December Arrives…

Today I am joining Susan at Thoughts from Over the Rainbow for the first of the Christmas Parties..Please go over and see the festivities…

I am also joining Tam at The Gypsy’s Corner for 3 or more Tuesday..Thanks for hosting, Tam..

So are we all tripping over boxes and bins of decorations??  What a mess..plumping wreaths and fluffing bows? 

And those lights…why do some of them go out after I have wrapped them in and out??  I keep saying I will just throw them away, but then dh has to see if he can find the problem.  Many cusses later, some are saved, some are tossed!

 

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My first of 3 or more is my Irish Nativity..see the little shamrocks?

I got it on one of my trips….Ireland?  No, TJMAXX!

 

 

 

The second is a musical Nativity I gave my mom for her 65th bday.  I remember buying it in VT. at a gift shop in Santa Land…It plays Silent Night… Her birthday is the 2nd…if she were alive she would be 96..I have wonderful memories of a very strong woman, widowed at 49, with a daughter in a wheelchair to take care of..and me, which wasn’t easy..:)

 

 

The third is a crystal one made by Dansk I have had for many years…I place it on the hallway table on a mirror surrounded by a lighted wreath…It is hard to get a good pic of it.

 

I am going to have to practice on that pic more!  Christmas Eve when I put the fresh flowers into the mantle arrangement, I tuck fresh Baby’s Breath into the greens..

 

A little snack before you leave?  Chicken salad ??

Thank you Susan for hosting what will be an on going party!  

Dec 3rd is my 1 year Blogaversary…I wonder if Mike will remember…LOL He doesn’t get the whole Blog thing!

It is also my youngest gson Declan’s  2 nd Bday. :)  To celebrate a year of blogging   I’ll have a give away…It’s Tablescape Thursday too..

So come back for the party! And remember Marty’s Cloche party is this Friday too!

Thanks for stopping by!

No Snow, Man~ Mosaic Monday

   

I am joining Mary at Little Red House for her weekly Mosaic Monday…

Please stop over at Mary’s and see her beautiful pictures and all the other mosaic entries..

Mary was featured on   Houzz.. Read the interview with Mary and view pictures of her lovely home…Congratulations, Mary!

 

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving..I know I have so much to be thankful for!

Thanks so much for all the good wishes and prayers for my dil.  She is on her way to recovering after emergency surgery , and I hope she will give herself time to heal.  I know with 4 little ones it isn’t easy, but she has to put her health first for a few weeks!

Cathy over at A Bit of Blarney has put Mr. Linky up for a Once Upon a Time Recipe.

We all have recipes that were passed down from someone, or made for a special occasion and have a story behind them  .  Hop over to her blog and find out the details, then link up..

My recipe is for Thumbprint Cookies..

My oldest  sister, who had 5 kids, asked me for the recipe for the cookies after I brought them to her house..

I knew she didn’t have much time and would probably never make them.

As a joke, where it said to fill the thumbprint with your favorite jam, I replaced the word JAM with TOOTHPASTE.

I thought it was SOOOO funny!

I waited and waited for her to notice..

About 10 years later she called to say she finally got around to making them and HA HA..!  I guess I was still the bratty youngest sister..

Every year when I make them, it makes me smile!  While we all grow older, we don’t always grow up!

This is Ina Garten’s Recipe

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Makes 32 cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut **
Raspberry or apricot jam or some melted chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-1/4-inch balls. They should each weigh 1 ounce.
Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

**We are not crazy about coconut, so I use chopped nuts, and you can leave them plain too..
If you have a recipe with a story, stop over at A Bit of the Blarney and link up!

Don’t forget about Marsha’s Chocolate event on the 16th..

Thanks for stopping by!

Last call to win a beautiful Lenox Teapot over at Pat's Mille Fiori Favoriti...she's celebrating her 400th post.HURRY!

Some Pie with your Turkey? Mosaic Monday

 

Turkey is good, but I love pie…join me?

 

 

 

My merchandise this week is a gift I bought on HSN..Of course I linked through www.Mrrebates.com, so I got a percentage back, and 4 flex pays..

I bought one a few years ago, and I love it.  It has 3 individual burners with separate settings..you can cook on it or keep things warm.  I often use it for 3 different soups.  It can be plugged in outside for chili, etc..You could put 3 omelet pans on it for a brunch omelet station.

Very useful during the holidays for serving. The pots are 3.5 qts and clean beautifully. So if you entertain a lot  this is well worth the price. Performance Gold Buffet Server.

Everyone who sees it asks where I got it…so I am sharing with you  :)

I haven’t taken it out of the box yet, so this is the pic from HSN.com

 

We had a medical emergency , so I have not posted…

In case I am not back before Thanksgiving I wish you all a blessed holiday.

Enjoy!

