New Year's Brunch // Add a Little Sparkle ...

Another New Year is upon us, and it is hard to believe 2015 has come to an end.  It seems the years are moving along quicker and quicker these days.  It is nice to stop and reflect on the year, and realize all the good and bad that has happened, and move forward with greater knowledge with hopes of doing better. 

New Year's brunch is the perfect way to start fresh and with the right foot forward.  A simple, yet elegant table will help you ring in the New Year with just the right amount of sparkle.

I was arranging some flowers, and was thinking of a way to dress up some ordinary flowers with a little sparkle for the New Year.  I had some fun little gold and sparkly ornaments laying around from Christmas, so I decided to add a few to the vase after I had arranged the flowers.  They added another element of sparkle to the table, and were a fun yet simple way to make my arrangements more festive for the New Year.  I just added the ornaments to the arrangement after I finished arranging the flowers, then added the water.

I set them out on the table with a few festive sparkly gold tinsel pieces and some confetti along with our place settings.

The champagne glasses made the brunch a little extra festive serving some sparkling apple cider along with brunch.

A little orange on the plate added a nice touch.

Sources:

Recipe | Overnight Challah French Toast with Vanilla Bean Syrup via Armelle Blog

Recipe | Sausage and Cheese Quiche recipe from La Fuji Mama

Impulse Gold Chisel Champagne Flutes  |  Overstock 

10 Strawberry Street Gold Double Line Bread Plates  |  Overstock
Chairs | West Elm Scoop Back Chairs
Brown and White Plates | Thrift Store Find
Napkins |  Target
Chandelier  | Vintage

All photos by me.

New Year's Appetizer // Crostini with Prime Rib, Blue Cheese Sauce, and Fresh Arugula ...

The New Year is such a promising time.  A time to reflect on the previous year, and to celebrate with the hope and desires we have for the year to come.

A good New Year's celebration is a great way to ring in another year, and spend time with the ones you love.  My favorite way to entertain is with good fun, and most of all, good food.  Food can make or break a party, so it is important to serve food with quality ingredients that impress your guests, and their taste buds.  Simple appetizers are my favorite to serve on holidays, especially New Year's Eve. 

Appetizers are easy to eat, and they still leave you with an appetite to be able to try a variety of foods. I am partnering with Overstock Farmer's Market today, to bring you a simple yet impressive New Year's Appetizer that is sure to please your guests and their palate.

Overstock Farmer's Market offers a wide variety of Farm Fresh products such as meats and seafood, fresh produce, dairy, pantry items, and much more.  It brings you a convenient option of ordering some Farm fresh items to help bring your recipes to the next level with the quality ingredients. 

This Crostini with Prime Rib and Blue Cheese appetizer looks fancy, is filling, but is simple to put together for any skill level.  The Prime Rib from Land and Cattle Co out of Colorado is the perfect prime cut of all-natural, grass fed, pasture raised meat to help celebrate an occasion like New Year's Eve.  The Prime Rib is so flavorful you don't need to season it with anything but some Kosher salt and Fresh Ground Pepper.  

Rogue Creamery out of Oregon has an excellent assortment of award-winning blue cheeses.  Pairing their blue cheese with Prime Rib is the perfect combination for a sophisticated appetizer that makes a statement.   It is a great option for your holiday spread, and your New Year's guests will have something to celebrate!  Be sure to check out the full recipe below!

Crostini with Prime Rib Blue Cheese Sauce and Arugula

Prime Rib

3.5 lbs Land and Cattle Co Prime Rib

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Heat oven to 350 Degrees.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. 

Pat the Prime Rib until it is nice and dry with a towel.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of Kosher salt and Fresh Ground Pepper all over the Prime Rib.  Brown in the skillet about a minute or so on each side until a nice brown crust forms on each side.  

Place on a roasting pan with fat side up.  Roast at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes per pound of Prime Rib or until internal temperature hits 120 degrees for rare or 130 degrees for medium rare.  Prime Rib is best when served rare or medium rare.  Allow the Prime Rib to rest out of the oven for a minimum of 20 minutes before slicing.

Blue Cheese Sauce

3/4 cup Rogue Creamery Blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup sour cream

2 small cloves garlic minced very small

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Place in a blender or food processor, and blend well. Set aside.

1-2 Baguettes sliced at a slight angle about 1/2 inch thick.

4 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried

4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Place sliced baguettes on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle on both sides with a little olive oil.  Place in a 400 degree preheated oven and toast on both sides a few minutes per side, or until slightly toasted.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  

Spread a small amount of the Blue Cheese sauce onto the bread and place a few pieces of arugula on top of the blue cheese spread.  Place a small slice of Prime Rib, then place another little spoonful of the  blue cheese sauce on top with a few blue cheese crumbles, then top with some freshly chopped chives.

Place on a serving tray and serve immediately. 

Happy New Year!

