Let It (Sugar) Snow

With Christmas only a few days away, I bet you’ve already trimmed your tree. But, with a quick trip to the grocery or a sweep of your kitchen, you can gather the simple ingredients to quickly craft fantastic winter accents.

FROSTED ROSEMARY & CRANBERRIES

Green boughs and bright red berries covered in a light, fresh frost easily conjure holiday thoughts. You can create this look with 4 inexpensive ingredients:
 

1. Water
2. Sugar
3. Rosemary
4. Cranberries

Sugared rosemary and cranberries aside a Yule Log dessert.
Concept adapted from and photo courtesy of one of my
favorite magazines, The Local Palate.

• Make a simple syrup using 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and set aside to cool.
• Cover a shallow dish with sugar. Next to the sugar dish, place a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
• Drop a fresh sprig of rosemary into the cooled syrup, turning to ensure it’s lightly coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the sugar.
• Roll the rosemary sprig in the sugar to coat it evenly on all sides and place the sprig on the parchment paper to dry.
• Repeat with additional rosemary and cranberries.

 

I love this accent because the supplies are fresh and edible – meaning they make great garnishes for cakes, desserts and place settings.

SUGAR SNOW

This one is about as easy as it sounds. Sugar makes an excellent snow stand-in when creating a holiday centerpiece. Simply fill a glass bowl or vase of your choice with sugar and then dress it up with an endless assortment of items.

One of my recent creations. This inexpensive glass bowl becomes
elegant table decor whenyou add sugar and a miniature
tree from the local craft store.

 

• Fresh or fake greenery
• Candles (try anchoring a simple white taper in the sugar for an elegant look)
• Make a terrarium with small birds, trees, pinecones and other items from your local craft store

Here's a sparkly and minty winter terrarium, courtesy of Sew Can Do.

Wherever you live and wherever you roam this holiday season, if you want snow, now you can create your own winter wonderland inside.

Cheers!

A 'Woodsy Couture' Christmas

Each year, a dear group of friends head to Brantingham Lake in the Adirondacks to stay in a historic family cabin nestled in the woods. There, we share libations, delicious home-cooked meals and a stunning view of the mountains.

While our duffel bags are crammed with thermals, flannel and wool, we occasionally bust out what's affectionately known as woodsy couture - where wildnerness meets 'wow.' Picture fur-lined trapper hats partnered perfectly with tailored vests. It's like watching "Man vs. Wild" and "Project Runway" at the same time.

Our last trip to Brantingham inspired me to bring this same woodsy couture home for the holidays.


A homemade burlap runner, salvaged tree stump and an array of
oranges, clementines and kumquats set this rustic table. A few
deer antlers nestled in moss bring the great outdoors in.

Nature-inspired decor is hard to avoid. Whether Restoration Hardward is selling faux fur throws or Crate&Barrel is launching a new wicker woven basket line, out(doors) is in. I took some of these same basic principles and applied them to my Christmas decor.

My dearest friend Shelley took 'woodsy couture' to a whole
new level when she created this gift wrapping: durable brown
kraft paper, torn flannel (sourced from thrift store shirts) and
twine. A sprig of fresh greenery completes the natural look.

If you want to replicate this rustic look, start with the following tips.

Get outside. Whether you live downtown or in the suburbs, take yourself to the nearest nature spot. If you come to my house for dinner, you'll find something I brought in from the backyard - regardless of the season. Trees, plants and rocks abound; find interesting ways to use them, by displaying them in vases, in bowls or simply laid amongst the table setting.

Use fresh vs. faux. A bag of clementines costs $3.99 while apples are $.99 a pound (read: cheaper than that fancy hurricane from Pottery Barn). Arrange fresh fruits or vegetables in a bowl or place a piece at each placesetting. And, after they're displayed, you can eat them! Functional AND fabulous.

Tone it down. Mimic the tones you see in the current season. While summer bears bright yellow lemons and purple hydrangeas, winter brings darker, muted colors. An accent color - like red, orange or even white - plays better in the cooler months. (Example: my table above is nearly all neutral colors except for the orange fruit.)

Keep it simple, and you'll make Mother Nature proud while also impressing your guests.

I'm Back...& Bringing Some Simple Holiday Apps

Friends, it's been quite some time since we've connected here. So, hello. How are you? How are things?

The Fellow here, and I'm back from a self-imposed sabbatical. The reasons are numerous, but don't think it's because I've lost my desire to share all things fab. In fact, these last few weeks have re-energized me to keep the content coming for you: ways to host, decorate, dine and, in general, add delight to your life.

So, on with it. The holidays. When did THAT happen, right? I take a blogging break and the next thing you know, we've blown through Thanksgiving, and before the turkey was cold on the table, a flurry of holiday prep is happening as snow flurries are nearly upon us.

When the holidays draw near, so do we to our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. No doubt you've already attended your fair share of open houses and cocktail parties, and you may even have a few more on your schedule before December 25th.

Whether you plan to host yourself or simply provide a snack at someone else's soiree, I'm collecting & sharing easy yet tasty appetizers that will make your holidays shine.

BAKED BRIE
This one has recently gotten lots of 'repinning' from my Pinterest board, so it seems you're interested!

1 small wheel of Brie cheese (8 oz)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of preserves

1 tube of crescent roll dough

Unroll crescent dough on an oven-safe pie pan or baking sheet. Place the brie wheel in the middle. Top with the preserves; recommendations include blackberry, mixed berry or fig. Wrap the crescent dough around the top of the cheese and bake according to dough directions, typically 8 - 10 minutes until dough is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

 

MOM'S CHEESEBALL

 

This is my mom's almost-famous cheeseball recipe - a real down-home version. I couldn't think of a snazzier name because...well, it's a cheeseball. Just let it suffice to say that I used to skip the actual meal just to have more of this.

 

2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1 small onion, diced

2 - 6 oz packages of dried/chipped beef, diced (in the lunch meat section of the grocery)

2 tbsp of Miracle Whip

1 tsp of garlic salt or garlic powder

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (if desired)

 

Allow the cream cheese to sit at room temperature until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 hour. Garnish the cheeseball with chopped parsley before serving if desired. Serve with crackers.



 

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These are 2 simple stand-bys to get you started. In the coming days, I'll continue sharing more appetizer ideas as well as tips for holiday decorating, festive drinks and more. No matter how hectic your holidays, my quick tips will help you celebrate big in simple ways.

 

Cheers, friends!