Holidays | Simple By Cindy

Thanksgiving 2019

Dec. 19
2019

Thanksgiving 2019 was one of the most elegant holidays I have ever done. It was simple, yet classic. Table for 46 please!

I used a black and white theme, and I asked all my guest to wear something black and white as well. This made them all feel that they were an important part of the celebration. And they sure were.

I carefully plan the menu for the evening, and believe the presentation of the menu is almost as important as the presentation of the food. I display it on a large chalkboard and have a calligrapher write the menu on it so everyone would know what was being served.

How fun is this?

The tables had white tablecloths with black overlays. I also ordered black banquet chairs and tied white bows around the back of each chair.

The flowers were especially elegant this year.

Including this beautiful vase on the bar.

Throughout the years, my husband and I have collected antique china plates, each one with a different pattern. I love setting the table with them each year.

Here are my sous chefs for 2019, without whom this would not be possible. They come the day before and that is when the major cooking (and fun) begins. Thanksgiving morning we wake up early and we get right to work. My great-nephew Aaron, (the small guy in front) and my great-niece Jenna, are very big helpers and here they are holding Macy.

Jenna and Aaron do all the juicing for the bar.

Making the pigs in blankets have become a very important part of our Thanksgiving tradition. They guys have so much fun making them, and they are definitely the favorite appetizer of the night.

And of course there are a few dough fights!

Everyone helps washing and drying the dishes.

This year I thought the crudite platter my niece Leslie made came out beautiful! I took this picture before everyone came, that’s why there is no dip in it yet.

I found these beautiful artichokes in the grocery store. My niece Lara made a beautiful bouquet with them.

I purchase tee-shirts for everyone who attends that has the logo of the charity on it. My friend and I have so much fun designing it every year. Of course, there is the yearly picture taken of everyone wearing it. It has become a great tradition and all of our friends look forward to seeing it on Facebook.

As always, all the fun comes to an end.

We are already looking forward to next year!

It’s that simple! (uh, not really)

Banana Cake VI

Dec. 12
2019

If you’re at all like me, you want to get everything done faster. I’m always looking for a better way to do everything. Time is precious, so why spend it poorly? I’ve learned so much from looking at tips in cooking magazines, so I thought I might share a few of the best with you. I know the holidays are stressful, but perhaps these shortcuts will help to make it easier on you.

Make your shopping list early and look at it often so you become familiar with it. This will help you not to forget something at the store (who among us hasn’t done a last minute grocery run?), but also make sure that you have a chance to add items you need as they pop up.

Prep, prep and more prep. Cut up anything you can (especially veggies) before you begin cooking. Place them in reusable storage containers or bags. Then put all the ones you need for the recipe into one large container and label it with masking tape. This way when you are ready to prepare the dish, you have all the ingredients you need right there, cut and ready to go.

Make as many dishes you can in advance and freeze them. Many sauces can also be prepped and frozen a week or so before– if they’ve separated upon thawing, be sure to stir or blend as necessary.

Set a trashcan right next to you or set up a bowl on the counter for food scraps.

Always take your meat and poultry out 10 degrees before the time the recipe tells you to. The FDA requires recipes to tell you the exact temperature that the meat should be, but the food always, always cooks another 8 to 10 degrees after it has come out of the oven. You do not want anything overcooked.

Read and re-read your recipes before you prepare them. It helps to become familiar with them, so you don’t forget to add an ingredient, or add something that should go in later in the recipe.

Last but not least, try to enjoy the process so that you can actually enjoy the holiday.

After reading this recipe, I was so eager to try it. The recipe calls for you to take the cake out of the oven and put it straight into the freezer. I have never heard of preparing a cake this way. The reason they give is that it makes the cake extra moist. I do not know if it actually does, but I have to say, this was one very moist cake indeed.

This is one dessert that will shine on your holiday table. The buttermilk makes this cake so moist and delicious and who knows, maybe freezing it helped as well. The lemon juice adds a nice tang. The vanilla is that savory goodness, and the cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for this luxurious cake. This is one dessert that will make everyone at your holiday happy, happy, happy!

This recipe is courtesy of Allrecipes and will serve 18 people who will love the easy prep for this delicious cake!

Ingredients for Banana Cake VI

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.

In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

Stir in banana mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.

This will make the cake very moist.

Make the frosting:

In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth.

Spread on cooled cake.

It’s that simple! ( it really is!)

Mitzie and Macy
Macy will be turning 13 this month, yikes!
Where does the time go?

Brown Sugar-Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

Dec. 5
2019

And just like that, another wonderful Thanksgiving celebration is done. It takes months of planning, but it is truly a labor of love. The week leading up to this holiday is always stressful, but I forge through it. This year, I had to set the table myself, which is an overwhelming task. Carefully setting a table for 46 people takes a lot of time if you want to make sure it is decorated correctly. My 800 pound dining room table has to be moved, then all the folding tables have to be brought up, tablecloths put on and then the plates and cutlery. All 46 chargers, plates, salad plates, and soup bowls are placed neatly and correctly. It took six hours of work, but I am so proud of the final product.

Up until the Wednesday before the holiday, I am on my own in the kitchen. Mostly I make appetizers I can freeze like the chicken meatballs, the spinach balls, and the gougere cheeseballs. The sweet potato pie and soup are made and frozen as well. My sister-in-law and her family arrive on Wednesday and the real cooking begins. That’s also when the fun begins. We all have the best time, including my great-nephew and niece, 10 and 7 years old. Of course, there may be a few food fights in between, but that lightens up the mood for adults and children alike.

