Filet Mignon with Creamy Leek and Green Peppercorn Sauce + Kansas City Steak #GIVEAWAY

The holidays are all about bringing out your best and indulging in all your favorite recipes and flavors. My indulgently creamy fresh green peppercorn sauce is a traditional companion to steak. I couldn’t help but add and my other favorite filet mignon companion, leeks, to the creamy sauce. The bite of the bourbon and the tang of the brine-soaked green peppercorns offset the richness of the cream.

It is the perfect topping to your favorite steak and you just happen to be in luck… scroll down for the recipe and further details on the Kansas City Steak Company giveaway.

Crisp weather calls for cozy gatherings and great gifts to show loved ones how much you care. The Kansas City Steak Company adds the perfect touch to any celebration – big or small – and makes the perfect gift for your favorite steak lover! Check out their top sellers and learn how you can win your own filets!

KC Signature Gift Boxed Steak Combo

Includes Super-Trimmed Boneless Ribeye Steaks, Filet Mignon and Kansas City Strip Steaks. Plus, Steak and Prime Rib Seasoning packet and The Kansas City Steak Book.

Four 6 oz. Super-Trimmed™ Filets

This filet mignon is king — butter-tender, cut from the center of the finest aged tenderloin and hand selected from premium corn-fed Kansas beef.

Filet Mignon with Creamy Leek and Green Peppercorn Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh green peppercorns {packed in brine}
2 leeks, thinly sliced, well washed
2 tablespoons bourbon / whiskey
1/2 cup heavy {whipping} cream
Salt, as needed
METHOD

After cooking your filet, remove from pan to rest.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water to pan and using a flat spatula, scrap bits from bottom of pan and bring to a simmer. Add green pepper corns and leeks. Simmer for 5 minutes to soften leeks.

Add bourbon, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from heat and slowly add in heavy cream, stirring continuously. Place back on heat and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until cream sauce begins to thicken. Taste. Add salt as needed.

Entertaining Tip:: Make this sauce ahead of time. Prepare a batch and refrigerated in an airtight container a day in advance. To reheat, transfer to a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently.

Kansas City Steaks Holiday 2016

See the full sweepstakes rules HERE.

Disclosure Statement ~ For recipes, more gift ideas and special offers and more visit the Kansas City Steak Company website. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kansas City Steak, thank you for supporting the companies that make this blog possible!

December 13, 2016April 12, 2022

5 Secrets To Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House

Your social calendar is filling up but you promised yourself you would make the time to host a Holiday Open House this year. What is a hostess to do?? Not to fear. My 5 Secrets to hosting a successful holiday open house is here to get you through with ease. Simply set the date, send out the invites and follow my 5 tips for hosting a Holiday Open House. #HolidayGoals coming true!

Secret #1 to Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House :: Plan Ahead

I know… I just told you that you can do this with only weeks left in the holiday entertaining season, and now I am talking about planning! Don’t worry. You’ve got this but you still need to put in a little planning time. Believe me, an hour planning makes for an entire night full of a low stress holiday open house.

Set aside 1 – 1 1/2 hours tomorrow to create a quick guest list, a basic time-line and easy menu. With it on paper you now have a guide for planning your holiday open house.

Secret #2 to Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House :: Show Them the Green Stuff

NO, I am not talking anything illegal or even about money. I am talking about live greens, evergreens, boxwoods and other cuttings from either your own garden or purchased at the local market.

I have been hosting, planning and decorating holiday gatherings for over 20 years so take it from me, live greens go a long way. It must be something to do with bringing nature inside, the scent of pine filling your home, their intense texture or the variety of colors that is an immediate WOW factor. Use live greens at your entranceway, on your tablescape and mixed with cut flowers placed in a vase – they will transform your space into a winter wonderland guaranteed.

Secret #3 to Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House :: Bring Out the Bling

Decorating during the holiday season is all about metallics, glitter and using “the good stuff” so don’t be afraid to mix metallic serveware and your favorite flatware for your open house, or for the entire holiday season.

My new obsession… this hammered copper flatware by Argent Orfèvres for Hampton Forge. Seriously. I am completely in love with this pattern and it is now my must-have for my holiday season. It actually makes me smile when I open my flatware drawer – no joke!

