Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season

Coincidences and Funny Photos

I asked my son to snap a photo of me and my hubby before we headed out the door to the party. So he did and it wasn't until after we got home that I saw how funny the snapshot was.
See the painting - hanging over our heads.

I guess history does repeat itself.

Fancy Food and Holiday Festivities

The party started with clam chowder and a wonderful salad.

Then there was the Portobello Wellington

And then there was the steelhead with leeks and shallots oh, and of course, there had to be kale ;D

I ate too much but had a lot of fun

Shark Attack

It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up at the Christmas Party and I especially loved seeing all the fancy shoes and the ones that were really out there.

Like these shark shoes:

How much fun is that?

And I thought I was going wild by painting my gold...

DIY Shoe Coloration

I haven't worn HIGH heels since I was 21 because after that I got pregnant and I was never crazy enough to try lugging a 10 pound baby around while wearing heels. And it just got to be a way of life, with three little kids.

But now that the kids are all grown up and I was going to a company Christmas party, I thought...I could get a pair of heels.

So I did.

But I wanted them to have a golden underside and I couldn't find any in my price range. So, I thought, I can do that.

I simply went to the craft store and bought some acrylic paint.

And then I went to work...

It took a couple of coats. But...

Wah-Lah!!! It worked.

And the paint lasted well, even better than my feet and ankles in these pretty heels.

From Tablecloth to Christmas Outfit

I got this great deal on fabric at Joann Fabric right before Thanksgiving and I made a quick tablecloth and some napkins (see above). But then Thanksgiving was over and I wanted something new to wear to the holiday Christmas party so I went shopping but I couldn't find anything I wanted. But I was inspired...

I thought I'll take my tablecloth and turn that beautiful gold fabric into a dress but my friend said, "gold lame' should only come in small doses." So I thought, "okay, how 'bout a shirt?"

She laughed but after work I pulled out the tablecloth and laid it out on the floor. Then I put a tank top over it to use like a pattern and started cutting.

And then I started sewing.

 And about an hour after I started, Wah-Lah! I had a new Christmas shirt to wear to the party.

But I thought . . . what about an accessory? I mean, after all, I had a ton of fabric left. So, I thought maybe something to hold back this wild head of hair.

And it sure was fun making something out of a tablecloth :D

December 10th

Only 15 more days 'til Christmas. Wow! I haven't finished all the projects I'd been planning to have done by Thanksgiving.

I guess I'd better pull out the cards, wrapping and do a little more shopping.

I thought I'd have scarves knitted, hats wrapped and yummy foodstuffs stocked all around the house. But, somehow the time slipped by and I haven't finished all those projects I have in the hopper.

So, it's going to be a busy weekend. As the countdown begins...

Peppermint Popcorn - an EZ holiday treat

This is an easy way to make a tasty treat you can give as a gift.

INGREDIENTS:

Freshly popped popcorn (6-8 cups)
1 package of white chocolate (can be chips or candy)
4 large peppermint candy canes

 OPTIONAL:
Salt (just a few pinches)

TOOLS:

Baggies
Wax Paper
metal bowl
Pyrex dish (for melting chocolate)
Containers

PROCEDURES:

Pop your corn and set aside while you melt your white chocolate.
Pour the white chocolate over the popped corn.
Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over your popped corn.
Break your candy canes by putting them in a large baggie and then smashing them with a can of corn or some other vegetable. Sprinkle your crunched candy canes over the top of your popped corn and stir all together.

Line your containers with waxed paper and fill with the Peppermint Popcorn.

Tah-Dah, you're done!

Wonderful gift and so yummilicious.

Mead v. Glӧgg

Some people think they are the same thing. But...they are definitely not.

I love Glӧgg probably because I love sweet drinks and fruity wines but I am definitely not a beer drinker. And Mead is more of a beer-type drink while Glӧgg is a sweet wine drink.


Mead is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water and it can have other ingredients like fruits, spices, grains and hops, where the hops create a bitter beer flavor.

The main ingredient in mead is honey that has been fermented and can be carbonated, sparkling, dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. 

<sup>While Glӧgg is always sweet and is made with wine. 

These are very different types of beverages and just because you like one doesn't mean you'll like the other.</sup> 

Tasty Tuesday - Danish Glögg

Every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I have to make an old traditional drink:

Danish Glӧgg and here's how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 Jug of red wine (Sangria is what I use)
1-2 apples sliced
1-2 oranges sliced
4 cinnamon sticks
1 can of frozen orange juice
1 can of frozen apple juice

Optional:

(1/8 cup) Cardamom seeds
(2 slices of fresh) ginger
1 cup of raisins (soaked in rum)
cloves (1/8 cup)





(Tie spices and fruit up in cheesecloth)

Here's how I make mine:

First I pour the wine in pot and seep the spices on low heat for a couple of hours.

The entire house will benefit from the warm spicy scent and then I pull out the spice bag and serve the "spiced wine" or Danish Glӧgg in ceramic mugs with a fresh cinnamon stick for stirring.

Cheers!

(And when you're finished with the "spice bag" you can empty the contents in a bowl and have the ingredients serve as a holiday potpourri.)

Hope you all had a Happy and Healthy Holiday

It was a holiday filled with movies, musicals and memories and way too much food. We couldn't just have one turkey - we had to have two. A chocolate one and a poultry version.

At least we started out the day by running in the Portland Turkey Trot at the Zoo.


Then we went home and had an early "dinner" and ran out to watch Mocking Jay the third Hunger Games movie.

The next morning was filled with shopping and going to see the musical production of Bat Boy at the Funhouse Lounge.

Saturday Lars worked on the floor in the chibrary, which isn't easy because he's trying to match up old wood from flooring in the house from 1890 (almost 125 year old wood), but I think it's looking pretty. This spot used to only have plywood flooring because it was behind the chimney in the attic.

and it flew by and Sunday was a blur.

How was your holiday?