Silver and Gold Snowflakes for New Year's Eve

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Thanks Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursday every week!

Here is my New Year's Eve Table decked out in silver, gold and snowflakes. If the pictures are cut off to the right, you may click on them to see the full view.









I have put on my gold tablecloth and used a beaded snowflake runner I got at Target for 50% off. I used my gold ornament tree and hung silver and gold glitter ornaments and some New Year's hats and saucer champagne ornaments from KMart (also 50% off). I used both gold and silver chargers and my snowflake plates that I got from Cracker Barrel last year. I have my water goblets with the silver and Greek Key trim and some saucer champagne glasses. I used ivory napkins with silver snowflake napkin rings. Between the plates and the chargers I used large plastic snowflakes from the Dollar Store. I saw these used by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer last year, so when I saw them this year I grabbed them ! Thanks Susan for a great idea!



Here is a close up of the centerpiece:



I love these ornaments!









Happy New Year to all! :D Jewel

Christmas Food Traditions

Thank you Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!


For this LATE Christmas Foodie Post, I want to share two Christmas Food Traditions with you. The first is Rum Cake.



My mother made this when I was young and I have kept this tradition going with my family.

The recipe is from the Bicardi Rum Company but I make it with light rum instead of dark rum as they suggest.

Rum Cake:

cake
1 box yellow cake mix (not butter recipe or pudding in the mix) I prefer Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow Cake
1 3 1/2 oz. box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum
4 eggs

glaze
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large Bundt cake pan. Do not just use PAM or the cake will stick.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the cake ingredient. Mix with hand or stand mixer on medium for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 45 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.

As soon as cake comes out of the oven, combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.

The standard recipe calls for turning the cake out onto a platter with a lip, poking holes in it with a fork and slowly pouring the glaze over the top of the cake. BUT here is how my mother taught me to do it: Just slowly pour the glaze on the cake in the Bundt pan while still warm. Let it soak in for a bit and then turn it out onto a cake plate or platter.

This cake is very moist and is even better the next day.



The next food tradition is our Christmas morning quiche.




I don't really have a recipe for this.

I use a Pillsbury pie crusts and unroll it into the quiche pan and blind bake it for about 10 mins at 325 degrees.

I spread a bit of Dijon mustard over the partially baked pie crust and spread a pound of sausage, cooked and drained over this. Then I add shredded cheese (whatever we have in the refrigerator) all over the top. Then I beat 4 eggs with some milk, salt and pepper and pour this over the sausage and cheese.

For a festive Christmas touch I add red and green bell peppers (which my daughters usually pick out as they eat!)




Thanks Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday!

I hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Tablescape

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Here is my Christmas tablescape! I don't have time to reduce my pictures so they are all cut off. Click the photo for a full view.







Centerpiece:



My china is Christmas Tree Grove by Spode.



Dining Room Mantle





Various serving pieces on the buffets:





My teacart full of snowmen:



Sorry not much time to type, but it is a busy season and day!

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends! :D Jewel

Deck the Halls

I have been so busy I have been taking an unexpected blog break! I do want to share some Christmas decor with all of you though!

Susan at thoughtsfromovertherainbow is hosting Deck the Halls, so make sure you visit her blog and see all the Decking going on.



It has been so grey and rainy lately I haven't taken a lot of pictures. But here are some pictures from Christmas Past.

The pictures are cut off, so click on them to see the whole room.

Here is my foyer:


One of my Christmas teasets - possibly my favorite:





The Billiards Room



The Library



Parlor





Our Sunroom becomes the Town of Bethlehem





I will save my dining room for Tablescape Thursday, but in the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this tour of my home!

Foodie Friday - Turkeys

Thank you Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!


Today, I want to talk Turkey, but not the kind you are thinking! I not only have lots of ceramic turkeys that I decorate with in the fall, I like to decorate foods to look like turkeys!

Here are two examples:

Turkey Cheese Ball

I got this idea from a magazine decades ago, but made it my own way with port wine cheese and crackers that were easily found.

Here is a picture



and here is my recipe Turkey Cheese Ball.

Here is a very easy Turkey Cake that I also got the idea from a magazine, but completely changed. The key to this cake is finding the Stella D'Oro breakfast cookies. I found them in Rite Aid of all places!!!!

Here is the platter I made the cake on



I used a Triple Chocolate Cake from Sam's Club and added round cookies to fill in the hole in the middle.



Then I added the cookies and candies to make the "turkey."



Here is the recipe No Bake Turkey Cake .

I hope this has inspired you to cook some turkey shaped treats of your own! :D Jewel

Tablescape Thursday - Turkey Time!

t's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



I decided to use my Spode Woodland Turkey China in a different tablesetting this week. I got this green tablecloth at Bed, Bath & Beyond and the bronze napkins on clearace at WalMart. The goblets (which I use for all seasons) were a gift from my girls Christmas 2007. I kept the alligator texture chargers and the turkey flatware holders for my touch of whimsy. Instead of the turkey centerpiece I had used since September, I put out a large cornucopia (thank goodness for spell check or it would have had to be a horn of plenty) filled with gourds and fruit.

Here is my latest fall table:




As you can see I have both the dinner and salad plates.


A close-up of the centerpiece:


Notice the arrangement on the little cabinet. I did this with a grocery store bouquet and leaves from my yard.





Now the tables I have shared with you on this blog have only shown my Spode Woodland Turkey plates. I do have a set of "everyday" turkey dinner plates from Churchill China that we use from September through November.



Then I have these salad plates by Johnson Bros. "Autumn Monarch"



And I have a Johnson Bros. Deviled Egg Plate "His Majesty"



With all these turkey plates, I know you are asking, "Which will she use for the actual Thanksgiving dinner meal?" Well, wouldn't you know, we have a family reunion on Thanksgiving every year, so I don't have an official Thanksgiving meal at my house! It is a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and tradition though. This year, as we have for many Thanksgivings, we are going to my cousin's Celebrity Goat Dairy, which has not only goat and a cheese dairy, but a bed and breakfast and inn. It is absolutely wonderful and all of us can't wait!

So from my old Victorian, I am wishing all of you a Happy Turkey Tablescape Thursday! :D Jewel