Growing up, I remember holidays filled with cousins and lots of homemade food. We wore formal dresses, often matching Laura Ashley ensembles (IYKYK). Rooms were full of music and mingling voices. I always imagined keeping traditions alive. I envisioned formal dinners continuing. There would be fancy cocktails and a Martha Stewart array of perfectly cooked dishes. Still, it turns out cooking was not my calling. I preferred setting a beautiful table and picking out a festive outfit. I enjoyed this much more than slaving away over a hot oven before friends and family came over. But, I love entertaining. I still cherish the sound of a room filled with people talking over one another. Kids run around, and laughter fills the space like a hot air balloon. So, I’ve had to learn a few quick and simple entertaining go-to recipes that can have people saying “mmmm” out loud and don’t cause me to stress. I’m sharing two of my favorite Holiday recipes as well as my favorite holiday motif – nutcrackers – and the linens I’m using this year to dazzle guests.
CranRaspberry Mimosas
The mimosa is one of the simplest cocktails. Champagne + your choice of juice and boom – you’ve got yourself a great tasting cocktail. I also associate bubbly with the Holidays, so it makes a great Holiday drink. For a fun twist on a classic mimosa, I like to serve a cran-raspberry mimosa during the Holidays. I add raspberries and rosemary sprigs as garnish. The vibrant red color makes them the perfect Holiday drink.
If you don’t know this already, I collect nutcrackers. When I found these Darling Lemon linens with hand-illustrated nutcrackers, I fell in love. I paired the table runner and the cocktail napkins. This created a simple but festive setup for my mimosas and artichoke dip. I even brought a few of the little fellas over onto the table for decoration!
Artichoke Dip
This is the most simple and delicious appetizer recipe. You will wow your friends and family. People won’t stop eating this dip. They’ll ask you for the recipe and this is what you’ll tell them. It’s quite simple. Two cups mayo + two cups Romano cheese. Then add in artichoke hearts. Make sure you get the canned kind and drain them well. I also chop mine up. You can also go crazy and add things like spinach, water chestnuts, hearts of palm, etc. I sprinkle some cheese on top. You cook it in the oven on 450 for about 20 minutes. Viola! So easy. This is one of the first recipes I ever learned. And I am not a great cook. But, my cousins and I used to love making this dip and watching a Saved by the Bell marathon.
Extra Credit: Charcuterie Board
If you’re the type of kid who always went for extra credit like me, read on. A festive charcuterie board is a super simple way to include additional snacks without much work. Add a few cheeses, a meat or two, I like to add at least one fruit. For Holiday boards, I like to add rosemary sprigs which feel festive to me. For this charcuterie board I paired my Darling Lemon wreath kitchen towel and cocktail napkins for some traditional festive flair.
Holiday entertaining doesn’t need to be a huge production. I love hosting people during the Holidays, but I can’t stand cooking. If you’re like me, you can rely on the trio of mimosas, artichoke dip and charcuterie board to make you a hosting pro.
