Well Christmas day fun came and went as fast as this last year has. The holiday started on Christmas Eve where I spent 4 hours wrapping presents that took less than 2 hours to actual destroy while watching the hangover (too damn funny ) and A Christmas Carol (a classic). My mom came down the night before and we took the dogs for their annual Christmas lights tour of the Fab 40s, so on Christmas Eve I was preparing to make my desserts for the big day.As I gathered all the ingredients out to start baking I noticed I was missing something quite important for my Chocolate Ricotta Tart - the ricotta cheese. Apparently the grocery store did not feel the need to put it in my grocery bag after I paid for it. So here I was on Christmas Eve at 8pm (I know I should have started it earlier) without ingredients to make my dessert. Luckily I had a back up dessert to make but unfortunately it wasn't chocolate like what was requested by the family. So I decided to improvise and combo both desserts into one - Chocolate Cheesecake.
Christmas morning started off with the dogs opening their gifts and playing with them for about a half hour before falling back asleep on the couch and looking bored as usual.
Charlie enjoys his chew toy
Maggie enjoys her dental toy (hoping it helps her breath)
Charlie fast asleep on the couch
Maggie bored with her toys alreadyI gathered my famous shredded cheesy potatoes dish (recipe below) and my 5 pound chocolate cheesecake and all the presents to head up the hill to my sister's. I arrived right on time and surprisingly my sister wasn't in the shower and actually had appetizers out (OK, probably because mom actually brought the appetizers). The living room quickly filled up with presents, even though this year was supposed to be low-key.
Jasmine was already playing with her newest toy, Wii Fit. I figured I wanted to try it but didn't know the damn game was going to end up insulting me. According to the game I'm considered obese and quickly made into a fat little Wii person. I no longer wanted to play. I did try a quick game of snowboarding before my person ended up crying in the snow because I was so bad. Luckily it was time to open presents.
The few hours it took to open the presents was mostly drama free. We of course had a few unmarked presents from grandma but luckily since they are always wrapped in bags themed for another season it's easy to know who they are from. Fonda didn't get her yearly black sweater but now was upgraded to Christmas kitten sweatshirt from Grandma (her sweatshirt matched the sweatshirt Grandma was wearing that day, lucky girl). Mom got a like a little jacket that probably was made in the 80s (it included shoulder pads) and so small it wouldn't even fit Jasmine. Dad and I got into a giggle fit over this gift as we weren't quite sure how grandma thought it would one fit mom or that second she would need a cropped business jacket for the job she doesn't have..... So as you can imagine I was quite nervous when it came time for me to open my gift from her, luckily I got new set of dishtowels and a periwinkle turtleneck, compared to years past this was a good thing. Jasmine got more games for the Wii including another guitar and a quilt my mom knitted for her.
Jasmine gets Band Hero for Wii which will be played all night
Dad gets some framed photos of 3 beautiful girls!!!
Jasmine's new quilt
Fonda's new matching kitten sweatshirt
Our annual stairway photo
Dad, Cindy and Jasmine showing some Christmas cheer
Fonda and Jasmine looking like Santa's helpersAfter the hours of unwrapping, oohhh, aahhhs and THANK YOUs it was dinner time. Cindy cooked a yummy tender Tri-Tip, mom made her yams with marshmellows, my potatoes and Fonda's green bean casserole and grilled zucchini. Of course we can't forget Cindy's famous onion bread. Everything turned out delicious and i was good not to over stuff myself as I knew there was a game of Band Hero ahead of of me and didn't want to get a side cramp.... Jasmine and I quickly started a long marathon of Band Hero and finally got someone other than Fonda to sing. Grandma pushed her store bought sugar cookies on everyone right after dinner and my cheesecake was forgotten until almost the end of the day, just meant more left overs for me.... All in all it was a good day with lots of family fun. I look forward to challenging Jasmine to more Band Hero at New Years Eve, where hopefully we can talk my mom into singing otherwise it means more tone deaf Fonda!!!!
Cindy, Jasmine and I rock Band Hero
Cindy, Jasmine and I rock Band HeroWanda's Potatoes Recipe
(don't know who Wanda was as this is a recipe passed onto me from someone else)
1 pkg frozen shredded potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup of butter
1 pt of sour cream
1/3 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of shredded cheese
Heat oven to 350. In a large saucepan melt butter and stir in cream of chicken soup. Add in sour cream, cheese and onion, stir in frozen potatoes. Make sure all the potatoes are covered with the mixture. Pour mixture into a buttered dish (I find a shallow cake pan works best). Top with extra cheese (or corn flakes mixed with melted butter for added crush). Bake for 45 mins.
(don't know who Wanda was as this is a recipe passed onto me from someone else)
1 pkg frozen shredded potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup of butter
1 pt of sour cream
1/3 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of shredded cheese
Heat oven to 350. In a large saucepan melt butter and stir in cream of chicken soup. Add in sour cream, cheese and onion, stir in frozen potatoes. Make sure all the potatoes are covered with the mixture. Pour mixture into a buttered dish (I find a shallow cake pan works best). Top with extra cheese (or corn flakes mixed with melted butter for added crush). Bake for 45 mins.
