Lunch With the Birds

This cardinal-inspired table was a quickly arranged table for an impromptu lunch that was made easier because a) I didn't have a lot of time to think about it, and, b) I had been planning for the opportunity for a while, although not specifically for this day.

Mary, from Home Is Where the Boat Is deserves all the credit for having inspired me, through countless bird posts and incredible creativity, into trying out my very own table.  I do love little birds, and over the years, I've established a little collection of bird ornaments and dishes, without any clear idea of what I would do with them, until now.

The salad plates are Certified International, and the pattern is Holly and Ivy,  The set comes with two variations:  The cardinal . . .

And the chickadee.  The dinner plate is from Williams-Sonoma Woodland Berry collection, which I will use again on Christmas Eve (I've had them for two years, but with Covid, haven't really had a chance to use them.  The twigs and branches make it a perfect place for birds to hang out.

I dug into my stash of napkin rings and found these which put me in mind of a twiggy bird's nest.  I paired them with the Red Caroline Paisley napkins.  I liked the softer red they brought to the table.

The cardinal salt and pepper set came out to play.  Now, I grant you, the female cardinal doesn't have the startling plumage of the male, but she holds the pepper, and keeps things spicy.

The live ivy wreath came from Trader Joe's. TJ's also yielded a small evergreen wreath that I placed around the base of the ivy.

Then I reached into the stash of bird ornaments in my collection.  I like that they seem to be peeking out here and there, and you can't see them fully.  

The chickadee made itself at home under the ivy.

The Pottery Barn placemats came home with me a couple of years ago.  I use them all the time, and really like the rustic charm they bring to the table.

I am having a hard time deciding which of the two plates I like better!  The green water goblets came from Dollar Tree almost a decade ago.  They have served us well!

More forest birdies came out of the woods to join the party . . . 

And a curious deer came to investigate.

So, what did we serve at this lunch?  Well, we started with a Winter Wedge Salad, with crumbled maple bacon, Red Anjou pears, walnuts and Marzetti Blue Cheese dressing.  The lunch came together in a hurry, and I didn't have time to make my own dressing from scratch, but this one was really good!

The salad was followed by a really scrumptious sandwich:  Ham-off-the bone, Provolone, a schmear of Dijon mustard on one side, and strawberry jam on the other, then grilled on a frying pan with creamy butter, and served with a Vlasic zesty dill pickle spear.

And for dessert, Almond Joy Cookies — the most amazing cookies to ever come from a supermarket! — served with grapes (to pretend we were eating healthy).  The cookie was so rich, no one was able to finish more than one (we need to work on our endurance).  I'm going to make these for Christmas.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, and fun (but safe) entertainments, big and small!

Black Friday Tea

I'd rather have tea than go shopping on Black Friday.  This year, of course, with COVID-19 raging through our cities, it was even less appealing.  Besides, I'd been experimenting with a recipe or two...

I already had a head start with the pretty bouquet of flowers I had purchased and used for Thanksgiving dinner the day before.

Preparing a simple afternoon tea kept me busy most of the morning.  Oh, but I had fun!  My husband relaxed in front of the TV while I puttered in the kitchen.

The Clotted Cream:  Oh, my Lord!  There's no going back!  They say that converts are always the most rabid, well, please find me a church because I'm ready to go preach!  I made it in the Instant Pot the day before, and it took all day, as the cream has to be cooked on very low heat for a long period of time.  The whole project was interesting because I had never even tasted clotted cream.  I knew, however, that it was an essential part of a proper English tea and, since it's very difficult finding it in American markets, I had to learn how to make it myself.  Here's the link to the recipe:  Clotted Cream.

Once I made it, it was a true epiphany.  Now I understand what all the fuss is about!  It was creamy, slightly nutty, moist, but not wet, smooth, but thick.  I could have licked the entire bowl along with the pot, and the spoon, and my fingers . . . I tried to keep the moaning to a minimum as I cast weary glances to see if my husband was watching me.

The Scones:  A dear FB friend, who shall remain nameless so that she doesn't have to hire the Secret Service to keep herself safe, sent me a package with various scone mixes.  I followed the directions, but here's proof that there's no such thing as a foolproof baking recipe when entrusted to me.  The scones tasted delicious, but they turned out rather flat.  I always have a hard time working with such a sticky, wet dough.  Must try again.

The Curds:  This lovely not-so-secret-Santa also included two delicious curds, Cranberry Orange, and Lemon — and I know exactly how to use these.

Thanksgiving Sandwiches By Way of Havana.  There's a famous Cuban sandwich called the Elena Ruz, which consists of cream cheese, sliced turkey, and strawberry jam, made on medianoche bread, sort of a sweet brioche, then buttered and toasted on a press.  Elena Ruz was a Havana socialite who asked for this very sandwich so often, that it was finally added to the menu of her favorite café, El Carmelo, in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana (isn't interesting how many details we know about Elena and her sandwich?).  

Instead of strawberry jam, I used the Cranberry Orange Curd, and I didn't toast the bread.  I dare not call it my version of the Elena Ruz on pain of being cast out of my tribe, so for now, the sandwich remains nameless . . . perhaps you can suggest a good name for it?

