Filter Fabulous!

Ahhhh....2012...how did you get here so fast? While others are anticipating the promise and possibilities of a brand spanking New Year I must admit...I am a bit bummed! Year after year, I live for the holidays! I crazily contemplate my Christmas crafts, manically manifest my menus, and devilishly deck the halls with boughs of holly! Now that the Yuletide has passed, I cower at the idea of taking all of my pretty, pretty decorations down and boxing them up until next year. Sigh....But wait, isn't the season of winter worth celebrating too? There are so many magical things that the winter brings- snow, frost, icicles and crackling fireplaces! For those of us living in climates close to the tropics, a winter wonderland may be only a dream or a ski vacation away. Here in Orlando; we are stewing in a steamy 75 degrees on this January day... No snowman or sledding for us any time soon! Upon my web travels, I found this adorable D.I.Y. wreath that may cause even Jack Frost himself to come nipping at your nose. How clever is this craft made out of what else but clean COFFEE FILTERS! What caught my eye about this craft is the wreath reminded me of wintery white carnations- one of my all time favorite, but much neglected flowers. If you are like me and need a little dose of creative crafting to help get you through those post Christmas blues, pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa, sneak into those flannel penguin pj's and fire up that glue gun!

Materials:

* Styrofoam or hay wreath form (Note: If using pressed hay wreath, leave the plastic covering on!)
* Extra large coffee filters
* Hot glue gun and glue sticks
* White craft glue
* Stiff paintbrush
* Glitter
* Bow or ribbon (optional)

Directions:

Stack one coffee filter on top of another. Fold in half and pinch the bottom of both filters in center. Draw hand from bottom to top to bunch into a blossom; squeeze at pinched point to hold shape. Begin hot gluing pinched ends of filters side by side around the wreath form with blossoms pointing outward. Start from the outside of the ring in. Continue this pattern until wreath form is covered with coffee filter blooms. (Note: If you do find small gaps developing, feel free to fill these in with cupcake liners for texture and depth.) If you think your wreath needs a little pizzazz, brush watered-down craft glue onto wreath with a stiff brush and sprinkle with glitter. Use hot glue to attach a bow to wreath, if desired.

For those of you who may be sick of snowflakes and irritated by icicles by this point in the year, this couture coffee creation is changeable! Dust them with a little pink or blue spray paint for a friend's baby shower, incorporate pastel colored cupcake liners for a spring blossoms wreath or even use the natural unbleached coffee filters for a charming rustic look to be displayed all year long.  Happy Hot Gluing  and Happy New Year, All!

It's A Family Tradition!

Besides the spirit of giving that fills hearts around the world (and all the clearance sales,) the reason why I love the holiday season so is because of the repetition of tradition! Traditions are constants we can count on, despite what the year has given or taken away from us- we can find a sense of comfort and routine in our family traditions that we hold so dear. For those of you who know me, you are aware that I live in a Hallmark card. Every day is a holiday and every day deserves to be celebrated! Between me and my tremendously talented teacher of a mother, the Dostal/Thornton household has acquired a bountiful bevy of holiday traditions and cultural customs throughout the decades. Some stem back from my mother's childhood, growing up in a modest country home in rural Georgia while some were passed down from ancestor to ancestor in my father's Czech lineage. One tradition that my sister and I developed as youngsters is that we would spend the night under the Christmas tree every December 23. We loved falling asleep in our flannel PJ's, tucked away in our Coleman sleeping bags in the electric glow of thousands of multi-colored lights. That to us was Christmas Magic at its finest...Granted with changes in our lives such a marriages and babies, this routine has been tucked away for the years but not forgotten. We hope that one day; we can pass along this tradition for our children and their children to uphold. Food is generally a huge part of family traditions and holiday get-togethers. The recipe below I am sure has been re-written and re-vamped throughout the years to personal preferences but the ritual ultimately stays the same. As soon as everyone is awake (we are not morning folk), we all gather at the breakfast table still in our pajamas for Mimosas and Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole. Take a peek at the recipe below- hopefully it may appear in a new family tradition for you!

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 can of crescent rolls

1 cup grated cheese, (Swiss is my mother's preference, but I like a Sharp Cheddar/Mozzarella blend)

1/2 cup grated cheese, additionally for topping after casserole is cooked

1 sleeve of hot breakfast sausage, cooked and drained of fat

1 sleeve of mild breakfast sausage, cooked and drained of fat

2 cups of milk or half-n-half

6 eggs

Butter for greasing casserole dish

Cracked salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350*. Grease casserole dish with butter. Press crescent roll dough in the bottom of the casserole dish, forming a crust. Dump both drained sausages into casserole dish and top with 1 cup of grated cheese. Beat eggs, milk and salt and pepper together, pour over sausage and cheese mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes and top with remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese before serving. Casserole is best warm!

