Holiday Dinner party - Our Turn to Host (Lots of Recipes)

Two weekends ago with had a small and wonderful dinner party with Wendy, David, Caroline and Laura. Last Saturday we invited them over to our house for dinner - and oh, what fun we had!

(Caroline and I)

Ellie helped by doing the tablescapes. The kid's table was a challenge since we used a card table. I loved using my Christmas dishes. (I have a "thing" for dishes.)

Ethan helped by making the pizzelles.



Larr managed the family to make sure the house was in order - getting ready was a family affair.

We cooked up a lot of great recipes. I made a kid friendly mixed drink that was very festive.

We began with appetizers that were wee phyllo cups with Italian sausage and mozzarella, Ham & Swiss, and a cheese with mushroom mixture. We followed it up with Ellie's favorite, Zucchini and Garlic Soup.

Wendy and Laura don't usually eat meat, so I went with a primarily vegetarian menu. I plated a nice Moroccan salad with Quinoa, pomegranate seeds, almonds in sea salt and olive oil, craisins, sauteed zucchini coins and avocados. You can find the recipes I was inspired by here.

From there we moved onto lovely cheese fondue. I offered many items for dipping including tricolor fingerling potatoes roasted with olive oil and rosemary, green apple bites, coins of venison Polish sausage and cubes of two types of rustic, crusty bread.

We enjoyed lots of interesting conversation and wine. All of that was followed by some of Ellie's special hot chocolate drinks and two kinds of cookies, including Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread. You can find the recipe here.



Reisha always enjoys a good party and a chance for more pets.


Holiday Cranberry Spritzer

4 cups Cranberry Juice
3 cups Ginger Ale
3 TBL. Lime Juice
* Garnish - pomegranate seeds, cranberries, wedge of lime)

Mix together and serve.

Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue
Adapted from: Fondues by M. Weston
serves 4-6

1 Garlic clove, smashed with the side of a knife
1 Onion, small, finely diced
3 TBl Olive Oile
1 cup Dry White Wine or Chicken Broth (kids seem to prefer this over the wine)
1 tea Lemon Juice
2 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
2 cups Emmental Cheese, grated
2-4 TBL Cornstarch
Pinch of White Pepper
Nutmeg, freshly grated, if possible

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic.

(I make my fondue on the stove and then transfer it to the fondue pot. That allows me to make extra for refills later on.)
Saute the onion in the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, being careful to not burn the onion. Add the wine/broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and gently stir in the grated cheeses. Be sure to stir with a wooden spoon for the best mixture and smoothness.

In a small cup mix the corn starch with a small bit of cold water. Just before serving the fondue, stir the cornstarch mixture into the melted cheese mixture and stir. This will cause it to thicken after 2-3 minutes. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg into the fondue, transfer to the fondue pot and serve.

I do not recommend doubling this recipe. When I need more, I simply make two pans of the lovely stuff.

Zucchini and Garlic Soup

2 Zucchini, small, cut into coins
1 Onion, small, diced
3 TBL Olive Oil or Butter
4-5 cups Broth (chicken or vegetable)
5.2 oz Boursin Gournay Cheese with Garlic and Fine Herbs
2 TBL Cornstarch

Saute the onion and zucchini until they are both limp. Add in the stock and cook for about 20 minutes. Add in the Boursin cheese and stir to break it up. At this point I use a stick blender to puree most of the soup. Just before serving mix the cornstarch with a small bit of water and add to the gently boiling soup. Stir 2-3 minutes, or until thickened. Serve with slices of good sourdough bread.

Pizzelles

YIELD - Makes 30 pizzelle cookies

Ingredients:

* 3 eggs

* 1 3/4 c. flour

* 1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (optional see substitution ideas below)

* 1/2 c. UNSALTED butter (1/4 lb.)

* 2 tsp. baking powder

* 3/4 c. sugar

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use 1/4 tsp. Anise Extract, orange extract is nice, too.)



