Holiday Entertaining

Wow it's been way too long! The holidays were crazy and I can't believe it's been so long. I was busy all season with holiday cards, stationary orders, and prepping for the busy wedding season ahead.

By the way if you haven't checked out our new website please do! The address is the same www.paperpossibilities.net however its undergone a total make over! I'm very excited about the new ability our customers will have to order directly online. Although, please don't forget that we aren't limited by the products featured on our website. I love designing custom pieces, so please don't hesitate to ask! Also we will probably be posting the 2010 Wedding Collection in March so keep an eye out for that.

I wanted to share with you some really great recipes that I made over the holidays. My sister and I were in charge of appetizers at Christmas and we went totally overboard. My family is hardcore Swedish and every Christmas we eat the traditional smorgasbord. The only truly delicious item served is swedish meatballs. The rest is pickled jellied cod (it tastes as nasty as it sounds), potato sausage (which looks like brain matter, but can be tasty if cooked properly), and red beans (I'm not a big bean fan of beans). So needless to say appetizers are a crucial part of our Christmas meal, in fact most of us fill up on appetizers before the smorgasbord is served!

I found some great recipes on Real Simple that are incredibly easy and you can make them ahead, which is a perfect solution during the busiest season of the year! To view the full list of recipes (I've just shared some of my favorites) go here.

Prosciutto Crostinis with Lemon Fennel Slaw

Ingredients

• 24 thin slices baguette (from 1 small loaf)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small fennel bulb—quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375º F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the fennel, parsley, lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
3. Divide the prosciutto evenly among the toasted baguette slices and top with the slaw.

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

Goat Cheese Crisps with Red Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped radicchio
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (about 4 ounces), at room temperature
• 24 thick-cut potato chips (from a 5-ounce bag) I used pita chips instead as I found the potato chips to not be substantial enough. You could also use slices of a baguette toasted.
  

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the radicchio and parsley.
2. Gently spread the goat cheese on the potato chips and top with the pepper mixture. Warning: Do not spread the goat cheese on too early as it can cause the chips or baguette to absorb the moisture and the goat cheese texture will crack ruining how pretty these appetizers can look.
   

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

Bacon Wrapped Dates: Oh my gosh were these a hit. I ate so many I thought I would explode! But they are that amazing combination of salty and sweet, and I'm all for incorporating more bacon into any meal! My friend Kelli made this recipe for my wedding shower and ever since I've been hooked!

1 pkg pitted dates (medjool dates

are the best, but expensive and sometimes hard to find already pitted, I bought sunmaid pre-pitted dates and they were great!)

4-5 oz goat cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese cut into 1/2" cubes (this is a very expensive cheese and although the bite of the cheese makes a great combo be forewarned you will pay between $10-15 for a small block of this cheese, but I think it's worth it)

thick cut maple bacon 1 package ought to do it...

toothpicks (if you buy the kind with colored tops then you can make all the goat cheese stuffed dates one color toothpick and the parmigiano another - as some people may not like goat cheese - I know, I know they are totally missing out!)

Cut the bacon in half and set aside.

Slice dates in half, and open them up. Scoop a small amount of goat cheese or place a cube of parmigiano reggiano into the center of the dates, and close the halves of the dates.

Wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside of the date. Secure each one with a toothpick.

Arrange in a foil covered baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.

Cook at 400 for about 5 minutes on each side or until bacon is cooked. You'll definitely have to watch these as they can burn easily.

Carmelized Onion Tarts with Apples

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into small pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the apples, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes.
2. Place each sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Spread with the crème fraîche, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with the onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into pieces before serving.

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

For New Year's we ended up heading up to a friend's cabin in Holland Michigan. It was an awesome time. I knew that we would be out late New Year's Eve, so I made this breakfast casserole ahead of time to enjoy New Year's Day. I can't say that it's mind blowing, but it's mind blowingly easy to make, tastes great and makes even better left overs.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs(Sometimes to make this casserole more substantial I double the eggs and the half and half - it makes it more "eggy" and less bready.)
  
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper
• Butter to grease pan
• 1 baguette cut into 1" thick slices
  
• 1 pound spicy pork sausage, cooked and drained of fat I like Jimmy Deans HOT pork sausage
  
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• You can also add veggies such as peppers, onions, or even brocolli
  

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they loosen up. Add the half and half, and green onions. Mix well, highly season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Butter a 12 by 10-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the bread, cutting and rearranging, if needed. Sprinkle the bread with the cooked sausage and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the entire pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I forgot this once and the eggs didn't get absorbed into the bread, so don't forget this step)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.

Alright well that's enough recipes for one day! We've been working lots on the house, so I have tons to report back on! Stay tuned!