November 2006 Inspirations

Greet Guests With Style

'Tis the season for gathering. In honor of that, we created a sort of natural cornucopia to greet visitors at the front gate or door. We filled a copper mailbox with magnolia leaves, oranges, hypericum berries, and chartreuse-colored mums. You don't have to start with a mailbox though. Just hang a pretty container outside; then add seasonal fruits, flowers, and some greenery from your yard. Guests are sure to love it.

A Special Pairing

Try this tasty quesadilla with your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon for a fresh twist on wine and cheese.
 
 Pecan-Havarti Quesadilla With Pear Preserves 
Sprinkle one side of an 8-inch flour tortilla with 1/3 cup shredded Havarti cheese; top with 2 Tbsp. chopped, toasted pecans. Fold tortilla over filling. Coat a nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray, and cook quesadilla over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts. Remove from heat, slice into wedges, and serve with pear preserves. Pair it with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Prep: 5 min., Cook: 4 min. Makes 2 servings.

• This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve more.
• Our resident wine expert, Scott Jones, suggests Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon.

Fresh Air and Fun

Just because winter is coming doesn't mean your family has to stay inside. A really grand way to enjoy the outdoors is to visit one of the South's many sculpture gardens. There, you'll find stimulating pieces to admire in a setting where everyone--kids included--can exercise their legs as well as their minds. Possibilities range from the contemporary style of the Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail at Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art in Nashville to the storied collection at South Carolina's Brookgreen Gardens. Here, children duck into and around Patrick Dougherty's environmental sculpture Side Steppin' at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Scents of the Season

Fill your home with the irresistible aromas of Thanksgiving. A stove-top steamer makes it easy. Fill it halfway with water; then add fruit slices and a few whole spices. Bring them to a boil, and simmer on low heat for up to two hours.

• Good mulling choices include whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, and fresh sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Experiment with different combinations to find your favorite fragrance.

Shrimp Julep

Free your imagination when you break out the silver for the season. Check out this nifty idea for a traditional shrimp cocktail. We used a julep cup from Kentucky, but we bet there's something in your china cabinet that would work every bit as beautifully.
 

•  To prepare our version, first fill the julep cup with crushed ice. Tuck a 2-oz. ramekin or sauce cup into ice; then fill with your favorite cocktail sauce. Arrange shrimp around the rim of the cup. Makes 1 serving. Prep: 5 min.

"Inspirations" is from the November 2006 issue of Southern Living.