You haven’t played Celebrity yet? I think it’s the easiest and funniest game night to host since there’s almost no prep – just chairs for everyone, slips of blank paper and plenty of pens to go around. The game rules: Each player/team gets 3-5 sheets of blank paper and writes the name of one “celebrity” […]
Category: By Meal
Winter Entertaining at Home #2 – Nostalgic Game Day
Who doesn’t love Dominoes, Monopoly, 1980s Trivial Pursuit, or the Game of Life? Nostalgic games are perfect for any group of friends or family including older kids. The beauty of this type of get-together is that everyone already knows each other as well as the rules of the games to be played. A Nostalgic Game […]
Which Festival of Light Is Celebrated the World Over?
It’s New Year’s Eve of course – with 24 hours of celebrations around the globe! Back in the day of the Concorde – a supersonic jet built by Great Britain and France in the 70s, you could celebrate New Year’s Eve in London listening to Big Ben chime, then fly to the Big Apple in […]
Kwanzaa: Celebrating African Heritage in America
The third December Festival of Light is Kwanzaa, a week long holiday, celebrated each year from December 26 to January 1st. Kwanzaa was established in the United States in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies, as a non-religious, non-political African-American holiday celebrating the family, community and culture in America but has […]
Christmas Traditions: December 24 to January 7 and in Between!
The second Festival of Light this month is Christmas on December 25, however, in Orthodox Christianity it’s celebrated on January 7, observing Christ’s birth according to the Julian calendar. But, did you know that in many cultures, Christmas Eve is a celebratory holiday as well, complete with unique foods and traditions? For Christians around the […]
Hanukkah: the Menorah, Sufganiyot and a Potato Pancake
The first of the December Festivals of Light to be celebrated this year is Hanukkah, which begins on December 22. I was familiar with the story of Judah Maccabee and the menorah that burned for 8 nights but not why two traditional foods: sufganiyot and latkes, are eaten during this festival. Hanukkah, known as the […]
Change Up A Thanksgiving Staple This Year: Your Cranberry Sauce!
Cranberry sauce is that ubiquitous condiment found on every Thanksgiving table and you may have wondered why. Turns out that cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and that many Native American tribes ate them as a staple of their diet. It’s thought that they also sweetened them with sugar and […]
Sautéed Zucchini and Tomatoes
Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 small red onion, diced 1 pound zucchini (2-3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, plus more for garnish if desired Heat the olive […]
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
Ingredients: 8 extra-large eggs 4 oz smoked salmon 2 oz room-temp cream cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 1 TBSP lemon juice 2 TBSP mayo 2 TBSP fresh chives, minced (plus enough for the garnish) salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cook the eggs hard-boiled. Cool and peel. Slice in half, lengthwise. Prepare an electric mixer […]
Filled Strawberries with Chocolate Topping
Ingredients: 1 pint strawberries, fresh 8-ounce package of cream cheese 1/2 TSP vanilla extract 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup chocolate chips To Make: Leave cream cheese out of the refrigerator for half an hour or until softened. Remove the center and tops of the strawberries. Use an electric beater to mix the confectioners’ sugar, […]