living room and dining
room buffet. A festive holiday
table sparkles with crystal and
vintage, hand-painted china
centered with an arrangement
of red and green hydrangeas
and burgundy dahlias from
Floral Palette. Ellen added
English Christmas crackers,
or "poppers," filled with tiny
prizes.
Her "recipe" for a holiday party
begins with Champagne by the
fireplace with rosemary walnuts
(rosemary, for "remembrance")
and smoked salmon bruschetta
with dill followed by an easy,
make-ahead Christmas Eve
supper. The menu includes
consommé, a salad
with mandarin oranges,
pomegranate, and slivered
almonds, and a tourtiere, a
French-Canadian meat-and-
potato pie with rhubarb and
onion relish. For dessert, she
serves "snowballs," scoops of
vanilla ice cream topped with
shredded coconut, hot fudge,
or a sauce of chilled raspberry
Chambord accompanied
by shortbread, gingerbread
cookies, and Nanaimo bars,
a no-bake, three-layered
Canadian confection.
"Everyone came home for the
holidays," Ellen says, reflecting
on Christmases past. "Our
beloved family recipes and
traditions have mingled and
continue to bring joy."
A clinical psychologist,
Ellen advocates for the most
vulnerable through her work
in the areas of homelessness,
mental health, and children's
causes. She was finally
honored in September as a
Woman of Dedication for her
volunteerism with Rady
Connect
people
<<
>>
@ranchandcoast ranchandcoast.com
110 DECEMBER 2021 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE
