Comforts & Joys! ♥ A Christmasy Tea Party

Good morning, friends, and happy Christmastide to you all!

I had planned on getting this post up well before Christmas Day, but alas, December. That's all I can say! Ha! The weeks leading up to Christmas were full but lovely in every way. We baked lots of cookies and treats, both for our family and to share with neighbors and friends. We spent most of the month just at home doing simple little things, such as crafting and baking and decorating and really enjoying the beauty of our own home during the season. We didn't even go out to see any Christmas lights until Thursday evening, but to be honest, we didn't feel like we were missing out on anything because around where we live, every business, street light post, and many homes are decorated in such a festive way! It's truly been such a delight to experience folks really getting into the Christmas fun...and it makes it feel so magical where we live, too! (Polar opposite from our old neighborhood and part of town.)

Anyway, enough rambling...

The start of December brought our first annual Christmas tea party. And oh what fun it was! My mom, sister and I enjoyed a splendid afternoon and evening with two friends from our old neighborhood, who we've known for nearly twenty years now. 

We spent the entire night before, well into the wee hours of the morning, preparing the many sweets and savouries for the party, as well as washing handpicked mugs for each guest and making place settings. I pondered just exactly how I wanted to decorate the table that night, so the next morning, I rummaged through my room and pulled decorations from here and there and gathered them on the table...and it turned out just how I'd hoped.

Our menu was scrumdiddlyumptious, if I may say so, and included old favorites of ours:

Savouries:

Sausage Balls

Poppyseed Ham and Cheese Sliders

Chicken Salad with Cranberries on Whole Wheat Crackers

Sweets:

Christmas Cookies (details below)

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes with Ganache

Marshmallow Winter Bars

Scones:

Simple Cream Scones

Chocolatey Goodness Sauce

Pepperminty Whipped Cream

Tea:

Candy Cane Green Tea from Trader Joe's (a new favorite around here)

Berry Herbal Tea

Sugar and spice, and all things nice,

that's what Christmas is made of.

Traditionally at teatime, one would serve three savouries and three sweets...but...it is Christmas after all. So I decided that I would count "Christmas cookies" as one sweet and chose to make three different kinds. Cookies are small after all...at least smaller than cupcakes and such. Plus I like to offer an assortment of foods, not all the sweets or savouries being just one kind. (This is how I talked it out in my head, and how I explained my plan to my mom and sister.)

So, three Christmas cookies it was...

My mom made our secret family recipe for butter cookies which was passed down from her Ukrainian "MomMom" (grandmother), and she used her mom's old cookie press which is a Christmas tradition in our home. Always has, always will be. And my goodness! These cookies are addictive; everyone who ever tries one goes on and on...and on about how good they are!   

I chose to make one of my favorites...chocolate crinkle cookies, and this time I added candy cane Kiss candies. These are so fudgy and soft, which to me is a perfect cookie. (I tend to prefer softer cookies.) These are always so fun to make and I love how the powdered sugar looks like a dusting of snow...magic.

Finally, a new-to-us recipe. Kolaczki, a Polish cream cheese cookie. My Grandpa was 100% Polish and mighty proud of it, too. That part of our heritage has always been part of my life...oh, the stories I could tell you! I've grown up with specific Polish dishes being a mainstay on the meal plan and a few years ago, on a trip to Chicago, we visited the Polish neighborhood there. On a corner in a quiet part of town, there is a tiny, old shop. The workers speak Polish and all the products are foreign. When we step in the door, we feel like we've been transported to Poland, without even having left our country. It's always a favorite stop for us, and last time, we picked up a box of these cookies...homemade and fresh and very tempting. My mom remembered something similar from her childhood days of visiting her grandparents on the weekend and tasting whatever her MomMom had made for them that day. Let me tell you, these cookies were little buggers to make! They ended up tasting wonderful, but oh, they tested my patience! We did exactly as the recipe said and pinched them here and tucked them there, and yet a number of them just refused to stay closed. We did, however, end up with a good amount of pretties, which made me happy. They brought back happy memories for my mom and became a new memory for us...next time, though, we'll know more what we're doing and hopefully they'll all stay pinched closed. {{winks}}

May your days be merry and bright...

I pulled out some gingerbread houses from our Christmas village box for our centerpiece, as well as my Christmas teapot (which only comes out this time of year), added a favorite little snowglobe, a string of pearls and a few glasses with fresh cranberries floating in water and a tea candle lit on top. Simple, but lovely...just how I like it!

