Surrounded-by-boys: Have a Holly Jolly Christmas--(party that is)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas--(party that is)

Each year, Cecil and I host a dinner party for a group of our friends. We've been doing this for about 7 years now. It's a great time for all of us, and we enjoy just sitting around and relaxing with one another, celebrating the season.

The party is ALWAYS the first Sunday night in December, unless the Gators go to the SEC Championship game, in which case the party is moved to the second Sunday night in December. The last several years, the party has been the second Sunday night (GO GATORS!) Most years, the party is at our house--once (or twice?) it has been at our friends, Mandi and Jim's house (once because she offered to have it there and the other time because I had given birth about 4 days before the party).

We split up the courses so that each couple is responsible for cooking a portion of the meal. For example, this year, Mandi was in charge of the main dish, and I did an appetizer and the grilled chicken, drinks, etc. Scarlett was in charge of bread and a dessert, and Brittany was in charge of a dessert and some grilled beef strips. Our menu changes every year, and so far, we've only duplicated one main dish through the years. We try to come up with something different every year and it has ranged from ham to steak to chicken fettuccine alfredo to cornish game hens.

This year, we had Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken strips and grilled beef strips, garlic bread, Caesar salad, and for dessert we had a peanut butter delight and some chocolate ooey gooey bars. Yeah, my goal is to maintain the weight loss during the holidays, not necessarily lose any more.....ha!

I LOVE my Christmas china and use it every year during this dinner party. That's really the only time each year I use that china, but I do love it! Since my mother purchased a set of everyday china for me before she passed away, I only needed to register for a good set of china when I got married. I thought it over and decided that I'd also register for Christmas china at the same time and received quite a bit of it! I've added to my collection over the years, as have my mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

Here's the tablescape......complete with my Christmas china, which is the Lenox Holiday Gold setting. I also have flatware to match, which is the Gorham Golden Ribbon Edge pattern. My good china has a gold rim on it, so the flatware and my stemware both have gold edges and I can mix and match! (good thinking, huh?)!

A work in progress...these were taken as I was getting the table ready.

We had an ornament exchange this year, rather than drawing names and buying for each other. We're all trying to save money, so we opted for a low-cost alternative this year! I displayed our ornaments in a glass pedestal bowl full of Christmas globes. Cute, huh?