A Very Merry Christmas!

This year I am reminded of the true spirit of the season in many ways.

I am overjoyed to welcome Alessandra to the world. My dear friend's daughter is already a girl after my own heart. Determined not to miss the holiday festivities, she arrived very early in the morning on December 24th. Congratulations to her family. She is certainly the best present ever.

Big brother Andrew wishes she could talk and insisted on wearing a tie to meet his baby sister.
Dressed and ready to go leave the hospital and enjoy her first Christmas, she's lucky her extended family is in town to welcome her home.

Seeing Santa in action was as exciting for the adults as it was for the kids. I believe!

My brother and sister in-law have been delayed due to weather and while postponing our immediate family fun was disappointing, it allowed for a lovely celebration with my aunts, uncles, cousins and cousin-ettes. My aunt hosted her traditional Christmas Eve open house serving chicken wings, chips, dips, cookies, grasshoppers and more. Relatives hovered around the oven waiting for Nina Pitcl's *Cupa, Cupa, Cupa, Wisconsin cuisine at it's finest! Nina gets a shout out for being a faithful follower of my blog, thanks cuz! Remember: I want your cranberry, cream cheese jello recipe, please!



I hope your holiday included delicious food, quality time with loved ones and special treasures far beyond the gifts under your tree.

Warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family

With my love,

Tammy
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*Cup of grated swiss cheese, cup of chopped onions, cup of Hellman's mayo: mix and put into hollowed out sourdough loaf, bake until golden brown and serve with the sour dough center that has been ripped into bite size pieces.

The Holiday Dinner

One of the benefits of having worked at The New York Times for the better part of a decade is that you never know who's coming to dinner. I've been alternating Thanksgivings and this year I celebrated the feast with friends in Brooklyn. Pulitzer prize winning photographer Ruth Fremson joined us for dinner after having shot the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan. She had her camera and kindly agreed to snap a few photos. Here is a glimpse inside my Thanksgiving this year.

Even the best hostesses know what and when to delegate. Beth's sister Judy asked to set the table, I gladly accepted her offer. Instead of asking how to fold the napkins her crew googled "how to fold napkins" and carefully instructed their mom on how to do so.

Usually I get kale to line the turkey platter. We overlooked the kale this year, thus we strategically placed the celery, cranberries, lemons, and pears so the aluminum foil was not visible.



Bite sized sweet potato pies topped with toasted miniature marshmallows are not photogenic but were a fun and welcome alternative to serving another heavy side dish.

I deconstructed a traditional green bean casserole and made individual size portions. They were prepared with homemade mushroom soup, fresh Parmesan cheese and caramelized onions.






In addition to traditional recipes, great company, an excellent vibe, lots of wine and pumpkin roll, guests were treated to an eloquently delivered toast. Thanks to Ruth for the photos and much gratitude to Beth and Joe for opening their home and hosting a beautiful holiday once again!

Good luck in your holiday dinner preparations. What treasures will be on your table?

Happy Holidays!

After a canceled fight, travel detours and unsaved edits to the original blog post I planned to share today, I will instead simply wish you all a beautiful and safe holiday week. The snow has followed me from New York to Wisconsin. I wish you all short lines at the airport, dry roads, safe travels, quality time with family and friends, happy surprises, delicious food and festive moods. 'Tis the Season!

xo

Tammy

What is Santacon?

Santas on the street.

A few winters ago my dear friend Cheri came to visit and on a winter walk through Central Park we were over come by Santas, not a few, a few hundred Santas! The red suits bounced off the snow covered grass and trees. It was an incredible site. It was Santacon. Last year two guests came to my tree trimming party dressed in Santa Clause gear. They had come from Santacon.

What is Santacon? It's a convention of Santas. The purpose is to have fun and spread holiday cheer. There is no cost, only the expense of the Santa suit or materials to create your own. It's another opportunity for creative, crazy and imaginative New Yorker's to express themselves. The energy in the air reminded me of St. Patrick's Day, New Year's Eve and Halloween all rolled into one.

The initial meeting place for the Santas is not available until midnight the night before. Then each stop after that is posted on facebook, twitter and spread by word of mouth. The phrase "Santa's on the move!" is chanted frequently throughout the day.

Santa Tam and Santa Ken

Love these two!

Some Santas wear fishnets.

Santas rides the subway.

Elvis Santa explaining to civilian what Santacon is.

The rules are pretty relaxed, as long as you get into it, other costumes relating to the season are acceptable.

Santas have to eat.

Santas wait on subway platforms with Snow(wo)man.

Santas make friends quickly.

Santas get thirsty.

Some Santas wear masks.

Chinese food Santa handed out fortune cookies.

A popular stop on the route was Washington Square Park.

Big thanks and photo credit goes to Santa Senenko for her mad documentary skills and for being a great Santa partner in crime all day long.

Did you spot any Santas in the city this past Saturday?



(Note: I am intentionally not linking to the Santacon website because the site does not support my brand. It is very direct, sarcastic and vulgar. Personally, I find it very funny and if you can get past that, I certainly suggest you google it for specific information!)

Baking Christmas Cookies

I love to soak up all the joys of the season! This past weekend I had the unique opportunity of decorating sugar cookies without any of the measuring, mixing or clean up. Icing options and trimmings were infinite. The cookie decorating party was a fun idea and so sweet (thanks Elana!)

When entertaining with cookies, I try to always serve a variety of flavors, colors and textures. I dip pretzels and Oreos in chocolate and coat them with sprinkles or other decorative toppings (nuts,crushed candy canes, M&M's or cookies crumbs) I have traditional recipes I make every year and I usually try at least one new cookie recipe each season.

