Lunch at the Country Club

For today's tablescape and Foodie Friday entry I will share with you an event I was able to attend.  I do not belong to the Country Club but was able to go this month and had a delicious lunch in a beautiful surrounding.  

We were greeted by colorful Cranberry Spritzers.

 The tables were set with white linens
 

 and the centerpieces were boxes with gold gilt edges filled with glittered pomegranates and greenery.

 These boxes were set on draped silver lamecloths.

 Snow was scattered across the cloth and at each place was a white glittered snowflake.

 

  At each place was the butter plate with 3 different butters all decoratively shaped. ( I guess because I never do this it seemed really fun to me)

 The meal began with a wonderful butternut squash soup served in footed compotes which made them seem even festive.

  Then we were served Breaded Pork Medallion (1) (I think this is called Weinerschnitzel in Germany), , Mashed Potatoes, a carrot and a bit of broccoli

 

and for dessert a scrumptious Eggnog Cheesecake.  This had a kind of gingerbread crust and very faintly eggnog flavor.  It was delicious.  I did not ask for their recipe but have one I will share with you today.

The room was not overly decorated but the few trees in the room were done nicely with lots of red.

 Now for the Eggnog Cheesecake recipe:

Crust
1 cup graham crackers, crushed
2 T. white sugar
3 T. melted butter
Make graham cracker crust and pat into 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 325.

Filling
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 T. flour
3/4 cup egg nog
2 eggs
2 T. rum flavoring
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 435 degrees.  In a food processor combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and eggnog until smooth.  Blend in eggs, rum and nutmeg.  Pour mixture into cooled crust.  Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until center of cake is barely firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and immediately loosen cake from rim.  Let cake cool completely before removing the rim. 

I hope you enjoy this holiday dessert!

I am linking to Susan's Between Naps on the Porch Thursday Tablescapes and Foodie Friday with this post.  Be sure to check out these sites to see more beautiful tables and get more wonderful recipes.

Festival of Trees Event

Just want to show you pictures of the Festival of Trees today.  This is an annual event held in a large convention center.  Hundreds of trees are decorated by individuals, families, and some organizations.  They, along with many wreaths and gingerbread houses are auctioned off with the proceeds going to a local hospital, Primary Children's Hospital.  The event is open for public viewing before any of the items are removed.  Our little service group went together to see the trees and especially to view the wreaths that we made together for this wonderful event.  Kathy,one of our members, went to the Tuesday evening auction of all the trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses that make up this event and ushered us around to several trees and to each of our wreaths. As we looked at each one she told us stories behind the bidding of them and then revealed to us how much each wreath sold for.  We made 9 or 10 wreaths and the combined amount that we were able to contribute  to the Primary Children's Hospital through donating these wreaths was $8558.00!  (This did not include Kathy's 30 wreaths that she made by herself, 2 trees or her 2 quilts!). We were all so pleased and surprised that our 4-5 hour efforts one day in September would go so far.  Every item is donated and every penny made from the sales goes directly to the hospital which is a marvelous thing.  Here are pictures of some of the trees.  You can see the wreaths we made by clicking here from a previous post.

I was intrigued with the tree toppers that kind of looked like Christmas fireworks like these

Every imaginable item was used for themes of the trees

 Like this Penguin tree

 

These were vintage post cards.  There were lots of nature, and birds too.

Many of them had surrounding items connected to their theme which were part of the auctioned tree also. Many were made in memory of a loved one who had past away.  Very sweet but bitterly sad too.

More tree topper obsession.

Rival school themes

This year they added quilts to the show and this one of felt was spectacular!

This event took about 3 hours to view and I took many more pictures but I am sure you get the idea with the ones I have show today.  In all, a very worth-while and community supported event!  This really gets one in the Christmas spirit.  What gets you in the mood to decorate for Christmas?

