'Twas the Site by Three Sisters - 2022

It's Christmas Eve, and THAT means it's time for The Harris Sisters often imitated but never duplicated annual 2022 year-in-review in the form of a 'Twas the Night Before Christmas parody.

For new readers, this is a Harris Family tradition that dates back to the before-times (not quite when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but before helpful technology like computers, and blogs, and social media, and the interwebs). The original Harris Family Christmas parodies were written on paper with sharpened, lead-filled wood sticks (pencils) whilst sitting at the kitchen bar on Christmas Eve night.

So, to keep this grand old tradition alive, we still deliver these to you on Christmas Eve. (Just like jolly old St. Nick!)

We had lots of fun this year - and we always enjoy looking back and sharing the highlights with you! We're so glad we got to virtually "meet" some of our new friends and keep up with our old ones. We hope that you enjoyed reading along with us! If you're only following us on one social platform or the other, remember you can connect with us here on the blog, on Facebook, on Pinterest, and on Instagram. 

'Twas the Site by Three Sisters - 2022

'Twas the site by three sisters, Twenty Twenty-Two
We started off the year with a decor change-a-roo;
In February, we taught you tips and tricks right away,
To switch your Christmas tree to Valentine's Day.

As April rolled around, we could not keep silent,
Bringing gift ideas for a teen with a new license,
Ask your family members to submit and identify
Photos and advice to gift as this guide.

And then in June we just could not wait,
To tell you about our fun in The Volunteer State.
From antiquing to murals to a fun dinner cruise,
A garden tour and World's Fair Park - you've got nothing to lose!

In September, of course, we said a big cheers,
To celebrate The Harris Sisters blog – 10 years!
An anniversary photo we brought up-to-date,
And a big THANK YOU to help celebrate.

And then in December, we planned to make merry,
With the menu and décor for a Cousin Eddie Party,
More rapid than eagles the guests they came,
And we whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, EDDIE! now, CLARK! now, AUDREY and RUSTY!
On, RUBY SUE! on MARGO! on, TODD and BETHANY!
To the top of the RV! Photograph us all!
Now flash away! flash away! flash away all!"

As the first of Twenty Twenty-Three arrives,
We wanted to tell you how grateful we are for you guys,
To all who have followed, shared, commented, and liked,
"HARRIS CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"

Merry Christmas from Misty, Donna, and Deanna! (And Daddy!) 

We're pictured here with custom National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation "Fun, Old Fashioned Harris Family Christmas" T-shirts. You can get custom T-shirts with your family name on them from Etsy. 

And you can read about our magical Christmas burn barrel tradition in this post about Harris Family Christmas Traditions, which also has the story about how the Christmas Eve parody started and scans of some of the original ones.

Make sure to take a look at our previous year's Christmas Eve parodies too!

Vegan Collard Greens

I wanted to share with you a new recipe for our family's traditional collard greens for our New Year's meal. It's a vegan recipe that's perfect for our family, which includes two vegetarians.

This recipe is perfect for if you have to consider a variety of dietary needs at your New Year's table. You can serve the traditional meat of ham separately for any meat eaters in your group.

We pair this Southern-style recipe with Vegan Hoppin' John and Sweet Honey Cornbread to start the new year off right!

Vegan Collard Greens

2 bunches fresh collard greens
olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth 
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
black pepper (to taste)
balsamic vinegar (for serving, if desired)
hot sauce (for serving, if desired)

1. Remove bottom stalks of the collard green leaves and chop or tear into small pieces. 
2. Fill your sink or a large container with cold water, add chopped collard greens, and soak for at least 10 minutes. (Some people prefer to soak greens overnight.)
3. Remove the collard greens from the sink, place them in a colander, give them a good rinse, and drain. Complete this step in batches, if needed.
4. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil.
5. Sauté onions over medium-low heat until they begin to brown and then add in garlic.
6. Cook until onions and garlic are fragrant, for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in vegetable broth.
8. Season broth with salt, Liquid Smoke, red pepper flakes, and black pepper (if desired).
9. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. 
10. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
11. Add in the greens, cover, and cook until greens are completely tender, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
12. Check at the 30-minute mark to make sure there is still enough broth in the pot. Add more vegetable broth if needed.
13. Serve with hot sauce or balsamic vinegar, if desired.