Procedure

* Beat eggs and sugar.

* Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise.

* Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.

* Drop the stiff batter by spoon.

(Batter can be refrigerated and used at a later time)

Happy Together/Paper Planes Remix, Dog Friends - Fun Videos

I think this is a fun video. It was done in one take - pretty amazing!



Here's one for dog lovers:


And then this is one made by two Irish Step dancers who show they've got it, even when they are not on their feet:

Ethan's Eagle Project Progress Update

Last weekend Ethan was lucky to have good weather. It was cold and a bit windy, but good enough that many people showed up for the next stage of building the pergola.

At this point the holes for the concrete had been dug and filled. Each of the concrete sections had a brace to hold the wood pillars. The boys began by prepping the work site.
Beams went up slowly. Keeping them stable until the entire structure was built was a challenge. Leading and managing the volunteers was a challenge. Ethan wanted to be in there doing the work, too. However, one of the main goals of the Eagle project is to learn how to manage a group of people, which is tougher than it sounds.
There was a lot of measuring and remeasuring to make sure everything was correct before the big pillars were cut.
They also needed to be leveled in several directions and secured so that they did not move.
During the week, some of the kids from school wanted to help with the stuff that needed to be finished up. Here, Ethan works with T. moving the pillar about 2" over. T. is one tough little dude.
The volunteers also made sure that the work site looked good before they closed up for the afternoon.

The end of phase one will be done very soon - it is all very exciting!

Getting Ready for a Party - Recipes Galore & Decoration Inspiration

It has been so warm here that it does not feel like Christmas, yet. But, I've found some decorating inspiration online. Here, I'd like to share a few of them with you:
From: Blessing From Our Nest blog


From: Ideal Home


from: Nell's Hill


Advent Display by Stephanie Lynn Blog

We had so much fun Wendy, David, Caroline and Laura last weekend that we have decided to have them over this weekend. I'm trying to put together a really fun party. I love planning and executing this kind of thing. (Some day, after I retire from teaching, I'd love to run a Bed and Breakfast. I'd have a wonderful excuse to do things like this more often.)

We'll start with some appetizers, have my zucchinni and cheese soup for the first course, then cheese fondue and a Moroccan inspired salad for the next two courses and some sort of decedent dessert. Here are the new recipes that have caught my eye:

Moroccan Quinoa Salad
from Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 4

If you don’t feel like marinating the zucchini and eggplant yourself you can find ready-made at most supermarkets (but nothing beats homemade).

1 zucchini, cut in thin slices
1 eggplant , cut in thin slices
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 lemon
1/2 cup almonds
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro/coriander
3 tbsp raisins
2 avocados, cut into 1 inch squares
4 small spring onions, chopped
1 cup almonds, divided in half, roasted and salted

Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.

Cook the quinoa according to the package but add two tbsp cinnamon in the water. When it’s done cooking, rinse and set aside to cool off. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add five tbsp of olive oil into the quinoa. Chop half of the mint leaves, half of the cilantro and all the raisins, throw them in the quinoa and toss it around until everything is mixed. Serve in bowls together with the marinated vegetables, avocado, spring onions, the rest of the mint and cilantro and the roasted almonds.

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Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad
via OOh, Look blog
serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups reduced salt chicken stock
50g baby spinach leaves, shredded
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 pomegranate, seeds extracted
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper

Method
1. To cook the quinoa: rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, drain, then place in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. For the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jug or bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To assemble the salad: Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then combine with the spinach, craisins and pomegranate seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss through. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Read more: http://ooh-look.blogspot.com/2010/11/quinoa-pomegranate-salad-and-whack-pom.html#ixzz17lwjRPag


Salted Caramel Bars
via What's Gaby Cooking? blog

Ingredients

Shortbread:
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk, whisked
1 2/3 cups AP flour

Caramel Topping:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
12 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Sea salt flakes

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over the sides. This will make removing the bars easier.

