Tag: holiday


Feb
2017

Valentine’s Recipe Roundup

categories: Recipes

Valentine’s Day is coming up.  Are you wanting to stay home and cook something special?  I have some ideas for you!

Well Dined | Beef Wellington

I consider Beef Wellington to be very romantic – it’s decadent and it takes a lot of work, so it’s definitely a special occasion food.  Check out this post for the recipe.

Well Dined | Steak, Spinach Souffle, Panna Cotta with Berry Compote

Steak is a quintessential Valentine’s dish.  I have long used a method of quick aging with salt to tenderize and season even cheaper cuts.  Find the method in this post, along with recipes for Spinach and Gruyere Souffle and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Mixed Berry Compote.  I used a compound butter to top the steak in that post, but since then have more often made a pan sauce by deglazing with sherry, then adding butter.

Well Dined | Chopped Salad, Rib Roast

For one of our earliest Valentine’s, I made an herb crusted standing rib roast; along with a chopped salad, heart shaped roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, and Yorkshire pudding.  All of the recipes are in this post, along with some pretty decorations. (more…)


Nov
2016

Thanksgiving Roundup 2016

categories: Recipes

It’s that time again! Whether you are having a traditional family gathering with lots of old favorites, or a funky gourmet “Friendsgiving” – I hope that you find some inspiration here. Happy Thanksgiving, my lovelies!

Well Dined | Thanksgiving Roundup

Salads:
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, Apple, and Red Onion
Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Broccolini

Well Dined | Thanksgiving Roundup

Sides:
Sage Stuffing with Sausage and Apple
Mashed Potatoes and Hard Cider Gravy
Gourmet Green Bean Casserole
Bacon Popovers

Well Dined | Thanksgiving Roundup

Corn Pudding
Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Bourbon Bacon Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter and Sage
Balsamic Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (more…)


Oct
2016

Halloween Recipe Round-up

categories: Recipes

If you are in need of festive dishes, look no further!  I have collected my most relevant recipes onto one page for you.

Halloween Candy

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Halloween Candy Bark
Candy Corn Jello Shots

Apple Desserts

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Apple Oat Muffins
Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Cheddar Apple Hand Pies

Black and Orange
More like green and orange, but you get the idea.

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Butternut Squash and Kale Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato and Chard Gratin
Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Bacon
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna with Homemade Spinach Whole Wheat Noodles (more…)


Mar
2016

St Patrick’s Day Recipes

categories: Recipes

Well Dined | Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, hooray!  This is not just an excuse to drink green beer, in fact – don’t do that, it’s gross.  It’s actually a religious holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, so show some respect!  And definitely don’t call it “St Patty’s Day”: Patty is short for Patricia.  If you want to abbreviate, use “Paddy”, which is actually short for Patrick (Pádraig).

Moving on!  St Paddy’s is a great day to celebrate Irish culture and food, so let’s take a look at some Irish recipes!

Well Dined | Corned Beef with Potatoes and Cabbage

First up – Corned Beef with Potatoes and Cabbage, which can be made in either a slow cooker or a Dutch oven.

Well Dined | Colcannon

In the same post, there is a recipe for Colcannon made from the potatoes and cabbage. (more…)


Dec
2015

Vegan Holiday Cookies

categories: Recipes

Well Dined | Vegan Holiday Cookies

My dear friend Keerin and I had a wonderful cookie making night.  We each chose a couple of recipes to make and then divided up our creations to give to friends.  Here’s the thing, though, Keerin is vegan.  So we made all of our cookies with no dairy or egg!  (Except for those Hershey kisses, which she didn’t mind but you can leave off.)  And you know what?  I couldn’t even tell that they were vegan – they weren’t lacking in anything!

Well Dined | Vegan Holiday Cookies

The recipes that I chose were a Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodle and Molasses Spelt Cookies with Candied Ginger.

Keerin chose Russian Tea Cakes, Oatmeal Thumb Prints, and Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Whichever you choose to make, you won’t be disappointed! (more…)


Nov
2015

SRC – No Bake Eggnog Pudding Pie from I am a Honey Bee

categories: Recipes

Well Dined | No Bake Eggnog Pudding Pie

I’m gonna be honest with you guys – I totally messed up this pie, in three different steps. Ugh. More on that later. But as it turns out, it didn’t even matter – it still came out super delicious!  So I definitely call that a win.

We are doing a special Holiday Treats edition of the Secret Recipe Club!  My assigned blog was I am a Honey Bee written by Nicole.  We both live on the East coast and share a love of Buffy, tattoos, Greece, eggs bene, and a fear of open water and having to open gifts in front of others.  I like that her blog includes reviews in addition to recipes, just like mine!

Anyway, I went to look for desserts on her blog and noticed a page called The Year of Pies, where she posted a pie recipes every week for a year.  A year!  I didn’t to look at any other category, ladies and gentlemen, I was home.  But would it be caramel pie? One of four different kinds of chess pie?  Maybe Reese’s or Thin Mint pie?  So many to choose from!  It was around this time that I began to feel woefully inadequate for my own dessert selection, and sorry for whoever drew my blog…  I hope you were able to find something!

Well Dined | No Bake Eggnog Pudding Pie

I scrolled down to the end of the year to look for holiday dessert and saw this No Bake Eggnog Pudding Pie.  I love eggnog!  And easy recipes!  I wanted to make this right away. (more…)


Nov
2015

Balsamic Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

categories: Recipes

Well Dined | Balsamic Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I want to A) introduce you to my “famous” brussel sprout recipe and B) apologize for the terrible photos that I don’t have time to re-take if I want to get this recipe out to you before Thanksgiving.  I call this recipe famous, because my husband requests it all the time.  My husband who does not like vegetables. *EDIT – Jasper has informed me that he does too like vegetables!*  This week he asked me if we could have steak and brussels for dinner, or even just brussels, and I just about fell over in shock.  Let’s roast some brussels sprouts!

Well Dined | Balsamic Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Trim and halve some sprouts, chop some bacon, and toss them around in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes.  So far – pretty easy, right?

Well Dined | Balsamic Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

When they are done, toss in a dressing of balsamic vinegar, honey, and stone ground mustard.  The end.  Seriously, that’s all there is too it!  They are tender and crispy, sweet and savory, and pretty much just all-around awesome.  Whether you make these for your holiday spread or a weeknight dinner – enjoy! (more…)


Nov
2015

Corn Pudding

categories: Recipes

Well Dined | Corn Pudding

Corn pudding (or spoonbread) is one of my favorite Thanksgiving sides, and I love this recipe in particular because of how easy it is.  There is a little bit of sauteing involved, but then everything goes into a blender, and then directly into the baking dish – easy.

Well Dined | Corn Pudding

Cream, butter, eggs, corn, sauteed onions, and a bit of flour and sugar – what’s not to love?

Well Dined | Corn Pudding

It is kind of like a corn souffle that’s a little bit sweet, and really buttery.  It’s hot and soft and creamy and kind of melt in your mouth.  I made it for a friend that had never had it before and totally made a believer out of her.  So let’s make this beauty! (more…)