Holland and Mint: FOOD & ENTERTAINING

Showing posts with label FOOD & ENTERTAINING. Show all posts

3/29/2016

Springtime Soiree

Dining alfresco is one of the best ways to welcome the arrival of springtime. Celebrating the return of warm weather with friends and family is always an exciting event! When I have anyone over, let it be my mom and brother, the in-laws, or friends, I like to put a little effort into my outdoor springtime table setting. There must be flowers (of course) in some type of urn, beautiful vase, or even a silver trophy. If you are going more rustic it is totally acceptable to forgo the table cloth, but if you want to do a little more color or have it be a tad more formal, then a gorgeous table runner or tablecloth can go a long way! I also love to add candles or tiny vases with some moss/florals, plus whatever else suits your fancy. After getting married its always nice being able to use your beautiful serveware for even the smallest of occasions. Plus who doesn't love serving a charcuterie on a gorgeous marble cheese platter for when the guests arrive? Beautiful glassware or a bar set up is also a great way to show you went that extra mile. It really makes your guests feel special and your decor can be a great talking point. Have fun mixing and matching patterns or simply leaving everything white with silver and glass. It's all about the unexpected. Plus always remember to have fun with it and to take lots of pics to show it off!

French Blue Dinnerware Collection

Napkin Ring/Place Card Holder Set

Pewter Hostess Set

Hurricane

Juliska Thread & Berry (My Everyday Plates-Love them!)

1/05/2016

Holiday Dinner Party

I know, I know- Christmas and New Years is long gone, and if you're like me, all the decorations have been put away already...but I just had to share my holiday dinner party decor with all of you. If you follow me on Instagram, I'm sure you've seen most of these pics already, so I hope you enjoy seeing them again!

I had never hosted Christmas dinner before- it was A LOT of hard work and a little bit stressful, but it was also SO exciting to be the hostess! I finally got to use a lot of my wedding gifts, which was amazing! Plus, I got to decorate the table and the house just how I wanted and bonus- I got to show it off! Usually it's just my hubby and 1.5 year old son "oooohhing & awwwwing" (mostly because I'd hurt them if I did all that work to decorate and got NO reaction from them) so It was nice to have others appreciate my hard work! Even if it's only up for about a month. Sob :( It goes by too fast!

Our Christmas dinner table! Decorated with our wedding china and my favorite flowers- Tulips. Instead of using napkin rings I used red velvet ribbon wrapped around our new monogrammed napkins with a sprig of berries tucked inside! I also decided to use pinecones as the place holders. Added bonus- they smelled like cinnamon! Yum!

The champagne and wine bar I set up. I usually choose white flowers but with a white table top I had to add a pop of color. These red roses say "simple, sophisticated, and chic."

The hubs and I getting a photo on Christmas! That's hard to do when you're hosting- but we pulled it off!

I'm wearing: Endless Rose Top

The white Tulips in all their glory! I also added some pine to it to make it just a tad more Christmasy! The candlelight hitting off the mercury glass vase was stunning and so romantic. Definitely added to the cozy ambiance of the dinner.

Our bar cabinet all "Christmas-ed Out." I added battery powered lights to each shelf and it really brought some attention to our liquor closet for all the guests to fawn over. I think Christmas lights always add that little bit of sparkle that you want.

A few of the presents under the tree! All the wrapping is from Homegoods. The letter tags are from Michaels. I had so much fun wrapping!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday season and got to spend it with your loved ones!

6/30/2015

Good Morning, Beautiful!

Good morning, beautiful!

For my birthday the other day, my little man, hubby, and I walked around SF and did a little shopping (and eating). We went to the Ferry Building to grab a bite and while there we picked up a few of these Weck jars that I am absolutely obsessed with!

It's hard enough to wake up early every morning, yet alone to make breakfast for your family, while trying to get everything ready for the day, and on top of that trying to find time to feed yourself! If you're like me, you don't have the energy or TIME to have a huge, fancy breakfast that takes forever make. I need a quick, easy, and healthy start to my day. My favorite way to perk up in the morning is by having a BEAUTIFUL, healthy breakfast that is simple to throw together. Really! When you're food looks pretty it makes it that much more enjoyable and really adds that extra oomph to start the day off right!

Every morning I have my greek yogurt with some flaxseed, blueberries, and granola sprinkled on top. These ingredients all thrown together is beyond scrumptious and by enjoying them in a nostalgic jar just makes it that much better. Plus, when your breakfast is in a jar that has a lid, it makes it much easier to throw in your purse and take on the go if you're running late to something (Fingers pointing at me! haha).

How do you make your breakfast special? How do you kick start your mornings? Hope you're all having an amazing week! xox

6/16/2015

Recipe: Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Oh my GOSH it's been awhile since my last post!

