hooray for the holidays

merry christmas

happy hanukkah

happy winter solstice

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

xo

♥

photographer: Tom        stylist: Tamara        model: Mel

holiday baking & sharing

packaged and ready to go!

I love to bake.  So when we were invited to my bff's this past weekend for a holiday party and was asked to bring some festive cookies for a "cookie swap", I was super excited to partake. I was however overwhelmed with choices of what to bake!  There are always so many recipes to choose from, and during the holidays especially, so many fun, festive, and delicious ones!  After a few sifts through my recipe "pile" (I have yet to find the best way to organize my recipes...some are in a folder, others in a binder, some are on my computer, and the others are scattered throughout the internet, friends and family)...I decided to make 2 of my favorites.  I made one of the more challenging "cookies" that I only attempt every few years when I really have the time and patience, petit fours (I used this basic recipe but filled mine with raspberry jam, tinted my frosting green and decorated with red hearts, red flowers and sugar gingermen).  After working at Martha Stewart TV for so many years, I really learned the tricks of these by watching John Barricelli, one of the master chefs in the prep kitchen there, (really I would eat the "scrap bowl" while he was making the beautiful creations!)  They are definitely labor intensive and I have to be honest, I did lose about 1/2 of them in the making...but the 1/2 I "lost", were just not as "pretty" for the swap and they stayed home for my husband and I to enjoy.  The other "cookie" I chose to make was not really a cookie either.  It is one of my favorite recipes from a good friend I used to work with at Martha, the worlds best Gingerbread Cake from Gramercy Tavern!  If you love gingerbread the way I do, I really recommend trying this recipe.  The original one is made in a bundt pan, however I decided to make individual cakes (reducing the baking time accordingly) and package them in cello bags with a cute tag.  Again, this way I could contribute to the swap with a smaller, take away portion.  With so many cookies, I felt the cakes were a great addition at the end of the night for the guests to bring home and eat the next morning, perhaps with their coffee, or share with other family members.  Another great thing about this gingerbread cake recipe is that it just gets better after a day or two!  Making these individual cakes also reminded me of the small loaves of zucchini and banana bread my mom, husband and I made as part of our wedding favors.  We made the breads to go along with jars of currant jam my mom made from the berries my dad grew in his garden.  Small home baked gifts of breads, cakes and cookies are always loved by just about anyone and what better way to spread the love and give thanks to someone during the holidays?  Maybe you have someone on your list you too can bake for.....the dog walker, babysitter, postman, kid's teachers, house keeper, doorman? Kids love to bake too!  Really, who doesn't love homemade AND home baked?  What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?

individual gingerbreads baked, cooling and waiting for packaging

this years petit fours!

my cookie swap box to come home!  

note the festive gingerbread owl peering out made by my bff (and the host) Sweet Dani B!

Whooos ready for the holidays now?

have you started your holiday shopping?

I am participating in a few holiday sales this year and would love for you to come!  If you live in the tri-state area check out the following...

On Saturday, November 26th from 10 am - 4 pm 

I will be in at the Brewster Elks Lodge in Brewster, NY....

I also heard Santa will be too!

From December 3rd - 18th the Putnam Arts Council will be holding their

 Annual Holiday Craft, Art, Gift & Gourmet Sale.  

This is the 3rd year I am participating and I am super excited!

Why not think about buying handmade this year and supporting local artisans.

If you can't make it to one of these sales...you can always check out my website at

www.angeldogdesigns.etsy.com

In the spirit of giving...my gift to my loyal blog readers is a 10% discount!

 Just use the code BLOG2011 when you check out.

Offer expires Dec 10, 2011.

enjoy ♥

for the birds

glittered pinecones (not for birds!)

This past holiday season I made glittered pinecones for some craft fairs, to give as Christmas presents, and to hang on my own Christmas tree.  I recently stumbled upon some of the extra pinecones I had not glittered and decided to craft them into something we used to make as kids...pinecone bird feeders!  With all the snow we have been having, the birds have been flocking to our feeders, so I figure why not give them something new and different to feast upon!  These feeders are super easy to make, and if you have kids, so much fun for them to make with you.  All you need are some pinecones, peanut butter (you can use shortening or softened suet if you have nut allergies), twine, plastic knife, bird seed and a paper plate or two. 

Tie a piece of twine securely to the stem side of your pinecone

Use a plastic knife to apply peanut butter in the openings of the pinecone

Over a paper plate, roll the pinecone in birdseed.

I used black oil sunflower seed and pressed the seeds into the 

peanut butter with my hand.

Hang your feeder near the end of a tree branch ...the further out you put it,

the less likely a squirrel will be able to get it!

Wait...and birds will come :)

A very happy customer!  Now off to identify my feathered friends. 

xo

lost and found in brooklyn

As you probably know by now, we have had a lot of snow on the East Coast this year. I saw this video a few weeks ago when we had the blizzard that basically shut down New York for a day or two and thought it was pretty amazing.  I came across it again today and noted that the film maker, Todd Bieber, still has not found the owner of the photographs.  Take a look...maybe you can help and email him at brooklynfoundfilm@gmail.com

new year's eve walk

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the last day of the year than a walk in one of our most favorite places, The Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.  We (myself, my husband and my dog) spent about an hour trekking through the snow covered paths, taking in the fresh air, jumping around in the drifts and admiring how different our surroundings looked (we received about a foot and a half of the fluffy white stuff earlier this week).  It was the perfect ending to the year and gave us some time to reflect on all that has happened in 2010.  I wish you all a very happy and peaceful 2011.  

large oak tree, damaged by a storm a few years ago and later turned into a sculpture by a local artist

also part of the oak tree

What are your plans for the new year?

a little bit of snow

So we finally got some snow here on the east coast...a blizzard in fact.  The airports were closed, trains were delayed, roads were treacherous and well, basically we are covered with about a foot and a half of that fluffy white stuff.  Good thing we had no where to go.  Our new dog Mel was not so happy at first...but after a path was carved for him, he started to find the joy in the powder below his feet.  He is all white however, so we put on a bright red fleecy jacket to make sure we didn't loose him out there.  In case you don't have any snow where you are...I'll share some of mine...I have more than enough :)

very thankful for the snow blower

Mel checking out the drifts

buried garden gnome

my husband finished with the dig out  & taking a break with Mel

I hope you are enjoying your holidays...We spent our day digging out and frolicking in the snowdrifts!  How did you spend yours?