Christmas Morning: Hors D'eouvres Party

My grandpa has 8 siblings. They each got married and had kids, and their kids all had kids. This massive family gets together every year on Christmas morning for a laid-back little shindig in Burlington, Ontario.

I just love the atmosphere. People mingle around the room, chatting and catching up. And I've heard it said multiple times that if you bother to bring a boyfriend or girlfriend to Burlington, it had better be a serious relationship, because otherwise what's the point of overwhelming them with so many relatives!* It's a truly, truly crowded party.

Tinsel! I just love it.

But aside from seeing all my great aunts and uncles, one of the things I like about the Burlington party is the creative food. It's all finger-food, and it's all insanely rich. I was able to snap a few photos after the crowd had cleared.

This year, someone brought brie with what I think was a sundried tomato spread on top. It was phenomenal with some wheat crackers. Behind are pinwheel sandwiches - I think that'd be a great little bento treat. They're very colorful, light and fun, but the creamcheese gives it a hint of protein so they're substantive too.

The pigs-in-a-blanket are a mainstay of the Burlington party. They're there every year, and they go SO FAST (there was only one left for the photo!) I'll admit, they're a bit pork-heavy for me, but I have one every year anyway. It's a guilty pleasure.

The little sign next to this one said "marinated goat cheese" and I thought it was my aunt's recipe, which calls for a variety of olives, but this seemed to be more herb and onion-heavy. It was a nice combination.

Oh, I honestly don't remember. I believe it was a salmon spread? Either way, it was delicious. And the chives are a lovely garnish.

Someone made a variety of little pastries that were to die for. Some had pork, some had spinach. They were all very delicate and very rich. I need to learn to make a flakey pastry crust like this so I can make little turnovers: again, perfect for bentos. This meal is full of lunch inspiration!

This is a mere SAMPLING of the desserts that were there.

Like I said, it's supposedly a light meal because it's all finger-food, but this is not a meal to mess with. Very rich, very heavy... pretty much 100% "guilty pleasure" territory.


*Yes, Brandon has been to Burlington. ;-)