For the place cards, I simply cut pieces of pink cardstock and folded them in half in a rectangle shape. Using a green sharpie marker, I wrote each person's name and added a snowman sticker in the corner for a touch of cheer and delight. Each place setting had a new Christmasy mug, specifically chosen for that particular person, which they could take home and keep afterwards as a special memory of the afternoon spent together.

Remember that Christmas is about more than presents.

There are also cookies.

I also wrote what each food item was on little place cards so that I didn't have to repeat myself over and over again. It's much easier doing this, I've learned and then when your guests go home, you can send them home with boxes or containers or baggies of food and just stick the card on the package so they remember what each item is. This was the first time I did this, but I'm definitely going to remember that for future tea parties! Such a handy little tip!

Thank you, dear friends, for looking back at our Christmas tea party with me...I hope you enjoyed your visit. And I hope you are soaking up every blissful minute of this Christmas season! I appreciate each and every one of my readers, for taking the time to come and visit my cozy corner, for the kind and thoughtful comments, for sweet messages and for dear friendships made.

 This space is a blessing and I am so excited to see what 2020 holds! I'll be doing a bit of housekeeping here on my blog over the next couple of weeks, changing things up and such, all as a result of a bit of a somewhat new angle and direction I want to take my blog in the future. Nothing too different, but just a more targeted focus. So if you should come by over the next wee while, please do excuse anything that's out of place whilst I'm doing a bit of rearranging.

   From my home to yours...

Love and joy come to you, and a happy Christmas too!

And God bless you and send you a happy new year!

See you in 2020, dear friends!

♥

Christmas at Shady Cottage

Welcome to our cozy home, Shady Cottage, dear ones! I'm so delighted that you've chosen to come by for a Christmastime visit...today I'm going to be taking you on a mini-house tour for Christmas. I've chosen a few favorite things about our home at this time of year to share with you on this December morn. I invite you to grab a cup of something hot and delicious, settle in with your most warm blanket and get comfy, make yourself at home and join me as we ramble through our home...

Wreaths are a must at Christmas at our home, no questions asked. Every window has a bright green wreath with a big red bow and the front door gets a bit of special treatment with a real, evergreen wreath. Oh, it smells heavenly! Our front door is showcased with green garland that twinkles with white lights at night...we think it makes everything come together quite beautifully!

In our completely unbiased opinion {{winks}}, our home looks like an old-fashioned cottage on a Christmas postcard this time of year...if only there was snow it would be really perfect. 

(a little video of our mantle complete with a favorite Christmas song)

This is our second Christmas at Shady Cottage and it's even more wonderful than the first. Immediately upon seeing our living room when we were househunting, we knew it was for us. It was so cozy and warm and homey...we aren't a fan of most open floorplans which is the norm with newer homes, thus we ended up with just what we were looking for...an older home, with character and charm, and a more traditional floor plan. We instantly declared this window, which looks out into our sunroom, the designated Christmas tree location...it was perfect. And the fireplace adds the charm and warmth that this time of year just calls out for. Our favorite kinds of evenings are spent with the fire lit, the Christmas tree glowing and my mom, sister and I sitting around either just chatting, working on a crafty project, watching something fun on TV, or playing a game.

Merry be your Christmas,

peaceful be your home,

joyful be your family,

blessed be each one.

Just one of our favorite ornaments...Julia picked out this one.

We don't do a themed Christmas tree. To be honest, I find them a bit impersonal. Our tree is decked out in ornaments that we've collected for years and years and some of which have been handed down from my grandparents and are so old you have to handle them ever so carefully lest they fall and break. Some are handmade, others are store-bought, but they all hold a memory, a story, a part of us. That's what a perfect Christmas tree is, in my opinion, at least.

(the Christmas tree deserved its own video...I think it looks quite magical, if I may say so)

May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.

On an afternoon walk through our back gardens, I spotted bright red berries along the fence. I called out to my mom and we both squealed with delight. We chose just a few bunches to but and bring inside as an added touch to our mantle, but wanted to leave most of them out in nature so we could admire them there. I'm super crazy about these berries...absolute gorgeousness!

