Tasty Tuesday: A Delicious Holiday Side Dish

Recipes

The heart of entertaining season is upon us, so I thought I’d go hot and heavy with tips, tricks and recipes this week! If you’re planning on hosting over the holidays I know feeding the crowds can be stressful. We’ve been trying to finalize our Christmas menu in the hopes of creating some fun new traditions for Carter to enjoy every year. We’re blending a little bit of the husband’s childhood with mine as well as adding in a few new ideas for good measure.

This Glazed Beet Salad recipe cooked up by our food contributor Zoe is definitely going to make the Christmas dinner cut. More interesting than standard roasted vegetables, but more festive than a plain old bowl of greens, I think this will be a delicious way to get veggies on our holiday table. I’ll just have to put down a tarp – red beet juice + baby is likely to be a dangerous combination. I’ll be sure to share the results with you on Snapchat!

RECIPE: Glazed Beet Salad (Serves 4 as a side)

INGREDIENTS:
5 beets with greens (mixture of golden and red)
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 Tbsp butter
1 shallot
Salt
Fresh black pepper
4 Tbsp Muscadet
2 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Scrub and peel the beets. Remove the greens and chop coarsely. Set the greens aside in a large prep bowl. Slice beets into 1/4 inch rounds.

2. Remove the ribs from the swiss chard and coarsely chop and toss into bowl with the beet greens.

3. In a large sautee pan, melt butter and sautee shallots.

4. Add beet rounds to the shallot butter mixture. Crack pepper over the beets and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and sautee beets, turning over to ensure even cooking.

5. About 15 minutes later when beets are begnning to glaze and become tender, add greens and chard. Sautee for about 5 minutes, then add wine and cover. Cook until greens are wilted, allow liquid to be mostly absorbed into greens, adjust seasonings.

6. Scoop greens and beets into a low shallow bowl. Garnish with a goat cheese crumbles and black pepper.

Enjoy!

What dishes grace your holiday table?? Would love any suggestions you might have. For more inspiration you can find all my favorite holiday recipe ideas HERE.

recipe & styling by zoe ambruster for apartment 34

photography by Madelene Farin

Feeling Thankful

Entertaining

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Yes, more than that one with all the presents. Because you know I love good food. And I adore a stunning tabletop. But what I really love more than anything else is bringing people together to enjoy one another’s company. In a fragmented world overstuffed with busy and satiated by virtual connections, the tangible pulse of interactions back and forth across a table is more valuable than ever.

This year, I’m making a point to pause and really take stock of all I’m thankful for. The list is incredibly simple, but I wanted to share it with you.

> Family. Having grown from a party of two to a party of three was certainly the game changer this year. It’s crazy to look at this tiny human and realize how much he’s grown in such a short time. I’m so excited to watch this little dude discover who he will become. I can only hope I don’t screw up the process.

> Loved ones. There are so many people I hold dear, both near and far. Ones I talk to frequently and ones who I rarely, if ever, connect with anymore, but the thought of each and every one always warms my heart.

> My health. Too many people face struggles with their health everyday. With each passing year I realize how lucky I am to have a body that continues to stand strong for me. I need to reminder to be kinder to it.

> Grace. Even if I sometimes fail to find it, that fact that I know it’s achievable gives me something to strive for daily.

> This site. If you told me eight+ years ago all the things that blogging would bring my way, I would never have believed you. Apartment 34 has been and remains both an adventure and a place of comfort all at the same time. If you’ve read for years, drop by on occasion or this is your first visit, I am eternally grateful for the time you spend here. Apartment 34 would be nothing without you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

PS: if you need last second thanksgiving recipe ideas click here. Drink inspiration is here. And more tabletop inspiration is here!

original photography of never before seen images of our most popular table of all time by aubrie pick

A Picture-Perfect Thanksgiving Salad

Recipes

With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s time for the recipe mad dash. Have you finalized your menu yet? Sure, this weekend is the official start to the over-indulge season, but why not try to save a calorie or two? Thankfully, Good Eggs agrees with our squash obsession (they’re filling, delicately sweet and gourd-geous!) and has come up with a picture-perfect Butternut Squash, Kale and Farro salad recipe – just in time for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients (2-3 servings):

1 Butternut or Kabocha Squash
1 cup of Farro
1 bunch of Curly Kale
1 clove of Garlic, crushed to a paste with salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 fillet of Anchovy, finely chopped
A few squeezes of Lemon
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°. In a pot, add the farro, about 3 cups of water and a small-ish handful of salt (small-ish handfuls = three hearty pinches in our world of non-exact measurements). Put pot over high heat on the stove and let the farro cook at a rolling boil until some of the grains are bursting open, but it’s still al dente (about 20 minutes). Strain immediately.

