Gifts for the christmas table.....

You may have heard me mention at times, my sister Micki and her delectable food gifts which she purveys from her kitchen.

After leaving the corporate world of banking, she began baking and cooking as a mindless refuge to the rigours of a demanding career. Today almost ten years later, she brings much happiness to customers all over Niagara with her delicious cookies and sweets during the Christmas season.

 Jars of condiments such as red pepper jelly, and apricot pear conserve with Poire William gleam in her tiny kitchen.

After years of collecting vintage kitchen accessories and utensils, her cooking area is a visual dream as well as contributing other sensory delights.

During this time of year, literally thousands of cookies are all hand made using only the best ingredients and home made techniques acquired through hours of trial and error...

Every cookie is a delicious as it is beautiful.

Biscotti, hand dipped in chocolate are bursting with lightly toasted pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts...an old family recipe of my Mom's. They are a favourite among her customers.

....dozens waiting to cool and then beautifully packaged in tins or gift trays......

Every known vintage kitchen utensil has been carefully collected and displayed, and of course put into use as well......

Semi sweet chocolate waiting to be tempered after it is carefully measured by weight.

Cake domes from the 50's, in perfect condition, make baking in this kitchen a treat!

Just a few of the numerous cookbooks which Micki uses for inspiration and information.

Never too many ideas to gleen from!

A view of her spotlessly clean work table. You will notice two vintage theatre seats where she peruses her cookbooks, or just takes a much needed coffee break.....

Individual pots de creme served in espresso cups, with a white chocolate dipped cherry as garnish, served at a recent holiday party which she catered.

Spiced pecans presented in a vintage compote dish, add a bit of dash to the bar, and are a perfect nibbler with cocktails.

Prosciutto and figs, a simple yet satisfying antipasto.

Cheese boards are a simple alternative to fussy appetizers for today's busy hostess.

Thinly sliced eggplant, cut with a mandolin and then breaded and lighly fried till crisp are a favourite on the antipasto tower...I call them eggplant chips...
also a family recipe from our Mother.

Hand formed chocolate truffles, rolled in chopped pistachios and coconut, make a sweet finale to a

sumptuous holiday buffet.

Although Micki loves to cook, her greatest achievements are her sweet confections, which are very sought after, especially during the holidays.....

I really don't think she realizes how much joy and happiness she brings to so many patrons as well as recipients of her beautiful confections...truly gifts from the heart.  I hope you will be inspired by her passion and love of cooking this holiday season.

Comfort and Joy

 

One of the little special things I do for Christmas is make egg nog from scratch. I started making this when my boys were very young and made two batches, one with spirits and one without. It tastes just like a milkshake and is very simple to make.  It is called Comfort Eggnog, because it is made with Southern Comfort.

 

As the boys got older, they would try their hand at it, and it became a much anticipated and special family tradition, even for my Italian Christmas Eve.....

This past week I decided to make extra and gift it at some holiday celebrations which we had been invited to....

The glass litre bottles, made in France,  and found at the thrift store, were perfect decanters for dispensing the thick and creamy nog....

 

A small vintage cordial glass is all you need of this delicious beverage.....

.....after attaching a whole nutmeg for grating, I added some gold bullion and Christmas greetings to the gift.....

I hope you will enjoy this recipe, as much as my family has over the years.  Cheers!!!

Comfort Eggnog

6 eggs seperated
3/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of whipping cream or for my American friends heavy cream
1 cup of half and half
1 cup of whole milk
2 cups of Southern Comfort
Ground nutmeg

Seperate egg whites from yolks . Beat yolks with sugar till thick and lemon coloured.
Gradually add milk and half and half.
Fold in or incorporate whipping cream (whipped) with a wire whisk.
Add Southern Comfort.
Set aside.
Beat egg whites till stiff. Gently whisk into egg mixture. Chill well.
Serve with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

Makes 10  5 ounce servings.

