Myblueheavenknits's Blog

Jensen’s Annual Joyful Traditions Party Was A Success !! December 17, 2011

Every year’s end, we have done a big party and invited our work-mates, friends and neighbors.  We always have it on a Friday close to Christmas and for weeks in advance, we send invitations, decorate inside and out, organize a full open bar with bartender, plan a comprehensive menu and in general, pull out all the stops to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone attending.  Even though I was still recovering from the loss of my sweet dog, Scruffy, I picked myself up by the bootstraps and carried onward.  Over the years, I have perfected certain recipes which all go together, i.e., no ill-mixing of flavors.  People can go directly to their favorites, or try my “new” addition, of which I usually include two.  We make labels so people can sort out first course, second course, etc.  It is a party for party’s sake and everyone just brings their appetite and holiday cheer.

Here are some pictures of last night, Jensen’s 2011 Joyful Traditions Party:

Dinner Is Served !!

HoneyBaked Ham and Smoked Turkey

March Of The Olive Penguins !!

I like to keep the favorites for party-goers: The Hot Artichoke Dip on mini-slices of Trader Joe’s French Baguette bread, Hot Mulled Cider using Williams-Sonoma’s mulling spices and unfiltered, fresh apple juice, Hot Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, big shrimp with tangy cocktail sauce, Waldorf Salad with grannie smith apples and cranraisens, assorted premium cheeses, veggies, and of couse, the HoneyBaked Ham and Turkey.

So this year, I added the Olive Penguins (labor intensive, but too cute!!), and Boorhead’s thin-sliced rare roast beef, on a French Baguette round, spread with a peppy horseradish sauce and topped with a sliver of roasted red pepper, then dusted with fresh ground pepper.   OOOOOHHHH!  This will put the Ho-Ho-Ho back into your Christmas Spirit.

THEN, you can’t miss the desserts:  Three-Berry Topped Cheesecake, assorted chocolates, mints and my popular, Rum-Raisen Bread Pudding, made with 12 eggs, 2 cups of Heavy Whipping Cream (and whole milk to thin it out), with cinnamon, plump tri-colored raisens (from Trader Joe’s), with one cup of aged Mogambo Dark Rum drizzled over the top as it comes from the oven, and finished with a flourish of whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon, served in shiny foil cupcake cups.  It is to DIE for.

All the guests ate and drank until they were ready to POP.  It is the one day of the year which is OK to totally throw the diet out of the door.  My Mother always told me, “Don’t trust a skinny cook!”, so you can see where I side on the equation.  Yes, I am told that I am a great cook, people beg me for recipes and look forward to next year when I will come up with some new delectable treasures.

So, gosh I only have 364 days to plan next year’s party.  And then I need to do all kinds of knitting too!   Just not enough time, even in a year to get everything I want to do, done.