Holiday Entertaining..

When your house is decorated and the spirit moves you, be spontaneous and invite some friends over. Evite invitations make it easy to communicate, and for your guests to reply. Despite this busy time of year, I’m find it more relaxing to entertain than to keep ‘getting things done’. Celebrating the season with friends and family really is the best part of the holidays.

This past weekend, we invited about thirty guests to our home…kids included. The invitation was sent exactly a week in advance..and amazingly we had a nice group who could come. Here are some special touches for the evening..

..cinnamon and evergreen candles burning..
…fires in both fireplaces..
..plentiful and homey menu….artichoke canapés…beef shepherd’s pie, lentil shepherd’s pie , chicken and apple pie..a luscious holiday spinach salad with grapes and celery…English Trifle and chocolates.
…festive drinks…champagne to start followed by colorful martinis and special wines…
..coffee…and Clementine’s
…candles…candles…candles…and Christmas music throughout the house…
…packaged jars of dark chocolate covered almonds wrapped in sky blue and silver cellophane tied with ribbons to present to the guests as they left..

Spontaneous conversation, mixing young and old..new friends, super long time friends, family…sparkle..silver and gold…laughter…hugs and kisses…the last guest left at 1:30 a.m….and we tumbled off to bed.

The Choir Bake Sale!

I volunteered to bake a few things for my son’s bake sale after his concert tonight, so we decided to double dip and use the opportunity to do a photo shoot for the cookbook I’m writing. Why not? Baking is not as natural as cooking for me, so when I awoke at 5:00 this morning, I decided to get right to the baking before doing anything else!




The bake sale theme was old favorites- M & M dreamy rice krispy treats, over the top pineapple upside down cake, sour cream cinnamon walnut coffee cake, perfect every time chocolate chip cookie drops, cashew brittle and almost heart healthy oatmeal cherry bars. The rice krispy treats went first..then the coffee cake, then the cherry bars. Fun to see what people went for!


I’m not the neatest baker…when my husband awoke, the kitchen was a mess…flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and power, nuts, chocolate….all whirring together in the kitchen aid and on the counter..dishes, spatulas, whisks, more butter, more sugar…both ovens going and all is can say is the house smelled amazing!..and everything worked (I’m not that great at following a recipe- ) The coffee cake was baked about 3 minutes too long, and I could not bring myself to put in 1 C. of sour cream, so ½ C of yogurt, so I’m sure the decreased fat content made a difference in the moisture. ..I have to remember to PULL baked goods just before they are done, as they keep cooking.


Always thinking ahead, I decided to make the sponge cake for my English Trifle to be served on Saturday… since the baking pans were handy and the basic ingredients at my fingertips. Thankfully, my neighbor spotted me some cake flour which was not in my pantry…, and the cakes appear light and fluffy…and should be ready to soak up the copious amount of sherry I like to use in this festive dessert.

Candy Land Fantasies

Trying new ideas always gets me going...

Today it was the candy extravaganza we did for a client’s company party for 300 guests. I love it with vision meets reality! We used tall glass goblets, jars, martini glasses, silver platters and filled them with fantasy candy- what you would 

d r e a m   o f   a s   a   c h i l d  

and LOTS of it!

For décor, we added silver ornaments, fluffy cotton snow and ribbons.

To compliment the candy, we offered some of our decadent dessert bites and holiday finger pastries…

...and the savory stations included Italian Sausage Puffs, Sesame Chicken wrapped with pea pods with ancho chile dipping sauce , yummy holiday cheeses and spreads and the traditional healthy crunchy veggies..only we added jicama, asparagus, baby carrots and fennel to make it more interesting served them with a colorful spinach and red pepper dip.

Not to be forgotten, there was a Holiday Coffee Station with peppermint sticks and flavored whipped cream, along with a beautiful array of liqueurs to warm the tummy..martinis, cosmopolitans and local chilled artisan beer were nestled amongst the more traditional afternoon beverages (sodas and water bottles!) and consumed with gusto.

The event was a grand success!

All in the Name of Wellness

December tends to be a crazy month in the catering business. This is year number 32 for me. When my dad called a few weeks ago to challenge me to focus on my health and wellness, I accepted his challenge, and have dubbed December my WELLNESS month. Why not? This is the perfect foil to the time of year I both dread and eagerly await.

