This Domestic Diva's Work

Before Bryan and I got married, one of the drill team moms bought me an apron that has "Domestic Diva" embroidered on it. He reminded me the other day that I once wore this apron while making him dinner... with nothing else on but a pair of black slingback heels! Cliche, but I'm a hopeless romantic... or, whatever you are when you do things like that... creative? Anyway, I digress.

I spent Tuesday through Saturday in Tulsa, working and enjoying being around my family and my coworkers at the Ballet. I came back Saturday morning and hit my Christmas prep list full force. I drug Bryan to Crest to do all my shopping, then we made chili. I also made marinated cheese, chocolate chip caramel toffee bars and Oreo balls. In between all this baking and cooking, my brother helped me discover that every time I used my oven, I had been turning it off by turning my timer on! Only took me a month to figure that out...

All this Domestic Diva work is in preparation for our Christmas Eve open house. We've invited all our family to stop in during the day for food, Christmas movies, etc. I still need to make some cheese logs, a cake, and several dips for my veggie crudites. But, I've got a good start on everything.

I want to share with you a recipe from Cuisine at Home that I'm making for my party: Muffuletta Finger Sandwiches. These are soooo good, and since I made them last year, I've had many requests for them again!

Mufuletta Finger Sandwiches, makes 32-48 slices

Whisk Together:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Pulse; Combine; Layer:
1 16oz jar giardiniera vegetables, drained
2 cups Italian green olives, chopped
1/3 lb each: Genoa salami, ham, pepperoni, chopped
1 lb fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 loaves ciabatta bread, halved lengthwise
1 1/4 lb provolone sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees; line 2 baking sheets with foil.

Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, oregano, and pepper flakes together in a bowl, set aside.

Pulse vegetables, olives, and dressing in a food processor until vegetables are minced. Combine with meats and mozzarella.

Place ciabatta halves on prepared baking sheets, cut sides up, then layer provolone and vegetable mixture on bread halves. Bake until cheeses melt and meat is hot, 20-25 minutes. Slice each loaf into 8-12 thin pieces and serve.

Enjoy!!!!