Carrie Grosvenor's Blog

Posted by Carrie Grosvenor

Christmas has been called the "most wonderful time of the year" (thanks to Andy Williams and his brothers!), but it can also be one of the most stressful. While I love everything about Christmas and the whole holiday season, there are times when I just want to stop the clock for a day or two and get caught up on everything!

While I can't help you with your shopping, wrapping, or holiday decor, I can give you some tips on your food prep and planning to make the most of those precious minutes in the kitchen. Here are my tried and true holiday food timesavers:

• Make lists - Lots and lots of lists. Write down the names of the recipes you need and make sure you have them handy. Make lists of ingredients you need to buy, and any special bakeware or serving dishes you'll need to have cleaned and on hand.
• Use Your Freezer - Many recipes can be made ahead and frozen until the day before you want to serve them, and then thawed overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Seek out these recipes and cherish them.
• Call for backup - Ask for help when you need it. Your spouse and/or kids may not be chefs, but they'll do a bang-up job on cookie decorating, measuring ingredients, or even just reading the recipe out loud to you while you work.
• Make big batches - Need Christmas cookies for a variety of different functions? Make large batches of two or three different recipes, and you'll have enough to go around.
• Keep it simple - You don't have to make every single recipe you come across from scratch. Whip up a few family favorites and stick to the basics for everything else.
• Stick to the tried and true - New recipes are great fun to try out, but when you're under pressure it's best to choose only a few concoctions that you've never made before and stick to what you know for the rest.

Got your own holiday cooking timesavers? I'd love to hear them! Post your ideas in the Discussions section and let me know!

Posted by Carrie Grosvenor

Looking for that little extra finishing touch to add to your holiday dinner setting or buffet table? Here's the perfect thing! Printable, customizable, online menu templates from Waitrose.com.

Print off a bunch of them to put at each place setting, or create just a few to put on your buffet table. You could even put them in picture frames and stand them up on the table so everyone can see what's being served.

The designs are so pretty - from plain to intricate. The Celebrations theme looks perfect for a New Year's Eve soiree, and there's even a menu that features an image of a roast turkey. I've been playing with the templates all morning, and they're really versatile. I'm all set for Christmas brunch and our holiday open house, and I'm putting a couple together for the kids' school holiday parties too.

Give 'em a try! They're sure to be a conversation piece at your own holiday gatherings.

Posted by Carrie Grosvenor

As I was pushing the cart around the grocery store this week, I came across a couple of really great new products that have super party food potential.

The first was a cracker that we're all familiar with - Triscuits. But they've introduced new flavors now! I saw the Cracked Black Pepper & Olive Oil as well as Rosemary & Olive Oil on sale, so I picked up the rosemary variety. They're addictive all on their own, and out of this world with white cheddar and black olives on top, nuked in the microwave for about 20 seconds on high. Think of the appetizer potential here!

The other new product may only be available in Canada, as it's put out by President's Choice brand. They're called Dipping Sauces, and we purchased two flavors; Spicy Chipotle and Honey Dill. The chipotle sauce has a nice bite to it, but isn't over the top hot. It'd be great with chicken fingers, potato wedges, or even as an alternative to seafood sauce. The Honey Dill is absolutely fantastic. I didn't think I'd like it, but it goes with everything! Give it a try on a tuna sandwich - unbelievable.

So now I'm on a mission to duplicate the sauce recipes and create the perfect topper for my new crackers!

Posted by Carrie Grosvenor

Have you ever been to a party that didn't offer at least one dish with cheese as the main ingredient? I don't think I ever have! Cheese has mass appeal - most people love it, and it's so versatile. Even a simple plate of cheese and crackers will draw hungry party guests.

If you want to try a few new cheese appetizers this holiday season, check out Cranberry Baked Brie for something elegant yet easy to put together. Or give Blue Cheese and Port Spread a try - it's quite addictive!

If smooth and creamy are more your thing, a Savory Christmas Cheesecake might just be the show-stopping appetizer you're looking for. It really looks beautiful, and serves a crowd. Festive Mini Cheese Balls make delicious little bites, and it's ridiculously easy to change up the flavor and appearance of each batch.

Armed with your arsenal of cheese appetizers, all you need now is the perfect cracker!

Have you tried any of the recipes you've found here at the Party Food section of Suite101? I'd love to hear from you! Check out the discussions section and share your thoughts, or send me an e-mail.

Posted by Carrie Grosvenor

I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making the costumes for my kids and taking them out trick-or-treating. But Halloween doesn't hold the same allure as Christmas does for me. When the air turns chilly and the trees start looking bare, I'm thinking about what kind of stuffing I want to make, and whether or not I need to pick up new tree lights this year.

Even still, my kids love Halloween. Starting this week, they'll be getting snacks and the odd treat with a spooky theme, just to keep up the excitement and make things fun. The easiest way to go with a theme in your food is to tweak existing recipes and dress them up a bit.

For snacks or a nice treat in a school lunch, add some candy corn or any other Halloween-themed goodies to a batch of Teddy Bear Snack Mix, but only after you've baked it - otherwise the candy will melt and you'll be left with an icky-sticky mess. Another great "treat" is to make up a batch of fresh dip and cut bell peppers and slices of cheese with a small cookie cutter in the shape of a bat, witch, or pumpkin to dip with.

Decorating cupcakes with Halloween themes is pretty simple - just pipe some white or black frosting in a spider web pattern on the top of the cupcakes. Pudding cups can be transformed with a simple dab of Cool Whip too. Just put a big spoonful on top of the pudding (or, if you want to get fancy, pipe it on in a wide swirl) and add two miniature chocolate chips near the top for eyes - voila, a ghost!