A Menu for a Hobbit Party — Party Menus from The Kitchn

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My family has a tradition of seeing a movie together in the week leading up to Christmas, and usually there’s much discussion beforehand, with arguments and advocates for certain films. But the last two years haven’t been contentious: we all knew we’d see The Hobbit, conveniently broken into (bombastic) pieces as it was.

And last year, as I was on Christmas Eve dinner duty, I thought I’d cook up a surprise after our movie experience: a full hobbit dinner! Here’s what I made, in case you might be inspired to do something similar after the final chapter of the trilogy.

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It’s the Coziest Night of the Year! — Weekend Meditation

Winter Solstice: December 21, 2014 6:03pm EST
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It’s the longest night of the year tonight but darkness isn’t something to fear or avoid. I like to think of this night as the coziest night of the year, one where I light a lot of candles and don’t hesitate to turn up the heat a little. It’s a night to invite friends over for a cup of something hot and boozy and wear a pretty cashmere sweater, even if it isn’t a fancy gathering.

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Cioppino

“I’ll make cioppino,” my brother John announced as the family discussed what to make one Christmas eve a few years back. “Great!” said my father and I, relieved that someone else would do the cooking that night. “Have you ever made cioppino before?” Dad wisely asked. “Uh, no, but it can’t be that hard, just make a tomato base and throw in some fish, clams and crab.” Okay. Relief short lived.

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How To Make Homemade Eggnog — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

Oh, eggnog — you devilish seasonal treat, you. We love you in our morning lattes and we love you spiked with bourbon before going to bed. You make the most delicious French toast ever, and even our favorite cake is sending you love notes. Is there anything you can’t do? Truly?

This holiday season, I say let’s skip the store-bought cartons and additive-laden jugs, and have our eggnog the old-fashioned way: with real eggs. This stuff is incredible and it couldn’t be easier to make. As long as you have eggs, sugar, milk, and cream in your fridge, you can have eggnog any time the craving hits. Here’s a step-by-step recipe to guide you to eggnog bliss.

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