Charlie and I live for this day every year. We have cupboards full of martini glasses just for the occasion, a candy-cane Santa Claus who has supported us every year, and a box (a really big box) of tacky Christmas sweaters. We lay them all out in the guest bedroom and if for some reason you show up tacky sweater-less, you will be required to wear one from the stack. Hey, if I am going to look silly, everyone should look silly.

This year, we found matching wool vests with embroidered snowflakes to wear. Mine was pink, and Charlie’s black. I was accused of being a stylish soccer mom; which isn’t always a compliment at the sweater party. It meant I was not quite tacky enough. I did, however, sport a sparkly Christmas apron for half of the evening.

I wore the apron proudly as I made the requested basil walnut spread and roasted the pink salmon from the Loki Fish Company.

I baked cinnamon sugar cookies frosted with a homemade icing and sprinkled with red sugar crystals.

Friends brought a smoked salmon dip, a sun dried tomato and pesto spread, and cheese and crackers.

Our friends, Natt and Jessica, provided the music with their keyboard and bass. I stepped in for a few Christmas carols while Randolph the Reindeer mingled his way through the party.

Charlie took on the role of bartender as he does every year, and together we create a martini menu from which our guests can choose their cocktails. From Candy Cane to Pomegranate and Merry Berry Christmas to Eggnog, the drinks are a true reflection of the season.

The food and libations were delightful, and the company was festively, yet ridiculously, dressed. Twelve months from now, we’ll do it all again with a new, recycled, or swapped-with-a-friend sweater for the 6th Annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party.

In year’s past I have made bread rolls from scratch using my Mom’s Whole Wheat Bread recipe and I was asked to contribute the same this year. Knowing I could not source all of the ingredients from the state, I felt I had to make one more dish.

I wandered the West Seattle Farmer’s Market with my husband contemplating what to make. “Does your family like swiss chard? What if we do a fruit and cheese plate? How about glazed carrots?” The answers I got were, “Nope. Nah. Uh uh.”

We finally settled on a salmon spread served with locally made crackers. The ingredients – Fromage cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery, rosemary from Stoney Plains Organic Farm, and salmon from the Loki Fish Company. After we made the purchases, my doubt began to take back over. The salmon wasn’t technically from Washington State; it was caught in Alaska. I was beginning to think I failed the challenge.

Discouraged, but determined to complete the dish that was decided, I moved on to the bread. Surprisingly, instead of dwelling on the fact that it was not a local dish, I saw this recipe as an opportunity to incorporate local ingredients. I added Bluebird Grains’ cracked emmer to the recipe and the liquid mixture contained milk from Twin Brook Creamery. I was feeling positive… until I killed the yeast.

I was working way too quickly and not measuring temperatures diligently. I poured the liquid into the bowl with the whole wheat flour and yeast when it was twice as warm as it should have been. Steam rose up from the mixture, but I was hopeful. I kneaded the dough and left it on the counter to rise.

But it didn’t. I formed the un-risen dough into small round balls and crossed my fingers they would miraculously rise up for the second round. They didn’t. The bread had failed.

We showed up at grandparents’ doorstep with unleavened bread and the salmon spread.

My mother-in-law thought they were both delicious, the brother-in-law went back for seconds, and our family friend raved over the round little bread balls. I wanted to share my accomplishments of incorporating local ingredients. I wanted to wave from my boat saying, “Look at me, look at me. I may have failed, but I certainly tried.” But I didn’t have time to take pride; there were turkey, mashed potatoes, and grandma’s dressing to be devoured.