After a night out caroling with friends and/or relatives, invite everyone back to your house to help trim your Christmas tree and serve up the following drinks and snacks.

• 1 bottle red wine
• 12 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Rind of 1 lemon
• Rind of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Add all ingredients to a pot and steep gently over a medium heat until hot. Avoid boiling the mixture. Serve in sturdy mugs.

NOTE: This is good to make in a crock pot, too. Makes the house smell nice, also.

• 1 cup Kahlua
• 1 pint dark rum
• 1 quart egg nog
• 1 pint chocolate ice cream
• 1 pint coffee-flavored ice cream

Mix rum, Kahlua and egg nog in a large pitcher. Right before serving, pour 1/2 of the mixture into a chilled large punch bowl. Add scoops of the ice creams. Then add the remaining liquid mixture.

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 drops peppermint oil
• Sweetened whipped cream for garnish
• Candy Canes

In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and chocolate and cook until the mixture just begins to steam. Add the peppermint oil. Divide the hot chocolate into mugs and top with sweetened whip cream. Add a candy cane to each cup.

NOTE: Kids love this yummy drink.

Get-togethers like this call for food that can be prepared ahead of time and put out on a buffet table when everyone arrives. Make ahead a crock pot of beef stew or chicken noodle soup. Prepare a tray of fresh vegetables with dips and another tray of sliced cheeses, sausages, and other cold cuts then put out different types of breads and buns so everyone can make their own sandwiches. And since it's the holidays, be sure to keep it simple.

Put out plates of home made sweet breads such as banana bread, pumpkin bread and brownies. Plates of homemade Christmas cookies added to this and you have your desserts. The point is to enjoy yourself with as little hassle as possible. And if anyone offers to bring something, suggest a colorful pasta salad, or a bread bowl full of dip with bread cubes around it.

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