The consistency should be billowy and cloud-like...

Stir well to incorporate cream which may rise to the top after refrigerating.

Visions of Sugarplums

Do you often wonder at what prompts us to see things in such an individual way....everyone has a different point of view or vision perhaps, of the same object?

What does the mind's eye record and remember, or just toss away into the far recesses??

Why are we drawn to certain colours, styles and dismiss others?

I know that my preference and taste for clothing and decor has not really radically changed over the years. I love romance, roses, antiques, soft muted colours, and nature, and notice every detail about it all !

What I see in my mind's eye influences everything.

The hand painted ceiling above, was taken in my uncle's old home in Italy. It just captivated me. It was in the very top floor of what must have been the main bedroom.  Can you imagine looking at that before you fell asleep each evening and upon awakening? Amazing. I wonder who painted it?

I purchased this beautiful water colour from a customer of mine. It hangs in my kitchen.

Roses, china, romance, what else is there??

We recreate what we see.

We gather what we love.

My fireplace mantel this spring.

A curtain finial I fashioned from chipped china roses. I swagged my cotton organdy curtains from it.

The same colours translate into every aspect of life, holidays and celebrations.

Interesting....

A cherub ornament on my tree last year. A throw back, perhaps to the ethereal, painted ceiling????

This lovely canvas was Paul Gosen's rendition of the court at Versailles. A local artist who painted furniture for me in my days as a shop keeper. Still the same palette of preference.

Collections reflect recorded images, memories, influenced by our surroundings and experiences, acquired through living and learning.

A vintage bark cloth pillow which I have loved for years. The silk fringe is still in perfect condition.

Vintage Murano glass mirrors must be an influence from my Italian roots. I antiqued it to look older.

Glass prisms from vintage boudoir lamps on my dresser pair well together.

The curtain finial, up close and personal, and of course, embellished by a hand made tassel, in a lovely French blue.  My twenty something Ralph Lauren wallpaper as a back drop!!!

I will hate to strip it shortly when we do the reno. I have thought of washing it with a thin glaze to mute the colours. What do you think?

The visions we see and translate into our homes, determine who we are or who we have become.

At Christmas time, I notice that all that I love and cherish from years of homemaking, take on a different meaning for me. Even as a young wife with very little, I embraced making a home beautiful and comfortable. Nothing has changed. I still envision making it the same.

Small Treasures

There still is a bit of time left for contemplating the thought of handmade gifts for Christmas.

A few weeks ago, a few of us made these interesting pear pin cushions. This is the large size, but a smaller version is in the works,which I hope to gift to a few special friends who stitch.

The idea is to totally hand sew them from start to finish, and then personalize them for each recipient,

more like a memory board idea, and embellish as you go.

Adding a copy of a photograph with special meaning is a good start. I bought a small inexpensive locket, which I distressed and then added the small script.

Small vintage spools of ivory coloured thread which I attached with pearl head pins, holds crochet samples of my Mom's work.

The sage coloured toile was a left over scrap from a recent project. It was a great neutral colour to play with and served as a good backdrop for layering treasures.

 Adding another dimension, a monogrammed piece of a damaged vintage napkin

to personalize the piece even further.

I perched mine on top of a tarnished silver candy dish to elevate, but candlesticks or other pedestals may be used as well. The smaller version can be displayed under a glass cloche.

Ribbons, photos, vintage buttons, and even heirloom jewelry can be added to make sewing even more

pleasurable. Evoking memories and enjoying tranquil moments,

lost in reverie, is all part of the process, when idling away the hours doing needlework.

If you don't have vintage pins, they can easily be made by adding findings to existing new ones.

Here an earring back is used to enhance one.

Vintage velvet leaves in almost the same colours were found and rescued from a vintage hat.

This project was taught at Stitch, in Jordan.  Every pin cushion was unique and resonated in some special way with it's creator. Sometimes it is a small treasure, such as this, made by hand, with love
that is the best gift.