In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and salt with a fork. Add the yolk and combine with the fork. Add the flour and using your hands, combine the dough until its flaky. Transfer the dough into the parchment lined pan and press down with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Once chilled, bake for 27 minutes until lightly browned.

Once baked, remove and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a pot combine the topping ingredients; butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar and cream. Bring to a boil and make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Stir for about 5-10 minutes until its thick and bubbly. If you have a candy thermometer – the caramel should be about 230 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and pour on top of the shortbread.

Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Then sprinkle with the sea salt flakes and serve!

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Snowman Shooters
via Babble blog

* 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
* 1 pint of vanilla ice cream
* 1 Small & 1medium ice cream scoops
* 8-12 Mini chocolate chips (or peppercorns)
* 4-6 Small pieces of carrots, cut into tiny spears

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate squares and microwave them for 35-40 seconds, just enough to soften. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chocolate, then return to the microwave for 50-60 seconds. Remove and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and a thick hot fudge sauce forms.

Spoon hot fudge sauce into the bottom of 4-5 small shooter glasses. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop some of the vanilla ice cream into a rounded ball and plop it carefully on top of the hot fudge sauce. Use the small sized scoop to do the same, placing the second scoop on top of the first one to create the snowman’s head.

Gently press the carrot nose & chocolate chip eyes into the snowman’s head. Return to the freezer and allow to freeze until ready to serve (to ensure your shot glasses don’t freeze & crack, I recommend making these just about 1 hour ahead of time).

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Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies
via Becky Bakes blog

Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate disks (I used Trader Joe’s chocolate callets)*

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a callet into the center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

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Lia's Toffee Bar
via Pioneer Woman
Ingredients

* 16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted
* 16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar
* 3 ounces, fluid Water
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 16 ounces, weight Chopped Topping: Toasted Nuts, Candy Canes, Sea Salt, Etc.
* 24 ounces, weight Tempered Dark Chocolate For Coating, Melted

Preparation Instructions

*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*

Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin.

Allow toffee to cool completely. Blot to remove excess oil from the surface. Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.

When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it’s okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.

Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.

Store in an airtight container.
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I also really enjoyed the "Glee" Christmas story. This was one of my favorite scenes -


And then, I love it when I find wonderful stop-motion

MINI PLANNERS from Moleskine ® on Vimeo.

Bikers and Western Dancing

It has been unseasonably warm around here. It is kind of weird. It makes me forget that it is Christmas season. On Sunday morning, on my way to a cooking demonstration at the William-Sonoma store in Cherry Creek, I came upon a convoy of bikers on their way to the Toys for Tots run. The lead guy, big, burly and leather clad, had a giant Rudolph strapped to the front of his bike, leading the way. Behind him were a band of noisy, jovial, gift totting buddies. One bike carried a man, a wife and a GIANT bag of toys. Others strapped on teddy bears like toddlers onto their seats. One man, a very large fellow, carried a group of dolls whose permanently cheerful hair waved in the wind. It was a wonderful way to start the day and remind me that the season is here.

That evening Ellie and Christy went to cotillion for a Western "Sock Hop" with their extra socks that will be gifted to people at the Interfaith Rescue Mission. We were able to provide a nice number of band new socks of many kinds. The girls had a fun time learning some line dances and have a more informal time at cotillion than usual. The sixth grade class joined their 7th/8th grade class.

Dinner with Friends and a Technical Takes Her Out!

When I am watching Ellie race and I see people who are usually behind her go by without my seeing her, my heart begins to worry. My eyes scan the course for a crash and I begin to notice who else might be missing.

This pastSaturday was the Colorado State Cyclocross 2010 Championship race and that happened near the end of the race. Ellie had prepped for it, gotten a good start, but then crashed in the second (of three) laps. It broke her shifter and locked up her front wheel. She had to walk back to the start of the course with her bike on her back. It was a long, slow and most likely lonely mile or so back to where the cheering crowds were. She ended up with a DNF (Did Not Finish) and earned no points. She was bummed, but handled it with grace.

