October 4,2006 5:01pm:

I'm so excited to be a part of the What's Cookin' Apron Swap! The first time that it came around I was too busy wrapped up in other swaps and life and all sorts of things that I couldn't participate. Here is the swap meme, and I think first meme ever on this blog - enjoy reading!

A Holiday Hostessing Meme

How about both? Our family parties tend to be marathons of yummy food...so you start out with copious amounts of finger foods whilst waiting for the big multi course food to finish cooking!

I've actually made them, but only once. It was out of Martha Stewart when she had the little table turkeys that you could print out. The rest of the time I just think about making them, longingly, when I have my hands jammed in a bowl of flour.

I think I still sit there, the table just got bigger! Ha, no...really, I love entertaining, to a fault, so I like to run the show and make everyone happy/comfortable and have a pretty table. I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS!

Every Christmas Eve my family gets together and eats Chinese food, from the China Palace in Rochester, NH - seriously one of the best Chinese places I've ever been to in my life. Everyone brings presents and we exchange them. Household gifts, however, are left for Christmas morning.

Dancer/dance teacher so I'm also either in or watching eight different versions of the Nutcracker!

Semi embarassing/silly side story: When I was little I was obsessed with the American Girl dolls/books, back when it was just Kirsten, Molly and Samantha. And Kirsten celebrated St. Lucia Day, dressing in a long white night gown and wearing a flaming wreath of candles on her head carrying yummy pastries at six in the morning. I tried to institute this as well, by donning my mom's nightgown, putting an unlit advent wreath on my head and force feeding my family english muffins. (Told ya I love to entertain). This tradition didn't quite catch on...

Well, I like to tell people that my favorite time of year is Thanksgiving to New Years...but Christmas takes the cake for me. I love it. I start making gifts months ahead of time, I'll watch videos of Nutcrackers gone by in June, dream of what cookies I'm going to make. I just love it. I love the goodwill, making people gifts, putting smiles on faces, food food food and MORE FOOD!

I have never had homemade egg nog - although I'd love to try it. I do love a good egg nog latte though...

I laugh at the kitsch factor of fruit cake, but honestly I think it's a little unappetizing

Again, I watch the Nutcracker, I bake pies and various other goodies, decorate the tree, I always listen to every Bing Crosby Christmas carol ever recorded, I love David Sedaris' Crumpet the Elf story, put finishing touches on gifts and my fave seasonal site is Leslie Harpold's Advent Calendar.

Religious: Oh Holy Night, Bing Crosby. Secular: Two, Mele Kelikimaka (uh, spelling?) again Bing and The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole.

A couple of winters ago Martha Stewart had an article on an old school skating party. It was so awesome, with ice lights, and a warm up station with gooey brownies and hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows. Mmmm, I'm hungry!