Cherish your own special traditions you share with your family- hold them close to your heart. Even though every day is not a calendar holiday, there's no excuse not to celebrate it! Life is so precious and goes by so fast...Enjoy the magic and wonder of this Christmas season and here's to creating some new traditions of your own! Happy Holidays, Y'all!

Successful Soirees of the Season

Like the song says, here we are in the most wonderful time of the year! Parties, people and presents- can it get any better? The holidays hopefully are a time of joy, appreciation and reflection for you, but for many it can mean STRESS! There are gifts to be wrapped, stockings to be hung and of course, family to be entertained and celebrations to be thrown! With so many things to tend to in the month of December, it's no wonder sugar plums are dancing in our heads! We have included a few pointers below that will hopefully make your holiday party planning just a little bit merrier and much less hairier!

You Are Cordially Invited: Holiday party invitations can be offered up in paper post, email blasts, or a warm phone call to your favorite friends. No matter the media, ideally a party invitation should be sent out no less than 2 weeks prior to the event date. A good tip is to invite 20% more than the number of guests you wish at your gathering. Since the holiday season is already busting at the seams with parties, get-togethers and family vacations, you can safely count on 70% to 80% of your invitees attending. Invitations are the perfect way to set the theme and style of your fabulous fete! If you find yourself in a Christmas conundrum and just can't settle on a theme, first find an invitation that tickles your fancy. You now have a color palette, design and motif for your event- let the invitation be your inspiration!

Don't Shop Till You Drop: Plan your party shopping in a couple of trips so you can start with food preparation days in advance. This will also allow you to keep track of how many RSVP's you are actually shopping for to prevent over spending. Lists are so necessary! Plan your menu, and then devise your shopping list based off of your pre-selected recipes. Group the products together in order of the aisles they appear in the supermarket. If possible, avoid weekend shopping excursions or the after-work dinner rush. Orchestrating your grocery run during "off-times" will save you time and a holiday headache!

Food for All: Prepare a menu around a variety of dietary needs. So many people have food allergies and a gracious hostess is sensitive to these needs. Acknowledge guests who may have nut allergies, gluten free diets, vegan/vegetarian life styles and even dairy intolerance. If you have a guests attending whom you know has one of these special dietary needs, you may want to give a courtesy call to review menu with them and let he/she know you have made arrangements for them. Not only will they feel warm and fuzzy, but you can rest assured that everyone will be able to eat, drink and be merry at your holiday bash!

Safety First: Be mindful of food safety by keeping platters small and replenish often. Consider covering platters with plastic wrap right until the very first guest arrives. One rule of thumb in catering is that food held outside of temperature, either hot or cold, must be used within 3 ½ hours or discarded. That means your clams casino cannot hang out on the buffet all evening. Offer hand sanitizer in the restroom and encourage your guests to pick up a clean plate before hitting up the food table again.

Liquor Laws: Everyone likes to imbibe in a cup or two of "Christmas Cheer" during the holidays! When serving alcoholic beverages, be sure to include a variety of food that will prevent punch-drunk party guests. High-protein foods and complex carbs are your best bet. Consider offering an antipasti tray with a variety of meats and cheeses, a carving station with lean proteins such as turkey or pork tenderloin, or a crowd favorite, jumbo shrimp cocktail. Fruits and vegetables containing Vitamins B and C are also great defenses against ho-ho-horrible hangovers. Towards the end of the your swinging soiree, offer rib-sticking treats such a mini-grilled cheeses, breaded mozzarella sticks, hamburger sliders, etc. as send off snacks. These naughty nibbles will be much appreciated by your guests that night and their morning after. Consider ordering custom water bottle labels and setting up a tub of chilled bottled waters by the door. Encourage your guests to take two or three as "party favors" as you send them off. If a guest is not capable of driving home, set up the Aero bed for them in the spare room or arrange for a taxi to take them home. As always, safety first!

Be YOUR Guest: This will be a hard pill for all of my divas to swallow! We sure do love our D.I.Y. projects and concocting all of our favorite recipes, but sometimes you just have to surrender! Consider paying a maid service to come in both before and after your party to take care cleaning out all those hidden nooks and crannies. You may also want to look into having your party catered or perhaps you provide the dessert or your family favorites and entrust a caterer to provide food and service. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, find some time for you to relax and enjoy the company of your family and friends. This will be money well spent.

