This post is sponsored by my beloved peeps at Swanson Health Products. They are spreading the love and sharing the wealth in the form of a $100 shopping spree. Happy holidays.
The holidays are one of my favorite times of the year. I get to relive moments from my childhood, reconnect with old friends, and spend quality time with my family. Since we’re together a mere twenty-four hours, we all manage to get along rather swimmingly; the booze at breakfast certainly doesn’t hurt either.
In my family, we don’t do the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, complete with a ham, turkey or some other mountain of meat. It’s shocking I know, especially since I’m surrounded by carnivores who like nothing more than a side of meat with their meat.
Instead, we have a smorgasbord of edibles (not those kind), where folks fill their plates and glasses many times over. There’s fruit, smoked salmon, cheese, artichoke dip, shrimp platters, taco dip, chips, veggies, crackers, breads and spreads and enough chocolate to power the state of New York, assuming of course we could turn dessert into energy. Someone way smarter than me needs to get on that.
Holiday music plays in the background, every horizontal surface is covered with food and a fire crackles away in the living room. Everybody gets a turn rocking the singing Santa hat, until we eventually hide the damn thing in a corner. Conversation abounds and laughter overflows. We ooh and aah over all the decorations and spent countless minutes trying to find the 13 shoe ornaments on the tree (this is a slow year for footwear; my stepmom has at least 25).
At some point in the evening, we swap out our fancy clothes for footed pajamas, sweatpants tucked into socks (guilty as charged), or anything with an elastic waistband. We breathe deeply before we tuck into yet another plate of food, while busting out the board games. My older brother plays Mouse Trap with the young ones until they get sleepy.
After the little ones hit the sack, we unearth the presents from the basement and engulf the tree with our generosity. We put away whatever morsels of food remain, take one last sip of our fizzy drinks, and retire to bed ourselves, with excitement and happy exhaustion in the air.
Our Christmas Eve shenanigans is one of my favorite holiday traditions and I’m looking forward to bringing Ave into the fold this year. I’ll keep her away from Mouse Trap though; I’m pretty sure it’s a choking hazard.
Thank you letting me share some of my holidays with all of you.
The generous folks at Swanson Health Products want to thank you as well and spread the love and holiday cheer by offering you a $100 shopping spree giveaway.
Clean Eats Fast Feets & Swanson Health Products Winter Giveaway
Since I still fancy myself a food blogger, I thought I’d share a few healthy holiday appetizers in case you’re still looking for ideas.
Baked Brie Bites with Raspberry Sauce
Artichoke, Cheese and White Bean Dip
Garlic and Herb Veggie and Chip Dip
Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukah. Joyous Kwanzaa. Holiday and Solstice Greetings.
What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Meals?
My favorite tradition is opening all of our Christmas cards on Christmas Eve (also with an assortment of party foods. which will.include tapenade this year, thanks!!)
Merry Christmas you!!!
Considering our joint love of olives, I know you will enjoy the tapenade. Merry Christmas. We need to get our next Gilmore Girls date on the calendar once the holidays are over.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Absolutely amazing looking food! Drool worthy for sure. =)
Trish recently posted…Not Eating My Emotions
Thanks Trish. Happy Holidays.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Aw, your Christmas Eve sounds so nice. Ours is similar- we ditched a sit-down dinner in favor of appetizers galore years and years ago. My grandfather does still make a ham, though, and some people have ham sandwiches with their apps. Personally, the snacks are good enough for me!
I actually think there’s roast beef for sandwiches too, although I wouldn’t swear by it since I usually pay no attention to the meat…well, unless there’s bacon.
Merry Christmas!!
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Everything sounds and looks so yummy! I don’t think I really have a favourite holiday meal. Chocolate? Yeah. Chocolate.
Suzy recently posted…Ticking Time
It’s chocolate or booze for me. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
My favorite of our traditions is getting up weirdly early, while everything is still dark and the only lights in the house are the christmas tree lights, and opening our stockings before going into the kitchen for coffee and “wivesaver” – which is also my favorite meal/dish. Its the only christmas breakfast I’ve ever had. A casserole type dish of layered egg soaked bread, ham, crispy cornflakes and lots of cheese. Your evening sounds perfect. I’m so excited for Ave to have her first Christmas!