On Thursday, the cooking continues in earnest. This year, to my utter shock and fear, we lost power to our home at 3:00pm on Thanksgiving–I had two turkeys in the oven! Thank goodness, my home has a generator that allows electricity to flow as normal. The generator kicked in, but my two electric wall ovens did not come back on. Panic set in. I ran down to check the circuit breakers and they were fine. Finally, after about 10 minutes, the ovens began working again. Turns out, they just needed time to reboot. I am so glad for the generator, because without it, we would have had to cancel Thanksgiving; the power was out in my neighborhood for several hours.

Thanksgiving truly is my favorite holiday. No wondering if the sweater you bought will fit, or if they’ll like the bracelet you bought for them, just lots of food and love and being all together. It doesn’t get better than that.

This recipe is one of the desserts that was brought to my home, and they were so good. Once I got the recipe, I knew I had to share it with you. Don’t let the picture fool you. They may look like mini-muffins, but they are definitely cookies. It is a little twist on the classic shortbread cookie. The cornmeal gives them a nutty aroma. They are just the right amount of sweet. The vanilla and cinnamon add that needed savory essence. You are not going to be able to eat just one of these cookies. I would bet on that.

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart and will make 30 cookies that will be gone in a flash.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar-Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine yellow or white cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt to combine.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined.

Spoon a scant 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) dough into each cup of a mini muffin tin.

Firmly rap tin against a counter a few times to ensure dough reaches bottom edges of each cup.

Flatten tops with your fingers.

Bake until cookies are golden brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool in tin 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon.

Flip cookies out of tin.

Working with a few at a time, toss cookies in cinnamon sugar to evenly coat; transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

It’s that simple!

Aaron and Jenna juicing

Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole

Nov. 25
2019

In all the years I have had my blog, I have never used the same recipe twice… until now. I am making an exception here because this recipe has become a family favorite. Out of all the dishes on our Thanksgiving table, this sweet potato side has become a healthy and delicious and a crowd pleaser. This amazing side has all the perfect Thanksgiving flavors, bringing to mind images of a perfect New England feast.

Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows is yummy, sure, but also overdone. In this recipe, the sweet potatoes are combined with pecans, giving it a nice, crunchy texture. The rich, buttery taste of the sweet potato filling blends perfectly with the crispy topping. The welcoming aroma of the casserole cooking in the oven is enough to make you fall in love with it. When you taste it, it is so delicious and satisfying, you can’t help but look forward to Thanksgiving.

You can definitely use this as a side dish or dessert on that wonderful holiday (which is right around the corner)! This dish will absolutely be on my menu this Thanksgiving. I hope it will be on yours too.

I will not be posting on Thanksgiving, as I am preparing my home and my menu for 48 guests this year. With much love and thanks for all your support over the years, I wish you and your family a very happy holiday!

This recipe is courtesy of myrecipes and will serve 18 people who will love this delicious casserole with its crispy, crunchy topping.

Ingredients for Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

14 cups (1 – inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375.

Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 12 minutes or until tender.

Drain.

Combine the half-and-half and next four ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl.

Whisk ingredients together.

Add potatoes to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9 -inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine.

Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Stir in pecans.

Sprinkle pecan mixture over potato mixture.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

Oct. 7
2019

The summer always goes so fast. I think most of us would say that most of the things we would like to accomplish in the summer do not get done because it is over before we can blink an eye. Though we may be missing the lazy summer days, the fall brings us beautiful clear skies, and that crisp feeling in the air.

One of my favorite Fall activities is antiquing. My husband also enjoys antiquing, and it is something we love to do together. Over the years, we collected antique china plates, each different from the next. It took a lot of labor, but it was done with love, and my husband and I are very proud of it. My Thanksgiving tables of 50, give or take, looks beautiful and eclectic, thanks to our diligence. It has taken several years to collect 60 salad and dinner plates, and now I am on the hunt for antique wine glasses. This is not such an easy task, as most people do not sell single wine glasses, but rather sets of six or four. But I think they will complete my holiday table and make it look genuine.

September moves very quickly, and soon the holidays will be among us. Planning menus take time, and I think appetizers are among the hardest to find. They need to be simple and easily prepared. I saw this one and knew I had to share it with you.

These rolls take little effort to prepare, and they are so delicious and make a beautiful presentation. The buttermilk biscuits are moist and delicate. The Parmesan, garlic, oregano, and parsley doctor them up and make them savory and scrumptious. Pop one into your mouth and it is simply heavenly. Here is a warning; you won’t be able to eat just one, so double the recipe for your guests to enjoy as many as they want.

This recipe is courtesy of Damn Delicious and will serve 16 people who will come back for seconds– and then ask for the recipe!

Ingredients for Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together butter, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, parsley and salt; set aside.

Halve each of the 8 biscuits, making 16 pieces.

Roll each piece into a 5-inch rope, about 1/2-inch thick, and tie into a knot, tucking the ends.

Place knots onto the prepared baking sheet and brush each knot with half of the butter mixture.

Place into oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Serve immediately, brushed with remaining butter mixture.

It’s that simple!

A friend of mine gave me an antique plate holder to diplay some of my antique plates and teacups. I found the perfect place to hang it, and I just love how it looks!