Our home 'dressed in holiday style'.
I decorated our holiday tables in the dining room area and the kitchen for Christmas Eve.
I love candlelight. I used linen napkins with a narrow red plaid ribbon tied around them.
I love to use fresh fruit as a decoration on my Christmas tables it's beautiful and it smells good.
In the kitchen, displayed in my hutch, I have some of my 'Old Curiosity Shop' dinnerware inspired from the Dickens novel. I found a 'starter set' of 17 pieces at the Salvation Army for a dollar a piece.
I fell in love with it because it reminds me of two of my favorite places; Greenfield Village and the Beefcarver. I have since been able to build the set up to 21 dinner plates, 12 bread and butter plates, 8 cups and saucers, creamer and sugar bowl, gravy boat, 8 berry bowls, 4 cereal bowls, 2 serving bowls, cake plate and a serving platter. I have less that $80.00 invested in them. I think that they are so charming and they look so pretty at Christmas time. What really made me fall in love with them is that they were sold at A&P grocery stores in the '50's and my grandpa Belcher was a manager at A&P grocery stores. I also shopped at A&P when Stephie-pooh was a little girl and we lived in Detroit.
I tied a red striped jute ribbon around red linen napkins and decorated the table with fruit and nuts.
I made my great uncle Billy's soufflé recipe for brunch on Christmas Eve, with freshly squeezed orange juice and sparkling apple cider Mimosas with Maraschino cherries . Keith squeezed the oranges for me---- being as he's so good at squeezing. Ha ha!
My great aunt Elsie used to invite my parents, brother, Stephenie and me to her house for Christmas Eve brunch. My uncle Billy, my aunt Elsie's brother and his wife Margaret would come early and prepare the food. Uncle Billy would make his soufflé, a grapefruit and mandarin orange salad, cinnamon rolls, served with orange juice. Keith, and my sister-in-law Amanda were blessed to have been able to partake in this wonderful occasion. My aunt Elsie, uncle Billy and aunt Margaret were kind, they knew how to have fun, they were a pleasure to be around and they always made us feel at home. I treasure every moment we spent together. My aunt Elsie had a lovely collection of Candlewick glassware and the table was set with a pretty tablecloth and napkins, Candlewick serving dishes, sterling silver silverware, and her fine china. The table always looked beautiful and the food was superb!
Uncle Billy's Soufflé
8 slices of white bread, buttered and cubed
2 cups diced ham or smoky links
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
Mix together:
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs (room temperature)
Preheat oven to 325*
Lightly grease 9x13 pan with butter
Make a layer of bread, meat, mushrooms. Pour half of the milk and egg mixture over the layer, then add half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat layer and pour milk and egg mixture then remaining cheese.
I let the milk and egg mixture soak in for about 10 minutes before putting it in the oven. I also pressed lightly on the layers to help get the mixture to absorb.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Orange Juice and Sparkling Cider Mimosas
Freshly squeezed orange juice (strained)
Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
Maraschino cherries
decorative appetizer pick
Pour orange juice two-thirds of the way in a pretty glass. Then pour sparkling cider until it foams to the rim of the glass. Garnish (optional) with Maraschino cherry inserted on a decorative appetizer pick.
Serve immediately.
Look who showed up for brunch----"What's-his-name".
I hope everyone had a blessed, joyful Christmas.
~Marcie
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