Happy Saturday and I hope you are all in a festive, joyful and holiday mood. I realize the holidays may be hard for some. Often I find myself singing happily along with a Christmas carol and sobbing with another. It is certainly a time of year where I think about those who I love, those I have lost and those less fortunate than us. Finding gems of holiday magic may require some work, but once you do, joy can overcome sadness. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week. Hopefully this post will be informative, lift your spirits or help you spread the excitement of the holidays.

A Successful Event

Last Saturday we hosted an event with nearly 70 people attending. Held on the back terrace, it was a beautiful late afternoon. So nice to see old friends and make new ones. Remember last Saturday when I shared the “Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadstick” recipe? I make this for our event and it is an incredible success.

Here is the recipe again, however, some things to note. First, I think the manufacturer is making the pizza dough smaller. I use two rolls of pizza dough, but keep the same spinach/cream cheese filling (for one tree). There is plenty of filling for 2 trees.

At first, no one wanted to tear into it, but once they did, both trees went very quickly! I think you could make this recipe with various fillings. Looks complicated but is relatively easy. Just follow the instructions. I will definitely make this again. Yummy.

I also make this pretty dessert tray with store bought items~gingerbread cookies, European milk chocolate biscuit cookies (found in the cookie aisle at Safeway), Christmas tree and snowflake yogurt pretzels (just addicting), mini Belgian cream puffs (in the freezer section most grocery stores/big box at Costco) and the cute red/white mini licorice candy canes by High Valley Orchard (in plastic containers at Safeway). Add a sprig of greenery! So easy to throw together and bite-size pieces for all.

The Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

It is family tradition to get our fresh Christmas tree on or around my husband’s birthday, which is December 13th. Each and every year, we head to Whitfill Nursery and always find the freshest, most fragrant trees. We get a nice big one for the living room and a smaller one for the dining room.

The trees go into the pool for a day or two, primarily to clean and hydrate them. If you’ve ever had a spider’s web (and spider babies) in your Christmas tree, you know what I’m talking about. Eeew.

Another Great Hostess Gift

Once you inhale the fragrance of paper whites (narcissus) you can see why they are a favorite holiday flower. This plant has an average plastic container, but I pop it into a cute small basket, add some moss and a pretty blue velvet ribbon, and voilà, you have a hostess gift!

If you missed last week’s Saturday Meanderings, I share some hostess gift suggestions. The beeswax candles I order from Amazon arrive and they are perfect. These are all natural and organic, and you need to stand up the wick to light them. I gifted them to my friend, Janie with the electric candle lighter (charges with a USB port) and she loves it! See that post here.

It’s Panettone Week!

During the holidays I always take a homemade baked good to the man who has been cutting and styling my hair for over 30 years (Roscoe at Pucci Salon). My hair is in sorry shape as I haven’t gotten it done for months. Nothing like warm panettone out of the oven to motivate a good cut and style.

Never had panettone? Check out this Saturday Meanderings from last year goes into detail on this delicious Italian holiday bread.

December Sunsets

With the crisp, chilly mornings and evenings, our December sunsets are fabulous. Here is an unedited photo of the sky behind the hen house and garden.

Mother Nature puts on quite the show. Within minutes, the view changes. So stunning!

Note the Christmas lights in the garden. The temperature is in the mid-30s to low 40s in the morning. I generally put lights over the beds so when I cover them with frost cloth, some heat is retained to protect the plants. Our temperatures on our property are anywhere from 6-9 degrees cooler than the posted weather forecast. Freezing temperatures are on the horizon.

Fun with Food

I seem to be drawn to festive holiday food! This different approach to charcuterie looks fun to make, right? Not only can food arrangement be festive, but so can holiday cocktails. If you missed my Christmas cocktail post this week, there are several suggestions for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

This board is certainly seasonal. By just removing part of the rind on a round brie, you can make it look like Santa~so clever!

Mary’s Must Haves

Having fresh trees and greens in the houses fills each room with the most amazing forest scent. But if you have an artificial tree or greens, this is the next best thing:

Thymes Frasier Fir pine needle candles never disappoint. There are on the expensive side ($34.00 for 6.5 oz) but such a nice splurge for the holidays.

Though I haven’t tried this one personally, Yankee Candle has a 22 ounce Balsam and Cedar candle for $29.94.

My husband tucks the Scentsicles in our artificial garlands or wreaths to give them a White Winter Fir scent. These scented sticks are made of sustainable, biodegradable, recycled paper and make trees and greenery smell like fresh-cut for 30 days. See it here.

With lots of house guests, I am doing much more laundry, mostly sheets and towels. During the dry winter months, we have additional static cling and I am not a fan of dryer static. Even though dryer sheets help with static and add fragrance, I do not like the cost, waste and chemicals.

Instead, we use reusable wool dryer balls, 100% Premium New Zealand Wool – eco-friendly and all-natural. Ideal for those with sensitive skin, babies, toddlers, & pets. No fillers, chemicals, or synthetics. Dryer balls cut the drying time by up to 50% (savings in electrical costs). These sustainable (last up to 1,000 loads), biodegradable dryer balls are completely static-free.

Great stocking stuffer too!

I love these cordless table lights, Shanghai LED Desk Lamp Cordless Table Lights. At this past weekend event, I use them on the appetizer table. The light is so pleasant~not too bright but beautifully cast downward with pretty illumination. With two settings, you can adjust the ambience to your conditions.

Here is a photo where I use 3 of these lights on my Valentine dinner table. Since we are dining outside, I don’t have to worry about candles blowing out or dripping on the centerpiece.

The LED night lamp is battery-powered and charge with a USB port. It is equipped with a 5000 mAh rechargeable battery allowing up to 8 hours usage. Elegant and transportable, you can truly use them anywhere. Well worth the investment of $49.00 each. Plus they come in multiple colors (mine are gold). See it here.

This time of year my hands are SO dry. Often I will get little cracks, like paper cuts, due to the dryness. A few years ago, I did use a combination of Thayer toner with witch hazel, aloe vera and rose petal and then a good hand cream. With both products by my kitchen sink, it was easy to use them after hand washing. I just re-ordered the Thayer toner and did read great reviews about CeraVe therapeutic hand cream.

Note: the Thayer toner comes in a spray bottle too, which might make application easier. Will be getting both today in the mail and I’ll let you know how the hand cream works.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! We are off with the family celebrating my husband’s birthday so I am hoping time permits me to share a holiday home tour with you next week. I’m still a bit behind in the holiday shopping but it will all come together. Are you ready for the holidays?

There something special about serving a custom cocktail during the holidays. Every time I entertain, I like to seek seasonal ingredients and create a unique drink to start the party. Generally, I make enough for 2 servings per guest, then you can serve whatever you want after the initial cocktail~be it wine, beer, standard mixed drinks or non-alcoholic beverages. I hope this extra effort makes my company feel special and that our time together will reflect that. Here are some of my favorite specialty cocktails for the holidays.

2023 Christmas Cocktail

Inspired by a cocktail we had last Christmas at Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn, I want to make this one very festive, fun and interactive. At Michaels, I purchase 20 clear plastic ornaments and use these as a vessel to serve this delicious Cranberry Orange Margarita. The recipe is from Half Baked Harvest but I tweak it a bit to make it my own (see Note below).

Here is a link for 20 8 cm plastic ornaments (approx. 3″) for only $15.48. The recipe can be made in bulk. What’s nice about this cocktail, is you can make the drink ahead of time, use a funnel to fill the ornaments and then refrigerate them until your guests arrive.

Serve in a pretty coupe glass with a fresh sprig of rosemary and sugared cranberries. Not only is this a very colorful and festive drink, it tastes delicious too. These coupe glasses are on sale at Crate and Barrel for an incredibly low price. You can find them here.

