Lazy Christmas Party Menu

OK guys...the Christmas Party was a huuuuuuuge success! Did I take pictures? Not really. The dessert table pre-humans was gorgeous...here it is mid-party above. Thank God Aaron's friend Steven took a photo of the desserts when he did!

I'm still in my cooking/baking phase so I cooked up a storm. I had so much fun and everything turned out sooooo delicious!

Now, let us review how this is LAZY: because it fills my soul to create beautiful parties, and right now it really fills my soul to cook and bake. So, I took off Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I decorated the house and shopped and prepped two cookies. On Friday I cooked and baked. On Saturday, I worked out, had a relaxing morning AND a relaxing couple of hours in the afternoon too... because I made all make-ahead recipes with only a couple of exceptions. I also chose really easy recipes.

Here is the straight menu....scroll down below to see links to recipes (most from epicurious.com or Ina Garten) and my notes on how I changed the recipes (if I did).

Christmas Party Menu
Mulled Wine
Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
Red & White ItalianWines
~·~
Mortadella, Salami, & Other Italian Meatly Delights
Italian Cheeses & Olives
Olive Oil Bread
~·~
Shrimp Scampi
Scalloped Tomatoes
Turkey Bolognese Lasagna
Trumpet Pasta with Green Pea & Asparagus Pesto
Lemon Spaghetti
Arugula, Gorgonzola & Cranberry Salad
~·~
Warm Gingerbread & Cream
Apricot Cheesecake
Chocolate Orange Cake
Peanut Butter & Jelly Jewels
Chocolate Kahlua Balls
Pistachio Orange Cookies

Notes and Recipes for all Menu Items:

1. Mulled Wine -- See last blog post!
2. Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail - http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pomegranate-champagne-punch. I sliced up a pomegranate and put a couple pinches of pomegranate seeds at the bottom of glasses. I put out a bowl of pomegranate seeds next to the punch pitcher.
3. Red & White ItalianWines -- Bought at Roma Market, Italian store here in Pasadena
4. Mortadella, Salami, & Other Italian Meatly Delights - Bought at Roma Market, Italian store here in Pasadena
5. Italian Cheeses & Olives -- Bought at Roma Market, Italian store here in Pasadena
6. Olive Oil Bread -- Bought at Roma Market, Italian store here in Pasadena
7. Shrimp Scampi -- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/baked-shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html. I actually took tails off. Not as gorgeous but when people are possibly standing with food you have to make it easy for them.
8. Scalloped Tomatoes -- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/scalloped-tomatoes-recipe/index.html. I used Sourdough and oh my god it was yummy!
9. Turkey Bolognese Lasagna --- Aaron bought this at Porto Via in Pasadena
10. Trumpet Pasta with Green Pea & Asparagus Pesto -- Trumpet pasta bought at Roma Market. Recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/item/16312/pasta-in-creamy-asparagus-green-pea-pesto. I decided to not add cream. Now this was my only "mistake" on the menu. I made it the day before and forgot to heat it up before adding to the pasta and also forgot to reserve pasta water. So, it was a little dry. Totally my fault. If I had heated it up and added some reserved water it would have been fine. I don't believe it needs the cream at all. People still liked it though!
11. Lemon Spaghetti --http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-spaghetti-125120. I tripled this recipe, so that would mean 1.5 cups of lemon juice...well I put in 2 cups and it was spectacular. Also, I chose to do Italian Parsley instead of basil because I wanted a fresher feel to go with the heavily garlicked-up scampi next to it.
12. Arugula, Gorgonzola, Toasted Pecan & Dried Cranberry Salad --- Dressing was Trader Joe's Orange Champagne Vinegar, Dijon, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
13. Warm Gingerbread -- served with whipped cream. I have been making the Silver Palate recipe for years. It's spectacular and has a great twist -- lemon glaze. Unbelievable. Here's a link to someone who has typed it up. She doesn't use lemon glaze but I love it:http://www.breadnroses.ca/frontpage/bnr-cookbook/silver-palate-gingerbread-skdadl/
14. Apricot Cheesecake -- Aaron found this one. I made it with dried apricots I had been soaking for weeks in brandy. The crust is unbelievably delicious. This woman is a GENIUS -- check out her blog: http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2010/06/apricot-cheesecake-w-salty-vanilla_15.html. I also took a jar of cherry jam and boiled it down with about 1/2 cup of brandy and put that on top of the apricot top...made it glistening red and more Christmas-y. Also I finely chopped up about a cup apricots and mixed into the cheesecake.
15. Chocolate Orange Cake -- I looked at a lot of recipes before I found this one....it's supremely good. http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,156179-248201,00.html. I had leftover butter-sugar-orange sauce and poured it liberally over the top of the cake too (after it had cooled). Then after it had set, Aaron dusted it with a light dusting of powdered sugar. I got the orange flavored chocolate at Trader Joe's that looks like orange slices and put that around the base of the cake with slices of tangerine. I cut an orange in half and put it in the middle of the ring and made a mini-bouquet of flowers. I think it was the most beautiful cake I've ever made. Peanut Butter & Jelly Jewels -- http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,156179-248201,00.html. I think the recipe suggests doing the jelly OR the chocolate. I did the jelly and then swizzled chocolate on top of that.
16. Chocolate Kahlua Balls -- http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,156179-248201,00.html. These you can do waaaaaay ahead!
17. Pistachio Orange Cookies -- Take the "two inches apart" direction seriously please...they bleed and create thin, lacy cookies. -- http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,156179-248201,00.html