A festive evening to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season!
In our house, we officially kick off the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving. (I know there are many thoughts on the great debate of "Do you put the Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving or not?") But in our house, it is after.
We start the Christmas music while we pull out the many, many boxes of Christmas decor. When evening rolls around, it is time for our traditional dinner of appetizers. Since the goal is to get the decorating done, I don't want to take time away working in the kitchen on fancy homemade hors d'oeuvres. So, I serve purchased pre-made appetizers that I heated in the oven and ready-to-serve appetizers such as a cheese assortment and crackers. And eggnog! It doesn't take long to pull it all together. While the frozen appetizers are baking, I slice the cheese, put out the dips, and pour the eggnog. Once it is ready, we all nibble away while we continue our tree-trimming. Everyone finds something they like and keep coming back for more.
I'm sure you have your favorite appetizers in your home. Here is a list of some our favorite easy finger foods:
Mini quiches
Coconut shrimp
Gourmet meatballs
Jalapeño poppers
Buffalo dip with chips
Flatbread pizza
Spanakopitas
Mini eggrolls
Potstickers
Cheeses and crackers
Mixed nuts
Stuffed olives
Little smokies in barbecue sauce
Bread and spinach dip
This is an "accidental tradition" that started with my husband and me when we were first married. It has continued on throughout our parenting years since then. It is a simple thing that has become an event for everyone to look forward to in our house.
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