Your Holiday Table 3 Ways

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It’s the most stressful wonderful time of the year!  A whole season chock full of parties, entertaining opportunities, and endless sweets that begins and ends in a whirlwind.  But does the thought of holiday entertaining make you want to drink your way into a egg nog coma until January 2nd?  Here are 3 simple ways to help you go from holiday entertaining Grinch to happy holiday hostess along with recipe suggestions to help create those special holiday memories around your dining room table.  Enjoy!

*Unless otherwise noted, the items on the table are things I already owned and the recipes cited are recipes I have previously tried.

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Cookie Exchange Party

This is the first year in quite a while that I have neither hosted nor attended a holiday cookie exchange.  I’m a little bummed, since this in one of my most favorite holiday gatherings to participate in, but I’ll make up for it by making cookies with my little guy.

I like to keep it fun and festive.  I found really cute holiday containers that were 2 for $1.00 at Wal-Mart that make transporting all of those cookies easy.  I like coordinating disposable plates and napkins for this type of gathering (I don’t think you need to use fancy plates for cookies!).  I also love a good hot cocoa bar with all the fixings {marshmallows, candy canes, whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.).  Cookies and hot cocoa – you can’t go wrong!

Although not pictured, Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are my Cookie Exchange Party cookie of choice and I’ve made them multiple times.  They are super yummy, easy to make, are very festive!  Plus, the recipe calls for prepackaged sugar cookie mix but you’d never know these cookies weren’t made from scratch.  My husband is big fan of regular ‘ol sugar cookies like the ones on the table.  Sugar cookies are fun, too, and kid-friendly.  My son loves to help with the cookie cutters and sprinkles!

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Christmas Dinner Festive Fête

There’s nothing more “holiday” than good food.  This year, my husband and I will be hosting a Christmas dinner for a few family members and friends.  With a two and a half year-old and newborn, I need an easy plan.  Again, the theme here is keep it simple.  For the table, I usually choose simple table runners or table cloths and my china is a very simple white with a raised pearl rim.   Some wine glasses and we’re done.  I’ll probably add some candles to the table, maybe a small centerpiece of holiday greens with white flowers, if I’m feeling fancy.

This dinner looks and smells amazing.  It also happens to taste as good as it looks.  It’s not difficult to prepare at all!  The chicken is a rosemary-lemon roast chicken.  I use a recipe from The Naptime Chef.  You can find a similar recipe for grilled chicken here (although I highly recommend her cookbook – we use it weekly).  Add some green beans or roasted Brussel sprouts, dinner rolls, a salad, maybe some potatoes depending on how hungry your crowd will be, and you’re done!

PS – this was our actual dinner Monday night.

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 New Year’s Soirée

Soirée?!?  Who am I kidding?  I’ll be lucky if I make it 10 pm this NYE – but there will be champagne regardless!

So, to start, how about just serving desserts and snacks?!?  Great idea, right?   Well I actually stole it from my mom who does the same thing each year when she hosts Christmas Eve at her house.  She serves tons and tons of hearty and decadent appetizers (think bacon-caramel popcorn!) along with desserts.  Serve any type of appetizers you like from a cheese platter to prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.  Whatever you serve, serve what you’re comfortable making.

As for desserts, the same rule goes, simple yet amazing!  While I have yet to try these myself, what about serving Mocha Cheesecake Brownies?  And champagne!  Champagne is ALWAYS a good idea!

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 What are your favorite things about entertaining for the holidays?

 Have any tips to share?

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