EVENT PLANNING BOOKS

When it comes to holiday entertaining, I am incorrigible. Recently, one of the discount retail stores had snowmen ceramic cups for hot chocolate and the cups are perfect for a Christmas arrival gathering. Whether my guests wanted hot chocolate (infused with Chocolate liqueur) or just iced sparkling mineral water, all were cheerful when handed a smiling snowman cup with the stripe straw! It’s funny how the most simplistic thing can set the tone for cheerful entertaining and bring out the child in everyone. Centerpieces can have the same affect. This year’s centerpiece is comprised of a lovely gold-tone angel blowing a horn. She is lifted up on a glass vase which makes her over 2 feet tall. Then, I set her into a large crystal bowl that is filled with water, floating candles and white fresh roses. The point is that the angel was under $30 dollars; but, by positioning her high and surrounding her with flowers and candles, the centerpiece looks regal. It just takes a little creativity. For long banquet tables try spelling out CHRISTMAS with cake letters or block letters. Edible cake letters are great for the dessert table. It really is a magical time of year and being a culinary elf during Christmastime is so exciting. If you saved childhood dolls or plush animals, it is fun to provide a corner featuring a children’s Christmas tea party. I have one friend who removes all of her porcelain from her China cabinets and fills the shelves with miniature Christmas scenes. One of our family favorites is the enjoyment of British Christmas crackers, which showcase a loud pop, a favor, a paper crown and a silly joke. So, offer the delightful, the creative and the impacting so that your guests “feel the love from the culinary elf in you.” © Kelly McBride Loft

Finally, Christmastime greets us with cheer. It is so much fun to share international entertaining traditions from other countries. For example, Scandinavia offers the tradition of drinking Glogg which consists of wine with cinnamon and spices, served hot. The cold climate seems to bring people close together. One of my favorite blessings has its origins from Norway: “O du som metter liten fugul velsign vår mat O Gud, Amen,” which means little birds receive God’s blessings and bless our food oh God, Amen. When one understands that the birds struggle with the cold and the blessing acknowledges their endurance, it helps us to be empathetic and grateful. If traveling to Norway, I highly recommend a visit to the National Art Gallery in Oslo to observe the beautiful painting called The Oak Tree. In the painting, a single bird sits in an oak tree with the snow finally subsiding. It captures one’s heart as we all seek the warmth and light during one the coldest seasons of the year for this hemisphere. Scandinavia is also known for its fantastic salmon. Please try my favorite December salmon recipe, Kelly’s Poached Salmon with Cranberry Glaze.
Kelly’s Poached Salmon with Cranberry Glaze
In a fish poacher, which is a long pot which goes on top of the stove, place fresh salmon that has had the scales removed. Top the salmon with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh herbs of either basil, thyme, or dill. Fill the bottom of the poacher pan with chicken stock. Cover and steam the fish for 15 to 20 minutes until thoroughly cooked. While the fish is poaching, prepare the sauce with 1 can of jellied cranberry heated in a pot. Add ¼ cup of Chambord liqueur and 1 can of pitted, drained cherries.  Merry Christmas! © Kelly McBride Loft

If you need to stretch a meal and feed the family masses back to back after Thanksgiving, it’s time for Chicken and Dumplings! Boil a whole chicken in the crock pot, with fresh herbs, celery and a whole onion, kosher salt and pepper. Remove the cooked chicken and refrigerate, if not serving within 2 hours. Strain and pour the fresh chicken broth into a large pot on the stove. In a bowl, mix fresh biscuits from scratch. Drop handfuls of the biscuit mix into the hot chicken broth. Cover. Stir with a wooden spoon after about 6 minutes. Stir well. Adjust the season, to taste, by adding kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir well, again. Most of the dumplings will have broken up to make a thick gravy. Meanwhile, make a second batch of biscuit mix from scratch. Drop in handfuls of the 2nd batch of biscuit mix into the hot gravy-like broth. Reduce the heat to very low. Cover. DO NOT OPEN THE LID FOR 25 to 30 Minutes. The thicker broth will hold the dumplings up so that the 2nd batch will steam. This will make the dumplings have a cake-like texture. When serving, serve with the boiled chicken hot with the beautiful homemade dumplings. Adorn the plate or bowl with fresh herbs or chopped herbs. You’ll get hugs for your grand performance! © Kelly McBride Loft

