Photos from Weeknight Holiday Dinner Party

To contact us Click HERE

Last week we hosted three parties.  Wheew.   Three years ago, I would have said that I'd catered 3+ parties this week.  The holidays used to be sooo much different then - I spent every night cooking and everyday shopping for ingredients.  Then, the weekends were back-to-back parties.  Loading and unloading my car and making my way to clients' homes in the ice and snow. 
I loved my job during the holidays - everyone was so gracious and their guests were usually very kind.  I was fortunate to spend festive evenings in bustling homes that were filled with holiday cheer.  The only problem was that those home weren't filled with my festive friends and family (except when Mike was my happy helper). 

This year we packed our holiday entertaining schedule to the max and hosted a family party (Emma's Birthday), an open house for everyone on our new street and a small dinner party.  Tonight, I'm sharing photos from our small dinner party for 5 - us, our 2 guests and Emma.
As you can see, I reworked the floral arrangement from Emma's birthday party by adding clove studded oranges and red/orange amaryllis to the pink amaryllis, magnolia and cedar.

A photo of the simply set table just before dinner.

Light snacks with wine before dinner.



  The evening's entertainment...
 

Goat Cheese & Roasted Beet Salad over greens with a Lemon Vinaigrette



A new dessert created from my old creme brulee recipe...


Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee (pre-caramelized top!)
Stay tuned for recipes and more photos from our holiday parties!

A Peak Around our House the Night (okay, two nights...) Before Christmas

To contact us Click HERE

Here is a peak around our house just before Christmas!  Last night Santa (a.k.a. Mike's parents!) made a stop at our house and left this antique sleigh complete with red and robins egg blue paint - isn't it perfect?
I filled our urns with sprigs of cedar and piles of ornaments (non glass, but glass-looking).  The glittered ones look so great and sparkly at night.



Our tree, a Frasier Fir, is decked with upholstery strapping and ornaments, as always.


All of the gifts (but one from Mike to Emma) are wrapped in brown paper and satin ribbon.  I know brown kraft paper is really popular right now, but I've loved it for as long as I can remember.  For the last 30 years my Aunt Lisa has wrapped gifts in her signature craft paper and plaid ribbon.  At some point, maybe 15 years ago, I adopted her wrapping style.

Emma loves to unstack and re-stack the presents.   She particularly loves the packages with the red satin ribbons, which happen to be hers... smart girl!  Maybe she can read her name written on the packages in gold sharpie.

I love this pillow featuring a vintage woody wagon that I picked up at Pottery Barn.

The mantle has fake (gasp!) white pine sprigs with real magnolia leaves inserted in it.

I love the combo of the two AND the real magnolia leaves seem to make the fake pine look real.  Bonus.

A bay leaf wreath in the kitchen.



Potted paperwhites in the kitchen.


Packaged snowflake cookies ready for delivery.

A Bay Leaf Wreath in the dinning room.

A tree in our bedroom dormer.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Pecan Cinnamon Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough | Brunch Recipe

To contact us Click HERE

Sorry for being away so long! Emma's been out on Christmas break, which limits my computer time.  Substantially.  I have been taking photos of our dinners and holiday to share in the next couple of weeks, though, so stay tuned.  As soon as we get back to our regular schedule, I'll be able to get them on the blog.

PHOTO : Christmas Eve finery 

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a last minute idea for a New Years Day Brunch... as I'm searching my own files planning our menu for tomorrow morning.
 





As I re-posted last week, one of my all time favorite things to do is to make "homemade" cinnamon rolls from frozen bread dough.  We had friends over for brunch this week and, in addition to the classic cinnamon rolls, also made Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.  With just one extra step, you can create these sticky, pecan glazed cinnamon rolls.

Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
from frozen Bread Dough 
6-8 rolls

1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed (it comes 3 to a bag)
3 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1/4 cup of sugar
..........

Pecan Schmear :
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt1 cup of pecans


Thaw the loaf of frozen bread dough in the refrigerator or on the counter (there are directions for thawing on the bag).  Allow the thaw dough to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm area covered with a damp cloth.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle onto a floured surface.  Spread softened butter on the rolled out dough.



Sprinkle sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough.  Roll up the dough into a log.  Slice into 2-inch thick rolls.





Create the schmear by creaming together 4 tablespoons of butter, salt and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Scoop the mixture into the bottom of a round pie dish or baking pan.  


Put pecans on top of the schmear mixture.


Place the rolls, spiral side up in the baking pan.


Cover with a warm damp towel and allow to rise 2-4 hours (or overnight) in a warm area.  When the rolls have doubled in size, bake them at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until they begin to brown.  Let them cool for 5 minutes, then invert them onto a plate or serving platter.

Anthropologie {Add'l 30% off Semi-Annual) Sale!

