Simple and Relaxed December Fare with Style

[Debbwl]

Simple and Relaxed December Fare with Style

This year with money and time both being in short supply the theme in most of the retail stores is simple and relaxed with just a touch of holiday glitter.

As we run about shopping, putting up holiday decorations and meeting social obligations we can quickly feel over whelmed by meal planning and preparation. Well this year why not treat yourself to some simple yet relaxed holiday flair.

It can be an easy and fun way to please both your family and yourself without a lot of effort. Just take simple and relaxed foods and beverages that you and your family or guest enjoy all the time and add a little special holiday flair. For example you can add a cinnamon stick in the hot cider mug, a candy can in the cocoa mug, maybe some sugar coated fresh cranberries to garnish to your morning pancakes or some pretty ribbons made out of lemon peel added to your broccoli and cauliflower side dish for that added touch of flair.

Let’s see if we can make this holiday a simple relaxed and very special one.



A little sour cream or yogurt some fresh herbs or pumpkin seeds and your pumpkin soup can go from plain to this in just a minute or two.

photo of West Indian Pumpkin Soup taken by Sue Lau

Try adding some cranberries to your glazed carrots turns them into a jeweled delight.

photo of Apricot Orange Glazed Carrots With Cranberries taken by loof

Ribbons of lemon will not only give your buttered or bacon Brussels sprouts a new hit flavor but has the resemblance of bright ribbons under the tree.

Photo of Lemon Infused Buttered Brussels Sprouts W/ Crisp Peppered Bacon taken by French Tart

Speaking of trees here is a quick and easy one for when last minute guest stope by.

Photo of Healthy Food Christmas Tree, for Any Time of Year ! taken by kiwidutch

Sugared Cranberries can be made up to a week ahead and used to give a festive holiday garnish to a great many dishes.

Sugared Cranberries photo taken by ms_bold

Something as simple as adding a cinnamon stick, a candy cane or sprinkling of cocoa powder can dress up your hot cider, coco, coffee and tea.

Photo of Snow-Capped Cinnamon Hot Cocoa taken by Annacia

Please come share your simple and relaxed December fare.

[Zurie]

Oh my darling Deb, you'll kill me for this!! (No photo!)

I made that very easy Bourbon Chicken tonight. No, NO photo -- mine looked like nothing much -- I could not be bothered trying to dress up it up.

The point is this: it has 2,614 reviews .... almost all 5 star!!

What counts greatly in its favour -- and I recommend it for this thread -- is that it is really easy. I first mixed the sauce, before I started frying the chicken bits.

I'm not going to add a review, as I am not sure whether it "translated" all that well across continents. It was perfectly fine, but if it had 1 or 2 reviews I'd have given it a 4.

So what I am saying here is that this "Bourbon Chicken" is a quick, tasty and easy recipe, and perfect for entertaining. In fact, I think it would be best if made a day ahead -- and I think it should be dressed up with chopped parsley or bits of watercress or something.

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

Zurie wrote:
Oh my darling Deb, you'll kill me for this!! (No photo!)

I made that very easy Bourbon Chicken tonight. No, NO photo -- mine looked like nothing much -- I could not be bothered trying to dress up it up.

The point is this: it has 2,614 reviews .... almost all 5 star!!

What counts greatly in its favour -- and I recommend it for this thread -- is that it is really easy. I first mixed the sauce, before I started frying the chicken bits.

I'm not going to add a review, as I am not sure whether it "translated" all that well across continents. It was perfectly fine, but if it had 1 or 2 reviews I'd have given it a 4.

So what I am saying here is that this "Bourbon Chicken" is a quick, tasty and easy recipe, and perfect for entertaining. In fact, I think it would be best if made a day ahead -- and I think it should be dressed up with chopped parsley or bits of watercress or something.

Hi Zurie,
I've made that recipe several times, and I mean SEVERAL
times and highly recommend them.
I too agree with you about the dish should be made the
day before to let the flavors meld.
And I also agree that a bit of "something " green would
add a punch of color to it.

[Debbwl]

No killing allowed in this thread as we are far too relaxed and have way too much flair, but Love the make ahead suggestion during such a busy time of year.

[Zurie]

This is one of my early, "forgotten" recipes, and it really is a great help in the festive season!

No, you do not bake the brownies -- yet! You mix the dry ingredients, and take out a certain amount to quickly bake a fresh batch.

Certainly a time-saver and ideal if kids are around! NOT a very good photo.

Granny's Brownies

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

I made this recipe sometime back and thought it might
work for this topic:
I think it would be very good for a Buffet or Potluck type
get together.
Cheating Scalloped Potatoes By Bergy

[loof]

I've got one tagged in the Football Pool that I think will fit the bill for relaxed holiday fare

Mikekey's Crock Pot Chicken With Cranberries #270805

sound so good, easy and festive....I'll post the results here later this week!

[Debbwl]

Wooo Zurie those brownies look and sound good!

I am sure you all know this quick and easy way to impress guest when serving is to grab a paper doily lay on the brownies. Then grab a sieve add some powdered sugar and tap the side of the sieve while holding over the doily draped brownies, carefully remove the doily and you have pretty decorative brownies.

CS those potatoes would be gorgeous on a buffet table so pretty and golden with maybe just a bit of parsley to accent the way the broccoli in your photo does.

loof that chicken does sound very festive, can hardly wait to see it.

[Zurie]

Girls, I did NOT make this. I am making (secret!) a cookbook for the Celeb Forum for a game next year, and I came across this recipe.

It's so simple, and so easy, and seems to me to be just the thing for this thread, so I thought I'd share it here. (Pse note that the cook, KathyP53, left out of her directions that you mix everything together, at once).

It's Mini Frittatas - Giada De Laurentiis, and this photo is by New Mom Kate.

[Becky in Wisconsin]

Here is one of my simple and relaxed meals: Salsa Chicken.
There is a picture on the recipe that isn't mine, and I don't know how to copy it and brind to here. So for now, to see the picture, go to the recipe. And maybe I can figure out how to get here in the mean time.

PS: Hello Becky dear, this is Zurie.

I trespassed on your post to add the great photo of your recipe. Photo taken by Lazyme:

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

I think this would be a very simple meal for the
hectic Holiday Season.
I would like to tag the following recipe:
KC_Cooker's Easy Cheesy Chicken & Pasta Veggie Skillet #105743

[Debbwl]

How festive do those mini frittatas look and I am such a fan of Giada De Laurentiis. Great find Zurie!!

Becky, great to see and you did not trespass on anyone or anything we love having you and that chicken is sooo festive and yummy, salsa chicken is a staple in my neck of the woods.

Yes CS that Easy Cheesy Chicken & Pasta Veggie Skillet does sound a tasty way to settle in after a day on the run.

[Zurie]

Deb darling, it was me who trespassed on Becky's post, to add the picture she could not figure how to insert! Such a great photo by Lazyme!

You're starting to get such nice recipes!!

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

I have completed the following tagged recipe,
Easy Cheesy Chicken & Pasta Veggie Skillet #105743 By KC_Cooker

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

NM