A World Full of Christmas, Part 2

Christmas is over but last week was the stretch run and I had a few days off to finish everything up. Though I worked most of the first day it was still nice to hang around the house in pajamas, puttering here, wrapping there, primping the decorations and watching the fire.

In addition to the cookie boxes, I made several food gifts for some special people in my office. Two of the recipes were courtesy of Shutterbean, both really easy to make but quite impressive. Caramelized Onion Jam is very tasty but perhaps should be reserved for the foodies on your list. I love caramelized onions on my pizza (as I told you here) and it's handy to have them pre-made to add great flavor to a panini, mashed potatoes or pasta. The only drawback - the onion smell clinging to everything for days! Herbed Cheese Sticks, made from frozen puff pastry, look great and taste even better. I used raffia ties, natural parchment paper and custom-printed hang tags to give them a unified look. Add a takeout container chock full of fresh-baked cookies and pack it all together in a photo box with natural shred and some tissue paper, tied up with more raffia and a sprig of fresh evergreen. These are great gifts for all kinds of people on your list, especially if the question of how much to spend is awkward or if you don't know the recipient's likes and dislikes very well.

The kitchen got quite a workout this season. I made rich dark chocolate ganache - the base for yummy homemade truffles. I've made these before and finished off the melt-in-your mouth balls with just a dusting of cocoa powder but I wanted to experiment this time with other looks and flavors. I divided the still-liquid ganache into 3 batches and added a different flavored liqueur to each - Amaretto (almond), Chambord (raspberry) and Godiva (dark chocolate). I planned to dip the well-chilled shaped balls in couverture chocolate and sprinkle them with toasted coconut, ground peppermint candies and chopped nuts but they're still a work in progress. I'll keep you posted!

The final touches to this 2012 Christmas season - gifts wrapped in gold and silver, darling little character mugs lining the kitchen shelf, swags on the cupboard doors, a mixed era display in the dining room cum lounge and the main tree, all decked out, resplendent in the cozy firelight - were complete. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and now: Happy New Year!

On The Way, Week 38

{1} Christmas Shopping, Wurtsboro, NY {2}  Homemade Kale Soup and Cheese Straws {3} Snowstorm {4} Ready for Christmas, Whispering Hills

On The Way, Week 37

{1} Making Food Gifts {2} Decorations {3} Truffles in the Making {4} Winter Sunrise

A World Full of Christmas

Christmas preparations began in earnest last week. This is what is looked like.

First I finally got to the nitty gritty of making my cards. I chose a concept I had in my files from a few years back and, last month when I was sequestered in my studio for 2 days while the floors went in downstairs, I finalized the materials and techniques. So now it was time to get to it. I have to thank Martha Stewart for her crappy glue that globbed and dripped, never flattened out and at one point had the cap fall off while I was applying it. They're not as technically well done as I like - but they're out!

The first of my 3 trees went up. I've had both my mini trees for so many years that they're showing definite signs of wear - but somehow I don't care. I normally obsess over stuff like that but I guess the tradition of them kind of means something to me. Anyway this one has always gone in the master bedroom. I use all my folk-style ornaments, mostly because I think these wood, twig, tin, felt and clay treasures need to have some calm and quiet around them to really shine!

After some ca-razy upheaval at work, my company hosted their annual holiday luncheon this week. I came dressed to party but I didn't attend. I didn't really feel like all the festivities while I stressed about the new work load. This is shot of the colorful entry with the lighted Christmas tree peeking through at left.

The next tree up is this Charlie-Brown version that goes in the spare room/office/studio/guest room! This used to be in my office back before I worked in the Christmas industry. Lately it has moved around my various apartments. Since I bought my condo it has been in this room which I decorated for my Mom who L-O-V-E-S-loves anything with the American flag. So the tree, of course, features all types of patriotic ornaments, from a blown glass flag to a tin Uncle Sam hat!

I've been threatening for a few years to get back to making my Big Box O' Cookies. Well I finally did it. Here's the first few batches (Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate-Coffee-Vanilla Ribbons, Lemon Shortbread Bars) and still to come are Gingerbread Men, Raspberry Sugar Stars, Cinnamon Twists and Chocolate Almond Snowballs!