Let me start off by saying- it's a lot of work taking care of an 8-11 month old baby! Between that, moving, and finishing up a home remodel- I've been very busy. That being said, being a Mama to Luca has been the most rewarding, best thing I've ever done. I swear we wake up and he's grown and can do things he couldn't do the day before. It's amazing to watch.

Now, to get back to my blog and posts! I thought a great way to say "I'm back" is with a post of the recipe of one of my favorite meals I think I've ever had!

I am such a huge fan of Mexican food, but it can be heavy and let's face it, not very healthy at times. A couple of months ago my family and I went to Cabo, and I had some of the best tortilla soup of my life! The other day I was just craving some with chicken so that it would be a full meal, so I scoured all over Pinterest and finally found a recipe to my liking (TheSkinnyFork)!

My husband and I made it together- I just love cooking with him. It also gets made twice as fast when two people are making it so if you're super hungry this is a bonus. It's a crockpot recipe (which made it super easy) and it was pretty inexpensive (score!). Below is the recipe we used plus our little changes.

Hope you all enjoy! xo

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe:

Ingredients

Soup:

1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (We used 3 breasts & sliced them, cooked them a little over half way on stove & then shredded them a bit using two forks)

10 Oz. Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (Rotel) (We used 2 cans to make it chunkier)

14.5 Oz. Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added), Un-drained

1 Cup Corn, Frozen & Thawed (We used 1 Canned Corn & it worked out really well)

14.5 Oz. Black Beans (No Salt Added), Drained & Rinsed (We used 2 cans to make it chunkier)

1 Medium White Onion, Diced

1-2 Jalapeno, Diced

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced (We used 4 cloves)

2-3 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth (We used 3-4 Cups)

1 Tsp. Ground Cumin

1 Tsp. Chili Powder (Be careful with this, the more you add the cipher it gets!)

1 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

Lime (Cut wedges to add to bowl of soup once finished- it's amazing)

Tortilla Strips:

White Corn Tortillas (3-4) Cut into thin strips

Salt & Pepper to taste

Non Stick Cooking Spray

Taco Seasoning

Optional Extras:

1 Avocado

Shredded Mexican Cheese

Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

Cilantro

Directions

Throw all the ingredients for the soup into the crock pot and stir. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours. (It's that easy, I know!!)

Once the soup is almost finished, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the tortillas with non stick cooking spray and cut them into thin strips. Lay on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper. You can also dust a little taco seasoning on the strips.

Place in oven for about 10-15 min or until crispy.

Dish soup into bowl and add strips plus favorite toppings.

Enjoy! (Hint, if you make it too spicy, like we did, the sour cream and avocado definitely help in cooling it down).

Also, don't forget to add the squeeze of lime to your bowl of soup. It really does make the dish!

There you have it. Let me know what you think.

So easy and SO delish!

10/24/2014

Bar Cart Style

Our industrial bar cart.

Ralph Lauren Barware | Waterford Wine Decanter and Glasses (similar here)

Our collection of bottle openers on display in a julep cup.

Dyptique Candle | Saks Crystal Bottle Coaster (similar here) | Leopard Coasters (a gift)

Monogram Bottle Stop from Pottery Barn (others were gifts)

Ralph Lauren barware in silver tray.

It's fall, it's getting chillier and chillier outside, and that means curling up on the couch with the hubby with a drink is a must. There are so many different ways to store liquor, but one of my favorite ways is with a bar cart. I like that my hubby and I can see all our glasses and alcohol so then we will actually use them all. We got so much nice and unique items for our wedding that it's nice to be able to show it all off! The bar cart we have is wood and iron- I just love the rustic, industrial look because its masculinity offsets the shine and elegance of all the glass and crystal. It's also so much fun to personalize your bar cart with accessories! Try adding trays, bottle stoppers, bottle openers, coasters and candles to put your special touch on it. Also, it's nice to show off your favorite liquors- it's best when they can tell a story and be conversation pieces- like the bottle my hubby found- Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey-we had it in Ireland last year on our trip to Europe and fell in love with it, and we were so excited to find it out here after searching everywhere for it! How do you store your liquor? What alcohol/glasses/coasters/collectables do you put on display? Hope you all have a great weekend! We are taking our little guy to the pumpkin patch for the first time- I'm really looking forward to it. xo, Alida