Yes, you can imagine the mischevious moments we have witnessed since putting our tree up with our little kitties. Most of them just sit or lay under the tree and are quite content, however, our baby Orla, well she's a different story. She loves putting her front paws up in the tree and swatting the ornaments and trying her absolute hardest to knock one down...she usually succeeds. So you can find us rearranging ornaments and readjusting the garland beads a couple times a day...it sure makes for some hilarious moments, though. {{smiles}}

 (just a glimpse into a corner of our kitchen)

I've long admired wreaths on kitchen cupboards...so thanks to Hobby Lobby's half-off all things Christmas sale, I found myself making nine little wreaths for our kitchen. The four small cupboards were just left as it, but oh my, do they add a coziness and cottage-feel to our home. Even more than it already had! I'm obsessed with wreaths, so anytime I can find a new way to use them to decorate, I'm going for it! 

This is the corner of our kitchen where our dining table is. The shelves get decorated each season and this is what we have for Christmas and winter...a few things may get switched out after New Year's, but it's otherwise set until springtime.

We have a HUGE Christmas village set. My mom's collected pieces for years and as my sister and I have gotten older, we've helped her add to the collection. Each year, instead of putting the entire village out, my sister chooses a number of select pieces to display in our curio cabinet. It looks especially lovely at night when the lights are turned out and the soft glow from the light in the curio cabinet is all there is.

We've rounded back to the living room by the fire and tree...there's more decorations in here as well as our sunroom and bedrooms, kitchen and outdoors, but these are my most favorite parts of Christmas at our home...

Finally, as you leave, you will see a simple green wreath with "snow" sprinkled over it and a few pinecones nestled in...this is on the side gate of our picket fence...such a festive, cozy, charming greeting to drive up to whenever we pull in from being out in the world and are returning home to our beloved Shady Cottage.

Well, dear friends, my tea is gone and I'm sure your cup is nearing empty too...

I do hope you've enjoyed your visit to our cozy cottage. I know I sure enjoyed having you here! 

May your day be merry and bright...

♥

December Sweetness ♥ Best Ever Chocolate Cream Pie

Hello, dear friends! I'm back today with one of my family's all-time favorite desserts. We reserve this pie especially for holidays, though I sometimes include mini versions for tea parties. I've always been a huge fan of chocolate cream pie at restaurants, but could never find a recipe that was even close when I tried baking one at home. That is until I found this recipe! With a minor tweak here and a little personal touch there, it became my family's favorite after the first bite.  

It's beyond easy and the ingredients are super simple. You can use whatever kind of pie crust you want, but our favorite is a pastry crust, and we especially love using my mom's family's secret recipe...it's been handed down for a couple generations now and always turns out so flaky. 

 A little grated chocolate on top never hurt a thing and sends this pie over the top! I hope you get a chance to make this for your own family very soon...I'm sure you'll agree with us that it's absolutely scrumptious!

Best Ever Chocolate Cream Pie

1 cup pure cane sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2 egg yolks

2 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla (if a bit more dribbles in, it's perfectly fine)

1 pre-baked and cooled pie crust of your choice

Freshly whipped cream

Milk chocolate bar- if it's frozen it works even better!

In a medium saucepan, with the heat turned off, combine the dry ingredients and whisk until mixed together thoroughly. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, combine the milk, egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until combined thoroughly. 

Gently pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and turn the stove heat to medium. Whisk very well, making sure to combine everything completely. Continue whisking just until the mixture comes to a low boil and begins to thicken. This takes about 15 minutes or so, depending on your stove.

Once the chocolate filling comes to a boil, turn the heat off and continue to whisk for another couple minutes, as it continues to thicken. Then pour the chocolatey goodness into your baked and cooled pie crust. Chill completely, at least 6-8 hours, but overnight is best.

Before serving, top with homemade freshly whipped cream sweetened with just a bit of honey or powdered sugar and using a fruit zester, grate a bar of milk chocolate over the top for added goodness.

Slice yourself a nice piece and enjoy the chocolatey perfection!

What's your favorite type of pie? Do share below...

May your Monday be marvellous!

♥

December Sweetness ♥ Chocolatey Drizzled Biscotti

Biscotti is one of those things that I'd seen in the bakery section of the grocery store. I'd seen it in cooking magazines and of course, all over Pinterest and foodie blogs. But it was something that I'd never eaten, much less made myself. That is until last Christmas. Oh, it was a splendid surprise at just how scrumptious it was! And oodles and oodles of fun to bake, too!

This recipe is so easy, you won't want to buy biscotti premade ever again. The combination of pecans, almond extract, hint of cinnamon, and chocolate drizzled on top make for a heavenly confection of Christmastime delight! You could even add some more chopped pecans on the top if you wanted. This biscotti is even more wonderful with a cup of coffee or tea...or hot chocolate. 

I hope you are enjoying some Christmas baking fun!

♥ ♥ ♥

Chocolatey Drizzled Biscotti

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

8 Tbsp. softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs in one at a time, then the almond extract. Add the flour mixture and stir gently to combine thoroughly. Fold in the chopped pecans. 

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 7-in. x 2-in. log. Lightly spray a baking sheet tray with nonstick coating and place each log lengthwise onto the tray about four inches apart. Sprinkle with a light dusting of sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350*F, then remove and allow to cool completely. Place the logs on a cutting board and using a serrated knife, gently cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Arrange the slices upright on the sheet tray once again, with a bit of space between each one. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a medium golden brown, dry and crisp. Cool completely, then drizzle with melted chocolate of your choice. Dark chocolate would be especially nice and festive for this recipe, though milk chocolate is always a favorite. 

Allow the chocolate to set, then place the biscotti in an airtight container.

Have you ever made biscotti? If so, what is your favorite flavor?

May your day be merry, friends!

♥

Merry Movies ♥ My Favorite Christmas Films

December is the time for Christmas movies, and I've got just a few favorites. {{winks}} I have compiled a list of the movies that I could remember...though there are probably a few that I forgot. Some of these are new favorites and others are firm family traditions that we've enjoyed since I was a little tot. I invite you to get a mug of hot chocolate and get comfy and find a new movie...or two...or ten to watch this holiday season.

And do be sure to let me know your favorites in the comments below!

Home Alone 1 & 2

My family has been watching these movies since I was a toddler. I grew up with these as part of my Christmas traditions and memories for as long as I can remember. For me, it's not Christmas until these movies are watched at least once or twice...oftentimes, more than that. They are laugh out loud funny!

Christmas with the Kranks

We first saw this movie in the theatre when I was about ten years old, and it's been a favorite ever since. This movie will make you laugh over and over, your sides will eventually hurt. It seems as though any Christmas movie with Tim Allen is a favorite, and this one is no different. We watch it multiple times each season.

The Santa Clause movies

These are also movies that I grew up with. The second one is my favorite of the series....but I love the others too. Tim Allen IS Santa Claus in my mind, and I love the imaginative story-telling of these.

Holiday in Handcuffs

I love this movie...usually comical holiday movies are dumb and stupid (example: "Elf") in my opinion, but not this one. It's just plain hilarious! The scenery in this one is to die for (as is the case in most my favorite movies), and while there are plenty of moments to laugh until you cry, there's also sweet, tender, touching moments as well. 

The Christmas Gift

This is one of my mom's favorite movies, one reason being because her favorite singer, John Denver, is the main actor. I admit that I love this one as well...a quaint and charming snow-covered mountain town where the neighbors are practically family...that sounds like a dream to me...and everyone just so happens to believe in Santa Clause. {{smiles}} This one is heartwarming in all the ways imaginable!

Eloise at Christmastime

Another childhood classic...I loved, loved this movie when I was younger. And even though, I'm in my mid-twenties now, I still love it. This movie is such a fun, cheerful, happy, festive movie and I simply must watch it every December. I'll probably still be watching this when I'm old and grey.

A Heartland Christmas

One of my family's favorite TV series is Heartland (we only like seasons 1-7), and this movie goes along with the show. It is like a regular episode, except longer, better and Christmasy! I LOVE it! And the scenery in this movie is beautiful, as well. {{smiles}}

Little Women

This one isn't exactly a Christmas movie, but nonetheless, it's one that I love watching this time of year. There is a bit of Christmas in it, which is one of my favorite parts. The one pictured above is the 1994 version, though we also love the newest BBC version (my sister and I loved everything about that version, especially the music!)...perfect to watch anytime of year, even at Christmas!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I personally don't like too many Hallmark movies, but this one and the next are the two that I do watch, enjoy and love! The one above has been a favorite for many years and it's such a fun one to watch...it has humor, sentimental moments, and Christmasy cheer.

The Christmas Card

This is the second Hallmark movie that I actually watch and enjoy....it is one of my most favorite and one of the best, in my opinion. I not only love the story, but the scenery in this movie is beyond gorgeous. This is one of the sweetest movies you could watch! 

TV Shows with Christmas episodes you can't miss!

Call the Midwife

Little House on the Prairie

Downton Abbey

The Middle 

7th Heaven 

Home Improvement

Gilmore Girls

Your turn! What are your favorite Christmas movies...and GO!