A Very Veggie Christmas

Fresh parsnips ready to be transformed!

Christmas is such a busy time of year--sometimes you have to make the choice between wrapping presents or preparing a feast for the family. This year, one of my clients decided she'd like to have her cake and eat it too. Enter Nourish Personal Chef service! I agreed to cook her traditional Christmas Eve Feast, taking into consideration her vegetarian preference. We came up with a menu of dishes to please everyone, including a favorite family request.

The kitchen was smelling good, and my client was happily wrapping a few presents, then left to have a special lunch with a friend. When she returned, her kitchen was spotless and these dishes were ready to go...

Butternut Squash Risotto with Fried Sage Leaves

Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole

Green Beans with Shallots and Red Peppers

Roasted Parsnip Bread Pudding

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

The beautiful orange of the sweet potato-carrot casserole before finishing off with 
the brown sugar and pecan topping.

This family favorite, roasted parsnip bread pudding, was decadent with cream and eggs.
Freshly baked bread and thyme sprigs from my garden pushed it over the top!

A meatless menu definitely does not mean boredom! My tastebuds are jumping, just thinking about these dishes. Wouldn't you have liked to receive an invitation?

Where the food is...

Laughter is brightest in the place where food is.

- Irish proverb

If that's the case, then put on your shades, because my house has seen a lot of food lately! Family and friends joined me for a great evening of food and conversation. We had so much fun just being together, telling stories, sharing ideas, eating... and laughing. There's nothing better than looking around and seeing people in your home smiling and laughing. They are well fed, happy, and relaxed, so they can enjoy one another. It's a little bit of heaven on earth to me. Somehow I think that's what it's going to be like when we get to join in the Great Feast one day.

Feast your eyes on this menu and these photos taken by my fabulously talented friend, Robyn.

Hot Bacon and Swiss Dip

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Mini Beef Wellingtons with Horseradish Cream

Mexican Shrimp and Grits

Summer Succotash

Lemon Pepper Zucchini Skewers

Watermelon-Tomato Salad

Cucumbers

White Mountain Bread

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French Mint Tea

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Pound Cake Cookies

Death by Chocolate Cookies

Mini Beef Wellingtons

The buffet...where the food is.

I couldn't have pulled off this party without Mama!

My favorite photo--see how happy everyone is? Bright laughter, indeed!



Do you like having dinner parties, but don't enjoy the prep so much? You're in luck--Nourish will come right in and do the prep work for you! Then you can revel in the atmosphere and be a guest at your own party. Call me and we'll make it happen!

Double Independence Day Celebration

This Fourth of July, my family had a double celebration: our freedom from tyranny and also Mama's freedom from work a.k.a., retirement! We planned a relaxed cook-out at Carter's Lake in North Georgia. The view was spectacular and the food superb. The lake breeze even cooled our scalding temperatures down a bit.

Now for a few pictures and the menu...

Can you believe this view?

Bottled cokes in our old washtub were a hit.
We should've had more Orange Crush.

Southern Classic Appetizers:
cream cheese and pepper jelly & corn and field pea dip.

Justin (brother-in-law) and Papa enjoying the convo.

Hilary, my sister, had patriotic lanterns hanging all in the pavilion.

The spread with wildflowers.

The Menu

Rib Eye Steaks

Watermelon & Tomato Salad

Asparagus

Potato Salad

Cucumbers

Fresh Corn & Avocado Salad

Garlic Texas Toast

for dessert

Grandma's famous Ranger Cookies

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Homemade Chocolate Chip Pecan Ice Cream

The guest of honor: my mama!
(With my cousin Rachel, who looks more like her than Hil and I do.)

We are so thankful for those men who had the guts to write and sign the Declaration of Independence. Our celebration was made possible because of their bravery and because of the bravery our Armed Forces still show every day.