Save the Best for Last: Fast Forward to 12/31/13

A New Year...and with it, new ideas, new energy and a renewed sense of "This is the year I finally [fill in the blank with your resolution]!"

I'm not immune to that energy. In fact, I'm caught up in it, right there with you. As do many, I'm resolving to focus on my fitness - and, I've been to the gym every day since January 1st. (Pay no mind it's January 2nd.) But, as time ticks on, we become mired in the daily grind. Career, family and commitments cry for attention, and in the end, we put ourselves - and our resolutions - last. What started out as an annual challenge lasted for a mere few weeks.

Now, what if - what IF - there was a way to guarantee we celebrated the successes of our year? This might be the easiest resolution you make in the New Year, and it just might bring you the most happiness.

START THE JAR
This week, start the year with an empty jar. It can be a Mason jar, a fancy jar or any other type of jar you wish. Next, place a pen and Post-It notes or small pad of paper near the jar.

Now, fill it with good things that happen throughout the year. Celebrate successes, capture cherished moments - just be sure to jot them down. Nothing is too big or too small to celebrate.

One jar + one pen + one pad of paper = countless memories.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve. With your significant other, family, friends, or in a quiet moment alone, picture yourself reaching into that jar and slip after slip, reading about all of the amazing happenings of the past year. Imagine being able to sit in a place of gratitude for the year and relive all of those memories.

That's it. Kind of like saving pennies for a rainy day, think of this as saving up for the best pay day of all at the end of the year.

SHARE THE JAR
If you're inspired, pick up a jar and pen and paper for your friends and family. Dress them up with a ribbon or sack them in a gift bag and share this idea with them. Who knows? Maybe you'll all share your jars, together, on New Year's Eve

Whatever memories you capture this year, I hope your jar is jammed full.

Let It (Sugar) Snow

With Christmas only a few days away, I bet you’ve already trimmed your tree. But, with a quick trip to the grocery or a sweep of your kitchen, you can gather the simple ingredients to quickly craft fantastic winter accents.

FROSTED ROSEMARY & CRANBERRIES

Green boughs and bright red berries covered in a light, fresh frost easily conjure holiday thoughts. You can create this look with 4 inexpensive ingredients:
 

1. Water
2. Sugar
3. Rosemary
4. Cranberries

Sugared rosemary and cranberries aside a Yule Log dessert.
Concept adapted from and photo courtesy of one of my
favorite magazines, The Local Palate.

• Make a simple syrup using 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and set aside to cool.
• Cover a shallow dish with sugar. Next to the sugar dish, place a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
• Drop a fresh sprig of rosemary into the cooled syrup, turning to ensure it’s lightly coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the sugar.
• Roll the rosemary sprig in the sugar to coat it evenly on all sides and place the sprig on the parchment paper to dry.
• Repeat with additional rosemary and cranberries.

 

I love this accent because the supplies are fresh and edible – meaning they make great garnishes for cakes, desserts and place settings.

SUGAR SNOW

This one is about as easy as it sounds. Sugar makes an excellent snow stand-in when creating a holiday centerpiece. Simply fill a glass bowl or vase of your choice with sugar and then dress it up with an endless assortment of items.

One of my recent creations. This inexpensive glass bowl becomes
elegant table decor whenyou add sugar and a miniature
tree from the local craft store.

 

• Fresh or fake greenery
• Candles (try anchoring a simple white taper in the sugar for an elegant look)
• Make a terrarium with small birds, trees, pinecones and other items from your local craft store

Here's a sparkly and minty winter terrarium, courtesy of Sew Can Do.

Wherever you live and wherever you roam this holiday season, if you want snow, now you can create your own winter wonderland inside.

Cheers!

A 'Woodsy Couture' Christmas

Each year, a dear group of friends head to Brantingham Lake in the Adirondacks to stay in a historic family cabin nestled in the woods. There, we share libations, delicious home-cooked meals and a stunning view of the mountains.

While our duffel bags are crammed with thermals, flannel and wool, we occasionally bust out what's affectionately known as woodsy couture - where wildnerness meets 'wow.' Picture fur-lined trapper hats partnered perfectly with tailored vests. It's like watching "Man vs. Wild" and "Project Runway" at the same time.

Our last trip to Brantingham inspired me to bring this same woodsy couture home for the holidays.


A homemade burlap runner, salvaged tree stump and an array of
oranges, clementines and kumquats set this rustic table. A few
deer antlers nestled in moss bring the great outdoors in.

Nature-inspired decor is hard to avoid. Whether Restoration Hardward is selling faux fur throws or Crate&Barrel is launching a new wicker woven basket line, out(doors) is in. I took some of these same basic principles and applied them to my Christmas decor.

