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Archive for the ‘BY THE WAY’ Category

Count Down Christmas-11 Days To Go-Are You Ready?

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , on December 15, 2012| 1 Comment »

OK less than 2 weeks and things are moving along at a rapid pace!  We’ve covered Hostess Gifts, Cookies, Decorations, Gifts for Everyone, Candy Cane Dust, Holiday Advice, Holiday Humor and we’re not done yet!  Today the Christmas thought of the day is:

TREE TOPPERS

Isn’t the best part of decorating a Christmas tree putting the topper on?  Growing up I remember how my Dad would cut the tip of the tree to make sure that the Angel would fit.  She was beautiful (well have you ever seen an ugly angel?) and had a gold mesh skirt that had 4 or 5 tiny white lites wired into it.  And she held a candle in her hand.  We had that Angel for a really long time;  When I got married my parents gave me the Angel and I put it on top of every Christmas tree we had.  After I got divorced and moved to New York City, I gave the Angel to my daughter and hope she will continue the tradition.  The angel’s skirt is a little ragged but she’s still beautiful.

Just Like The One I Had

Just Like The One I Had

We didn’t always have that angel.  My earliest memory of a tree topper is one so typical of the 50’s.  It looked like this:

Retro Tree Topper

Retro Tree Topper

Then we had an angel with blonde hair and behind her was this reflector which was concave; This one has the reflector back however, I think our angel was not plastic but rather more like a doll.

Almost like half a disco ball

Almost like half a disco ball

So what was on your childhood tree?  What do you put on top of the tree now?  There are LOTS of options;  Vintage, retro, new-manufactured from all kinds of materials.  Here are few available for this year’s Christmas tree.

A Pinwheel of Stars

A Pinwheel of Stars

or A Mosaic Star

or A Mosaic Star

Really? Good Lord No!

Really? Good Lord No!

A Peace Dove

A Peace Dove

A Glitzy Lite Star

A Glitzy Lite Star

A Heavenly Angel

A Heavenly Angel

Very Kid Friendly

Very Kid Friendly

An Angel of Color

An Angel of Color

That’s quite an assortment and surely there’s one for every taste.

Please do write in and tell us all about YOUR Tree Topper!

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Count Down To Christmas-10 Gifts and ONLY 12 Days To Shop!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , on December 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Now that there’s less than two weeks to Christmas, I hope it’s safe to assume that your home is decorated for the holiday!  With only 12 days to go, you still have time to shop, make and find the PERFECT GIFT for your husband, child, best friend, sister, boyfriend, teenager, grandparents, mom and dad. This is my blog and if you’ve been reading it, you must know there’s going to be NO MALL shopping here!!   When you want to find a special and interesting unique kind of present, look to the Museum’s gift shop.  Of course we are lucky here in New York City because we have so many museums to go to and many are within walking distance to one another. BUT you can order online and have items shipped to you AND of course your own local museum might just the treasure trove  you’re looking for.

1.I love this one! Have you ever sat on the subway or a bus and seen two teens sitting next to one another, each with one ear plug listening to one iPod.  This is the answer.  A Branch Earphone Splitter.  You can plug in 4 sets of earphones.  Available at MOMA Item #91785.  Priced at $10.00
2. Palette Tissue Box:  A SUPER gift for your office mate or anyone with a home office.  Space is always a premium and this is a great space saver.  Available at MOMA Item #96731.  Priced at $15.00

Super Space Saver

Super Space Saver

3.  Etch A Sketch:A perennial favorite.  A gift that encourages your child’s creativity as well as coordination and keeps them busy.  Good for car trips.  Recent renewed popularity due to the past presidential election. Available through MOMA or Amazon or ToysRUs. Priced around $15.00

4. Note Cards:  Tired of receiving birthday greetings and well wishes from your kids or best friend.  A thoughtful gift which might give the recipient some thought. Every museum has an assortment of note cards and stationery, many with reproduction art from the museum.  Prices vary.

5. Flash Drive: On the other hand, if you have a techie on your list, this gift will be appreciated. One can always use another flash drive and why not one with personality?  The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers some very unique flash drives priced at $29.95.  You can get an Egyptian mummy, William, the blue hippopotamus or a guitar. I wanted to keep these gift ideas under $25.oo so for a flash drive you might want to go to your local Staples.  Look what I found!  Priced at $14.99

Let's play Angry Birds

Let’s play Angry Birds

6. Picasso Poster Art:  Picasso Exhibition Poster from The Guggenheim Museum.  Sure to please any art lover on your list, this black and white poster #14550 is available for $25.00.  Suitable for framing.

7. P-51 Mustang EZBuild Model:   A hands-on gift.  The Museum of The City of New York has several model kits available.  They snap together, no glue needed.  What young person on your list would love this project?

8. Free Form Magnet Board:  This is a gift that will bring out the artist in your child.  It’s a wonderful take-along toy for a long car ride.  No mess, no fuss.  No pens, paper, crayons or pencils. Use a stylus to draw and erase with your finger. Fun along the way. Available at The Whitney Museum Item# 70487. Priced at $24.00

Free Form Magnet Board

Free Form Magnet Board

9. 1939 New York World’s Fair Umbrella: You can always use another umbrella!  This item is available at The New York Historical Society, Item # 29468.  It is a pretty sky blue with illustrations of many of the exhibitions from that fair.  Priced at $19.95

10. Beatrix Potter plush Jemima Puddle-Duck:  Beatrix Potter has given several generations stories and tales of Peter Rabbit and his friends. Jemima Puddle-Duck is available at The Morgan Library,  # x6061.  Priced at $16.95.  Isn’t there someone on your list who would like to cuddle with one of these soft and cuddly characters.  Also available:  Mr. Jeremy Fishter and Peter Rabbit, priced at $12.95/$13.95

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12/12/12-Lotto Numbers? 12 Days of Christmas? 13 Days To Go…A Holiday Hostess Gift

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

If you have a holiday party invite in the next two weeks, I’ve got an idea for you!  Simple, creative, useful and it will last a whole lot longer than that bottle of red wine.  This one you will need to make ahead of time and by that I mean you just can’t throw it together the day of the party like my other quickie solution to last minute gift dilemma;  Hostess Gift with a Punch! December 8th-Count Down To Christmas 17 Days to Go

Scented Sugars

What a sweet treat!

What a sweet treat!

This gift requires a couple of Mason jars or glass containers which can be purchased at stores like The Container Store, Marshall’s Home Goods or Michael’s.  Of course I think using vintage mason jars (think yard/garage sale) would be really great.     Scented sugars can be used in coffee, tea, batter mixes, well just about anything you put sugar on.  You can use aromatic edibles such as geranium leaves, rose petals, vanilla beans and orange and lemon peel.  When using the lemons or oranges, wash the skin thoroughly, peel the skin and leave it out on a paper towel to dry out a bit for at least a day.

To create these pretty jars layer granulated sugar with the leaves or peel.  Seal in an airtight containers for a few days while the sugars absorbs the scents.  A gift of one or three in various sizes is sure to please and make a very, very sweet remembrance.

Scented Sugars recipe from Martha Stewart Living December/January-1993/1994

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Google This!!! – Six Word Memoir Monday

Posted in Six Word Memoirs, tagged , , , , , , , on December 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

If you’re a regular follower of this blog, you know that in the past, I often posted a blog entitled Six Word Memoir Monday.  Today’s Six Words are part of today’s new lexicon.  Instead of writing the words in a semi-sentence form, I’m going to give you the meanings also.  I also sometimes post a blog that features words and phrases that have passed out of our language or are on their way.  Generation X and Y are clueless when it comes to the meaning or origin of these phrases.  But the tables are turned today, these words are best understood by those under the age of 35.

Googlejuice – What your website has if it appears naturally at the top of a Google search (without having to pay for it).  

Google Politics – To make a thousand accusations, none of which are substantiated.

Google Stalk – The act of using a Google search to research a potential  boyfriend or girlfriend with the hope of obtaining information about his or her interests.

Googlephobia – The fear that Google is taking over everything and is threatening to become another Microsoft.

Googlewash – An effort by bloggers to change the meaning of a new word, term or phrase by peppering their Web logs with an alternate meaning. RESULT: A search using Google will turn up thousands of pages with the altered definition, while the pages carrying the original and intended usage get buried.

Googleverse – Another sign that Google is dominating our world.  It’s the collection of Web pages, images or content indexed or otherwise connected to Google and therefore now part of the Google universe.

 

 

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Count Down Till Christmas-December 10th-Dinner Disaster+Carpet Calamity

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , on December 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

Pressed Glass Bobeche

Pressed Glass Bobeche

So you’re hosting a Holiday Party? How nice! Is it going to be a dinner party with your table set with fine china and white linen?  Or a cocktail party with guests milling around, wine glass in hand?  Either one could spell disaster for the hostess.  Well maybe NOT exactly a disaster but certainly upsetting IF after all the guests have left, you discover that those lovely white tapers dripped beyond the bobeches and deposited globs of wax on your heirloom linen tablecloth.  OR somehow, some way, someone moved some of the lit candles you had around the house AND sure enough, there is solidified wax on your living room carpet.  Could happen…

What to do?  Don’t panic, don’t throw the tablecloth out.  Or you could refer to my previous post Count Down To Christmas-December 7th Let’s Light The Way!

How to Remove Candle Wax
On table linens: Scrape off what you can with a spoon. Using an ironing board, place several paper towels under the stain and a few on top and press with a warm iron. The paper towels will absorb the wax. Replace the paper towels a few times to avoid transferring stains back to the table linens. Sponge any remaining stain with Tide Boost Pre-Treat spray; blot, allow to air-dry, then wash, using bleach if the fabric allows.

On the rug: For wool, cover the wax with a brown grocery bag (one layer) and press with a warm iron. To remove any wax that remains, use WoolClean Dry Spot Remover No. 2. For a synthetic rug, follow the ironing advice for a wool rug, then apply Goof Off with a dry cloth; rinse with a damp cloth. Dry with paper towels.

These stain removal tips are sourced from Real Simple.

 

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Count Down To Christmas-December 7th Let’s Light The Way!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , on December 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

CANDLES have been associated with Christmas since forever because as we all know before electricity, before gas and kerosene lamps, there were candles.  And candles have always been part of our holiday imagery.  Think back over the years.  I remember Christmas cards featuring candles in lantern posts and pictures of a little kid in a nightshirt holding a candle in the classic candle holder as part of the Christmas culture.

Light the way!

Light the way!

Victorian Christmas trees were adorned with real candles and LIT !  How did they escape burning the house down?  In the 20th Century, we electrified the candles and put them in every window in the house.  I was so obsessed with that concept that when we built a house, I made sure the electrician knew I wanted an outlet under every window on 3 sides of the house.  I’ve used small votive candles in luminaries to light the way to my home on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  However, now that we are in the 21st Century, we have technology on our side.  Behold the battery-operated candle and one that is made out of a wax-like material and look SO REAL, it’s hard to believe they’re not.  

These candles have really come of age this past year.  You can purchase all sizes and colors in a great number of stores.  I have found several in The Christmas Tree Shop (not a pun and not really a Christmas shop) and bought a bunch at Costco.  These candles are The ANSWER.  What a terrific way to set a mood.  Scattered around the house during the holidays, they produce just the warm glow you’re looking for.  And as far as luminaries, these candles will surely not blow out in the breeze and catch the bag on fire!  

Think about the myriad ways in which you can utilize these faux but-oh-so-real-looking candles and make your life prettier and softer.  So much of the holiday preparations are time-consuming and costly.  With these candles you get a lot of bang for your buck,

They even come scented!

They even come scented!

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Count Down to Christmas-19 Days Till…Sparkly Table Centerpiece

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY on December 7, 2012| 2 Comments »

Glitter makes everything look festive! Try this idea for your holiday dinner table or New Year’s party table.  This is one of the quickest and easiest ideas ever.  I wish I had thought of it first.  This creative centerpiece was designed by Alicia DiRago who did a guest blog for Martha Stewart Living.

The supplies can be purchased at Martha Stewart Home Depot! YES, it’s true, Martha Stewart has a section at your local Home Depot. There are only 3 components to this table decoration;  

Sparkling silver-glitter cone trees

ornament garland

ornaments to fill in spaces.

Set up as many cones as you want and wind ornament garlands around the cones. Fill in any spaces with odd ornaments in the same color family.  The theme here was “Icy Blue”.  As in most Martha Stewart craft supplies, the color coordination is made simple as she produces components in one, two or three color themes.  

Think Sparkling Ice

Think Sparkling Ice

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Count Down to Christmas – 21 Days of Holiday Ideas

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , on December 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I know I should have started this a few days  ago….really!  It was a pretty harrowing week here, with the conjunction of a million spheres all causing chaos.  Mechanical and electrical breakdowns, I must ask my sister-in-law Juanita, if Mercury is in retrograde.    It’s not quite midnight so let’s count this post as December 4th and counting.  For the next 3 weeks I’ll post an inventive, creative holiday idea.  It could be a recipe, a hostess gift, a kid’s gift, a decoration, just about anything that I think might enhance your holiday season.  Today’s idea comes from REAL SIMPLE and is a Mantle Makeover.  We’re all familiar with the usual fireplace mantle decorations.  This is NOT standing rows of Christmas cards, draping a greenery garland, hanging stockings, pine cones and ornaments or Nutcrackers.  Clear away the clutter atop your mantle and give it this very simple makeover.

DECEMBER 4th

A Very Berry Christmas Wreath and Votives

A Very Berry Christmas Wreath and Votives

HOLIDAY MANTLE

Elegant, sophisticated, simple and beautiful.  Berry wreaths are readily available in stores like Michael’s and flower shops that carry artificial or silk flowers.  Scatter a few berries around and line up some votive candles flanked by pillar candles.  The two-color theme is very powerful and the choice of the raspberry-mauve berry color adds not only a holiday flair but also a winter seasonal flavor

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Thursday’s Top Ten Reason NOT to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Friends, Thursday's Top Ten, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner 2008.

Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner guests

So if you’re not cooking, you are either dining out or better yet invited to share the annual feast at someone else’s dinner table.  Either way, the end result is still the same because you….

  1. Do not have to spend hours grocery shopping for myriad ingredients for dishes you make only once a year.
  2. Do not have to spend 3 x what you normally spend at the grocery store each week, buying weird items like persimmons, figs, chestnuts, turnips and a 14 lb bird.
  3. Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.
  4. Do not have to get up at the crack of dawn to stuff the turkey and put it in the oven so it is ready at 2:00pm
  5. Can actually go to the Parade if you wish or leisurely sit in your living room with a cup of coffee all warm and cosy and marvel at the balloons and how cold everyone seems to be at the Parade.
  6. Can have breakfast with the family instead of peeling potatoes.
  7. Don’t have to wonder how you are really going to get everything baked and cooked with 1 oven and only 4 burners.
  8. Will have time to get appropriately dressed  without an apron and even be able to put on makeup.
  9. Will probably be offered some leftovers to bring home for tomorrow’s supper (bring your own containers)
  10. BEST of all, you won’t be in the middle of any unresolved sibling or parent-child issues from your own family!!
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The ITALIAN – GERMAN Thanksgiving Dinners

Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends, Smooth or Crunchy, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2012| 5 Comments »

Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most people think of Thanksgiving dinner as the ultimate American meal.  After all, wasn’t it first celebrated with Native Americans and the Pilgrims?  Well that’s what I was told in grammar (age-related term) school.

However, this country is a melting pot, a diverse population made up of so many different ethnicities, I wouldn’t begin to try to number them.  I grew up in an Italian family (more about the German side later).  My first husband was also from an Italian family so for the first half of my life, Thanksgiving was tweaked to keep all the paisans happy.  When we celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents, the cry at the table was, “When do we eat the turkey”?   I wonder how many of you had to eat your way through several courses BEFORE the turkey made it to the table?  When you walk into most homes on Thanksgiving Day, the savory odor of roasting turkey greets you, or the sweet aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven.  When you entered my grandmother’s apartment, it was the rich simmering smell of tomato sauce that assaulted your nose.  The meal started with Baccala, a dried codfish served with greens.  I think it was served like a salad.  Then we had ravioli; big fat pasta puffs filled with cheese and a bowl of meatballs and sausages on the side.  I guess at some point the turkey came out but I really don’t remember it much.  

Once I was married, the Italian Thanksgiving took on another level of ethnicity.  Now there were side dishes that only would appear on an Italian table.  The stuffing was heavily flavored with grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic.  We had stuffed mushrooms and stuffed artichokes right along with candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and salad with Italian dressing!  

Then came the period in my life where I spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Marian and my cousins in New Jersey.  Aunt Marian was married to Uncle Henny who was German and so Red Cabbage was always a side dish on Thanksgiving.  The creamed onions, turnips and candied sweets were there and because my cousins and myself were all adults, we made culinary contributions.  Peter insisted on a green vegetable and in those days, the only green vegetable he acknowledged was broccoli so I always steamed or sautéed some.  My cousin Marian liked to bring a lentil salad, cousin Janet baked pies.  I have five girl cousins, all with spouses and some with children.  Thanksgiving dinner was a BIG deal at Aunt Marian’s with about 20 people!

I’m actually half Italian and half German so I fit in wherever we went!  As for my own Thanksgiving meals, I often went for something different, whether it be various stuffings or the  year I tried brining the bird.  I’ve made seasonal soups and  lots of sides.  Earlier today I posted one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and decided that for the count down to turkey day, I’d post a recipe a day.  I hope you enjoy them and would love it if my readers would send in comments about their favorite Thanksgiving side dish or dessert or ethnic accompaniment.  

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