I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
There is no better way to start your Thanksgiving meal than with a warm, cozy bowl of soup. This year I took the classic butternut squash soup and kicked it up a notch by adding granny smith apples, homemade croutons, and sage leaves. All easy additions that will have your guests asking for seconds, and possibly even thirds. Truly, MKR
1 jar (2 lb.) butternut squash puree (I prefer Williams-Sonoma)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 small bay leaves
3 tsp. kosher salt
Sage leaves for garnish
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
...FOR THE CROUTONS
crusty bread such as french, sourdough, or you can even use dinner rolls
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add the butternut squash puree, apple, broth, bay leaves and salt and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with sage leaves, croutons and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
...FOR THE CROUTONS
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut bread into large squares and place into a mixing bowl. Add 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil and salt, mix together with your hands. You want just enough olive oil to lightly coat each piece, but not enough where the bread is soggy.
Place bread on to a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes just until bread is golden brown. Switch oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to properly crust the croutons. Make sure to watch this last step as the croutons can quickly burn.
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @Waiting On Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
You may have heard through a little bird, or a very loud bird called Twitter, that I’ve joined SMP Living as one of their newest editors. Eeek! And I thought what better way to kick off this new partnership/love affair, than with my Southern Thanksgiving captured by the talented Rustic White.
In the South few things are held as high as tradition and family. And what’s more traditional than gathering around a Thanksgiving table with family and friends to feast on the season’s bounty? Inspired by my love for a classic Thanksgiving, I combined rich browns and oranges with an unexpected twist of coral and sage greens to create a picturesque Southern table. Pomegranate’s Aviary patterned linens, pom pom placemats and napkins were the ideal backdrop for my faux boisand gourd patterned plates, rose gold silverware, and feathered napkin rings. I finished the tablescape with ivory candles along with fresh florals in burgundy, orange, and green.
The centerpiece, a smoked turkey (courtesy of my Big Green Egg), was presented on a monogrammed platter. I accompanied the star of the show with side dishes like sweet potato au gratin, green bean casserole, and foccacia with chestnut stuffing housed in my fabby Staub pumpkin cocette. I’ll be sharing all of the recipes this week and next so you can be ready for Thanksgiving Day, but in the mean time I’ve teamed up with SMP and Pomegranate for a little giveaway to help you recreate this entire look. One lucky winner will receive $460 worth of Pomegranate Linens…
The legal mumbo jumbo...this giveaway is open to US residents and will run through Sunday the 17th with our winner announced Monday the 18th. We’ll be running this all through Rafflecopter (below) which allows you to earn points for each item completed with a simple click of the button. The more points you earn the more likely you are to win (and remember you probably already have entry points if you’re a regular reader of the blog).
This post and giveaway was sponsored byPomegranate but the opinions, and obvious love of Pomegranate is all my own!
A few months ago Jezebel Magazineasked me to put my spin on one of my favorite holidays, Halloween. I adore Halloween, I simply adore it. However Halloween, like many holidays, can sometimes be accompanied by a lot of kitsch. And kitsch, unlike Halloween is just not my thing. So instead of orange and black everything and grotesque themed food I set out to create a more elevated and classic look. And while you can grasp the direction I was going from the pictures, I wanted to provide a few easy takeaways to help you create this look on your own.
For the overall color scheme I opted for a pallet of blacks, silvers, greys and natural linen. My everyday lanterns were filled with black candles and flanked by plenty of mercury glass pumpkins. I highly suggest investing in mercury glass pumpkins as they can easily transition well past Halloween and right on to your Thanksgiving table. Lastly, I enhanced the overall look with dripping dried moss and dried moss branches (which is my favorite way to get that spooky look), spiders, faux crows, chains, and skulls.
I kept the serve-yourself table simple with a moody cheese board, mini black eyed pea salads, and fried chicken sliders. The walking dead bowl was filled with dry ice and my favorite wine, and the warm bourbon punch served in festive glasses. To round out the food portion I wheeled in my trusty bar cart full of candied apples, cake, and a sweet little takeaway tied up in burlap bags.
I must say, I’m just over the moon with how everything turned out. Make sure to check out Jezebel for my top 10 entertaining tips and grab my recipes for the Candied Apples and Spiced Bourbon Punch below. Happy Haunting Loves. truly, MKR
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Line a baking sheet with foil and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
Wash and dry apples. Remove stems and place skewers firmly in place of the stems.
Combine water, corn syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir until sugar dissolves and continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 degrees.
Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to prevent crystallization.
Add cinnamon candies and stir briefly to incorporate.
Continue to cook, washing down the sides, until candy reaches 285 degrees.
Remove from heat and continue stirring candy until it is smooth and even.
Hold an apple by the skewer and dip it into candy in saucepan, tilting the pan at an angle and rotating the apple to cover it completely with a smooth, even layer.
Twirl it to remove excess candy and set on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples.
Allow apples to cool at room temperature.
Once completely cooled, pull out skewers and replace with a moss or tree branch for an extra spooky effect!
NOTE: Candy apples are best enjoyed within 24 hours and once cooled are best stored in the refrigerator.
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @Waiting On Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
A few months ago 