My dearest friend Shelley took 'woodsy couture' to a whole
new level when she created this gift wrapping: durable brown
kraft paper, torn flannel (sourced from thrift store shirts) and
twine. A sprig of fresh greenery completes the natural look.

If you want to replicate this rustic look, start with the following tips.

Get outside. Whether you live downtown or in the suburbs, take yourself to the nearest nature spot. If you come to my house for dinner, you'll find something I brought in from the backyard - regardless of the season. Trees, plants and rocks abound; find interesting ways to use them, by displaying them in vases, in bowls or simply laid amongst the table setting.

Use fresh vs. faux. A bag of clementines costs $3.99 while apples are $.99 a pound (read: cheaper than that fancy hurricane from Pottery Barn). Arrange fresh fruits or vegetables in a bowl or place a piece at each placesetting. And, after they're displayed, you can eat them! Functional AND fabulous.

Tone it down. Mimic the tones you see in the current season. While summer bears bright yellow lemons and purple hydrangeas, winter brings darker, muted colors. An accent color - like red, orange or even white - plays better in the cooler months. (Example: my table above is nearly all neutral colors except for the orange fruit.)

Keep it simple, and you'll make Mother Nature proud while also impressing your guests.

I'm Back...& Bringing Some Simple Holiday Apps

Friends, it's been quite some time since we've connected here. So, hello. How are you? How are things?

The Fellow here, and I'm back from a self-imposed sabbatical. The reasons are numerous, but don't think it's because I've lost my desire to share all things fab. In fact, these last few weeks have re-energized me to keep the content coming for you: ways to host, decorate, dine and, in general, add delight to your life.

So, on with it. The holidays. When did THAT happen, right? I take a blogging break and the next thing you know, we've blown through Thanksgiving, and before the turkey was cold on the table, a flurry of holiday prep is happening as snow flurries are nearly upon us.

When the holidays draw near, so do we to our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. No doubt you've already attended your fair share of open houses and cocktail parties, and you may even have a few more on your schedule before December 25th.

Whether you plan to host yourself or simply provide a snack at someone else's soiree, I'm collecting & sharing easy yet tasty appetizers that will make your holidays shine.

BAKED BRIE
This one has recently gotten lots of 'repinning' from my Pinterest board, so it seems you're interested!

1 small wheel of Brie cheese (8 oz)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of preserves

1 tube of crescent roll dough

Unroll crescent dough on an oven-safe pie pan or baking sheet. Place the brie wheel in the middle. Top with the preserves; recommendations include blackberry, mixed berry or fig. Wrap the crescent dough around the top of the cheese and bake according to dough directions, typically 8 - 10 minutes until dough is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

 

MOM'S CHEESEBALL

 

This is my mom's almost-famous cheeseball recipe - a real down-home version. I couldn't think of a snazzier name because...well, it's a cheeseball. Just let it suffice to say that I used to skip the actual meal just to have more of this.

 

2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1 small onion, diced

2 - 6 oz packages of dried/chipped beef, diced (in the lunch meat section of the grocery)

2 tbsp of Miracle Whip

1 tsp of garlic salt or garlic powder

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (if desired)

 

Allow the cream cheese to sit at room temperature until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 hour. Garnish the cheeseball with chopped parsley before serving if desired. Serve with crackers.



 

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These are 2 simple stand-bys to get you started. In the coming days, I'll continue sharing more appetizer ideas as well as tips for holiday decorating, festive drinks and more. No matter how hectic your holidays, my quick tips will help you celebrate big in simple ways.

 

Cheers, friends!

"Could You Please Pass the Jelly?"

Do you remember the Polaner All Fruit commercial? I'm dating myself here, as the YouTube video clip of this is from 1989...and yep, that still counts as the '80s.

In it, a sophisticated dinner party politely asks for and passes around the "all fruit" (referred to by name) until one seemingly Southern (read: redneck) gentleman exclaims "Would you please pass the jelly?" while the other guests bemoan his uncouthness.

Oh, here - just watch it.



Yep...he called it jelly.


In the words of our goofy commercial guest, "What in tarnation does this have to do with entertainin'?" Lots, if you're ready to see how jellies and preserves can step up your appetizer platters.

My favorite pairing for preserves is brie cheese. If you haven't yet experimented with brie, don't be afraid, and do it now. Brie is a soft cow's cheese named after the French region it is thought to be originated from. Because it's mild, it pairs exceptionally well with a sweet accompaniment like preserves.

Here, brie is paired with fig preserves. Cured meats, grilled pita bread,
grapes and fresh dates add to this perfect pre-brunch platter.

