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6 Steps to Grill the Perfect Steak
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Italian Minestrone Soup
Minestrone
½ lb dried cranberry beans
2 ½ quarts of water
½ lb fresh green beans, broken into halves
3 oz diced salt pork
½ lb peeled and diced potatoes
1 ½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ lb peeled and diced...
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How To Enjoy the Season - Easy Tips and Delicious Recipes
Take Time to Enjoy the Season
From the first day of winter to Christmas to Chanukah to
Kwanzaa, December is totally filled with holidays to celebrate -
well, except for that first day of winter. And so this article
is also filled with lots of cooking and entertaining tips and
holiday recipes just for you.
With all of this celebrating, we tend to wear ourselves out
pretty quickly. Already this past weekend, I saw people fighting
over a parking space. How ridiculous did that look? And the
season has barely begun. So make every attempt to keep it in
perspective. Nothing has to be perfect - really. If you don't
have the chance to totally transform each gift into a beautiful
package, or make a 5 course meal, it is ok.
Especially this time of year, plan ahead, make those lists,
organize your meals and shopping trips and trips to stores that
are clustered together. Ask yourself- "how can I make this
easier on myself?" each time you are faced with a holiday
project.
Make a list of what are the most important things for you to
do, top to bottom, and then decide what gets done and what will
not be done this year. Like those Christmas cards - for me, the
list does get smaller because for whatever reason, that is not
something I really enjoy doing. So I gave myself permission to
cut back, and hope that my friends will understand. It is a
little relief which gives me more time to spend on more
pleasurable activities. So go ahead - make your own list and
give yourself and your family a little more time to enjoy what
this season is all about.
_________________________________________________________________
___
Elegant and Simple Table Decorations
There are two themes that I enjoy most at the holidays- one is
sparkle and the other is natural. That almost seems like they
are opposed to each other, but I enjoy both, depending upon the
mood I am in.
To start choose a theme and choose your color scheme. For
example, I love all sliver, or sliver and blue, or red, red,
red. You might also enjoy different shades of green with gold.
Experiment- choose what make you happy.
For sparkle, I love lots of glass balls of different sizes and
textures. (Target is a great place to find lots of these at
great prices.) You can also buy silk flowers dusted with
glitter, or even pine cones that are sprayed gold or silver.
For natural, if you have a yard or park nearby, go clip
evergreen branches, holly branches, and whatever else looks like
winter. Yesterday I bought some plain fresh wreaths and went
into the yard and cut some juniper branches to tuck in the
wreaths.
Add bright ribbons and balls that are glittery and you have a
lovely and inexpensive wreath. It only took about 15 minutes to
finish these.
Fill a vase with assorted nuts in their shells and add some
branches and ribbons.
For your centerpiece, fill smaller vases with fresh cranberries
and water and add red and white roses, carnations, and lilies,
and some evergreen stems for a really beautiful arrangement.
GET CREATIVE WITH THEMES:
Choose a candy-cane theme. Use red and white flowers, with
candy canes hanging from the rim of the vase. Use candy canes as
place cards. Have a white tablecloth with a red runner. Tie red
and white ribbon on napkins.
Ribbons are a wonderful way to decorate. Choose a color and go
from there. Add ribbons to a chandelier and hang gold or silver
snowflakes for a festive look.
You can choose bell theme- use silver as the main color, add
bells of all sizes to your centerpiece, or add bells to your
place cards. Hang a bell tied to a colorful ribbon on the back
of the chairs. Silver stars are also a great selection with the
bells.
Blue and white or blue and silver are delightful for the
season. Dress the table with a white tablecloth, use a beautiful
blue runner, perhaps in an organza that you can get from the
fabric store. Use silver candles or silver menorah, or silver
snowflakes. Tie shiny silver ribbons around napkins. White
flowers such as lilies or white roses mixed with silver spray
are a very elegant look.
SOUNDS AND AROMAS:
The holidays are about not just the presentation, but also
about feeding the other senses. Be sure to have some favorite
music playing, especially while wrapping gifts.
Light some scented candles, put a pot of water filled with
cinnamon sticks, orange peels and cloves. Simmer on low - just
be careful the water doesn't boil out. These will add to your
enjoyment and, if you let it, will help to restore some calmness
to everyone.
So these are a few ideas to help get you started. Pick
something that makes you happy and go from there. BE creative -
get the kids involved and have fun.