We hope these soiree suggestions help make your yearly yuletide gathering a memorable and stress-free occasion for you. Keep in mind however, if the pigs in a blanket burn or if the cupcakes collapse, let it go. Do not stress! Try to focus on the positive and remember, at the end of the day it's all about creating the friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

Happy Holidays, Y'all!

Turkey Day Table Talk

The feasting and festivities of Thanksgiving are a week away and even though I know you have talked turkey, have you talked table? As you thumb through the pages of your heirloom cookbooks and seek out the newest recipes from Alton and Emeril, dedicate some of your time to the design of your dining room table. Creating the perfect place setting is key to a well-remembered dinner party as we all know we feast first with our eyes! Our suggestions below will not only entertain but engage your guests at this year's Thanksgiving Day table.

Table Linen- Do you really need one? If your table is a modern glass top or a sumptuous hardwood, you may not require linen. If you are however working with a hand me down dining room set, covered with few water rings and pizza grease stains, let your linen lead the way. Table coverings can be inviting and inexpensive! Better Homes & Gardens has a lovely cost-effective line of linens offered at Wal-mart Stores for under $10.00 a cloth! The Hera of Holidays, Ms. Martha Stewart has her own bevy of brocades and damasks available at K-mart and Macy's for reasonable prices as well. Before you begin looking for linen, be sure you have your table measurements in hand. The same goes if you would like to make your table covering. Stop by the local fabric shop and pick up a few yards of rustic burlap or ecru canvas for a fast cover-up. You may even want to bolster your table in brown butcher's paper. Give your dinner guests colored pens and they can write what they are thankful for this year on the covering. You will be grateful for all the sincere sentiments and the ease of clean-up.

Napkins- Want to really make an impact? Napkin folds! Simple and solid to over-the-top origami, napkin folds can be found all over the web. The secret to making a beautifully folded napkin is your napkin needs to be steamed and starched. This will give it a "back-bone" and aid in keeping its shape. If fanciful folds are out of your league, fret not! This is when the napkin ring is king! Thick gold, orange or brown floral wire twisted and turned in your own circular creation works wonders. No, it's not 1993, but scrunchies with a delicate gold button or small crystal embellishment glued to them will keep your napkin and your crimped pony-tail in place!

Chargers- These over-sized glammy plates are a wise investment for the frequent hostess. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the charger concept, they are large decorative plates placed under your actual dinner plate. Charger plate etiquette and use varies among caterers and restaurants. Chargers can be removed as soon as the guests are seated or after the salad course or entree course are taken away. Since the plates are not actually used to serve food on, we leave the charger removal at your own personal discretion. Creative chargers come in hand-blown glass, rattan, wood, steel, etc. Melamine and plastic are practical and durable options for a charger. They are not dishwasher safe but can be easily wiped down after the big feast with a damp rag and a dose of elbow grease. Melamine or plastic will also be the most cost efficient option- a huge impact for the slightest charge.

Centerpieces- I like the old adage low and long for holiday and formal gatherings. Since Thanksgiving dinners are usually a time for catching up and conversing with your closet family and friends, you don't want your centerpieces to block your line of vision with your dear ones. Varying sizes of pillar candles with apples and leaves intertwined down the middle of the table will give you a clean and classic look. Gold-painted twigs, branches and acorns add some shimmer and shine to your Turkey time. Trust your family florist to design something elegant and traditional using autumnal colored Chrysanthemums, berries and wheat stalks. You may want to forgo the centerpiece all together and let your food be the focus of your fete.

Place Card Holders- Put them in their place! The best way to personalize a table and make your guests feel a part of the gathering is place cards. These cleverly crafted cards are fashionable and functional. Please consider these "gourd-eous" place card holders we have pictured here. All we did was take a mini pumpkin (this one is actually plastic so I can use them for years to come but the real thing is preferred) and very carefully, slit the stem deep enough to hold a place card. The same concept could be applied to a small piece of Indian corn, a Bosc pear or even a pinecone. A freshly fallen leaf with your guest's name written in gold or silver paint pen is a pleasing place card as well.

Hopefully, these tableside tips will guide you in creating a marvelous and memorable holiday for all. We wish you and your families a delightfully decadent Thanksgiving and are grateful to have your love and support throughout the years!

