Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Christmas Tea Tablescape

Christmas is coming!!! Are you ready?  I am!
I decided to have a Christmas Tea for my dining room tablescape…lighthouse and nativity included! Yes, it is a unique combination, but I really love the look! Check out some pictures I took...
Nutcracker Teacup:
 white teapot:

HW726W Red and White Christmas Tea Cup with glitter:
Clipart - Anne Lisbeth Stavland - Picasa Web Albums:
Clipart - Anne Lisbeth Stavland - Picasa Web Albums:
A close-up of the lighthouse reveals a couple taking in the view!
Idéias para voce: Gravuras de Natal para decoupage:
The nativity was my parents and I remember my mom putting it up every Christmas when I was a child.

Here is a short video of the table with the lights turned out and some glowing Christmas lights...giving it a peaceful and romantic feel!
Christmas Teacup:


One thing that I haven't had a chance to add to the table was some Christmas cookies. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for baking this Christmas. When I do get a little time, though, I really want to try baking some Macraons. 

Here is a recipe I would like to try. Have you ever made Macarons?
Christmas Macarons
Adapted from a recipe by Tartelette (source)For the macarons:
100g egg whites (about 3), aged
125g almond meal
150g pure icing sugar
100g caster sugar
cinnamon, for dusting
1. Age your egg whites by leaving them out at room temperature for 24-48 hours, or for 3-5 days in the fridge. Process almond meal and icing sugar in a food processor and sift into a bowl. Process any remaining lumps again and sift again – discard any bits that do not fit through the sieve.
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks, then gradually add the caster sugar whilst beating until stiff peaks form. Add the dry ingredients in two additions and mix quickly with a spatula a few times to get rid of any large air bubbles. Once the ingredients are starting to incorporate, slow down and fold the mixture until it flows like magma and falls in ribbons from the spatula. Pipe 3cm circles onto sheets lined with baking paper. Confidently rap the baking sheet onto the counter top to allow bubbles to come to the surface, pop these with a toothpick. Sprinkle some cinnamon over the top of half the shells for the eggnog macarons, if desired. Leave the shells out to dry for 30 minutes to an hour to allow a skin to develop on top – when you can touch the surface without any mixture sticking to your finger, they are ready.
3. Preheat the oven to 140ºC. If you have thin baking sheets, place an overturned baking tray into the oven while it is preheating. When the macarons are ready, place the baking sheet on top of the overturned baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. The macarons are usually ready when they peel back from the baking paper easily. When they have finished baking, carefully peel the macarons from the baking paper and place onto a wire rack to cool.
For the buttercream:
100g butter, softened
190g icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp peppermint essence (for the candy cane macarons)
2 large candy canes, crushed (for the candy cane macarons)
1 tbsp rum (for the eggnog macarons)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (for the eggnog macarons)
pinch of nutmeg (for the eggnog macarons)
4. Beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the icing sugar and milk. Divide the buttercream into two – in one half add the peppermint essence, and in the other half add the rum, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Fill the plain shells with peppermint buttercream and roll in crushed candy canes. Fill the cinnamon topped shells with the eggnog buttercream. Place in an airtight container to mature in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Christmas Wishes Tea Cup Greeting Card by Kimberly Shaw Graphics with delicious Holiday Tea:

 Ann 
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Spanish Proverb
Linking over to these blog parties:
A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Freedom Friday @ My Turn for Us
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring 
Creativity Unleashed @ Shaken Together Life
Creative Collection Link Party @ Classy Clutter, and Blooming Homestead
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

My Chai Just Got Dirty


You may be wondering, by the title of this post, whether or not I've gone off the deep end, or what!?

 No, I'm happy to say, I am not "drinking mud", per say! But, I have expanded my horizons! 

 A co-worker and friend of mine recently introduced me to something new....DIRTY CHAI.

If you are like me, you may be a bit leary to drink anything with coffee in it. I love the smell of brewing coffee, but really dislike the taste of it, even cappuccinos.  

