I somehow managed to hold my first "extended family Christmas party" at my house this year, with a huge assortment of homemade desserts and hors douvres. It was a great success! I once made what I thought was going to be Beef Stroganoff for my then-boyfriend (now husband... he married me even after this horrible cooking disaster). I had no recipe, but I thought I remembered how my mom had done it when I was growing up. I ended up using way too much sour cream, entirely too much butter, and for some reason, I even added a little ketchup. It was so sour and greasy that the dog wouldn't even touch it! And this was a dog who would dig potatoes and onions out of the ground and eat them... dirt and all!