Thank you Mary of Little Red House for hosting..plenty more mosaics on her blog..take a peek!

Thanks for visiting!

Mosaic, Merchandise, Metamorphosis and Handmade…

Monday Mosaic…Comfort Food….

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I am joining Kathy at Kathy’s Cottage.  Stop over at her blog for her Handmade Holidays…

I saw these napkins on a forum where  I participate.  The original napkins had embroidered designs..I haven’t mastered that yet!  Looking for a place to teach me how to use my machine.

Joy was kind enough to share the info she had on them…and I gave it a try!

You start with a round of fabric…folded in half, rick rack sewn in the curved edge..

Then you fold it to look like a tree…

 

  

You can use 2 diff fabrics, or, I found this that had different patterns..

4 napkins out of 1 yd.

I will be on the lookout for some interesting fabric.  We are fabric store deprived out here, so this was the best I could do!!

My next project is to MORPH potted mums into centerpieces for a family engagement party…

Wrap in gold foil, use thin wire to wire glittered faux leaves together, add fresh baby’s breath, add a mesh bow..

 

  

 

All packed up for the trip…

Cost to make..$5.00 each.These were big pots of mums…9 filled the back of the SUV

with the middle seat down..

A just a little Merchandise..I made a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop..

They had a bin of napkin rings for .25…and I had a coupon for 20% off the total order..

These had Target labels..pretty celadon green glass beads with silver wire..

 …

 

I got some others I will share another time.

 

I found these little ceramic bears for a future tablescape…50 cents..

A few years ago I found these plates..I loved the face on the Santa..but they had nothing in any other size…

 

I found these at CTS, and I thought they were close enough…

Salad size…

I am linking this post to..

Mosaic Monday at Mary’s Little Red House…

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch..

Handmade Christmas at Kathy’s Cottage.. 

Please stop by and see the other entries..

Thank you, Mary, Susan, and Kathy for hosting..

And thank YOU, for visiting..

Tablescape Thursday ~ Thanksgiving for 4

I don’t have Thanksgiving at my house, I am a guest. There are usually around 30 for a sit down dinner.  We get assigned 4 things to bring.  The hostess does a lovely job setting things up..furniture has to be moved etc.  Ah youth!

Then the little Pilgrims raid the Halloween costume box and do a show for us!

I usually do make a smaller version for  us here, and this is the table I did last November, pre Blog..so new to you.  My friends at Holidays have seen it..

This turkey has a slightly metallic taste, but it is good to hold tea lights..:)

I used a beige cloth and napkins.

Black round placemats, gold chargers, and Lenox  Eternal plates .

The hurricanes with etched leaves are from Villeroy and Boch..

 

 

These sweet little pheasant salt and peppers are from Pottery Barn Outlet.  They are porcelain, and of course, a great price..They would have flown out of my cart if they weren’t  ! I don’t have the white Target birds though!

I wrapped the napkins with berries and acorns. 

Flatware is stainless and gold by Wallace..

I put a faux wreath between the pumpkin soup bowl, and used brass letters stuck in a foam pumpkin for the place card.

 

 

Gold trimmed stems, etched wine glasses.

Centerpiece is a caged bronze pumpkin with a candle and leaves..Small Lenox cornucopia , have a mint?

 

  

One of the things I bring to to the celebration are these cookies…

Please visit Susan’s delightful blog, Between Naps on the Porch to see all the other tables…

I hope to see you for Foodie and Flashback Friday..I have a cute little craft to show you if I get it finished.. When I was over at Blondie’s she talked about a Tues. event at Kathy’s Cottage where you show your home made Christmas gifts…Looks like fun!

OOPS...Kathy says wait till Tues to show the craft..her McLincky ends at midnight and I am not finished yet!
<

Thanks for visiting!

Outdoor Wednesday and My Prize

Today on our way over to Riverhead, I stopped to take a pic of this Long Island landmark.  For years, kids have lined up in front of the duck to have their pic taken. 

This is from Wikipedia…

The Big Duck is a  building in the shape of a duck located in Flanders, New York, on Long Island. It was originally built in 1931 by duck farmer Martin Maurer in nearby Riverhead, and used as a shop to sell ducks and duck eggs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

The Big Duck is a prime example of literalism in advertising. The building measures 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) tall to the top of the head. The duck's eyes are made from Ford Model T tail lights and the interior floor space is confined to 11 feet (3.4 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m). The wood frame, wire mesh/concrete surface building was designed in the shape of a Pekin duck in order to house a retail poultry store.

 

Owner Martin Maurer had The Big Duck building constructed in 1930 and 1931 on a prime spot on the busy Main Street in the town of Riverhead on Long Island, New York. The builders Smith and Yeager completed the concrete finish work on the Big Duck which was featured in Atlas Cement's 1931 calendar. Merlin Yeager noted that most of the duck is actually finished with Portland Cement, but they ran out and finished with Atlas Cement. The Big Duck was also featured in Popular Mechanics magazine.

