Christmas Tea Party

This year I decided to give a Christmas Tea Party for the ladies in my family and my Father of course! He was the guest of honor!  What a blast we had!  I started early.  I wanted it to be the best tea party ever...So....I made everything that I could myself.  Even the smoked salmon!  (With help from Byron!)  I promised everyone I would post all the recipes (at the end of this post) and some pictures.  Hope you enjoy.  Maybe you'll be inspired to have one yourself next year, or maybe this spring?

Here is the salmon covered in fresh dill (which there is plenty in the garden), juniper berries, sugar and sea salt.

I found these little baking cups.  They're adorable and really neat.  They stand up on their own and bake just like that...I like.

These are the holiday ones.  I also bought butterflies and cloud ones Spring?

Bambi is Byron's!  It's from one of his trips to Disney World as a child.  The little velvet deer is an old ornament of my Mother-In-Law's.  Prehaps from the 50's?  I didn't buy any decorations.  I love using what I have on hand in a different way to decorate and surprise people.

These are my shoes....Grand enough for the party I believe.

The coffee table set with Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake, Strawberry Shortcakes, Peanut Butter Balls, Salmon Bites, and Roast Beef and Cucumber sandwiches.

Tiny Strawberry Shortcakes

 These Asparagus Sandwiches were the favorite and every single one was devoured.

The kitchen table with veggies, praline brie, date balls and sandwiches.  The floral arrangement was made from what I could find in the garden that was still presentable.  Flowers, pods and unique greenery!

Date scones with cream and lemon curd...the best!

Tiny stuffed potatoes with a patriotic tribute.

Veggies all from the garden! 

 

Salmon Bites

 

Pumpernickel Bread

Smoked Salmon

Cream Cheese

Small Amount of Milk

Chopped Fresh Dill

 

Cut pumpernickel bread into small circles using a small cookie cutter (silver dollar size).  Mix cream cheese with a small amount of milk to make it a little softer.  Put cream cheese into cake decorating bag with a large tip (I use a really large tip.  The kind used for icing cupcakes).  Squeeze a flower of cream cheese onto each pumpernickel round.  Top with a few flakes of smoked salmon and sprinkle with fresh chopped dill.

 

I make my own smoked salmon.  I'll put that recipe in another post.  I like my own best!

 

 

 

Asparagus Sandwiches

White Bread

Mayonnaise

Fresh Asparagus Spears

Salt

Pepper

Lemon Juice

 

Cut tough ends off of asparagus.  Steam Asparagus.  Asparagus should still be on the crunchy side.  Cut crust off of bread and spread mayonnaise on one side.  Lay one steamed asparagus spear on slice of white bread mayo side up (of course).  Sprinkle salt, pepper and a little lemon juice on top.  Roll the spear up in the bread.  Yummier than you think.  These were everyones favorites.  You can also tie a ribbon of chives around the roll in a bow to make it fancy.

 

 

  

Strawberry Shortcake

 

6 oz of butter (room temp.)

1/4 cup plus two tblsp of sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups of self rising flour

Straw Berry Jam

Strawberries hulled and cut into quarters

 

Whipped cream

(make your own with whipping cream, powdered sugar (add to taste) and a dash of cream of tartar.  Whip until soft peaks form.  Do not over whip!)

 

For the cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together butter and sugar in a large owl until pale and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in until thoroughly combined.

 

You can bake in an 8 inch pan (grease and base line with parchment) or into self standing paper baking cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and cake springs back lightly when touched.  Let cool completely.

 

Spread jam on top of cake.  For cup cakes use a melon baller to scoop out a small space in the center of each cake and fill with a dollop of jam.  Top cake with strawberries.  Put whipped cream in a cake decorators bag with large tip and cover top with whipped cream.  Add extra strawberries on top.  Do the same for each cup cake.  Put a couple of strawberry quarters on top of jam.  Give a nice squeeze of whipped cream on top.  Then put a quarter of a strawberry on top.  Sprigs of mint from the garden give it a nice garnish.  You can bake two cakes and make the cake a double layer if you wish with strawberries, jam and whipped cream between the layers as well as on top.

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Balls

 

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter room temp.

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups confections sugar

Candy chocolate for dipping

 

Mix everything together thoroughly except the chocolate.  Put mixture in fridge and let cool.  Melt chocolate.  Roll mixture into balls and dip in chocolate.  Place on wax paper of foil and allow chocolate to harden.  Super yum.  You can also decorate with sugar crystals or splash with a contrasting color chocolate.

