A Rockin’ New Year’s Eve~NOT! Foodie Friday

My rockin’ days are over..actually, I don’t think they were ever here!

Maybe I missed them..:)

So it’s a quiet evening at home…which is fine with me, as the roads are slippery..

The huge snow storm of the 20th was almost gone..but now we have a new blanket..

The Three Kings are thinking 4 wheel drive might be good..

They arrive on Jan. 6th…Little Christmas, which marks the end of the Christmas season…and when the decorations start getting packed away..

Tonight, just a dinner for 2, for the last day of 2009. You can click to enlarge the pic…

 

A little red , black ,white, and plaid….

 

The tassel I used as a napkin ring is a wine tassel…I think they were .46 at WSonoma Outlet 2 yrs ago..

Tonight’s dinner is eggplant parm and stuffed shells..Mike prepared it..but we didn’t eat yet, so I can’t show you!  :)

 

But since I am joining Gollum for Foodie Friday…some food, which we had last night.. Please visit Designs by Gollum for the other participants..

Shrimp over a bed of linguine with sauteed spinach with a wine sauce.

Very light..

Dredge the raw shrimp in seasoned flour,  (save the flour) and quickly brown in a little olive oil and butter.Remove the shrimp to a plate and keep warm.

Chop some scallions and saute.

Drain off most of the oil and deglaze the pan with  fresh lemon juice and dry white wine .

With the seasoned flour from the shrimp  you can thicken the sauce a bit. Whisk with some water and add slowly till you get the sauce the way you want it.

Simmer, I add an envelope of G.Washington Gold.  You find that near the Herb Ox packets in the market.

In a separate pan, take fresh spinach, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.

Saute in some olive oil..when it is wilted, stir in some freshly grated locatelli cheese.

Cook your linguine.

Make a bed with the pasta, sauteed spinach in the middle, and spoon the shrimp and sauce over the top.

Garnish with scallions, fresh parsley and lemon, and a few grinds of fresh pepper..

I am sorry, but I don’t use recipes except to bake..so I can only give you instructions without exact measurements. 

Very simple!

Happy 2010!!

Good health and good times..

Many blessings to you and your families..

And as always, thank you for visiting me!

The Two Susans

I haven’t joined Outdoor Wednesday for a while…so I am doing the 2 Susan post tonight..

Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday…  and

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday..

Thank you Susan and Susan…

Outdoor Susan said we could post Christmas..

My outdoor Nativity..After the snow, even Joseph’s head was covered.. The stable blew away in the storm.. Gone with the Wind..:)

Maybe we will find it in the Spring!

 

After the winds we have had since last night, it is a wonder anything is still up!

 

 Mother Nature got carried away with the can of snow!

 

But it is time to go in and see tonight’s table..(actually it is time to put the dinner on the table..but that will wait a few minutes..:)

I found this tablecloth at CTS.  It was the only one, no tag or marking..

I loved the appliques and checked trim they had sewn to the edge..

No one could find a price, so she asked if 4.99 sounded good..VERY GOOD, I thought..

So I started from there..

 

Red ceramic chargers from WSonoma, checked plates from Neiman Marcus via TJMaxx, red salad, WSonoma…

   

Flatware by Cambridge, Napkins from the china closet drawer..:), I’ve had them for years…

Red berry wreath as a napkin ring..

Covered Lions head soup bowls..WSonoma outlet..

Red stems from Lenox..

 

 

I used this..my extreme bargain from WSonoma Labor Day..Lions Head Soup Tureen.(marked 99.00 and sale was 13.00  :)  )

to make the centerpiece using fresh mums and baby’s breath from the store, and greens from my yard..

 

 

Those little things you see hanging down are from my chandy.  This is my kitchen table, so I use greens and these cute little soft cherubs..

 

 

 

 

  

I had a few emails about the Shredded Dough Apple pie I posted..

 

Just freeze whatever dough you use and shred it with a grater over the top.  I could have used a little more dough on this one as it was piled high with apples..

Please stop over at Susan’s …A Southern Daydreamer, and Susan’s   Between Naps on the Porch to see the other entries.

Are you all resting up for the big New Year’s festivities??  It’s BJ’s birthday and she invited  all of us  to her party!  :)

While visions of sugared goods jumped in our Mouths..Mosaic Monday

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  Now puleaaase don’t tell me you are taking down your decorations.

We enjoy ours till Little Christmas, Three Kings Day.

Growing up, our tree went up Christmas Eve, and came down Jan. 6th, and I keep to that tradition.

And it is several weeks before everything is in its place for the year!

