Making M Li and Checking I T ice!
December 16, 2020
I a a e e ai a d c ea i e gge i ! Ne adi i , b e e i f ge hi h ida ea . M e ecia fa i .
MAR
Dear Friend
It s such a delight to hear from Mar (quote above) and doesn t she just capture this ear ... ne traditions, es, but also ones e ill not forget. For us, there are man traditions e ill not be able to enjo this ear and there are loved ones e on t see. Ed and I are thankful that our children can come home and of course, being ith them is our most treasured tradition.
Given that e on t be attending our annual gatherings ith friends, e ill be enjo ing breakfast, lunch. and dinner together at home ... ever da ! That s eight da s and about t ent -four meals in case ou re ondering! Ma be this is also true for man of ou. While I couldn t be more thrilled, I reali e this requires Ms. EE to plan ahead. As I ve done ith Jul 4th and Thanksgiving, I thought a glimpse of m plans might give ou a fe ideas for our o n famil gatherings. You ill notice a fe repeats from previous ne sletters. While I al a s tr to add a fe ne things, I often keep the tried and true that I could practicall prepare blindfolded. Whether ou are fe or man , I hope ou ll be inspired and equipped so that the holida s are merr , bright ... and let s all sa it together ... effo le !
We ve linked each EE recipe to our ebsite. Click the recipe and ou ll find a printer friendl version. I ve also given ou the page number if ou have the EE guide. (I hope ou do!) You ll see several recipes that aren t on the ebsite. Sta tuned ... I hope to share man of those in 2021!
B eakfa
I shared most of this in the Thanksgiving ne sletter, but feel like it s orth repeating. I rarel do breakfast. I like to provide hat people need and let them fend for themselves. M top go-to is the Egg and Sausage Casserole, page 260. Prep in advance, even cook in advance. It reheats ell. You can also prepare in muffin tins for a real grab-and-go. Another quick tip is edthedad s breakfast cup. Scramble t o eggs in a cup. Mi into the eggs hatever ou d like ... cooked crumbled bacon or sausage, cheese, pimento cheese (on the blog), salsa ... the sk s the limit. Cook in the micro ave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir again. Cook an additional 30 45 seconds. Done! Just have the ingredients on hand, and ever one can fi their o n. Make sure ou have toast, avocado, fruit, and ma be Blueberr Muffins, page 269 or Popp seed Bread, page 262. You re all set for a DIY breakfast. You ll notice on the Christmas Da menu, I am preparing the French Toast Casserole. M sister-in-la , Li shared this recipe. It is divine and decadent!
L ch ...
Again, I m repeating m Thanksgiving eek s advice. Ever one is prett much on their o n, but I make sure the have ever thing the need to make a umm lunch. Reubens and an other sand ich grilled on a griddle and served ith Chicken Chili, page 252, Bruns ick Ste , page 244, or Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, on the blog. I alread have these in m free er and read to go. For the Reubens: pastrami or turke pastrami YUM!, s iss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing (make our o n it s eas !), r e bread, or m favorite Dave s Thin-Sliced Good Seed Bread. Butter the bread and grill on the stovetop or a griddle. An variation of this ill do ... roast beef and provolone, ham and s iss, pastrami and s iss, or ho about just pimento cheese (on the blog). Honestl , hat s not to love. You ill be a hero! Whatever ou do, don t bu lo - fat cheeses the are terrible. And don t forget the chips!
C ck ail , Di e , a d De e
For cocktails, champagne on silver tra s is one of m Christmas favorites. We also like to ja it up a bit ith a Kir Ro ale or French 75. Tis the season for special things!
As for the eggnog, it has been so much fun the last fe ears to hear from those of ou ho also make ours from scratch. Our recipe comes from Ed s mother, Jane and I can t even describe the fun he and our children have making the nog. Just like hen Ed and his brother, Chris made it ith Jane, there is a lot of giggling as the add a little more spirit!
For dinner, I tr to keep each night simple and include things I can prepare in advance. Most ever night, dessert is DIY. I must confess, the eggnog is a famil after dinner favorite during Christmas. And ... e do have it ith breakfast on Christmas morning. It s true!
The one dessert I ill prepare is Amaretto Cheesecake for Christmas Eve. Lile the eggnog, it s a famil tradition. I promise, this recipe is super simple and ou trul can t mess it up. You ill love it!
I pra that our famil ill enjo old traditions and ne that more than an thing the Spirit of this season is ith ou.
Blessings to ou and ours for a happ and hol Christmas,
Follo EE on Instagram and Facebook Christmas Week Game Plan
O Ha d S da , 12/20
Three Cheese Pimento Cheese, Spinach and Artichoke Spread, Blog page 171 Charcuterie (cheese, meats, olives, Salmon (Louise and Jim Bonner) etc) Roasted Potatoes, Blog Crudit (hummus, veggies) Peas and Pancetta, Blog Salsa and Chips Avocado M da , 12/21 Fruit Ice cream Fromage Blanc Ginger Squares Skier s Delight Pasta Ir in s Super Bro nies, page 177 Salad L nn Pitts Pound Cake T e da , 12/22 B ea fa DIY Crabmeat on Endive, page 145 Ed s Egg Cups, Blog Baked Pasta Casserole, page 138 Marcia Smart s Prosciutto Egg Cups @smartinthekitchen Wed e da , 12/23 Blueberr Muffins, page 269 Pumpkin Bread from Mar Anne Make our o n pi a! Popp seed Bread, page 262 Salad
L che DIY Th da , 12/24 Ch a
Sand iches (Turke Breast, Turke E e Pastrami, Reubens) Quinoa Tabouli Salmon Tartare, Blog Tomato Bruschetta, page 137 De e DIY Beef Tenderloin, Blog Scalloped Potatoes, Blog Bro nies, Pound Cake, Ice Cream Mi ed Lettuces ith Sherr Vinaigrette, Blog C c a Amaretto Cheesecake, Blog
Eggnog, of course! F da , 12/25 Ch a Da ! Kir Ro ale, page 311 Brunch French 75, Blog Cosmo, Blog French Toast Casserole, page 267 M ka Meier s Cand Cane Dinner Cocktail @m kameier Chicken Chili, page 249 Grilled Sand iches Sa da , 12/19 Sa da , 12/26
Shrimp Dip Asparagus and Prosciutto, page 161 Gru ere Pork Chops (modif grill Ina s Baked Fontina Herbs and finish in the oven cheese Short Ribs and Polenta mi ture), page 182 DeeDee s Salad, page 132 Rice Blend, page 131 Sour Cream Rolls, Blog Roasted Carrots Amaretto Cheesecake, Blog
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Just anted to tell ou ho much I am enjo ing Effortless Entertaining! I used the recipes for chicken chili and sour cream cheese muffins last night. M husband told me it s the best meal I e e er made ( e e been married 11 ears!). Of course, I used cloth napkins and made it a special meal, gi en our suggestions in the book. It as fun!
C
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Eff le E e ai i g® DeeDee Dalr mple .M EffortlessEntertaining.com
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