Christmas Eve: Healthy Appetizers

I'm not sure how it started (sorry Mom!), but my family has always opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. It was weird to think of it any other way when Tony and I got married, but it did work out when it came to the obligatory splitting up of family time during the Christmas season. Our family would gather every year right around dinner time to open all of our presents, which ended up making dinner a challenge. We (the kids) wanted to get strait to opening presents and would hardly touch our food or if we waited until after the presents to eat we rushed through opening presents because we were all starving.

My mom decided the solution to this predicament was to do a ton of finger foods to put out in the living room to snack on during the present opening. Now every year that is our Christmas Eve meal... a TON of appetizers (and a couple of cocktails). There are so many great appetizer recipes that our eyes always end up being bigger than our stomachs (or some of us just keep eating until we explode). This year I am hosting Christmas Eve at our house and I am having a terrible time narrowing down the options. I have decided that we are going to try some more healthy options (but still kid friendly) than we normally do because we are the ones that are going to be stuck with the leftovers and I am not interested in buying bigger jeans this year! These are 10 of the yummy recipes that I am considering:

Crabmeat Fondue

Harvest Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts

Getting Ready for House Guests

The Christmas season is in full swing! I can't believe that it has come so quickly and now it is about to be over...I feel like we just finished decorating (who am I kidding? I'm NEVER finished decorating!) At any rate, it's time for the house guests to start funneling in next week, so I am trying to prepare this week. Washing the linens, giving the guest bathroom a good scrub, and making sure the entire house is in order, and...if you're neurotic like me...cleaning out all the closets.

I LOVE to entertain people! I'm a complete dork about it.We have a guest room and it never gets used, so I get really excited when we get the opportunity to host something.  I like to add personal touches wherever and whenever possible just to make my guests feel more at home.

Just in case....

My favorite thing to do for any overnight guest is to provide a basket of things that are considered necessities. Bathroom products that are a serious bummer to forget or not have on hand. Most people have travel sized items from their own travels (don't act like you haven't stolen a mini bottle of shampoo or two!) or samples from going to the doctor or dentist. You can have a generic basket of things available in the guest rooms at all times for your unexpected over-nighters, but I like to personalize the items for my planned guests. Consider their age, gender, and then things that are more specific to that person. I am going to be lucky enough this Christmas to have my grandmother stay at our house, so I have some products that are more for a woman. Here is a list of what is specifically in my basket of goodies:

• 3 washcloths
• 1 Exfoliating sponge 
• 1 medium sized bottle of body lotion
• Saline 
• Contact case
• Floss
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Mouthwash
• Mini manicure kit
• Disposable razors
• Shaving cream
• Lip balm
• Deodorant
• Make-up remover wipes
• Small containers of both Advil and Tums (I mean, it's the holidays!)

Now these are just the things that I used, but there are loads of other things that you can add based on the type of people that regularly stay at your house. I also like to make sure that I have organized the cabinet in the guest bathroom and removed anything that wasn't meant to be seen (doesn't everybody go through people's medicine cabinet?).

If you're wondering where the obvious shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc. are, I keep them in the shower for regular use. These are the products that people are comfortable using that have already been used. Having things in the basket like deodorant or razors, prevents them from doing any, "has this been used?" second guessing before they use it. I also keep a number of things handy for them under the sink in the bathroom. I have a couple of bins there that are labeled so that it's clear what they are: hair care, first aid and...the feminine products (let's avoid and embarrassing situation, people!).

Some other things to consider:

Food

Stock the pantry and the fridge with foods that your guests enjoy. The food should be easy to grab and go. As a guest it's so easy to feel like an inconvenience to your host by asking where cooking utensils or even glasses are when they are trying to entertain several people. So your guests don't have to feel like they are a bother to you, stock things like:

Sweet Treats!

• Bottled or canned drinks (those individual Crystal Light packets are really handy too).
• Pre-made snacks like carrots and dip or pre-cut apple packs that are available in the produce section. 
• Make or buy some sweet treats that you know they like.
• Have a make-ahead meal stashed in the freezer, because you will always run out of time during the holidays. 

Make everything easy for your guests. Display them in clear jars on the counter or label them in the fridge or pantry. 

Technology

Another one of the many creature comforts that we have all come to know is accessible technology. I like to leave a welcome note thanking them for staying that also includes our Wi-Fi password so that they can plug it into their tablets, cell phones or laptops. If you have a TV with cable access in the guest bedroom, you may also consider including a channel list (available on your providers website). I know most people use the guide, but it is nice to have a go. Another nice thing to have in there is a back-up phone charger. The fantastic thing about Apple having the monopoly over cellphones and tablets and MP3 players, is that we all have the same charger (unless you have one of the new models...so annoying!). Leave a spare charger in the nightstand and they will have it if they need it. 

These are just a few things that will insure that your guests have an easy and welcome stay at your little bed and breakfast! Do you have anything special that you do to get ready for guests? 

DIY: Paper Ornaments

These ornaments can be easily customized to match your decor. In addition, you can add some personal touches by using different types of paper material. You can use a map of a place that you traveled to this year, photocopies of pages from a favorite book, or sheet music for a favorite song. The option to personalize this project also makes it a great gift option. Keep in mind, whatever paper product that you choose, the thinner the paper is, the better. I don't suggest using anything thicker than a standard piece of scrapbook paper or it will be impossible to get the strips to lay flat.

Here's what you will need:

• glass or plastic ornament
• paper
• scissors or a paper cutter
• Mod Podge
• paintbrush or foam brush
• shallow plate or dish filled with water
• glitter (optional)
• acrylic paint (optional)
• acrylic gloss medium (optional)

1.   Cut the paper into small strips that are about 3/8" x 6". I like to cut the strips in various widths smaller than or equal to 3/8" just to mix it up a bit. The number of strips that you need will vary depending on how you arrange them on the ornament, but you should not need more than half of a 12 x 12 sheet of scrapbook paper. Once you have cut 12 or so strips, place them in the water to saturate them (if you are using something thinner than scrapbook paper, it may be better to saturate the sheets as you use them instead of soaking them).