Category Archives: Entertaining

My Dream Thanksgiving Menu

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Ashley at This Valley Life had a great idea to put together a dream Thanksgiving meal. I too dream of hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but it doesn’t necessarily work when you live in a condo. Since we’re talking dream menu here, I’m going to go a little non-traditional. I suggested foregoing the turkey this year, after we had already finalized the menu — d’oh! — and while it was well received, we were so used to the traditional menu that we ended up sticking with it because we didn’t know what else we would do.

I can picture this dinner now, probably about two years in the future, with family and friends around the table in our fabulous new house…

Beef Bourguignon

Image via bobbimccormick.com 

Julia Child knows what’s what. Ever since Bobbi made this, I have been dying to try it myself. It seems more cozy and fancy than turkey, which can be dry and boring. (Although, Matt’s parents fry their turkey, which makes it nice and juicy.)

Salad with Mustard Pomegranate Dressing

Last year, my Mom and I took full advantage of my brother’s pomegranate tree. It’s a unique fruit in that it’s so tart and fun — you’d be surprised by how versatile it is. Last year we made a pork tenderloin and ended up using the sauce as a salad dressing too. Yum!

Giada’s Couscous

I’m making it this year, as I shared before, so obviously I think the light and crunchy dish would be the perfect complement to the other rich flavors of fall.

Gran Evan’s Corn Bread Dressing

This is actually for Matt. Even though there’s no turkey in my dream menu and I don’t particularly care for stuffing/dressing, I want my man to be full and happy, and this is his favorite dish at Thanksgiving. Recipe to come!

Crispy Potato Roast

This is slightly cheating, but Ashley posted this crispy potato roast by Martha in her original post and now I’m making it this year. I can’t wait!

Chocolate Truffles and French Vanilla Ice Cream

I’m not one to forget dessert, so I would choose chocolate truffles (also by Martha) with French vanilla ice cream. Newsflash: pumpkin and pecan pie are gross, so I think something small and bite sized would be just enough to top off your crazy big stuff-fest. Also, dessert should always have a chocolate option. ALWAYS! :) When I used to make these, I would do orange, mocha and peppermint flavors. So good!

That about wraps it up for this dream. What would you serve?

Tips for a Stress-Free Turkey Day

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I know it is only the Monday before Thanksgiving, but we just wanted to stop in with a few ways to spend the day stress free. Ready? OK! (Can you hear the cheerleader in me??) :)

Our Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner, 2011

  1. Don’t get turkey grease on you. According to my dad, it stains forever. He has lost his favorite pair of sweatpants and one T-shirt (two different Thanksgivings) to this phenomenon. Wear an apron. It’s that simple.
  2. Cook your turkey in a bag, if you are using the oven, that is. We cooked our turkey this weekend (a pre-Thanksgiving, if you may) in a Reynolds Wrap bag and it was browned and delicious!
  3. Make your centerpiece easy. Use vegetables, jars, and a cute tray, like Bobbi did, for a pretty centerpiece!

Turkey -- in a Bag!!

Any other tips for a stress-free Thanksgiving?

NewlyWife Likes #10

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Newlyweds and veteran old married folk will definitely remember the fair share of marriage advice they recieved when engaged. Some was solicited, some not. Some useful, some not. One of my favorite pieces of advice was about how you will always feel like you’re giving more than you get — otherwise known as the 90-10 rule.

This week’s NewlyWife Likes will start off with some interesting advice, from experts and from someone who isn’t even married yet. Then, of course, we’ll throw in some fun stuff like always.

  • Ask the Experts: Glo has compiled advice from marriage experts asking them to share with couples The One Thing You Should Know About Marriage. Advice ranges from “make it a choice” to “don’t cohabitate.” It all begs the question though, is there really an “expert” at marriage to be giving advice?
  • Consider the Non-Expert: You may have heard of Donald Miller, the author of “Blue Like Jazz.” He recently wrote marriage posts on his blog — one directed at men, the other at women — on how to improve your marriage. People took issue over one tiny detail … he isn’t even married yet, just engaged. Jo Hilder at Burnside Writers was one person took issue with this, and Miller’s posts have since been removed. She had some interesting things to say, including this snippet:

“The point is, you can speculate all you like about what you think your challenges in a marriage are likely to be, and prepare diligently for that. But not all the terrible things we went through were caused by things we could have foreseen. … The good parts of our marriage were not always a direct result of something we did that was right. The bad parts of our marriage were not always a direct result of something we did that was wrong.”

  • Hanging With Ms. Coop-er: Okay, that was really a bad little lead-in. Basically, the awesome Karen (whose last name I don’t think is Cooper) of The Art of Doing Stuff has finally finished her chicken coop. To be honest, I know she had worked a long time on it and didn’t really expect much. These chickens got the hook up! Check out her amazing coop! Almost makes me want chickens. Almost.

CoopFirst copy

  •  Party On, Wayne: At our Christmas Party, we had a fun photobooth with fun masks. Here are some more FREE ones, that can spice up any get together. Or, just bring them for the office. :) Thanks to Oh Happy Day for these and more freebies!

 

Remember, if you have something to share that you think our readers would like, let us know!

Harry Potter Movie Night

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I’m a little late in the game when it comes to Harry Potter fans. Last November we went on over to Florida and made a stop at Universal Studios and Disney World. At Universal, we went to Harry Potter World and there I decided that I should really see the movies. Then, after watching the movies, I listened to the audio books. Now is my last chance to be a fan, so I may or may not be wearing a lightning bolt scar and Gryffindor colors tonight when I see the last installment on the big screen.

Sippin on some butterbeer at Hogwarts. No bigs.

Had I thought about it in advance, I would have put together a party before the big showing. Instead, here’s a little inspiration for those of you wanting to throw a Harry Potter Movie Night Party for your pre-HP 7.2 marathon.

(Gryffindor pennant, glasses, butterbeer cupcakes, Bertie Bott’s Beans, cauldron)

Is anyone else joining me tonight or has anyone already seen it at the midnight showing? No spoilers! Oh wait, I’ve already read the book… ;)

Spring Clothing Swap

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Need to clean out some space in your closet? Want to add a few more things to your wardrobe for free? Accomplish both (although I make no promises about extra space in your closet) with a clothing swap with your friends. Bobbi invited me to a clothing swap with a few of her friends the other day, and I brought my sister (in law) along. The premise is simple: bring clothes you do not want, and swap them for your friends clothes that they do not want — but you do!

Caitlin showing off the clothes that she brought to swap!

I have heard about these parties for a while, but this was the first time that I actually got to attend one. It was a lot of fun. We did not really have any rules, but I remember hearing about other parties that did.

Another table loaded up with items to swap...

Tips for a Successful Clothing Swap:

  • Bring clothes that you actually like (somewhat).  Something that you do not like from Aunt Suzie might be the best fit for your friend Jenna.  However, you want your clothes to be relatively free of stains and holes.  Remember that you want others to take your clothes, not pass by them in disgust!
  • Plan your guest list — we had around 12 and it seemed like a great number.  There was a large quantity of clothing, but we quickly ran out of space to display the items on.  If we had one or two more guests, it would have been okay, but many more would have just been too busy.
  • Set out an assorted array of appetizers and drinks. Finger foods are great for a party like this, because it keeps you free of a plate that you have to keep from dropping on clothes!
  • Make up your own rules. Like I said, we did not really have any rules and it worked out fine.  Some people have tickets, so you get a “ticket” for each item that you bring.  That way someone cannot show up with one item and take home twenty.  We had a nice group of women who were generous and not trying to sneakily steal a bunch of things.
  • Decide what to do with the leftovers.  We ended up with a few bags worth of extra items after everyone picked things out.  I happened to be having a garage sale, so the girls just let me take all the extras.  The other plan was to donate them to the Goodwill.

Caitlin and Bobbi showing off some sweet selections with me!

There you have it.  A fun way to get a whole new wardrobe — or at least a few cute new pieces!  Have you ever participated in one of these?  I highly recommend it!  If you want to see a few items that I brought — and left with, come back later today.

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