Note: I use agave syrup instead of granulated sugar in the recipe. Also, I tie on a gingham ribbon on the top of the ornament so I don’t lose it after the drink is poured. The plastic ornaments can be washed and reused.

Taking Advantage of Citrus Season

As we are entering the best time of year for oranges, grapefruits, tangerines and lemons, it make sense to utilize these fruits. Plus we all could use a little more Vitamin C! Using fresh herbs and pretty garnishes, raises the bar on taste. Some of the recipes are for one cocktail, and others provide a pitcher size quantity.

Ruby Red Greyhounds with Rosemary Simple Syrup

The key to this drink is to get good ruby red grapefruit. Texas Ruby Reds are juicy and sweet as are the ones we are growing in our orchard. With rosemary-infused simple syrup, fresh grapefruit juice and vodka, this cocktail is bright, tart and refreshing while easy to make. You can find the recipe from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles here. I have made this many times and it’s a winner.

Tangerine Sidecar

We have the most amazing tangerine tree that seems to bear fruit every other year. Well, this year, the branches are laden with so many tangerines. Our neighbors love this drink. I don’t know what type of tangerine tree we have, but mandarins will work wonderfully as well. Between the sweet tangerine juice, bourbon, and ginger simple syrup, it’s the perfect winter drink. You can find the recipe here.

Clementine Thyme Margaritas

You have seen this cocktail a few times on previous posts. We recently served it at our Halloween Dinner party and again, a fan favorite. Silver tequila and thyme infused simple syrup make this a tasty cocktail. Can’t find clementines? I use Cuties as a substitute. Recipe is found here.

Birds and Bees

I first made this back when I was the recipient of the Traveling Teacup (see post here). A syrup made with honey and chamomile tea mellows the fresh lemon juice in this gin cocktail from Juan Coronado of South Beach restaurant, The Bazaar. Here is the recipe. 

White Christmas Mojitos

These creamy white coconut mojitos are so festive for the snowy, winter months bringing a bit of tropical flavor to the season. If you are a fan of Half Baked Harvest, you will enjoy these. Garnish with mint and cranberries or pomegranate arils for a true holiday drink. Click here for the recipe.

Cranberry Bourbon Sours

Here’s another festive cocktail from Half Baked Harvest with a deep ruby color. Ingredients include cranberry and lemon juice, bourbon and a cranberry honey syrup. Plus it is easy to whip up for a crowd. I love cranberries this time of year so why not take advantage of all the good benefits of this tiny red fruit. Cranberry Bourbon Sour recipe is here.

Jungle Bird

A few Thanksgivings ago, my son made this tropical drink with Campari, pineapple and lime juice and dark rum. Usually reserved for dry dinner drinks like the Negroni, Campari, is a bitter aperitif that works surprisingly well in this mix. The fruits help smooth out its bitterness while the dark rum and simple syrup bring in a touch of sweetness that draws it all together beautifully.

You can see the recipe from The Spruce Eats here.

Simple and Easy

If making cocktails with any complexity is not your thing, a good Prosecco or bubbly champagne will work. To make it a bit more festive, you can add a bit of edible glitter, hibiscus flower or an Amareno cherry.

Our friend and neighbor, Tevia, always brings the most clever gifts when we entertain. She is responsible for the hibiscus flowers and edible glitter, which can be found on Amazon. Amareno cherries are grown in 2 cities in Italy and tend to be seasonal. Trader Joes may have them but they sell out quickly. I just found this jar on Amazon.

Non-Alcoholic Options

There are many festive non-alcoholic or dealcoholized beverages available too. This sparkling dealcoholized vegan rosé is quite nice for special occasions (or just because). It has almost half the sugar content of other non-alcoholic sparkling.You can find it here.