_________________________________________________________________
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HOLIDAY SECRETS TO ENJOYING YOURSELF
Small Stress Reducers For Entertaining:
Have small gatherings or an open-house and limit the time that
guests will be there.
Order some foods, such as appetizers, or the main course or the
desserts from a local specialty food store who has a great
reputation for excellent food.
This was you can concentrate on
just one or two things that you make yourself.
Or, if they offer, have guests bring an appetizer or dessert to
cut down on the number of courses you need to make.
PLAN AHEAD: from the guest list to the foods to the drinks,
start at least 3 weeks in advance and make those lists.
Sometimes you need to say no! If you are overwhelmed, you can
graciously decline an invitation and just go to those events
where you know you will enjoy yourself.
This is a time to give to others. If it is an elderly neighbor
who is alone, or the local Foodbank which is in desperate need
of food donations, do a little something. It may just be a small
gesture to you, but it will bring big smiles to others. I
include this under stress relievers because in giving, we get
lots more in return.
These little things can add up to helping you find some real
pleasure this season.
_________________________________________________________________
__
December Recipes: Lots of recipes for you this month. Enjoy!
DRINKS:
Punch:
Punch is making a comeback- it's easy, and can be done ahead or
you can throw it together at the last minute. Just use your
favorite fruit juices - a mix of cranberry, pineapple, ginger
ale, orange juice. Add some fruit slices - oranges, apples,
lemons, maraschino cherries and you are ready to go. Add spirits
such as champagne or serve it as a non-alcoholic drink. There
are hundreds of recipes on line - look for your favorite and
serve, chilled, in a festive bowl.
Poinsettia:
In a champagne class, fill it 2/3 of the way with chilled
champagne, add ¼ ounce of Triple Sec, add a splash of chilled
cranberry juice. Garnish with a twist of orange or lemon.
_________________________________________________________________
__
SOOTHING SOUP:
Here is a luscious soup that you can serve as a first course
for your holiday meal. It is soothing and light - and as, usual,
can be made one to two days ahead.
Leek and Celery Bisque:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups sliced celery (about 12 stalks)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 4-5
medium to large leeks, cleaned - be careful to rinse well and
par dry) 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled, diced
4 cups + chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ cup crème fraiche (plus additional
or low-fat sour cream for garnish)
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, rosemary sprig (optional)
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add
celery and leeks. Sauté until celery is slightly softened, about
4 minutes. Add potato and 4 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce
heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until all vegetables are
tender, about 30 - 45 minutes.
Remove from heat. Use a hand held immersion blender to blend
well, or use a processor or blender in batches. Return to pot.
If you are serving this the same day, whisk in 1/3 cup crème
fraîche and cayenne pepper. Season soup to taste with salt and
pepper.
(If making this ahead - Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm
over medium heat before serving, adding more broth to thin if
desired. This can be prepared 2 days ahead - add the crème
fraiche and cayenne pepper when you are reheating the soup.)
Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl 1 to 2 teaspoons additional crème
fraîche into each. Sprinkle with parsley or rosemary sprig, if
desired.
Makes 4-6 servings.
_________________________________________________________________
___
Question for the Cook:
This question was emailed to me and I thought that you would
find it informative:
C.W. writes: "I am tired of serving turkey. What else can you
recommend for a group of about 10 people for Christmas dinner?
Thanks for your help."
Marybeth: " I recommend a beef tenderloin. Have you butcher
trim and tie it. You can sauté it briefly just to brown the
outside, and bake it at 425° for about 25 - 35 minutes, for
medium doneness, depending on weight. Ask the butcher for more
specific cooking instructions for the size of the roast you are
buying. Make a red wine and mushroom sauce - can be done the day
before- slice and serve.
You could also do a ham- this again can be done in advance and
just reheated. I love a cherry sauce for it. Bake, carve and
enjoy. Make several interesting side dishes, have people bring
desserts, and you are all set."
So enjoy your holiday - WISH BIG and be grateful for all you
have.....
Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy Holidays to you and
your family...
- Marybeth
About the author:
Marybeth Gregg, owner of 'Girlfriends In the Kitchen' and 'Cook
With Confidence Cooking Schools', has been cooking, entertaining
and giving cooking advice for almost 20 years, is well-known for
her wonderful cuisine, great parties and started her successful
cooking school several years ago. She has been featured in
several newspapers, is currently working on cookbook, and a dvd
series of cooking lessons. You can visit her at
www.girlfriendsinthekitchen.com
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