St Patrick's Day

We come by our Irish ancestory honestly. One part of our family descending from the Northern parts of Ireland~specifically County Fermanagh. When our mom told us stories about her childhood...about family get togethers...watching older family members dancing the jig...and of the stature of her grandfather who was born in Ireland...her eyes danced with the memory. We think of her today...her love of all things Irish...the rich heritage that molded one segment of our family tree.

St Patrick's day began as a religious Catholic observance...it still is, however as with other religious holidays there is an element of whimsy attached and such is with this celebration too. We think of corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and Irish butter, the shramrock, wearing green, green Irish beer and whiskey, parades and frivolty. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

La Fheile Padraig Sona Duit!

Pardon me for a moment...a little business for the family members who read here...you know who you are! 

As our mom remebered her grandfather's imprint on her life to us, so we remember ours as well. He is pictured with his rather large family above. (his father pictured above- our mom to the left) He was a man unlike many we have ever met. Strong, noble, on the quiet side, intelligent, and very handsome....he farmed, served on the school board and raised some pretty amazing kids who gained a bit of notoriety in their time. We did not  know him long...but the little we did still remains as an influence today. His life was more than the luck of the Irish!

I Heart Tea

Why not try making your own heart teas to give for Valentine's Day. We used coffee filters~double stacked them~cut out heart shapes with pinking shears~used double thread of embroidery floss to sew around the edges (start in the top center) and stop about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Fill with 1 serving loose tea~continue stitching up~leave the tails long~glue a saying or heart to the end~see above sample.

Getting to the heart of the matter!

Side view

Do something good for others and yourself, invite a friend to tea and a "chic-flick" movie.

Sprinkle the sugar with colored nonpareils. Delighting in good conversation is a gift you can give a friend. 

Bespoke Country House Parties

Sophie Conran is a member of the most talented Conran Family. Terence Conran is her father and Jasper is her brother. Sophie met up with Steven Collins who owns Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswold's and came up with the most amazing concept for holidays and vacations. A bespoke country party! Part of the charm of staying here is her connection with so many stellar florists, chefs, card makers and hat makers, etc. Her thought was why not teach classes to the guests. This is very unconventional and that's what makes this spot such a lovely place to stay at. Who wouldn't you want to be a guest here? Who wouldn't want to learn trout fishing or foraging for mushrooms, be hands on for a sumptuous dinner in a perfectly relaxing environment, learn a new skill and enjoy being with friends and/or family?

Sophie

Temple Guiting Manor

Dreamy...Idyllic...

Picturesque!

Now that you have seen what a gorgeous property this is...won't you be about booking a spot for you and a some very fortunate guests?

Christmas Breakfast

Misshapen, rustic, heavenly, Christmas Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls. These are worth the little bit of time it takes to make them. We only make these once a year at Christmas. It's just too hard to work off the extra pounds, it will be lots of veggies and clean eating beginning tomorrow! Beware these cinnamon rolls are really delicious with their light ethereal texture and cream cheese frosting. Just luscious!

Here's the recipe: (makes 2 round cake pans~ each pan serves 6-8)

The Dough Ingredients

2 packets active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each packet)

1/4 cup warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees)

1 1/2 cups warm evaporated milk

1 stick butter-or 1/2 cup, softened (you will need butter to grease the pans too)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

6 cups all purpose unbleached flour

To begin~

1. In a small bowl, place the warm water and 2 packets yeast. It will get foamy in a few minutes, meanwhile go on to the next step.

2. Put a 2 cup measuring full of water in the microwave and heat for 5 minutes. This is where your dough will rise.

3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, add the 3 eggs, warm evaporated milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until the ingredients are combined.

4. Add the foamy yeast scraping out all the bits that cling to the bowl.

5. Add the 6 cups flour. Mix for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

6. Scrape the very soft dough into a pre-oiled large bowl (use canola). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the pre-warmed microwave. Note: Do not turn the microwave on with the dough in it, this is just a warm place to allow the dough to rise.

**It will take 1 1/2 hours for the dough to rise.

7. Prep for next step. Make a cinnamon filling:

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 packed tablespoons brown sugar

1 stick softened butter

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

canola oil

1. Spread 3 tablespoons canola oil over the inside surface of a jelly roll/cookie sheet with edges.

2. Punch down the risen dough, and place 1/2 of the dough on the oiled cookie sheet.

3. Using your finger tips, press the dough over the surface of the pan, like you would pizza dough. It will relax and hold it's shape as you go. (the very edges may pull in, that's okay)

4. When the dough is pressed over the surface of the pan, then spread the surface with 2-3 tablespoons very soft butter.

5. Sprinkle the buttered dough with cinnamon sugar.

6. Beginning at the bottom corner of the dough lengthwise, gently roll the dough~go from one side across and continue moving up until you have a long roll.