1/14/2014

Health Kickstart: Glowing Green Smoothie

The holidays are over, the parties have subsided, and its a brand new year! I have to admit that I definitely indulge during the holidays- all the snacks, drinks, and decadent meals are just too good to pass up on. But because I give in then, I know that once the new year begins it is time to get my booty back into health mode. Every time I want to kick start my health routine, I drink one of my favorite smoothies and I feel clean and renewed right away. After buying "The Beauty Detox Solution" by Kimberly Snyder last year, it completely transformed my life! It's so helpful for those of you who want to know more about their bodies, the food they eat, and clean living. I also love that she has amazing, healthy recipes- from side dishes to salad dressings, plus other amazing smoothies. If you haven't read this book already, I'd highly recommend doing so asap! As I was saying- every time I want to get motivated to be healthier I have her Glowing Green Smoothie and right away I feel the difference and It's like a switch goes off in my head. I begin throwing out all the junk food, I put my workout clothes on, and I get my behind into gear! I've put the recipe below, but for the rest of her amazing tips, knowledge, and recipes, you have to get the book! It's a must, and you won't regret it! If you have a healthy smoothie you love to use to kickstart your health regimen, I'd love to hear your recipe. I'm always open to hearing new ways for staying healthy and fit.

Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe

*You'll need a blender- I use a Vitamix. It's a bit pricey, but it really is amazing and gets the smoothie super thin without any super gross, unwanted texture.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water (I usually add a few ice cubes to keep it really cold)

1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head of large bunch or 3/4 of small bunch organic spinach

3-4 stalks organic celery

1 organic apple, cored and chopped

1 organic pear, cored and chopped

1 organic banana

Juice of 1/2 organic lemon

Optional:

1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems ok)

1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems ok)

*Beauty Secret- fresh herbs, like cilantro and parsley, have wonderful cleansing properties and can help extract heavy metals and other toxins out of the body. I encourage you to throw them in if you like the taste.

Directions:

Add the water (and ice if you choose) and chopped head of romaine and spinach to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed, mix until smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley if you choose. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

All the fresh, organic ingredients + the best kitchen utensil, the Vitamix Blender.

It may be a strange color, but it's actually really good!

Put your smoothie into your favorite to-go bottles.

12/16/2013

Recipe: Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients

I am obsessed with any food that tastes amazing and is healthy/low carb! So when I stumbled upon this amazing recipe for Cauliflower Crust Pizza on Pinterest, I had to give it a try. It was really simple and it is probably one of the best recipes I've used for Low Carb Pizza. Whoever figured out that you could create an almost bread like taste and texture using a vegetable, an egg, and some cheese is a genius! Not only did I drool over this Pizza, but my hubby loved it as well! Definitely proves how good this recipe is! I put the recipe I used below.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1 or 1 1/2 large heads)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes

Extra Toppings:
*Choose whatever you're craving!
We added these toppings to our pizza-
12 pepperonis
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
12 pre-sliced marinated artichoke hearts

Directions:

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have 2 1/2 cups cauliflower crumbles. Place in large bowl and microwave for 7-8 minutes, or until soft. Remove from microwave and let cool.

3. Mix in the lightly beaten egg, one cup mozzarella (I threw in a little extra), parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10 inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10-15 (might want to do it a little longer to make sure it cooks through), or until golden.

4. Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and whatever other toppings you've decided to use. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes to cool. Enjoy!

The Cauliflower Crust in the oven.

The toppings.

The pizza with all it's toppings before going back in the oven.

The final product-YUM!

I still can't believe how much this Cauliflower Crust Pizza looks like REAL pizza and even better, tastes like REAL pizza. Plus- bonus- it's guilt free. I hope you all get a chance to try this recipe yourselves! Have and amazing Monday.

11/28/2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow me on Pinterest

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all are enjoying your turkey and some yummy pumpkin pie! xo

11/27/2013

Gift Guide: Wine & Cocktail Connoisseur

Here are some amazing gifts for the wine and cocktail enthusiast. Whether it's something to add to their bar, or some new glasses to serve their creations in- the beverage connoisseur will love these gifts. Not only are they beautiful items, but some are very functional as well- like the Corkcicle!

11/26/2013

Setting the Table: Thanksgiving

I still can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! With it creeping up so quickly, I thought I'd share a great way to set the table this Thanksgiving! I am in love with the fall colors that make up the Thanksgiving tablescape- they are so warm and inviting! There are so many different color combinations you can use when deciding how to decorate- brown and white, red and orange, and one of my favorites- green and gold. It is important to keep a theme when entertaining-it brings everything together and creates an amazing atmosphere for your guests. I, myself, have Juliska plates and serveware and they are the best! Juliska items are capable of being dressed up or dressed down and they are very good quality! One of the best finds I came along for the fall tablescape are the serving platters that look like leaves! They are so unique and definitely fit in well with the cozy, fall theme. Also, be sure not to forget the little details like the palcecards and the candlelight! Those little extra touches go a long way when entertaining-it shows you really put some thought into it. Will you be decorating your table for guests this year or will you be enjoying Thanksgiving as a guest? Either way-it's a great time when you can enjoy family and be thankful for all you have.