In 1937, Martin Maurer moved the building four miles (6 km) southeast to Flanders, where it occupied a prominent location near the duck barns and marshes of Maurer's new duck ranch. The entire area, including Flanders and Riverhead, was the center of Long Island's well-known duck-farming industry. By 1939 there were about 90 duck farms in Suffolk County.^[3]

The Big Duck's unusual building and prime location helped garner much customer attention until it closed in 1984. In 1988, Suffolk County acquired The Big Duck and moved it to Route 24 on the edge of Sears-Bellows Pond County Park between Flanders and Hampton Bays on the eastern part of Long Island. The building houses a gift shop operated by the Friends for Long Island Heritage.^[3] The duck was returned to its original location in on October 6, 2007; nonetheless it is still called the "Flanders duck" for the intermediate location. Suffolk County continues to own it, maintains its interior and pays for staffing; Southampton Town maintains the exterior. The original 27 acre duck farm was purchased by the town in 2006. ^[4][5]

 

  At Christmas, they decorate the Duck and sing carols at the lighting..Just ducky!  :)

And I think I found a job I could do..

 

I could be a duck sitter!  It isn’t very busy..mostly summer . 

I bet Cass,Tara and Stephanie have been to the Big Duck..

And I wonder if my fellow NYer Pat has been there?

She takes you to such beautiful spots in NYC, and I take you to the duck..

That’s just fowl..:)

Last week I won a give away from Gail at Faithfulness Farm..

Thank you, Gail! Stop by her blog for some wonderful recipes..

A sweet homemade apron with big pockets, a lovely hand stitched kitchen towel, a great hot pad, and 2 cookbooks that are such fun to read..

Such lovely gifts!

A preview of my new side door painted red..9 more coats and it may be just right!

 

 

Please visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for all the  other entries..

Remembering all our Veterans Nov. 11th.  Thank you for your service to our country!

Thanks for stopping by..

Black Forest Cake~My Way

After trying to make Julia’s ruffle cake the other day, I used some of the chocolate cake batter to make my version of Black Forest. Julia has to lighten up..way too many instructions!

You can use any chocolate cake recipe, or even Duncan Hines.

I sub some brewed coffee for the water but you don’t have to..it’s a free country! :)

This is the pan I used..it is OLD.. A freebee from Duncan Hines when you bought their Tiara Mix…

Some say it is similar to a MaryAnn pan..whatever..

Bake the cake..

Put a thin layer of chocolate icing, then Cherry Pie Filling..

Pipe with fresh whipped cream..

Enjoy…

 

 

I think it was Cathy at Wives with Knives who made Pea Soup with yellow peas…I had always used green.  I had a ham bone and ham left so I tried the yellow..She posted her recipe…I just do some of this , some of that!

I think it is prettier…a milder taste…so dh says..I don’t eat pea soup..:)

 

 

 

I forgot to show my cute turkey name holders I got at CTS..

$2.29 for 4..

 

Please stop over at Gollums for more Foodie Friday entries..

Have a great weekend!    And thanks for stopping in..

A few Old Crows Came for Dinner

Just a simple weekday night dinner table..featuring my 3 crows which were a gift from my friend Bonnie.

I sat them on an upside down ramekin on top of a low cake plate..surrounded with leaves and candles that look like fall vegetables.

 

 

Deep red square  cotton rug type place mats, Kohl’s)

Squash candles..

Tulip shaped goblets (Dansk)

A few scarecrows that don’t seem to phase those birds in the center..:)

 

Purple napkins to pick up the grape color ..

I made the napkin rings by hot gluing little scarecrows to plain metal rings..

Clear glass  leaf salad plate..Dollar King

Rust colored ramekins for flat breads from Pottery Barn..

Dinner plates from CTS…

 

Oven baked pork chops and fried rice..

 

And a little apple crisp for dessert..

 

Susan is having great give a ways this week..please join her at Between Naps on the Porch for other entries to Tablescape Thursday…

Thanks for visiting!

Mosaic and Merchandise Monday~

It’s November..time to start thinking about the holidays…

If you do any online shopping, I want to remind you to go to Mr.  Rebates first, and  link through to where you are going to shop.

That way you will get a % off ..no cost..they keep track, and when you get to $25.00 they will remind you and ask you if you want a check.

I have been doing it for years, there’s no catch.  You have to sign up first, but then that’s it.  But go there first..check to see if the site you want is listed..

For example, our son told us to pick out a new TV as a gift.  QVC deal of the day was good.  So I went to Mr. Rebates first, and linked through to QVC.  Almost 50 dollars back..