I am joining  Mary of Little Red House for Mosaic Monday…

I am sure most of us are on a sugar high…. so I did my mosaic on some desserts I made for Christmas..

 

 

 

 

 

The first is an apple pie I made with 5 different types of apples, and a shredded dough crust…

 

Next is Mike’s Rugelach..apricot nut, chocolate raspberry, and lekvar…

 

 

A devils food cake, filled  with a layer of chocolate whipped cream, iced with whipped cream and decorated with choc cookie stars ..Those are little ornament picks I sent away for..

By the time it was served it was decorated with several tiny fingerprints!

And the last is the chocolate cake men and stars dipped in melted chocolate waiting to be decorated..

A rare quiet moment..a game of Christmas checkers..which was good till the 2 y o came and swiped all the pieces..then it turned to War! Notice the boxing gloves on the back of the couch?  :)

 

I hope you get to enjoy the week before the New Year begins…

Deck the Halls, and Handmade Holiday

December flew!  All month Susan at Thoughts from over the Rainbow has been hosting Deck the Halls..thank you, Susan!

Please check out the other entries..

And Kathy’s Cottage hosted Homemade holiday things.  Poor Kathy is under the weather, but since I made it, I’m showing it!

I had this on my list to try..Peppermint Bark…

I had tried it from WSonoma and it was so good, and sooo expensive..so I made it…

The white chocolate hardened quickly when I put it on the chocolate layer, so I used the old hair dryer trick to get it softer to accept the crushed candy canes…

 

It’s good, and very easy! I You can find one of many recipes here….

While we are in the kitchen, I’ll show you my little kitchen tree  that is on my island..

The little copper pots and pan ornaments I got a few years ago at WSonoma Outlet..and this year I treated myself to the little gingerbread chefs.

 

 

 

   

This is an old pic, but you can see the window treatment I made with plaid dish towels.  I sewed the plaid together with a co ordinating stripe..

  This is the dessert table from a Christmas past..

This is my dining room Angel Tree.  You can’t see them clearly, but there are all Battenburg angels on it, with silver ornaments..

That’s it for tonight, hope your halls are decked, your holly jolly, and that a reindeer doesn’t run over Grandma! (my dear mom hated that song! )

On the way out the side door  this vintage wreath will play a few songs for you..yes, it IS very annoying.  I often find the batteries removed by..??  elves I guess… :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Did We Really Need This Much Snow?? Mosaic Monday~Ornaments..

 

So whoever did the SNOW dance, could you have done a nice slow waltz??  You know I still have shopping to do!

We got over 30 inches, more in drifts..yuck!

Unusual for here , but this one hugged the coast.

On the “bright side”  we have power, so we are warm.  We are under an emergency, so no one allowed on the road except emergency vehicles.. There hasn’t been a car on our street  all day…

I hope if you got hit by this storm, you are safe and warm!

I am joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. She got hit too, I don’t know how badly NJ got it..

 

 

 

The last blown glass one says..’Tis a Blessing to be Irish..I bet Sue agrees with that!

The glass shamrock tree is from Galway.  My sister brought it back from Ireland..

The large one is hand painted…a gift from my gkids..they didn’t paint it..:)

Are you all caught up?  Gifts wrapped, baking done, house cleaned, menu planned???..I WISH!

I see you..sitting with your feet up, eating cookies and Christmas Candy!..Enjoy!

 

Dip it in Chocolate…Peppermint Twist Table

I am joining my friend Marsha for her chocolate party…Who could refuse..Please stop over at her blog, Marsha’s Kitchen and see the other chocoholics..:)

 

Some shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate..

An apple dipped in chocolate and pecans dressed up for Christmas…

 

 

 

 

 

I make these  little cakes every year for the  kids..of all ages…devils food cake..dipped in melted chocolate

They go down very smoothly with a glass of milk!

 

My table tonight is red and white with a peppermint twist..a week night table..

 

 

  

The plates are all from WSonoma, as well as the salt and peppers and swirled name card holders..See the gingham tree mats under the plate..W Sonoma too..

The pine cone tree centerpiece is from Villeroy and Boch..

Thank you, Susan, for hosting, and please check out all the other tables at Between Naps on the Porch..

One of my favorite things to give me the Christmas Spirit is going to my gkids Christmas Pageant..

The Kdgn. is the cutest..so uninhibited..

And the  Nativity , (3rd grade) with the angels and shepherds and kings, just adorable..

I hope in spite of the busy ness of these days, are finding some joy in the preparations…:)

Have a wonderful weekend..and thanks for visiting…