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this was the first year we didn't have any family obligations for christmas eve, which was kind of nice. of course, the next day and the day after were going to be filled with family love, but having one night to celebrate the holidays with just us two (and the furry kids) was very special. so, how do we celebrate? with a feast! i fully enjoyed the ambition menu for thanksgiving and wanted to do a slightly smaller menu for christmas eve...and, it all began with a mail order from the honeybaked ham store. the rest of the menu planning was really for decoration, but i enjoyed it very much. in addition to classic garlic mashed potatoes , our feast included: GREEN BEANS WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE i remember finding this recipe and thinking, "everything truly is better with bacon". i really do love green beans, even if they're jus steamed, but the idea of turning bacon into a vinaigrette sounded amazing...and it was! posted on real simple by kate merker & sarah q...

to redeem my baking skills (my last attempt at pumpkin bars turned into a sheet cake??), i decided i needed to try making another bar. so, on my weekly peruse of TasteSpotting , i was greeted by a decadent image of s'mores bars. the minute i laid eyes on them, i knew i had to make them. for awhile now, i've been craving that gooey, melted chocolate, perfectly toasted marshmallow, crisp, slightly sweet graham cracker goodness and this recipe was not only the easiest thing you'll put together, but it was just what i needed to satisfy the craving. S'MORES BARS posted on real mom kitchen on july 17, 2010 (originally posted on cooking with my kid on june 21, 2010 by rebecca & gus) 1 stick of butter (1/2 c), room temperature 1/4 c brown sugar 1/2 c sugar 1 large egg 1 t vanilla extract 1 1/3 c all-purpose flour 3/4 c graham cracker crumbs (about 7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, processed until fine) 1 t baking powder 1/4 t salt 2 4.4 oz. milk chocolate ba...