I have no connection to the site, just wanted to pass it along..

 

Joining Mary at Little Red House ..You’ll find lots of other mosaics there!

My Mosaic…Pears on a Plate..:)

 

Merchandise Monday… CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE

I can’t show everything..some of the things are gifts, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise!

These  dinner plates, not round not square, a mix..sqond?? $1.99

Cotton quilted place mats , cranberry toile on cream reverses to a ticking stripe..$1.29

Dinner plate, for my 3 little grandsons, .17 cents!

They like John Deere!

Wood round plaque, with wood numbers to hang..ONE DOLLAR!

 

   

17 cents..picture frames, summer decals, strawberry flag, and playing cards

(all from the clearance bin)

 

Pretty green pedestal cake plate…3.99 Ceramic turkey salt & peppers  1.99

 

Little battery operated lanterns 1.69 batteries incl..

Red velvet pillow ornaments .50 cents

I am thinking napkin rings, add a sprig of greens, and let the guest take it home.

I got some other goodies, but I will save them for another post..

Everything was from the Christmas Tree Shops, except the checked plate

 

A tribute to Julia, from her book Baking with Julia..the ruffle cake. A few of my sweet friends decided to try a recipe.

 

 

I only used her cake recipe..and I failed at the ruffles.  I will try them again when I have more time ..

Ingredients
CAKE

* 3 tb Hot clarified unsalted
* 1 ts Pure vanilla extract
* 1/3 c Plus
* 1 tb Sifted all-purpose flour
* 1/3 c Plus
* 1 tb Sifted unsweetened cocoa
* 4 lg Eggs
* 2/3 c Sugar
* 1 lb Bittersweet or semisweet

SYRUP

* 1/3 c Water
* 1/3 c Sugar
* 1/4 c Eau-de-vie de framboise or

FILLING

* 3 c Creme fraiche, homemade or
* 2 ts Pure vanilla extract
* 2 tb Sugar (up to 3)
* 5 oz Semisweet or bittersweet
* 3 tb Boiling water
* 2 Containers (5-ounce) of
* 3 oz Bittersweet or semisweet


Preparation (these are Rosebud's notes, not mine)

This is from the Julia Childs new series and book, Baking with Julia, and was done by Alice Medrich and is in her own words. Its long and detailed, but it has every step and tip youll need to make the cake. Ruffle Cake Equipment :* 8-inch round cake pan, at least 2-inches high :* 8-inch round cake pan with removable bottom or 8-inch springform pan :* untreated heavy-duty jelly-roll pans :* rubber spatula, offset spatula, and flexible 8-inch metal icing spatula :* decorating turntable, lazy Susan, or inverted round cake pan :* ridged plastic shelf liner, freezer paper, or 055 Mylar :* parchment paper and waxed paper A majestic cake and one of many parts: a dark chocolate genoise moistened with an intoxicatingly aromatic framboise syrup, a filling of satiny creme fraiche and brilliantly red raspberries, a wrapper of dark chocolate, and a profusion of magnificent chocolate rufffles. The technique for making ruffles does take some practice, but fortunately, the mistakes are not only edible, theyre usually usable -- irregularly shaped pieces still produce a knock-out confection. And the chocolate wrapper or ribbon is also eminently doable -- it is made by a method that reproduces the quality of tempering without the fuss. Professionals use acetate or Mylar as the form on which to shape the wrapper, but a trip to the hardware store will turn up ridged plastic shelf liners, the perfect material for the job. Each part of the cake can be made ahead, so that you only have to assemble to finish on the day the cake is to be served. And dont pass up the opportunity to make this cake if you havent the time to tackle the ruffles. You can pile the cake high with fresh raspberries, irregularly shaped pieces of chocolate, or chocolate shards, and it will still be great. Think of this cake as a format rather than a precise, cant-vary-a-thing formula: Substitute another kind of cake for the genoise, use whipped cream instead of creme fraiche, or omit the soaking syrup - the basic idea is yours to embellish. The Cake: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven or just below the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Fit the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, one at least 2 inches high, with parchment paper and set aside. Pour the clarified butter into a 1-quart bowl and stir in the vanilla extract, if you're using it. The butter must be hot when added to the batter, so either keep the bowl in a skillet of hot water or reheat at the last minute. Although the flour and cocoa were sifted before they were measured, they need to be triple-sifted together. Sift or sieve the flour and cocoa together. Sift or sieve the flour and cocoa together 3 times, then set sifter on a plate or piece of waxed paper and return the dry ingredients to the sifter. Keep close at hand. (CONT in part 2) Posted to EAT-L Digest 20 October 96 Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 10:30:07 -0400 From: Rosebud


Jayne has listed the others who did the Julia tribute..

 

Have a great week..thanks for visiting..