And it wouldn't be Christmas without my Santas on display. This on the mantel is the largest bunch but I have them in groupings throughout the house. There are angels in my bedroom, white-robed Pere Noels in the hall and a mini group of fine, hand-carved figures on the side table. I think I love these almost as much as I love my collected big tree. Almost.

There's more to come...wrapping, cooking, the twinkling windows, garlands and of course the main event - the living room tree. Check back - it's a busy time!

On The Way, Week 36

{1} Feather Tree, Lounge {2} Making Christmas Cards, Studio {3} Mini Patriotic Tree, Studio {4} Colorful Entry and Christmas Tree, Montvale, NJ {5} Through Patterned Glass, NYC

Field Trip: The Morgan Library, New York, NY

It's been awhile but I have some pictures to share with you of a field trip! This trip was to New York City where I met up with 2 girlfriends to kick off the holiday social season. We converged on The Morgan Library & Museum from 3 different directions - that's Carol arriving, above!

 Today, The Morgan Library & Museum is a complex of buildings of differing styles and periods covering half a city block and housing the collection of JP Morgan. The most influential financier in this country's history, Pierpont Morgan was also a voracious collector.

As early as 1890 Morgan had begun to assemble a collection of illuminated, literary, and historical manuscripts, early printed books, and old master drawings and prints. He bought on an astonishing scale in virtually every medium including art objects and ancient artifacts. Above is the original library room with it's floor to ceiling books and 3 tiers of catwalks in elegant cast iron. I LOVE this room!

Built between 1902 and 1906 "Mr. Morgan's library." was an intimate palazzo-like structure designed by Charles Follen McKim to the east of JP's New York residence at Madison Avenue and 36th Street. The gorgeous vaulted, painted and gilded ceiling of the rotunda - the library's original main entrance - is a captivating in contrast to all the heavy, dark appointments throughout the library.

As the collection grew so did the library. First an annex (1928) and then 60 years later, the mid-nineteenth-century residence were added to the complex. In 1991 a garden court was built to unite all three buildings in the complex. The Renzo Piano design integrates the three landmark buildings with three intimately scaled new pavilions constructed of steel-and-glass panels to create an accessible, inviting setting. The diversity of the architecture mirrors to me the charmingly disjointed character of the art and artifact collection on display. Where the books, manuscripts, letters and drawings naturally present a cohesive display, the "decorations" seem more personal, more collected and less curated.

The Morgan Library also has a wonderful cafe in the garden court with seasonal menus and a lovely gift shop. For more information on one of New York's lesser known gems, visit The Morgan Library's website.

On The Way, Week 35

{1} Foggy Winter Morning, Chester, NY {2} Turkey, Cheddar, Cranberry Panini, Whispering Hills, NY {3} Mom and Dad's Vintage Christmas Decorations {4} The Grumpy Cat, GrumpyCats.com

New Kid On The Blog, December 2012: Sally J Shim

You may or may not know that for the past 18 months or so I have been dreaming fantasizing about opening a little business. When I've least expected it I've been ambushed by this need to indulge my creative self, to be my own boss, to escape from the irritation of constantly being subject to someone (everyone) who knows better. With all of that swirling around in my heart and soul, late last year, I was challenged to develop a business plan to seed this idea. What I came up with is very much like what sallyjshim is all about. Now, I never saw sallyjshim when I started. But what she and I - and many others as it turns out - have invisioned is a marketable marriage of graphic design, packaging, handcrafting and fine paper goods with a little Martha Stewart (of course) sprinkled in. So my shop hasn't gone very far but sallyjshim has a lovely blog, and so many beautiful things to see. Visit, browse, get to know her and her charming family. Just promise me when Le Shop de Joanne opens, you'll come on by and visit me too!

