It’s time to kick off the weekend holiday style. Yep. My tartan plaid apron is ready to go, with a few Christmas decorations sprinkled throughout the kitchen. Oscar is by my side so let’s get this party started. Fridays with Oscar is genuinely my favorite post to share with y’all. It’s fun to scour through cookbooks and come up with a delicious recipe every week. Same with cocktails. I do my best to balance healthy and tasty. It’s definitely doable! Although cocktails can err on the side of sugary, this week’s Cranberry Orange Whiskey Cocktail does due to the cranberry juice and orange juice. But if you’re willing to splurge, it’s definitely a keeper!

The basement renovation is in the home stretch! This time next week, I will have my house back in order. And the project looks fantastic! I can’t wait to share with you. Next year I will have dedicated posts featuring my master bedroom, main bath, kitchen, and basement renovations. It’s come to my attention that the master bath remodel was never shared as previously planned. So I snapped an iPhone photo for a memory refresh. Webber Built was the mastermind project management company behind the bathroom and basement renovations. Let me tell you they are amazing to work with and know their stuff! While renovations are never easy, the Webber’s made the project timeline go off without a hitch.

Master Bathroom renovation was taken down to the studs. Wallpaper, bathmat, shower curtain, and towels.

Basement Renovation added new cabinetry, new lights, and fresh paint.

Main bath has a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Black Raspberry paint, framed prints, hardware, garden stool, and memory foam bathmat.

I found these waxed Amaryllis at Trader Joe’s. What a clever idea! And so easy to incorporate into holiday decorations. 

Christmas ornaments scattered throughout the house are an easy decorating idea.

I’m always mad for plaid, so who could resist this adorable Stewart plaid apron that comes with an oven mitt and pan holder from Pottery Barn?!

Cranberry Orange Whiskey Cocktail

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• Author: Beth Djalali

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Description

The Cranberry Orange Whiskey has the perfect balance between sweet and sour. It’s perfect complement to a holiday menu. Even if you’re not a big whiskey drinker like me you will love this refreshing cocktail.

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Ingredients

1/2 oz Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 oz Simple syrup

1 oz Cranberry juice, unsweetened

2 oz Ginger beer

3 oz Orange juice

1/2 oz Cointreau

2 oz Whiskey

2 sprigs Thyme for garnish

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Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except ginger beer to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into chilled glass.
3. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with orange peel and fresh thyme (optional)

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 303
• Sugar: 30.6g
• Sodium: 6.3mg
• Fat: 0.3g
• Carbohydrates: 33.2g
• Fiber: 0.5g
• Protein: 0.8

Cranberry One Pan Rosemary Chicken

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• Author: Beth Djalali
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Description

A festive holiday dinner recipe.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cranberry Rosemary Marinade

1/3 cup fresh cranberries

2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 cup dry white wine

For the Chicken Thighs

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs approximately 6 chicken thighs1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil

salt to taste

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

4 sprigs fresh rosemary plus more for garnish, if desired

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Instructions

For the Cranberry Rosemary Marinade

• Combine all marinade ingredients in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 9×13″ baking dish and pour marinade over, spreading to coat chicken evenly. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
• 30 minutes before baking, remove the dish from the fridge and let stand at room temperature.

For the Chicken Thighs

• Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit. With a spoon, scrape marinade from the chicken skin, leaving in the baking dish. Brush skins with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season skins with plenty of salt. Sprinkle ½ cup of fresh cranberries and 4 sprigs of rosemary around chicken thighs.
• Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven and preheat broiler. Discard cooked rosemary sprigs.
• Brush 1 tablespoon maple syrup over chicken thighs skin. Place under broiler, about 10″ from the heating element, and broil 5 minutes or until skin is crispy and getting dark in places. Watch carefully to make sure the skin browns evenly and does not burn, moving the dish around to brown evenly if necessary.
• Remove from oven and spoon cranberries and sauce on top of chicken. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve immediately with plenty of sauce.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 524
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 263mg
• Fat: 39g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7g
• Trans Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Protein: 31g
• Cholesterol: 189mg

This week I’m going old-school prep for my outfit. There’s something timeless and true about preppy clothes that I never tire of. The ruffle-neck stripe shirt peeks out from a bouclé cardigan sweater (sold out similar here, here, and here) from J.Crew, adding a feminine twist. The cardigan has a matching jogger pant that’s in stock if you’re interested. The fabric is soft and comfy and perfect for lounging around the house. When it’s Friday and the outfit is casual blue jeans from Talbots are a no-brainer. And since my outfit has an old-school vibe, a leopard belt and leopard flats were easy choices to make and the perfect addition.

denim | ruffle neck shirt | cardigan (sold out similar here, here, and here) | belt | shoes

Oscar and I wish you a lovely weekend!

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Beth Djalali

is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more.

She’s 65, 5’8, and size 8.

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