I absolutely love entertaining during the holidays! We enjoy old family traditions, have created some new traditions, and I have ideas for future traditions when I have grandchildren for the holidays. For the next few weeks I will be sharing some holiday menu plans and entertaining ideas. The first menu I’ll be sharing has become a Christmas Eve favorite of ours, if we’re home, starting off with a simple, but delicious chopped salad, and then it’s lasagna night, with a heavenly winter greens recipe, and a hearty, traditional, lasagna bolognese. Lasagnas can be made in advance and then popped in the oven while you’re entertaining.

Our Christmas Eve menu starts off with this deliciously fresh chopped salad with home-made dressing. The fresh lemon juice and quality olive oil will provide a perfect compliment to your crispy romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and yellow bell peppers. Flat-leaf Italian parsley and brine-cured black olives bring everything together for this unique, yet basic, chopped salad blend.

Next recipe tomorrow, so stay tuned.