Another Year Over~A New One's Just Begun~

It will be a quiet New Year's here .  Santa left me a bug, by mistake, I am sure, but I have been taking my meds and lots of naps!
If I had my mojo, I would have set us a table with lots of bling!



Instead, a simple table...

A little bell to ring in the new year.

The dishes are new, half price after Cmas at CVS

I am giving a few sets to my dil to use on the children's table.  I had given her 4 of the Holiday by Lenox Children's sets, but they don't make them anymore, and this year there were 8 kids!  This will be perfect, and they can use them for everyday meals during the Cmas season.

DH cooked us a nice dinner, and I will be back in bed before long!
I hope 2012 is a good year for everyone, good health, and happiness!
I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday
CJ ,of In and Out My Nest, for her first ever meme, R and R Weekend Party

No Grinches Allowed~Roast Beast for a Crowd

I hope all of you had wonderful celebrations !  You know when your children grow and and get married, there are so many compromises to be made for the holidays. Time has to be shared between both families.
So the holidays can be very stressful for many.  I miss the days of spending Christmas with my sisters and their families, we don't get to spend any holidays together.

My son and his dear wife host Christmas, and it is a labor of love!  They have 4 little ones , so it takes a lot to have the house looking beautiful and entertain for so many!
The ceramic tree I made for my mom so long ago  gets displayed, which I do appreciate!

The table is set beautifully! Edited to add, son, set the table, that was his job growing up!

Lenox Tartan cloth and napkins, Waterford platinum stems.


Not a detail left out!

Many appetizers including dh's antipasto platter.

We also had shrimp cocktail, beef wellington bundles, sweet and sour pork bites*, cheese and vegetable  platters and more.
The first course was stuffed baked clams*.
Main was Filet Mignon, Shrimp Francese*, Stuffed lobster tails, twice baked potatoes, carmelized onions*, sauteed mushrooms in wine sauce*. Spinach casserole topped with onion rings*, glazed carrots*, roasted asparagus and assorted breads.  Items with a * were my contributions.

The children ate in the kitchen, 8 of them, and then it became the dessert buffet. If you look closely at the snowflake on the door, one of the grandboys added Spiderman! :)

My Yule log, dh's rugelach, and in the bowed silver  bowl, I made death by chocolate with homemade peppermint bark as the candy between the layers.
There was also blueberry pie, red velvet cake, chocolate cream pie and cookies.  Oh so much food!
  The tree was beautiful!
It was a lovely day, and we thanked God for our many blessings, and look forward to the ever expanding family.

The only negative was that my Kdgn grandson had to be taken to the ER  after everyone left, as he had an allergic reaction to something, so they were there till 4am!  He was given a shot and was much better Monday morning.

Never a dull moment!

Oh, and a wonderful bag of goodies was left there for me by Alma, The Tablescaper.  Pictures of that next time!
I hope you were surrounded by those you love this Christmas!
I am joining  Marty 's Tabletop Tuesday .
Susan for Tablescape Thursday
Gollum for Foodie Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday

We don't take our Christmas decorations down till Three Kings Day, Jan 6.  I can't imagine not enjoying them this Christmas week into the  New Year holiday.  That's what we have always done, and I don't know anyone personally, who takes the decos down right away!  But since I started blogging, I have learned others do!

Peace on Earth! And some Yule Log too!

Warmest wishes to all of you for a very blessed holiday season.  Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are surrounded by family or friends .

My kitchen tree sits amongst the clutter of the marathon cooking and baking.

  A little rolling pin given to me by my friend Ellen in 1994.  Do you write the dates or names on ornies to remind you ?

I upgraded to a 3 ft prelit tree this year, as I had so many cute kitchen ornaments.

Here is a little baking mold amongst the copper pans and gingerbread.

My first ever attempt at a Yule Log.  I am not French, have no French roots, so a Yule Log it is, with Irish roots!  :)

I filled it with cream cheese icing and cherries.  I can't cut it as it is for tomorrow, so I will try to get a shot of it when we eat it.

Some rugalach with a cup of coffee will help get me through the rest of the many things left to do.  We don't celebrate till tomorrow, thank goodness.  I have been cooking for days.

