Author Archives: Hannah B.

The Thanksgiving Game Plan: 6 Days Out

Today, we discuss one of my very favorite parts of the holiday party season: Planning the menu. The first year we hosted Thanksgiving, I completely geeked out on the research. (Full disclosure: I have a slight obsession with buying cookbooks from the 1940s & 50s that introduced the ‘modern housewife’ to planning a menu for new-fangled nutritional needs.) All that to say, I thought I’d offer a simple set of things I’ve learned along the way from vintage cookbooks, Williams-Sonoma, and Martha Stewart. (You can also find some other favorite links and recipes on my Pinterest board: The Belle’s Thanksgiving Game Plan.)

The Cardinal Rule of Dinner Parties: Always make enough for 3 extra guests. No hostess ever regrets having too much.

Well, she may if no one shows up, but for holiday parties, guests are usually kind enough to RSVP.

Before Dinner

Have something for your guests to snack on while they chat. The traditional choice is, of course, wine & cheese. But not too much.

The Turkey

Portioning:

A good rule is 1.5 pounds per guest. (Of note: For smaller birds, try 2 pounds per guest. The smaller the bird, the smaller the bone to meat ratio.)

Cook Time:

It doesn’t take nearly as much time to roast a turkey as some people think.

Start with the turkey, breast down, at 400°F for 45 minutes. Then, flip the bird and roast at 325°F until it your thermometer reads 180° when inserted into the deepest part of the thigh. (Be careful not to let the thermometer touch the bone.) The juices should be clear, not pink.

The basic idea is you want to seal in the juices in the beginning and then slow roast it the rest of the way.

A good estimate of cook time is: 2.5 hours for a 10 pound bird and add 15 minutes for every 2 pounds after that. (Here’s a really helpful

2 Secrets to Be Sure It Doesn’t Dry Out:

  1. Baste the bird every 15-30 minutes.
  2. Trust your meat thermometer.

A Couple Other Things:

  1. I use beer along with chicken stock to roast any poultry including turkey.
  2. I love bundling fresh herbs in cooking twine and using them when roasting the bird as well as in the stuffing.

The Sides

The Traditionals…

A Couple Others…

  • I *love* serving squash this time of year.
  • Always have 2-3 other veggies. (I know it’s unbelievable but these brussels sprouts are always a hit!)
  • My mother-in-law makes the best pretzel salad. (Think this, minus the pineapples.) I also eat it for my Thanksgiving midnight-snack and Black Friday breakfast.
  • Sides are the easiest thing to have guests bring. Just be sure you’ve made at least one or two yourself in case your guests forget. (Yes, this has happened before.)

The Desserts

2 Words: Pumpkin. Pie. (My *award-winning* recipe to follow!)

Also, might I recommend another choice for those (like Husband) that hate pumpkin. How about these little Caramel Apple Bundles?

The Thanksgiving Game Plan: 7 Days Out

Thanksgiving 7 Days Out Gather

Alright ladies, we are 7 days out from the big day. If you’re hosting for the festivities yourself and wondering what you should be doing this evening to help you get ready, I’m here to set your mind at ease. You should be Pinteresting, of course!

7 days out from any holiday party, I like to gather. Gather some visual inspiration on Pinterest, gather some new recipes, gather supplies (table linens, candles, etc.), and then, I make a ToDo List. It looks something like this…

FRIDAY

  • Finalize menu.

WEEKEND

  • Wash & iron table linens.
  • Gather, polish, & wash all dishes, flatware, stemware, and serving pieces.
  • Stock the wine rack & liquor cabinet.
  • Put together a stain remover kit.
  • Make place cards.

MONDAY

  • Grocery Shop. (best done LATE at night to avoid crowds)
  • Restock tea light & unscented candle supply.

TUESDAY

  • Buy flowers.

WEDNESDAY

  • Make a playlist.
  • Set the table.
  • Prepare the desserts.
  • Chop the veggies.

 As you might assume, tomorrow we’ll talk recipes. Until then, here’s a little bonus…
Click here to see The Belle’s Thanksgiving Pinboard!

The Thanksgiving Game Plan: 8 Days Out

8 Days Out: The Guest List

Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is next Thursday! Are you hosting your first Thanksgiving and wondering what you should be doing today, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, to get ready? Finalizing your guest list. Make sure you know who will be at your table and also any special needs they may have. For example, my guest list for any party usually looks like this…

Name… any special needs

Joe Schmo… peanut allergy
Bella Boo… baby (soft veggies + Cheerios)
Linda Smith
Riley C. Riley
So on… & So forth

Tomorrow, we’ll start to get the house ready!

Mind Your P’s & Q’s: Cellphone Etiquette

Aunt Bee: Opie texting at the table?! Never!

Kids, with the holidays approaching, there is no excuse for cellular discourtesy at the Thanksgiving table or in front of the tree. So here are a few definite rules to follow this holiday season to ensure there’s nothing distracting you from being the belle of the ball!

Don’t:

~ Rest your cell-phone on the table or bar. Unless you’re a mother, this can be very insulting to your dinner/drink companions.

~ Play on your cell-phone in the elevator. You never know when you may get the opportunity to chat with the CEO about that amazing stitching on his pocket square. (True story.)

~  Answer your cell or text during meetings. This sends the signal that you are not engaged in the action… unacceptable!

Do:

~ Feel out the situation. Are you with a group of people that regularly tweet and/or are also addicted to instagramming every meal? Then, you’re probably safe to do the same a few times. This summer, we met up with a group of twitter buddies for drinks at the Carlyle and though the conversation was lively, I must confess we were all tweeting away. However, if you’re with your grandmother, your parents, your co-workers, your boss… just say no!

In Honor of Princess Grace, a Little Style File…

On her birthday, I just couldn’t resist sharing a little Style File from my *very* favorite of Princess Grace’s films: High Society. Two random facts before we start: It was Grace’s last film before becoming princess consort of Monaco. Also, High Society, released in 1956, was a musical remake of 1940’s A Philadelphia Story, which also had a crazy amazing line-up of stars, but we’ll have to get into that another time.

1.) Stripes are essential, flowers are abundant and a *lovely* accent (plus a little crazy) are essential in Newport…

. . . . .

2.) The staple of every home is hidden bar. This one pictured happens to pop out from among the library books… that is, if you know which one to choose!

. . . . .

3.) One never just walks from the dressing room to the pool in their swimsuit. Instead, one glides in a robe that makes them seem like a goddess and disrobes to reveal a suit that is just revealing enough to make  one seem untouchable.

Also of note: Bing’s 2-tone brogues with matching tie and pocket square. That reminds me, if you haven’t seen Mr. Crosby’s dressing room in this movie, you should…

. . . . .

4.) If you are going to get drunk at your engagement party with your ex-husband, be sure to wear something fabulous and act so charming that no one can resist you. After all, you’re “sensational, everybody says so…”

. . . . .

5.) Eventually you will have to go home and sober up. This is best done while wearing a yellow silk kimono and lounging in your impeccably decorated boudoir.

. . . . .

6.) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, when you do get married the next morning. Be sure you pick the Mr. Right. (*The wedding march jazzed up by Louis at the end of this video never fails to make me smile!)

Hello, Gorgeous… Let’s Have a Glamorous Monday!

It was on this day in 1929 that our very own American princess was born! I couldn’t resist a little bit of a celebration. So in lieu of random links today, how about a little advice from Princess Grace to get our week off on the right foot?

Read…

The Paper! You never know when you may fall in love with a prince and be whisked off to a foreign land.

Drink…

Tea with your closest friends this week!

Wear…

Gold! I will never stop swooning over Frances Stevens’ gilded ensemble from To Catch a Thief.

Watch…

High Society! It’s my very favorite Grace film, and later today I’ll post a Style File from the 1956 musical.

It’s Officially Cranberry Season

This week the time change hit the Slaughter house like a cannonball. With the days getting shorter it seems all we want to do is cook, sleep, put on Netflix, and make pretty things. So as promised, I’ll be sharing some recipes that will help us all hunker down for winter, starting with the Cranberry Orange Relish that I mentioned earlier in the week. It’s perfect for all those turkey sandwiches I’m sure we’ll all be eating during the holidays. It’s even pretty tasty to have on the side of your Thanksgiving plate as a tart little something between savory bites. Enjoy!

cranberry-orange-relish

Cranberry Orange Relish

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries
rind of 1 clementine
fruit of 2 clementines
1/4 cup golden raisins
2T Patron Citronge (or other orange liqueur)
a little bit of sugar

– – – – – – – – – –

1.) Add fruit to a food processor/blender and chop fine. You can serve it on your table like this or…

2.) For more of a condiment, for sandwiches and stuff, add the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the liqueur and cook until it turns bright red. Add sugar if it needs a little sweetening up.

Store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Dress the Part: Sandy the Girl Scout

Confession: I was a Brownie for only one year in elementary school. ‘Why did she quit?’ you may be asking yourself. Because the crafts just weren’t up to par. I know you’re shocked. Even then, I had a Martha-complex. Any fool can tie-dye a t-shirt, I wanted to learn to sew the dress.

However, upon reflection, there are many things I admire about the Girl Scouts. They teach girls to be confident women. They instill entrepreneurial skills. (Who doesn’t crumble each time they’re harassed by those sweet little pigtails & uniforms selling Thin Mints?) And I’d like to believe they give girls a taste for exploration–something seriously lacking in a world of hand sanitizer and helicopter parents. So today’s little ‘Dress the Part’ is dedicated to the girl I never was: Sandy the Girl Scout. Go on an adventure. Bring a little outdoors in. Buy your own badges off Etsy.

Uniform & Accessories

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DIY’s Great Wreath Rivalry

Alright readers, it’s competition time! Recently, I had the unique opportunity of doing a couple How-To’s for DIYNetwork.com’s Great Wreath Rivalry. Now, by simply *pinning* one of the 12 How-To’s on the site, you can be entered to win COLD HARD CASH.

Click Here to Start Pinning Wreaths. 

If you just want to see my How-To’s:

(This one is not part of the comp but still super cute.)

Click here to see how to make my wreath with vintage children’s book illustrations.

and then…

(This one you should pin… lots.)

Click here to get the super simple instructions for this card display wreath.