Putz House Christmas Display

One of my favorite Christmas decorations at my mother's house is her Putz village. (I have a thing for little villages.)

The original Putz houses were made from cardboard and clear plastic containers from things like cereal and crackers. Last winter I made myself a set. I made most of the ones you see above. They were time consuming and very precise, but I loved making them and I am thrilled with the display.

Crate and Barrel Christmas - Lovely Things

I love stuff from Crate and Barrel. Here are some things that are in the new holiday catalog that I think are lovely.

I had a dental crow put on and another one prepped with a temporary crown. I feel like I've been hit with enough tranquilizers to take down an elephant. I hate mouth pain. I was going to do a bit of sewing for the silent auction at school, but I am worried that in my pitiful state I might sew through my finger with the sewing machine. I decided to do things on the computer - no chance for bodily harm.

Glittery Goodness and Fun - A Glitter Tutorial

I love snowflakes. I used to try and find a few snowflake cookie cutter every year, but I have not found any new ones for a few years.

This year I was thrilled to find large wooden and wonderful ones at The Container Store. I knew they would bring me the same snowflake cookie decorating joy and I would not have to feed them to the squirrels at the end of the season. I purchased two sets and Wendy purchased three. That gave us enough for a lot of fun.

I love working with glitter. I prefer to work with Art System Glitter or Martha Stewart glitter. She has a lovely array of colors and types. I have regular and tinsel glitter. The tinsel glitter is a long, thin shape, as opposed to the usual hexigon. It has a very particular look - great for snowy effect.

Wendy had never done glitter projects. This gave me the idea that others might benefit from a glittering tutorial. Here's our process:

Pick your item to be glittered and decide if it needs and interesting colored background. Ellie and I painted ours white. I had not even considered other colors. However, I was very inspired by the base coats that Laura, Caroline and Wendy put on their snowflakes. It made me rethink my process.

I loved the tye dye effect on Laura's snowflake. Its subtle beauty does not show up very well here.


This was my favorite snowflake by Caroline. I love her unconstrained use of color.

It is important to prepare your area for effective use. I put down several layers of newspaper (with a preference for the "weekend magazine" type inserts since they are not too large and they feature a nice folded crease - great for pouring the glitter back into the bottles.) This protects your surface from glue and glitter. It also allows you to discard paper as it gathers too much glue or you need to change you color of glitter. The top layer is the waxed paper (cooking parchment works well, too.) I put a crease it in before laying it out. This is the nicest surface to work on. There are no images or boxes of distracting text, allowing you to focus on your designs.

We also set out all of the glitters we are going to use, as well as at least two bowls of water for cleaning the glue off of the brushes. Cupcake papers are a nice container for the glue. Sometimes we also pull out the rhinestones.


Apply the glue in a generous way. Ellie is painting on glue for a large area that will get one color of glitter. You can use the glue in a bottle or a small brush to apply more delicate lines of glitter. Stickles are a lovely way to apply fine lines of glitter without the glittery mess.


(image from gingerblue.com)




Next, you pour on the glitter. Don't worry about using too much. You will pour the unused glitter back into the bottle.




It is important to me to keep each of my glitter colors pure, so I switch to new paper/waxpaper with each glitter color change.

You don't have to wait for one color to dry before applying the next color, you just have to be careful to not put your fingers in the wet glue areas.

This snowflake features the oh-so-cool ombre technique. Martha Stewart has a great tutorial on how to do it. I begin with cupcake liners. I applied glue to the center and used white glitter. Then I mixed 1 TBL of white glitter and 1 tea. of purple glitter in a cupcake paper liner. I then applied glue and glitter to the next section. I repeated the process, adding 1 TBL while glitter and 2.5 tea. purple glitter, mixed and glued. I continued until I was using just purple glitter. I will add rhinestones to it soon. It is a fun and impressive technique.






Ellie's lovely creations -



This is an assortment made by both us us -




I also came across this great idea when I was looking for something else. I love the idea. It is from Jen Stewart, posted over at 2Peas in a Bucket.


Here's a nice site that has another glitter storage idea, complete with free label downloads and information about German Glass Glitter (very nice stuff, but not really little kid-friendly.)
Just Something Made blog also has a very nice tutorial on making amazing paper snowflakes here.

This Year We're Feelin' Blue for Christmas, and a Recipe

This year it is a Blue Christmas for us - all blue lights on the tree, blue skies with no snow (a bit off for me, I must say) and a chance to see the "Blue Man Group" perform. Red and green might be the official holiday colors, but I am diggin' blue this year.

One of the interesting things about living with teenagers is that you count on the fact that things will never stay the same. I'm liking what that means this year.
Last year Ellie urged me to put up as few holiday decorations as I could. They made her feel crowded and the house look messy, according to her.

This year it is a different tune. She was right at the front, pushing to decorate. She had a strong vision of what she wanted and I am happy to accommodate it. She had visions of a blue Christmas. Ellie wanted to have just blue and silver on our tree. I told her that we needed to have some of my favorite ornaments up, too. She agreed, hanging them towards the back. We love the blue LED lights. Larr says that he thinks they are too bright, but he puts up with them anyway.

Each December Mark and Lilia take Ethan and Ellie to do something special. This year they treated them to dinner at Cafe Paraiso for dinner and then to the theater to see the "Blue Man Group." Ethan declared that it was to coolest thing they've ever done together. He wants to go again next year. Heck, he'd be happy to see the same show again this year.





I had my own thing to do. I went to a friend's birthday party and had a lot of fun. There was good food, interesting conversation Barb is a doctor, one friend is a nurse and the other ladies had lots of great stories). We also had a lot of fun playing Blockus, a game where you try to use as many of your game pieces as possible. Each piece has to touch a corner of a previous piece from your color, but it cannot be flush against it. It is a great visual/spacial strategy game.


