Holiday Tip

Have I got a holiday tip for you!  It is one that is so easy that you'll kick yourself for not coming up with this on your own because it is a great time saver. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl, whip up a cup of heavy cream along with a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar, until stiff peaks form. With a soup spoon, scoop out portions of the whipped cream and drop it in mounds onto the parchment.  If you want to get all fancy schmancy you can fill a pastry bag and pipe it into decorative mounds, but I prefer the natural look. Then pop the sheet into the freezer and keep it there until the mounds freeze solid. Once they do, place them into a lidded container and keep them in the freezer.

These are wonderful to have on hand at all times, but particularly for the holidays to use to top Irish coffee, hot cocoa, or eggnog. Customize dollops, if you like, by adding cinnamon or oil of peppermint to some for hot cocoa, nutmeg or rum to others for eggnog. Pop them into the fridge to soften for a minute or two and place them on slices of pie, dishes of custard, or alongside a piece of cake. Dust with confectioners' sugar, ground cinnamon, or espresso powder, as appropriate. Try this once and you'll wonder how you ever did without them.

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Rosemary for Christmas

Here’s a quick holiday decorating tip that will liven up your table, add a touch of festiveness to the buffet, and is perfectly usable when the holidays are over and you’re struggling to find a place to store everything.  Head to Lowe’s and get yourself a little rosemary plant that has been conically shaped to resemble a Christmas tree.  Pick up a package of bows from Michael’s that are now drastically reduced to such an extent that you’ll be paying under a dollar for a set of 12, grab some red berries from off of your wreath, out of your yard (or the neighbor’s yard under cover of darkness – unless, of course, you have a very vigilant Neighborhood Watch), and add a small string of LED lights.  You will have a lovely little living tree that smells wonderful, and its portability will brighten any dark corner in your house.  After the holidays, keep it in a very sunny spot and water it weekly.  With any luck you’ll have a wonderful herb plant to sink into your garden come spring where you will be rewarded again and again with fresh rosemary whenever you need it.  How cute is this?

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Seasonal Sunday

Tutorial Tips & Tidbits