Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat
Please to put a penny in the old man's hat;
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.
There are lots of tea party toys on the market this season, but since my daughter said she preferred educational toys, I thought this would be welcome. Of course, Nana is always happy to give a gift with a tea party theme. Amazon has this Leap Frog Musical Rainbow Tea Party for a good price.
I can’t wait to enjoy this toy with my little “Santa’s Elf” grandbaby. ☺
Last spring I posted about a Transferware Teapot pattern that I asked hubby to stitch for me. When I picked up the November/December issue of Just CrossStitch magazine for a stocking stuffer, I saw another pattern (last in the six part series) that I hope he will make for me.
The pattern designer is Donna Giampa and the teapot features a beautiful pair of cardinals with a pretty holly border.
How about you – do you stitch Christmas cards or special Holiday pictures for your home? Or like me, does someone stitch them for you?
On a recent trip to Savannah I enjoyed lunch at the The Wilkes House for the first time. Now I can’t wait to go back. If you enjoy Southern style food including wonderful fried chicken, cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé, black eyed peas, okra gumbo, creamed corn, biscuits and so much more, then you’ll love Mrs. Wilkes dining room.
From their website: “Boardinghouse Ruminations
Most Southern towns used to boast a boardinghouse where you could find a simple, quiet room and a communal dining room that offered at least two hearty meals a day. Boardinghouse food was de rigueur daily fare for locals, among them young, working class laborers, schoolteachers, bankers, washerwomen and middle-class merchants alike.
In 1943, a young Sema Wilkes took over a boardinghouse in historic downtown Savannah. Her goal was modest: to make a living by offering comfortable lodging and homestyle Southern cooking served family style in the downstairs dining room. Mrs. Wilkes picked up where the previous proprietor left off, cultivating relationships with nearby farmers who dug sweet potatoes for her in the fall and shelled whippoorwhill peas in the summer.”
This lunch served as our Thanksgiving dinner, since we were travelling the next day. They don’t take reservations, so we lined up outside around 11:30. It was very cold that day, but we persevered and waited about an hour before we got in. It was fun talking to other tourists waiting in line and, as it turned out, well worth the wait.
My plate was filled with delicious fried chicken, cabbage, mashed potatoes & gravy, mac & cheese, okra gumbo, cucumbers and collard greens. There was banana pudding and cherry cobbler for dessert.
We’ll be back in Savannah next summer and I plan on being in line for lunch at The Wilkes House. ☺
At this time of year I’m always tempted to add a few more favorites to my burgeoning collection of Christmas books and magazines.
I’ve been enjoying the Taste of Home magazine lately, so when I saw this Taste of Home Christmas book on Amazon for a good price, I ordered it for my collection. There are several recipes I want to try (honey barbequed wings, Tijuana tidbits, candied cherry nut bars and several others). The Winter Wonderland Coasters are a cute craft and they should be a great conversation starter made with old family Christmas photos.
My Christmas book collection includes Gooseberry Patch Christmas books 1-14 (this year’s issue #15 is on my wish list) and some special issues like the recent addition shown above.
This contains so many great projects like vintage handkerchief pillows, dish towel apron, cute wrapping and wreath ideas and lots of recipes.
Tea Time magazine is a one of my favorite subscription magazines and their November/December 2013 issue is lovely. I like their recipes with tea sommelier food and tea pairings. I’m looking forward to baking the cinnamon-date scones from this issue.
King Arthur Flour catalog is a great free Christmas idea and recipe source. I’d like to order some Espresso Powder and Vermont Cheese Powder from King Arthur, as well as try their recipe for Cheddar-Cranberry Soda Bread. If you’re looking for scone baking pans and mixes – they have them.
Do you like to pick up holiday books and magazines too?
These pretty napkin folds would be perfect for a holiday tea party.
I’m going to start practicing my favorites now, so I’ll be ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas tablescapes. How about you – do you use any of these special napkin folds?
Check out this interesting tea strainer on CubeMe.
This looks like it would be fun and mess free to use. Also easy to clean and nice for travel. It comes in lots of cute colors (blue, yellow, pink, lavender) and is available on Amazon (a little pricey at $15.68). It is also available at tea shops such as Two Leaves Tea Company and others.
