Winter & Holiday Entertaining
This category offers tips, inspiration and solutions for Winter Gatherings.
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Beef Tenderloin With Braised Onions For Your Holiday Dinner
Growing up, Christmas Eve was the holiday dinner around the table in my house. My mom would create a wonderful menu, I would set the table with my sister and Grandmom Funch would arrive from New York, with her car filled with gifts, to stay over for the big night. The dinners were warm, cozy, full of anticipation and always incredibly tasty. To this day I love hosting Christmas Eve dinner – the night when the magic is so real you can feel it in the air. The question of what is to come is lingering and gathering friends and family around the table to celebrate at the peak of…
- CHRISTMAS, COCKTAILS, Dinner, ENTERTAINING, EVERYDAY LIVING, GATHERINGS, HOLIDAYS, RECIPES, Winter & Holiday Entertaining
Holiday Party Appetizer Idea: Mini Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Beef + Couscous
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” right? Except you have a million things to get done before the magic can really begin and that’s on top of attending holiday parties, gift wrapping and or course don’t forget, you still have to decorate your own home and tree. How about combining a few of your holiday tasks by hosting a Christmas Tree Trimming Party! In my opinion it is THE easiest way to see your friends AND ensure your tree is decorated well before Santa comes sliding down the chimney after Christmas Eve dinner. { visit The Florida CattleWomen on Facebook to learn more about how they are celebrating this year}…
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Champagne Selection + Pairing Ideas From My #ChampagneSisters
If you have been around here for any amount of time you know how much I love a glass of bubbly. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – they are all perfect occasions to pop open a bottle and fill up your flute. However, I find that I have been in a rut lately and am simply grabbing a bottle of one of my go to labels rather than branching out and try new vintages, regions and styles. So what is a girl to do when you are stuck in a rut and heading into the holiday entertaining season?? Ask your friends of course!! So that is exactly what I did! I reached…
- ENTERTAINING, EVERYDAY LIVING, Fall Entertaining, Floral Arrangements, FLOWERS, GATHERINGS, HOLIDAYS, SEASONAL DECORATING, TABLE IDEAS, THANKSGIVING, VIDEOS, Winter & Holiday Entertaining
Creating an Easy Holiday Centerpiece with Flowers + Candles
To me flowers make the table! I like to use unexpected vessels for my arrangements but occasionally they aren’t water tight. Here is my quick fix for that and a how-to for creating an easy holiday centerpiece with flowers and candles using a few of my favorite greens – Seeded Eucalyptus and Boxwood clippings as well as a mixture of colorful flowers – Blue Eryngium Thistle Super Nova, Purple Liatris and Orange Safflower Seed. Please feel free to use whatever flowers you find at the market or garden. Although I mention specific flowers and greens in this article, and in the video, the real take away is that you can create a base…
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Krayl’s Easy Holiday Cheese Board {#SundaySupper}
The holidays are almost here – literally they are only weeks away – and if you are considering entertaining at home now is the time to begin your holiday party menu. It may seem early but the sooner you pick your top go to appetizers the more relaxed you will feel about heading into the year’s most popular entertaining season. May I suggest putting an easy holiday cheese board at the top of your go to recipe list. Cheese boards are super easy to pull together and when you offer items sweet and savor on the board you will please almost everyone in the crowd. To create an easy holiday…
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Navy Bean + Kale Soup Recipe {#SundaySupper}
White Navy Beans and chicken broth form the base of this soup made with fresh kale, celery, carrots and tomatoes. Simmer this Navy Bean and Kale Soup on the stove and warm up the kitchen as well as your family for dinner time. According to lore…The navy bean got its current popular name because it was a staple food of the United States Navy in the early 20th century. These small white beans are available year-round in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Canned navy beans are also available year round at most markets. Navy beans are small, pea-sized beans that are creamy white in color. They are mild-flavored beans that are…
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Bailey’s Bonfire Spiked Warm Milk + Chocolate
Few things can warm you through to your toes after a day on the slopes like a Bailey’s Spiked Warm Milk. This version adds a toasted marshmallow sweetness to the top layer along with shaved dark chocolate. Sip as you watch the flurries out the window. If you are feeling really decadent, try adding a dash of cardamom to the milk mixture or even drop a few chocolate chips in. BAILEY’S BONFIRE COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS 3 cups whole milk 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur large marshmallows dark chocolate shavings METHOD In a small saucepan, add milk and Bailey’s. Turn on medium heat and let mixture warm up. Stir to combine…
- Floral Arrangements, FLOWERS, GATHERINGS, TABLE IDEAS, VALENTINES DAY, Winter & Holiday Entertaining
Pink Rustic Flower Arrangement
In this segment of An Appealing Plan TV I create a pink rustic floral arrangement perfect for a pink themed table, a girlfriends brunch or a romantic valentines meal for two. Using a combination of pink flowers with various textures it is possible to create a romantic feeling centerpiece for your dining table or to be placed in any room of your home to add a natural beauty. Allow the colors and textures of the flowers to dictate the feel of your arrangement rather than forcing it – this lends itself to an overall vintage tablesetting. Using coordinating colors in your napkins, dinnerware and glassware brings a calm feel to…
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New Year’s Eve Champagne Cocktails
Whether your New Year’s Eve plans include a large gathering or a more intimate evening for two, Champagne cocktails create a festive atmosphere that will last well past 12:01 am. Here are a few variations sure to add a signature touch to your evening, be sure to click through the links to see the full recipes! {image + recipe courtesy of Kitchen Konfidence} ST. GERMAIN + CHAMPAGNE INGREDIENTS St. Germain, chilled Brut champagne (or any other dry sparkling wine), chilled See full recipe :: Kitchen Konfidence {image + recipe courtesy of Something Turquoise} RASPBERRY SPARKLER INGREDIENTS Fresh raspberries Raspberry liqueur Brut champagne {or dry sparkling wine}, chilled See…
- CHRISTMAS, ENTERTAINING, GATHERINGS, HOLIDAYS, In the News, SEASONAL DECORATING, TABLE IDEAS, THANKSGIVING, Winter & Holiday Entertaining
Holiday Decor Feature in Tampa Bay Metro Magazine
Recently I worked with Tampa Bay METRO Magazine to put together The Joy of Entertaining decor feature for the November/December 2014 Issue – you might recall my Posh New Year’s Chic table for two was featured last year. I was able to narrowed it down to 5 of my favorite tables for Fall + Holiday, from there we still needed to bring it down to only 3! Luckily I didn’t have to make the final cut, I love them all equally! Ronda Parag, Publisher and Managing Editor, selected her top 3 for the final spread – 2 fall tablescapes {fresh from being featured in the new book} and one never before…
- EVERYDAY LIVING, SEASONAL DECORATING, SPECIAL PROMOTIONS, THANKSGIVING, Winter & Holiday Entertaining
Holiday Planning Essentials Webinar: Harvest + Thanksgiving
Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Planning a Harvest Dinner party? Or perhaps your are simply looking to bring this season of bounty into your home with seasonal decor. As much as we love the holiday season it can be a little overwhelming when it comes to juggling work, family, the house and all the planning. You work hard, the last thing you want is to feel behind on planning the holiday details. Let’s get a jump on the planning! Join me for a FREE Holiday Planning Essentials webinar with a focus on Thanksgiving + Harvest. Spaces are limited so be sure to reserve your spot today by visiting…