Another great resource for low and non-alcoholic beverages is Lyre’s Spirits. Want a Negroni? They have the ingredients to do so without the alcohol. And their bottles are very attractive. Check out their website here.

Do you have a favorite cocktail? Please do share as we are always looking for new ones to create. Wishing you a happy Tuesday!

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Welcome to Saturday Meanderings! So much of my week was devoted to a neighborhood issue~lots of research, creating a powerpoint presentation and sitting in a hearing for 5 hours. Naturally I’d rather be decorating for the holidays, but sometimes other responsibilities take precedent. We have a rather large event at the house today, so I’m buzzing around trying to get it all together. Nonetheless it’s the weekend and such a special and magical time of year.

Giving to Others

Especially around the holidays, I count my blessings for the fullness of my life. I realize that others may be struggling both financially, physically and emotionally. At our church, we have a woman who runs the prison ministry and this time of year creates an Angel tree. The names on the tree are the children, whose mothers are incarcerated, and unable to spend the holidays with their families.

Each year we “adopt” a few of the children, and fulfill their Christmas list. It is the season of giving and we do a small part to help out those in need. I hope everyone is able to provide some hope and joy to those less fortunate. Please share what kindnesses you do for others during the holiday.

Latest Salt Dough Ornaments

The other wooden cookie mold I ordered, finally arrives. This one is deeper than my pinecone cookie mold and I make the standard salt dough mixture (flour, salt, water).

As you know, last week I shared my pinecone salt dough cookies DIY. The baking of the pinecone ornaments took about an hour since the pinecones are much thinner. However, this thicker hen design takes quite a bit longer to cook (2-3 hours at 200 degrees), and I am not sure they are thoroughly baked.

This sweet design also makes much heavier ornaments. They are more propped on the tree than hung, however, I still think they look good. A good reminder is to see how deep the mold is and my next try will see if I can make them thinner?

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert

For 25 years, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has taken music to a new level. The band only tours on an annual November-December extravaganza (104 shows) that the band prides in being “as over the top as we can make it. We have, two stages~with pyro, lights and lasers~on both sides of the area, as well as in the crowd and the best sound we can find. There are no second class seats at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. ” Their goal is to have people walk out of the concert speechless and still not believing what they have seen was possible.

Last Sunday we saw The 2023 Winter Tour, The Ghost of Christmas Eve. This concert is such a great way to start the holiday season! Their progressive rock band push the boundaries of traditional Christmas music. Who else has their female vocalist performing inside of a 24 foot snow globe?

Seats sell out quickly and this year they perform in Phoenix for only two shows. A great gift for someone who loves music, unbelievable pyro-technics, lighting and props. See more information about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here.

Holiday Decorating

I am still not completely finished with our holiday decorating, but we are making progress. The very large wreath is up on the well tower.

My mother would alway put candles in the window at our home in Connecticut. Back then, they were electric and needed to be plugged in. I recall Scotch taping the plastic bases to the window sill. Now the candles are battery-operated and so much easier to use.

I bought ours years ago and love the fact that are on an automatic timer. Here is a similar product and I am surprised on how inexpensive they are today. A pack of 10 LED Flameless Candles is $39.99 here.

Each year my husband puts out artificial trees by the front door to create a forest feel. This year we add red poinsettias on the way up the steps for a bit of holiday color. Battery-operated candle pillars, in the lanterns, light the way. Costco has a good supply of poinsettias at a decent price.

This Weekend’s Event

Here are some nibble boards I will be preparing today for our event tonight. This is a super easy vegetable Christmas Tree display.

I will be making my Christmas Wreath charcuterie board (if you missed my post this week you can see it here).

Would love to have enough time to make something like this. Check out this Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks from It’s Always Autumn. It doesn’t look too difficult and visually impactful. See it here.

Of course, who wouldn’t love this Hot Chocolate Dessert board? We won’t be serving hot chocolate at our event, but I am definitely pinning this!

