The Progressive Dinner Party: The Dessert



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Once everyone has spent 2 to 3 hours enjoying the main meal at the last house, they end their night with the famous desserts that everybody loves. After all the appetizers and the main dish with all the other delicious food, you would think that there would honestly be no room for desserts; our stomachs couldn’t handle any more food. But, as soon as you see those creamy chocolatey pies, you become extremely hungry again. You just have to have a slice of that pie or even two. This year, it was my aunt, uncle, and cousin’s house that was hosting the final straw for the night.

               Once we inside, a little disappointment was shown because they said that we had to wait like 15 minutes before we could dig our faces in. But, if you think about it; it is actually common sense and politeness to wait until everybody is there and the host are ready to serve. So instead, while we were waiting, we just chatted with the family some more and hung out in their living room. My mom actually thought that it would be a great idea to take some family pictures while waiting just to stall the use of our time.

               The best news of the night was announced saying that the desserts were ready to be handed out to everybody. In the middle of the table, they had a tray filled with miniature cupcakes piled on top. That was the first treat that I got a taste of and let me tell you this: The cherry flavored frosting with a vanilla bottom made my night! It just had this rich and sweet taste to it that fit perfect with the whole Christmas theme. The cupcakes were also the perfect size because we all wanted to get a little of everything.

               The next three things that they brought out were three average size pies. One was a coconut creamed pie, another was a fudge pie, and the last one was mixed chocolate pie. They all looked so tasty that I didn’t know which one to choose from. Even though that cupcake made me really full, I still had to try at least one of the pies. So I sliced up a small piece of the fudge pie. And trust me, it was just right! The fudge that took up most of the slice was mixed with other layers of chocolate that just nailed the perfection for it. It tasted just like Heaven!  Even though I was a tad bummed that I didn’t get to have a slice of the other types of pies, my mom did let me try a bit of the coconut one and that was just as good!

               From this crazy afternoon filled with excitement and joy as well as all the delicious food that I got to try while bouncing from one house to another, it’s always such a joy to be able to get together with the family and catch up in each other’s lives. This is by far one of my favorite Christmas traditions!

Progressive diner Party: The Dinner

After spending two and a half hours enjoying some delicious appetizers, all thirteen of us head over to the next house which actually was my house for the dinner portion of the night. You might actually be thinking that the timing was a little early to be eating dinner (around 4 ish), but that’s because we had to keep going and follow the schedule.

               We got back to my house and my parents had set up so many crazy activities to do while the main meal was still getting prepared. Some activities that were set up were a hot chocolate bar (where we had hot chocolate already made, but they were able to add crushed up candies to them), a couple little Christmas themed Trivia and would you rather games, and a ring toss. They definitely came prepared and had everything planned out.

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               Once the dish was ready, everybody started to become so anxious to get our food as the smell wafted over and up into our noses. My mom had planned spaghetti with my grandma’s famous sauce and some meat piled on top. Even though the spaghetti was the main meal, my mom also had out other foods that went well with the main dish. Some included a bowl of jello, some cooked mixture of seafood, some cooked veggies, and you can’t forget the breadsticks. What’s spaghetti without any breadsticks? Not only did we have breadsticks lying out, but we also had cheesy gooey garlic bread that you can never turn down. There were the big pieces too that made it even harder to say no to seconds!

               Just like the host for the appetizers, we had so many different beverages to choose from. Like I mentioned before we had a hot chocolate bar, but also all these pops, Gatorade, juice, and lots of wine (obviously only for the adults). We wanted a variety a drinks so the guests were able to drink what they preferred.

               Typically the dinner part of the afternoon is the longest because the most food is served. Not only is it a great time to spend with family and cherish the moments, but’s also a great time to enjoy some tasty home cooked meal with some of the best sides scooped on to the side. You know what they say; the only down fall to having the main meal is how afterwards you have so many leftovers that could probably last a whole week!

Progressive Dinner Party: The Appetizers



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One of the best things I love about the Christmas time is being able to get together with family and be able to sit down and be thankful for of the moments that we can cherish! One thing that has been part of my family (well at least with the relatives that live in town) for I think five years now is something we like to call “The Progressive Dinner Party”. It consists of three homes and three eating menus, and every year the families rotate for what meal they are hosting. The first one that I want to talk about are the “Appetizers”.

               We started off by going to my great aunt and uncle’s house for some delicious refreshments. They had a whole tray filled with crackers and cheeses set on the middle of the counter. Next to the sliced cheese, they of course had some tiny cut up strawberries with some creamy fruit dip. Not only did they have all these different types of beverages, but they also had drinks that went along with the Christmas theme. One example would be how they had green lime punch, but instead they called it “The Grinch Punch”. My aunt and uncle also had lots of dips to go with crackers; some celery with some Laughing Cow cheese smeared in the middle, as well as some wrapped tiny little candies held in a fancy little bowl.

               Not only is this a time to eat some delicious food that we typically wouldn’t get on a daily basis, but it was also a time of being able to hang out with family as well as seeing the ones that we rarely get to see with our every-day busy lives. Especially with the holidays coming up, everybody is crazy busy with getting their last minute shopping done and stuff. But, being able to participate with this traditional dinner, it’s a chance to get away and just relax. If you thought the appetizers sounded good, just wait until you get to the dinner and the dessert portion. It is only the beginning!

