“Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another…then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 4:9-11 NLT
Decorating our Christmas table is a simple way to get into the holiday spirit and show our friends and loved ones a little extra love. Making our homes that creative haven, can spark a contagious wonder of grace, cultivating a place and space that reveals the heart of our Creator and nourishes all who enter. Lives are transformed and souls are tended when people gather and share their stories. When we create space and place intertwined with beauty, it is a sacred gift that can awaken the hearts of others.
As we talked about gathering this holiday, the theme “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” kept coming to mind. We believe that when each of us brings what we have to the table and puts it alongside others, the result is even more beautiful, abundant, and surprising. Each of us contributed something from a comforting soup with all the fixings, various nibbles, both savory and sweet, and then decorated with holiday decor and everyday objects gathered from around the house.
We gathered various elements that include serving pieces, foliage, foraged finds, mismatched holiday glassware, vintage cake stands, wooden boards, and candles. Then the fun began, as we together created an inspired and sumptuous display that is a feast for the senses—nourishing both body and soul.
The activity of creating together and then enjoying what we have made is just a bonus. But what if it didn’t stop there? Now that the table is ready, why not extend the hospitality, opening your doors to family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers?
This holiday season, may your home be a haven for savoring meals, moments, and people – through the purposeful art of gathering and seizing the ordinary moments and making them extraordinary.
We hope you enjoy watching as we gather, process and create our Holiday Grazing Table! Below you’ll find a list of what store-bought nibbles we added, along with the recipes for the three items we made to share.
Holiday Grazing Table Nibbles
Cheese (we used Triple Cream Brie, Manchego, Roquefort)
Cracker assortment
Tapenade (we used artichoke tapenade from Trader Joe’s)
Jam (we used sour cherry)
Dried fruit ( apples, cranberries, cherries, figs)
Pomegranates
Fresh figs
Tangerines
Cured meats
Roasted nuts (Marcona almonds)
Honeycomb
Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee
Recipes
Cinnamon Pecans
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 cups pecans
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 egg whites
- 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla until it is foamy. In another bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon, and salt and stir until all ingredients are mixed well.Add the pecans to the large bowl with the egg mixture and toss to coat. Next, add the cinnamon sugar mix to the bowl of pecans and toss to coat—then dump the coated nuts into a greased slow cooker.Cook nuts on low for 3 1/2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. After they're done cooking, add water and stir. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet and allow to cool completely, 1-2 hours. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to one week.
Notes
Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 2 Sheets (1 Box) Frozen Puff Pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it's 10 by 12 inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1/4 cup of the parmesan, 1/2 cup of the gruyere, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't overbake, or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 28-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 8 oz. lasagna noodles, broken into shards
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz. ricotta
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- pinch pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite-sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes—Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate—Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not overcook or let the soup simmer for an extended time as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. Before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Top with the mozzarella and basil.
