Nine Favorite Things.

Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

Happy December 27th guys!! Christmas may be behind us, but I do really love this time between Christmas and New Years’. The world slows down a bit, family is in town, and everything is much more relaxed. It’s kind of like a week-long holiday before the New Year!

Our Christmas was pretty picture perfect. The only thing that could have made it better would have been some snow falling, but don’t worry we’ll be getting that this week. Instead, we had very sunny skies, good food (well, I had some mishaps), and family. I think everybody was pretty happy. Christmas Eve was spent cooking, and as usual, I was a bit over-ambitious.

I did stick pretty close to our Christmas Eve menu. I did two large beef tenderloins, crispy cheesy potato stacks, roasted bacon brussels sprouts, charred garlic parmesan broccoli, a big salad, and parker house rolls. And for dessert, my mom’s Death By Chocolate…but made completely from scratch. Her recipe uses boxed chocolate mousse mix, and cool whip. You all know me, I had to make everything from complete scratch. In all honestly, I would have just bought the mousse mix, but we can never find it anywhere, so I made it!

And you know something? Of all the dishes I made, I think the Death By Chocolate turned out the best. Dinner was totally fine, but I started too late on everything, so it was a scramble. And there were definitely some overcooked sprouts on the dinner table.

But, we all had fun, and no one really cared. My family is easy. As long they have their steak and potatoes they’re pretty happy.

For Christmas Day, we switched it up big time and did Mexican, per my brother Red’s request. Crispy chipotle chicken tacos, queso fundido stuffed poblano peppers, cilantro-lime rice, Mexican fries, guacamole, salsa, and a cilantro-lime sauce. Plus plenty of limes, cilantro, and cheese for topping everything. It was delish, and in my mind, far better than Christmas Eve dinner. We might just make it a new Christmas Day tradition. It was a fun switch up!

And that’s pretty much it. Nothing crazy extravagant. We were all just thankful to be together having such a nice Christmas together as a family. Really hoping you all had a wonderful one too!

Oh! And I almost forgot, I did a last-minute Instagram Live with Katie Couric on Tuesday. She reached out to me wanting to make a holiday cocktail, and I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. I have to say, she really is such a sweet and kind person. She’s so easy to talk to and asked me some really fun questions. We made my Mistletoe Margarita and I already can’t wait to do another Live with her soon.

Katie has a daily newsletter called Wake Up Call. It includes the day’s top news, some special stories, and this week…some of my recipes. You can subscribe here if you’re looking for a GOOD email in your inbox every morning.

And, you can watch our Instagram Live right here too.

Coming up this week on HBH, we’ll be taking the week to share favorite posts from 2020, our top healthy recipes for the New Year, a last-minute appetizer for New Years, and one last holiday cocktail to round out the season!

Per my mom’s request keeping all posts shorter this week, including today’s…though I’ve already written way too much. Sorry mom…

Enjoy the very last Nine Favorite Things of 2020! See you guys tomorrow!

1. healthy January + 2021 content request?

Healthy January 2021 officially starts on January 2nd. To be honest, I haven’t even begun to think about these recipes yet, as things have been so busy. However, I am really excited to start the New Year off with fresh, healthy recipes! As always, I would LOVE to hear what you guys are looking for most when it comes to healthy eating. I know many of us struggle with meal planning, finding delicious yet still healthy recipes, and the dreaded question of what to have for lunch. Is there anything I’m missing?

Let me know what recipes you would love to see!

2021 Content Request

What would you like to see more of?

Is there anything you’d like to see less of?

Is there anything you’re wanting to see on Instagram stories?

Please let me know. It’s always so helpful to have your feedback, then I can provide you with content you really want to see!

And lastly, what have been your favorite recipes/series of 2020?