Notes:

Make sure you like the taste of the broth when you taste it at step 9, because this is how your greens will taste. Adjust seasonings at this step, if necessary. 

Remember that the heat from the red pepper flakes will increase as the greens cook and you can always add more heat by serving the collard greens with additional hot sauce.

Traditions & Superstitions: 

A long-held tradition in the South, collard greens are often served for New Year’s Day.  According to superstition, if you eat collard greens on New Year’s Day, then you will have financial success for the coming year.

• collard greens represent green backs (dollars), or cash 
• black-eyed peas represent coins (this is traditionally served with alongside collard greens on New Year's Day)
• cornbread represents gold (this is traditionally served with alongside collard greens on New Year's Day)

How to Make Ol' Roy Puppy Chow for a Christmas Vacation Party

Our family recently hosted a Christmas Vacation-themed party, and one menu item that we knew we had to include was Puppy Chow. You may also know these as Muddy Buddies. But of course, when it hit our party table, we labeled it Ol' Roy Puppy Chow. 

This was to pay homage to the scene in the movie where Cousin Eddie fills his entire shopping cart with nothing but dog food and then when Clark casually adds a package of lightbulbs, they get obliterated with a GIANT bag of . . . . you guessed it . . . Ol' Roy!

Harris Sister Misty brought this no-bake sweet treat to our party, and it was a hit. And, of course, she served it in a big stainless steel dog bowl to add to the effect. So, we recommend that too!

Cousin Eddie's Ol' Roy Puppy Chow

9 cups crispy rice cereal (Chex or Crispix)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Add peanut butter and mix until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Place the cereal in a large bowl and pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the cereal. Stir GENTLY with a spatula until coated. Make sure you don’t break up the cereal, you want it to stay in whole pieces.
3. Pour powdered sugar into a large Ziploc bag, add coated cereal, seal the bag, and shake until well coated. 
4. Spread the puppy chow in a single layer so it can cool and not stick together. Let sit until the chocolate is hard.
5. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

After the puppy chow is dry, you can put it in a large airtight container and store on the counter for up to 2 weeks. 

If your kitchen is warm, you can store the puppy chow in the refrigerator to make sure the chocolate doesn’t melt.

You can also put puppy chow into decorative Christmas tins or bags to give to friends, family, and neighbors for the holidays. It makes an easy homemade holiday gift, and it's one that the kiddos can help you make!

How to Make Aunt Bethany's Jello Mold from Christmas Vacation

Long-time readers of the blog know that we are BIG FANS of the movie Christmas Vacation. So, what better way to celebrate our all-time favorite Christmas movie than to make Aunt Bethany's jello mold for our Christmas Vacation-themed party this year.

For those of you who may not be as familiar with the movie, Aunt Bethany is the lovable older aunt in the movie. She enters with Uncle Lewis bearing wrapped Christmas presents, which are later revealed to be 1) her cat and 2) a lime jello mold.

When they serve the jello mold at Christmas Eve dinner, they reveal that it is topped with dry cat food!

Aunt Bethany's Jello Mold

Non-stick cooking spray
1 standard sized Bundt pan
1/2 cup Cheerios
3 packs lime Jello (3 oz. size)
amount of water needed to prepare 3 packs of Jello, according to package directions

1. Spray the Bundt pan generously with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 
2. Cut about 1/4 cup of your Cheerios in half. Mix with the remaining Cheerios.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the whole and halved Cheerios into your sprayed Bundt pan. Keep the rest for later.
4. Prepare Jello according to package directions and pour into the prepared Bundt pan. If your Cheerios have moved around during the pouring process, you can use a spoon to redistribute them now. Refrigerate Bundt pan uncovered and allow Jello to set overnight.
5. The next day, remove the Bundt pan from the refrigerator and allow it to sit in a large bowl of warm water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will loosen up the Jello from the pan.
6. Remove from the bowl of water. Place a large plate on top of the pan and flip over.
7. Top off the Jello with remaining Cheerios. Refrigerate plated Jello mold until time for your party.

Notes:

If you have never made Jello before, it is most important to use boiling water and ice-cold water to ensure that it sets. (Make sure to actually boil a pot of water and then ladle it into a measuring cup to measure out the amount needed for the recipe.)

Make sure to set your Bundt pan on a level surface in the refrigerator or your Jello mold will set unevenly.