Put together a family recipe book and let the youngest members of the family decorate the cover. It’s a keepsake in so many ways. Stories and photos can also be added or added year after year. No one makes it better than favorite relative…so record it. It’s a Thanksgiving to remember and a lasting legacy. Happy Thanksgiving! Need a skillet stuffing? Try my recipe for a stir it up gathering. © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Skillet Stuffing
Prebake biscuits and cornbread. Let the bread air dry for at least 4 to 6 hours. Dice 1 cup of onions and celery. Chop walnuts and prunes. Ready a half cup of dried cranberries. Prepare brandied cherries by simmering 1 can of 15 oz. dark sweet pitted cherries in brandy. Drain this for the dressing. In the skillet: Melt a half stick of butter. Simmer the onions & celery until soft. Add the dried cranberries, prunes and walnuts. Toss in large crumbles of the cornbread and smaller crumbles of the homemade biscuits. Gently, toss in the drained brandied cherries. Add fresh turkey drippings, as needed. This is a fluffy dressing; so, don’t make it too moist. Season with sage and poultry seasoning. Optional flavoring is to add crisp bacon crumbles. Cook covered until heated thoroughly. It’s a Thanksgiving treasure. © Kelly McBride Loft

Make plating interesting and artful. OK, anyone can toss a piece of turkey on the plate. Consider some interesting concepts such as stacking or artistic designs. Stacking can be done with a baked base of an acorn squash ring, filled with dressing, topped with succulent turkey and adored with a dollop of cranberry sauce. Artistically, a slice of turkey can be placed to one side of the plate, have 5 green beans fanned at the edge of the turkey and scoop of dressing placed slightly off-centered on top of the turkey slice. Un, deux, trois – let’s try this one. Serve your feast in large bowls instead of plates. In the center of the bowl, place a scoop of baked green bean casserole. Top that with sliced turkey. Surround the turkey with homemade dressing. Finish the grandeur with a dollop of cranberry sauce. It’s a celebration for that appetizing, inviting and smiling moment – just before taking a sumptuous bite of all-day cooking!© Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Acorn Squash
Carefully slice acorn squash into rings. Remove the seeds.  Spray a deep baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then, place the cut squash into the dish. Pour melted butter over the top of the squash. Dust the squash with cinnamon. Bake, covered, for one hour or until tender at 350⁰F. Add more butter, if needed. The squash should be tender and moist.

When one writes a blog, it is because that person feels passionate about a subject and enjoys writing. To my readers, please know that I have just finished my newest book: The Language of Good Table Manners. It is a subject that I feel strongly about because it is from our tables that we learn the essence of our life skills. By creating a beautiful meal, celebrate your family and your creativity. Here’s is one of my favorite recipes!
Kelly’s Brandied Veal Chops
Select one veal chop per person and place the veal into a glass or plastic vessel for marinating. Hand beat one whole egg per person and coat each veal chop with the beaten egg. Place a fresh minced garlic clove on top of each chop. Seal, marinate and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours. Just before cooking, coat each chop in finely minced bread crumbs and quick sear both sides of each chop in a skillet in butter. Place the seared chops into a baking dish, cover and bake at 400⁰ for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The tender juicy, chops will delight your guests – but there is more – don’t forget to top the chops with some brandied cherries! While the chops are baking, on the stove in a skillet, slowly and at a very low heat simmer one 15 oz. can of cherries in brandy. Cook the pitted cherries until the brandy reduces down. Pour the brandied cherries over the tops of the cooked chops. It’s an exciting entrée to hone in your culinary skills and practice the Language of Good Table Manners! © Kelly McBride Loft

Finally, the snowfall has arrived to the east coast and in the Rocky Mountains. It’s time to snuggle near the fireplace. During the chilly season, I move a smaller dining table to hearth to enhance the dining experience. Seasonal weather changes beckon food choices. Try an innovation on a trusted favorite cuisine concept with a S’more Pie: Bake a Graham cracker pie crust. Then, layer it with hazelnut cocoa spread and marshmallow cream. Top that with a thin layer of cherry pie filling. Just before serving, add a dollop of fresh whipped cream. It’s a generational bonding moment of home comfort! © Kelly McBride Loft