Some of you hard core chai and/or coffee drinkers (especially if you enjoy Starbucks drinks) may already know about this sweet surprise. I, on the other hand, had no idea how delicious this liquid caffeine high would be!
Definition:    Dirty Chai is a popular coffee shop drink. It's an espresso drink made of a shot of espresso mixed into a 'chai tea'. It's usually made with a chai concentrate, steamed milk and a single shot of espresso.

DIRTY CHAI: A RECIPE THAT’S SO MUCH MORE THAN CHAI AND ESPRESSO

I'm not sure what my co-worker's recipe was that she concocted for me to try, but it appears there are tons of recipes on the internet.(This is truly a new craze!) So, I decided to share a few of them here, including baked goods.

Iced Dirty Chai Almond Milk Latte {Gluten-free and Vegan}-could be prepare hot or on ice.


Dirty Chai Pancakes

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Dirty Chai Spiced Fudge
Dirty Chai Cinnamon Rolls

Dirty Chai Doughnut Muffins

Dirty Chai Cookies

Chocolate Dirty Chai Chip Protein Shake

Dirty Chai Ice Cream

Dirty Chai Oatmeal

Dirty Chai Latte No-Bake Cheesecake

Here are even more receipes:


Problem Solved....
Wishing you

 Ann 
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Spanish Proverb
Linking over to these blog parties:
No Rules Weekend Blog Party @ Life as We Know It by Paula
Sharing His Beauty @ The Beauty in His Grip
Creativity Unleashed Link Party @ One Project Closer/The Better Half
Freedom Fridays @ My Turn For US 
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away from Home
Shabbilicious Friday Link Party @ Shabby Art Boutique
A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market
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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Teatime on the Sun Porch

Well, it's been a long few weeks, so I haven't posted here in a while, again. Unfortunately, when my schedule gets too busy, this blog is what gets let go. I guess some things just must take precedence to writing about cottage life, teatime, and my outfit posts. Today I'm stopping for a bit of tea...

The weather here has been so fickle (for Indiana, that's not uncommon, though). Last week we had our first snowfall (just a light dusting). Over the weekend we held up under the storm front and multiple tornadoes that surged through most of the Midwest. Check out my post over at "Christ in the Clouds". I got this photo of a double rainbow over the lake. It's a bit blurry, but I didn't even think my camera was working right at the time I took this, so I am happy to have this picture.
I'm finally finding some time to relax again and enjoy teatime by myself, something I cherish. This "alone time" allows me to unwind and spend time in the Bible/communing with the Lord! 

 “Tea should be taken in solitude.”
The large owl is also a cookie jar. The lid is the owl's head and is removable. (Now, that's really losing his head!)
“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”
― Lin Yutang, The Importance Of Living 
I even tried a new recipe - Mississippi Tea Cakes. They're quite simple to make(I had all the ingredients already in my pantry/fridge.) and they are really delicious! I made half of mine with the regular ingredients and with half, I added a mixture of sugar/cinnamon.
 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk(substitution: 1/4 T. lemon juice added to 1/4 cup of milk)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; beat into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I still love having teatime with friends, too! Unfortunately, our church decided not to have their annual "Ladies Tea" this year, as we have done for many years. There were several reasons behind this, but I do hope they return to having it next year! I will definitely miss seeing the more than 80 tables, each personally decorated for teatime, the wonderful music and speakers that would also be a part of the afternoon, and the delightful women and young girls (over 600 in one room!) that would gather together.


Maybe I will try to have a few friends over for tea over the holidays! I have had such a wonderful time with my dear friends when we have teatime together!
 “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady
'Afternoon Tea' by William Henry Margetson 1861-1940
The Tea Party 
"I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small-
Three guest in all-
Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea;
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.”
― Jessica Nelson North

Do you like to have time to just sit, read, pray, whatever and sip on some tea by yourself? Do you cherish that time or are you more of a extrovert and don't like to be alone? 

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb
Linking up at these blog hops:

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