Doily Cookies~Blueberry Abelskivers~ Chocolate Hearts ~Kitchen Time

I have wanted to try these for a while.  All the snow storms gave me the opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen!

Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe, and chill the dough at least 3 hours.
Roll it out, sprinkle with flour and place a crocheted doily over the top and roll.  Gently lift the doily out, and cut.  Chill thoroughly again, I put the tray outside as it is below freezing, and then gently lift the cookies off to place on your baking sheet. (You can google doily cookies for many versions.)




Some chocolate goodies perhaps?


The doilies were made by my friend’s mom, Mary.  She passed a few years ago in her 90’s, and a true sweetheart.

5 Sweet hearts for my dil and son’s 5 SWEETHEARTS, my gkids.
Chocolate cake dipped in melted chocolate.


I didn’t forget the Mister, Blueberry abelskivers…They are filled with blueberry filling.



Fresh Blueberry Hemade muffins, no typo, HE made them!  0)
Last night I made Southern Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus.



SFC is a once in a blue moon treat here, and a little shredded cheddar on top of the mashed potatoes in place of adding butter is also a treat. (My friend Gail sent me the place mats and napkins a few years ago, and she made the napkin holders.)  She just sent me another treat which I will share with you soon!
Hope you all have a pleasant ♥ Day, treat yourself!


Don’t forget the 6th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl on Mar. 12th.  All are welcome, just share something to celebrate the day!
Thanks for stopping by!
I am joining Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Hearts & Flowers~Pfaltzgraff Pink Filigree & My WS Bargain

Hello Ladies, I hope you are all well!  I am enjoying my blog break or NOggin as Debbie at Words on Wheels calls it!  She is so funny, if you haven’t been to her blog, do stop over!
Anyway, I wanted to join in Laurie’s Valentine Party, I have never missed it.  It is open to everyone, and I know you would feel very welcome there!

The story of these Pfaltzgraff Pink Filigree plates is interesting, well, to me anyway. 0)
There was a very good sale , free shipping and a mrrebates % back also.  I don’t have pink dishes, and wanted some to play with.  Alma, The Tablescaper, did too.  We combined our order to qualify for the free shipping, but since she ordered a lot more than I did, I sent it to her house.  Guess what!  She didn’t like the color and sent her service for 12 of pink and blue back! 
I thought it was ok, not a true pink, but it would do!
It is more a dusty rose color, and I had this fabric from when I made drapes for my dining room.
  It is a chintz or polished cotton, Schumacher I believe. (I bought a whole bolt of it when Fabric Bonanza was going out of business.  It was over 25 dollars a yard, but deeply discounted if I took the whole roll.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it, we were in the process of building this house, so I figured I could use it somewhere!)

I used my mirrored chargers, by Jay via Overstock.com, the Pfaltzgraff plates, and the lace edged plates are from Christmas Tree Shops.

The lace edged linen napkins as well as the flatware is from Horchow. 
Silver napkin rings with a pink candy kiss…napkin rings were obtained by saving LandO’Lakes butter coupons years ago!

Pink glassware is by Gorham, via Lenox Outlet.  Candlesticks are by Mikassa, and the love bird s & p are from Pier One.
I made the centerpiece with a bunch of mini carns from the supermarket in a silver compote from Savers.  Slim pickings on the flowers, so much snow and ice they are not getting their deliveries.
I would have like to fill it in the way I usually do with pachysandra from the garden but it is under a foot of snow turned to ice, so that was a NO!


A few weeks ago during a break in the Polar Vortex, I escaped to WSonoma Outlet.  They were having a big sale.



It is a 3 jar stacking thingamajig. 

Now you KNOW I wouldn’t pay that, not even close.  I got it for $10.00.  A lady on line had 6 of them, she was Christmas shopping for next year.  I guess it will be good to fill with grass and Easter candy too!
Foodie Friday party had a Secret Ingredient theme.  It was dark chocolate.  I think my jar qualifies, but just in case I’ll share this.


Chocolate chocolate chip cake, EN ROSED with fresh whipped cream.

This is the pan I used.  Cute.
I want to remind you about the 6TH Annual St. Patrick’s Day BLOG CRAWL on March 12th.  Please join me in celebrating  with a post featuring anything to do with the WEARIN’ of the GREEN.  It doesn’t have to be a tablescape, anything that would add to the celebration!
Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon!
Tablescape Thurs.
Inspiration Party at City Farmhouse,     Style Sistershttp://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/
I am joining Laurie at Bargain Hunting with Laurie for her Valentine Party.
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday
Rattlebridge Farm for The Secret Ingredient Club.

Happy 2014~Let’s Dish

Good evening, Ladies, hope the first day of the new year was a good one!
Mine was excellent!  I met Alma after Mass for Brunch, gift exchange and a trip to Pier One.  We had a great time.  I am sorry I am late, but we were having such a good time catching up!
It was dark by the time I got home, so the pictures are suffering.

This was my inspiration for my little table, an adorable Baby New Year sitting on a box. I got them at FactoryDirectCrafts.com, the Irish Santas in last week’s table were from there too.  (20% off your order for a few more days)

The box has a harlequin and antique gold pattern, so I thought I would test your eyes with the patterned cloth I made from Duralee fabric.


To give your eyes a break, I used a black placemat with a bead around the edge from West Elm outlet.  The plates are from HG.

Flatware is from Horchow and the little white butter domes are from Cmas Tree hop.

Not black tie, but a gold ribbon tied bow tie fashion on a black cotton napkin.