We had the most delightful dinner with some friends last night. I thought we were going over to have a simple meal and decorate the great wooden snowflakes that Wendy and I recently purchased. When we arrived, we found that it was something much more in-depth and exciting.

Wendy set two lovely tables, each with their own theme. She wanted to honor the kids and the adults alike.


Inspired by Ethan's recent hunting trip, David made a few recipes from The Sacajawea Cookbook by T. Evenson, L Lesmeiste and T Everson. We started out with a lot of chatting and soon began eating. David made a mushroom pate' that Ellie really enjoyed. (I have included the recipe for that one below.) David also made a great salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. This was pared with the wine we brought to the party. Next up was a Venison stew (that actually had buffalo meat since they could not find venison in the store) that everyone loved. We were really touched that they went out of their way to try new recipes and honor Ethan's recent new adventures.


The kids seemed to have conversations that were just as animated as the one at the adult table. Ethan handled the needs and interests of three very different girls with ease and grace. What a boy. :)

Part way into the main meal David upcorked an old and wonderful wine. It was much smoother than most of the wines I have had. He had Wendy pull out the decanter and a flashlight so that we could see what he was doing. He swirled the wine until it was well aerated.

We finished up the lovely meal with chocolate fondue. You had your choice of strawberries, green apples, bananas or pund cake for dipping. ait was luscious. Most of us ended up wearing some it.


During all of the chatting we did at least look at and admire the basecoat painting of their snowflakes. I was inspired and began to rethink my plan. Laura had each one painted a different shade of blue. Wendy had been inspired by nature. She had many colors including a nice, dark teal blue and an intensely purple one. Caroline made my favorite ones. With her usual child infues enthusiasm and carefree attitude, she let colors mix and mingle. She made one that look a bit like tye-dye and another looked like it was made of heavy water coloring paper. (I wish I had taken photos of them to share.) I think they are wonderful just the way they are. Mine are all white. I may have to rethink my plan.

Hazelnut Mushroom Pate'

2TBL Butter
2 Cloves of Garlic, roasted and minced
1 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms, diced
1 small Onion, diced
1 cup Hazel nuts, chopped
1 TBL Basil Pesto
1 TBL Soy Sauce
1TB Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper (To taste)
2 TBL Cream Cheese (softened)

Melt that butter and saute' the garlic, mushrooms and onions until the onion is translucent, but not browned. Transfer this to a food processor. Add in the hazel nuts, basil pesto, soy sauce, lemon juice and seasonings (to taste). Process until smooth. Add in the cream cheese and pulse until just incorporated. Serve with cracker or bagel chips.

Makes 2 cups

Holiday Crafting Inspiration

I am finding Holiday inspiration in many places:



There are the handmade vintage style cardboard villages I found over at Twig and Thistle, by way of A Field Journal blog.


She as a link to make (or rather bleach and then redye) bottle brush trees at the Makin' Projiks blog.


That tutorial led me to check out the Flickr group where I found the magical images from the Oh Merci! blog.


Over at A Field Journal blog there is a link to resources for making such glittered villages. Imagine my surprise when I found that it was from the Posie Gets Cozy blog that I read every day.

Then, somewhere among my blog reading, one person posted about being inspired by the Christmas notebooks that some people are keeping. I must confess that I keep whole magazines and then put them out each year at the right time. I love to look over my many years of Martha Stewart magazine. These photos come from Molly Irwin's older post. I may have to make one, too.



On a completely different note there is an oh-so-cool-and-artsy "garland" project over at Chookooloonk's blog.


At SimplyRobin.com I discovered lovely, natural branch candles as well as branch chandeliers with tiny LED lights.

And there are more, but it is a work night and my son call's me to bed. He reminds me that I should not stay up so late - how's that for turn around.