Night of the Living Bread

Gather around, boys and ghouls! Halloween may be a kiddy and candy filled holiday for the majority, but what better time to host a party so lively, it will raise the dead! I think the child in all of us gets a little more mischievous and playful around this time of year. Whimsy and wonder lurks around every corner with collections of costumes, cauldrons of candy, and big-grinned jack-o-lanterns watching your every move! Even though we may be a little too old for the tricks, let the treats and eats be your focus this year. Offer to throw a ghastly get-together  for your closet friends. Throw a few cob webs on the wall, turn up the “Monster Mash”, and offer a bewitching buffet that will have those goblins screaming for more! The “Skeleton Bones” recipe below is more than easy and won’t “break” your bank for this year’s frightful fete!

Ingredients

1 tube of refrigerated breadstick dough

Coarse sea salt

Directions

Unroll a tube of refrigerated breadstick dough and separate the rectangular pieces. Working with one piece at a time, stretch the dough to lengthen it a bit and then use kitchen scissors or a knife to cut a 1 ½ inch slit in the center of each end. Roll or shape the resulting four flaps of dough into knobs that look like the ends of a bone. Place the dough bones on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart, and sprinkle on a little coarse salt. Bake the bones until they are light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Makes 12 bones.

These bonafide breadsticks will look just darling on your spooky spread! Serve with "slimy” spinach dip, "macabre” marinara or spine-chilling cheese sauce. Let your menacing mind run wild this Halloween!

Perfect Paper Posies

As the summer sun sets, and the leaves begin to turn, what will you miss most about these wonderfully warm and welcoming months of summer? Me personally, I will miss the bright blooms of my Zinnias, Marigolds, Gardenias and Hibiscus. These are all floral harbingers that signal the commencement of vacation season and remind me to slow down a bit- it is time to enjoy life! Don’t get me wrong, the seductive gold, bronze and copper hues of the autumn leaves are simply stunning, but every now and then in the midst of a cool fall breeze, I long for the beauty of a bright summer bloom. Through a little ingenuity and imagination, we have found a way to capture the sight and shape (unfortunately, we haven’t mastered the smell) of summer’s finest floral.

Materials:

6 large sheets of tissue paper in varying colors

1 pipe cleaner

Scissors

Tape

Directions:

For each flower, stack 6 different-colored sheets of tissue paper, then fold the stack accordion style the long way. Twist a pipe cleaner around the center. Round both ends of the stack with scissors. For a frilly flower, cut a point at the ends of the stack with scissors. Open the flower by gently pulling up 1 layer of tissue paper at a time toward the center. To add leaves, turn over the flower and use the pipe cleaner ends to attach two 6-foot strips of crepe paper streamers to the bottom of the flower. To add a stem, add your bloom to a bamboo garden stack with a bit of Scotch tape.

From here, feel free to use your fanciful flowers any where you please! Your tissue Tulips and paper Pansies look great as décor for spring time bridal teas, baby girl showers, or any bold birthday bash. Party or no party, may these paper posies keep the spirit of summer living in your heart and soul all year long!

Berry, Berry, Quite Contrary!

Divas, can you believe how incredibly fast this summer is flying by?! Despite it's prompt passing, I hope you have managed to squeeze in a few juicy snow cones and sand castles somewhere along the way! Whether it's today, tomorrow or this weekend, take a moment to really relish in the "easin' of the season" with our sweet "Berry Bubbler" cocktail. Bright and ripe berries are synonymous with the joys of summer time and are usually at their peak during the warm weather months. We added a "POP" of Champagne and a splash of vodka to this cocktail in hopes that it quenches your thirst! Enjoy this sip of summer before summer slips away!

Berry Bubbler

Ingredients:

Bottle of Brut Champagne or Prosecco

Strawberry puree or strawberry daiquiri mix

Vanilla flavored vodka

Fresh berries to garnish- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Assembling the Drink:

Fill a chilled Champagne flute 1/4 of the way full with the berry puree and a splash of vanilla vodka. (Unlike most situations in life, more vodka is not always better! :) Gently combine mixture at the bottom of the glass with a drink stirrer or straw. Top mixture with cold Champagne or Prosecco and garnish with fresh berries. Serve pool or picnic side, sip slowly...

"Here's to the bright sunny days and dips in the pool, here's to walking barefoot through green grass that is cool, here's to sleeping in late between the sheets, here's to baseball games and impromptu volleyball meets, here's to early morning fishing with a cane pole, here's to grilling and chilling; can't you smell that charcoal? Here's to watermelon, ice cream and road trips to the beach, here's to enjoying this sweet summer time before it is out of reach!"