Self Care Happy New Year

 

Sherri's Winter Salad with Maple Musterd Vinagrette

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe

One thing I like about this salad is that you don’t have to prepare it all at once. For example, the candied pecans can be prepared up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.

Also, the vinaigrette may be made up to three days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. The vinaigrette recipe makes enough to dress this salad with a little extra left over, so you enjoy it again on another salad.

 

Ingredients

  *Note for variation can add sliced steak, chicken, shrimp

Candied Spiced Pecans

• 1 6-oz. pkg. pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Maple Cider Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Salad

• 1 10- oz. pkg. salad greens spring mix or spinach
• 1 large apple thinly sliced honey crisp match stick is good
  
• 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
• 1 4-oz. pkg. blue cheese crumbles or feta
• dried cranberries
• 2 cups broccoli slaw
• opt add pomagranate seeds
  

 

 

 

 

How to Make Candied Pecans

A lot of candied pecan recipes are spiced with cinnamon, but the pecans for this salad are flavored with ground ginger, curry powder, and a little red cayenne pepper. Sweet, crunchy, and a little spicy, these pecans add a delicious contrast to the other ingredients in this Winter Salad.

1. To make the pecans, start by tossing pecan halves in melted butter.
2. Add the buttered pecans to a bowl of sugar mixed with the spices — ground ginger, curry powder, red cayenne pepper, and kosher salt — and toss until well coated.
3. Spread pecans in a single layer on an aluminum-lined pan and bake at 350 degrees until toasted.
4. Let the pecans cool completely on the pan and then break them up with a fork.
5. Store in an airtight container until ready to use (up to one week).

 

La Festa di Natale

Today we had a wonderful Christmas party with my Italian classmates  Isa, Marion, Judy, Mitra and "la mia professoressa Luisa". A wonderful reunion for me since I have not been with these friends together as a group since Covid started in 2020. Buon Natale a tutti!
 

So wonderful to enjoy each others company.

All the long missed smiles and laughter.

 

Our hostess Judy set a beautiful table.

 

Luisa made a wonderful rosemary focaccia.

 

Stuffed mushrooms from Marion.

 

Mitra made a persian salad of chicken, potatoes, peas with olives and persian cucumbers. 

Toasting to wonderful friendships and a happy new year ahead.

 Buon Appetito!

Isa brought a fresh green salad.

Judy made a cheese ravioli

and a

sausage stuffed pasta

 

We picked numbers and opened the gift exchange presents.

I made i dolci cannolis, panna cotta and some christmas crack cookies

What a wonderful festa di Natale we had.

 

Buon Anno Nuovo ai miei amici!

"Not Just About A Book Club" Celebrates the Holidays 2022

 On Tuesday this week  our book club lived up to its' name. We  partied at the home of our hostess with the mostest Sherri. Her home filled with holiday lights, a Christmas tree and the warm glow of candles everywhere truly created an atmosphere of holiday cheer. 

 

 

 

Drinks were in abundance and invitingly displayed.  

 

 

Every where you looked it seemed to say "This is for you! You're welcome here.  Be happy!"  And that is what we felt.

Wandering into the dining room the table was beautifully set.

 

 

We all gathered with drinks in hand (gin and tonics, Prosecco, Champagne with Rose syrup) and sat in the living room. We munched on cheese and crackers, and a classic onion dip with crunchy potato chips.  

I think you can guess. We were all very cozy, comfortable and happy.

 

 

 We obliged the hostess's request to wear lounge wear, p.j.'s, or anything comfortable.  It was a wonderful array of coziness, color and a little bling thrown in for good measure.

Things were festive and oh so cute. I mean just look at Maria's Santa socks!

 Soon dinner was ready and we all adjourned to the dining room.

 

 

Wine was poured. 

 Toasts were made.

" Here's to Sherri, our hostess with the mostest and wonderful friend to all of us!"

 

 

"Cheers and Happy Holidays!"

We have our club member Jo to thank for the whimsical and most festive eyeglasses. They had us laughing all night long!

 

Besides these wonderful glasses a grand array of gifts were given out. 

 One of the big hits of the night were the affirmation socks that Judy gave to each of us. 

Moving right along it was time to eat once again.  Decisions, decisions.  Sherri made a luscious cream cheese pie and snowflake sugar cookies, Lynda brought her home made fudge and Sharon made her delicious pretzel caramels. I think we'll all have one of each!

 

 

There is so much more to say. I mean you cannot capture accurately all the joy we felt in our hearts, the merriment of friends laughing and the pleasure we shared in simply being together. Oh but maybe this picture will be worth one thousand words:

 Thank you Sherri for a lovely, magical and most memorable holiday party.

    Happy Holidays to all.