I am working on a table starring these...

I'll set a place for you , come back for dinner during this holiday week of celebrations!

My very best wishes to all of you!  Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays!

Watching the gkids Christmas Concert always fills the heart with the spirit of the season.  My Kdgn gson was so excited to be in his first concert!

Joy to the World!

 

 

Thanks so much for sharing your time with me!

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Hope you get a BOOT out of This~Lunch with Santa

If you have been good, Santa wants to dine with you!

I got these cute placemats at the Pottery Barn Outlet a few years ago on sale.  He holds a plaid napkin.

Santa hat platters are also from there.  I have a smaller version too.


Santa's chair is marked with a cotton apron, .99, from that closeout place I talked about in my last post, Mace's.

A bright red ceramic boot that I made in the "olden" days is filled with fresh greens from my yard, and a plaid package garland.

A shiny black bowl  to match Santa's belt, by Aroroc, is topped with a red crock from Cost Plus.  The bowls were from Cmas Tree Shop, and .50 cents.

Treble clef flatware from BBB, clearance and then less 20% was a real deal.  The black mugs are by Nautica, and I got them in the clearance store of Pfaltzgraf for .26, seriously!  Good thing that place closed before I started blogging, or I would be on an episode of the Hoarders!


Christmas Ornament salt and peppers, I forget where I got them.
So pull up a chair and tell Santa what you want him to bring, he is all ears!
For the Food portion tonight I flash back to dh's Rugelach.  Tis the season to break out the cream cheese and make these tender morsels that melt in your mouth!


You can see the recipe and directions here!
It is hard to have just one!
Next week I will celebrate my 3 year blogaversary .   It was Dec.3rd, but I have been busy!  Come back for a chance at a gift card.
I am joining:
Susan for Tablescape Thursday
Gollum for Foodie Friday
Diann for Thrifty things Friday
Beverly for Pink Saturday.
Thank you for taking time out of your holiday preparations to visit!

CRAFTS from the Past~Nuts for Christmas

While digging through the Christmas bins, I came across some oldies but goodies.  I talked about the pine cone baskets and wreaths in my last post.

Some of you are old enough to remember the ceramics craze of the 70's.  As a  working young mother, I looked forward to one night a week to go to my friend Gail's house and socialize with other gals while working on our masterpieces.  :)
The Christmas Tree napkin holders still live as does the lighted tree and leaf dishes in the Lenox style.  Still put them out! My sister still uses the Holly Bowl I made her so many years ago,
Then the embroidery hoop wreaths...anyone still have them?  I have lots of hoops left over.

How about the fabric wreaths with eyelet and ball fringe.  Everyone I knew got one as a gift!  Minimal sewing skills needed.

My friend made me this stuffed tree.  I couldn't get rid of it, I washed it and it was good as new.  It's great for the tiny grandkids to play with, they can't break it!

So my bins are teeming with blasts or crafts from the past, but I can't bear to discard them.   I look at them, then put them back in to decide another day!
I took my camera down to the basement to take their pic, and then back they went!
Two years ago I thought I would make a tons of these napkins you fold to look like trees.



I was going to buy fabric after Christmas cheap, and while away the winter creating them for gifts.  It never happened!
What Christmas  craft craze do you remember?  This year I see a lot of the wide mesh fabric wreaths.  I bought some, but haven't tried it yet
Saturday we were invited to a Mass and dinner in a friend's home , and she requested shortbread cookies.
I made them in the gingerbread man shape, some even had a heart.


Then I used the Nut Molds from King Arthur I talked about before Tgiving. 

You press the dough into them, then put them together with a filling.  I used chocolate or apricot.
My friend Marigene, at In The Middle of Nowhere thinks they are a pain, but I guess I am easily entertained! :)


I used the shortbread recipe for them too.
The one I use is from an old cookbook, Ina's is pretty much the same.
They are melt in your mouth good!
Finally, one my favorite tables.  I still haven't come to the bin with that pretty tablecloth!



Hope your holiday preparations are going well.  Trying to Simplify this year.  :)
Thanks for visiting,.
I am joining Marty for Tabletop Tuesday.
Natasha's Christmas Linky Party