A Night with the Shepherds Table 2019

Welcome to our home that we have transformed 

for a special night for our Young Single Adults, 

for a night in Bethlehem, A Night With The Shepherds.  

We greeted them in our outfits that we brought 

home from Israel years ago. 

Tables were set low on boxes and covered in 

purple satin tablecloths.  The stone floor was 

covered in various rugs so people could sit on the 

floor if they chose to.  Pillows were strewn around 

the edges.  Of course, the tree was lit, and lighting 

was kept soft and low. 

We have done a couple of dinners like this 

with our children, but this was on a much 

larger scale as we ended up having about 85 

people attend the dinner.  

Something new was to drape the room with 

purple, orange and hot pink fabric, and then 

to add lights to it.  We were trying to create 

a tent like feel. 

We had the stable made out of plywood about 30 years 

ago, and it has survived yearly use for our 

Christmas Eve Nativity.  I added the blue backdrop 

last year, and we tape it to the window and then backlight 

it.  We also had a custom made manger, but someone 

borrowed it and left it and it disappeared, so I 

purchased a kit online to make a new one a couple 

of years ago.  My collection of lambs gather around 

the manger.

Brass chargers were used on the table for food and 

disposable plates.  Electric candles softly lit the tables. 

I added greenery and grapes to the tables. One of the leaders 

walked in and just gasped.  He said he had been to a fancy 

restaurant in New York and the food had been served like 

this, on low tables.  

We had the food brought in from a restaurant in Salt Lake, 

Souvlaki.  They have the softest, most amazing pita, 

wonderful chicken kebabs, savory rice and a fabulous 

Mediterranean salad.  That made my job easier.

I just made the Chocolate Pistachio Baklava, and 

put out dates, nuts, grapes and some chocolate.  

And of course, prepped the house!  It was a huge hit, and the 

Young Single Adults ate and ate, and visited, and stayed into 

the late hours, enjoying our Bishopric Christmas Dinner. 

Tonight I have a home tour dinner party with 
my craft group, and rather than take all of the 
Bethlehem items down, we decided to remove 
the extra rugs, put some of the furniture back, 
but leave the draping, stable and low table.  They 
have all seen my house before, and we thought 
this would be a fun change for them. 

The food will be presented on the single low table 

tonight, and I added some purple pillows around the 

room to tie everything together.  Hope they enjoy it! 

Just one more big party after that, but I think I 

might leave the living room like this - the 

dramatic draping is just too fun!  Hubby is sooooo 

supportive and fun.

(If you are interested in this gorgeous throw,

click here.)

Thanks for coming to visit our Christmas party table.

I will be posting it with 

Tablescapes Thursday

and 

Love Your Creativity

Chocolate Pistachio Baklava

I have been making Baklava for years now, 

even though it isn't something I make every year,

but wow, it makes the house smell so, so good, 

and it is addictively delicious! 

I love its crispy, crunchy, syrupy goodness, but 

this year I decided to take it up a notch and 

use pistachios and add chocolate!  People who 

said they didn't like Baklava tried it and loved it!

Hubby kept eating all of the small edge 

pieces before the party!

I really think this is my favorite Baklava I have ever made. 

People get intimidated by the thinness of the 

Baklava leaves, and sometimes there is reason 

for concern, as sometimes the leaves stick together, 

so I like to purchase an extra package just in case 

we get in trouble with the leaves sticking as the 

package has thawed. 

Once the layers of butter and phyllo dough cool 

it is easy to cut into the traditional shape with a 

sharp knife. 

I decided to time it, so I could tell you how long it 

took me to put the Baklava together.  It was exactly 

an hour, but I ended up with 60 pieces.  

Chocolate Pistachio Baklava Recipe

1 pkg. phyllo dough 

1 1/2 C. melted butter

3/4 lb shelled pistachios (I got mine at Costco)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Syrup

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. honey

3/4 C. water

2 T. lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 10x15 inch cookie sheet with sides.  

(Really you can do any size pan - a 9x13, 

or even a half sheet cake pan, just cut  

and piece the phyllo dough to fit.)

Pulse the nuts in a food processor until 

pretty finely ground, then pulse in the 

cinnamon. 

Open your phyllo dough and cover with a 

damp paper towel - you don't want it wet 

or it will make the leaves stick together, but 

you need to keep the leaves from drying out.  

Carefully pick up a piece of dough and 

lay it in your buttered pan.  Cut to fit 

if needed, and piece if needed. 

I ran my sheets crosswise, using two 

sheets of dough per layer, since I was using 

the 10x15 pan.  You wouldn't have to do that 

with a 9x13 inch pan.  

 Lightly brush the butter 

on each layer.  Don't over butter.  Make sure you 

get the edges buttered so they don't dry out.  

Create 10 layers of dough and butter, 

then top with about half 

the nuts and 1/4 C. mini chips.  I don't like 

super thick layers of nuts, so I didn't use 

all of my nuts.  

Top with an additional five layers of dough and 

butter, then top with the remaining nuts and 1/4 

C. mini chocolate chips.  Finish with another 10 

layers of phyllo dough brushed with butter.  

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough vertically down 

to a layer of nuts - don't cut all the way through.  

Trust me, you will feel them.  Then cut on the 

diagonal to create the diamond shapes.  

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, until 

golden and the house smells heavenly!!!  

While the Baklava is baking, place the 

syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan, 

stir together and bring to a boil.  Reduce 

heat and let boil for about 4 minutes.  

When the Baklava is finished baking, bring 

the syrup back up to heat and pour over 

the puffed, golden pastry!  You will hear it 

crackle and crunch as the syrup pours over.  

Let it rest a least 8 hours so it soaks up 

all of the lovely syrup.  Then when it has rested, 

cut through the layers all the way to the bottom.  

Melt some additional chocolate and drizzle 

it over the Baklava.  

I already have guests asking me to make another batch! 

I hope you give Baklava a try - it tastes nothing 

like the commercial varieties you may have had, 

and adding a touch of chocolate makes it even 

more wonderful!

Thanks for stopping by during this 

crazy busy time of year!