Wow, can you believe Christmas is already over?
I’m in denial, and plan on wearing this apron well into January. 
"Fa la Fabulous"
This year, my mom, brother and I spent the holidays in the San Francisco Bay Area. On Christmas Eve we attended our family’s 80th annual Yule Log party. Over 70 family members were there, which was a bit overwhelming, but lots of fun!
My brother and Uncle Kent leading songs
Since we were staying here, we had no access to a kitchen. That meant that my party hors d’ oeuvre contribution capabilities were limited.
Santa Brownie Hats were the perfect solution.
Sweet, spunky and easy to prepare in a hotel room.
Three bites. Three ingredients. Perfect.
***Strawberry Santa Hats***
Strawberries
Mini brownie bites (available in most grocery stores)
Cool Whip (or TruWhip)
1. Slice off the tops of strawberries, so that the berry has a flat surface.
2. Top brownies with 1-2 T. Cool Whip and place a strawberry on top
These can be enjoyed any time of the year, especially if like me, you refuse to believe the holidays are over. 
I also tried out this variation at home a few days ago:
Same idea, but slightly lighter. You can substitute the Cool Whip with Chobani Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla) for a quick snack.
After the party, a few of us returned to the hotel to continue the merriment at Paragon.
my cousins, Lauren and Sarah
Even though I’d nibbled on appetizers at the party, I was still hungry, so I ordered Ahi Tuna Tartare with Mango and Avocado.
The sesame oil-seasoned tuna, combined with the creamy avocado and sweet mango was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
We joked that if there were any leftovers (there weren’t, of course!), we’d leave them out for Santa instead of cookies, because by the time he reaches California, he’s probably pretty tired of Snickerdoodles and Peanut Butter Blossoms.
And speaking of Santa…
My family moved around a lot when I was young, so every year my parents would reassure me that he could find us anywhere.
Yet, because we’d never spent Christmas Eve in a hotel, Alec and I were a bit apprehensive about whether or not he’d be able to sneak into a chimney-less a hotel room.
We hung our stocking with care (on a dresser)…
We said our prayers…
We crossed our fingers…
And believe it or not, he came through!
Hello sleepy eyes! (I wish I could say that my lips are this shiny when I wake up, but the truth is, I found lip gloss in my stocking)
Oh, Santa, you know me too well.
Even though I’m 26, stockings are still my favorite part about Christmas morning.
I’m going to cut off this post now so that I can take advantage of my last day in sunny California! Tonight I’m heading to the airport to catch a flight back to Boise for the remainder of my break.
See you all in the potato state!;-
Do you still leave cookies for Santa? What type?
Does Santa still bring a stocking? If so, what was inside this year?
Tell me the best thing you ate on Christmas!