Barb asked me to bring something that would work for vegetarians, so I brought a variation on the orzo salad I like so well.

Orzo Salad II

1 1/2 Orzo, dried
15 oz. Garbanzo Beans (I used dried beans that I dehydrated, canned works fine, too)
1 1/2 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2-3/4/cup Raspberry Vingiarette (to taste)
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
1-2 cups Casero Cheese, cubed (Mexican Cheese)

Cook the Orzo. If you are not serving vegetarians, you can cook it in 4 cups of chicken broth for a nice flavor. Drain. In a bowl mix the orzo, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, mint and cheese. Toss to mix well. Toss with the raspberry vinaigrette, beginning with a small amount. The dressing should brighten the flavors, not drown them out.

This keeps and travels well.

Getting Ready for a Party - Recipes Galore & Decoration Inspiration

It has been so warm here that it does not feel like Christmas, yet. But, I've found some decorating inspiration online. Here, I'd like to share a few of them with you:
From: Blessing From Our Nest blog


From: Ideal Home


from: Nell's Hill


Advent Display by Stephanie Lynn Blog

We had so much fun Wendy, David, Caroline and Laura last weekend that we have decided to have them over this weekend. I'm trying to put together a really fun party. I love planning and executing this kind of thing. (Some day, after I retire from teaching, I'd love to run a Bed and Breakfast. I'd have a wonderful excuse to do things like this more often.)

We'll start with some appetizers, have my zucchinni and cheese soup for the first course, then cheese fondue and a Moroccan inspired salad for the next two courses and some sort of decedent dessert. Here are the new recipes that have caught my eye:

Moroccan Quinoa Salad
from Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 4

If you don’t feel like marinating the zucchini and eggplant yourself you can find ready-made at most supermarkets (but nothing beats homemade).

1 zucchini, cut in thin slices
1 eggplant , cut in thin slices
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 lemon
1/2 cup almonds
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro/coriander
3 tbsp raisins
2 avocados, cut into 1 inch squares
4 small spring onions, chopped
1 cup almonds, divided in half, roasted and salted

Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.

Cook the quinoa according to the package but add two tbsp cinnamon in the water. When it’s done cooking, rinse and set aside to cool off. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add five tbsp of olive oil into the quinoa. Chop half of the mint leaves, half of the cilantro and all the raisins, throw them in the quinoa and toss it around until everything is mixed. Serve in bowls together with the marinated vegetables, avocado, spring onions, the rest of the mint and cilantro and the roasted almonds.

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Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad
via OOh, Look blog
serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups reduced salt chicken stock
50g baby spinach leaves, shredded
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 pomegranate, seeds extracted
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper

Method
1. To cook the quinoa: rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, drain, then place in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. For the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jug or bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To assemble the salad: Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then combine with the spinach, craisins and pomegranate seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss through. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Read more: http://ooh-look.blogspot.com/2010/11/quinoa-pomegranate-salad-and-whack-pom.html#ixzz17lwjRPag


Salted Caramel Bars
via What's Gaby Cooking? blog

Ingredients

Shortbread:
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk, whisked
1 2/3 cups AP flour

Caramel Topping:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
12 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Sea salt flakes

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over the sides. This will make removing the bars easier.

In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and salt with a fork. Add the yolk and combine with the fork. Add the flour and using your hands, combine the dough until its flaky. Transfer the dough into the parchment lined pan and press down with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Once chilled, bake for 27 minutes until lightly browned.

Once baked, remove and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a pot combine the topping ingredients; butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar and cream. Bring to a boil and make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Stir for about 5-10 minutes until its thick and bubbly. If you have a candy thermometer – the caramel should be about 230 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and pour on top of the shortbread.

Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Then sprinkle with the sea salt flakes and serve!

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Snowman Shooters
via Babble blog

* 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
* 1 pint of vanilla ice cream
* 1 Small & 1medium ice cream scoops
* 8-12 Mini chocolate chips (or peppercorns)
* 4-6 Small pieces of carrots, cut into tiny spears

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate squares and microwave them for 35-40 seconds, just enough to soften. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chocolate, then return to the microwave for 50-60 seconds. Remove and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and a thick hot fudge sauce forms.

Spoon hot fudge sauce into the bottom of 4-5 small shooter glasses. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop some of the vanilla ice cream into a rounded ball and plop it carefully on top of the hot fudge sauce. Use the small sized scoop to do the same, placing the second scoop on top of the first one to create the snowman’s head.

Gently press the carrot nose & chocolate chip eyes into the snowman’s head. Return to the freezer and allow to freeze until ready to serve (to ensure your shot glasses don’t freeze & crack, I recommend making these just about 1 hour ahead of time).

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Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies
via Becky Bakes blog

Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate disks (I used Trader Joe’s chocolate callets)*

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a callet into the center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

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Lia's Toffee Bar
via Pioneer Woman
Ingredients

* 16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted
* 16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar
* 3 ounces, fluid Water
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 16 ounces, weight Chopped Topping: Toasted Nuts, Candy Canes, Sea Salt, Etc.
* 24 ounces, weight Tempered Dark Chocolate For Coating, Melted

Preparation Instructions

*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*

Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin.

Allow toffee to cool completely. Blot to remove excess oil from the surface. Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.

When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it’s okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.

Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.

Store in an airtight container.
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I also really enjoyed the "Glee" Christmas story. This was one of my favorite scenes -


And then, I love it when I find wonderful stop-motion

MINI PLANNERS from Moleskine ® on Vimeo.