Copper pairs perfectly with all metals especially the latest trends in kitchen hardware – gold, black metal, rose gold and copper. Have you seen all the copper small appliances hitting markets these days? Get a jump on the trend with your own set of Argent Orfèvres Paris Hammered Copper flatware.

Secret #4 to Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House :: Serve Punch!

One of my best friends is all about bringing retro back and what is more Retro Rad around the holidays than a big bowl of punch!

This year I am serving up a wintery spice Wassail at my holiday open house. Make up a big batch and let guest serve themselves. It looks incredibly festive on your bar and taste just as good!

Secret #5 to Hosting a Successful Holiday Open House :: Set It + Forget It

Secret #5 could be my number one secret for hosting a successful holiday open house – set it and forget it. Ok, maybe don’t completely forget about it but you get my gist.

By selecting menu items that can stand being at room temperature during the span of your party, you allow your self time to mix and mingle in between refreshing and replenishing your apps. Serve a cheese + charcuterie platter, mini quiches and a lovely seafood bite – it is the holidays after all, splurge a bit on one or two items then fill in with less pricey and more filling options.

I hope these tips help you feel more comfortable + confident hosting your own holiday open house this season.

If you have ANY questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me via email, Instagram, Twitter or your favorite social media platform with questions – I am more than happy to answer them all!

Happy Entertaining!!

A little more about my favorite new flatwareArgent Orfèvres Paris Hammered Copper .

Created in premium 18/10 stainless steel with an artist’s eye and jeweler’s attention to detail, Argent Orfèvres Paris Hammered Copper surprises with precious metal finishes, sophisticated textures and inspired forms that elevate the experience of fine dining. The lux Argent Orfèvres brand’s expressive design is perfect for this holiday season! We hope everyone who invites Argent into their home and on to their tabletop this season will feel as decadent and magnificent as the flatware itself!

Disclosure Statement: This post is sponsored by Hampton Forge in conjunction with a social media campaign. Although I was compensated, I truly am a HUGE fan of their beautiful flatware – all opinions are my own.

December 12, 2016December 12, 2016

Wassail Holiday Open House Punch

One of my favorite ways to gather with friends and family during the holiday’s is by hosting a Holiday Open House and what better way to greet guests than with a bowl full of Holiday Wassail punch.

WASSAIL defined

NOUN

1 Spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve:

1.1 Lively and noisy festivities involving the drinking of plentiful amounts of alcohol; revelry:

VERB

[NO OBJECT]archaic

1 Drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way:

1.1historical :: drink to (fruit trees, typically apple trees) in a custom intended to ensure a fruitful crop:

2 Go from house to house at Christmas singing carols:

{as defined by OxfordDictionary.com}

As with many traditions the folklore surrounding it varies and evolves over time… especially when there is alcohol involved.

As I attempted to dig deeper into the drink and the activity around this holiday punch, my favorite of the wassail traditions rose to the top. Tradition has it that the spiced cider was offered as an ancient honor to the trees in the hopes of a plentiful harvest the following year.

“In wintertime, wassailers would prepare the traditional wassail – soaking pieces of bread, cake or toast in it – and travel from apple orchard to apple orchard in effort to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Wassail-soaked pieces of bread or toast were then buried at the trees’ roots or hung in the trees’ branches to appease the tree spirits and feed them well until the next harvest.”

Other stories talk of revelers walking from pub to pub singing, or some holding bowls of wassail in the streets and selling cups to those who passed by for pennies. All I am sure have some truth to them and simply make the tradition wassail all the more intriguing to me.

Along with the many different stories as to the origin, it seems no two recipes for Wassail are quite alike. All generally contain apples and spices in some combination, eggs, egg-free, cream, cream-free, with out with ale, sherry, Bourbon, Whiskey and the list goes on. A few recipes require the use of slow cookers and a few traditionalist only serve Wassail warm.

I recently hosted a holiday open house and served my Wassail chilled with frozen cranberries, spices and orange slices as floating garnish. It looked super festive on the bar and was a huge hit with guests of all ages. {I may have consumed more than others, but thats the fun of being the host right!?}

My suggestion… Fill a large punch bowl with a non-alcoholic batch to offer to all your guests as they enter then let them add their favorite spirit as they wish.