On The Way, Week 34

{1} Yao Ming, Brakewell Steel {2} Morning Snow, Airmont, NY {3} Ladies Lunch, NYC {4} Christmas Decorations, Upper Saddle River, NJ {5} The Book Vault, Morgan Library {6} Meeting Friends, NYC

Egg in The Hole

Sometimes you gotta give in. Cravings, laziness, whatever it is. That's my philosophy anyway. Real life. It was going to be a day full of stuffing and gravy, potatoes and wine, so yeah, I could have had a yogurt for breakfast. I might have made myself a fruit plate. But I didn't. I had egg in the hole. This is a little preparation I first saw in the movie Moonstruck - Olympia Dukakis and Cher in the kitchen complaining, worrying, commiserating, reflecting on the good and the bad. The stuff of life. Ree, The Pioneer Woman, did a segment on her Food Network show and a taco version on her blog. I've even seen someone dare make this with red pepper rings instead of the bread. Oh come on! In my version there was Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta. Put some butter in a fry pan, Add the hollowed out bread slice. Cook until just crisp but not brown. Flip the bread and crack the egg into the hollow. Add a few slices of ham or bacon to the pan to fry alongside. Once the white is mostly set flip the bread again and cook until the yolk is the firmness you desire. One pan, one complete breakfast served with a steaming cup of coffee and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the iPad!

On The Way, Week 33

Whispering Hills: {1} Thanksgiving {2| Autumn Mantel {3} New Floors {4} Me and My Bug

Not a Turkey Recipe

So tomorrow is turkey day. Thanksgiving. If you have a television or read the newspaper or even listen to the radio, basically if you interact with the living, breathing world in ANY way, you've had your fill these past 2 weeks of turkey recipes and how-to's. As in how to calculate the size turkey you need, how to deep fry a turkey while not burning your house down and how to use every last bit of leftover turkey. Well today I offer you a brief respite from all the turkey talk. I present to you an elegant yet simple, rich yet healthy little meal. I've already talked to you about the joys of pork tenderloin here and here. For tonight's meal I've sliced up some of my cooked tenderloin and popped the slices in the microwave. This works best if you have the time to take the meat out of the fridge and bring it to room temp. That way you can heat it through in just a few seconds without taking that pretty pink blush off it. Alongside: a lightened up version of zucchini pie, also made in advance, in easily re-heatable single-serving souffle dishes plus a nice salad of crisp greens. And oh what the heck - a little sip of white wine never hurt anyone!

On The Way, Week 32

 {1} Glengariff, Glen Cove, NY {2} She's Coming, New York, NY {3} Autumn Bouquet {4} Annabelle, Whispering Hills, NY {6} Miss Evvie, Tappan Beach, NY

On The Way, Week 31

{1} Pre-Hurricane Food Prep {2} First Snowfall {3} Impromptu Indoor Holiday Decoration {4} Dramatic Sunset

What's Up With Washi?

I've been out of touch. Out of touch, that is, with Etsy. For awhile I was on there constantly. Maybe it's because of Pinterest. Maybe it's because I am trying to be fiscally conservative! No matter the reason I think I need to get back into it. If you are not familiar with Etsy - well come out from under your rock! I mean really - it has grown soooo much since my sister and I "discovered" it years ago while searching for outlets to market our crafty wares. There is so much about it I love. It is really beautifully designed, managing to be both minimalist and chock full of information all at the same time. It pioneered some brilliant little widgets that really serve web marketing well. And of course there is the wonderful collection of artists who have made Etsy their home. Check out a few of my favorites: for charming handcrafted party and paper goods (including a fine selection of Japanese Washi tape):  Back to Zero and Sunshine & Ravioli; for artisan-style jewelry there's Artisan Look and Lavender Cottage plus these shops, featured above, for fashion, home decor and fine art.

On The Way, Week 30

There are no pretty pictures this week. Since Monday the only images I've captured that I'd like to share are courtesy of Hurricane Sandy. We didn't fare too badly up here, about 70 miles north of the city but family, friends and fellow New Yorkers and New Jerseyans surely did. If you can, please, help them out. Here are 3 ways that have been vetted by local authorities. Thanks.

The Red Cross: To Make A $10 Donation (Added To Your Cell Phone Bill) Text REDCROSS to 90999 or log onto RedCross.org

Donations Targeted for Staten Islanders: https://sisandyrelief.eventbrite.com/

Donations Targeted for Breezy Point Where 111 Homes Were Lost To Fire In Addition To Those Damaged or Destroyed By Water: https://www.wepay.com/donations/in-good-company-hospitality-relief-fund

New Kid On The Blog, November 2012: Making It Lovely

There are so many good and so many bad designs on the web. It amazes me that anybody cares so little to make a website look like this! But I guess I can put up with that when I also get to see ones like this. It's a touchy subject amongst bloggers. To custom design (& host) or not to custom design. A pleasant conversation between two casual friends came to a sudden, uncomfortable end over this topic. Podcast partners, Joy and Tracy, independently successful bloggers, nearly came to blows over it. The thing of it is, what matters is not how it's made but how it looks. I've come to realize, as with life itself, it's best to have a vision and stick to it. That's what makes Nicole's "Making It Lovely" blog, well, so lovely. Her obvious pleasure using pale pinks & corals (set off by whites & other neutrals) infuses every thing from her backgrounds to the furniture, fashion, paint - even the kids' Halloween costumes - that she posts about. Peruse her blog and let me know if you like it too!

On The Way, Week 29

{1} Sunrise, Lake Mombasha {2} Wonton Ravioli {3} Sunrise, Rock Ridge Farm

{4} Autumn Morning, Nucifora Road

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones

Aren't these lovely? Oh my they look good. And I LOVE scones. All buttery and subtle and melt-in-your-mouthy! They are sly little devils too because they seem a bit dry and crumbly when you take your first bite. Then the magic happens as the butter warms and kicks off a little party in your mouth. Oh yeah! Unfortunately these scones are not like those scones. These scones are healthy, whole grain scones. Bleck. I have tried making these 3 times now and I guess I am ready to finally call them a lost cause. I think it's because - like shortbread or croissants - without the butter there is no such thing as a tasty scone. The original recipe called for a bit of canola oil, whole wheat pastry flour, pecans and cranberries. I thought they were okay so I tried making them with a bit more oil the next time. It didn't improve them much. This time I thought if I swapped the pecans for chocolate chips it might make them more moist. It did improve the flavor but the texture remained coarse and overall a bit sour. So I guess scones will remain one of those special treats for a special day.

On The Way, Week 28

{1} Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones {2} First Fire of The Season

{3} Morning Frost

{4} Sunrise in Middletown

Crafty Me: Covered Boxes Mean Pretty Closets

I posted a little taste of this mini re-organization project sometime ago. It took me a bit but I finally got to finish off the enhancements for my linen closet! You all know that I don't REALLY have any terribly messy closets or drawers. When I moved here I took the time to edit all the stuff that came with me and plan what, of the remainder, would go where. I ordered all the right shelves and organizers to put my plan into action. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, courtesy of Pinterest, that I began yearning, not so much for more organization in this closet, but for more prettiness!

My first priority was to cover the ugly storage boxes (on the floor in the before). I bought a few yards of solid, neutral duck and a fresh, modern floral that coordinated nicely with the soft pink paint I used on the closet walls. Next up: add bins to each shelf to help separate and contain all the linens. I hid those ugly rags in one, rolled the smaller hand towels in another and arranged washcloths in a third. Another little tweak required a wire shelf to separate the storage boxes on the floor so I can easily slide out the bottom ones. I added a wire under-shelf basket to maximize that space even more. Finally I re-thought how I folded the remaining pieces. I remember Martha Stewart's way of folding all her sheets in a set inside one of the pillow cases to keep them together but I never thought that made for a neat package. Instead I fold and stack the fitted sheet and pillow cases then wrap the flat sheet around them. This way they look great even when stored upright! Another helpful little trick is to roll instead of fold. This allows you, with a little bit of planning, to perfectly fill almost any size space. I even rolled bath towels and stacked them the long way - that's them to the right of the rag bin. They look good!

And there you have it: an organized, pretty - and best of all - stress-free, easy to use closet!

On The Way, Week 27

Vacation, Ocean City, MD {1} Beach, Palms {2} Beach, Sand Art {3} Beach, 2nd Street {4} Porch, Boardwalk {5} Beach, Moonrise {6} Autumn, Rock Ridge Farm

Ricotta Parfait

Ice cream? No. Whipped cream? No. Creme anglais? No. This little parfait is cheese. Yikes! But of course - sweet cheese...beautiful, creamy, fresh ricotta cheese. I buy the organic and - I admit it - the whole milk variety. It' s more calories but if you're a stickler for those kinds of things you can reduce the serving size a bit - it's totally worth it. You can even substitute farmer's cheese if you prefer. When I do that I add just a little honey. The recipe is simple: 1/3 cup of Ricotta or Farmer's Cheese, 1/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips, 1/4 cup of Dried Cranberries. Top with 1 tablespoon of Oat Bran, Wheat Germ or - because I never have those in the house - some Cheerioes! Make this parfait even more special by serving in an elegant brandy snifter and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

On The Way, Week 26

  {1} Vacation, Ocean City, MD {2} Beach, Boardwalk {3} Beach, Sunrise {4} Room, Porch {5} Restaurant, Bull On The Beach

New Kid On The Blog, October 2012: The Pretty Blog

I have visited wedding sights on the internet like the Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings. I've browsed beautiful shops on Etsy.com for favors and paper creations. I've enjoyed discovering many DIY projects and crafts on different personal blogs. The Pretty Blog, however, touches on all of these and does so against a really elegant and creative background. You can peek into wedding events posted by ThePrettyBlog's lovely authors, Christine and Nicola. You can download free printables for party, gift-giving and organizing. You can even submit your own photos and events to be featured on the site. Or you can simply soak in the great graphics and pretty photography but whichever you choose you will get a large dose of inspiration from these 2 South African dolls.

On The Way, Week 25

{1} Veteran's Memorial, Holmdel, NJ {2} Green & Pink with Ocean View, Ocean City, MD {3} Boardwalk B&B (An Inn on the Ocean), Ocean City, MD {4} Sunrise, Ocean City, MD {5} Bull on the Beach, Ocean City, MD {6} Sitting Porch on the Boardwalk, Ocean City, MD

The New Kid On The Blog, September 2012: Skinny Taste

Unlike most of the "new" blogs I've featured here, I did NOT come by skinny taste via shutterbean or joy the baker. Instead I found that the recipes on this site often came up in random searches I've been doing to find healthier meals and better eating tips and tricks. The blog is clean, straight-forward and chock full of great recipe ideas. I'm always skeptical because lousy-tasting diet food can easily look just as good as the real thing (i.e. fat-laden and over-salted)! However reading Gina's recipes, posts and stories, I can believe in most cases the simple substitutions and restraint she uses help deliver fewer calories and cleaner ingredients along with flavor and satisfaction. Not to mention - *bonus* - I only have to raid my pantry or visit the grocery down the street to gather all I need. I can be adventurous in cooking but it's great to have a resource like Gina for when I'm feeling lazy!

On The Way, Week 24

{1} Patriotic Home, Sugar Loaf, NY {2} Woodland Trail, Tuxedo, NY {3} Five Spice Pork Tenderloin/Zucchini Pie, Whispering Hills, NY {4} Pine Hill Rd, Florida, NY

Chocolate Cherry Waffle

This recipe is adapted from one of Prevention's most touted dishes. And why not? Who can say no to chocolate for breakfast? When I first made this I thought the cherries needed a little help to first, brighten the flavor and second, to prevent the waffle from getting soggy. Now I like to thicken the sauce and add just a touch of maple syrup but you can easily omit those if you want to hold true to the slightly leaner original recipe. Here's how I do it: Toast one Van's Lite Totally Natural Waffle. In the meantime place 1/2 cup of Cascadian Farms Frozen Dark Pitted Cherries in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water, over medium heat. As the cherries start to defrost and release their liquid, add 1/4 cup of Smucker's Sugar Free Apricot or Peach Preserves. Stir frequently until the cherries are warmed through and the sauce thickens considerably. Slightly cool the waffle, then top with the cherries, 1/4 cup of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup. Have a sweet day!

