Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

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Wednesday

23

December 2009

3

COMMENTS

Winter solstice & Christmas lights

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

Last night a group of us all got together, loaded up in one car and drove to see the Christmas lights in the area. Our night began at this house in Peachtree City. We were amazed! And if the lights weren’t enough, it was all synchronized to music playing on the radio. How do people come up with this?…. and how long would this take?

Our adventures continued to see three other houses, one known as the Gaddy house. This house is famous and sightseers from all around drive through to see the lights. Unfortunately no pictures from me on this one but would you believe they even have a small ferris wheel at their house.

Every blow up imaginable, characters from Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Wizard of Oz and Snoopy. Two more houses added to our night before we ended our evening with waffles and hash browns at Waffle house.

Friday

18

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Elegantly Simple

Written by , Posted in "ballards design", "house beautiful", "jill brenson", serenbe

One of the things that I love about living in Serenbe is the amount of creative energy flowing through our growing community.

One of our soon-to-be residents, Jill Sharp Brenson is featured in the December/January issue of House Beautiful. She has an amazing flair in mixing different elements together in her home to create a warm inviting atmosphere.  What I love most is that her style is “elegantly simple”.

 See the entire story featured in House Beautiful.

Jill is the Creative Director of Ballard designs. She and her husband Rob, who is a photographer in Atlanta plan to build a home in Serenbe in the coming year.

This room is so lovely, where would I begin to say all I love about it. From the rough, salvaged beams to the wall cabinets with chicken wire, and the lanterns……the mixture of elements is absolute perfection.
                            
Jill has also designed 4 exquisite townhomes featuring wonderful limestone flooring, wood doors from France and natural and eco-friendly finishes throughout the homes. These are all in our plan to be built in Serenbe and are some of the most beautiful homes I have seen.

Wednesday

16

December 2009

1

COMMENTS

November Contest Winner!

Written by , Posted in cooking demo, inn at serenbe, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, Serenbe Farms

I am excited to announce the winner of November’s recipe contest featuring Sweet Potatoes.


I received many wonderful recipes so again I thank all who participated. Sent in by Tina Collins Eib, the combination of ingredients makes this one a real treat sent.


Sweet Potato Compote

  • 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled

  • 2 medium Fugi apples, peeled
  • 2 medium red pears, peeled
  • 1/4 cup dried red cherries
  • 1/2 stick non-salted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh is great)
  • 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted pecan pieces (optional)


Cut potatoes and fruit (omitting cherries) into bite-size pieces then cook potatoes first on med.-low heat in the butter until nearly soft, but slightly firm. Add the apples and pears sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cherries and continue cooking on medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until dried cherries have plumped and apples are nearly soft, but retain some firmness. Stir in pecan pieces.
Serve piping hot!


Serves 4-6.

Saturday

12

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Recipe of the month

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

A winner from November will be announced shortly!

Sorry everyone, I am behind with so many holiday activities that I have yet to pick a winner from November. As soon as I try all the recipes I promise a winner will be announced.

However, I am excited about the recipe possibilities for the month of December.
 This month I would just love to see your favorite recipe you serve as a side dish during the holidays. Possibly one you whip up for your family or for your neighborhood party. Be creative and have fun. After all, it is the holiday season!

Remember, as the winner of the contest, you will receive dinner for two at the Farmhouse and your recipe will be featured on my blog and as part of the menu at the restaurant.
I will be accepting new recipes until December 30th so keep them coming!

Click onto “my email” to send your recipe.

Thursday

10

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Christmas in Serenbe

Written by , Posted in "smith hanes", serenbe

“The holidays are a magical place in Serenbe. My friend Smith Hanes helped me decorate the Inn the other day and we had great fun riding through the woods finding things to use. From magnolia leaves to pine and other wonderful foliage, it made for the perfect look we wanted in the inn.”

My dog Pudge hanging out near Guest Services. Since this is his former home he comes with me while I am in the kitchen and spends time on the property. He absolutely loves it! 

The Christmas tree is a collection of old and new family ornaments that have been with us for years.

Tuesday

8

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Serenbe Front Porch/Balcony Decorating Contest!

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

We are excited to announce Serenbe’s first annual Christmas decorating contest.

Here are the details:

To enter, simply decorate your front porch or balcony by December 20. Serenbe friends (non-residents) will serve as judges, and the winner and runner-up will be announced on the Serenbe Style & Soul blog on December 23rd.

The winner will also receive New Year’s Sweets from The Farmhouse!

Happy Holidays, and happy decorating!


Saturday

5

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Southern Chef Series with Linton Hopkins

Written by , Posted in inn at serenbe, Linton Hopkins, marie nygren, Southern Chef Series

I am very excited about our second event in our Southern Chef Series.

Our first of the series with Nathalie Dupree was such a great experience and I am so looking forward to having Chef Linton Hopkins here in my kitchen and sharing that time with an intimate group of guests.

We are welcoming Chef Linton Hopkins on January 24 & 25 to our community of Serenbe.

Spend time in the kitchen and at the dining table with Chef Linton Hopkins, learning to create some of his favorite dishes and hearing stories of his culinary history and passion for good, local food.  This small group experience takes place in my home and at the Inn at Serenbe. 








Linton Hopkins is the chef/owner of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, has competed on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef,” is a two-time James Beard Award Nominee, and was crowned on of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2009. He is also proprietor of Holeman & Finch and H&F Bread Co in Atlanta.

For details and reservations, call 770.463.2610. I look forward to you joining us.

Thursday

3

December 2009

0

COMMENTS

Butter Pea and Kale Gratin

Written by , Posted in "frank stitt", farm to table, kale, marie nygren recipes, Recipe Articles

I adapted this recipe from Frank Stitt’s original recipe with white beans and collard greens.

My favorite pea is the butter pea and my favorite green is kale so decided this combination would be simply delicious. We sampled this last night during our prep time in the kitchen and the aroma alone made our mouth water.

We are featuring the gratin on the Farmhouse menu this week as one of our side dishes.

Butter Pea and Kale Gratin

  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 large bunch Kale (about 1 pound), thoroughly washed, blanched in boiling salted water until tender, drained, and chopped (to make two cups)
  • 3 cups butter peas, 1/2 cup cooking liquid reserved
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 rosemary sprig, leaves removed and finely chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450º.  In a large sauté pan, heat  the oil in medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the kale and sauté for another minute, stirring to coat.

Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a large mixing bowl and add the butter peas, half of the Parmigiano, a splash of olive oil, the rosemary, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add a little of the reserved pea broth as needed to moisten.

Spread the pea mixture into the gratin dish. Top with the remaining cheese, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top of the gratin is golden and crusty.

Serves 8-10.

Wednesday

2

December 2009

2

COMMENTS

Guest blogger: Dana Widmer

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, serenbe, Steve Nygren

After a few sleepless hours in the night, I decided to ask Marie if I could write about the her family’s annual trim-a-tree party and the Serenbe tree lighting event. Since I was awake thinking about it, I thought I could at least write about it.

For those of you familiar with Marie and Serenbe, you know the importance of both family and community in her life. This was the first year I attended the Nygren’s trim-a-tree party, and that feeling was never quite as evident to me as it was last night.
An intimate group of friends and family gathered at the Nygren’s home around 4:30 to help decorate the tree. It was great fun to see the selection of ornaments which ranged from old family heirlooms to ornaments made by their three daughters when they were kids.
At 6:30 we walked down the street to the green for enjoy the lighting of the Serenbe tree, which I will write about in another posting since that was it’s own special event.
When we returned to Marie’s, the real magic began in the kitchen. Several of us helped prepare the arugula salad, bake the muffins and watch Marie put the final touches on the Shepard’s pie. Karen and Marie made the salad, Kara and I put the muffin dough in the tins, while simultaneously Steve moved it all to the oven. Within minutes the kitchen counter transformed to “lots of stuff” all around, people everywhere, salad flying into the bowl to an absolutely perfect meal.

 “The most special part of the evening for me was when everyone gathered in a circle in the kitchen (where else would we be in Marie’s home) and she said a few words before her husband Steve lead us in a lovely prayer. The circle was all considered family, whether you were true family or close friends. To me, this moment encompassed all that Serenbe is and all that the Nygren’s have created within our community, and the real meaning of what the holiday season is all about.”

We ate, we laughed, and we shared memories around the table for hours. Some of us were strangers at the beginning of the evening but in the end we shared a very special time with good friends and family.

Monday

30

November 2009

0

COMMENTS

Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles

Written by , Posted in "atlanta homes and lifestyles", "marie nygren""nathalie dupree"

Recently I picked up the latest issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles which I knew was featuring Nathalie Dupree and I during our Southern Chef Series.

What I was not prepared for was the unbelievably gorgeous spread in the magazine…… more amazing than I could have imagined.

From editor Clinton Smith:

LATELY, luxury has become hard to define. To me, it’s never been about glitz and glamour. It’s been more about quality and value- and putting a value on what really matters. This month’s issue recasts luxury on several fronts. One story shows us that there’s great comfort found in classical architecture, another exemplifies the virtues of color. Good design may not be inexpensive, but whether it’s classic or contemporary, it’s lasting. Money aside, our entertaining story may be the ultimate in luxury-good friends cooking together in the kitchen and sharing stories. What more could you ask for?

photography: David Christensen

If you click onto “full screen” the article will open in a new window.

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About Marie Nygren

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When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m the co-founder of the Serenbe community and the Inn at Serenbe. But, the truest Read More...

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