It’s that time of year again. High school girls have hunted near and far for the perfect dress. High school boys have come up with elaborate ways to ask their date to the prom. And event planner moms? We’re making homemade boutonnieres! Follow the instructions for an inexpensive, 3-minute DIY boutonniere .
Step 1: Go to your local florist, green house, or supermarket to purchase a single stem.
Step 2: Remove excess leaves and stems (and thorns!) until you are left with just the bloom. Clip the flower, but be sure to save a few inches of the stem. Put aside one cluster of leaves to garnish.
Step 3: Add other greens/berries to spruce up the bloom. I used bear grass because it matched the look of my daughter’s dress.
Step 4: Gather a bunch of leaves and the bear grass and arrange around the bloom.
Step 5: Cut a 2 inch piece of florist tape and wrap around the arrangement.
Voilà – a homemade boutonniere made in 3 minutes for a fraction of the cost!
The last few storms have left us with bittersweet emotions – annoyed because of the lost electricity and internet, but enjoying the chance to really step back and do the things we have been putting off – cleaning the office, sorting closets and rummaging through recipes finding new favorites.
Here is one I found that’s great for healthy winter eating. Find it and more of the same at Eating Well. Consider your own favorite substitutions like spinach instead of Swiss Chard and Tortellini for the Gnocchi.
Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 325 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 616 mg sodium; 360 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (50% daily value), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium & Iron (19% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
Visiting Friends
Another fun stormy activity is to walk to a friends house for an afternoon chat! One of my favorite gal pals Patter Gersuk- a wonderful cook and hostess – treated me to some local wine, homemade spinach pie with phyllo, and dips and veggies! Yum! Can’t wait for the next storm!
Patter's side door
Her wonderful shed
A welcoming sight after a trek through the snow!
We have had our fair share of snow and cold this year. It’s great to see the winter decorations dusted with snow; Mother Natures’ finishing touch on our creative talents!
Simple juniper wreath dusted with snow
Pine bough with Holly berry sprig and ribbon
Window wreaths dusted with snow
I have always put great care into my own holiday decorating. I love to make my own wreaths, garland, and decorate the outside of my house with festive reds and winter greens. In recent years, I have been approached by past clients to help them with their holiday decorating. Every winter I decorate homes in Boston, Providence, and New York City.
Here are some pictures from my clients’ home on Central Park South.
Patio overlooking the city dressed up with swagged and lit garland
An existing planter - I often pop in some ornaments to add a bit of shimmer and glitz
The Christmas tree!
Festive berries to compliment the beautiful urn
Poinsettias and berries to brighten the foyer & showcase the existing arrangement
Don’t waste your pineapple juice after making Sandi’s Cranberry Sauce! Just add 1 oz. Stoli Vanilla and 1 oz. Karlsson Gold Vodka, 2 oz. pineapple juice and a splash of cranberry juice in a Pomegranate sugar-rimmed martini glass for this refreshing libation to sip as you start your other Thanksgiving delicacies! If you are lucky enough to have leftover frozen whole strawberries, pop one in to keep your drink cool! Enjoy!
Just the right mix of sweet and tangy!
Your thanksgiving table won’t be complete without this wonderful cranberry sauce (a favorite of my friend Sandi!). It’s super easy to make and has all the right combination of tangy and sweet with a combo of cranberries, pineapple chunks and strawberries.
- Cook over low heat until thickened (5 minutes)
After draining, cut pineapples in half.
Simply cook a package of cranberries (rinse and pick out any stems) with one cup water and one cup sugar until thickened. Add a package of frozen strawberries and a can of pineapple chunks (drain and cut each chunk in half). Let thicken and serve at your Thanksgiving Table or for breakfast with bread or pancakes! YUM!
- After adding berries, let thicken and cool.
- Serve at your holiday table in your favorite dish!
summer/fall of 2010 was a busy one for jsmoran special event planning & management.
From weddings to non-profits, from Chestnut Hill to Connecticut, from galas to conventions — it was a BUSY season. Below is a video wrap-up of this season…enjoy!