Chinese Birthday Party

Because I not only couldn't find the right coat Sunday, I also left my camera at my daughter's so I couldn't post any pictures yesterday.  So, I am showing pictures of Ella's Chinese 5th Birthday party today. For those of you with December birthday you know that they sometimes take a backseat to all the other festivities this month.  For this reason I want to give equal time to all December birthdays today by posting these pictures of Ella's birthday.  (I don't know why she is obsessed with the whole Chinese theme but she is.)  When asked what she wanted for her party food she said Belgian waffles so that is what we had--Chinese Belgian Waffles (probably a first!)

The birthday girl

 We began with stacks of these.

And added lots of toppings

 Ella's version of Chinese Waffles

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 There was lots of singing and dancing.

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There were many smiles and laughter.

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I gave Ella a pink and purple tutu which she put on immediately right over her party dress

 

 Following all the present-opening the big reveal of her new Chinese Bedroom was shown.  You can see it here. @ Tatertots and Jello.

For those of you that share December with Christmas and other holidays and yet squeeze your birthday in it too I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday!

 Thanks for coming by today and tomorrow I will share pictures of the Festival of Trees, a wonderful fundraiser for the Children's Hospital here.

Friend Makin' Monday

I am linking up with Amber @aefilkins for her Friend Making Monday today.  Her challenge is to share an embarrassing moment.  Since I just had one last night this topic rang close to home for me.  So here goes.  I was at my granddaughter's family birthday party and afterwards went to leave so I found my black coat on the stairs by the front door. When I put it on I realized, even though it looked like mine, it was too big.  So, I took it off and went looking for mine.  Assuming the coat was my son-in-law's, I said to him, "I just put on my coat and decided that I had lost a lot of weight!".  He looked at me for a moment then said, "Oh, you got the wrong coat?"  Just then his mother said, "Oh, did you  put on mine?  It was on the stairs".  What could I say?  I was so embarrassed.  I said nothing and walked out the door. (with my foot in my mouth!)

Have a great day and think before you speak!!

If you want to know that other people are just like you and make mistakes and are embarrassed too, click here to read more.

Christmas Comes in a Book

I am sure you have been doing the same things that I have the last week--helping all the pumpkin decorations and their friends pass the Christmas tree lights in the hallway as they are making their way back to their storage place for the next year.  My house looked like it had been raided with everything out all at once and the glitter from ornaments, fake snow and Fruit Loops from the grandchildren having a grand time on the floor.  The bed linens are still being laundered but Christmas is taking over the decorations now and I love it. I have finally gotten out my old faithful--my Christmas book.  It is where I keep all my ideas, notes, card list, menus, cookie recipes, that help make the worldly Christmas what it is to me.  Of course, the real meaning of Christmas cannot be put in a book because it is in my heart but this is one of my favorite Christmas items.

I made it about 20 years ago and have used it every year since.  It has paper sack pages which are nice because each page is a pocket to keep items.  I began with very nicely printed labels on each sack but have since just printed with a pen other categories as they have been needed.  Some of the categories are:

Holiday Tips-Organizing Christmas

Menus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Christmas Prayers

True Stories

Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything

Christmas Eve Program

Favorite Cookies and Candy recipes

Decorating Ideas

12 Days of Christmas

Games and Quizzes

Summary of Happenings Year by year

Craft Ideas

Tips for Photography Christmas

As I find ideas in magazines, or see something I like I put the ideas in this book. If I was a perfectionist, everything would be in a pocket, but over the years I have just stuck things in and not "filed" them so it is a bit messy.  The best part is I remember what I have put in it!  So it works for me. If you haven't yet started a place where you can put your favorite ideas to use at Christmas, I would suggest that this year would be a good one to start a book.  It could be a big binder that you buy with see-through sleeves that you can add as you need  or a commercial book that is made for this purpose.  Mine has been a wonderful book that I cherish and use each and every year.  May we each enjoy this special time as we prepare our homes and hearts for Christmas.