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thanksgiving

Gilded Thanksgiving Bar Cart Styling

November 21, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

Roll on up Turkey Day with this gilded bar cart. It’s more impressive than your Granny’s stuffing.

Thanksgiving Gilded Bar Cart // stirandstrain.com

This year I’ve decided to do away with the rustic red and brown tones of November and step it up a notch with a gilded, glittering bar cart. From golden bar tools, to shiny embroidered napkins, to 22 karat dipped tumblers, it’ll definitely add a little sparkle to your holiday table. And of course the bubbly will be golden too. Just try not to knock over the champagne tower.

1. 22 Karat Gold Dipped Tumbler 2. Liquid Gold Bitters 3. Gold Jigger 4. Gold Wine Opener 5. Gold Embroidered Napkins 6. Gold Dipped Carafe 7. Gold Rimmed Glass and Ice Set 8. Bubbly Cocktail Book 9. Gold Champagne 10. Champagne Tower Glasses 11. Gold Bar Cart

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Filed Under: Gift Guide Tagged With: bar accessories, bar cart, bar tools, champagne, entertaining, Fall, gift, gift guide, holiday, home bar, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Bar Cart 2018

November 15, 2018 by elana Leave a Comment

Picture this: a bunch of grumpy relatives are sitting around waiting hours for a meal, avoiding talking to each other pretending to watch football. You amble in, pushing a bar cart laden with cheese, snacks, and a giant punchbowl filled with holiday booze. Suddenly Uncle Don doesn’t seem like such a jerk anymore. And look!! People are talking and laughing and all that holiday stuff. Let’s plan that bar cart, shall we?

Thanksgiving Bar Cart 2018 // stirandstrain.com

It’s Thanksgiving! Get yourself a cornucopia already! Stuff it with napkins and straws and get ready to look festive. But not my fancy napkins. The relatives get the punny ones. And if you’re using a cart to serve snacks, get yourself one with 3 shelves. It won’t be pretty shoving it all on two. And then hitting a bump in the rug and spilling everything. You’re already stressed, so just upgrade. And since you bought cranberry sauce in a can, fancy that sh*t up with some cranberry bitters. In fact, throw these bitters into everything you cook and drink. Don’t forget, cocktail picks do double duty as cheese picks too. And stock up on some ginger beer. Your stomach will thank you on Friday.

1. Punch Bowl 2. Orange Chevron Glasses 3. Turkey Napkins 4. Wild Turkey 101 5. Red Straws 6. New England Spiced Cranberry Bitters 7. Three Shelf Bar Cart 8. Cornucopia 9. Cocktail Picks 10. Ginger Beer

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Filed Under: Gift Guide Tagged With: bar accessories, bar cart, gift guide, gifts, home bar, thanksgiving, wild turkey 101 bourbon

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine

November 9, 2018 by elana 1 Comment

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comThis post was made in partnership with Loire Valley Wines. Recipes and ideas are my own.

The day after Thanksgiving I’m usually at my all time laziest. My slippers might not come off all day, and forget about those holiday sales… I am not leaving the house. But what happens when there is a house full of people still…  at my house?! What will they eat?! The answer: leftovers. Lots and lots of leftovers. I’m a good host though. I may have slippers on, but I am going to provide a few meal options that are fresh, light, or just the right size for people who just ate their weight the previous day in turkey and pies.

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comSo pop open a bottle of wine with me, a bottle of Rosé d’Anjou to be exact, and let’s whip up a few dishes to pair with this Loire Valley wine that use up some of our leftover T-Day food. While you might be thinking it’s hard enough to plan for the holiday meal without also having to plan for the day after (or a whole weekend full of family!!), these bites can be modified to what’s on hand for super flavorful dishes.

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.com

First, and very importantly, here’s my wine tip for you holiday celebration. Buy your wine by the case! Lots of stores and wineries give you a case discount which means you don’t have to worry about running out during a meal, or even by Saturday. We’ve teamed up with Loire Valley Wines for our Thanksgiving meal as wines from this region are the most diverse, producing wines in every style to make sure you have the perfect one for your meal. If that makes you feel overwhelmed, don’t worry! Loire Valley Wines are ideal food wines with moderate alcohol levels, refreshing acidity and minerality so chances are most will work with your dinner. They’re also a great price point, so buying a case, mixing and matching styles, gives you even greater success at pairing for your holiday!