If you're in a hurry, the preserves can stand alone when paired with assorted cheeses, crackers and nibbles. But, if you have a little more time - say, 15 minutes - you can make a fabulous appetizer that comes off high-end without the fuss.

I made this baked brie app for an early Easter dinner and it quickly became the favorite. The recipe is so easy I can't even pretend to put it into recipe format, so here it goes.

Baked brie, pre-bake...

1. Take one roll of refrigerated crescent roll dough (I use Pilsbury).
2. Unroll half of the dough onto a baking sheet.
3. Place a small wheel of brie in the middle (Look for a small wheel of Brie President cheese in the specialty cheese section of your grocer).
4. Top with 1/4 - 1/3 cup of preserves (I like Smucker's Three Berry preserves from their Orchard's Finest line).
5. Lift the dough up and wrap it around the cheese, securing at the top with the extra remaining dough as needed.
6. Bake the crescent dough as directed (usually at 350 for 12 minutes).

...and out of the oven.

The dough browns, the cheese melts and the preserves go gooey to give this a sweet touch. Be sure to serve with crackers.

Now, who says jelly ain't sophisticated?

An Easter in Napa Valley

After yesterday's entry on spring-themed table settings, I kept having thoughts of spring...which led to thoughts of Easter...which then led me to fondly remember a past Easter weekend trip to Napa Valley. (I'm pretty sure thoughts of Reese's peanut butter eggs snuck in there somewhere, too, but let's stick to the Napa trip.)

Ah, Napa Valley. Amazing wines, beautiful landscapes and good company. With all this and more awaiting us, our group arrived at our rental house in downtown Napa and settled in.

Todd, Shelley and I sitting amongst the vines in Napa.

My favorite part about being in a rental house is that setting up for meals is like your own scavenger hunt...where are the plates? How about serving bowls? What can I use for a vase? It's these scenarios that bring out the creative gene in all of us.

We stopped at the local drugstore for some cheap Easter flair - candy, colored grass and the like - and the table started coming to life. I rolled a small clump of plastic Easter grass between my palms until it maintained a somewhat circular shape then placed it in the middle of the plate. On top I placed a few small green leaves brought in from outside and finished with a malted candy egg on top. Instant spring placesetting.

Leaves, flowers, petals, sticks, pebbles...never underestimate
what you can find outdoors to create placesettings indoors.

After adding more vines & flowers from outside, brightly colored plastic Easter eggs and white votive candles in drinking glasses, the table was set & ready for an Easter feast. And what followed was a very memorable Easter brunch and a weekend full of stories and laughter - but mostly laughter. (For an example of this laughter, see photo below.)

Our best "Food & Wine" photo shoot impression.

Celebrating the holidays with friends is something very special because friends are indeed the family we choose for ourselves. Yes, the food, drinks, placesettings and decor add great ambiance, but it's important to remember the most important part: the people that add a spark and bring it all to life.

Spring Table Settings

As I embark on Fellow Does Fab's blog adventures, my friends are kind enough to appease me. More than once they've been told "Wait! Don't sit down yet. Let me get a shot of that placesetting..." or "Put down the bacon-wrapped date - I need a picture!"

My dear friend Shelley is no exception when it comes to snagging items for the Fellow, as many times her meals are the inspiration. I'm always in for a treat when Shelley hosts because she has amazing culinary skills (it's what she does for a living) and a very fresh, simple style. I thought I'd pay a little homage to her, and thank her for all of the meals she cooks for me, by highlighting 2 of her tables.


A great use of simple materials that creates
a memorable, rustic centerpiece.

The first centerpiece uses one two of my favorite decor items: fresh fruit and candles. When I saw this on Shelley's table, I was struck by the beauty of it's simplicity. You can also substitute many fruits in this arrangement: lemons, limes, clementine oranges or another fruit that complements the season or the meal you're serving.

I promise - it's that easy. Fruit. White votive candles. Done.

Sam's Spring Ale on a spring day.

Shelley had me over for a little al fresco dining on a beautiful spring evening. Her stand-out side (pictured here) was roasted broccoli, tossed with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, then spritzed with fresh lemon juice. We took the leftover lemon wedges as garnish for our glasses and found it to be the perfect pairing for the Sam Adams Spring Ale I brought, which also has a citrus note.

Because the table arrangment is clean and crisp, the beverage bottles take an active role in the scene. Whenever you're setting a table, remember that everything you place...well, has a place. Every day items - here, a Pellegrino bottle, beer bottles and lemon wedges- can add a simple style that looks (and truly is) effortless.

No matter what's on your table this spring, here's hoping you ALL have a Shelley in your life to share it with!