What better way to start off the holiday season than in a magical mood with the royal & amazing actress, humanitarian Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

No one, but no one, can bring out the stars and get the Writers Guild of America to lay down their pickets signs at Paramount Pictures like Dame Elizabeth Taylor. After a 23 year hiatus from the stage, the Dame graced the footlights in A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” with the extraordinary voice and legend, Mr. James Earl Jones.
This historical event held on World AIDS Day, was a one-night only special benefit performance to raise $1 million for the Elizabeth Taylor HIV / AIDS Foundation. And benefit The Elizabeth Taylor Endowment fund at The UCLA HIV/AIDS Center.

For this evening, Dame Elizabeth and Mr. Jones were supported by some famous friends in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Including; First Lady of California Maria Shriver, Swoosie Kurtz, Holland Taylor, Cher, Sir Elton John, Ken Davitian, Mimi Rogers, Anita Pointer, Joan Van Ark & John Marshall, Mary McDonnell, Marilu Henner, Sam & Mary Haskell, Ross Rayburn, Alfonso Riberio, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and my dear friend, mentor and event sponsor, Kathy Ireland, who is so close to Dame Elizabeth, Kathy calls Dame Elizabeth, “The Joan of Arc of AIDS”.

We mourn the loss of legendary actress, businesswoman, and fearless activist Elizabeth Taylor. If you want to honor the memory of Elizabeth, you may do so by making a contribution in her name to the foundation, please click below.

http://www.elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/

Happy Holidays

The Theme of the night was RED, LOVE and COMFORT

It was a fantastic evening; let’s take a look of how it all came together.

 THE SET UP

World AIDS Day Dec. 1st
Menu
Love Letters Event

PASSED

Assorted Sushi and California Rolls

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Mini Beef Empanadas with Golden Raisins and Pine nuts

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Corn and Shrimp Cakes with Salsa Creole

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Prociutto and Goat Cheese Lollipop

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Vegetable Springs Roll with Herb Hoisin Sauce

BUFFET
Going Comfort

Mini Burgers with aged Cheddar Cheese on a Sesame Brioche

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Mini All- Beef  Franks  in Pastry with Tangy Dijon Sauce

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Southern Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey BBQ Sauce

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Cornbread Chili Bites with Sour Cream and Tomato Confit

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Mac & Cheese Ramekins

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Heirloom Tomatoes Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad

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Chocolate covered Strawberries

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Assorted Mini Cupcakes

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Fruit Tarts

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Brownies

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passed wines & waters

coffee and tes

full bar
signature cocktail
2Love
V2 Vodka

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Special thanks to the team at Paramount Pictures Special Events, Jose Manuel Morales-JMM Decor / John Pohle – Hollywood Picture Framing /Becky Stellpflue- Imagic / Betsy Landis-V2 Vodka / Marks Garden / Mark –American Sign Inc.

“A House should smell like pure goodness.” Nene Leakes

 Please click here to order your candles online by visiting our Brand Partner Hannas Candles Site.

Get the Inside Scoop on Miniature Gardens

It is December and in the Northern hemisphere most gardens are sleeping but a child’s dream of being outside is still very much awake.  So how can you make tiny gardeners dreams come true? Simple, bring the outdoors indoors.  Keeping little hands busy and keeping their minds active is easy when you put them to work on their own indoor garden projects.

1.  Making a miniature garden that kids can tend is as simple as purchasing a few small pots of indoor plants and flowers and clustering them together in one area, African violets, cyclamen, hibiscus and orchids are great choices and have color and yummy aromas which kids love.   Choose a container and fill it with succulents, add pebbles and rocks for a southwestern feel that will definitely bring some sunshine into a winter home. Avoid prickly cacti or little hands could get hurt when looking after their garden, stick to aloe plants  and smooth leafed desert cacti;  the great news about succulents is that they are hardy, low maintenance and look interesting, a triple whammy of miniature cool.

2.  Growing a garden from a seed is always a winner with kids and can be a magical experience; it opens up a wonderful opportunity to teach kids all about where food comes from and the importance of looking after our planet. Make a sign with their name on their mini vegetable patch and you could put a miniature scarecrow on it to add to the fun.  As the plants grow, so will the joy that kids get from tending to their indoor plot. An indoor herb garden is a great idea as well and all you need is a window ledge and some light and you are in the miniature gardening business, which means big fun for kids.

3.   Fast growing plants are a fun choice for kids as they love to watch things unfold before their eyes, so plant some fern and ivy and see some big happenings in their mini indoor plot.

4.  Growing a mini tropical garden is as easy as picking a coconut. Plant some miniature bamboo, miniature palm trees and aromatic orchids to make a tropical jungle garden; add some toy monkeys and parrots to make your jungle come to life.  What better way to cheer up a cold, winter day for a kid than visiting their own tropical paradise.

Miniature gardens mean giant fun for kids and winter will seem a little warmer as you watch joy grow.

The Ever Lovely Narcissus is December’s Flower

Narcissi are beautiful and beguiling flowers and one of the world’s most popular blooms; they are also December’s flower of the month. Maybe the mythology surrounding the Narcissus has added to its glamour as it is said to have come to life in the spot where its namesake, Narcissus, died while obsessively gazing at his reflection in a pool of water.  A flower with this much drama surrounding its beginnings has every right to be beautiful and thankfully it does live up to its legend.  It has also been said that Narcissus gets it name from the narcotic properties it contains as its bulbs are toxic and so are the leaves; So, it is dangerous and beautiful; an alluring combination.

