Watching Rachael Ray

We jump right into the kitchen right away on Wednesday, where Rachael talks about the Christmas Eve tradition of eating fish. News to me! But she comes up with a new twist on the cioppino - a White Cioppino. And naturally, she has to assure us that if we don’t like anchovies - we’re wrong. She swears they taste like nuts, and maybe I just got the wrong kind, but every time I’ve tried it, they still taste like fish.

Susan Lucci, the daytime diva, joined Rachael in the kitchen to learn how to make it as well. How skinny can that woman be? SERIOUSLY? They talk about gift giving a bit, and how Susan loves to celebrate everything and does all the decorating. She told the tale of how she convinced her daughter Liza to believe in Santa one more year, by having an opera singer pose as Santa and pay a visit.

**We did the same thing one year with my older kids, using my brother in law. He ran across the yard next door, and Ho Ho Ho’d and my son, who was bout 8 at the time and been told that if he wasn’t asleep Santa wouldn’t come, he DOVE back into his bed, closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds. It was hysterical! They’re older now, of course, but if you ask them they will still say they believe, because in my house, if you don’t believe in Santa, you get no gifts from him. Saved my youngest from having her bubble of belief burst too soon!**

Next up was the cheesiest Makeover segment EVER! Entertainment Tonight’s style expert, Cojo, visits Mandy on her cheese farm to help her rediscover her girly side. Spending 12 hours a day in rubber pants doesn’t help keep the fashion sense up to date! After a day mooing it up on the farm, Cojo takes Mandy shopping in New York City, and the makeover results were unveiled on the show - she looks ADORABLE as a blond!

Cojo, of course, gives off lessons for updating a look, too:

Edit your outfit by picking one trend. “That’s the oldest thing my mother taught me — when you look in the mirror, bring it down. You want to get to the point where it’s still you.”

Look for dresses with built-in accessories. “When you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re looking for a nice dress for the holidays, look for dresses which you don’t have to accessorize.”

Wear shoes with color to help make your outfit stand out. “What’s really modern right now is to have a burst of color, to wear a shoe that’s unexpected.”

Use high heels to lengthen your body. “This is not anything new, but a heel really does lengthen.”

What’s for dinner? Some quick holiday breakfast versions of her Polenta Egg Cups with Balsamic-Roasted Grapes and Sausage - French Toast Cups with Fresh Fruit & Cream, and Ham, Leek & Gruyere Baked Egg Cups. Yum-o!