7. Gently cut into 2 inch pieces with a sharp knife.

8. Place in buttered cake pans, I use high sided 9 inch cake pans.

9. Cover with plastic and begin the rising process same as before in the microwave.

In one hour, pre-heat your over to 350 degrees. Your cinnamon rolls will be ready to bake, remove the plastic and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven to cool!

Cream Cheese Frosting.

6 tablespoons butter, softened room temperature butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 small 3 ounce cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk ~ you may need more or less

To begin:

Place all the above ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or mixer. Combine until creamy. Spread over the top of the warm cinnamon rolls.

Serve

Pops of Red

This tree is packed and really packed with ornaments. It was overkill, we just couldn't stop.

Whimsy in the form of snowmen capture a nostalgic feeling.

Tons and tons of icicles play well against deep, intense red.

Letting ribbon unfurl as it will creates a more interesting texture on the tree.

The colors on this tree play out with an old English feel. Ivy is tucked here and there. French reindeer and Santa's intermingle.

This is our first Christmas without Pippi. He will be missed and we just wanted to remember him and the fabulous little man that he was~he brought so much joy into our lives.

Plaid, Plaid, Plaid for Christmas

There is something comfortable and familiar with plaid. Plaid is a bit agey and old, but it can surface as fresh and modern

Plaid can be done in fresh and new ways. It fits perfectly into the holiday season. Torn strips of plaid fabric can wrap a package covered in brown butcher wrap or go to the ball as a gown or maybe a kilt????

Don't you agree~plaid, whether subtle or all encompassing~an old friend done in a new way.

pictures from various sources found when searching under the title: plaid.

Christmas Tree Inspiration

Our tree is trimmed, but I love, love, love all the creativity that comes with Christmas. The Christmas tree has infinite possibilities....

Asian Inspired

The combination of silver, white and silvery blue ribbon is irresistible.

Feather trees are a great accent piece.

This is so delicate! Very pretty!

Richly colored. Elegant!

Utilitarian pieces mixed with discerning pieces of decor.

The vision of an old fashioned tree in a simple galvanized bucket. Simple, retro, still a favorite.

(all trees from Martha Stewart)

Building a Snowman

Wintery~Snowy~Glittery~Snowman

We built this snowman for a client. It consists of a chicken wire base built over a sturdy wooden base, layers and layers of batting topped with crafting snow, lightly sprayed with glue and sprinkled with fake snow from Pottery Barn, followed by a layer of mica we found at Roger's Gardens, and then a sugery layer of snow glitter we found at Michaels. We decorated it with a scarf made from an old sweater, a stove-pipe hat made from felt, and a snowman face kit found at Restoration Hardware. We gave him some rosey cheeks by using a pinky-red blush. He is a charmer!

Christmas decor brings out the child in us.

A forest of snow covered trees with pops of red Cardinals here and there.

~Whimsy and joyous holiday decorating to you and all your household~

Sugar Cookies

Every single Christmas for all of our life, we have had a batch of these cookies. They go back generations and generations, rooted in our German ancestry. Grandma Mathilda made them for me, and her mother made them for her and my mom made them for our children and so on. My Grandma was an amazing cook, a real Renaissance woman~she made just about everything whether to eat or wear or adorn a home. Every year at Christmas time a big box would arrive from the post office. All of the contents would be packed in popped popcorn. There were these sugar cookies, fudge, penuche, divinity, something gingery, etc. A real eye-popping assortment. Now mind you I struggled to do 2 batches over the weekend and I was exhausted. How did grandma do it??? I was in a hurry to get these off to siblings who live a distance, otherwise it works best to cut out and bake these cookies over a weekend, freeze them, and frost the following weekend.

~The finished product~

~The Sugar Fairy would surely approve~

~Some of the items you will need~

~German Sugar Cookies~

1/2 Cup vegetable shortening (we found some trans fat free at Whole Foods)

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon real vanilla

{we don't add this, but Grandma Mathilda did~ 1 1/2 teaspoons anise seed}

To Begin:

In a large mixer bowl, add the vegetable shortening, butter, and sugar- beat until creamy. Add the eggs and continue beating until well combined. Add the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix just until it comes together~and is fully mixed. Don't overdo it. Cut in half and form into a disk. This is a soft dough. It is meant to be rolled out with lots of flour. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to get cold. (1/2 to 1 hour)

To roll out:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need 2 cookie sheets, something to line the sheets with,i.e. parchment, silpat, etc., a flat surface to roll cookies out on, flour, cookie cutters, rolling pin spatula, bench scraper and pot holders.

Add some flour to the surface you are rolling your cookies out on. Cut 1/2 of the disk off. Lay the dough on the floured surface and flip it over so that both sides are floured. Flour your rolling pin. Roll the dough out 3/16 inch thick. Dip cookie cutters in flour and cut out shapes and transfer them to your prepared cookie sheets. Leave about one inch space between cookies. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Make sure your rack is centered in your oven.