Mary’s Must Haves

This week I am focusing on hostess gifts because it IS that time of year. Instead of bringing a bottle of wine, why not the following:

This Rechargeable Electric Candle Lighter is eco-friendly, windproof, flameless, USB rechargeable and has a hidden safety lock making it family friendly. Now 23% off on Amazon and is available in multiple colors.

Pair your electric lighter with a set of 6 of these pretty natural beeswax tapered candles. Everyone can use candles during the holidays! The price is right too at $15.19. I ordered both the lighter and candles and they arrive tomorrow.

Isn’t this natural wood spoon and fork set gorgeous? How unique to use something this pretty to serve your guests? The larger ones can toss a salad and the smaller ones can serve nuts from a bowl. Now 52% off (!) from Amazon at $28.50. Delivery is quick too!

If you know someone who uses fresh herbs, this is the perfect hostess gift for a gardener or cook. I use fresh herbs from my garden frequently and find it a bit tedious to chop them and then have to clean the cutting board.

These herb scissors with 5 blades and a safety cover is the perfect solution for easily chopping or cutting fresh herbs. Picture a pretty small basket with a collection of fresh herbs tied with a festive ribbon and these scissors!

This may seem like a strange hostess gift, but in winter we have shorter daytime hours. This gift, Eufy plug-in Dusk to Dawn night lights, will be loved by your hostess (of course after they use them). As we get older, it’s helpful if we are not tripping over something in the middle of the night. You have seen me praise these before, but I love the low profile look of these lights. Their glare-free light is not bright or offensive.

I am seriously ordering yet another set (we already have one at home and one at the cabin) as I want to put them in the pool house and guest cottage. A set of 6 is $23.99. Amazon has a rating of 4.7 out of 10,071 reviews. Eufy night lights

That’s a wrap. Have a wonderful weekend! Do you have any fun plans?

With all the holiday entertaining, it is such fun to make a wreath-themed charcuterie board for your guests. At our Fall Styling Workshop in October, this attractive and delicious appetizer is shared with our participants. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on what you need and how to arrange it.

The Base

Start with a round board. I found this 20″ Mango wood round charcuterie board from Sur La Table for $79.95, however you can find the same size on Amazon for less here.

Or if you have a square board or a round platter, you can certainly create this circle of goodies too.

List of Ingredients

Naturally you can add anything that you like, but here is a list of ingredients I use for this Christmas wreath board. All these items are readily available at your local grocery store or Costco.

• 2 different jams/preserves: I use cherry and my homemade peach preserves.
• 6 sets of cheese cut in a triangle (2 slices per set)!I use gouda but other cheeses come pre-cut in this size and shape
• Green and red grape clusters
• Rolled prosciutto and provolone (which I cut into shorter pieces)
• Small Baby Bell cheese (flavor: White cheddar)
• Peppered salami slices
• Cubed Cheese~such as pepper jack
• Ruffled cheese (from Costco)
• Kiwi~cut into decorative halves and slices
• Fresh Raspberries
• Pomegranate arils-frozen in clusters
• Apple slices (5 sets of 3 slices)
• Fresh sage leaves
• Fresh rosemary
• Sugared Cranberries – see recipe below

Assembly of the Board

I believe the success of a charcuterie board is combining flavors, textures and shapes in a pleasing pattern. Starting with the two jams, I put them in small bowls (Duralex 4″ bowls) at one end of the board.

Cut a gouda wedge into triangles and arrange the triangles in 2, equally placed apart in 6 places. Think of the numbers on a clock with the jams being at 6:00 and the cheese at 4:00, 7:00, 9:00 etc. Using the cheese triangles as a guide, place clusters of both red and green grapes alongside.

At both Costco and our local Safeway you can find prosciutto wrapped provolone. Since these are a bit long, I cut them in half~more of a bite size piece.

Line up 3-4 prosciutto rolls next to the grapes.

Individually wrapped Baby Bell cheese is a fun shape to include on your charcuterie board. You can use it whole or cut it in half. On my board, I use it whole. This cheese comes in multiple flavors-I use white cheddar.

Here is our progress so far (before all the Baby Bell is added):

There are many ways to add the salami slices. You can lay flat, make a rose, or fold them in a curvy pattern.

Tuck the folded salami under the grapes/prosciutto area.

I find the delicious “ruffled” cheese at Costco. Quite honestly, I have never seen this product before, but what fun to include it on a board. It’s called Tête De Moine Fromage de Bellelay.

There is a YouTube video that shows how they make the ruffles from a round of cheese. So interesting and you can see it here. This is a mild, nutty and delicious cheese is made in Switzerland melts in your mouth.

Tuck in the ruffles wherever you’d like, but I do so around the Baby bells, grapes and salami.

The cubed cheese is a great filler. In looking at the tray, it is easy to see where the gaps exist and now is the time to fill them.

Now Add More Fruit

If you cut the kiwi a few different ways, it makes for an interesting display. I use a paring knife to create this zig saw shape (fairly easy) and some slices. You can see how this pretty green complements the other items.

Fresh red raspberries are the perfect fruit and color to add to our charcuterie wreath. Since pomegranate arils will get a bit lost on this board, I freeze clusters of them ahead of time. This step isn’t necessary as you can just add more fresh raspberries.

Thinly slice apples and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on them to prevent browning. Place the apples in sets of 3 slices pointing off the board near the cheese triangles.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Adding fresh leaves of sage and sprigs of rosemary gives a Christmas feel to the presentation. But the pièce de resistance is sugared cranberries! My sweet friend, Chas from Chas’ Crazy Creations made these for the Fall Styling Workshop the night before. They certainly add that holiday sparkle to your appetizer. See the recipe below.

Look how the fresh herbs and cranberries elevate this! I also add some to decorate the jars of jam.

Here is a video of the board:

I hope you are inspired to try a fun, holiday themed appetizer for your family and friends!

Happy Tuesday! The house is a mess with holiday decorating boxes but I have to get busy as the week we have two events at the house. Nothing like entertaining others to get you motivated and in gear!

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If you are like me and do the cooking for Thanksgiving Day, this is the post for you! Getting all the ingredients ahead of time is so helpful so you can prepare recipes before the big day. Each year we have our tried and true family traditional dishes and often, I will experiment with one or two new ones. So here is the Thanksgiving menu I served last year.

The Main Star~the Turkey

Typically I get a 20-25 lb. turkey because I love the leftover meat. Over the last few years my culinarily adventurous son convinced me to part from the traditional method of roasting the bird, to faster, and tastier methods. Here are my top two ways to cook a turkey:

Expertly Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey

This recipe, by Bon Appetit, was developed “to miraculously roast a turkey that is well seasoned, juicy, and—can we type this loudly enough?—PROPERLY COOKED! Every part of the bird deserves equal love and appreciation, without a dry bite in the house. The absolute inarguably best way to cook a turkey is to break it down into parts, dry-brine it, and roast it on a wire rack in a baking sheet. The parts expose every piece for even cooking”.

Here is why I love this recipe.

• The cooking time is very fast. For a 15 lb. bird, the turkey is done in approximately 100 minutes (depending on your oven, thickness of breast, etc.). The glaze for this is D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!
• You can prep this up to 2 days in advance. There is a easy rub to make and once you apply that, the refrigerator does the rest. There are very detailed instructions on how to separate the turkey. If you are not comfortable doing that, ask your local butcher.
• All you need to bake this is a wire rack and a rimmed baking sheet

Click here for the recipe.