2. New Years’ Day Brunch Recipes…

Creamy Coconut Hot Chocolate

Salted Caramel Brûlée Latte

Easy Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists

Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream

Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream

Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Easiest Homemade Pretzel Bagels

Cinnamon Sugar Brown Butter Popovers

Eggs in Purgatory with Chile Butter and Feta

Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake

Turkish Eggs with Chile Butter and Whipped Feta

Ultimate Brunch Board

Herby Everything Cheddar Swirl Buns

Crispy Breakfast Potatoes with Chili Garlic Oil and Herbs

Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Pesto

Baked Cinnamon Crème Brûlée French Toast with Raspberry Preserves

Chocolate Chunk Coconut Banana Bread

3. Cozy Winter Home Finds…

4. Favorite Question Of the Week.

q: What Was your favorite gift you received this year?
a: I have two, one from Asher and then one from both my mom and Asher. Asher made be the sweetest homemade ornament and two pairs of earrings that I love. But my very favorite was the gift from both my mom and Asher. They got me a really pretty pearl necklace with matching earrings. As soon as I opened it, I said, “Asher, now we can be matching”. Asher explained that the reason she had picked out the necklace and earrings was that she wanted us to match. My heart melted a little bit. She’s the sweetest and hers and my mom’s gifts always mean the most to me. They put so much thought into them!

5. 25 Days Of Christmas…

Ok, so I didn’t do the very BEST job at keeping up with all 25 days, but I made it all the way down to day number five. Not the full countdown, but next year I’ll be a little more prepared with my content….or I hope I will anyway! Christmas may be over, but I thought I would still share two last tips that are perfect for this time between Christmas and New Years’!

Also, I had fun with this mini-series. Should I bring it back next year?

Do A Family Bowling Night

We always do a night of bowling over Christmas break. It’s such a fun (and different) way to spend the night. And…it gets everyone outta the house. It’s usually not that expensive either! This year our local bowling alley is spacing out the lanes and even allowing larger families (like ours) to rent the whole bowling alley out. 

Build a Christmas Eve New Years’ Eve cheeseboard. To me, it’s just not a holiday gathering without a cheeseboard…I like to keep mine simple, but big. Here is how I made this year’s board!

See my full how-to and all my tips here.

Question: How is everyone celebrating New Years’ this year? It’s so different this year with no big parties happening so I’m curious what you guys are up to? I’m thinking it may be homemade pizzas and cocktails for New Years’ for us, but not sure what the fam is thinking. Asher wants to do a dumpling night, so I’ll have to update you next week on what actually goes down.

6. Photos From Christmas.

7. Favorite Links I’m Loving…

The Best Planners for 2021…according to productivity (and stationery) experts.

67 Shows We Binged and Loved in 2020…so many I have not seen. Which ones are your favorites?

This Skincare Ingredient Treats Wrinkles, Dark Spots, and Acne…New goal? Use retinol more regularly.

Marie Kondo’s 3 Best Storage Tips…one will cure your clothes of wrinkles.

18 of the Most Anticipated Hotel Openings of 2021…predicting 2021 to be the year of travel. Or that’s my hope anyway.

Secret Trap Doors Flip This Play Zone Into a Guest Room in a Flash…such a cool idea…love this.

11 Luxurious Bedding Options to Start the New Year Right…love these cozy finds.

Stars Show Off Their Holiday Decor…wow. Tim McGraw’s Christmas tree is huge.

How New Year’s Eve Is Celebrated Around the World…I’d certainly love to spend New Year’s Eve in London. What city would you pick?

25 H&M Items That Will 100% Sell Out Before 2021…everything is on sale too!

An Upstate New York Farmhouse…so unique and pretty. Love all the details.

This Cabinet Type Can Hide Small Kitchen Appliances…and even laundry machines.

11 Tricks to Looking More Photogenic…for your NYE photos.

All the Year-End Kitchen Deals You Can’t Afford to Miss…those Staub pots are my favorite.

8 Expert Tips That Make Meal Planning a Breeze

8. New Years Style…the oh so cozy edition.

9. This Week’s Dinners…

Monday: One Pot Spicy Alla Vodka Pizza Pasta

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips

Wednesday: Sesame Chicken Dumplings in Spicy Broth with Garlic Crisps

Thursday: (NYE pizza night) Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza

Friday: Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon

Saturday: Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala

Sunday: Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Check out all the past Nine Favorite Things posts here.

Lastly, if you’re catching up on blog posts from the week, be sure to sign up for our daily newsletters. They’ll help you to stay up to date with everything that’s happening here, as well as fun content you’ll only get via email. If you’re meal planning today, don’t forget to check out my menu below (it’s # 9 on the favorite’s list). You can grab the full grocery list for this week’s menu in our special Sunday newsletter.