This Year, Start A New Holiday Tradition

There is now denying it, the season of entertaining is quickly approaching!  In fact, I sometimes feels that a runaway train named Christmas is speeding my way.  Between family commitments, work, decorating the inside and outside of the house, preparing for out-of-town guests, shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping and baking I sometimes feel that my head is going to explode.

I love the holidays and everything associated with them. I also love to cook and bake, but there has to be a balance.  I have learned that it is impossible to be everything to everyone all the time; something has to give.  To me the most important thing about any holiday is spending quality time with family and friends. Not spending the entire holiday chained to the kitchen.

So, what do I do?  I’m trying to take a deep breath, relax and balance some home cooked sweets, appetizers and desserts with some delicious purchased/partially prepared, sweets, appetizers and desserts. There is no shame in seeking help “outside of the kitchen”. The holidays are about spending time with people, NOT with your mixer, food processor, blender and oven.

My go to store for many of my “outside of the kitchen” treats is our local Atlantic Superstore.  One of the products I recently tried was the PC Red Harissa Hummus Chickpea Dip and Spread.  If you’re a hummus fan, you are definitely going to want to try this hummus with a bit of an edge. The addition of the harissa hot chili pepper paste is what sets this apart. It is delicious and I have already picked up a couple of containers to have on hand over the holidays.  All you need to do is put it on a platter, add some veges, crackers or small pitas and you are set to entertain!

Another appetizer that I recently tried is the PC World of Favours Cheeseburger Spring Rolls. With distinctive cheeseburger flavours of beef, cheese, pickles and mustard – all rolled up in crispy spring roll wrappers, these enticing appetizers are ideal for game day gatherings, family celebrations and holiday parties.  And, with 20 pieces per box, they are great value for your money.

For Christmas dinner or with Boxing Day leftovers I would highly recommend the PC Mini Sweet Potatoes. Uniquely tiny, creamy inside, and with a delicate peel, these mini potatoes are a convenient way to introduce your kids to this ambrosial veggie. Being pint-sized means faster cooking time, which helps make busy holiday dinners a snap. These are delicious with turkey, beef, chicken or ham.

Perfect nestled on a sweet tray or served side by side on a plate as a holiday dessert, the versatile and yummy  PC Mini Cheesecake Cupcakes With Coconut Icing are great to have in your quick dessert arsenal.

I love that they are just the right size for parties and gatherings, or to satisfy your sweet tooth any time of day. (I admit to nibbling on a frozen one just last evening!) With a fresh coconut taste, these thaw-and-serve miniature cheesecake cupcakes are topped with coconut cream cheese icing and sprinkled with toasted coconut flakes.I think these are ideal to have on hand for those unexpected dinner guests.

I have only touched on a few of the products PC has to make all of your holiday entertaining stress free.  For a complete listing as well as some awesome recipes, be sure to visit PC.ca.

This Year, Start A New Tradition ~ PC Holiday Must Try Products!

How do you make your holiday a little less stressful?