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comSince Loire Valley Wines are fresh and fun, we’re also going to be going that direction with our after Thanksgiving bites with these three options: Tart Turkey Lettuce Cups, Brie Stuffed Pommes Noisettes, and Bite Size Croque Monsieur Tartines. I’m going on the assumption that you’ll have some of the staple dishes at your meal like turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, a cheese plate, bread, green beans, pecans or walnuts, and various refrigerator condiments. If you’re feeling fancy, I’ve even got a few optional ingredients so you can win the day after Thanksgiving meal as well. But no pressure! Friday should be all about relaxing with family, not stressing over food preparation.

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comOk, let’s pour ourselves a glass of wine and get cooking!

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comTurkey Lettuce Cups

Dressing:
1/3 cup champagne vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2/3 cup neutral oil, like avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or cubed
2/3 cup chopped green beans
1/2 small red onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped small

For serving:
one head of butter lettuce, washed, leaves separated
chopped herbs such as parsley, chives

First, make the dressing by combining the vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Or all combined in a jar and shaken 15 seconds (my preferred method!).

Next, combine the turkey, green beans, onion, bell pepper, cranberry sauce and nuts in a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour desired amount of dressing over and let sit 15 minutes. Stir again and serve in lettuce leaves with a sprinkling of herbs on top.

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.comBrie Stuffed Pommes Noisettes

3 cups mashed potatoes
4 ounces brie
1-1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs
high heat neutral oil for frying

First, cover a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. Next, scoop potatoes into 1-1/2″ balls. Place a dime sized amount of brie in the center of the ball and seal potato around it. Roll the ball in breadcrumbs and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. After chilling, pour about two inches of oil in a dutch oven. Heat to 350°F. Fry potato balls in the oil, gently turning every few minutes, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes per batch. Allow space between the balls when frying, do not crowd the oil. Allow the oil to come back up to temperature before frying the next batch. Drain on paper towels.

Holiday Entertaining: Day After Thanksgiving Bites and Loire Valley Wine // stirandstrain.com

Bite Size Croque Monsieur Tartines

2 cups leftover gravy (or make your own bechamel sauce, see note below)
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
10 slices bread, toasted
dijon mustard
Gruyere or Parmesan cheese, grated
cranberry sauce for dipping
quail eggs, optional

Turn on broiler. Place toasted bread on a foil covered baking sheet. Spread desired amount of dijon mustard on bread slices (I used about a teaspoon per slice of bread). Sprinkle a handful of turkey next on the bread, followed by a dollop of gravy. Spread the gravy over the turkey and sprinkle cheese on top. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce! If you’re feeling fancy, add a fried quail egg on top. They make these little bites even more adorable.

Note: to make a bechamel sauce, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan. Add in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and mix for a few minutes until combine. Slowly pour 2 cups hot milk into the butter/flour mixture and whisk continually until well combined. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, pinch of nutmeg, and 1/2 a cup of shredded Gruyere cheese. Use immediately.

For more information on all the Loire Valley Wines, please visit them at loirevalleywine.com


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Filed Under: Entertain Me, Everyday Parties, Recipes, Wine Wine Wine Tagged With: cheese, cranberry, entertain me, Everyday Parties, holiday, Loire Valley Wines, make it, rosé wine, thanksgiving, turkey, wine

Wine Scavenger Hunt with Sheep Thrills Wine

November 22, 2017 by elana Leave a Comment

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.comSheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

This post was made in partnership with Sheep Thrills Wine.

This year I’m trying to bring simple, spontaneous pleasures into a year that’s been… draining, to say the least. While I am thankful to spend this week with family, I wanted to switch things up a bit after the meal. So, what can you do to entertain a house full of guests this thanksgiving? Send them on a wine scavenger hunt!