Super Crispy Skin Turkey with a Dry Brine

We tried this different approach to preparing the turkey in 2019 and again, the turkey is juicy and the skin is extra crispy. Simply combine one part baking powder with three to four parts kosher salt (about a teaspoon of baking powder per tablespoon of kosher salt will work), add some black pepper to taste, then sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the skin. Then—and this is key—let it rest, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. The best part of this recipe:

• Can prepare it up to 24 hours in advance
• Simple dry brine which is easy to make and spread over the bird
• There is no basting during the cooking time
• Fabulous results
• You can present a whole cooked turkey to your guests

You can find this Serious Eats recipe here.

The Stuffing

Typically, I make Martha Stewart’s Herbed Corn Bread Dressing from her 1982 book Entertaining. But this year, I made the Serious Easts Classic Sage and Sausage Stuffing recipe (see it here). It is clearly a winner. Again, this can be made a day in advance, which helps reduce the chaos in the kitchen.

Why I like this recipe~

• I like making my own bread crumbs which is super easy and far better than the ones you buy in the store
• With the turkey parts leftover from separating the turkey, I easily made my own stock for the recipe. Made me feel like I am using all parts of the turkey and not being wasteful.
• Since I did not buy enough sage sausage, I did add the remaining 1/2 pound needed with hot sausage and the results are fine
• Able to use fresh herbs from my garden

The Gravy

Plan on doubling this recipe as there is never enough gravy. This is another recipe you can make ahead of time~up to 5 days in advance. I really like Costco’s organic chicken stock but homemade or other store brands will work too. The recipe asks for 1/4 teaspoon of Marmite, which I didn’t add. I’m not really sure what it is but eliminating it didn’t seem to affect the flavor or consistency. This is a lighter colored gravy~just FYI. See recipe here.

Side Dishes

Every year we make what we call Drunken Sweet Potatoes, based on a fun Thanksgiving where my in-laws were adding more and more bourbon~mostly to their mouths and then some to the recipe! From a very worn and tattered 1974 The Family Circle Cookbook, there are no marshmallows, just sweet potatoes, butter, bourbon, orange juice, spices and topped with pecans. Easy to make, easy to bake. This, too, can be prepared ahead of time. See recipe below.

Brussel Sprouts

My family loves this Trader Joe’s recipe (see it here). Who doesn’t love something roasted in maple syrup and olive oil? The Brussels sprouts caramelize to a gorgeous color. Spoon the maple syrup sauce over and sprinkle with either fresh pomegranate arils or dried cranberries. You can either roast a whole stalk of Brussels sprouts or use bags of individual ones.

Caesar Salad

I try not to have the menu be carbohydrate loaded so any opportunity to add more vegetables I take. With the greens being so delicious and abundant in the garden, a simple salad is made. Just greens and grated Parmesan cheese, homemade croutons and my friend, Chloe’s Caesar dressing. This is now my favorite go-to dressing for a Caesar salad. You can see it here.

Making the croutons is easy as I just cut up some bread, seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder and some black truffle sea salt (which is yummy on just about anything), drizzle with olive oil and bake until crispy. Another easy recipe that is so much better than store-bought croutons.

Cranberry Sauce

There is nothing easier to make than cranberry sauce. All it takes is cranberries and sugar and water. Boom. That’s it. Heat until the berries start to wrinkle. Turn off the heat and it all becomes a nice, thick cranberry sauce. You really don’t need anything else, unless you want to spruce it up. Personally, I like the plain old simple recipe. We use the leftover cranberry sauce as a spread on sandwiches too. Just yummy. Recipe is generally on the bag of berries. And you can make it way ahead of time too.

Desserts

For our dinner last year, we did keep the desserts simple. Two pumpkin pies and one apple. My husband makes the pumpkin pies and they are so delicious. A happy error in one ingredient many years ago is why his pies are the best and in demand year after year.

I am always experimenting with apple pies and I am a bit fond of this new recipe. Again, it is a Serious Eats one with the title, A Perfect Apple Pie. You can see the recipe here.

Have a wonderful Tuesday and I hope you will enjoy some of these recipes for your holiday cooking.

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