to my house in time to trade gifts, cook, and have dinner. Everything came out delicious, and I was pretty proud of the meal I made.



Yummy cornbread




Asparagus with Parmesan




Cheesy cauliflower




Sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
Warning on these, don't stir in the marshmallows, or you end up with a gooey glaze. Still delish, though.




Honey glazed ham



Rice and broccoli casserole

                I wanted to give something homemade this year, and was itching for some quality baking. When I stumbled across these cute cookie boxes at Target, I decided to make a few different kinds and give the boxes as gifts. I made a classic sugar cookie, my mom’s peanut butter kiss recipe, peppermint cookies, and snowballs (or Russian tea cookies or Mexican wedding cookies or whatever you choose to call them).

                And if I wasn’t being crafty enough, I decided to slice up my two-sizes-too-big work T-shirt that I had to wear Christmas Eve. This is the easiest thing to do to make those huge give away T-shirts fit, and I got compliments from my co-workers for being creative (and thankfully my managers weren’t mad about the hack job).

                First, cut each side of the T-shirt vertically from the bottom up through the armpit and to the end of the sleeve. Then cut 2-inch slits on each side the whole way up. Then, tie pieces from each half of the shirt together on each side. Done!

                Although I’m relieved that the stress of the holidays is over, I’m a bit bummed that I won’t have Christmas projects to work on like decorating, baking, and making cards. Not to sound too cliché, but this Christmas has made me feel so grateful for the wonderful family, friends, and loved ones that I have. After a bad day, it’s great to know I have such a strong support system to come home to.

Have a happy New Year everyone! Go easy on the champagne!

Love,

Annie