Eggnog, a Christmas must

Eggnog is one of those few drinks that instantly transport you to far away Christmas places with Nutcracker Princes, Sugar Plum Fairies and Mouse Kings.  I find it's a perfect night cap at the end of a busy Christmas day.  While is does take some time to make, it is well worth the effort.

Eggnog at Christmas

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 cup Brandy
• 1/2 cup thickened cream

Method:

1. Place the egg yolks, sugar and milk in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Whisk for about 15 minutes or until the mixtures coats the back of a spoon.
3. remove from heat, stir in brandy and refrigerate until cold.
4. Beat the cream and add to the mixture.
5. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and add to the mixture (you may have to whisk this to ensure it is well combined).
6. enjoy.

And Champagne goes with....

And Champagne, or should I say sparkling wine goes with?  Well, I believe the answer is anything!  You would be hard pressed to find a Christmas party without a good old bottle of bubbles and with New Year's Eve just around the corner I'm sure we will be hearing the festive sound of  corks popping.

In anticipation of the holiday season I have a new find for keeping your bubbles flowing.  I've recently came across a Champagne flute from KROSNO called Sparkling Burst.  These flutes have a laser etched sparkling point for a continuous vertical stream of bubbles.  I've now used these a few times in the spirit of road testing and can attest they live up to their promise.  These flutes also have a lovely long stem and will sit proudly on any table.

So now that my glass ware is under control, the next question is what to drink?  We are quite blessed in Australia to have so many great sparkling wines.  Personally I gravitate to the Chandon range which is a great sparkling wine and never disappoints.

Cheers,  Julie

Chandon goes with...

Christmas Tree Cup Cakes - Wicked Wednesday

Welcome to another Wicked Wednesday, a day for sweet indulgences.

Today I've made some delightful but simple Christmas Tree cup cakes.  These are simple to make and look great for Christmas celebrations.  They would make a great addition to any school Christmas party.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 Vanilla cup cakes. - use your favourite recipe.
• 125g softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 Tbls milk
• Food colour - I've used Wilton icing colour in kelly green 
• Cachous balls in various colours and sizes.

Method:

1. Make cakes according to recipe.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and 1/2 the milk
4. The mixture should be quite thick so it can be piped, add more milk if required
5. Add the food colour a small amount at a time and mix well until you reach the desired colour
6. Using a piping bag and a flatfish nozzle pipe the icing starting at the outside and working into the middle, building up layers.
7. Decorate with cachous balls.
8. Enjoy.

Vendor Credits:

• Wilton: Cake decorating products

Shortbread - Perfect for Christmas afternoon tea

I still remember my Grandmother making Shortbread every Christmas, but it was not just any Shortbread, but genuine Scottish Shortbread. Over the past few years, I've found myself now also making a batch or two of genuine Scottish Shortbread at Christmas, using her tried and tested recipe.  This is a simple rustic shortbread that goes great with your favourite pot of tea or coffee. Enjoy!

Genuine Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 250g softened butter
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 1/3 cups plain flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup extra caster sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Heat fan forced oven to 160 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour and salt.
4. Turn shortbread out onto a floured board and knead well.
5. Divide into 4 portions, press each portion into rounds about 1 1/2 cm thick.
6. Cut each round into 8 equal pieces (don't cut all the way through).
7. Pinch the edge and prick with a fork.
8. Dust with the extra caster sugar.
9. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 30 to 35 mins or until just starting to brown.
10. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to an airing rack.

Christmas Printable Range - Available NOW

Our Shop is now officially open for business.  Our launch features our Christmas Printable Range as featured on our blog.

We have four packages available:

• Complete Package
• Dining Package
• Gift Package
• Cracker Package

Visit our Shop for full details and purchases.

Christmas Printable Range - Complete Package

Christmas Printable Range - Dining Package

Christmas Printable Range - Gift Package

Christmas Printable Range - Cracker Package

Christmas Tree Decorations

Now that I have my Christmas Dining Table all sorted with a beautiful selection of blue and silver tableware and decorations I've realised that my Christmas Tree also requires some attention.  Our Christmas Tree boasts a well loved collection of baubles and decorations that have been gathered on holidays, trips overseas and our annual visit to the quirky christmas shops hidden in Melbourne's lane ways.  Let's just say our Christmas Tree is classic shabby chic, a style I love!

Alas, our current assortment does not include any blue and silver pieces, not a cracker! So I'm about to set things right.  For those of you also loving this combination I've found some exquisite pieces from David Jones, they are all available from their on-line store and will add grace and style to any Christmas Tree.

Enjoy,  Julie

Christmas Tree Decorations

Snow Flake Cup Cakes - Wicked Wednesday

Christmas Cup Cakes - Snow Flakes

Welcome to Wicked Wednesday,  Wednesdays will be dedicated to sweet indulgences, because we all need a treat now and then.

Given we are in Christmas season, today's sweet indulgence is Vanilla Cup Cakes topped with butter cream icing,  sparkles and a Christmas snow flake cup cake topper (soon available in our store).

These are simple to make and look great, Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 12 Vanilla Cup Cakes - use your favourite recipe
• 125g softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 Tbls milk
• Food colour - I've used Wilton icing colour in Royal Blue (sparingly) 
• Sparkles - I've used Wilton cake sparkles in white

Method:

1. Make the cup cakes.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and 1/2 the milk
4. The mixture should be quite thick so it can be piped, add more milk if required
5. Add the food colour a small amount at a time and mix well until you reach the desired colour
6. Using a piping bag and star nozzle pipe the icing in a circle motion
7. Sprinkle with sparkles
8. Add cup cake topper
9. Enjoy

Vendor Credits:

• Chic Party Ideas: Printables
• Wilton: Cake decorating products

Christmas Cracker - Tutorial

Christmas Crackers are an essential element on the Christmas Dinner Table.  They are simple to make but do take some time to complete so put a couple of hours aside.  This year we've made our crackers to match our Blue and Silver colour scheme. Have fun and be creative with the special gifts you place inside.

We hope you find this tutorial useful.

Christmas Crackers

You will need:

• Cracker Paper 16 cm x 29 cm (any paper will do providing it has a strong construction)
• Cardboard tubes
• Cracker Snaps
• Glue
• String / ribbon / raffia
• Tissue Paper
• Gifts that will fit in the tube 
• Jokes

Christmas Cracker Tutorial

Instructions

1. Wrap each gift and a joke in tissue paper (see hints)
2. Put three cardboard tubes end to end in the centre of the cracker paper.  Roll the paper around the tubes and secure with glue.  Allow to dry
3. Ensure the middle cardboard tube is in the centre of the cracker paper, then slightly pull out the tube on the right, leaving a 3 cm gap between tubes.
4. With your left hand on the centre tube and your right hand on the right tube, twist in opposite directions and push together at the same time.  This can take some practice so you may want to try with some scrap paper.
5. Cut ribbon or string and tie around the gap in the cardboard tubes.
6. Insert the cracker snap and tissue wrapped gift in the other end.
7. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the left hand side
8. Tie the remaining end with ribbon

Hints:

• I wrapped the gifts in different coloured tissue paper so I could ensure everyone received the age appropriate gift. You can glimpse the tissue through the end of the cracker.
• I used a very small piece of tape to secure the cracker snap in place
• There are lots of sources of Christmas Cracker Jokes on the Web, or you could use the Jokes I've collected.
• Cracker Snaps are available from most on-line party shops.  I used The Party People

Vendor Credits

• Printable Cracker paper: Chic Party Ideas (soon available in our shop

See these Crackers in Action

•  Chic Party Ideas Blog - Christmas Table, Chic Blue and Silver

Christmas Table - Chic Blue and Silver Design

With so many choices, deciding how to style your Christmas Table can be quite daunting.   Normally I've used traditional colours of Red, Gold and Green.  This year however I've decided to adopt a more modern crisp blue and silver palate.  I hope you will agree that this combination "just works" and I hope it will offer some cooling relief for what is often a hot Melbourne Christmas.

To celebrate the occasion, we've created a range of printable products for the table which will soon be available in our shop.

Items to watch for:

• Home made Christmas Crackers are always a hit.  We have posted a tutorial detailing just how easy it is to make your own Christmas Crackers.
• I just love the bauble wine glass arrangements. we've used acrylic paint to personalise the baubles for each guest.
• Starting with the colour palate, we've added lot's of different shapes and textures to the dinning table centrepiece.
• Use hanging snow flakes as wine glass and decanter coasters. 
• Decorate a Candle holder with star decorations to transform it for a christmas.

Christmas table centre piece

Christmas Table Place Setting

Christmas Table Setting

Christmas Table Decorations

Christmas Wine Glass with personalised bauble.

Christmas bauble bowl

Wine decanter dressed with Baubles

Dress a Candle holder with Christmas Cheer

Christmas Table - Chic Blue and Silver

Christmas Side Table

Christmas Table decorations

It was a real joy to style this years Christmas table, I'm now really looking forward to Christmas Day.

Vendor Credits:

• Vue - Blue Laquer Chargers (available at Myer on-line)
• Myer - Assorted Christmas decorations including silver tree, large deers, large baubles garlands and smaller table decorations.
• Riot Art- Mesh Baubles, acrylic paint
• Chic Party Ideas - Printables

Christmas Countdown with FREE PRINTABLE

View fullsize

Christmas Countdown Printable

It's finally the 1st day of December, the day for putting up the Christmas tree and adorning your house with Christmas Decorations and Cheer.    Christmas carols will be playing from every shop you visit and children all over the world will be on their best behaviour, to ensure they are on the "good list".

Christmas is one of my absolute favourite times of the year, the month of December is full of parties and celebrations and a great time to catch up with friends and family.

To mark such an important date and to ensure your children are fully embracing the spirit of Christmas, I've created a free downloadable Christmas Countdown calendar.  

Just download, print, cut and enjoy.     

I hope you enjoy out upcoming Christmas posts.

Julie                                  

 

 

 

Get Creative, add your personal touch

If you are creative and crafty you can embellish the countdown numbers and use them in creative ways, you can try:

• A touch of glitter will add sparkle
• A couple of bells will add shine
• A beautiful ribbon and bow will add some class
• Include the countdown in your child's lunchbox, hang on the Christmas Tree or make a daily game of hide and seek.
• Include a special note on the back.

We'd love to see how you have used these printables.

View fullsize

Creative ideas