While the farro cooks, cut the squash in half, carefully scoop out the seeds (reserve if you wish to roast them) and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut the squash into large chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cinnamon, a glug of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Roast for about 25-30 minutes.

De-stem, wash, dry and roughly chop the kale. Place kale in a large mixing bowl and dress with the anchovy, olive oil, a few squeezes of lemon and a splash of red wine vinegar (just vinegar works if you want to skip the lemon). Massage the kale gently for a minute or two to make sure all of the leaves have some dressing on them and then set aside.

When the squash and farro are done, add them to the bowl with the kale and toss all of them together. Add a glug of olive oil, more lemon/vinegar if you’d like, salt and pepper to taste and you’re done!

We’re SO putting this on the Thanksgiving table! Need a cocktail for your Thanksgiving? CLICK HERE.

photo and recipe c/o Good Eggs

Summer’s Signature Drink – the Aperol Spritz

Entertaining

Well friends, it’s official. The first day of Fall is here! But it has me feeling a little torn. Now I luv summer as much as the next girl. Long days, warm temps, dreamy afternoons spent on a beach {or at least dreaming of one}. But I also love when the seasons change. It always feels like a breath of fresh air. A new beginning if you will. And just because summer is saying see ya, doesn’t mean entertaining season is ending. Oh contraire! We’ve actually been enjoying a seriously gorgeous Indian Summer in San Francisco right now. So I say set aside a little time to gather friends and enjoy that waning evening light while we still can! In fact, we did exactly that last weekend and the results were equal parts yummy and lovely – if I do say so myself!

Our mission was simple. Gather some of our favorite ladies for an impromptu happy hour. The ingredients for a successful happy hour aren’t complicated either. Copious amounts of easy to snack on food, a killer outdoor patio and a fabulous drink of course. But remember, just because something’s impromptu doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty! Today we’re revealing our tricks to creating a stunning little feté in no time flat {seriously!}.

Step 1: Set the scene. An outdoor patio decked with a farm table and bench seating is easy and relaxed. We were lucky enough that our table happened to be marble-topped but any wood table would be just as pretty. A string or two of cafe lights are extra nice touch. You can leave them up pretty much all year ’round. A few simple flower arrangements plucked straight from the garden are also a thoughtful detail.

Step 2: Don’t skimp on your place settings. When you want to up the ante for your gathering, paper and plastic just won’t do. But again, you don’t need to slave away. We relied on the services of Mrs. Peasy Party Box Rentals who provides gorgeous plates, flatware and glasses for rent! She’s got pre-designed boxes featuring gorgeous items like Heath Ceramics dishware and vintage cutlery. Or you can do what we did and simply mix and match your own set up. The best part? You can drop it all off dirty so your end of party clean up is pretty much done before you even start. It’s genius.

Step 3: Create a humble feast. For our happy hour we decided to create the charcuterie board of champions. But again the task required little else than a power shopping trip at Trader Joe’s and an epic 3-foot long wood board. Cured meats, crackers, cheese, olives, pickles, fresh berries & figs, dried fruit, nuts and our little trade secret – fresh flowers created a truly stunning display. Piling everything high makes your board so pretty you almost don’t want to dig in and mess it all up. Almost.

Step 4: Serve a signature drink! The true star of our party was our cocktail – the Aperol Spritz! Now this drink is near and dear to my heart. A traditional Italian apertif, Chris and I enjoyed a Spritz (or 5 or 6!) in Venice – the drink’s actual birthplace – during our honeymoon and I’ve loved them ever since. They’re totally refreshing – a true before dinner sipper. And the best part? They’re super easy to make. No professional mixologist skills needed here. You’re not concocting homemade syrups or adding tinkshers with eye droppers. The recipe is so simple every party guest can whip up one for themselves – yet another way to take some pressure off of you! Don’t worry – we’ve got the recipe for you at the bottom of this post!

But first we have to give you the final step in our happy hour master plan.

Step 5: Sit back, relax and have a grand old time!! There’s nothing better than some quality catch up time with girl friends. Even with today’s overly packed schedules, offering a chance to enjoy a refreshing drink, a bite to eat and some great conversation is pretty irresistible. We’re quite confident your girls will show up for a gathering like this #squadgoals.

Recipe: The Aperol Spritz

3 parts prosecco
2 parts aperol
1 splash of seltzer

Add a few ice cubes to a wine glass. We actually used oversized square cubes in our drinks. Pour in your prosecco. Then add your Aperol. Top with a generous splash of seltzer. Give your drink a swirl, garnish with orange slices & an orange peel twist if you like. Betcha can’t enjoy just one!!

FOR MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES, CLICK HERE

FOR MORE ENTERTAINING IDEAS, CLICK HERE

original photography for apartment 34 by ashley batz // florals by natalie bowen designs // dishware by mrs. peasy // styling by apartment34

This post is in partnership with Aperol. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% our own. Thanks for supporting partnerships that help keep Apartment 34’s doors open!

A Memorable Soundtrack for the Holidays

Decor

What’s a beautiful holiday lunch party without an epic playlist? No party at all! It’s simple: music connects people. A good song is like a good meal, it affects the way you feel! When you hear a song you absolutely love or maybe one you’d completely forgotten about, aren’t you put in a good mood immediately? For me, holiday music has the special power to conjur up sweet memories from season’s past and I just love that moment when everyone exchanges a sly smile around the table and says, “love this song, turn it up!” and then things get a little groovy!

But just like finding time to throw the ultimate holiday party is a challenge, it’s just as difficult to sit down and come up with good tunes off the top of your head. I mean, who really has time to go through tons of tracks to make a playlist? Luckily, there’s this simple beauty to help us out: the Aether Cone!

With all of the insanely complicated gadgets around the house {who knew a remote could be so confusing…in fact, which remote IS THIS that I’m holding?!} the Aether Cone by far is the simplest. With just three buttons, this voice command music player makes technology so much easier. Basically, you tell the player what you want to hear and boom it plays it. Want to listen to Beyonce while getting ready? Easy. Sinatra while guests arrive? Done. Modern spins on Christmas classics while eating ? No problem {ps: I’m obsessed with the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album!} Synced with Rdio and 30 million songs {!} the player can take it away and play songs based off what you like! Who are your some of your favorites anyway? Mariah Carey Christmas, anyone?! Come on…you know you love it! I just love that I don’t have to rely on a computer or my phone to play music anymore.

But can you guess what we love about the Aether Cone the most? How pretty it is of course! We made no fuss about finding a place for the cone at our lunch. In fact, we wanted to show it off! It fit right into our holiday tabletop decor, obvi! We LOVE the black and copper version {it also comes in a white & silver version} – it’s so chic and beautiful and the size of it is just right. It’s small enough to fit seamlessly on a side table, leaving us plenty of room to further pretty it up with a festive little floral arrangement and some yummy chocolate truffles, of course! We firmly believe there should be little treat in every corner of the house this time of year.

So while we’re wining and dining, putting on our makeup or cooking {and dancing!} away before guests arrive, now we have way to listen to our jams wherever we are in the house! Having a soundtrack for these moments allows you to create wonderful new memories and that’s really what the most festive time of the year is all about.

And with that, we’re off to enjoy the heart of the holiday season. We’re taking an entire week to jam out to Christmas tunes, create new memories with loved ones and be as merry as absolutely freakin’ possible {I think I’m going to bake this fo’ sho’}!

We will see you back here in all our post-Christmas bliss. Cheers and Happy Holidays, everyone!

original photography for apartment 34 by Ashley Batz // styling by Erin Hiemstra // florals by Tulipina

This post is in partnership with Aether. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34’s doors open.

Thanksgiving Tips from a Major Pro

Decor

Somehow Thanksgiving is already next week, and if like me, you’re hosting, you might be approaching panic mode. Well it’s not time to totally freak out – yet! Instead of sharing a tabletop idea with you this year {because last year’s table still might be our favorite post of all time!} we decided to tap one of our favorite experts for her ultimate Save Thanksgiving Day tips: Camille Styles!