When dipping your Bundt pan into warm water to loosen, pay special attention to what the edges of the Jello look like. You will notice when it starts to come away from the sides of the Bundt pan and it should be ready to unmold then. The amount of time needed for this step will also depend on the temperature of water you use. So, the best indicator for this step is when the edges of Jello pull away from the Bundt pan.

Use a large plate for unmolding. If you've never unmolded a Jello mold before, this part may be tricky. We've had success by having one person hold the two handles on the Bundt pan and the plate together and the other person hold the bottom of the Bundt pan and flipping the whole thing simultaneously. (1, 2, 3, flip!) We also flipped the whole thing while standing over the sink "just in case."

If you have any melted Jello that makes its way onto your plate, you can easily clean that up with a wet paper towel for presentation purposes. (But remember, Aunt Bethany's jello mold was dripping out of her wrapped package when she arrived, so you don't need to clean it up too much!)

How to Plan a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Themed Party

The Harris Sisters are getting ready for the holidays, and we wanted to bring you an idea for a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Themed Party. We figured if you're going to host a party anyway, why not GO BIG and host a party based on a famous Christmas movie? We have all the details to make your movie-themed Christmas party a success!

Hip, Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

Start with an invitation that matches your Christmas Vacation theme. Because people's calendars tend to fill up around the holidays, make sure to send your invitations well in advance of your party date. If you'd like for guests to come dressed as one of the characters from the movie, add "dress in your Griswold best" to the invitations. (That will add to the fun of the party!) Where can you find Griswold-themed Christmas Vacation invitations? Check out Etsy for your best customizable options.

What to Wear to a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Party

Your outfit will most likely be dependent on the character you choose to emulate. And remember that each of the main characters wore several different recognizable outfits throughout the movie, so you'll have your pick of what to wear.

Some costume pieces will be easy to find on Amazon or at Walmart. And other pieces and accessories will need to be hunted down at thrift stores, eBay, or Etsy to keep with the 1980s vintage look of the movie costumes.

Whatever costumes you or your guests choose, make sure to get lots of photos (big group photos, small group photos, individual shots, etc.) Get shots of groups that would have likely gone together in the movie. (Clark and Ellen, Clark and Bethany, Todd and Margo, Rusty and Audrey, as well as groups of Clarks and groups of Eddies - you will likely have more than one of each!)

Audrey and Rusty

Todd and Margo

Aunt Bethany and Clark

Cousin Eddie and Ruby Sue

Here's a list of characters in the movie broken down into a few categories:

Women:

• Ellen
• Nora (Clark's mom)
• Francis (Ellen's mom)
• Cousin Catherine
• Aunt Bethany
• Margo (neighbor)

Men:

• Clark
• Clark, Sr. (Clark's dad)
• Art (Ellen's dad)
• Cousin Eddie
• Uncle Lewis
• Todd (neighbor)

Cousin Eddie X2

Clark X3

Girls:

• Audrey
• Ruby Sue

Boys:

• Rusty
• Rocky

More unique choices (that are less likely to have duplicates):

• Mary (lingerie salesperson)
• Bonus Delivery Guy
• Frank Shirley (boss)
• Mrs. Shirley (boss's wife)
• Police Officers
• Griswold Family Christmas Tree
• Squirrel
• Snots the dog
• Aunt Bethany's Cat

The Squirrel

Frank Shirley and Cousin Eddie

What Music to Play at My Christmas Vacation Themed Party

Before your Griswold party, make a playlist with some of the classic Christmas songs from the movie. Here's a list to get you started:

1. Christmas Vacation - Mavis Staples (opening title sequence and end credits)
2. Hey, Santa Claus - The Moonglows (shopping sequence before Clark meets Mary, the salesgirl)
3. That Spirit of Christmas - Ray Charles (Clark watches old footage of past Christmases while trapped in the attic)
4. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (Clark daydreams about his pool)
5. Here Comes Santa Claus - Gene Autry (SWAT Team invades the Griswold's house to rescue Mr. Shirley)

Other songs featured in the movie:

