Have a delicious holiday
Hosting a party this season? Be the host with the most using some of our favourite easy recipes.
Appetizers
Smoked Sausage Cups
allrecipes.com
- All-purpose flour
- 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, thawed
- 6 ounces kielbasa, diced
- 2 tbsp orange marmalade or your favorite jam
- 1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
- Chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Cut the pastry sheet into 24 (2 1/2-inch) squares. Press the pastry squares into 24 (1 3/4-inch) mini muffin-pan cups.
2. Stir the kielbasa, marmalade and mustard in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1 tablespoon kielbasa mixture into each pastry cup.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Sprinkle the pastries with the parsley before serving.
Holiday Appetizer Wreath
pillsbury.com
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chive-and-onion cream cheese spread (from 8-oz container)
- 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 2 cups chopped and steamed broccoli
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- Your own favourite ingredients
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon as desired until crisp, crumble and set aside.
2. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles with shortest sides toward center, overlapping in wreath shape and leaving 4-inch round circle open in center. Crescent dough points may overlap edge of cookie sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten.
3. Spread cream cheese spread on dough to within 1 inch of points. In small bowl, mix crumbled bacon, broccoli and bell pepper; spoon onto widest part of dough. Pull end points of triangles over broccoli mixture and tuck under dough to form ring (filling will be visible). Carefully brush dough with beaten egg.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. With broad spatula, carefully loosen wreath from cookie sheet; slide onto serving platter.
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, not boiling.
2. Add in liqueurs and pour into two mugs.
3. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Drizzle crème de menthe over whipped cream, if desired.
4. Add peppermint stick as garnish.
Alcoholic Drinks
Cocoa Minty Madness
suite101.com
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 oz. Godiva Liqueur or Crème de Cacao liqueur
- 1 oz. Crème de Menthe liqueur
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Peppermint stick or candy cane (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, not boiling.
2. Add in liqueurs and pour into two mugs. Customize with your favourite toppings.
Christmas Jones
cocktails.about.com
- 4 fresh strawberries
- 1 part vodka
- 2 tsp superfine sugar
- 5 oz pineapple juice
- 7-Up
- Mint sprigs for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. In a blender, mix the vodka, strawberries, sugar and pineapple juice together.
2. Pour the mix equally into two highball glasses.
3. Top with 7-Up.
4. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Dessert
Pecan Turtle Bars
allrecipes.com
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to in 350°F. Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.
2. Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. Cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.
Lavender Spritz Cookies
Recipe from Purple Daze Lavender Farm
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. culinary lavender
- Food colouring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract; beat well.
3. Stir together flour and baking powder and gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.
4. Mix in lavender thoroughly. Add food colouring in festive holiday colours and mix well.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly, or roll out dough and use holiday themed cookie cutters to cut the dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Cool on rack.
How to host the perfect holiday party
Themes:
Ugly Christmas sweater parties have become popular in the last few years, and could make for a fun theme. You could also host a classy cocktail party and encourage your guests to dress their best. If you're not really into holiday-themed parties, light up the night with a tight-and-bright party or get creative with an anything-but-clothes celebration.
Music:
Think carefully about who you've invited and how you want your party to feel. Put together a couple playlists in advance so you don't have to worry about the music all night. If the party mood changes, use your backup playlist and change the music from classy to trashy.
Décor:
This is another atmospheric aspect: does your party need candles or strobelights? Are you going for a traditional holiday bash or a blowout end-of-the-semester bonanza? Visit the dollar store for inexpensive decorations for any type of party.
Games:
From Scene It? to Pin the Nose on Rudolph, games can liven up any party. (Hint: You can turn any game into a drinking game if you think creatively!)
Appetizers
Smoked Sausage Cups
allrecipes.com
- All-purpose flour
- 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, thawed
- 6 ounces kielbasa, diced
- 2 tbsp orange marmalade or your favorite jam
- 1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
- Chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Cut the pastry sheet into 24 (2 1/2-inch) squares. Press the pastry squares into 24 (1 3/4-inch) mini muffin-pan cups.
2. Stir the kielbasa, marmalade and mustard in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1 tablespoon kielbasa mixture into each pastry cup.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Sprinkle the pastries with the parsley before serving.
Holiday Appetizer Wreath
pillsbury.com
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chive-and-onion cream cheese spread (from 8-oz container)
- 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 2 cups chopped and steamed broccoli
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- Your own favourite ingredients
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon as desired until crisp, crumble and set aside.
2. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles with shortest sides toward center, overlapping in wreath shape and leaving 4-inch round circle open in center. Crescent dough points may overlap edge of cookie sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten.
3. Spread cream cheese spread on dough to within 1 inch of points. In small bowl, mix crumbled bacon, broccoli and bell pepper; spoon onto widest part of dough. Pull end points of triangles over broccoli mixture and tuck under dough to form ring (filling will be visible). Carefully brush dough with beaten egg.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. With broad spatula, carefully loosen wreath from cookie sheet; slide onto serving platter.
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, not boiling.
2. Add in liqueurs and pour into two mugs.
3. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Drizzle crème de menthe over whipped cream, if desired.
4. Add peppermint stick as garnish.
Alcoholic Drinks
Cocoa Minty Madness
suite101.com
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 oz. Godiva Liqueur or Crème de Cacao liqueur
- 1 oz. Crème de Menthe liqueur
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Peppermint stick or candy cane (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, not boiling.
2. Add in liqueurs and pour into two mugs. Customize with your favourite toppings.
Christmas Jones
cocktails.about.com
- 4 fresh strawberries
- 1 part vodka
- 2 tsp superfine sugar
- 5 oz pineapple juice
- 7-Up
- Mint sprigs for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. In a blender, mix the vodka, strawberries, sugar and pineapple juice together.
2. Pour the mix equally into two highball glasses.
3. Top with 7-Up.
4. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Dessert
Pecan Turtle Bars
allrecipes.com
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to in 350°F. Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.
2. Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. Cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.
Lavender Spritz Cookies
Recipe from Purple Daze Lavender Farm
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. culinary lavender
- Food colouring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract; beat well.
3. Stir together flour and baking powder and gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.
4. Mix in lavender thoroughly. Add food colouring in festive holiday colours and mix well.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly, or roll out dough and use holiday themed cookie cutters to cut the dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Cool on rack.
How to host the perfect holiday party
Themes:
Ugly Christmas sweater parties have become popular in the last few years, and could make for a fun theme. You could also host a classy cocktail party and encourage your guests to dress their best. If you're not really into holiday-themed parties, light up the night with a tight-and-bright party or get creative with an anything-but-clothes celebration.
Music:
Think carefully about who you've invited and how you want your party to feel. Put together a couple playlists in advance so you don't have to worry about the music all night. If the party mood changes, use your backup playlist and change the music from classy to trashy.
Décor:
This is another atmospheric aspect: does your party need candles or strobelights? Are you going for a traditional holiday bash or a blowout end-of-the-semester bonanza? Visit the dollar store for inexpensive decorations for any type of party.
Games:
From Scene It? to Pin the Nose on Rudolph, games can liven up any party. (Hint: You can turn any game into a drinking game if you think creatively!)