Cora recently posted…Home Is Where the Heart Is (and the food, tea and power outages)
The ‘wivesaver’ sounds awesome…kinda like a strata with a crunch top. That reminds me I want to do a strata recipe for the blog.
I like your tradition. Happy Holidays. Have a great one.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
I’m just hoping that Ave sleeps so Santa can make his appearance! I forgot all about the game of Mouse Trap and playing that with some of my six sibs at Christmas time! That was more than 50 years ago! We also played twister, it I was a bit older, maybe 12 or so.
My favorite tradition was our stockings. Not store bought, my parents had no money! We sorted through my Das’s drawer and took his biggest red or cream colored wool hunting socks and pinned our name to them. Santa always put a giant apple in the toe and dumped some cheap unwrapped Walworth Christmas hard candy from a tin in next, then a mammoth orange went into the heel. The rest was filled with mixed nuts in the shell. After we’d opened our one toy and one outfit, we’d tear into our stockings and go to town! Foods like fresh fruit out of season and large ones were unheard of in the 50’s – 60’s at Dads puny income supporting 9 of us.
I carried that on with my kids. Their friends were all curious and after a while my kids felt like they were being cheated! So, I had to begin putting in a few wrapped toys, but it broke my heart in a small way. Eventually the fruit and nuts and candy were edged out altogethe!
Going to having that artichoke and bean dish for sure! Looks like I could assemble it night before and use it for Christmas brunch?
Also, I NEED the recipe for those gorgeous puffy Molasses-ginger cookies? Are they yours also? Mine ALWAYS fall flat and my grams, so puffy and light little pillows, looked just like that!
I love hearing about your traditions…my mom still puts a clementine orange in each of our stockings for the same reason you do for your kids. I’ll have to sneak one in Ave’s too so we can keep the tradition alive. Speaking of the wee babe, she has slept the past five nights so I’m on cloud nine or whatever cloud sleeps a lot. 🙂 Daytime naps are still crap, but I’d rather have the nighttime sleep anyway.
Enjoy the artichoke dip. It’s one of my favorites with lots of cheese and some beans for protein. It makes it a meal in my book. 🙂
I will get you the recipe for the gingersnap cookies. It’s my brother in laws recipe and it’s amazing. They’re soft, doughy and delicious.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Your Christmas Eve sounds magical. I’m slowly trying to add board games to the festivities which are always spent with the in-laws. We do Secret Santa for Christmas Eve and do your typical big meal and hang out. The kids are slowly getting older, which is so nice because they can do their own thing while the adults can hang out and hopefully play some games as well. We aren’t hosting this year, so we’ll get the kids to bed at a reasonable hour, sneak the presents under the tree and probably watch Christmas Vacation before passing out. Can’t wait!
Heather Shoberg recently posted…2016 In Books
I love board games. Total honesty, I think board games are going to be a pro for having a child. I’ll have someone to play them with me now. 🙂
Merry Christmas!!
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Than you for the Solstice greetings. I’m always so left out. 😉
I feel like breakfast booze is always a good idea. It should extend past the holidays. Like all Mondays start with bubbles. And maybe a few edibles for lunch… it would certainly make Mouse Trap even more amazing (favorite childhood game, btw).
Send more baby pics! Bonus if you can incorporate booze.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted…Mastering the Art of French Scallops
More baby pics coming your way….also I will find a way to incorporate booze.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Hot damn!! I like this idea of just picking at whatever you fancy. We are non traditional on Christmas at my house too, we’ve done tacos, spaghetti, and then a mash up of veggies and such. I think this year will be a lot of roasted veggies for me and whatever else the other ladies in the house want!
Brittany recently posted…Sayonara Sugar
The smorgasbord idea is wonderful. I eat all night long and love every morsel.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
This sounds perfect and so special!
