Monica Bennett blogs about life and cooking in an Airstream travel trailer at her site Just Five More Minutes. Her writing has been featured in Outside Magazine, CNN, Food52, and here at Airstream.
Last month she shared her Thanksgiving tips. Below you’ll find recipes and ideas for keeping your wits about you during the busy holiday season – in your Airstream or wherever you find yourself celebrating.
The most wonderful time of the year is upon us. But let’s face it – it’s also the busiest time of the year. Whether you’re spending the holidays at home or on the road, here are six tips to help you have a stress free holiday season.
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Make meal planning an adventure. Visit the local market and shop for ingredients. Look for extra special items like local cheeses that you can offer up as an appetizer with some fruit and crackers. During one holiday season, I visited the farmers market on San Juan Island in Washington state and found the most beautiful bunches of kale on display. They later became the star of the holiday kale salad recipe I’ve included below. Chock full of crispy turkey bacon, pistachios, creamy goat cheese and fresh raspberries, the salad was a huge hit and oh so delicious (see recipe below).
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2.Keep the menu simple. Sure it’s the holiday season and there are a million different recipes out there. But sometimes it’s best to just keep things simple, like a cheese and fruit plate. By focusing on a few high quality ingredients, the “less is more” approach can make an ordinary-looking appetizer turn into one that is out of this world.
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3.Spend time in nature doing what you enjoy. Even spending five minutes outdoors can help reduce stress and boost your mood, helping you to relax.
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4.Tidy up your domain before you head out. There’s something to be said about visual noise and how it can affect your mood. Before you leave, make sure to take a few moments to pick things up and put them away. Leave a light or two on with some calming holiday music playing. When you return home, you’ll be greeted with a tidy, cozy domain that beckons you to relax.
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5.Make clean up in the kitchen easy. For example, forgo burnt, stuck on bits that need to be soaked and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This is especially good practice when cooking in a tiny kitchen because oven space is limited. By swapping out the paper after baking cookies, you can easily begin baking/roasting something else without the hassle of scrubbing the baking sheet.
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6.Be grateful. When we focus on being thankful for what we have, we open ourselves to a whole new world of contentment. To remind yourself what you are grateful for, begin by writing down one thing you are grateful for every day. Each day you will add to your list and soon your list will grow – along with your grateful heart.
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Lastly, remind yourself what the holidays are really about!
Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Zest of one medium orange
¾ cup orange juice (about 3 to 4 medium oranges), freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Place all of the ingredients in a mason jar fitted with a lid and shake until all is combined. Season with salt and pepper per your liking.
Salad Ingredients and steps:
Place all of the following ingredients into a bowl, per your liking (I added a very generous amount of chopped pistachios and turkey bacon)
Finely chopped kale
Crispy fried turkey bacon
Fresh raspberries
Chopped pistachios
Crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper
Orange vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Zest of one large-ish lemon
2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: miniature marshmallows
Steps:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in your flour and poppy seeds until it is well blended.
On a sheet of plastic wrap, place your dough and flatten it into a disc. Chill in your fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Cut out equal size squares in the dough and roll into little balls pressing into the middle with your thumb to make an impression. Place cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and place a single miniature marshmallow in the impression, or “print.”
Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges turn a nice light brown.
Remove your cookies from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Once cool, add a single raspberry to each cookie and dust with powdered sugar.