Happiness and Cheer

If there is anything better than a special holiday dinner it's the plate you wish you would have eaten the day before if you hadn't been so over it by the time it was all ready.  And better than that, Holiday leftover snacks heated up and presented on a platter with the Yule log burnin' on repeat!  

 

Oh That We Could Always See

Christmas Eve Dinner

Crock pot mashed potatoes, Giblet Gravy, Herb Roasted Turkey, Citrus Cranberry relish, Sausage Cornbread dressing, Green Bean Casserole, Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprout with walnuts and garlic

Traditional Green Bean Bake

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Ye Ole Herb Buttered Roasted Turkey

morning prep of stuffing with mushrooms and herbs

Snacks of Pesto Shrimp Toasties - Delightful!

Too tired to settle on a recipe, I invented these quick and super easy bites.  Simply cut a baguette into coins, spread on a baking sheet, brush with pesto, add a bit of Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, 1-2 uncooked shrimp on each simply seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes.  Bake for 8-10 minutes and finish with drops of fresh pesto and squeeze of lemon. These are highly
 addictive.  It's okay to use prepared pesto to save time like I did. 

Jalapeno Chorizo bites and fresh hot sauce
I make these for most holidays because in my opinion that cheap little pepper becomes infused with high-end taste when roasted.  Split in half, (par boil for just a minute to soften) drain and dry.  Brush the insides of the peppers with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper beforehand.  Then add a mixture of shredded cheese of choice (mixing two is better), tiny diced chorizo, minced garlic and onion, salt and pepper.  Into a 350 degree oven until soft and bubbly.  Double down tip:  To fancy these up, you could drizzle on crema and top with sprinkles of Cotija cheese and cilantro. Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing.  Leave the tail on for picking up like a spoon.  

When motivated by special food, it's surprising how resourceful and energetic one can be. 

Pecan Pie with freshly Whipped Cream

Happiness and Cheer

Cranberry Upside Down Cake. Recipe from Eating Well. This was tangy and tart, not too sweet. Right up my alley. Loved it. Good as a breakfast cake.








Then baked ham with mustard and pineapple, brown sugar glaze. Nothing smells better than ham baking.





P was looking for a tiny pickmeup to truly get into the full holiday spirit so I made him a Bloody Mary. Good and spicy!




Due to muffins created around my waist and a little extra back fat on P, we opted for less courses, not necessarily low-cal but I'll say, thoughtful. The first snack was chorizo bites with arugula pesto dip. This was a recipe, however when they don't specify Portuguese, Mexican or Spanish it's hard to know what to choose. Every kind I've tried is my favorite. This must have been Spanish. P picked it up. Instead of the costly basil, pine nuts, I made arugula with walnut pesto. This was a treat. Just a splash of balsamic vinegar gave the bites a great little glaze and allowed them to brown up quite nicely. They were so purdy I just wanted to look at them all day in the sun.


So my big creation of the evening if you will was born out of my craving for artichoke dip, the really cheesy decadent kind that has everything bad in it. Normal people allow themselves this on holidays. Well P wasn't having any of that, but the girl had to have it! How could I make it happen? I thought about it all week. The results, an artichoke dip tart with lots of fresh spinach and artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. And then thin sliced lemons to roast on top.



I constantly invent things only to find them written about, photographed and done better on the internet. This one I'm hoping is my invention alone. It was so green and good, not heavy but satisfying.

The lemons made it extreme. I'm way into this.



Christmas Day.