So, suddenly people are dropping hints about how it might be nice to get together over the weekend, before Christmas. All eyes seem to be staring at you. Or, maybe the kids have decided that they’d like to have a little party, since they won’t see some of their school friends during Christmas break.
With all that you have to do, you may be thinking you can’t pull it off. Sure you can! Just keep it simple. Start calling people right away to invite them. Let them know it’s going to be casual. Have a “white elephant” gift exchange, so you can just pull something out of your gift closet or pick something up while you’re gathering food and drinks for the party.
The white elephant (sometimes called Dirty Santa) game can be very amusing. Have everyone place wrapped gifts on a table. Pick numbers to determine who opens first, second, etc. Each following person may choose a gift from the table or “steal” another person’s opened gift. This continues until everyone has a gift (it helps to limit the number of times each gift can be “stolen”). Some people play where the first person to open has the option of the final “steal.”
Have simple food and grab some beverages. Consider canned sodas or juice boxes to avoid having to wash glasses. Chips and dips or cheese and crackers are fine. For a quick cheese ball that looks festive, mix a package of softened cream cheese with finely diced ham and green onions. It looks Christmassy. Serve with crackers or cocktail rye.
To bake a quick batch of cookies, mix up the ingredients, pour into a 9” x 13” pan (greased or sprayed with cooking spray), and bake according to recipe. You may have to add an extra few minutes to the baking time, but it’s much easier than spooning out individual cookies. Cut into bars and put on a plate. Or, try an edible wreath.
Most of all, have fun!