Remove baked cookies from oven and place aside to cool. Meanwhile, have your next batch ready to go into the oven.

How did Grandma do this with a wood burning stove??

Have all your baked cookies ready, a spreader spatula, cookie sprinkles and bits and goodies, food coloring. We collect all sorts of sugars, sprinkles, non pariels, silver and pearl balls, etc., not to mention all the cookie cutters we have collected old and new. This year we found some gorg silver and gold sprinkles at Williams Sonoma. They really dress up the cookies.

To Frost:

(Grandma used 7 minute icing) Mine is a lot easier!

1 box powdered sugar (1 pound)

3 tablespoons meringue powder (See pictured above. Purchase at Joann's or Michael's in the bakery section)

6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed). Working quickly, place some of the frosting in small bowls to color or keep white. Frost and sprinkle each cookie as you go. Teamwork is best, grab some extra hands. Let the cookies dry a couple of hours and then package them up.

A few of our tree cookie cutters were used here.

~pearl sprinkles and snowy sprinkles~

Silver sprinkles and agey blue frosting, Tiffany blue with matching sugar and peachy-pink stars.

The packages of cookies are in the mail, going to some special homes. These cookies are even better after a few days, they taste like Christmas to us.

Thanksgiving Menu

Herb Buttered Roasted Free Range Heritage Turkey

French Chestnut Heirloom Stuffing (the basic part of this recipe goes back many generations in the south)

Buttermilk Chive Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Turkey Gravy

Triple Cranberry Conserve

Roasted Vegetable Platter

(Heirloom Carrots & Thyme, Haricot Vert with Smoky Niman Ranch Bacon, Baby Broccoli with Red Bell Pepper, Leaves of Brussels Sprouts with Date Vinaigrette)

Classic Maple-Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallow Topping

1950's Scalloped Corn (been a part of our families Thanksgiving since we were little)

Homemade Yeasty Dinner Rolls with Creamery Butter

Dessert

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Warm Apple, Pear, Cranberry Crisp and Vanilla Ice Cream

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping & Gingersnap Crust

Jen's Famous Cookies

Our Thanksgiving will be an all day affair. We are taking some time at noon to deliver food to a local church that is feeding those in the community most affected by the economic downturn. Then back home to serve our meal. We eat and then we eat some of the leftovers later. We will be posting our recipes all week. Michael Symon, one of the Iron Chefs made a statement recently, he said, "I can teach you a recipe and you will have learned that recipe, but I can teach you technique and then you can make hundreds of recipes."

Our goal this week is to give you the techniques that will give you the results you need to ensure your efforts do not go un-rewarded. Let's face it, Thanksgiving is a labor of love, (even with the best laid plans) so let guests bring some of the side dishes or desserts, or buy some of it pre-made. Plan, write up your menu. Make a list of all the things you will need at the store and don't forget things like foil, or extra paper towels, etc. We even plan to have extra fresh bread on hand for turkey sandwiches later. Next clean out your fridge and food pantry. This way you will know what you have, what you need, and plenty of space to store the big items like the turkey. Tomorrow, we will pull out all our dishes, utensils, napkins and serving pieces and make sure they are refreshed and ready to go. When we hit next weekend, we just want to shop and get our home ready.

The best way to look at this ~ is to think of Thanksgiving conceptually. You are putting together all the parts that create a loving environment that allows our guests to reflect on the joys of being with family and friends, for the guests at our table to feel special and included; to look back on this past year and give thanks. Surround those you have in your home with a sense of appreciation. It is an honor to create all of the components that allow others to walk into our home and feel the warmth of togetherness and belonging.

Tomorrow we will post our French Chestnut Heirloom Stuffing Recipe.

Holiday Musings

click on the pictures to enlarge them and see all the little details.

We've settled on a centerpiece this year of large fall branches. A couple of days before Thanksgiving we'll go to our favorite spot and get some branches. All on the up-and-up mind you. They will get a good bath and then be placed in a large rustic vase. We're loving the woodland textures this year. One of our co-workers is lending us their small chainsaw. Some of the trees in our backyard will yield some nice pieces for our table that we will combine with some other French wood pieces we've collected. Now we just have to pull out our family's signature recipes and order our free-range, humanly treated turkey (I hope you can support those that really care about how humanly an animal is treated and not kept in small boxes and tiny pens. Animals were meant to roam and roast and have a normal life. We can so easily do away with the inhumane treatment so prevalent in the USA. We'll jump down off our soap box now). Yippee, Thanksgiving is almost here! Look for our special recipes here over the next couple of weeks.

Anthro holiday post

Trees made with green plastic twist ties and beige tissue paper are so charming. So much creativity and we love the organic quality to all of their visuals.