This Christmas was a first for me on many levels – first Christmas with jurisdiction over a Christmas tree, first Christmas away from my parents, first Christmas celebrated with my in-laws, first Christmas in Houston, first Christmas in truly balmy weather. It’s weird, especially the weather part, but it has been a really really fun Christmas. Maybe my favorite ever. (It helps that my side of the family keeps sending pictures of all the cute little kid happenings going on with them.)

So for my first Kraig Family Christmas, we spent all day Christmas Eve at my sister-in-law’s house. We played games, ate, opened presents, talked, and laughed a lot. It was so much fun. My in laws are a blast.

Whenever we get together, we always eat really well. This could have something to do with the fact that all the adults in the family are good cooks – so good that, from time to time, we have intense cooking competitions and bring in outside judges. I am, on most fronts, massively outskilled when it comes to kitcheny things in this family.

But for Christmas Eve, I made these amazing mushrooms that Ree Drummond swears by.* They are a special-occasion dish – I make them maybe once or twice a year – and they are phenomenal. And the Kraigs rejoiced.

And oh, the leftovers. Y’all should seriously hop over to The Pioneer Woman and see how easy it is to make the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.

Just wait till I tell you about our Christmas Day adventures roasting duck!

*I have yet to find a Burgundy wine, so mine aren’t technicially “Burgundy Mushrooms.” But so far, Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and Petit Shirazes have yielded to-die-for results.