Narcissus belongs to the Amaryllis family of which the Daffodil is also a member. There are spring flowering and fall flowering blooms, which makes them a versatile addition to any garden.  Narcissus has a trumpet like flower with six surrounding petals around the center trumpet making a very dramatic show.  It has a heady fragrance and that is why it is often brought indoors as it fills the house with its gorgeous aroma.

There are many different varieties of Narcissi, Narcissus Poetica, Narcissus Tazetta, narcissus Bulbocodium, but the most popular member of this family is the Narcissus Jonquilla as it is the most fragrant narcissus of all and is often used in floral arrangements.

Narcissus is easy to grow, making them a gardener’s delight.  Bulbs are the most efficient and popular way to grow Narcissi; they do well in most soils but make sure that it is well-drained.  When choosing the area in which to plant your bulbs select a spot that will receive sunlight or at least only moderate shade; Narcissi like to be in the limelight or they don’t do well.   Plant your bulbs between August and November depending on how cold your region gets in late fall.  The earlier you plant the bulbs before winter the better, as this will give them time to take root before the frost comes.  Try to plant at least eight to ten bulbs together as this will create a stunning effect when they bloom and also look more natural and easy on the eye.

When the flowers have bloomed it is important to deadhead narcissi as this will encourage future growth and more prolific blooms.   An important tip: do leave the leaves on the narcissus after they have bloomed, even if they’re yellow and unattractive.  The leaves have nutrients that the flower needs to re-generate.  So leave the leaves alone for about six to eight weeks and then you can cut them back.

So bring Narcissus indoors this December and enjoy its beauty.  Create a tabletop garden that Narcissus himself would gaze at longingly or give a holiday gift of these fragrant and stunning flowers that everyone can enjoy.  Narcissi have earned their right to be considered a flower of vanity, well they are gorgeous.

Traditional to Modern, we’re giving thanks the recipe way.

Where a traditional Holiday Menu will always conjure up memories of family, your great aunt’s green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade,  A Modern Day Menu is the start of new traditions, a mixing of cultures and flavors. It may be a dish, brought by a friend or extended family member. A new recipe or spice you add to the mix this year or just a twist on an old family favorite.

WE GIVE THANKS for the food of life that has grace our tables to this point, and for the bounty of blessings as we gather together to celebrate food, family and fun!

O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

            William Shakespeare

this is a quick and easy recipe with little fuss and lots of flavor

recipe by chef andre

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ¾ cups (16 oz. can) pumpkin

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 ½ cups (12 oz. can) evaporated milk
1 store bought pie crust

Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, eggs and milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F, then bake an additional 45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Serve with whipped cream.

Serve 6

no thanksgiving is complete without the guest of honor
recipe by chef andre 

1 (12 -14lb) turkey

remove neck and giblets and reserve for making stock

20 (2- inch) Lady apples (2 lb.)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Roast Turkey:

Preheat oven to 425° F. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Place an apple in neck and fold neck skin under body. Add dressing to body cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers. Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.

While turkey is roasting, toss apples with 2 tbsp. of melted butter. Reduce temperature to 350°F. Brush remaining melted butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more. Baste turkey after 30 minutes and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.

Baste turkey and add apples to roasting pan. Roast another 1-1½ hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 degrees. Transfer turkey and apples to a heated platter, leaving juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes.

Gravy:

Pan juices from roast turkey about 4 cups turkey giblet stock

1 cup apple cider

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

¼ tsp. ground sage

¼ cup flour

For Giblet/Neck Stock:

2 tbsp. butter

Neck and giblets from turkey

1 celery rib, chopped

1 onion, quartered

3 cans chicken broth

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Heat butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until hot; then brown neck and giblets. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduces to about 4 cups, 45 minutes to an hour. Pour stock through a fine sieve into a bowl. Skim off and discard and fat.

To make gravy:

Skim fat from pan juices and reserve ¼ cup fat. Pour pan juices into a 2-quart glass measure and add enough turkey giblet stock to make 4½ cups. Set pan over moderately high heat and add 1 cup of stock mixture and deglaze by boiling and stirring, scraping up brown bits. Add remaining 3½ cups stock mixture, cider, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Transfer to glass measure.

Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over medium-low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a fast steam, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour gravy through a fine sieve into a gravy boat.

the roasted garlic give these a nutty taste
recipe by chef andre 

2 lbs (medium) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
¾ cup 2% milk
¾ cup chicken broth
4 tbsp butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced, roasted
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a large pot, cook potatoes in 2 inches boiling water, covered, about 10 minutes until tender; drain thoroughly.

Mash potatoes with potato masher or beat with an electric hand mixer. Add milk, broth, butter and garlic to potatoes and mix ‘til nice and fluffy. You can add additional milk or broth if necessary, to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serves 6-8

add a twist and color to any meal
recipe by chef andre

8 carrots, large, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 tsp. ginger powder

1½ tbsp. clove honey

In a large pot of boiling water, place carrots. Cook until tender.

When carrots are done, strain and place in an electric blender, add ginger and honey.

Blend until creamy, stopping to scrape down sides so that all is blended well.  Enjoy!

Makes about 2 cups.

Patrick Dockry of Healthy Beauty Life, meets the one and only- Kathy Ireland. As supermodel, mogul and CEO of kathy ireland World Wide, Kathy talks all things weddings for her newest venture- bridal designs for Mon Cheri. Next, Kathy and Patrick visit Chef Andre as he opens up his kitchen for simple yet visual dishes for any event and last but not least, one of the world’s most accomplished garden designer’s Nicholas Walker shares his personal touch in floral presentations for weddings and more!