If you’re looking to have some adventures with out-of-town guests while being told to stay out of the kitchen, or if you need an activity to do the day after the big meal instead of sitting around arguing politics with your curmudgeonly uncle, or you’re having a few (or 20) pals over for Friendsgiving and it’s going to be in the high 80’s and you don’t have air conditioning (hello, Los Angeles!), this is a fun one!

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

We’ve teamed up with Sheep Thrills Wine this week to get you out of the house and on this wine adventure! I was always a huge fan of scavenger hunts as a kid and the other day, thinking of what to do with a house full of guests, I thought—adults like this game too! I mean, it’s going to be even better with wine involved.

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com
Sheep Thrills wine, made in the Abruzzo region of Italy, is available in both a red blend and a Pinot Grigio so you’ve got your guests covered. And, with a price point that won’t break the bank (under $15 a bottle!!), you can afford to stock up and even give out a few bottles as prizes for winning the scavenger hunt. (Free wine is a big motivator to win a game. Trust me on this.)

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

Check out the printable below to play your own Sheep Thrills scavenger hunt. Or use it as a starting point to make your own game—just get outdoors and have fun!

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

Sheep Thrills Wine Scavenger Hunt // stirandstrain.com

For more information on Sheep Thrills Wine, please visit their website at www.sheepthrills.com

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Filed Under: Entertain Me, Wine Wine Wine Tagged With: entertain me, Fall, holiday, thanksgiving, wine

What You Should Be Drinking on Thanksgiving

November 23, 2016 by elana 1 Comment

I’m not one to tell you guys what to do, but if you’re looking for something to make this week for your holiday table, here are a few suggestions! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Smoky Sage Punch // stirandstrain.com

Smoky Sage Punch

Cranberry Black Pepper Shrub Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

Cranberry-Black Pepper Shrub Cocktails

Smoked Rosemary Rum Punch // stirandstrain.com

Smoked-Rosemary Rum Punch

9 Ladies Dancing Scotch Punch // stirandstrain.com

9 Ladies Dancing Scotch Punch

Savory Lemon Suze Sparkling Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

Lemony Suze Sparkling Pitcher Cocktails

Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon // stirandstrain.com

Pumpkin Spiced Bourbon

Sparkling Pomegranate Caipirinha // stirandstrain.com

Sparkling Pomegranate Caipirinha

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.com

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: bourbon, cranberry, holiday, lemon, lime, pomegranate juice, pumpkin, punch, rum, sage, scotch, sparkling wine, Suze, thanksgiving

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails

November 21, 2016 by elana 2 Comments

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.comThis post is brought to you by the US Highbush Blueberry Council.
Recipes and ideas are my own.

The time you spend making cocktails during holiday time should be greatly less than the time spent on enjoying them with friends and loved ones. During this season (roughly September through early January now), I am a huge fan of big batched cocktails. So this week, with just a few days left before Thanksgiving descends upon us, I’ve brought out a little help from my favorite berry to mix up something tasty for you all. No, not the cranberry, the blueberry.

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.comWe are a family that consumes blueberries in very large quantities. If you ask my kid what is her favorite food, or pretty much what her favorite anything is (she’s two and is still working out the intricacies of the English language), she will say blueberries. We are lucky here in Southern California that we can get them at the market for a selfishly long time, and then when those are gone, we hit up the frozen section. Going without them is just not an option. Blueberries have a lovely balance of sweetness and sour that is always key in a good cocktail. Pair them with your cheeseboard, drink this with the main meal, or just enjoy it after all your guests finally leave. It’s up to you, but, really, this works anytime.

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.comThis cocktail combines blueberries, maple syrup, lemons, and sparkling wine for a super easy to make and party pleasing cocktail. I love this recipe for two reasons. One, it’s easy to batch and the base will keep for some time. And two, that leftover syrup makes for some darn tasty pancake topping. Score!

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.comFor my cocktail recipe and lots more blueberry holiday inspiration, please visit the US Highbush Blueberry Council here.

Maple Blueberry Sparkling Cocktails //stirandstrain.com



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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: blueberries, Fall, holiday, lemon juice, maple syrup, sparkling wine, thanksgiving

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