Camille’s debut book, Camille Styles Entertaining is all about inspiring readers through the seasons with ideas for life’s big celebrations, as well as showing them how to infuse beauty into their daily lives through the food they make, the rooms they design and the outfits they wear. It’s packed with simple details and creative shortcuts that make everyday moments feel special (with 75 simple + seasonal recipes woven throughout.) As soon as my copy landed in the mailbox, I was immediately taking notes. I love her little creative ideas and DIYS {like keepsake what I’m thankful for cards!} that take Thanksgiving to a beautifully personal level.

I asked Camille if she’d share a few of her top tips with us. I’m thankful she didn’t disappoint!

My husband and I have been hosting Thanksgiving for both sides of our family since the first year we got married. Though we’ve had our share of hiccups (from faulty plumbing to a fried turkey that burnt to a crisp), each year gets a little more seamless, and yes, delicious. If you’ll be taking on hosting duties this year, never fear: I’ve made all the mistakes first, so that you don’t have to. Here are my favorite ways to honor tradition, put a fresh twist on the big meal, and avoid any disasters in the process.

1. Rethink your furniture arrangement to create more space. So your 4-person kitchen table won’t fit all the friends and family you’d like to seat for the feast? Consider moving the dining table into the living room, and extending it with folding tables that you can line up end-to-end and cover with a pretty autumnal tablecloth. It’ll make the dining table the unexpected focal point of the room, plus open up all kinds of space you didn’t know you had.

2. Try out a new color palette. For this year’s table design, I’m using a palette of indigo, earthy wood, organic greens and white, in lieu of the more expected autumnal oranges and browns. Then, to create a unified design, I’ll use table linens, dishes, serving pieces and flowers that fit into those color families. Sticking within a limited palette is the quickest way to make a major visual impact while keeping the details simple!

3. Think beyond the floral centerpiece. In the fall, I love to forage for beautiful leaves and interesting berries or acorns to incorporate into a centerpiece. Pomegranates, winter squash and pears also make unexpected additions to the table and are a modern spin on the iconic image of an abundant cornucopia.

4. Include a couple of menu items that can be served at room temperature. That way, you’re not scrambling to get every single item out on the buffet at once. I’ll make an appetizer like a cheese and meat board that can sit out unattended for a couple of hours during cocktails. Sides like a brussels sprouts salad and cranberry sauce are delicious at room temperature, so you can set those out first while you slice the turkey and keep the sweet potatoes warm in the oven.

5. Don’t strive for perfection. Hosting Thanksgiving does not require Martha-like perfectionism. This is a holiday that’s about counting our blessings, so ditch the pressure, stress, and unrealistic expectations and instead embrace an attitude that puts the focus back on having fun and creating great memories with the people you care about. Remember, your guests don’t want to be impressed – they want to be welcomed into a warm and inviting atmosphere to eat delicious food and savor great conversation!

We have so much to be thankful for, and a Thanksgiving dinner surrounded by family, friends and a bountiful feast will be the perfect way to count our blessings from the past year as we savor the present, deliciously.

And thankfully, Camille also gave us a super easy, but totally delicious appetizer idea for when that turkey inevitably needs another hour!

FIGS, BLUE CHEESE AND POMEGRANATE SEEDS ON ENDIVE LEAVES

From Camille: When I worked in catering, one of our most popular hors d’oeuvres was a luscious port wine–soaked cherry and blue cheese combo tucked into an endive leaf like a little boat. This is my autumnal version featuring figs and pomegranate for the most gorgeous color and a touch of exotic flavor. So many of my friends eat gluten-free diets these days, so this is a nice way to serve them a great blue cheese that doesn’t require crackers or bread. You can make these up to an hour before the party, and the hearty leaves will hold up as they sit.

INGREDIENTS
5 fresh figs, each cut into 4 wedges
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 heads Belgian endive, leaves separated (smallest leaves reserved for another
use)
2 ounces blue cheese (Stilton, Cambozola, or any creamy blue cheese), at room
temperature and crumbled
¼ cup Candied Pecans (see sidebar), finely chopped
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup honey

SERVES 8
Put the fig wedges in a small bowl and cover with the balsamic vinegar. Set aside
and let macerate for at least 30 minutes (and up to overnight, in the fridge).
To assemble, lay out the endive leaves on a platter. Use a small spoon to scoop
about ½ teaspoon of blue cheese into each leaf. Top each with a fig wedge, sprinkle
with pecans and a couple pomegranate seeds, drizzle with honey, and serve.