 

 

 

Date Balls

 

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

1 pack or 8 oz. of chopped sugared dates

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup crisped rice cereal

1 tsp. vanilla

Powdered Sugar for coating

 

In saucepan melt butter and sugar over low heat.  Add dates and cook 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Add vanilla and stir.  Add nuts and rice cereal.  Let cool a moment.  Hint:  butter hands to keep hot mixture from sticking to hands.  Roll into balls then roll in powdered sugar.  So yum.

 

 

 

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

 

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter room temp

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 cup sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease 16 cup tube pan.  Dust with flour.

 

Sift flour,  baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.  Beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes.  Add eggs 1 at a time beating just until combined.  Beat in lemon juice and peel.  Using spatula mix in dry ingredients.  Mix in sour cream.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.

 

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean.  About 1 hour 30 minutes.  Let cool completely then turn out onto platter.  You can make a glaze with powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla.

 

Praline Brie

 

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick of butter

2 tblsp of whipping cream

1 cup chopped pecans

1 small or medium round of brie

1 pack of freezer puff pastry (should have 2 sheets)

extra butter

1 egg

 

On a greased piece of foil on a baking pan (foil makes it easier to remove cooked brie later), score top of brie with knife.  Put several pats of butter on top.  Place brie on first sheet of puff pastry.  Place second sheet on top.  Cut away extra on top so that 2nd sheet just covers top.  Put aside scraps.  Bring up first sheet of pastry and bunch around edges to create a pleasing effect and completely cover brie.  Brush top with egg (not necessary but makes it shiny)  Bake in oven at 400 degrees until puff pastry is golden and done (about 20 to 25 minutes). 

 

About 10 minutes after brie is cooking, combine sugar, butter and pecans in pan.  Cook on low until sugar is completely dissolved.  Cook for a couple of minutes longer.  Add whipping cream cook a minute longer.  Slide cooked brie off of foil on to platter.  Pour praline sauce over brie.

 

This is best very fresh so serve immediately.

 

 

Date Scones

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1tblsp baking powder

2 tblsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbs butter

1/2 cup of sugared chopped dates

1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

egg for brushing top

large sugar crystals

 

Preheat oven 400 degrees.  I bake my scones on a silpat mat (love that thing worth purchasing).  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking power and salt,  Cut the cold butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or your finger tips (I use fingers).  The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.  Add sugared dates.  Add whipping cream to the mixture.  Stir until just combined.  Do not over combine.  Add more cream to make it loose if needed.

 

Spoon mixture onto floured surface.  Knead dough gently (count to 10 DO NOT OVER KNEAD WILL MAKE TOUGH)  Pat into rectangular shape about 2 inches thick.  Cut in half long ways then into triangles.  Brush top with egg, sprinkle with sugar crystals.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned.

 

 

Cream for Scones

 

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

3 oz cream cheese

dash of cream of tartar

 

Beat cream cheese til smooth.  Set a side.  Use a chilled bowl.  Add heavy whipping cream and beat for 3 to 4 minutes (or more) until it starts to thicken a little.  Then add cream cheese slowly as you beat and add powder sugar and cream of tartar gradually.  Keep whipping until it thickens into soft peaks.  Do not over beat.

 

 

Lemon Curd

 

3 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tblsp lemon zest

4 tblsp butter cut into small pieces

 

In pan on top of a  heat diffuser  (you can use a bowl placed in a pan with a couple of inches of water instead.)  Whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended.  Cook (on medium) stirring constantly to prevent curdling until the mixture becomes thick like sour cream or hollandaise sauce.  Will take about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour through a fine sieve to remove any lumps.  Stir in butter until melted and thoroughly mixed.  Stir in lemon zest.  Zest is optional.  Cover so skin doesn't form.  Let cool and refrigerate.  Will keep up to two weeks.  Makes 1 1/2 cups.

 

This isn't every recipe and I may have typed in a mistake in my hurry.  So let me know if you would like another recipe or have any questions regarding these recipes.

Getting Ready For Christmas & Around The House and Gardens & Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Long Title = Long Post

I'm finished shopping and now I'm doing a little decorating. Getting ready for a tea I'm having this Saturday for the ladies and girls in my family. It's exciting.   I'm reusing my decorations from past years and adding in a few natural items such as feathers and pine cones along with a generous sprinkling of glitter.  When in doubt...add glitter!  I painted "Merry Christmas" on the mirror with a little acrylic paint.  I'm sure it'll scrape off just fine with a razor blade. 

The mirror is actually an old dresser mirror I saved from a friend who was throwing it out for his mother.  I turned it sideways and painted white first.  When I tired of that I gave it a refreshing coat of glittery gold copper paint!

I also plan on making some fun things for the tea...will post on those later as well.

I love my Carruth Studios Nativity Stone....as well as my lovely handmade angels.   We had so much fun making them in Sunday School.  I teach the 10, 11 and 12 year olds.  My favorite group to teach!  So my Nativity has it's very own host of heavenly beings!

