2nd Annual NC Nestie Tacky Sweater Party

For years I've enjoyed chatting with the fabulous married ladies that frequent The Nest and the NC girls are the best. They are funny, caring, and just all around wonderful. This year was the 2nd annual NC Nestie Tacky Sweater Party, hosted by the fabulous Beth Anne (who always has a beautifully decorated home for the party). The idea...everyone dons the tackiest Christmas sweater they can find, shows up with an appetizer or drink, and we have a great time chatting, eating and drinking. There is also a cookie exchange at the end of the night...each girl brings 6 bags of 6 cookies each and each girl goes home with 6 different bags of cookies. Yum! The food and cookies were delicious. I had some requests for my Chocolate Chip Cheeseball/Dip recipe that I took to the party (I serve as a dip), so I thought I would share that as well as the recipe for the cookies I took to the party. Thanks to my mom for loaning me the first Christmas sweater she ever bought to wear to the party...it was a good one! Merry Christmas!


Chocolate Chip Cheeseball/Dip

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
Graham cracker sticks

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add the sugars and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If serving as a dip, it will be ready at this point. If you wish to serve it as a cheeseball, remove from the refrigerator and place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least an hour and then just before serving, roll the pall in pecans. Serve with the graham cracker sticks for dipping. Yield: 2 cups

Source: My friend, Kati

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (I use pre-ground)
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter--chunky or smooth (but not natural)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.) If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes (my oven is more in the 10 minute range for these). The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches (I don't really do this). Storing: Wrapped airtight or piled into a cookie jar, the cookies will keep at room temperature for about 4 days. Wrapped and frozen, they'll be good for 2 months. Makes approximately 60 cookies.

Source: Baking, From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, page 73 found on Proceed with Caution

Party Pictures

All the girls, being silly

Beth Anne geting ready to try the first bite of Sarah's beautiful cake (it was delicious!)

Everyone is starting to grab the cookies they want to take home

The best shot I have of my sweater (that's me in the white)

Party Hearty...with a sandwich!

A few weeks ago, I hosted my friend Gina's baby shower at my house along with her sister and a few of her other friends. We had lots of yummy food and my contributions were Ham and Swiss Party Sandwiches and homemade mini quiches (I made spinach ones and then ones using this recipe, but with Gryuere). These are the best little party sandwiches. They are different and tasty and always a big hit every time I make them. I've made them for coworkers, Christmas parties, and, of course, the baby shower. They are just delicious. My husband LOVES them and can't get enough. Before he left for the man party (all the husbands got together for a Wii, pizza and beer party at the dad-to-be's house during the shower) he was like "There will be sandwiches for me, right?" He was in luck, as with so much food, we had leftovers of everything. They are quite rich, so you can't eat too many at once. Start looking early for the party rolls though...I know in our area they can be tough to find!

Ham and Swiss Party Sandwiches

3 packages party rolls (should be around 20 in the package...smaller than but similar to dinner rolls...Cobblestone Mills or Pepperidge Farms both make them)

1/2 lb. butter or margarine

3 tblsp. poppy seed (World Market is the cheapest place I've found to get them)

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

3 tblsp. yellow mustard

1 medium onion chopped or grated (you want this to be very finely chopped)

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced (you need around 15 slices)

Ham (I normally use close to a pound of thin sliced from the deli)

Slice rolls, don't pull apart (keep all 20 tops as one "sheet" and all 20 bottoms as one "sheet"). Mix next five ingredients and cook on low heat enough to melt butter/margarine. Spread sauce on both sides of rolls. Put cheese and ham on bottom part. Put the top of the rolls over the bottom and wrap in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Slice into individual rolls for serving.

Source: My mom...don't know where she got it from, sorry!

A close up shot

On the display tower at Gina's baby shower (that's them behind the diaper cake)

I must attention whore my first diaper cake, which I was really pleased with (and hey, the sandwiches are in the background!)