A black footed ribbed glass for our beverage.
The centerpiece is a white cut work compote from CTS filled with greens, baby’s breath, gold filigree spheres and a gold candle and bow.
The Baby sits in a gold ramekin from World Market.

The box says Happy New Year inside, and that is what I truly wish for all of you!  May 2014 be kind to all of us!
I am going to take a Blog Break, hope to be back for Laurie’s (Bargain Hunting with Laurie) Valentine’s Party!  There will definitely be the 6th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl in March, so start thinking green.
Same rules for Let’s Dish.  No word id, a link back to this party, blog name first .  Please be sure to visit at least 5 other entries if you link up.
Thanks so much for your visit!  See you in a bit!
I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday, Diann for Thrifty Things Friday
 

Nordic Trees Pan~Seasonal Sunday

Pullllease, don’t mention it if you have already taken down your tree!  I never knew  anyone did that  till I started blogging.  But I never knew anyone had guests on Christmas Eve either.  I guess everyone has their own customs.

I can’t imagine having to do that.  I feel like I just got the decorations up.  We always kept ours up till the Epiphany.

Maybe it is a regional thing, but New Years Day there are many open houses and people like to see the trees and decorations.  What is the rush, unless you have a live tree that has been up too long and is bald?  Or maybe if you are headed South for the winter.

I dread the thought of the hours and hours of work taking it all down.  Then everything looks so bare.

We will be here, so not till the Three Kings arrive will the decorations be leaving! 

We always refer to this as Christmas week, lots of visiting and entertaining, and of course, some happy returns!

I haven’t gotten out yet, but I have a few bags that have to go back.

My friend Gail gifted me with the Nordic Pan. I know, all of you want to be Gail’s friend! 

I like that it can be used all winter, which here in NY lasts till March.  I think that is another reason we hold on to the Christmas lights, it brightens the dark, cold nights.

Here’s what the cake looks like on the label.

It has chocolate on the bottom, and white on the top.

Here’s mine.

The inside…

I had to make 2 recipes , a chocolate cake and a vanilla pound cake. I use Ina Garten’s with a few additions.

That was too much for the pan, so I made this.

This came to 1.59 with Gail’s 20% off coupon from Snip Snap.com at Christmas Tree.

It is a good weight, I think it will last for many years.

I poured the light in first, then swirled the chocolate through it.

I haven’t cut it yet though.

I think the tree pan will be used a lot  this winter. (It came from Christmas Tree Shop, great prices on Nordic pans!)

  A simple dusting of confectionery sugar on a very moist pound cake is all you need.  Yes, of course, a scoop of ice cream couldn’t hurt!

Please join me this week for Let’s Dish.  You can still link up your Christmas table, I left the link open  as the next Let’s Dish is for New Years or non Christmas tables.  You can link a second on to that link if you have another Christmas table, that way we will keep all the Christmas together.

Hope you are enjoying Christmas week, relaxing and enjoying your Christmas lights!

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

If you missed last week’s Let’s Dish, stop over and see some beautiful tables. There are some good ideas for New Year’s too!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Let’s DIsh Christmas Edition~Irish You a Merry Christmas!

Nollaig shona dhuit! (Happy Christmas!/Merry Christmas!)
Pronounce it something like /Null-eg hunna ghwitch/

I knew you would want to know that, LOL!

Only a day left before Christmas!  I wanted to do an Irish Christmas table.



I started with a cream colored cloth as the dishes are not a true white.

I used my faux Belleek, the ones I got at Christmas Tree Shop.  A green glass charger  by Gorham is underneath.



A dark green cotton napkin and a cream colored trimmed with green is tied with ribbon to look like a SHAMROCK.



An Irish Santa carrying a tiny lantern graces each plate. I got them from Factory Direct Crafts.com for less than a dollar.

Green stem by Gorham, and Waterford Lismore wine glass.



The centerpiece is a silver compote, filled with fresh greens, pine cones,  baby’s breath and green and silver ornaments.  I put a candle in the center.



Both sides of the centerpiece are flanked with Mikassa candlesticks.

  I took a block of oasis and pushed in over the top of the stick. The candlestick has a little lip to hold the oasis.   I cut it to fit, and then added fresh greens from the yard.

Be sure to soak your oasis first, overnight is best.  Weight it down.  Make sure you don’t get the foam for dried silk flowers, easy to make that mistake!






Our crackers are adorned with holly, an important symbol of an Irish Christmas.

When I was young, my mom would fashion wreaths of holly wrapped in ribbons for my 3 sisters and me to wear on our heads to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Thank goodness for bobby pins!

It wasn’t our tradition to have company on Christmas Eve, our celebration was Christmas Day.
  Our tree was put up on Christmas Eve, and not a day sooner.  The first time we saw it lit was Christmas morning!


The flatware is by Wallace, trimmed with gold.



We had a little “veranda” built out side the French Doors  when we replaced all the porch railing in the Spring.  I think I will put a tree up there next year! This year I just hung some lights.






My very own Irish Elf on a Shelf!

Wishing you all the joys and blessings of the season!  Merry Christmas!

Same rules to link up…ONE table related link, no word id, a link back to this party, blog name first, PLEASE!  Visit at least 5, and please leave a comment!

I will leave the link open until Monday  this week so you can share your Christmas tables.

Next Wed. is Jan 1, New Year’s, so please show something NEW... New Yearsy, but not Christmas. lol!  If you have a Christmas table to show, please link it to this post,and  look back tables too. 

Thanks for your visits and comments, they are very appreciated.
I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday .

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays