Holidays, Happy December Holiday Round-up!
Posted by the Painted Apron on December 1, 2014 · 3 Comments

I did a bit of small scale of decorating over the weekend
But mostly I was goofing off… 😎
To get back in the Holiday spirit, I looked through some Christmas pasts and found some of my very favorite Christmas ideas and recipes, for a little December 1 Holiday kick start!
Easy Party Idea
Take the stress out of holiday entertaining with a Bloody Mary Bar. I am thinking about doing this for our annual Christmas Eve family lunch…
Set out all the fixings along with some unexpected surprises like these BLT kebabs
BBQ sauce or other unique ingredients~
Let everyone create their own concoctions and it will be merry indeed~
Bloody Mary Bar Fixings:
Put out bowls of olives, green beans, celery stalks, cucumber sticks, jalapenos, pickled okra, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs
Include an array of fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, parsley, cilantro and citrus wedges of lemon and lime
Don’t forget the heat, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, celery salt and
Besides traditional vodka, you could provide several different types of Vodka, such as Pepper, or Orange and a variety Bloody Mary Mixes, and fresh tomato, and orange juice
Offer some over the top garnishes such as crispy bacon strips, beef jerky, shrimp and BLT skewers
Two-in-One Gift
Peppermint Snowballs fit nicely into a quick spray painted jar~ First spray the jar white then overspray with silver glitter and fill with Peppermint Snowballs, Trick or Treat Bars [so easy, and good any time of year], or even a store bought goodie
A little ribbon and a cute gift tag, and the wow factor is guaranteed!
Create a Surprise Decoration
You might want to have some fun with Frosty, like last year’s Frosty’s Bubble Bath
Be sure to stay tuned to see what he’s up to this year!
Try a different color on your table
Angels in the Snow is probably my very favorite table, there is something about aqua, silver and white that is ethereal. A different color palette for holiday and winter decorating can be a refreshing change
Fast and Fabulous No Fail Holiday Recipes
Christmas Chex Mix, a different mix with cashews, Bugles and peanut M&Ms. Make plenty, the adults will eat more than the kids!
North Pole Cocktail, a grown up version of a peppermint milkshake
Asparagus and Ham Alfredo Rolls look impressive, but are quick to throw together and are perfect for a brunch, luncheon, or a side dish for soup or salad
Croissant Brunch Casserole is a good choice for Christmas morning, and it’s a breeze to make with deli ham, croissants and cheese slices, baked in an egg custard. Like other breakfast casseroles, it’s best made the day before and put in the refrigerator overnight
Loaded Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili will hit the spot after a night of shopping, caroling or tree trimming
Mongolian Beef is made in a slow cooker, get it going in the morning and you can smile all day
Orange Cornish Hens with Rosemary Salt are so easy to prepare and make an elegant presentation for company
Don’t forget Santa! He is going to need some cookies, like these Candy Cookies
Be sure to stop back by, I have lots of holiday fun planned for this month~
I love December!
tutorial for Christmas Cottages here
for more photos of the beach themed Christmas tree see Christmas in July here
click on the green highlighted recipe names for the recipes
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I will be sharing with the fabulous parties and blogs on my side bar and:
Filed under gifts from the kitchen, Holidays, party panache, recipe box · Tagged with Bloody Mary bar, Christmas recipes and ideas
I remember Frosty in the bubbles! Have fun with all of your holiday planning Jenna:@)
Love your festive round up Jenna! Frosty in the tub makes me grin from ear to ear and I know the kids had to get a kick out of him 🙂 It’s a little early in the month to be sipping cocktails but I’m so overwhelmed with my ‘to do’ list, I feel like I need one and a good soak along with Frosty to wash my cares away 🙂
Jenna, I love your tablescape! And, of course the food! LOL It all looks so good!! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features today at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week’s party. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/01/make-it-pretty-monday-week-123.html Hope to see your prettiness again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse