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Posts Tagged ‘Savvy Entertaining’

Elegant New Year’s Dessert

Posted in Desserts, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, Puddings and Custards, tagged , , on December 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

bubbly-dessertIf you’re looking for an elegant show-stopping dessert to ring in the new year, this one definitely fits the bill.

Simple and beautiful, your guests will be wowed!

Bubbly Dessert

1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin

2 cups cold white grape juice, divided

2 tbsp. sugar

2 cups club soda or champagne

8 fresh strawberries or raspberries

In a small saucepan, sprinkled gelatin over 1 cup of the cold grape juice. Let stand for one minute. Heat over low heat stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in sugar. Remove from heat, stir in remaining grape juice. Cool to room temperature.

Transfer gelatin mixture to a large bowl. Slowly stir in soda or champagne. Pour half of the mixture into eight champagne or parfait glasses. Add a berry to each glass (if using a strawberry, remove hulls first). Chill glasses and remaining gelatin mixture until almost set, about an hour.

Place the reserved gelatin mixture in a blender, cover and process until foamy. Pour into glasses. Chill for three hours or until set.

Makes 8 servings.

 

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Best Pie Crust

Posted in Desserts, Entertaining at Home, Pie, Recipes, tagged , , on December 27, 2013| 2 Comments »

Drizzle on some caramel sauce and enjoy!

Because my dad has never met a pie he hasn’t liked  – I’m sharing this easy pie crust recipe. It is the best ever!

Ingredients for the best pie dough ever!

Combine dry ingredients until coarse and crumbly.

After adding liquid, let the dough rest covered in the fridge for 45 minutes. Then roll out on a well-floured surface.

Ready for a pan.

I was nearly giddy at this point in the game because the crust was so easy to handle. Mine would have been in about 10 pieces of flaky messiness at this point with my old stand-by pie crust recipe.

Here’s what the bottom layer looks like with a beautiful berry filling. Did I mention we made three pies?

And the top crust goes on so easily. Yes, I am a big believer that a little butter is good and another pat or two is even better! There are no finished photos of the berry pie because Miz Sunshine grabbed it hot out of the oven and ran off to pick up little Miss Sunshine!

Vodka Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups  flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup cold vodka

1/4 cup cold water

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble coarse crumbs ). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

If, like me, you do not have a food processor, get ready to apply some arm muscle and work the dough together with either a fork or pastry cutter until all flour is mixed in and it is crumbly.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Generously flour a clean, flat surface and your rolling pin. Divide dough in half and roll out one half, turning dough over between rolls to keep from sticking to counter or surface. Place in a pie pan and fill with favorite filling or prick with a fork and bake shell until golden brown then fill.

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Overnight Oatmeal

Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, tagged , , on December 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

oatmeal finished

One of the best things on a cold winter morning (whole whopping four degrees at our house this morning) is to wake up to the cinnamony scent of oatmeal in the slow cooker.

Warm, filling, and delicious, it definitely makes a great start to a chilly day.

And it’s super easy – did I mention that?

Basic ingredients - although you need to use steel cut oats.

Basic ingredients – although you need to use steel cut oats.

Grease the inside of your slow cooker with butter or shortening. Add ingredients and cook on low for eight hours (overnight). Captain Cavedweller got to the oatmeal before I could take photos this morning, which is why the pot is half-empty.

Grease the inside of your slow cooker with butter or shortening. Add ingredients and cook on low for eight hours (overnight). Captain Cavedweller got to the oatmeal before I could take photos this morning, which is why the pot is half-empty.

Overnight Oatmeal

Shortening or Butter

1 cup milk

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup steel-cut oats

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

4 cups water

Generously grease a 5-6 quart slow cooker with shortening or butter.

Add milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and water. Gently stir in the oats, apples and butter. Cook, covered, on low for eight hours (or overnight). Serve with milk and your choice of toppings such as almonds, cranberries, chocolate chips, maple syrup, dollop of whipped cream.

NOTE: If you don’t like your apples crunchy, put them in a microwave safe bowl and cook covered for two to three minutes before adding them.

Serves approximately four.

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Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Posted in Entertaining Ideas, Thanksgiving, tagged , , , on November 25, 2013| 1 Comment »

white pumpkin tableIf you are hosting Thanksgiving this year and aren’t sure how to set your table, here are some ideas!

You can make the gathering as casual or as elegant as you like, there are no set rules you have to follow. The only rule I enforce is that you have a good  time!

To begin your tablescape design, think about the number of guests you will have attending and how formal the meal will be. Is it a laid-back crowd that would prefer something simple? Are the guests more of a fine-dining group who are comfortable with a formal place setting? Think about these things as you decide how ornate, or simple, to decorate your table.

For a casual thanksgiving gathering, you could place a table runner down the center of the table with a few candles, mini pumpkins and nuts as decoration. You could use placemats at each place setting.

Your everyday dishes can be made to look special when you layer them and add some fun accents to the table. Think about placing a large pinecone at each place setting and fastening a piece of thin wire around the top. Bend the wire to hold a small place card. This is a fun way to create a seating arrangement while adding a little pop of fun to each place setting.

For a more formal gathering, use a tablecloth. If you are worried about Uncle Fred spilling on your fine linen, use a washable and easy care table covering.

Haul out your good china or a more formal pattern if you have one. Create a beautiful centerpiece or arrangement. Make sure it is low to the table and not obstructing the view or put it up high enough that guests can see under it. You can do this by using a plant stand or small side table. It adds quite a bit of drama to your table. Make sure you have candles for added warmth. If you have cloth napkins, use them!  If you are using fresh flowers, make sure the smell is not overly strong. It will compete with the smells of your food and can even inhibit the taste. It is also a good idea to steer away from strong floral aromas in case some of your guests have allergies or may be sensitive to the odors.

If you want a table that is more formal than casual, but less stuffy than elegant, set your table with a cloth, add in a nice centerpiece, but make the place settings a bit more fun. If you have two or three dish patterns that go together (like a cream set and a brown set) mix and match the pieces. This works especially well if you don’t have enough of any one pattern to make it around the table.

However you decide to entertain this Thanksgiving, remember a little preparation goes a long way and that the most important thing is to connect with those who have gathered in your home. And don’t forget to be thankful for each face seated around the table!

For more autumn entertaining ideas, download your free copy of Savvy Entertaining. It’s available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and from ShannaHatfield.com

She Who Can’t Wait to Eat Pumpkin Pie

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