Crafty Me: Decor

First off - let me apologize for these pictures - it is so dang hard to get any kind of quality light in this room! I didn't get a handle on my photography this week but I did have time for 2 of my favorite things: a craft project and some new decor. When I moved into my condo 5 years ago I pretty quickly decided that I wanted a calming, serene, relatively dark monochromatic color scheme in the master bedroom. I painted all the walls a rich and neutral tan (Martha Stewart's Skylark), laid a very deep-tone, high-sheen mahogany floor and chose shades of dark cherry for all the furniture. I installed beautiful Dupioni silk floor length drapes (Pottery Barn's Clay) and bought a chocolate velvet tufted headboard (Ballard Designs' Squire) along with 2 different ensembles and about half a bajillion pillows for the bed. The only part of the decor that left me a bit stumped was the wall art. The ceiling slopes from the window wall at 8 feet to about 12 feet on the opposite side. The headboard is rather high but there is still enough space above to feel like it needed something. The most dire need was the wall over the vanity table which felt very empty. In the end I opted to fill the space with non-traditional decor. I found an elegant wall decal ("Everyday holds the possibility of a Miracle!") that perfectly fit the space over the headboard, preventing it from feeling either cramped or forgotten. Later, another installation - a flock of butterflies fluttering across the wall over the vanity and behind two embossed plaques - was inspired by a lovely stained glass piece I received as a gift {bottom, left}. Now, the last spot - on the 12-foot high wall - has finally been filled with a selection of fun chipboard signs I found at the craft shop. I bought a fleur-de-lis, the words "live", "laugh" and "love" plus a crown to top it all off {bottom, right} and painted them with the leftover wall paint for a subtle, relief look. I hit them with a soft spray of gold glitter paint so they catch a little light every now and then. I am really happy with how these turned out. They are just what I wanted: something that would be a little different, a little creative and thoughtful, but unexpected as well. Where do you look for inspiration when an odd space or a tight budget way-lays your grand decorating plans?

On The Way, Week 23

{1} Crafty Decorating, Whispering Hills, NY {2} Nachos, Chester, NY {3} Organizing, Whispering Hills, NY {4} Remembering Our Heroes, New York, NY (photo courtesy of Thomas E Franklin/The Record, RockyMountainNews.com)

Pasta Salads

There are few things more satisfying or easy than a bowl full of pasta. I guess by now we've all heard this debunking of pasta as a high-calorie indulgence: "it's not the pasta but what you put on it." Well - kinda. It is certainly true that cream-based sauces and meaty additions kick up all the numbers in the Nutrition Info chart. But all alone pasta is, I think, still quite high in calories per ounce. This is an especially meaningful distinction if, like me, you come from a good ol' Italian household where a bowlful of spaghetti meant a bowl FULL of spaghetti. And I don't mean a little cup-sized bowl - I mean a big, nearly-serving-dish-size bowl! So rather than give up this beloved staple I have chosen to re-imagine pasta. It is now one of my go-to options for a great workday lunch. The key: start with a small serving of pasta (2 oz, dry) then layer in all kinds of goodness. I cook up a half (or sometimes a whole) pound of Rotini almost every Sunday. If I do half a package, I cook it, I drain it and I portion off 1/4 of the batch to each of four 2-cup containers and pop them in the fridge. Then in the morning I can grab one, throw in some flavor-makers and take-along for a very satisfying lunch at my desk, the park or in the lunchroom. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

{1} Mediterranean Olives, Applegate Farms Roasted Turkey, Crumbled Goat Cheese with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil {2} Avocado, Heirloom Tomatoes, a Crumble of Feta and Pine Nuts with Balsamic Vinaigrette {3} Pumpkin Puree, Sliced Cooked Pork, a Dash of Cinnamon Sugar, Olive Oil and a Sprinkling of Feta Cheese {4} Warm Chicken, Black Olive Tapenade, Gaeta Olives, Heirloom Tomatoes {5} Grape Tomatoes, Diced Celery and Carrot, Applegate Farms Maple Breakfast Sausage and a Dollop of Pesto

On The Way, Week 22

{1} Kayla, Little Neck, NY {2} BLT Whispering Hills, NY {3} End of Summer, Chester, NY {4} Mombasha Lake, Monroe, NY {5} Mediterranean Pasta, Whispering Hills, NY {6} Bog, Monroe, NY

On The Way, Week 21

{1} Sacred Heart Parish, Suffern, NY {2} Veggie Sausage, Onions & Peppers, Carrot-Currant Slaw, Whispering Hills, NY {3} Craft Decor, Chester, NY {4} Rainbow, Harriman, NY {5} Garden/Park, Chestnut Ridge, NY {6} Banana Split Muffin, Whispering Hills, NY