52 THE QUEENS COURIER • HOLIDAY • NOVEMBER 30, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
holiday
Unlimited cocktail tastings and great
shopping at Spiked Mug Fest in LIC
Make holiday shopping a party at the
Spiked Mug Fest & Holiday Market in
Long Island City in December!
Th e beautiful Ravel Hotel is the location
Simple ways to savor the holidays
Th e season of tinsel, mistletoe, roasts,
bake-off s, parties and countless shopping
trips is upon us. Yes, the holidays
are here! It’s a wonderful time of year
to revive old traditions and start new
ones, but amid all the planning, preparation
and spreading of that holiday cheer,
sometimes life can get a little crazed.
Nobody says you have to leave shortcuts
at the door, so make things easy on yourself
and savor the season with these helpful
holiday tips and food inspirations.
Playing host? Get out
of that kitchen!
If your menu includes dishes with more
than 10 ingredients and desserts with names
you can’t even pronounce, skip it. You’ll be
so busy prepping and keeping an eye on
things in the kitchen you won’t be able to
enjoy your guests. Rather, stick to a menu
that’s both delicious and simple to make.
Nothing is easier - or more tempting - than
these sauced Hot Honey Glazed Meatballs
and Grape Chili Sauced Meatballs, new
from Farm Rich. Bake, toss and serve!
“Cocktail Meatballs have been one
of my simple entertaining secret weapons
for years,” said Elizabeth Heiskell,
TODAY Show Food Contributor. “Th ese
Farm Rich Sauced Meatballs make putting
out a gourmet spread so easy. My
guests and clients absolutely love them!”
What can I bring?
Rule of thumb: Never show up to a
party or gathering empty-handed. Wine is
wonderful but so are Prosciutto Wrapped
Mozzarella Sticks. Four ingredients -
Mozzarella Sticks, basil, prosciutto and
marinara - and 20 minutes, and you’ll be
on your way! You can get the full recipe
here and consider packaging these up in a
festive container to add a touch more holiday
cheer to the table. Find other recipe
ideas for what to bring to a holiday party
and all of life’s many occasions in Heiskell’s
new cookbook, What Can I Bring?
A few festive touches and done!
Th ere can be a lot of pressure to make
things look perfect, including an impeccably
clean home and elaborate holiday
decor. Th is year, let simplicity be
your guide - and never turn down a little
help. Focus on what’s important and
don’t go crazy. Let the turkey be the star
with a beautiful serving tray. Decorate
your front door with a simple wreath or
big silver bells with a festive ribbon tied
to the doorknob. Keep the table centerpiece
simple and seasonal by mixing
clementines or oranges and peppermint
balls in a large glass container or grouping
of three.
Have some fun with edible crafts
You may have thought a lot about
how to decorate your table or tree, but
how about decorating the plate with a
Holiday Meatball Pizza Tree, which the
kids can help assemble? All you need
are your favorite pizza toppings, storebought
pizza dough, cornmeal, marinara
sauce and 10 Farm Rich meatballs. Here’s
how to make it:
Divide the 1-pound ball of dough into
11 pieces, rolling each one into a small,
fl at circle.On a cornmeal-dusted parchment
lined baking sheet, arrange each
of the 11 circles into the shape of a
holiday tree.Spread marinara over the
“tree” and add a frozen meatball to each
piece (except for on the bottom).Top with
mozzarella balls and other pizza toppings.
A yellow bell pepper makes a great star
too!Place in oven that’s been preheated
to 375 degrees and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Th e pizza tree, served with marinara
for dipping, is easy to pull apart and
fun to eat, even for adults!For more simple
ways to savor the holiday season, visit
www.FarmRich.com/holiday and enjoy
this special time of year with your loved
ones!
Courtesy BPT
for unlimited tastings of winter craft
cocktails and one-of-a-kind gift buying.
Grab your souvenir tasting mug (yours
to keep) while you fi nd the perfect gift for
everyone on your list.
Shop handcraft ed Bohemian style jewelry
with diverse and universal cultural
infl uence by Jennifer Tamar. Her infl uences
lends itself anywhere from Native
American jewelry to Western Jewelry to
higher end precious gems. Jennifer’s pieces
are unique and stunning.
Mister Fift h brings Artwork from the
mind of a New York infl uenced creative
but following modern popular cultural
trends. Grab one of his pieces for yourself
or as a gift .
Want to rep your borough? Th e Local
Wit has Queens centric tees that shout
Queens pride for you and your family.
If you work up an appetite with all that
shopping, try one of the market’s international
food vendors. Empananda Papa
has delicious empanadas for every taste.
Don Ceviche off ers up Peruvian Ceviche,
papa a la huancaina and causa rellena. For
a sweet bite, head on over to Syrian Sweet
Refuge for their amazing Baklava.
Th e creative minds at Th e Ravel have
come up with an incredible list of holiday
craft cocktails with wines and beers to
match. Th ink about sipping a “Everything
Nice” with vodka, bianco vermouth, basil &
Lemon or a hot “Fireplace” with bourbon,
cinnamon clove and apple cider. Yum!
Th ere will be music and a visit from
Santa Claus.
Th e Spiked Mug Fest takes place on Friday
through Sunday, Dec. 15-17. It’s a ticketed
event where participants can sample unlimited
winter cocktails, including spiked hot
chocolate, hot whiskey toddy, beer and wine.
VIP tickets include a $25 Gift Card to
Penthouse 808, free parking and free coat
check. Th e Full Spread includes VIP elements
and includes “Buy a Bottle, Get a
Bottle” at Penthouse 808.
Ravel Hotel is located at 8-08 Queens
Plaza South in Long Island City. Grab
a ticket and use code COURIER for 10%
off . Tickets start at only $39 and are available
at licfl ea.com/special-events.