When there is not time for exercise, I'm finding it. I entered 3 early morning classes (total body conditioning/yoga/pilates) into my outlook calendar-and I'm going! I decided to resume a vegetarian lifestyle and eliminate meat and fish for the time being. No problem- this is helping me avoid the extra calories at the lavish cocktail parties of the season. I'm creating lists of what I want to accomplish, and just doing it! no need to wait until the last minute for holiday shopping, or to write thank you's to my staff for a job well done this year. I'm focused on the NOW..for instance, I try to extend an immediate thank you for an invitation, make a phone call when it comes to mind and keep focusing on the positive moments of the day.

All in the name of WELLNESS!

The vegetarian lifestyle has re appeared over the years, changing my cooking style each time. In my 53 years, about 15 have been vegan and vegetarian. I LOVE the new ideas that sprout..

today's lunch was brown rice, black beans, salsa, broccoli, some crunched up lime tortilla chips and mozzarella cheese..with a squeeze of lime juice. YUM! Last night was a giant sweet potato with poached apples and a huge salad with avocado, carrots, sunflower seeds, spinach and balsamic vinaigrette. Lunch yesterday was lentil soup and a version of huevos rancheros-

I heated up the panini maker, lay a whole grain tortilla on it, some grated manchego cheese, green peppers, hot sauce and two poached eggs. Delicious! I snacked on a banana with fresh ground peanut butter and a cup of mocha..made with ghiradelli dark chocolate.

I just cooked a batch of basmati brown rice, which I ll freeze in small batches and use in stir fries, soups, lentil loaf...

Tomorrow I'll see what ideas sound good- I've baked a spaghetti squash, made an old fashioned egg salad and stocked my fridge with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. Mango are in season..

Clementines are sweet...we are having a small holiday party on Saturday so I'm thinking ahead about that menu too.

...does everyone's life revolve around food? help!!

Broccoli Soup, A Winter Classic

I recently read an article on "healthy" soups. All of them broth based, mostly vegetarian and tofu, made with low sodium, fat free, lite, low fat ingredients.

*Phew!* It seems like an awful lot of work just to cook good food, doesn't it?

With the blizzard like conditions last night, I decided to test this theory with a hearty favorite- Cheesy Broccoli Soup.
But instead of cream, butter, cheese and sour cream... I switched it out for more flavorful, healthy options.

Broccoli Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 whole onion, diced
3 heads of garlic, minced
2 heads of broccoli, including peeled stems, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

In a large stockpot, drizzle olive oil and heat over medium. Add diced onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent. Add broccoli with chicken stock and water and cook until tender. Blend half of the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pot and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with cheddar cheese just before serving.

Simple? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.
The best part is- if you aren't a fan of lemon juice, change it out for chili powder. Have extra leeks or potatoes? Throw them in too!
Don't ever be held back by a recipe. Every new thing in the world of cooking was created by trying something new.

P l a y w i t h y o u r f o o d.

Sneaking in the Veggies

EVERYONE does it.
It's nothing new. Moms have been sneaking veggies into their kids (and husbands!) meals since the beginning of time.

Jessica Seinfield wrote (or copied?) a cookbook about it. The Today Show features chefs who do it.

But just because everyone's doing it... doesn't mean their making it as tasty!


I'm a firm believer in taste and while I still think if kids taste what's in their food, they're more likely to eat it, I also understand there is the inevitable picky eater out there.

Last night's recipe was a perfect example. I loaded chicken enchiladas with an array of veggies for a hearty, filling dish that required only 1/5 the cheese! Healthy... delicious... filling... and guilt free!!



Loaded Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups low sodium Beef Broth
2 cups Water
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
a few drops Tabasco
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 small can Tomato Paste

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup frozen Pepper and Onion Mix
2 large Carrots, diced
1/2 cup Salsa, of your choice

6 eight inch, whole wheat Tortillas
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Cilantro, to garnish


Bring broth and water to a boil in a large pot. Add seasoning and chicken breasts. Lightly boil chicken until done (165 degrees). Remove from water and dice. Reserve cooking liquid.
In a saucepan, heat oil to medium high. Add mushrooms and saute until soft. Add frozen peppers and onion, carrots and chicken. Ladel in one cup of cooking liquid and cook 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk tomato paste into reserved cooking liquid and season to taste. Ladel 1/2 cup into the bottom of glass baking dish.
Fill tortillas with chicken and vegetable mix, roll and place in dish, pushing them together. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.