1. O Come All Ye Faithful (excerpt) - Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo (car ride to tree lot)
2. Deck the Halls (excerpt) - Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo (car ride to tree lot)
3. We Wish You a Merry Christmas (excerpt) - Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo (car ride to tree lot)
4. Joy to the World (excerpt) - Chevy Chase (Clark plugs in the lights and they don't work)
5. Hallelujah Chorus (excerpt) - (Clark plugs in lights and they DO work)
6. The Star-Spangled Banner - Christmas Vacation cast (Griswolds see the lights of the sewage treatment plant)

The song you'd think would be featured in the movie because it's featured in other Vacation movies (but it's not):

1. Holiday Road - Lindsay Buckingham

Since the movie was based in the 1980's, here's a list of 20 popular Christmas songs of that decade to round out your playlist:

1. Last Christmas - Wham!
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Cougar Mellencamp
3. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Johnny Mathis
4. Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC
5. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton
6. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
7. Put a Little Love in Your Heart - Al Green and Annie Lennox
8. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Whitney Houston
9. Thank God It's Christmas - Queen
10. Merry Christmas, Baby - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
11. Christmas in Dixie - Alabama
12. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
13. Santa Baby - Madonna
14. Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
15. Run Rudolph Run - Bryan Adams
16. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - U2
17. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy
18. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks
19. Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger
20. Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Party Menu

Since this is a themed party, you'll have the most fun planning your party menu with foods that correspond to the movie. We also labeled each item with a scene from the movie and creative titles that sometimes included lines from the movie. (Note: two of our party foods were actually from the original Vacation movie, but we figured since these folks are all related via Cousin Eddie, it all works out in the end.) 

Here's the menu we used for our Christmas Vacation Themed Party:

• Fried Pussycat Salami Sampler
• “Looks Great, Little Full, Lot of Sap” Griswold Family Tree Cheese and Fruit Sampler
• Aunt Edna’s “I’m sorry, we thought you enjoyed” Fruitcake
• Aunt Bethany's Jello Mold
• Cousin Eddie's Ol' Roy Puppy Chow
• Pepper Jelly of the Month Club
• "Late Bonus Delivery Guy" Veggie Wreath
• Sausage and Ham Biscuits Served on a Sled (with Non-Caloric Silicone-Based Kitchen Lubricant)
• Mele Kalikimaka Pineapple Baked Brie
• “Vicky, can I help with that Kool-Aid, please?” Punch
• “Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead” Eggnog

What Party Favors, Costume Prizes, and Gifts Can I Give at My Christmas Vacation Themed Party?

If you'd like to make your own DIY Christmas Vacation gifts to give out as party favors and/or to the guest with the best costume, here are a few ideas for you:

Mr. Shirley L-Shaped Gifts

We do this every year for Daddy and he gets a big kick out of it. For a few bucks and a couple of minutes of your time to wrap it "just so," you can have a gift that matches the gift that Clark gave his boss, Mr. Shirley, in the movie. What the heck do we make these gifts out of and how do we wrap them? We've got a full tutorial here.

How to Wrap Christmas Vacation Themed Presents

Here's another idea for how to wrap Christmas Vacation themed presents. If you're exchanging gifts with everyone at your party, why not label the gifts with photos of the recipient in their costume? If this is an annual party, you can use photos from previous years. Or when you buy your costume pieces, simply try on everything (to make sure it fits) and snap a photo at that time!

Jelly of the Month Club - Jars of Homemade Jelly

If you're the crafty type, in the months leading up to the party you can devote some time to making homemade jellies and jams and labeling them with creative labels. BONUS! If you make pepper jellies, you can also use them as part of your menu for the day of the party. We used the Habanero Pepper Jelly, Pineapple Pepper Jelly, and Ghost Pepper Jelly as a party appetizer with cream cheese and crackers, and gifted the Spiced Christmas Jam to party guests. 

Habanero Pepper Jelly

Here are the recipes:

• Habanero Pepper Jelly - Hotter Than Uncle Lewis' Stogie
• Pineapple Habanero Jelly - Mele Kalikimaka
• Ghost Pepper Jelly - Hotter Than Aunt Bethany's Cat
• Spiced Christmas Jam - Jelly of the Month Club

Spiced Christmas Jam

Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly

Ghost Pepper Jelly

I hope we've inspired you to plan your own Christmas Vacation themed party. For ideas on hosting a vintage-themed Christmas party, make sure to check out How to Plan a Retro 1950s Christmas Party.

The Harris Sisters send you warmest holiday wishes and hopes for a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

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