Winter Hiatus

In order to freshen things up for the New Year,

I will be taking a little break from posting on Pies and Aprons.

 My gift to you will be a dolled up site

packed full of fun and ideas for 2011.

Watch for the relaunch in mid-January.

Be sure to become a "liker"

on Facebook, and I'll keep you in the loop.

Hope you enjoy the post holiday quiet

and have time to snuggle up and drink some hot cocoa.

See you very soon.

xo

Christine

Friday is PIE DAY!

A Christmas Pie

for a Christmas Eve PIE DAY.

It's loaded with

festive ingredients

and a taste reminiscent

of fruitcake.

Perhaps you caught sight of it in

Holiday with Matthew Mead

(imagine my delight

when he asked me to

develop a Christmas pie

for his lovely publication!).

If you missed it,

here is the recipe!

Christmas Pie

2 Tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup candied pineapple
¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup candied citrus peel
¼ cup toasted, chopped almonds

3 eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
¾ cup maple syrup
¼ cup rum
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 9” pie crust

-mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl
-add fruit and nuts, stir until coated
-in a small bowl, beat eggs lightly
-add brown sugar and butter, beat until creamy
-add maple syrup and rum, stir until well combined
-add egg mixture to fruit mixture, stir together
-stir in orange and lemon zest
-pour mixture into prepared pie crust
-bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
-reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for additional 30 minutes
-cool on rack
-serve room temperature or chilled

All my best for a very very Merry Christmas.
Christine

Holiday house tour

As a final yeehaw for Christmas arriving this week,

I thought I would share

some more photos of my own home

decked out and bedazzled for the holiday.

Always an elf or two peeking about.

Glass bead garlands

are one of my favorite Christmas collections,

especially these giant ones!

A bowl full of yummy.

I bet you can't.....

wait for Christmas!

more big glass beads

(or big *ss beads if you prefer:)

Happy Holidays!

Christine

Favorite Christmas Cookie

I'm revisiting a cookie post for one of my favorite cookies.

(many of you may have missed it last year)

 Every time I make these, people love them.

Even S, who has eaten many, said once again,

" How can just a sugar cookie be so good."

I especially love them at holiday time with red and green sugar sprinkles.

Classic.

Get the recipe here.

Last minute centerpiece

presents wrapped. check.

groceries bought. check.

cookies baked. check.

tree trimmed. check.

cards mailed. check.

table set. uh oh.

If you've wrapped up most of the details for the week,

but forgot to come up with a plan for the holiday table,

try this simple centerpiece.

Grab a bunch of coffee cups from the cupboard.

(or make an IKEA or Target run for some basic, inexpensive white mugs)

Pop a plain ball ornament into each one,

then trail them down the middle of the table.

Pick ornament colors to suit your palette

and you're set to go!

Warm Barley Salad

My first version of this salad, 2 weekends ago, was good but not great. All the components were there, but it was kind of bland. It definitely had promise though, so I gave it a second go this past weekend. Mmmmmmm......this one turned out just right.

I do apologize for the one lame photo...took this of the first version in a rush to get it on the table for dining companions, then completely spaced taking any photos of the second version. (Also in a rush to get it on the table for dinner guests. I hate to make people wait for me to take photos, but I also hate not having good photos for you. It's a blogger's dilemma:)

Warm Barley Salad

3 sweet potatos, peeled and cut into wedges
3 pears, cored and cut into wedges (peels on!)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pearled barley
1 cup fresh spinach
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
4 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
6-8 cloves roasted garlic, smashed
2 t salt
fresh ground pepper

-toss cut sweet potatoes in 1 T olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and pepper
-spread in single layer on baking sheet, and pop into preheated 350 degree oven
-toss pears in the same bowl, then add chopped rosemary, 1/2 t salt and pepper
-spread in single layer on baking sheet and pop that in the oven too
-bake these both for 20-25 minutes, until browning and tender
-in the meantime, bring water to boil in medium saucepan
-add barley, reduce heat to medium low
-simmer, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender
-in a small bowl, combine 3 T olive oil, vinegar, garlic and 1 t salt
-add pepper to taste
-pour over warm barley and stir to coat
-add spinach and toss all together
-spoon onto serving platter, then top with roasted sweet potatoes and pears
-serve warm or at room temperature

I served this with big bowls of soup and crusty bread for a hearty vegetarian meal. It could also be served as a substantial side dish for a meaty main. Substitute winter squash for the sweet potatoes, apples for the pears, or any kind of greens for the spinach.....the mix is up to you!

Friday is PIE DAY!

Cranberries.

Figs.

Christmas.

I love any excuse to make a new pie with cranberries.

When this popped into my head, it seemed like a delightfully

festive combination for this time of year.

Somewhat like the winter version of strawberry rhubarb pie.

Soft and sweet paired up with bright and tart.

Cranberry Fig Pie

double 9" pie crust
1 cup dried calimyrna figs, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 T flour
zest of one orange

-combine figs and water in a small saucepan
-heat over low flame until water is absorbed
-let cool to room temperature, then stir in balsamic vinegar

-combine cranberries, sugar, flour and orange zest in large bowl

-add figs and stir until well combined
-spoon filling into prepared bottom crust

-top with crust, crimp and vent
-bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes

It's dense and rich without being too sweet,

and has a beautiful hue thanks to the cranberries.

A slice of this with a glass of spiced cider or mulled wine

would be a lovely finish to your holiday meal.

Quick holiday tip.

Are you busy packing up gift baskets for people on your list?

Small pinecones make a great alternative to tissue paper or shredded filler.

Happy elf-ing!

Super grilled cheese

Sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat for lunch (or breakfast, or dinner, or a snack....).
Grilled cheese is classic and comforting. Sometimes, the straight up, loaded with cheddar grilled cheese is what hits the spot. More often, it's fun to experiment with add-ins, and this is my latest favorite. Treat yourself to one of these for an energy packed lunch during the last hectic week leading up to Christmas. I'm figuring that the presence of a fruit and a vegetable cancels out the bacon and cheese, right?

Grilled Apple Cheddar Bacon Sammich

for each sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread
3 slices cooked bacon
1/4 apple, thinly sliced
sliced cheddar cheese
some fresh spinach leaves
1 T brown mustard
butter for bread

-butter one side of each slice of bread
-place one piece in pan, buttered side down, and spread the mustard on the other side
-layer with apple, bacon, spinach and cheddar
-top with other slice of bread
-grill on medium low heat until bread is nicely toasted and cheese is melty

Now you'll have plenty of spunk for finishing your shopping and baking cookies!

Festive Token

Christmas crackers always look festive.

I love anything with surprises inside, don't you?

It's easy to whip a few of these up as party favors,

or another last minute hostess gift.

Start with a piece of heavy cardstock paper, fold horizontally in half, and cut.

Roll each half into a tube, securing with double stick tape.

Fill the tubes with any assortment of tiny treats,
then carefully cover tube with wrapping paper;
again securing with double stick tape.

 Leave enough paper (about 4 or 5") on the ends
to cinch and tie off with pretty ribbon.

Last minute gift

Like most people, I usually grab a bottle of wine or some baked goods for a last minute host gift. But, if I know that they appreciate a bit of vintage or like to cook, I'll package up a sweet vintage apron for a more personal touch. Just tuck a favorite holiday recipe and a candy cane in the pocket, tie it up with a ribbon, and you're ready to go!

Any holiday activity feels more festive

when you're wearing an apron!

Untraditional Tree

While working on the Creative Connection,

I developed a slight obsession with tomato cages and wrapping things in yarn.

It's still hanging in there.

I made this Christmas tree with the last of my stash of tomato cages.

I think it looks fresh and modern and fun.

Many shades of green make for an interesting mix.

Just wrap and wrap and wrap,

tying off at each beginning and end.

Finish with some simple ornaments

and a cascade of ribbon.

Mint Raita

Dinner tonight was a bit of an Indian and Thai fusion dish based on what we had in the house. I really wanted to make some cucumber raita to round out the meal, but, alas, I did not have a cucumber. I did have a big bunch of mint that was ready to turn the corner and end up in the compost if I didn't use it soon. So, we ended up with a very tasty mint raita, and I am already thinking of a million other uses for it.

Coconut Mint Raita

1/3 cup coconut
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t coarse salt

-grind coconut to fine powder in food processor (I actually keep an extra coffee grinder on hand for these sorts of small grinding jobs-works like a charm!)
-add mint leaves and grind finely
-stir into greek yogurt, adding lime juice and salt until all combined

I served this with some Middle Eastern spicy vegetables and rice, along with some naan.
It was super scrumptious just loaded onto a piece of naan, so I think it would make a fabulous, easy,
and relatively healthy dip for pita chips-YUM!
Also, thinned down with more lime juice (say 4 T or so), it would be a fantastic dressing for summer fruit salad........hard to think about in the midst of this Midwestern arctic stretch we're in, but I can dream.....

I love it when "Hey, what do we have on hand," turns into an inspired dish.

Oh Christmas Tree.

Christmas decorating in our house is in full on sparkle mode. Honestly, our little home is waaaaay too small to hold all of my treasures, but I have tried my best. I actually started out thinking that I was really going to edit this year and keep it fairly minimal. That didn't last long. With every box I opened, there were oohs and aahs and "Oh! I *have* to put these out." I especially like to decorate multiple trees in different sizes, shapes and styles. So far, (yes, I said so far) I have finished three. Take a look!

My Shiny Brite collection has been growing over the years,

and this is the first time I've had them all on a tree together.

I think they look happy and content.

Some look better in the original boxes, so these got stashed under the tree.

My big tree is loaded with all of my older vintage ornaments...many German or Czech in origin.

I like to layer them up and really pack them on to create a stunning effect.

Oh yeah.

 

My collection of vintage Christmas boxes fills the space underneath the tree.

(Ok-and spills out into other corners of the room:)

The best thing? These are all still filled with other collections waiting to find a spot in the madness!

These ornaments were a score at a thrift store many years ago.

The combination of colors and simplicity in design won my heart.

I think they look delightful on this vintage white tree.

How do you decorate your tree? ( or trees!?)

Friday is PIE DAY!

Recently, I picked up some new baking goodies from The Golden Fig in St. Paul. It's always a treat to have new and interesting ingredients that might inspire something fantastic in the kitchen. Spices, vinegars and sugars are blended and bottled weekly at The Golden Fig, so I know that my baked goods will be filled with the freshest items possible. Today, I broke out a Cherry Cardamom Sugar to use in the pie of the day. I was in the mood for custard, so I used a big dose of this super yummy sugar and some lightly toasted almonds to create this tasty new combo.

Almond 3C's Pie

single 9' pie crust
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
1/2 t vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup + 2 T Cherry Cardamom Sugar
1 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted

-add milk and vanilla to beaten eggs, and beat again lightly
-add sugars and whisk until well blended
-stir in almonds
-pour into prepared pie crust
-sprinkle top with 2 T Cherry Cardamom Sugar
-bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes

round 'em up!

I have been busily making yarn wreaths for a little event this week. Really, I am an accidental crafter. Working on the Creative Connection unleashed my inner crafter, and now there is no stopping me.

I love new challenges that bring out hidden parts of ourselves, don't you?

Here is a peek at this weeks' creations.....

I'll post a quick tutorial this weekend!