This Christmas!

My sister and I had waay too much fun taking pictures on Christmas Eve Eve. It started with a little of Hilary Duff's Christmas CD and ended with dad dancing robot-style to nothing but our laughter.

Amanda's Broccoli Salad

One of my first days in my Culinary Arts class we sampled a specialty that the kitchen always featured. It was this Broccoli Salad. That day I stole the recipe from the kitchen and took it home. At first, I wasn't sure if I should try making it. I wasn't a great cook back then--at all! I literally started a fire on the stove boiling potatoes. How do you do that?! But I gave it a shot anyway. The first time I made this salad it became an instant classic with my family. They LOVED it! I was so excited that I had made something successfully that I made it over and over for the remaining week.

This is how you do it:
sauce:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 cups mayo
salad:
1/3 pan (2 or 3 heads) broccoli
to your liking-raisins, red onion, and bacon
Stir the vinegar and sugar for few before adding the mayo. Stir thoroughly. Refrigerate. **Make the sauce a day in advance to avoid grainy sauce**

For the salad, cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. It's very important that you don't cut them too big, otherwise you will get comments :P

Add chopped onion.

And raisins.

Stir in bacon and sauce when ready to serve!

Real easy. Real good.

*NEW* Eggs in a Nest

I woke up this morning with the satisfaction that I wouldn't be going to work today. My excitement overwhelmed me and at once my mind wondered what I would be cooking up today. I needed something new and interesting. I searched up some ideas and discovered this.

The needed items: Bread, eggs, butter, a muffin pan, and muffin liners.

First, butter one side of the bread and gently squish it into the cupcake liner-butter side face up. Bake in oven at 375 for 3 minutes.

When they come out, fold ham into the bread and crack the egg into it. Place them back into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the egg whites are completely white all over.

Garnish with cheese and SERVE!
**Martha Stewart**