My Crate and Barrel Christmas Eve Dinner

We are always searching for the less traditional Holiday meals at our house. When the children were little, every Christmas Eve we had pizza. It was just too hard, too time consuming to prepare a big Holiday meal on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Now that the kids are grown, we focus more on what our taste buds might enjoy. This year, we are taking a tasty shortcut by making what will be a delicious little dinner from items I picked up at Crate and Barrel in Chicago.

Crate and Barrel has many varieties of soups and biscuit mixes that are prepackaged, requiring only liquids. We are having the Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. For $7.95, this little package only needs 4 cups of broth, 1 cup of water or apple cider and a cup of milk, cream of half & half. It takes about a half an hour to cook, and yields approximately six 1 cup servings. The Sweet Potato Biscuit Mix, also from Crate and Barrel, is regularly priced $7.95 but was on sale for $3.95. You simply add 3/4 to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, shape into 8 to 10 biscuits, pop in the oven at 350 and they're ready in about 20 minutes or so. Serve the soup and biscuits with a small side salad of fresh greens with vegetables. Pretty easy and quick!

To really add a little spice to your evening, serve the above with a little mulled wine or cider. Once again, the Mulling Spices came from Crate and Barrel as did the mulling ball. Simply add 3 heaping tablespoons of spice into the mulling ball and place in a large stock pot with a 1/2 gallon of apple cider or red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer about 15 minutes. Serve with a cinnamon stick garnish.

Quick, easy, delicious, giving you time for more important things. Here's wishing you a warm and a joyous Holiday filled with love and laughter.