To give food an extra boost of flavor borrow a few tricks from the professionals. Your recipe may not call for these flavor boosters but chefs know they can make a difference.
Hoisin Sauce is a common ingredient in many Asian recipes. But it is often a chef’s “secret” addition to recipes using beef. Read more tips on Mrs Butterfingers
These tulips took my breath away. Great masses of them in the wonderful reds and greens of Christmas. I gathered an armful. Time to continue my “slow Christmas”. My method of enjoying every little bit of the season, without pressure. These tulips would be my inspiration for dressing the living room for Christmas.
Warm wool throws on the sofas.
I rummage through my fabric samples searching for Christmas red.
Handel’s Messiah on the CD player .
Surrounded by piles of fabric I begin sewing cushions.
The colors of Christmas.
Lush silk flowers grace my desk.
There’s nothing glittery or shiny here.
It’s a room that is warm and enveloping.
A room that says come, sit, stay awhile.
A room filled with pleasant memories of Christmas past.
You’ll never buy crackers again once you’ve made these ROSEMARY RAISIN WALNUT CRISPS. These crackers are inexpensive and incredibly easy to make. They are wonderful with a selection of cheeses or pate. They would also make an amazing food gift. Just be sure to include the recipe because everyone who nibbles these crisps wants the recipe. Canadians who have become hooked on Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps will appreciate being able to make their own at home.
You’ll love this “cracker” type recipe. The best part you know exactly what you are nibbling. The recipe for ROSEMARY RAISIN WALNUT CRISP is on MRS. BUTTERFINGERS.
The days before Christmas should be long and lingering. One needs to treasure the simple things. Unpacking the boxes of Christmas ornaments and decorations in a leisurely manner. Taking the time to enjoy treasured memories. I still have the Santa my son made in kindergarten. Battered and faded it always graces our tree front and centre. I start late in November putting out a few adornments at a time. Today I unpacked my Santas. They make me smile. This is how you slow down in the days before December 25th. To make the house smell of Christmas preparations I am simmering all natural Christmas essence on the stove. You’ ll love the fresh, crisp, spicy fragrance, and you probably have everything to create it right in your kitchen.
CHRISTMAS ESSENCE
Chop the peel of a large orange and a large lemon. Into a medium sized saucepan put the peel, plus 2 sticks of cinnamon broken, 12 whole cloves and 4 bay leaves. Add 4 cups of water and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce heat to a very slow simmer. A word of caution, don’t let it simmer dry. Just keep adding more water.
I have this on going love affair with France and Paris. Linens, pillow covers and other fabrics with vintage French graphics are rather pricy. I stamped these fabrics myself. It’s not difficult as long as you follow the instructions carefully.
I downloaded the graphics from THE GRAPHIC FAIRY, but you could use any black and white graphic. THE GRAPHIC FAIRY has the instructions . For these “grain sack” tea towels I cut up and sewed vintage cotton sheets that had been languishing for years in my linen cupboard.
These elegant hand towels were made from a damask tablecloth that was terribly worn and unusable. I cut out the least worn parts (leaving in a few spots that had been hand-mended for a vintage effect), and sewed them into guest towels. All these towels can take a lot of laundering without losing the graphics.
If you don’t have vintage cotton or linen sheets stored in your cupboard you can purchase 100% cotton fabric with a tight weave. The process won’t work on coarse fabric, heavy canvas or burlap.
Wouldn’t these tea towels, of fabric made into pillow covers, make wonderful and very personal Christmas Gifts.
We’ve been so busy baking or buying artisan breads, healthy breads, 48 grain breads and so on, we have forgotten wonderful white bread. Not the pallid, gummy tasteless white bread sold in plastic bags. But white bread, as it should be. I started baking this bread more than 50 years ago. It is so good it can hold its own against all comers. It’s not difficult to make and it makes the best toast and sandwiches.
For this amazing white bread recipe go to our new blog (a work in progress) MRS BUTTERFINGERS.