It’s the Halloween harvest season! I once asked an older friend why he liked to watch scary movies. The answer was that during the Great Depression, life was scary; so, watching a scary movie took his mind off the scary times. Personally, I am not very good at watching scary movies; but, food never scares me. When having the frequent, haunting home crowd, I like to have variety of items on the table. For the Halloween season, it’s a featured buffet, with the group’s movie pick. So, what’s the menu: A taco salad shaped like a skull, with olive eyes and hearts of palm teeth; Jack-o-lantern pizzas with triangle cut eyes, noses and teeth; a cauldron of cinnamon candy flavored apple juice served in cups with alternating labels of “want-to-be scared” and “want-to-be a nonconformist”; molasses roasted turkey legs; caramel apple slices and popcorn balls! For the adventuresome, it is a good time to host a treasure hunt. Leave detailed clues and announce the winner by presenting a fun prize. (Don’t forget to decorate your bathtub/shower in the guest area, for the curious seekers.) © Kelly McBride Loft

It’s the season of pumpkins, scarecrows and blackbirds! Design the table with autumn’s glory and fun themes. Make an easy theme with my “Blackbird” Pie. Pre-bake a pie crust in a pie pan. This can be done by weighting the fresh pie crust dough with dried (uncooked) beans (or a frozen premade pie crust).  Don’t over-cook it because the filling will be heated thoroughly in the pre-baked crust.  For the filling, in a mixing bowl add: pre-cooked chicken breast pieces (2 cups); diced celery (1/2 cup); pecan pieces (3/4 cup); and mayonnaise to mix.  Fill the pre-baked pie crust with the mixture. Press 12 to 15 whole, pitted black olives into the pie. For the full affect, add a blackbird ceramic pie vent in the center of the pie. Top the pie with shredded Cheddar cheese and top the pie with the last layer of crushed potato chips. Bake until thoroughly heated. To ensure that the crust edge doesn’t burn, cover the pie edge with a strand of tin foil. It’s a delicious but whimsical entrée for autumn’s embrace on a chilly moonlit night.  Your family and friends will flock to the table!  © Kelly McBride Loft

Mix it up a little – no, really mix it up with pancake batter. Pancakes are not just for breakfast. Try non-sweet pancakes for dinner topped with roasted chicken pieces. Pour the homemade “syrup” of crushed pineapple, butter and nutmeg. Top with sprig of sage and you have “Wow, why haven’t you fixed this sooner?” For a variation try herb infused pancakes. Life is sweet but every bite doesn’t need to have sugar…© Kelly McBride Loft

Take control of your family life by hosting a Family Bonding Night. So, it’s time to turn off the electronic devices. Plan for an evening of conversation, games to play and live entertainment from family members. The children can create a puppet show and the adults can show off their talents. Stage the evening’s activities by scheduling the programs. End the evening with some card games or Scrabble. Prizes are rewarding, too. What do you serve this character driven evening? Food that can adapt to the evening’s momentum and move from room to room. Interesting sandwich trays are perfect. Try open-face sandwiches with smoked turkey topped with a dollops of cranberry sauce; open-face sandwiches topped with a mixture of cream cheese and crushed pineapple topped with walnuts; and open-faced ham sandwiches topped with avocado & diced tomatoes. I would offer the tray of sandwiches during the home debut performances. Then, as the games begin, offer a homemade vegetable or potato and basil soup. There is an old saying that what you put into to something is directly related to the outcome. Put some time into your family. They are worth it. © Kelly McBride Loft