I draped one of my roosters lovely tail feathers over the top to frame it softly!  Just like a loving hug...Sigh....

Hee Hee....Looks as if one angel is in trouble!

My cat and my dog pooped out on me while wrapping presents.  Flossie made herself comfy on top of one of the wrapped gifts.  Delta is comfortable as long as the cat's sleeping!

I've been picking so much from the garden.  The row of red beans I planted (you may remember) way back is picked and shelled.  I was concerned that it may not have time to finish before the coldest weather hit.  We've had a few nights below 40 but the beans and the tomatoes held on!  The largest plumpest ones I put in the white colander.  The ones that started to dry I put in the silver.  I'm going to cook the plump ones.  They are amazing.  So much better than dried and dried's pretty good.

I'm also harvesting: carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, collards, turnips, mustard, Lima bean, broccoli....hmmm...oh yes cilantro, green onion, Roselle, dill, rosemary....that's about it right now.

I'm planting additional kale, cabbage,  and broccoli (transplants), and beets and lettuce (seed) right now.

I spread the remaining beans on a pan to dry.

Pretty.  Very pretty.  I love to feel them.

The plump ones I cooked in a crock pot....since I'd be out shopping all day....Yum

Red Beans

 

(I cook from sight so these are all approximates)

Onions (about 1/2 cup)

Garlic (about 3 to 4 cloves)

Bell Peppers  (about 1/2 cup)

Celery (about 1/2 cup)

Green Onions (about 2)

small bunch of parsley

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Dried Red Pepper (I use the ones I grow)

Oil (I use olive)

Red Beans (3/4 to 1 lb)

Smoked Sausage

 

Chop up all the seasonings.  Saute seasonings in oil until tender.  Add to pot with beans and water (or stock).  Cover the beans about 1 inch.  If cooking on the stove you may have to add water or stock as needed.  Salt and pepper and crumble in dried red pepper (or flakes or ground).  Cut sausage into links fry a little while in the pan.  Add to pot of beans and simmer beans until done.  They should be creamy!  Serve over rice.  I like medium grain brown rice or short grain will do too.

 

Some people put a stick of butter in their beans.  They claim it makes them creamy.  Not sure on this.  I'm not inclined to try it personally.  You can also throw in tasso, ham, a ham bone (whenever we have a whole ham I always save the bone for red beans), salt pork...hmmm I'm sure there is something else I've missed that some of the elders do.  They throw most everything in there.

 

If you have a variation I'd love to know!

 

Here's a picture my daughter took of me holding a cabbage and some carrots I grew.  She thought the cabbage looked like a wedding bouquet.  Lovely hand hmmm?



Roasted beets and carrots with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, cracked pepper, and balsamic vinegar.  I boiled the carrots and beets first (separately) to make them tender.  Yum.

Snowmen

I bought a couple of these cute little snowmen packs for my Sunday School class.  They enjoyed creating happy little snowmen during our Christmas party after lesson.  The extras I packed up and brought home.  So Talia decided she would take advantage of these spares and make a few to decorate the mantle.

This one...very sweet, cute, happy,...then from there it just seemed to ....

digress...this Ninja Snowman is really cute and little edgy...just reverse the ear muffs and the scarf, add a button mouth and upside down mouth eyes, a hat shirt (I think) and Talia has a really cool Ninja....but a fighting snowman?  I'm not sure....maybe Talia should bring some....

humor to the snowmen....awwww look how cute,  the scarf becomes a tie when trimmed and red snowflake confetti makes an awesome red fro...is it me, or are clowns a bit freaky?....then...

...Talia, A Devil Snowman?  Wouldn't he melt?....

Getting Ready For Christmas!

Me loves Christmas!  ...and this year I seem to be especially feeling it!  I don't know....just sorta happier than usual.  I'm not supersticious...I don't think anyway...but when I get like this I sorta keep looking over my shoulder thinking maybe something is going to happen to ruin it...maybe it will, maybe it won't, but I'm going to have fun regardless.  I'm learning a little more each day to plan for the future...but don't forget to LIVE in the moment. 
Here are the bento's I made for the girls recently.  Penguins!  It's hard boiled eggs wrapped in nori and accented with cheddar cheese beak and feet and nori eyes.  The teachers love to look at the girls lunches!  I really hated waking and making traditional lunches everyday.  I actually look forward to making these lunches!

Close up of Artie the penguin.

We decided this Saturday would be sweets making day.  Tera helped by making brownies for the Youth Group Party that night and making the cupcakes for my Sunday School class this Sunday.  I teach the 10, 11 and 12 year olds.  I have between 25 and 30 of them every Sunday.  Challenging fun!

