day 12

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Catherine

It’s day 12 everyone!

Thank you so much for following along the 12 days of Christmas as I went through holiday baking, decorating, fashion etc.

Today I am posting my holiday menu for tonight’s Christmas Eve dinner.

Appetizers

my homemade spinach dip- I don’t have a measurable recipe for the way I make it but this recipe looks awesome!

Smoked salmon rounds- purchase sliced pumpernickel load and use a cookie cutter to cut rounds. Use cake frosting pipe to make a round of chive cream cheese, place a piece of smoked salmon on top!

For more holiday appetizers check out this post!

Dinner

Roast turkey (with crispy skin- yum!)

Slow cooking pot roast from M&M Meat Shops- comes ready to cook with marinade and it’s delicious

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (one of my favourite sides)

Cabbage Salad with Goat Cheese

Shredded Brussels Sprouts add bacon! (a family favourite)

Buns and homemade butter

Dessert

A guest is bringing an assortment so that will be a surprise 🙂

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some dessert recipes I’ve posted about throughout our special

cookies, cakes, gingerbread treats, peppermi nt

Now back to the kitchen for me, wishing you all wonderful holidays!

holiday fashion

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Catherine

It’s day 11 of our 12 days of Christmas!

Today I am featuring a post I had published back in early Decemeber. It seems fitting and as the next 2 weeks get full of get togethers, family events and parties.

So here was my holiday fashion inspiration! Whether you are brave enough to go to the mall this time of year or may have something similar in your closet, this could help you put an outfit together.

the little black dress

It’s a classic and you know it will be worn again.

Looking for something a little bit different choose a LBD with some metallic or sparkly details. From left: Forever 21, Forever 21 and Guess.

Blouses

Blouses are great for a more comfortable outfit. They pair well with pants, skirts & shorts and they now come in so many flattering styles. I love the cross over, the casual fit (accessorized with a statement necklace) and the sequin detail look. Dynamite clothing, forever 21 & old navy.

Tanks & Tees

Are you going to be somewhere warm over the holidays? Try one of these looks- or pair with a blazer/ cardigan for those in the chillier weather.

With a tank or tee I love playing with textures and shapes. Lace, jewels, patterns and peplum are trending right now! All of the above-forever 21.

Sweater weather

For those mild days or those nights sitting by the fire- everyone needs a great sweater!

J.CREW does sweater so well! I love all of these looks. (First left- Dynamite clothing).

Tomorrow will be the last day of our Christmas special and I’ll be posting my Christmas menu!

wishing you all a wonderful day

christmas traditions

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Catherine

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all keeping warm on this first full day of winter. It’s a messy one here but that means all the more reason to sit by the tree with a warm cup of pepper mint hot chocolate!

I’ve seen a few bloggers post about holiday traditions in their homes and was discussing this with friends last night.

So, for day 10 of our holiday special, here are a few of my favourite holiday traditions

Decorating the tree: this is probably one of everyone’s favourites. I like to get the tree up late November and it gets me in the holiday mood- I also love having the little lights on when I am sitting in the living room.

The cookie exchange: I posted about this here. It’s always such a fun day with friends and family. You get all your baking done together and leave with a tray or box of an awesome assortment.

Christmas Eve celebrations: every year my family gets together for dinner, then we go to midnight mass followed by snacks, dessert and games (and usually get to open one gift). Any type of get together with family and friends is always so much fun!

Holiday Pyjama Party: there’s always that night you spend in pyjamas watching Christmas movies and snacking on special treats- I love that! Here are movie night snack ideas too!

What are your holiday traditions? I’d love to hear them!

wishing you all a wonderful evening!

holiday entertaining

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Catherine

Welcome back!

Day 9 of our 12 days of Christmas is all about entertaining! Being prepared makes playing host a lot less stressful and therefor a lot more enjoyable.

Here’s a few tips to stress-free, enjoyable holiday entertaining:

1. Have a plan
The most important thing you can do to stay on budget is to be prepared in advance. “Plan ahead as much as possible and freeze what you can. If you’re panicked at the last moment, you’ll spend more money on whatever is available.” With a plan in place ahead of time, you’ll also be more likely to find ingredients on sale.

2. Don’t feel stuck to the dinner table

Dinner parties are becoming more casual and social. If the size of your dining table cannot accommodate a group comfortably, try something different. Set up stations and encourage people to walk around or have multiple seating areas.

3. Keep decor simple

Although we may have ideas about amazing centrepieces and candles on the table, if they are blocking the view of your guests no one will notice how pretty they are, they will be a pain. Choose a simple piece instead.

4. Create a child-friendly zone

If you know there will be children attending, ensure you have a designated space for them to stay entertained. Set up a table and chairs and have cookies available for them decorate, a hot chocolate bar or simple holiday crafts for them to do while they await dinner.

5. Have a bar menu

There is no need to have a fully stocked bar. Having beer, wine and one or two signature drinks available is more then enough!

Looking for more holiday entertaining tips? Check out what HGTV suggests here.

holiday cakes

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Catherine

Happy Friday!

Welcome to day 8 of our 12 days of Christmas. This weekend the get togethers continue and I have been searching through my recipes to pick a dessert to make for the group.

In this series I’ve posted about holiday cookies, gingerbread treats and festive drinks, today is all about cake!

Here are some holiday cakes for you to try this season

Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake (mix and match mama has 100 bunt cake recipes and they all look delicious!)

Red Velvet Cheesecake (this is usually my go-to cake!)

Chocolate Pound Cake (a delicious traditional chocolate cake which pairs well with just about any ice cream)

Holiday Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

wishing you all a wonderful day!

holiday crafts

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Catherine

Happy Thursday everyone!

Can you believe Thursday of next week is boxing day??

For those of you with small children in the family, day 7 of our 12 days of Christmas is for you, today is all about crafts! (for all ages)

For the little ones

Kids love finger painting- these cute reindeer are simple & festive and look great on paper or on an ornament (see below)

I love this craft because it’s a nice decoration piece and is a fun activity any age (it can be personalized too)

For the “not so little ones”

I love the idea of having your own festive art displayed.

Holiday food creations for the kids

Tomorrow’s post is all about cake – YUM!

happy crafting! wishing you all a wonderful day!

festive drinks

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Catherine

Hi everyone,

Today is Wedding Wednesday and it’s also day 6 of our 12 days of Christmas!

To bring the two together I’ve decided to share some festive drink recipes- perfect for holiday entertaining and inspiration for a winter wedding signature drink!

Velvet Champagne

Snickerdoodle Cocktail

Candy Cane Martini (plus a few more!)

Eggnog Cocktail

Winter Sea Breeze Holiday Cocktail (our vacation special!)

happy entertaining! wishing you all a wonderful day

gift wrapping

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Catherine

Good morning everyone!

Day 5 of our 12 days of Christmas is all about gift wrapping- Christmas is just a few days away and for those of you who haven’t gotten all your gift wrapping done- here’s some inspiration to get you done!

Red

White & Silver

Kraft paper

And because we’re in South Florida- here’s some coastal gift wrapping ideas

stay tuned for festive drink recipes tomorrow!

wishing you all a wonderful day!

gingerbread treats

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Catherine

Happy Monday Everyone!

We are in South Florida this week with friends and family and today is all about entertaining. We are working away preparing a dinner party and one of our desserts is gingerbread truffles.

Gingerbread cookies are a traditional activity for a lot of people. It’s so much fun to decorate the gingerbread men and houses etc.

For day 4 of 12 days of Christmas I thought I would share some gingerbread treats with all of you!

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Cookies

Mini Gingerbread Donuts with White Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze

Gingerbread Truffles

Gingerbread Espresso Spirals

Gingerbread Latte