LeAnn Rimes’ Christmas plans include lots of eating, no cooking: "I don’t have to lift a finger"

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesThis holiday season, LeAnn Rimes starred in a Hallmark Christmas movie, released a Christmas album and did a Christmas tour.  And next week, she’ll get the opportunity to indulge in a festive Christmas celebration that doesn’t require her to spend any time in the kitchen.

“I have these wonderful people around me that cook. I don’t have to lift a finger ’cause I’ve been working all of December,” LeAnn tells ABC Radio. 

Among those “wonderful people”: her in-laws.  LeAnn’s husband, actor Eddie Cibrian is Cuban, and she says, “His parents…do a huge Cuban feast on Christmas Eve which is ah-maaaz-ing! It’s so good! I eat so much food between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”

Also contributing to the food prep: the husband of LeAnn’s friend and creative partner, Darrell Brown.

“His husband Roger is this incredible Italian chef and he cooks this massive Italian meal,” she gushes. “There’s only usually, like, eight to ten of us and he cooks for like an army so we have leftovers for days!”

But while LeAnn stays out of preparing the big holiday meals, she says she and her husband have plenty of Christmas traditions they share, along with his two sons, Mason and Jake.

“My stepsons were two and six when I was first around them, and I like to leave candy cane trails from their doors to the tree,” she laughs. “And I’m still the one that wakes everyone up at 5, 5:30 a.m. —  and now the kids are rolling their eyes at me…y’know, one’s a teenager, and he’s like, ‘Can’t I just sleep?'”

After getting the kids out of bed, LeAnn adds, “I…usually make some pancakes and open gifts. It’s really, really fun, I love seeing Christmas through kids’ eyes.”