My one paying job, childcare, doesn't exactly provide a holiday party for me. The ladies whose children I take care of on Thursday mornings, all enjoy a holiday party while I watch the kiddos. Hmmm, yeah, not quite fair, right? Oh well, it's all part of that job.
Anyway, as my son and husband were heading out the door, one day last week, they mentioned office holiday parties. "Holiday party?" I exclaim in a rather disgruntled tone, every year. "Nobody provides a holiday party for meeeeee". (Think whiny voice, here.)
So, what's a lonely housewife to do, with no holiday party? Well, make one for myself, that's what!
And, as circumstances would have it, a good friend of mine, is currently working just down the street from me, at her boss's home, and is the only employee there, with, you guessed it, no holiday party either. Plus, there are my 2 daughters home during the days, on winter holiday break from classes.
That's one plus two plus me, equals four for this holiday party!
My daughters are helping me plan and prepare a nice little luncheon for the four of us, on Tuesday (with much appreciated input from another good friend -- :-) thanks friend!).
Here's our menu:
Tomato-basil soup (made with canned tomato paste and frozen basil from summer)
Toasted cheese sandwiches, cut into stars using a star-shaped cookie cutter
Pumpkin bread with cream cheese (made the pumpkin bread over the weekend)
Curried pea and peanut coleslaw
Fruit salad (using whatever fruit we have on hand, canned, fresh and dried)
Nuts
Chocolates
Frosted Christmas sugar cookies (made those on Sunday afternoon)
Orange-spice tea (black tea infused with fresh orange slices, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks)
When my kids were younger, the day that my husband had his office party, the kids and I would put on our own party. Some years, we had enough cash to do a lunch out, other years we just put together fun and festive foods to enjoy here at home. This year, we're doing lunch, using only food items we have here on hand.
We even happen to have the chocolates "on hand" this year! "How does a frugal person happen to have chocolates on hand?", you ask. Thursday afternoon, after I got my good medical news, I asked my girls what we should do to celebrate. One daughter exclaimed, "See's!!!!!!!" (She was rather vocal about wanting to hit up the candy shop.) But it was mid-afternoon and the mall parking lot would be jammed. So I suggested that we go to the drug store and buy a box of Russell Stovers (which happen to be on sale this week, for $3.99 a box). We chose a box of all dark chocolates, brought them home and each picked 1 to eat, then and there. The rest of the box has been stashed in a cupboard for our "office" party.
If you don't get an office party, either, consider throwing your own party. Those of us who hold the fort down during the day really do deserve a holiday party, too!!!
Cheers!! (raising my cup of tea to all of us who make our own holiday parties)
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