Have you ever wondered about what you can do to be better prepared for the busy holidays and upcoming party invitations?

How often have I found myself with a last minute request to please bring something to a gathering.

What can you do now to prepare and party like a pro?

 The holidays are fast approaching and with that the party invitations are rolling in being prepared limits the stress and allows you to enjoy the celebration.   Good etiquette recommend guests to bring a hostage gift or sometimes a dish to contribute to the feast. More than ones I found myself standing in front of my pantry and refrigerator wondering if I had the makings of a dish and could avoid the dash to the store.  Over the years I found myself less often in this pedicament.

Don’t depair there is a benefit from having a artist chef in the house!

Around the holidays there are a few things I like to keep stocked just in case. This picture here, is my roasted pepper jelly, cream cheese and bread. In a pinch in no time I have a party tray ready for the kings. In the coming weeks I will post some of my famous entertainment recipe sure to please friends and family. 

Your Holiday Survival Shopping List

Creme cheese

Crackers

Chick peas (canned or dried)

Apple vinegar

Olive Oil

Spices

Some kind of mixer, blender etc

Wine (quick hostage gift)

A few gift bows and cards

 

Today I start with pepper jelly. It is not only easy to make, it is fairly economical and can be canned to have handy as a hostage gift or party tray. If you use the small canning jars you can use a cup cake liner to dress up the top of the jar and a ribbon. 

Keep it sweet and sour or add a little kick by adding a hot pepper to the recipe. 

Roasted Pepper Jelly Recipe

Iris Richardson

2 lbs granny smith apples, un-peeled quartered

 (green apples have natural pectin in their skin you loose if you peal them)

1 cups water

2-3 green, red, orange bell peppers, seeded and minced 

1 jalapeno chiles, seeded and cut into 1-inch, Optional 

4 cups sugar 

1 cup apple cider vinegar

  1. At about 400 degree Fahrenheit roast the peppers under boiler. Let the skin blacken turn as needed. In a pinch this can be done over a flame as well
  2. Put roasted peppers into a sealed container or sandwich bag and let cool
  3. Remove skin and seeds from cooled peppers
  4. Mince the peppers and set aside
  5. In a large pod add the water, vinegar and quartered apples, cover and simmer until soft
  6. Add sugar and continue cooking for about 30 minutes
  7. Strain apple mixture add the diced roasted pepper and jalapeño let cook up for an additional minute

Pour in sterilized jars, seal them and submerge the jars in hot water. After removing the jars from the water I seal them a little more and put them upside down to make sure the lid sealed right. As the pepper jelly cools I turn the jar to avoid for the roasted pepper to settle on the bottom of the jar. The colorful peppers make for a beautiful presentation. 

Enjoy

If you try this recipe please let me know how you liked it. 

A big thank you and credit to the mistery chef  who created the fist pepper jelly recipe.  I customized the recipe you see above and I am sure you will tweek it to your liking as well. For the presentation I used a cookie cutter to cut out the bread. Crackers and sliced bread are perfect as well. 

Have a wonderful holiday season. Ps. this is also my go to for my gallery opening refreshment table. 

#pepperjelly #partyrecipes #hostessgift #lastminuteappetizer #appetizer #artistgourment #artcollecting #guidetoartcollecting #startartcollection #IrisKnowsArt #SACIFlorence #Artbusiness #artgifts #artcollectors #curators #ArtistSunday #November28 #art #artist #artwork #artssj #artc #abstractart  #kunstwerk #artwork #abstraktekunst #abstractphotography   #gardening #food #Abstraktfotografien #puzzle #interiordesign #artinspiration #Kunst #Art #artist #Künstler