Holiday Wassail Punch Recipe

INGREDIENTS

6 cups apple cider
1 cup orange juice
4 cinnamon sticks, plus additional
6-8 whole star anise, plus additional
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch of allspice
Bourbon or whiskey – optional

Garnish: optional but recommended
cinnamon sticks
star anise
pomegranate seeds
orange zest/slices
whole cranberries

METHOD

In a large dutch oven, bring all of the ingredients to a low boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for a few hours. Strain. Serve hot or cold; spike with bourbon/whiskey, if desired.
Garnish with whole cinnamon sticks, star anise and orange slices.

SERVES 6

Looking for a new holiday punch but not familiar with the term Wassail or the verb wassailing? Listen in to this youtube video.

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016

The Gift She is Sure to Love …

I am Hunter Boot deep in my busy home + event decorating season and it hit me just this morning that Christmas is only two weeks away. OK … as of today we have 16 days left to be exact, but take away today, any traveling days you need to reach Grandmother’s house, plus that day you need to spend getting yourself ready for the upcoming neighborhood / corporate / client holiday party and we are down to 2 weeks.

And yes, I had that moment of panic + anxiety.

With nothing under our tree, except a tree skirt and the pine needles that have already fallen, I sat down to create my holiday list.

Please tell me I am not the only one…

As I created my list of loved ones, I realized I have several newly weds and/or new-ish homeowners on my list this year. It occurred to me that you may have a few as well. Perhaps a good friend, a daughter, a niece or a daughter-in-law who is still trying to pull her home together, still collecting + searching for the perfect pieces.

A lightbulb went off above my head – my Seasonal Home Box would be PERFECT for these lovelies on your list!

What could be better? Let me spend my time shopping for the perfect items for their homes and let YOU look like the hero {insert best aunt, mother-in-law, boss, mentor, etc.. as it pertains to you}!

So let me do the work for you? I am pretty sure you have other things to cross off your holiday checklist – most likely things you are better at handling than running from busy parking lot to busy parking lot.

Let me search for new home decor trends, shop for the best brands and spend the time waiting in line while you simply press a button to send a box filled with speciality seasonal items ready to be unwrapped.

My seasonal home subscription box is an effortless home styling service to make sure every home looks it’s best every season without you having to deal with spending hours searching + shopping for those perfect pieces.

Click HERE to send either a Holiday Home Box or a take advantage of the specially priced Annual Seasonal Home Box Membership, or keep reading to learn more…

HOW DOES THE SEASONAL HOME BOX MEMBERSHIP WORK?

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

Each limited release box is unique, hand-picked with you in mind and delivered to your {or your recipients} door – available quarterly for the season or for the entire year, a new box shipping each of the four seasons. While the products inside vary, I promise to select quality items I have brought into my own home for the season.

Examples of items included are seasonal candles, kitchen accents, accent pillow covers, tablescape decor, a favorite book, seasonal entertaining must have’s or gifting trends. Many will be items I find my self replacing or swapping out each season now. Don’t let Christmas sneak up on you too!

Send either a one Season Gift {you pick Winter 2016 or Spring 2017} OR select to send a Full Year Membership including 4 shipments. Buy yours HERE.

After purchase you will receive an email requesting further details on shipping + welcome card wording. Find out more HERE.

P.S. ~ or perhaps… press “forward” and let someone make YOUR holiday dreams come true when they purchase my Seasonal Home Box for YOU. A little hint never hurt… right?

November 20, 2016April 3, 2023

Mini Stuffing Muffins {#SundaySupper}

Stuffing is one of the most popular dishes of a Thanksgiving meal, I thought why not try making it as fun appetizer bites served before the big meal OR as a fun twist on leftover stuffing recipe served Thanksgiving night or the next day.

You can use this recipe with any stuffing recipe or leftovers, the key is to add back in moisture then bake the muffins to ensure they stick together.

Serve your mini stuffing muffins with the a side of cranberry relish for a tangy fruity and colorful topping.

MINI STUFFING MUFFINS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage
1 cup stock, chicken/turkey or vegetable
1/2 cup dried cranberries, rough chopped
4 cups stuffing – left over or pre-made

METHHOD

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 12-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet melt butter, add sage and cook on medium heat until sage begins to crisp.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Add chopped cranberries to liquid and allow to cook on medium for 2-3 minutes or until cranberries begin to absorb liquid.
Pack the stuffing into the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack and let stand for 5 minutes. Loosen the muffins with a sharp paring knife and lift them out.
Serve warm with Cranberry Relish.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or it is your first time hosting Thanksgiving the number of details to keep track of can be daunting to say the least. You need the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planning Checklist.Get yours HERE.

How to Use Holiday Leftovers

Everyone loves the holidays, but often we’re left with way too much food. This week the Sunday Supper Community helps us spice up our leftovers and turn them into new and exciting dishes!

Thank you Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure, for hosting.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

September 20, 2016August 25, 2020

Mary’s Maine Bars l #OXOGoodCookies

Cooler days have me craving warm beverages, the cozy flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg + spice and getting back into the kitchen. But you know any time I am in the kitchen it is time for a get together with friends. The perfect excuse to host a tea party and bake up a batch of Mary’s Maine Bars.

Tea Party Menu

:: :: ::

Variety of Hot Teas

Smoked Salmon + Dill Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber + Butter Tea Sandwiches

Mary’s Maine Spice Bars

Yes, cooler weather alone is reason enough bake but when I learned about Cookies For Kids’ Cancer and the partnership between Dorie Greenspan + OXO I had to roll up my sleeves and dust off my apron.

“Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by two OXO employees when their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with childhood cancer in 2007. Larry and Gretchen Witt pledged to support the funding of research for safer, more effective treatments for children battling cancer. With the help of 250 volunteers, Gretchen baked and sold 96,000 cookies, raising more than $400,000 for research.”

Each year, OXO continues to support the organization by donating $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This year OXO is also working with bloggers to showcase cookie recipes and will donate $100 per blog post in support of the cause. OXO is highlighting cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s new book, Dorie’s Cookies, which features over 200 recipes from classics to brownies to savory cookies.

With the help of my OXO baking tools making Mary’s Main Bars was a breeze! I loved working with both the Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid and the Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid. Each is made from BPA-free borosilicate glass and can withstand extreme temperature changes. Generous handles and sloshproof lids make moving full dishes easier, and the clean, elegant design means you can take them from the oven directly to the family table.

And the Brownie Spatula made cutting and serving the bars easy and the perfect size for my tea party.

However, what I did not expect is how much I really enjoyed using the Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer! No joke. Who would have thought a light on the front of a blender would be that useful!! “With a light to guide you, OXO On Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer includes intuitive digital controls to steadily increase or decrease speed. When you’re finished, the on-board beater clip, wrap-and-secure cord, and flat, stable base allow for compact, upright storage.”

For a step-by-step demo of the Mary’s Maine Bar recipe, you can watch my video tutorial below. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and never miss a recipe or design idea! {It’s free!}

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Disclaimer Statement :: This post is being sponsored by OXO in a partnership with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer {OXO will generously donate $100 in my name during the program to reach their goal of $100,000 commitment}. I did NOT receive any compensation for this post, I received OXO baking tools to help me create Mary’s Main Bars by working smarter not harder.

January 25, 2016August 25, 2020

Snowed In. Staying Cozy On A Snow Day.

This weekend as Jonas hit the Northeast and thousands of people where snowed in and homebound beneath 20 + inches of snow, we too grabbed our blankets, cuddled up on the couch, turned on the weather channel and imagined were snowed in. Perhaps its growing up in the Northeast, with the long grey winters broken up by the excitement of a magical snow day, it is one of those few childhood thrills you never really lose – thank god there are a handful left.

We received pictures from friends “back home” of their towns, backyards, and talked about storms from the past. In the midst of the weekend it was finally time to take down the Christmas tree so we brought up the numerous plastic bins, stoked our fireplace, opened a bottle of bubbly and agreed that we would both volunteer for the shoveling program if we were just a few hundred miles closer to the snowfall.

Or maybe we would create a backyard fire pit on the sledging hill like Happy Little Messes did a few storms back… that actually sounds like the best idea so far,

All this winter talk got me thinking… what are my favorite things about winter and snow days. What little touches around the house and home make them special to me…

Getting Cozy On A Snow Day

This year I bought a cozy cable knit blanket for our bed and although I knew I would love it, I was surprised to hear how much we both love it! Goes to show you, everyone loves to get cozy. Grab your own blanket from Crane and Canopy and add it to your bed for the winter.

I like to continue a theme through a room or through the house. Choose a cable knit throw pillow for the bed or couch for laying your head on while watching a movie marathon. Urban Outfitters has them in two snowy colors to pick from.

Cozy In The Kitchen On A Snow Day

Why is it snow days bring out the cook and baker in us all. It is either the fact that you know you can’t go anywhere so you better start creating in order to eat, or perhaps it is a hidden memory of mom’s cooking ready to warm and sooth you when you came in from a day on the sledding hill. My Copper Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer is always ready to do the job rain, snow or shine.

Of course you know I am going to have an opinion on what bowls, plates and mugs should be used on a snow day at home! One of our favorites around the house is our Jasper Conran mugs. We have them in white china but for a wintery day… love the casual collection in Blue + Biscuit. Actually it is perfect for all seasons but we are talking cozy on the couch with a warm Navy Bean + Kale Soup kind of bowls, and these do not disappoint.

Cozy In The “Home Spa” On A Snow Day

Over the weekend I took several baths using a few of my favorite essential oils, soaps and products. Is it me or does it seem extra special to take a bath in the middle of the day?

Lavender is my go to essential oil for my baths and luckily I have a resource that I know is farmed by two gentlemen who care about their products, the earth and running a quality small farm. Carousel Garden Lavender Farm in Bucks County is a very special place that grows it’s own lavender, has it’s own honey bees – and honey – and could be one of my favorite places to stroll on a spring or summer day. Since I can’t always make it to the farm when I am in the area, the lavender oil and culinary lavender take me there in spirit.

Is there anything more cozy than a warm robe… I think not. I realized this weekend that mine needs to be replaced and I am eyeing up this cozy Faux Fur Robe from Pottery Barn as my new version. Which color do you think goes best with my couch?

What To Read On A Cozy Snow Day

Two of my favorite books to re-read on a winter day are

Julia Child, My Life In France – I have read it several time and can assure you it is a true pleasure to read about Julia’s time spent in France. It will have you back at the kitchen mixer in no time!

My second suggestion is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. Truth be told I just opened this one up however, it comes to me from a friend who says it is a good easy read – just want I am looking for this time of year when I have little time to read but still looking for an occasional escape.

And there you are, just of my favorite ways to stay cozy in doors during your next snow day.

December 31, 2015April 12, 2022

A Lustrous Holiday Entertaining Event at West Elm

I love sharing ideas about holiday entertaining and even more when it is in a a beautiful and inspirational venue like a West Elm shop! Recently I co-hosted a Lustrous Holiday Event at the West Elm Hyde Park location in Tampa, FL where we offered ideas about incorporating trends into your holiday style such as a Modern Relish Tray, a Raspberry Mocktail Punch and Metallic tablescapes with personalized votives.

My co-hostess with the mostess Tabitha Blue, of Fresh Mommy Blog, welcomed the guests and discussed easy holiday wrapping ideas using craft paper – which we also covered the gorgeous West Elm tables with to protect them, but to also give them a cohesive look.

I discussed the idea of a Modern Relish Tray and how easy it is to pull together this fresh appetizer to welcome guests that looks and tastes delicious without filling them up and ruining their appetite for dinner. I was in heaven being able to utilize any items in the store to create platters and displays for the tables!

Guests sipped on a festive Raspberry Mocktail Punch as they enjoyed a fresh twist on Modern Relish Tray with Pickled Radishes and Cream Tofu + Lemon Herb Dip.

After a food preparation demonstration featuring the Tofu + Lemon Herb dip we moved onto our craft for the night! Lustrous Votives! Using plain glass votives metallic paints and decoupage techniques everyone created their own personalized look. And trust me this is a SUPER creative crowd so there were a few you could have sold in West Elm that night on the shelves!

These adhesive stencils from Martha Stewart made creating detailed patterns easy ~ some even created a matching set to take home for their holiday mantel.

Crafting is serious business! These ladies brought their A-Game for sure!

Of course no event is complete without prizes. West Elm generously donated fun drink mixers gifts, Tabitha offered coffee, candles and chic office tools from local Tamp Bay businesses and I donated a copy of my book An Appealing Plan – everyone went home with a prize AND a Hyde Park Village gift bag.