David and I, as you know, are alone this year so time to make some new traditions! Including spending Christmas Day morning going for a big long walk along the beach – and maybe a swim if we fancy it. Combined with some traditions we have taken from home combines to make a day I am very much looking forward to. 🙂
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…Week in Review – Back to paradise…
I think that is a fabulous idea and the way to do it. It’s kind of cool making your own holiday traditions. While we usually go home, the tree decorating thing was something the Hubby and I started and it’s one of my favorite parts of the holiday.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
I think being with loved ones is our holiday tradition. Our family traditions have changed so many times over the years but I feel like just being with our loved ones is special. Not everyone gets to do that so I feel pretty lucky. Being with my baby and my baby brother this year fills me with love and wonderment. Baby’s first holiday. Wow.
We do Christmas Eve with the in laws and Christmas Day with my crew. We’ve been doing Christmas crackers at lunch since I was little so that’s definitely been a tradition. My brother has been vegan for three years so we’ve been having plant based lunches as well. Everything else will be new and I’m excited to create our own traditions. I’d like to go for a Christmas light walk! Ideally a run but I’ll take a walk:)
I love your traditions and food as always xoxo
Danielle recently posted…WIR sleep less play more
Baby’s first Christmas!!! It’s crazy right? I still sometimes scratch my head and wonder how this all happened. Enjoy the holidays with Lulu and the family. Being together truly is the most important thing.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
A big smorgasbord like that almost sounds like more fun than a big ole pile of meat. It reminds me of the Christmas Eve parties my mom’s best friend used to host for years and years. Lots of nibbling and hanging out and air hockey for the kiddos in the basement. I’d probably keep Ave away from the Mouse Trap too, great fun though it is. Hope you have a great time. Happy holidays to you too! 🙂
Joyce @ The Hungry Caterpillar recently posted…25 Days of Christmas, Abridged
Nibbling and hanging out is the way to go.
Happy Holidays. Have a wonderful time.
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
This Kind of Christmas would totally float my boat. Because food and wine and cheese. I know, cheese is food, I still had to mention it in particular. Also, Ave is ma Babe. SO cute. Oh, and if there’s chocolate, count me in. In fact, I would contribute the chocolate part. Merry Christmas Boo!
There’s still one more day before Christmas Eve. If you hop on a plane now, you just might make it. Love you!
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
I’m not sure when it started, but we always have a gigantic Mexican food fest on Christmas Eve, I can not wait!! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jen recently posted…Grief and The Holidays
Mexican food is my jam so I love this idea! Happy Holidays!
Meghan recently posted…Happy Holidays and a Swanson Health Products Giveaway
Wishing you a wonderful first Christmas with Ave.
jac recently posted…Yak Italian Kitchen
Thank you. The same to you and yours!
Your Christmas Eve sounds like such a fun time! We started doing tapas style eats for Christmas with my dad’s side of the family and we love it too! It’s nice to switch it up from having 3 turkey dinners in a row.
But my favourite holiday tradition is doing the giant Christmas day crossword from the Globe & Mail as a family, and inevitably fighting about it haha.
Merry Christmas to you, J, and Ave!!! <3
Chelsea A recently posted…A Dietitian’s Rant on “Fitspo”
What a great tradition. I love it.
Happy Holidays!!
Ave rocks her party dress so nicely!
I’ve done my little dance and made my noise.
You’d better believe I’m a get down tonight as I was up until 2 am reading the Hamilton libretto.
I’m dragging today. Must need some health foods. 😉
But first–time to can pizza sauce now that I’ve entered the giveaway.
My favorite holiday meal is our traditional Christmas eve smorgasbord, although it can happen on Christmas day if need be, and the best part of it is lefse.
Thank you!
Kirsten recently posted…Sweet Sausage Bread
Ave loves her party dress and sends a great big thank you for sending it to her. 🙂
Never mind that I’m probably the last person to read this post. Being the nosey human I am it was a pleasure to get a glimpse into your holiday traditions. It’s so interesting thaz every family has their own rituals and dinners. The Singing Santa hat?! Now why didn’t we get a video of that one in action ;)?
Ave looks adorable – as usual, yes – in her little dress [and are those mouse shoes?]. Isn’t it a pity babies grow out of clothes so very fast?
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