holiday

entertaining

guide

by Cooking in my Genes

2 0 1 7 | I S S U E N O . 1

RECIPES | ENTERTAINING TIPS | HOLIDAY PLAYLIST

Use What You Have: When you’re having guests over

for a dinner or cocktail party, have a look through

your fridge and pantry BEFORE you go out shopping!

You’d be surprised what you can find and what items

may inspire your menu.

Less Is More: Sometimes we think we need the decor,

the floral, the high-end food to entertain but that

couldn’t be further from the truth! Use what you have

on hand already for decor or just keep things simple.

One fresh bouquet of flowers and candles can really

brighten up a room, adding ambiance to your soiree.

Make A List: Create a check-list for yourself including

your food preparation and other setup. As you prepare

for your party you can feel at easy as you check items

off your list & you'll know you're holiday ready!

It's that time of year where we get together with

family and friends to celebrate the festive season.

We spend a little extra time on the finishing touches

of social events, putting thought into how we’re going

to spend time together.

It’s the sights, smells and sounds of gatherings that

etch into our memory, creating the most meaningful

moments. I absolutely adore this time of year and this

guide is all about helping you create those beautiful

memories with ease and grace.

Cheers,

Jess

Entertaining With Ease

I love the holidays...

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Total Time: 5 minutes

Equipment Needs: cocktail glass, shot glass

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cranberry juice

1/3 cup ginger beer

1 oz vodka

cranberries for garnish

rosemary for garnish

Instructions: Combine the cranberry juice, ginger beer

and vodka in a glass. Stir, add ice and garnish with

cranberry and a half-sprig of rosemary.

If you need a non-alcoholic version, omit the vodka and

add in a dash of sparkling water.

CranberryGingerSparkler

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Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Equipment Needs: popsicle sticks

or skewers, pan & parchment paper

Servings: 21

Ingredients:

2/3 cup white sprinkles

2/3 cup gold sprinkles

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup dark chocolate chips

2 tsp coconut oil

21 extra-large marshmallows

21 popsicle or candy sticks

Instructions:

Toppings - Mix the white and gold sprinkles together. Then, set aside.

Chocolate - Put the coconut oil at the bottom of the pot, then add the chocolate

chips. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly as the mixture melts. Continue to

stir until fully melted and then take off the heat.

Assembly - Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place each

marshmallow on a popsicle stick or skewer. Then, dip the marshmallow into the

chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off. Next, roll the marshmallow pop

in the toppings. Place each pop marshmallow-side down on a parchment-lined

baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour and then they are ready to serve or gift!

MarshmallowPops for All!

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Instructions:

Turn the oven to 375F and brush the

crostini with the olive oil. Then bake the

crostini for 8 minutes or until just golden.

Take out of the oven and set aside.

Next, combine the goat cheese, yogurt and

olive oil in your stand mixer or in a small

bowl if using a hand mixer (you could also

use a food processor). Beat or mix until

well-combined and smooth. *If you don't

have a mixer, you can use a wooden spoon

to cream the mixture by hand*

Spread the whipped goat cheese as your

first layer on each crostini, top with fig

jam and then a slice of prosciutto.

Then, sprinkle each crostini with a few

thyme leaves.

Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese,Fig Jam & Prosciutto

Total Time: 20 minutes

Equipment: serving tray, stand or hand

mixer or food processor

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

- Crostini -

1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal into 12

crostini

2 tbsp olive oil

- Whipped Goat Cheese -

8oz goat cheese

2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

1 tbsp olive oil

- Topping -

4 pieces of prosciutto, cut or torn into

thirds

½ cup fig jam or spread

½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves

3-4 sprigs of time to garnish your plate

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Cooking in my Genes is a food blog by Jessica Kostka.She shares her take on recipes she grew up with, foodie adventures& current kitchen creations. She cooks and bakes for those sheloves and there’s nothing better than the people she loves, sittingaround a table, enjoying a meal together.

We all have memories linked to very specific holiday songs; you

can hear 'that song' and be transported back in time to that

magical holiday memory.

I link many of my fondest memories to songs from the past and

I've put together a collection of my favourites for you, a mix of

the old and new:

'Christmas Eve' - Celine Dion

'The Christmas Song' - She & Him

'All I Want For Christmas Is You' - Mariah Carey

'Baby It's Cold Outside' - Brett Eldredge & Meghan Trainor

'Please Come Home For Christmas' - Jon Bon Jovi

'It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas' - Harry Connick Jr.

'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' - U2

'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!' - Frank Sinatra

'White Christmas' - Otis Redding

'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' - Brenda Lee

'Hallelujah' - Pentatonix

'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve' - Ella Fitzgerald

'Cold December Night' - Michael Bublé

'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' - Celine Dion

'My Only Wish (This Year)' - Britney Spears

'Winter Wonderland' - Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga

'Jingle Bell Rock' - Randy Travis

'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' - Bing Crosby

Sounds of the Season

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