Don't you love Tera's improvised cooling rack?  It's the top part of a broiler pan on top of a food storage container.  Yeah and that's our prize winning, butt kicking ginger bread house in the back.  (minus a few eaten and falling off pieces)  Everyone else did traditional.  We did a beach and surf theme...the "Ho Ho Cabana".  Bring it on Doug and Debbie...   :-)...

Talia helping make treats to give to the girls teachers.  Very yum and easy...just spread peanut butter on town house crackers and dip in melted chocolate.  Talia became a world class dipper yesterday.... We also dipped pretzel rods and twists in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles and white chocolate.

These are Tera's hardworking hands perched on her retro apron.  See those clipped nails?  She forgoes the lovely nail look just like her Mother.  She really loves the lovely nail look, but she loves being able to play the violin unhindered a lot more.  I really try to steer my girls completely away from our societies idea that girls value is in their beauty.  I teach them that beauty is really nice...but very fleeting....I see 50 year old woman running flat out every day trying to catch it and not quite succeeding...beauty really is in who and what you become...and skills, talent and quality character you develop usually far outlast any beauty you might have been given at birth....I love my girls....

Look at that gurl dip!

Now for the icing on the cake...

....and pictures of the finished treats for the teachers!

...and a little holly for some Christmas cheer!

...lovely Tera....

...mmmmhhmmmm....

... an easy nice decoration touch...a red rose in the middle of a mint julep cup surrounded by holly berries and herbs!

My Arm Hurts & Around The House and Gardens & Spicy Pecan Recipe

My arm hurts from standing on a six foot ladder and finally finishing the sky on my living room ceiling.  Next I'm adding a reproduction of the "Creation of Adam" from the Sistine Chapel surrounded by a migration of monarch butterflies...and I'll lie on my couch and enjoy...

sigh not really....I'll probably add a few monarchs flitting about and call it finished finally!  Must say it's worth the deltoid pain...I do like to lie on my sofa and stare up at my "sky" ceiling...

Yesterday as I rushed to Tera's violin lessons I realized...oops!...last lesson before Christmas and no good tidings of joyous gifts to bring...

hmmm...ran back in grabbed a bag and filled it with turnips, mustards, collards, carrots and a head of lettuce....good tidings of joy!  Before I left lessons that night Tera's teacher's wife came in smiling with a tray of cut up seasoned veggies ready for roasting and explanation of what she planned to do with the rest of  the veggies the next day.  I'm still smiling!

I'm also still getting a crop of figs....unbelievable...even with the cold weather the "Alma" variety of fig is still bearing.  Duly impressed....

...I think turnips are lovely....they make me smile....

...with a light frost blanket I've been able to hobble more tomatoes from my large bush.  This vine is still covered with tomatoes in various stages of ripeness.  I pick them as soon as I see a hint of red and let them ripen inside...just in case....

When my Mom-In-Law cleaned out her home we found these cool old ornaments.  I haven't really decorated for Christmas yet.  The girls and I are going to make some natural decorations once they get out of school....but ....I love these old ornaments.  My M.I.L.  thinks she bought them when my husband was small at Audubon Park and Zoo in New Orleans.

Cute little crossed eyed tiger and patient adoring sweet deer....

...mischievous kitty...

...fun loving piggy....with giant overlord bird....

....not disease carrying mouse (unlike the ones currently partying in my attic) with still fresh plastic holly....

...and surprised looking angel with deer herd...

...this is a gift I'm working on....will post when finished.  It's a very easy baby blanket...that is if you can crochet and if you can't....learn!....it's easy too.   Just cut two pieces of groovy flannel the same size (baby blanket size)...put the back sides together and pin....blanket stitch the edges together using crochet thread (size 10)....my tiny steel crochet needle goes through the flannel with little difficulty...do a triple chain stitch around that and then finish with a shell stitch to make it lacy!  I like to use stitches without large openings to keep baby fingers and things from getting caught.  Will post when finished.  But don't you just love these groovy prints....they're from a line called Urban Flannels.

Now here is a spicy pecan recipe for all my garden club friends.  I got it from Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook.  Luckily it's simple for Martha.  I didn't have to travel or rob anyone to get the ingredients.

Spicy Pecans

1 tblsp coarse salt

2 tblsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 cup sugar

2 large egg whites

5 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine salt, cayenne, paprika and sugar.

whisk egg whites until foamy.

whisk in spice mixture.

stir in pecans and coat well

spread on baking sheets

bake 15 minutes

reduce heat to 250 degrees F.

Rotate sheets in oven and cook until nuts are browned and fragrant about 10 minutes more.

Transfer to another sheet of parchment and let cool

Yum and addictive!