Finally, scone, clotted cream and the lemon curd came together, and it was heavenly!

I pulled out my pedal pink placemats to match the carnations on the flower bouquet.  Is pink ever really wrong?  Asking for a friend.

Hopefully these pumpkin spice sugar cookies, which I picked up at Whole Foods, brought me back to the reality of the Fall season. 

The traditional three courses of an English Tea:  Sandwich, Scones and Dessert — check!  Plus a pretty table in which to enjoy it with my husband.

A much more delightful way to spend Black Friday.

Three Kings Day Open House 2020

2019 will always be to me "The Year of the Hiatus" - I stopped blogging last year because ... I'm not sure, too busy at work, to unfocused at home, Facebook ... but I've missed the journaling, and my blogging friends, and having a visual record of what I've done.  So, with a great deal of caution, careful not to over commit, here we go again.

We held our almost-annual Three Kings Day Open House on Sunday, January 5, and we were lucky enough that my oldest son, John, was still with us on Christmas vacation.  John is now living in Charlottesville, Virginia, and we had not seen him since the previous Christmas!

Here he is with some of his college friends that came to the Open House.  It was so wonderful to see these cute faces!  I've missed them!

So, I've had a lifetime of trial and errors with this Open House.  It started as a small gathering with just my brother's family, which included three nephews which are about the same age as my two sons.  I wanted to teach them about our Cuban tradition of gift giving on Three Kings Day, and to celebrate Epiphany, the revealing of the Christ-child and the light of God to the world.  Many European countries and those of Latin and South America also celebrate Three Kings in their own way.

In Cuba, we wrote our letters to the Three Kings, not to Santa, and we knew their glorious, albeit mythical, names:  Melchior, Gaspar (or Caspar) and Balthazar, and we knew from where they came!  After receiving our gifts, we'd have breakfast and for mid-morning merienda (snack), we'd have Roscón de Reyes - our version of Three Kings Day, always bought at bakery.  I don't know anyone who actually baked the yeasty treat at home.  One thing I've loved about America is their ability to take a tradition and make it their own, so I've adopted this particular approach for the Open House, and the day is as much a reflection of my whim, as it is about tradition.  You'll see what I mean ...

First a Hot Chocolate Bar.  The Spanish, from where our traditions are derived, love hot chocolate.  And I've been intrigued by the many hot chocolate bars I've seen on Pinterest, so I decided to set one up.

I've been playing with a program on my iPad called "Layout" and it makes some very easy collages.  The Hot Chocolate Bar included Candy canes, Williams-Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark (this one is now a staple at our house, it is so delicious!), decorated marshmallows (also from W-S), Dark Chocolate Caramels, Peppermint Poles, Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans, Chocolate Hazelnut Pirouettes Wafers, and RumChata to go with some very delicious Hot Chocolate (from W-S).  I draped one of my plaid throws over a basic white tablecloth, and pulled out my Mikasa French Countryside mugs.

It was a cold day, so for the adults that preferred something less sweet, and perhaps with a little alcohol, we offered some Mulled Wine and kept it warm in a crockpot.

And it was served on my Irish Coffee glass mugs ...

The Open House was held beginning at 2 P.M.  It was supposed to end at 6 P.M. but friends kept dropping by, so we actually walked out our last guests at 7:30 P.M.  Planning food for this event can be challenging.  There are those that come earlier and are looking for something light.  For them, I made a tea sandwiches:  Basque-style tuna sandwiches on Oatnut Bread, and Cucumber Sandwiches on White Bread.

Here's the super easy and oh-so-delicious recipe for the Basque-Style Tuna Spread:

4 5-oz. cans Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
2 8-oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ jar Roasted Pepper Bruschetta (about 5 oz.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 shakes of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

With a fork, combine tuna, softened cream cheese, and Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta and mix until fully integrated.  Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  This will yield enough filling for three loves of Oatnut Bread.  Basque cooking is noted for their inclusion of local red peppers ad Spanish smoked paprika.  This bruschetta, although Italian, mimics the flavors beautifully.  Oh, and take the leftover bruschetta and serve it over boiled, roasted or mashed potatoes.  Yum!

There were treats aplenty, including the Honey Pecan Butterballs that are a staple in our home.  I've blogged about them here.

I ordered canolli from a nearby bakery ...

My son made his famous Black and White Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Cranberry ...

I baked a Flan ...

And a cake with the fève baked inside and whoever found it was declared King or Queen for the Day ...

Oranges have a deep connection to Christmas in many cultures, symbolizing the gold balls that St. Nick left for a poor girl, or the bright star that followed the Magi, or the fact that they were considered a special treat during the Depression, and so, a prized gift at Christmas.  They are also in season at this time of year, and I decided a while ago to adopt the custom of having something orange during Three Kings, so I spread Orange Slice Candy around the house.

I know my peeps, and there are some (mostly guys) who start prowling around the kitchen, looking for something more substantial to eat, so I made Pulled Pork Sandwiches (for which I have no pictures!), and I also made a Hot Buffalo Chicken Cheese Spread ... I made four recipes of it during the party. Thank goodness I had enough supplies!

