The perfect holiday table setting.
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Pyrex. All opinions are my own.
Christmas is just around the corner and I still cannot believe it! I’ve been working my hardest to enjoy this magical time of the year with celebrating in a little way every day. From attending holiday tea to decorating my house, making festive cocktails and more, there are so many ways to get into the holiday spirit, especially with my new husband. This is Jeremy and our first Christmas together as a married couple and I am so excited to celebrate my favorite time of year together!
As a newly married couple, a new tradition we are going to start is spending cozy a day before we are with families, just the two of us. This year we are planning to take some time the morning before our flight to see Jeremy’s family and go to a special little breakfast just the two of us at our favorite spot down the street from our house. Then will be grabbing a hot cocoa for our walk home and open our presents to each other! It’s so important to have this cozy moment together as newlyweds because once we are with our families for Christmas we won’t get the chance!
Another way I love to get into the holiday spirit is planning my Christmas dinner table setting and menu. Our current holiday theme is very neutral, gold and white, so I wanted to find a balance of neutral colors but still keeping this modern gold and white theme. There is something warm and cozy feeling about a neutral pallet, and I am all for anything cozy!
For this table setting I teamed up with Pyrex to create a beautiful neutral pallet that is easy to clean up as it is to set! This table setting feels so dreamy and is the perfect pallet for this years Christmas dinner! I stuck with a black, white and green pallet, adding in touches of gold and white throughout. I absolutely love these featured plates, the black rim adds the perfect touch of black into the pallet pairing with these amazing black and white buffalo check napkins. Green and clear glassware along with gold flatware bring in a festive pop of color!
For the center piece I chose to keep things simple and something you can easily recreate! Line your table with a pine garland and add touches of red blooms throughout to add an additional pop of color. I wove this fun white ball garland throughout as well to bring out the white in the plates!
When it comes to what to feed your guests, my personal favorite cuisine go to is Italian food on Christmas Eve! Last year my best friend and I took on the role and the hostesses for Christmas Eve dinner. We made a huge Italian feast which included lasagna, meat balls, garlic bread, Caesar salad and a delicious charcuterie plate! It was a dinner to remember and a tradition we plan to keep! As a bit of a health fanatic though, my go to lasagna recipe includes zucchini ribbons instead of noodles! It’s just as cheesy and delicious! The best part? Make all your lasagna in a Pyrex baking dish that you can easily put a lid on to store the leftovers in your fridge once dinner is over! That goes for any of your dishes. Serve in Pyrex’s beautiful glassware that easily looks beautiful on your table and allows for a quick and simple cleanup!
Lastly, set your table a few days before so it’s one of the last things you have to worry about so you can focus on cooking. This table setting is so easy to set up. Start by lining the center of the table with the garland then set out each place setting! Add in candles and blooms throughout to create the perfect holiday ambiance.
Zucchini Lasagna
Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 medium (8 ounces each) zucchini, sliced 1/8″ thick
- 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 large egg
- 16 oz (4 cups) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt and red pepper flakes.
- In a larger sauce pan, add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.
- Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside or 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.
- Preheat a gas grill or grill pan to medium high, and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until slightly browned. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well.
- In a 9×12 casserole spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. The last layer top with remaining zucchini and sauce, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover the foil and bake 20 minutes (to dry up the sauce) then place the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake until melted, 10 minutes.
- Let stand about 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
| Recipe adapted from here.
SHOP THE POST
Tableware from House of Yonder
Photo by Pure Lee Photography
Leave a Reply