Recyle, reinvent, refurbish and save big bucks. This elegant, French looking kitchen table was discovered at our local thrift shop. The wooden top (of short cut pine) was battered and someone had rather roughly painted the legs and frame a vivid blue. This is how I refurbished it.
A quick sanding,first with coarse, then with about a 200 sandpaper. Then a good wipe down with a cloth dampened with straight white vinegar (to remove any greasy marks).
I used Benjamin Moore flat primer in Wedgwood Gray. It is a blue-gray and I call it my go to Paris Gray paint, and I love using it on almost everything.
Turn the table upside down and paint the legs and the bottom of the table. Remove the drawer and paint it inside and out. Paint everything you can. Let dry – it doesn’t take long.
Now turn it right side up. Paint the top. Let dry and cure according to the instructions on the primer paint can. Then do the whole thing again. Again let it dry and cure.
Take ordinary flat white wall paint and mix half and half with water. Have a bunch of old tee shirts at the ready, and working on one section at a time brush on the diluted white pan. Immediately start wiping it off. You just want to give it a whisper of white. Leave a generous amount of white paint in the grooves. Don’t worry about wiping too much paint off you can always repaint.
I thought a table as lovely as this deserved a glass pull. Or, you could just paint the wooden pull the same as the table.
After the paint had dried I gave the top, sides and legs a coat of wax. I used clear paste wax and applied it lightly. Do a section at a time so you can polish the excess wax off easily. Then waited a few minutes and gave it a good polish. You still have the chalky French look but the wax protects the finish. For extra shine you can put a second coat of wax on your table and leave it on over night. In the morning give it a good rub and you’ll have a lovely finish. If you want to age your table further you can go the next step and apply dark wax. It will look scary at first – very dark. But as you rub and polish it the wax mellows out. The first coat of clear wax protects your paint finish from absorbing too much dark wax. If you start this painting process first thing in the morning, you can have it finished by the end of the day.
I found this table at my local thrift shop but I could have bought an assemble yourself table exactly the same, at Home Depot or any big box store selling unpainted furniture. These tables generally come with a top made with shortcuts of wood. Since this doesn’t give you that classy French Look cheerfully paint the offending wood finish.
When you use a good quality tinted primer you can paint easily over most surfaces. You’ll find unless the surface is very shiny (like laminate) you don’t have to do much sanding. I painted an end table that had a laminate top and a wooden base. The laminate was given a good roughing up using an electric hand sander and it took the primer paint beautifully
What are you waiting for. Get painting.
Her name is Ruth. She is 100 years old. She lives in New York. Her life and style tips are so in sync with mine that I hope I can arrive at 100 with her elan and positive outlook on life. Ruth is an inspiration for every woman, regardless of their age. If you want to look great for the rest of your life read all about Ruth on ADVANCE STYLE. Ari Seth Cohen is the creator of this blog. He roams the streets of New York looking for stylish older people – men and woman.
SPICY NUTS
This is an excellent recipe to make as a hostess gift, or to just have on hand to serve with a glass of wine when company pops in. This is kind of recipe non-bakers like to whip up. It’s easy peasy to make. Package this nut blend in cellophane bags tied with red ribbon. Recipe found at Mrs Butterfingers.
Sometimes I call it my atelier. Other days it is my sewing room. It is the place I go to create. Every woman should have a “a room of one’s own”. Virginia Woolf ‘s quote actually referred to personal liberty to create art. She said “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”.
Today women need a sanctuary. It could be a sewing room, a potting shed, a corner of a kitchen, a personal space for herself. A place where she can nurture her body, mind, and spirit.
I love making my own greeting cards. And I love all things French. These are two cards I made the other day. They were for much-loved friends.
This card is called BIRD HAIR DAY.
I made this card for the most elegant and sophisticated woman I know. She is French, 92 years old, and has a rapier wit.
Bel’ Occhio’s Blog
