Its time to start thinking of how you are going to decorate your Christmas table. Here are a few ideas from around the web. Take a break and enjoy what the web has to offer. Each one of these sites has dozens of Christmas suggestions.
Pantone have announced their color of the year for 2014. The color of the year selection requires careful consideration and, to arrive at the selection, Pantone literally combs the world looking for color influences.
This year it is Radiant Orchid 18-3224, and Leatric Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute says “Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination. An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”
We all have our favourite Christmas Cake recipe, this is mine that belonged to my mother, and probably her mother before that. I have been making it for as long as I can remember, and its foolproof. Fruit cakes do require a bit of time in the making, so prepare for a morning in the kitchen. I normally make a really large one, but this year we will be in the USA for Christmas, so a little one will do just fine for the weeks before we go away. I like to make mine a month before Christmas and soak it each week with a little more brandy. You don’t need to use any alcohol, but it definitely makes the cake moist and oh so festive.
Col’Cacchio pizzeria is making the most of everything there is to love about summer with their latest seasonal menu. Think simple, fresh and healthy, bursting with colour and flavour.
THANKSGIVING was traditionally a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the preceding year. Today it is celebrated as a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal and to give thanks for what they have. Although we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in South Africa, on the 28th November , my family , friends , and all the amazing Americans who have passed through my blog, will be coming together to enjoy a meal and celebrate the good things in life. I wish you all a day filled with love, fun, and tables groaning with food and drink.
Homemade trail mix – its a tasty and nutritious treat when you’re on the go. For me, its for birdwatching, viewing wild animals, or hiking through the Zululand bushveld. But whether u are on a road trip, hiking in the mountains, or just doing a Mall walk, its great to have in your bag to munch on when you need something to eat and are trying to resist sweet cravings or junk food . Its a nutritious energy boosting whole food, so mix up a batch and stash it in your car or handbag today.
Sliders are essentially small burgers which are often served in pairs, trios or even six at a time. According to the earliest records the name originated aboard U.S. Navy ships, due to the way greasy burgers slid across the galley grill while the ship pitched and rolled. White Castle, a fast food hamburger chain, gave these mini burgers a trademark name of “Slyder”.
I bought some great farm eggs with yolks that were almost orange they were so dark. I knew they would make the most amazing lemon curd, so I whipped up a bottle and as you can see it turned out to be the most beautiful color. Lemon curd doesn’t last 5 minutes in my house, because I eat it by the spoonful. I know I shouldn’t , but its one thing I cant resist. If there is no lemon curd in my fridge, then you know I am either sick or away. How many ways can you use lemon curd? I am sure I can find quite a few, but today I made these lemon drop cookies, which are little balls of lemon flavored shortbread filled with lemon curd.
I thought I would share with you some of the gorgeous chocolate cupcakes that Helen and I have made . Some of the icing flower work is intricate and detailed, but some is very easy and can be made with flower cutters and moulds. If you live in South Africa, a great source for cake decorating equipment is Lollodoo in Cape Town, and they will deliver around the country. They stock the latest trends in cake decoarting, stock moulds, cookie cutters, designed acrylic rolling pins, patchwork cutters, and cake pop moulds.