Merry Christmas!

To all my friends - I hope you have a wonderful, peaceful, magical Christmas.

It's 5:50 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Hubby's gone off to work, the house is peaceful, and I'm just trying to wake up a bit before I head off to the kitchen to cook all day. Tonight's gifts are wrapped, the shopping is all done, the lists are all made, and everything is well in hand.

I'll be spending most of the day in the kitchen. Good thing I love it there, huh? Yesterday I made the cheesecake for tonight, and started prepping salads for tonight and appetizers for tomorrow. Today I'll make the cinnamon rolls for tomorrow's breakfast, cookies for tomorrow's dessert, tonight's salads, and continue preps for tomorrow's appetizers.

My share of tonight's menu:
- orange jello salad (of the ambrosia variety - hubby's favorite)
- broccoli salad (the kind with craisins and sunflower seeds - yum!)
- pumpkin cheesecake

My share of tomorrow's menu:
- Belgian endive stuffed with herbed cheese
- jalapeno poppers
- baby twice-baked potatoes
- bacon appetizers
- deviled eggs
- Swedish sugar cookies

I figure if I get the bulk of it done ahead of time, then tomorrow will be fairly mellow and we can lounge around most of the morning, chowing down on homemade cinnamon rolls, before we head off to visit Grandpa in his apartment (with a cracked pelvis, he's not going to get to come for Christmas this year), and then go to my parents house for the afternoon/evening.

Hope your shopping is done and your plans are well in hand. Have a wonderful holiday!