To contact us Click HERE

Lots and lots of markdowns this morning after Christmas including the Sequined Jacquard Dress, Draped Tieback Dress, Mariposa Lace Dress, Robin's Egg Dress, and the Interlaken Sweater. Also there is an Additional 30% OFF ALL SALE ITEMS! Use code WOW30 at checkout. Over 25 SHOES have been markdown, ACCESSORIES, BAGS and lots and lots of JEWELRY. Happy shopping everyone!

To see all the FRESHLY CUT items CLICK HERE.
DRESSES

Glitzen Bow Dress	Flocked Sable Dress	Sequined Jacquard Dress
Goldleaf Cocktail Dress	Ypres Tulle Dress	Mirela Silk Dress
Persian Rose Patchwork Dress	Dashed Gilt Brocade Dress	Glinted Sunset Shift
Shadowlace Dress	Paprika Brocade Dress	Plumes Kimono Midi Dress
Skies Of Ore Dress	Stairways Mini Dress	Itoh Peony Dress
Chrysanthemum Tea Dress	Rosegold Stripes Dress	Facet Shift
Carmindy Dress	Flared Gauze Shirtdress	Shadeflower Dress
Euchre Jersey Dress	Shirred Column Jersey Dress	Racestripe Jersey Dress
Striational Column Dress	Convergent Jersey Dress	Basketweave Halter Dress
Ruched Gauze Column Dress	Draped Tieback Dress	Nipped Brocade Dress
Conifer Herd Dress	Adelita Brocade Mini Dress	Sculptural Pinafore Dress
Robin's Egg Dress	Medallion Sweater Dress	Hip Swag Bell Dress
Keola Dress	Lasercut Shirtdress	Coined Silk Shift
Grenadine Shift Dress

TOPS

Aurous Blouse	Puerto Peasant Blouse	Beaded Altitude Tunic
Embroidered Tartan Peasant Blouse	Split-Plaid Tunic	Windowpane Plaid Buttondown
Static Blouse	Fan Folds Tunic	Striped Shrunken Buttondown
Naima Embroidered Buttondown	Dotted Tieneck Blouson	Confetti Shrunken Buttondown
Stitched Chambray Buttondown	Shimmered Lace Shell	Reversible Seamless Tank
Striped Scoopneck Tee	Stilt Ribbed Henley	Conductor Stripe Top
Laurentia Boatneck	Plaid Placket Henley	Fairisle Thermal
Vermeil Threads Cardigan	Gauze Peplum Tee	Fustanelle Jacket

SWEATERS

Dotted Woolly Sweater	Marna Fairisle Cardigan	Silken Splash Cardigan
Interlaken Sweater	Skirted Peplum Sweater	Snowbird Cardi
Bandit Fairisle Sweater	Maven Boatneck Tunic	Pompom Intarsia Sweater
Binche Mirage Cardigan	Abstract Garden Pullover	Silvered Cableknit Pullover
Lace-Trimmed Marled Cardigan	Blair Scholar Jacket	Lodestar Cardigan
Mormor Marled Cardigan	Metallic Patchwork Poncho	Granna Cabled Poncho
Tahko Fairisle Sweater	Johann Cardigan	Toggled Basel Sweatercoat
Shadow Puppets Cropped Cardi	Halona Zipped Cardigan	Techniflora Embroidered Cardi
Dorset Fringed Poncho

JACKETS, BLAZERS & VESTS

Dusk Garden Cord Blazer	Salter Herringbone Blazer	Inner Art Denim Jacket
Lapka Vest	Nocturnal Vest	Cali Sweater Vest
Cali Sweater Vest	Chandelier Sleeves Knit Blazer	Maude Velvet Jacket
Flounced Boiled Wool Jacket	Fustanelle Jacket	Ivdel Cropped Jacket
Atajate Jacket	Tweed Bomber Jacket	Ulster Tweed Jacket
Cropped Tuxedo Jacket	Sweater-Back Army Jacket	Skara Sweatercoat
Divna Fur Jacket

PANTS

Sky-Shimmer Crops	Relaxed Flannel Cargos	Spliced Jacquard Slims
Bretton Tweed Wide-Legs	Citizens of Humanity Moleskin Dylan Boyfriend Crops	Current/Elliott Rider Legging
J Brand Brocade Skinny	J Brand Maverick Cargos	Earnest Sewn Audrey Coated Legging

SKIRTS

Doily Lace Skirt	Pique Tulle Skirt	Brocade Shimmer Skirt
Sparked Tulle Party Skirt	Fine Wale Cord Skirt	Cube Rush Midi Skirt
Fine Wale Cord Skirt	Dipped Chroma Maxi Skirt	Kudzu Midi Skirt
French Stripes Maxi Sweater Skirt	Wood Grain Pencil Skirt	Jacquard Sweater Pencil Skirt
Blomma Cross-Stitched Skirt	Holding Horses Ribbonrow Denim Skirt	Sequined Confetti Mini
Chantilly Lace Mini	Notched Felt Skirt