M&M's: Not the Rapper

Think about this: if you are a candy lover out there, what is your favorite type of candy that comes in pieces; not a bar? Do you prefer more of the “jaw breaking suck on” kind or do you prefer the “melts in your mouth” kind? I personally prefer the “melts in your mouth” kind. Ever since I had my braces, I had to limit the amount of hard candies that go in my mouth (I actually broke one or two bracelets because the hard candy got caught on the back of one and made them fall off).  It just started to become a habit for me to consume more of the chocolatey type.

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               From learning from my mistakes, I decided that M&M’s were the best fit and the place to go. They are so easy just to eat and nibble on. They take like not even seven seconds to dissolve underneath the roof of your mouth. Even when they have been in the freezer for so long, just a couple bites and they are gone.

               The brand M&M’s has grown so much throughout the past decade or so. They started off with the original, but now there are hundreds of different categories to sort them into. There’s the original, the peanuts, the peanut butter, the pretzels, the mints, the dark chocolate, the almonds, the crisp, and tons more. It seems like every time I go to the store, I see the company trying to advertise new types of M&M’s. Who knew that just within that little tiny piece of chocolate, there could be hundreds of different types of flavors?

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               One thing that I love about M&M’s is that you can make them personal. You can have the opportunity to create your own saying or even color on the tops of them. It’s common a lot during parties like graduation ones; some will write sayings like “Congrats”, the year they graduated, or even their own name. They work great with the holidays when it comes to a cute and easy little greeting for someone.

               M&M’s have been around for as long as I can remember. The company never fails to please their audience with a new flavor for them to try. Who knows what flavor will be the next big flavor?

Pop! Pop! Pop!

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Imagine this: You and friends are at the movie theater seeing the new Mocking Jay Part 2. You just got your ticket and now you’re heading for the theater room. On your way, you pass the concession stand and smell all their delicious but pricey foods. What’s probably the very first thing that grabs your nose’s attention even as soon as you step through those movie theater doors? The popcorn!!!! What’s a movie with no popcorn, right?

               Popcorn is the most commonly eaten snack at a movie theater. If you are with some friends, you usually get one of the bigger sizes to be able to share and to even get refills on it (but lets be honest now. No one is willing to leave the movie they have never seen before just to get more popcorn).

               If you’re like me and don’t want to spend your whole savings account at a movie theater, you can always just pop in a movie in your living room and heat up your own popcorn. With the big screen TV, the dim lights, and the surround sound; it’s just like you are at the theaters. I do have to say though that one done fall about having your own movie night is that the popcorn will never be as buttery as movie theater popcorn!



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               Just like with any other snacky food, popcorn comes in so many different flavors. There’s the regular and white cheddar, the chocolate, the caramel, the kind with a little of a kick to it, white and regular chocolate, and even an S’mores and a Dill Pickle kind. Popcorn can be found in any flavor that you think of. One of my all-time favorite kinds would have to be the original Kettle-Corn kind. It just has this sweet taste to it that none of the other kinds have.

               Usually when you think of having popcorn you prefer it warm, right? Well, that’s not always the case. It still can be just as delicious when kept at room temperature. Sometimes what I like to do, is pop some standardize popcorn in the morning before school starts. Pour it all into a zip lock bag and add some pretzels, some marshmallows, and some M&M’s and take it to go for a snack throughout the day. Of course it starts to cool off about an hour or so after I popped it, but the level of tastiness that comes from will always be double thumbs up!!

               I love the fact how popcorn has become so reliable for us. It’s such a quick and easy snack to always take on the go when in hurry! No matter what time of day it is, popcorn is and will always be served!

Filled with 100% Chunkiness

What’s a PB and J sandwich without the PB? It would just be a J sandwich; that’s like a no taste kind of sandwich. You don’t realize how important peanut butter is until you take it away from foods you commonly use it with; like sandwiches for instinct.

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                When going to the store to buy a jar of peanut butter, who knew that there would be so many different choices to choose from? Not just are there several different brands of peanut butter, but there is also hundreds of different flavors to choose from just from that brand. Having to choose between Peter Pan, Planters, Smart Balance, Jiff, and Skippy (some of the most commonly used ones today); now you have to choose from the different flavors including all natural, Reese’s, chunky, even to the original.

               One thing I love about going to the Farmer’s Market throughout the summer is being able to try all their different flavors of all natural peanut butter. One of my favorite kinds that I have taste tested before would have to either the Hazelnut or the Dark Chocolate kind. I’m not exactly sure what’s all in them, but I have to say that they have some of the best ingredients mixed within them. Some other kinds that they sell at the Farmer’s Market are Butterscotch, Almond, Pumpkin, and even a blueberry kind (I know what you’re thinking. That combination of blueberries and peanut butter do not mix, but actually it was pretty tasty). The best thing that comes from the Farmer’s Market peanut butter is how it’s freshly “homemade”. And what I mean by that is that it’s 100% all natural with none of that extra stuff that the factory adds to it.

               I could never image what it would be like if I was allergic to peanuts or peanut butter. I would be so cautious about what I’m eating because mostly everything has some sort of peanuts or peanut oil mixed with it. It would just be too hard for me.

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               Peanut butter can go good with any kind of snack including bananas. Slice up some bananas, smear some peanut butter on the slices and top it off with some chocolate chips and POOF! You have yourself a delicious snack!

               Peanut Butter is such a delicious invention that is being used today all over the world! I bet it’ll still be around for the next couple generations because it is so good! What can I say: if something is that good, it must be something that is passed down to our future generations!