CANDIED PECANS
½ cup pecan halves
½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. In a small saucepan, combine the pecans, sugar, and
1 cup water; bring to a boil, and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves. Cook over
medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the
pecans to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar and kosher salt, then bake for 8
minutes, or until the nuts are lightly caramelized. Let cool, then serve or store in an
airtight container for up to 1 week.

PS: I’ll be co-hosting Camille’s San Francisco book signing party with Caitlin Flemming on Thursday – we do hope you’ll drop by! Details HERE.

images by buff strickland courtesy of camille styles

How to Set the Ultimate Thanksgiving Table

Decor

The holiday season is all about entertaining. Duh. It’s the time for gathering friends and family, with nieces and nephews running around with grandpa and grandma, sisters gossiping like old times and boyfriends getting introduced to the family for the first time. If you’re lucky, there may even be a bended knee proposal to witness! So many fun and exciting memories happen around this time of year. So why make things stressful and complicated when it comes to putting together a beautiful dinner table?? I’m here to attest that the stress & the holidays do not have to go hand in hand – at least not where decorating is concerned!

I say grab what you got at hand and with just a few festive touches everyone is going to feel special and you’re not going to feel like a wreck!

I say there’s no need to dust off {or even own!} fancy china. Leave the crystal in the cabinet and don’t cry over your incomplete set of glasses. I’m all about taking the mix-and-match approach for your holiday tabletop. I want to create a comfortable and carefree vibe that invites people to loosen their collars, roll up their sleeves and dig in!

Now when I say mix and match, I mean, mix and match! For this Thanksgiving-inspired table, not only did I use two different dinner plates (white and gray), I also used three different salad plates, two different sets of cloth napkins (gray and deep fuchsia), two types of glasses (green goblets and vintage crystal coupes) and two different chair finishes (copper and black)!

And since we’ve established that traditional tablesetting rules are to be thrown out the window, forget a fancy centerpiece. It just ends up blocking everyone’s view of each other anyway! Try a fresh garland instead. We called on friend, Natasha Kolenko, to put together a garland made out of magnolia leaves, but really you can use whatever greenery your heart desires.

I love the waxy magnolia leaf with the brown underside as it adds drama without being too fragile or fussy. Having a fresh garland feels festive {sure beats faux!} and the best thing is that it will last throughout the holiday season. Keep it on the table to make every dinner feel lively then hang it on the mantel or on your buffet between parties!

For a really stunning floral display {but still so simple!}, we added small arrangements simply plopped into the garland. One of my go-to tips is to incorporate seasonal fruit or vegetables into your arrangements. This time of year, I love persimmons on a branch!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used my white pillar candles- they’re great to have on hand and look better after every use- the more drippy wax, the better {use tapers for a moodier, more romantic atmosphere!}.

If you look closely you’ll notice, some of the tabletop elements are from previous seasons, some are in stores now and some are vintage {like the beautiful goblets and crystal coupes from Frances Lane which you can rent- another genius party idea!}. The array of items just goes to show that you truly don’t need to go out and buy new sets from the same collection so that everything matches. Mix it up and have fun with it!

If your confidence in styling still needs a little boost to let loose and have fun, we’ve rounded up some items that will help you get started on achieving a similar look at home!

get the look: placecard holders // white plates (similar) // salad plates // napkins (similar) // green goblets (similar) // gold bowl // napkin rings // copper chair // cutting board // silverware (similar)

I can’t tell you how much fun we had putting this tabletop together. We were so in love with the finished product, we had to refrain from going Instagram crazy over it! If you’d like to learn more about the thought process, we broke down every detail and dished out more style tips on how to achieve the ultimate holiday tabletop on the super cute chilren’s line,Tea Collection’s blog right here {PS there’s a $3,000 Sweepstakes involved!!}

What do you think? Are you a fan of a festively casual holiday table?

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // florals by Natasha Kolenko // glassware c/o Frances Lane // flatware and accessories c/o March // styling and art direction by erin hiemstra

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