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EATS & DRINKS
LIVING SPACES
PROFILE
I recently enlisted the help of chef Jaime S. Landu Colin to add swagger and nuance to a holiday dinner party for friends and family. The outcome was delightfully fun and delicious, complete with roasted game hens, apple chutney, pumpkin dumplings simmered in brown butter, cranberry cornbread, and a surprisingly easy pâté using harvest from a recent duck hunt. This year, consider cooking together with friends and family — sharing the burden of cooking means being less exhausted while simultaneously spending more quality time with the people you love.
Every year on Nov. 1, The Nutcracker ballet soundtrack resonates through Alex and Lauren Blass’ home as Lauren decorates for Christmas. The ballet holds special memories for her, as do the nutcrackers that fill her home during the holidays. Lauren danced in a production of the ballet every year growing up. At age 10 and again at 14, she played Clara. Throughout junior high and high school, she performed almost every role and was the Sugar Plum Fairy during her senior year. Today, she serves on the NWA Ballet Theatre board and cannot wait to enjoy The Nutcracker performances Dec. 20 and 21.
Ashley Wheeler’s journey to becoming CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Arkansas tells a story of resilience, community and the power of wanting a place to call home. She was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived there until 1992 when she moved with her parents and little brother to Northwest Arkansas. Ashley’s parents divorced when she was 10 years old, but she said even when her parents were still together, the family moved frequently, and she never truly felt she belonged anywhere.
