Well I’ve been baking up a storm lately… and in some cases, unbaking (tried most of the Raw Christmas cookie recipes you’ll find featured on this site).  Have been busy getting the house ready for my annual Christmas Eve dinner.  I’ll be sharing good food and laughter with 20 relatives this year.  Will post pictures of all the food and treats in a few days.

Cooking for large numbers doesn’t have to be hard.  It just takes a little planning.  The prime rib is in the oven along with some carrots and celery.  I’ll be adding the potatoes in a few hours.  What I love about prime rib is that it’s a season, pop in the oven and walk away kind of meal.  Not too much needs to be done to it.  I slow roast it so there isn’t much tending that needs to be done until it’s ready for carving.  I made a veggie lasagna two days ago so all that’s left to do it pop it in the oven to bake.  Yesterday, I whipped up a huge batch of meatballs.  And today I’ll be making some minestrone soup and a salad.  Sounds like a lot but if you space things out over a few days, it really makes for a more enjoyable time.

After all, who wants to spend the entire day in the kitchen when there’s family to enjoy.

Happy holidays to you and yours!  Hope you create some wonderful memories this holiday season.