How cute is that belly bump!! Congrats to Tabitha and her family who are expecting their 4th child! Perhaps next year we will be crafting sippy cups to fill with the mocktail punch rather than votives….

Thanks to all the fabulous ladies who came out to taste, sip, craft and support this event – wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!

Thank you also to Tabitha for taking and sharing all the images in the post. Can’t wait until our next event.

{If you are interested in learning more about upcoming events please sign up for my newsletter here to receive updates to your inbox.}

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to allow ease of shopping for you ~ if you purchase something after following a link I may, or may not, earn a small commission on the product.

December 30, 2015February 4, 2016

Raspberry Mocktail Punch Recipe

I love my champers but when entertaining you must consider the needs of your guests and offer an non-alcoholic beverage. This Raspberry Mocktail Punch is fruity, festive and alcohol free.

A mocktail is great for non-drinkers as well as hydrating all your guests but be sure you don’t skip on flavor. Just because you are skipping the alcohol doesn’t mean you should skimp on taste – in fact your flavor is could be even more important in this mocktail punch recipe!

Using raspberry puree as the base for this punch you can add regular sparkling water or try a flavored water to add even more variety to your bar display. I’m a huge fan of the lime sparkling water so I always have it in the fridge and on display when I entertain. Provide glasses, ice and extra frozen raspberries for garnish.

To make your gathering even more stress free this raspberry punch mocktail can easily be enhanced with Champagne, Vodka or your favorite spirit. Keep it off to the side, well marked so there is no confusion and let guests add their own selections. I love a DIY bar!

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Thank you again to Tabitha FreshMommyBlog.com for taking and sharing the pictures from our recent West Elm Entertaining Event at the Hyde Park Tampa location.

December 23, 2015December 30, 2015

Creamy Tofu + Lemon Herb Dip For a Modern Relish Tray

Modern relish trays have come along way from the simple glass platter your Grandmother served before family dinners however, the concept that you are serving items that tend to be on the lighter side still holds true.

all photo credits in this feature :: Tabitha Blue of the fresh mommy blog

For most trays you will only serve one dip so the flavors should be special but not overpowering. A Creamy Tofu + Lemon Herb Dip is the perfect compliment to a platter filled with organic multicolored carrots, fresh sliced fennel, pickled radishes and a variety of interesting crackers.

I recently co-hosted an Lustrous Entertaining Event {full post link coming soon!} at West Elm and tried out the new recipe for the guests. The response was wonderful – especially to the secret ingredient, tofu! I have to admit, I have never made a dip from tofu but the texture was great – I used firm tofu so I needed to add every bit of the lemon juice, so if you select to use silkened the quantity may differ.

My more than able assistant {of course I pull up a health coach to help… she stole the show! Just kidding Natalia. Loved having you there!} whipped it up in no time flat and even messaged me later to get the recipe to make it for her family! Again positive response and that is coming from a 10 year old. Guests also enjoyed a Raspberry Mocktail Punch along with the Tofu + Lemon Herb Dip, so many great flavors!

[yumprint-recipe id=’21’] Thank you again to Tabitha Blue of the fresh mommy blog for taking and sharing the lovely photographs of the event.

December 19, 2015

Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

Wrapping Christmas gifts can be easy and chic with craft paper in white, chalkboard and traditional brown craft paper.

Craft paper rolls are inexpensive and can be found in craft stores but also in office supply store and with the addition of a few clothes pins and yarn you can quickly create chic custom Christmas wrapping.

Once the packages are wrapped in the craft paper use a hot glue gun to secure the clothespin and tuck a sprig of evergreen or rosemary in for a fragrant and festive detail. Use a metallic Sharpe to personalize the package.

Black chalkboard paper adds style and can be stamped with chalk ink in an endless variety of patterns. Add curly ribbon bow in the corner and place under the tree!

And, if you are looking for even more easy holiday entertaining ideas, check out An Appealing Plan the book.

I believe we are bringing back entertaining at home, lingering over a table after a lovingly prepared meal with friends. I am thrilled to be able to invite you on this journey with me through a year of celebrating every day. Filled with recipes, tablescapes, floral inspiration and seasonal entertaining ideas An Appealing Plan :: A Year of Everyday Celebrations. To learn more about An Appealing Plan :: A Year of Everyday Celebrations here.