So many lovely friends!  All these photos were contributed by friends since I was too busy having fun to remember to snap pictures.

We ended up with both, a King and a Queen, since one of my friends brought a special Three Kings Day cake with the fève, or bean, inside ...

And everyone took home a goody bag ...

The goody bags included gold chocolate coins, an  assortment of candies, a Godiva Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Bar (my current favorite), a lottery ticket, and a little cardboard box ...

The little box contained a paper scroll with a House Blessing, and a piece of chalk to mark the door of the house ...

The blessing is another European tradition that I tried out one year, and it's become so popular that I now find myself shopping for white chalk in late December to include in the loot bags.  Some friends have panicked on the few years when I haven't had the Open House, and I've actually had to make some to give away.  This year, the door would be marked 20 + C + M + B + 20.  C M B stands for the names of the Kings - Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.  It also means Christus mansionem beneficat - Latin for "May Christ bless this home."

And a star to light our way ...

It was a lovely way to start the year, and it never fails to fill me with joy and gratitude.  Happy New Year!

Three Kings Day 2014

I have nothing but the greatest admiration for those who, efficiently after Christmas, or at the latest, New Year's, start taking down and packing all the Christmas decorations.  By the time they are back to work, Christmas is but a fond memory and are already perusing gardening catalogs, looking forward to the coming Spring.  Not me.  For one thing, Christmas is not officially over at our house until after Three Kings Day.  We usually host an Open House on the Sunday closest to January 6th, which is when the Catholic Church celebrates Epiphany, and gather friends and family one last time before settling in for the onslaught of snow and frigid weather.

Our Open House was wonderful, despite the fact that many friends were unable to come because of the snow.  Typically, on Three Kings Day I tend to make treats evocative of my Cuban roots.  We usually serve guava pastries, turrones (sweet nougats made of almonds, marzipan, or ground almonds) and hot chocolate is a MUST.  This year, I also made sandwiches, and cookies, and an almond spice cake.  

 

Here is the Coffee Bar set up to keep my chilly guests warm:  Piping hot coffee, with a little something something - Butterscotch Schnapps, Kahlúa and RumChata.  

Have you tried RumChata yet?  If NOT, please put this on your "Must Try" list for 2014!  This is a new twist on Horchata (hence, the "Chata" part of the name).  Spanish horchata is a sweet, milky drink made from the chufa, or tiger nut.  It tastes a lot like almond milk.   You can read all about horchata here.  It is delicious!  If you are ever in Spain, you must try it, but to truly enjoy it you must sit in a little café under sweltering sun, and wait an hour for the waiter to notice that you are even alive.  By the time you get your icy horchata, you would be ready to swear that it's the nectar of the gods!  Mexican horchata is slightly different and often made from other kinds of nuts, or even rice!  It's still delicious.  RumChata took the next step and made it into a liqueur.  Add some to your coffee, and you'll be warm and smiling in no time!

The Coffee Bar also included peppermint candy canes, and homemade Vanilla Bean syrup, something sweet without the alcohol.  There were also some dark-chocolate covered almonds nearby, in case anyone had a chocolate emergency.  That happens to me once in a while, so I'm very sympathetic.

There's always cake on Three Kings Day, so we can bury the Baby Jesus in its batter before baking.  Whoever finds the plastic baby, is King of the Day and wins a prize.  This year's Almond Spice Cake was delicious.  My son David gave it a thumbs up, and he's a tough cake customer!

 

Here's another treat:  Pecan Butterballs from the Silver Palate Cookbook.  I have been making these since 1984, the year I got married.  My sister-in-law, Angela, who is a wonderful cook, gave us the cookbook as a wedding present.  I'm on my second copy right now.  It wouldn't be Christmas around here without these little gems.  They are sweetened with a little honey, and they just melt in your mouth.  Here's the recipe:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup shelled pecans, chopped moderately fine

¾ cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.  Grease one or two cookie sheets.
2. Cream butter.  Beat in honey; gradually mix in flour and salt, then vanilla.  Add pecans.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
3. Form balls by hand, the size of quarters.  Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove from oven; as soon as cool enough to touch, roll in confectioners' sugar.  Allow to cool and roll again in sugar.

 Yields 36 cookies.

Guests were asking me for extras to take home!  You'll want to double or triple the recipe, if you want any leftovers for yourself!

 

The basket of Chocolate Chip cookies held four batches of CCCs made by my son, John!  I love it when the family gets involved in the party preparations!

On Three Kings Day I try to bring out the gold in remembrance of the Magi who brought gold to the Baby Jesus, so this year, the table is covered in a gold cloth.  The covered platter held sandwiches of Tuna Salad à la Vizcaína (Basque-style), a delightful tuna salad recipe that calls for adding roasted red peppers.

The Christmas centerpiece was given a facelift.  I removed the wilted blooms, and replaced them with snowy white carnations, gold balls, and a little red cardinal that begged to come out and play.

After taking a look at his little cousin outside, he realized that he got the better deal . . .

 

It's time to put away the extra Christmas cards!

Now we can sit by the fire and enjoy the wonderful memories we created during this joyful Christmas season!  May you have a wonderful new year!