During cooking school in Burgundy, France, on Saturday evenings, we would take turns reading poetry or literary excerpts by candlelight. The candlelight gave the authenticity of past eras, before electricity. It also allowed everyone to give their full focus on the presenter. We all have our special memories from schooldays and those French readings touched my soul. Think of the author or the poet who has inspired you the most and have a candlelight dinner party with readings. Will it be Hemingway, Burns, Bronte, Dickinson, Shakespeare, or others? Who do you yearn for, this thought provoking print so proud to share and wear as a badge of honor? Set the theme; then, set the tone. Try my version of Fresh Catch A Rainbow to catch the dreams from years gone past! It’s never too late to make those dreams come true. © Kelly McBride Loft
Fresh Catch A Rainbow
Marinate your favorite fillet of fresh fish, preferably rainbow trout, in one-part orange juice and one-part Sherry. Then, rub fresh fish fillets with Herbs de Provence. Dip the herb dusted fish into flour and cook in olive oil until done. Remove. Cook and drain rainbow pasta. Toss the pasta with olive oil infused with fresh cooked minced garlic. In a separate sauce pan, toss and cook chopped rainbow chard in a small amount of olive oil. Lightly salt the chard. When plating, put the garlic flavored pasta first. Top that with the fish fillet. Then, top the fish with rainbow chard! Make a wish – it’s your literary reading rainbow evening! © Kelly McBride Loft

It may be because it is my favorite time of year, but I love the seasonal change to autumn. The holiday planning commences, the menus change, and get-togethers are more frequent. I am frequently asked, “What should I cook!” That is always easy answer for me – just go with your seasonal inspiration. This is one of my special autumn entrees because it carries the autumn coloring onto the plate and it is fast and easy. © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Autumn Fruits de Mer
Bake a sweet potato per person, just slightly firm. Set those aside. Sear 6 to 8 scallops per person. Flavor the scallops with your favorite liquor, such as Pernod or Pastis. Trim each whole cooked sweet potato into a cylinder shape (the same diameter of the scallops). Then, slice the sweet potato into medallions. Arrange and alternate the sweet potato medallions and the scallops between each other. Drizzle with hot lemon butter, garnish, and serve hot. It is a stunning presentation to embrace and fall into fantastic autumn! © Kelly McBride Loft

Admit it.  The loose hems and missing buttons have stacked a few of your favorite clothing pieces in the back of your closet. Call your neighbors and call your friends; it’s time to host a Stitch-it-Up Party. Visit a button shop for inspiration and pile the threads and needles into an eclectic centerpiece. Invite those who can’t sew so that they can learn. It’s wholesome camaraderie with a productive project of revitalizing those “keeper” attire pieces.  What do you serve? Tea – of course! Teatime is perfect with lovely open face sandwiches. A fast and easy one is toasted bread, topped with cream cheese and three slices of sundried tomato. A new one to try is to mix a dab of honey with goat cheese and spread that on the bread. Then garnish the goat cheese with chopped arugula! It really is great. Classic open-faced sandwiches are smoked salmon, cucumber, and egg salad. Try to give small baskets filled with sewing notions as the party favors. The best compliment is that your neighbors and friends are going to want to know when you will be hosting the next one! © Kelly McBride Loft

OK, it’s time to put your back to the north and seek the last rays of the summer sun – with a pool party. It’s been a summer of great times with friends, some drama – well personally, more drama than usual and I just finished my 28th book! Yea. I don’t know about you but I am toasting to the summer of 2016. Extra chairs will be pulled up to the table because everyone I know had summer drama and still hit their goals and deadlines! Wow! My pool parties start with the guest list – the more the merrier. Purchase a half pound to pound of shrimp per person, an Alaskan King Crab leg per person, boiled new potatoes and quarter cut corn on the cob. I like to create my own “crab boil” seasoning. The crab boil with very heavy red pepper, in my opinion, masks the favor of the delicate and expensive shrimp and crab. So, I save the lemon rinds from my lemon pie. Toss the rinds into the boiling water with a bottle of lemon tarragon salad dressing. That really brings out the flavor in the seafood.
Kelly’s Lemon Pie
For the crust prepare a large Pyrex rectangle baking dish by melting 1 and half sticks of butter in the microwave. In the dish, mix in one and half cups of flour and one and half cups of minced pecans (run through the food processor). Mash the mixture to form the crust. Bake at 400⁰ for 10 minutes – and no more than that. Remove and cool completely.
In an auto mixer, beat 8 egg yolks until light in color. Add 2 cans of condensed milk. Add 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, until just blended. Pour over the cooled crust. Bake at 350⁰ for 14 minutes. My version of the classic ice box pie is the perfect accompaniment to a seafood pool party to hedge the last rays of a summer sun splash. Have fun! © Kelly McBride Loft