Busy with Bashes & Baking

Life is crazy.  Why does it always have to be so crazy in December??? ... just when I want to slow down, bake, enjoy my family, etc.

Saturday night was the work party.  I don't necessarily like work parties (I'm trying to be honest but not too honest!) and I kept threatening to not attend this year.  I have so much to do or so much I'd rather be doing.  I tried to be a good sport and since the men of the office weren't taking charge, I did.  So, less than a week before the party, I figured out food, found someone to decorate, planned desserts, made a playlist on Spotify of fun Christmas party music, made my husband track down tables & chairs, put a few employees in charge of some odd jobs, and got another dentist to come up with a few games.





The employees wanted to have a simple-er party at the office so that some of the leftover money could make the pot a little sweeter for bonuses.  I ended up ordering all the food from Costa Vida ... a favorite local restaurant.  $7 a person was a great deal for homemade tortillas, sweet pork, rice, black beans, fresh pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, etc.  

I made dark-chocolate crinkle cookies with orange zest... (recipe to come at a later date)

and mini-peppermint-Oreo-cheesecakes with Trader Joe's candy cane Joe-Joe's...

Heidi, from the office, made these beauties.  Please don't ask me what she called them ... some Spanish word that starts with a 'B'.  They tasted a lot like churros...

Another girl brought a huge homemade flan.


This funny elf showed-up to spice-up the party a bit ...

And last, but not least ... my best baking buddy ...