Sources:

Land and Cattle Co Boneless Prime Rib Roast  |  Overstock Farmer's Market

Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese  |  Overstock Farmer's Market

Impulse Gold Chisel Champagne Flutes  |  Overstock 

Jay Metallic Gold Accent Tray  |  Overstock 

10 Strawberry Street Gold Double Line Bread Plates  |  Overstock 

Black Hemstitch Cocktail Napkins   | Overstock 

This post is sponsored by Overstock Farmer's Market, Farm Fresh right to your Front Door.

All photos by me.

Recipe: Harmons Seafood ...

When I think of New Year's Celebrations, I think of seafood!

The past few years our family has made the tradition of heading to Harmons Grocery on New Year's Eve during their Seafood Frenzy.  Every December 31st Harmons Grocery stores have their New Year's Eve Seafood Frenzy that I look forward to every year!  They have all things Seafood from 9 am to 6 pm, and there are demos, giveaways, and my favorite is the samples!  They have some amazing seafood to sample and purchase, and it is flown in fresh!

We usually go a little crazy and buy a little of everything to bring home to sample as our New Year's Feast!

A favorite in my family is Mussels!  We always grab a few pounds of mussels to add to our feast.  Mussels really are so tasty, and I feel like they often get over looked as a seafood favorite, and perhaps it is because maybe people aren't aware of how to prepare them.  I love to prepare them with lots of butter, garlic, shallots, and a little white wine, and I'm excited to partner with Harmons Grocery to share with you my favorite recipe using Mussels!  Mussels remind me a lot of the time I spent in France growing up and while on study abroad, so I think that is why I'll always have a place in my heart, and stomach for them!  

One of the things I love most about Harmons Grocery is their Seafood department.  In Utah, good fresh seafood can be hard to come by, but Harmons has such high standards when it comes to quality fresh seafood, that I know that I am in good hands.  Their fish and is so fresh, and their shrimp is hands down the best around, especially with their homemade cocktail sauce!

Mussels with Garlic, Shallots, in a White Wine Sauce

3 pounds Fresh Mussels (make sure the shell is still closed, that is how you tell they are still fresh)

2 tablespoons good quality butter (salted)

2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of diced shallots

7-8 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

Directions: 

To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.

In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil.

Sweat the shallots until they start to get tender for about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, and cook for three more minutes.  Add the clean drained mussels and white to the pan, and turn the heat up to medium to medium high and cover it with a lid.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes stir occasionally and cook until the shells have opened, top with fresh parsley.  (discard any that the shells have not opened).  

Serve immediately with a freshly sliced baguette or this recipe is great over angel hair pasta with the white wine sauce!

I hope this provides you a little inspiration for something to serve on New Year's Eve!  And, if you're not a seafood fan or even a mussels novice, give it a try!  I know you'll love it!

This post is sponsored by Harmons Grocery, your neighborhood grocery store.

All photos by me.

Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Nut Mix ...

I'm back with another great snack mix to share this holiday season.  Sometimes it is nice to get a break from all the sweets, and nice nut mix is always a good option!  It's filling, full of protein, and this mix is a little sweet and a little spicy.

I love the mix of sweet and spicy flavors.  And, the addition of just a little bit of orange zest and fresh juice give the perfect amount of citrusy flavor!

Sweet and Spicy Nut Mix

makes 4 cups

3 cups (12 oz) Raw unsalted Pecans

1 cup raw unsalted cashews

Place the nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Toss and mix around, and bake another 5 minutes.

Let them cool as you mix together the following in a medium bowl:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

3 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tsp fresh orange zest

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don't like spicy)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Toss the warm nuts into the mixture until evenly coated.  Then, roast on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12-18 minutes to get them perfectly toasted.  Be sure to stir the nuts every 4 minutes to prevent burning and clumping together.

Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Mix around the nuts as they cool to avoid any clumping.

Package up and share some with your friends and family who enjoy a nice little kick to their nut mix!

Enoy!

If you'd like to see a video of when I made this recipe on an ABC4 segment, be sure to check it out here.

{all photos by me}

Recipe: Rosemary Fleur de Sel Almonds

Sometimes with all the Holiday goodies being shared, it is nice to have a savory option available, and something somewhat healthy.

I love almonds, and I love rosemary, so putting them together with fleur de sel, my favorite finishing salt is the perfect combination!

Rosemary Fleur de Sel Almonds

makes about 3 cups

3 cups whole raw unsalted almonds

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Toss almonds in olive oil in a medium bowl.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Fleur de sel sea salt to taste

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spread the almonds on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes mixing every 5 minutes.  In the last few minutes add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, and sprinkle fleur de sel sea salt to taste.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Once cool, store in an airtight container.
Package them up, and share with your friends and family this Holiday Season!

Enjoy!

If you'd like to see a video of when I made this recipe on an ABC4 segment, be sure to check it out here.

{all photos by me}