The holidays are busy enough with events, trips, shopping and family time that you would have to be crazy to throw a party! Fortunately, there are lots of Christmas and New Year enthusiasts out there, including myself, and plenty of delicious and festive options for a ready-made, one-stop-shop party. No need to spend a fortune or hire a caterer! If you can turn on the oven, pull out the crystal and arrange a beautiful platter you can throw a fabulous Christmas soirée. Here are my menu recommendations from three popular stores with approximate pricing for pre-made hearty hors d'oeuvres, desserts and beverages you and your guests will love.... Costco Cocktail PartyAppetizers
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Trader Joe's Cocktail PartyAppetizers
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Grocery Store Cocktail PartyAppetizers
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Don't be fooled by the idea of cooking a turkey dinner! It's actually pretty simple and with a bit of planning you can pull it off with flying colors. FG has recipes and a complete strategy for tackling Thanksgiving dinner, while still enjoying your family and friends. Cheers! Traditional (and Easy!) Side DishesNow that the weather has cooled off the summer veggies have fled the market scene! Time to rediscover autumn flavors and root vegetables.... and finally not have people calling you crazy for eating hot soup. Soup is a delicious, healthy and economical way to prepare a family meal or serve a formal first course for your next dinner party.
Costco has a six pack of organic chicken stock that works beautifully! (And costs less than $2 a carton - can't beat that). I make a pot of soup on Sunday and serve it for a few days with varied grilled sandwiches, salads and fresh breads for a filling meal. If you are still dreaming about an outdoor kitchen like I am, then you know how hot it gets in the kitchen when cooking or baking in the Summer... especially in Phoenix! My remedy is the freezer. I will make huge batches early in the morning or at night and then freeze what I don't need right away (basically whatever my husband can't eat in a week and he is a bottomless pit).
Do NOT freeze potato dishes! It will not work out well. However, you can freeze a lasagna, for example, in a pyrex dish before you bake it, then thaw overnight before baking. Make sure your baking dish is freezer friendly - cast iron and stoneware are absolutely NOT freezer friendly. Freeze your sauces in a plastic container and you will have no problems. I mainly freeze bread and tomato sauce dishes, then pull them out when friends stop by or take them on road trips to the beach or camping. Bread will thaw in no time and all you need for a tomato sauce dish is to cook some rice or pasta. Viola! That way you spend your time with friends, family and maybe a few glasses of wine instead of prepping the food. Plus you don't look like an overheated disaster when your AC loses the fight with the flames from the hot stove. So get out your pans and that underused cast iron pot and go for it! I am so happy you stumbled onto Fauxmestic Goddess and decided to look around!
A bit about me... I am a 34 year old native of Phoenix, Arizona. I have had a whirlwind life so far and it just keeps getting better! I have lived in four countries since college, studied in Italy, joined the Peace Corps in Georgia and earned my MBA in England. I am back in my hometown working the last four years for large technology company in Marketing & Strategy. I recently changed course to focus on my passion for design, cooking, entertaining and sharing all that I have learned traveling the world. Needless to say, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. My hope and aspiration for this site is that it is entertaining, thought provoking and, above all, useful for women like me who are not Martha Stewart. Juggling jobs, families, hobbies, travel and taking care of our homes is more than enough to handle...then on top of that we are expected to entertain?! The ideas you will find here are meant to make entertaining more fun, efficient and less expensive than if you tried to pull off Barefoot Contessa (who I love!) recipes or hire a caterer. Please tell me what you like, what you dislike and what else you want to hear more about in the future. Your wish is my command and I am happy to do the fun, delicious, tipsy and often hilarious research! |
JocelynAspiring chef, shameless party thrower, notorious wanderer & loving life Archives
December 2015
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