Tomorrow is my turn to bake. My sous chef will be a two and a half year old so, I will stick to easy recipes as spending time with her will trump any cookie concoction I could come up with.

My favorite cookies are:

Spritz

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 egg yolk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour until well blended. Drop dough by spoonfuls or use a cookie press to place onto prepared cookie sheets. If using floral cookie press design, make an indentation in the center with a thimble, fill with preserves, or press candy into center.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Cookies should be pale.

(Notes: If you don't have a cookies press, as Santa, they are fun, but not a requirement, you can roll the dough into balls or roll out and use cutters in stead. I always divide the dough into thirds. I add red and green food colored to some of the dough and leave some in it's natural color. Colored sugar is the best topping for Spritz cookies and there are recipes for Spritz cookies with out cream cheese, those are delicious as well.)

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.

Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar on the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


2/3 cup (65 grams) toasted almonds (or other nut if you prefer)
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
1 teaspoon (2 grams) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup (110 grams) powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar, sifted


Chocolate Chow Mein "Haystacks"
(note: easiest recipe ever!)

1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 (3 oz.) can chow mein noodles

In 3-quart casserole or large bowl, place chocolate pieces. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Microwave at medium or low 3 to 4 minutes until melted. Stir chocolate smooth; add noodles and using two forks, toss to coat well. On strips of foil or wax paper, form into 1 1/2 inch clusters. Cool to set. Makes about 24 (1 1/2 inch) "haystacks."

When entertaining with cookies, I like my plate to have a variety of flavors, colors and textures. I dip pretzels and Oreos in chocolate and coat with sprinkles or other decorative toppings. I have my traditional recipes every year, but usually try at least one new one.

(Note: Chow mein noodles are very difficult to find in Manhattan, or at least they used to be, if you find them stock up!)

*2009 Debut

Red Velvet Cookies

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box of red velvet cake
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Form into balls.
3. Roll in confectioners' sugar.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Cool in pan a few minutes before removing.

(Confession: I've made lemon flavored cookies using this recipe but not red velvet, so I plan to test this recipe tomorrow, I'll let you know how they turn out.)

What is your favorite Christmas Cookie?

Best Bridal Shower of 2009

During these final weeks of the year, I am sharing some of the wonderful events I have worked on over the course of 2009.

Citrus and Sunshine


Avivit Fisher, the bride's friend and shower co-hosts designed this logo for the event.


This summer loving bride was showered on a private city rooftop terrace under the bright sunshine, sipping sparkling lemonade.


The guest of honor is a savvy vegetarian with excellent culinary skills. The bridal shower menu was planned using local and seasonal ingredients and carefully reflected her taste and personality.



The bride and groom are wine enthusiasts. There were four different white wines and four different red wines available for a tasting activity. Each bottle was disguised and labeled using photographs of the bride and groom from childhood. Burlap bags were not available at the last minute, brown bags were a suitable alternative. Guests were given a fill-in-the-blank sheet and challenged to guess what each wine was. If they needed a second sip, they'd ask for a Gabrielle at age three or Michael at age one. The activity got progressively entertaining.



The brides family and friends were asked to e-mail their favorite recipes and stories to the hosts. The turnout was excellent and this book was the end result. A recipe book is an excellent personalized favor for each guest to leave with. Avivit did an amazing job with the design of Our Culinary Collaboration.


The groom's sisters and nieces could not attend this shower but sent many family recipes including this one. This book is a great opportunity to acknowledge those who are far away and can only celebrate in spirit.


These cake like lemon flavored cookies were affixed with yellow raffia and a coordinating label with the shower design. They accompanied the book as a favor for each guest.



Personalized M&M's are still one of my favorite personalized details. While we've been writing messages on chocolate candies for years, photos on candy is relatively new option. What will M&M's come up with next?

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Thanks to Gabrielle and her friends for allowing me to share the details of this bridal shower. Huge thanks to Christopher Duggan of Threshold Visions Photography for capturing the details of this event in images.

Tell me about the most original shower you've ever been to? Have fun planning your next shower.

Best Kid's Party of 2009

As I look back on 2009 with enormous pride and joy, I am grateful for the abundance of professional opportunities I have had in the last twelve months. I also realize while I have offered bits and pieces of some of my most memorable events, I have not thoroughly shared the beautiful images and details of them. As we begin to bid farewell to the year, please join me as I showcase some of the best events I have had the privilege to plan and coordinate in 2009.

Andrew’s Third Birthday Train Party

There was never a question of what the theme of this party would be, as this three year old boy is deeply committed to his train tracks, engines and play regime. While Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite, his mom wanted the party to be personal, creative and thoughtful.


The information on the invitation was thorough, yet presented in a creative verse. This set the tone for the party and gave guests an idea of what to expect.


The wooden train glued to the loot bag was purchased pre-cut at a craft store (they have many other non train options) and gives the bag a clean and natural look. Painting them at the party was an activity on my rain plan alternative in the case of inclement weather. Each bag had a pin stripped conductor hat, a red bandanna, a wooden train whistle (sorry parents!) an individual box of train shaped cookies and candy.


The play list of train themed songs we created for the party was burned to blank CDs for guests to take home. This is an inexpensive favor or filler for any type of party. The CD cover was customized to coordinate with the invites, loot bags and over all concept of the party.


This activity book was made special for Andrew. It featured trains and his birthday. It was filled with pages to color, mazes, puzzles and photos.


I used Martha Stewart's train punch to make the cardboard trains resting on each miniature cupcake. The cupcakes sat on wooden train tracks surrounding the cookie bouquet. They took main stage so no traditional cake was needed. The birthday candles rested in a deep glass of m&m's. Train lollipops and railroad gum adorned the table. When entertaining in a client's home, I try to use their service pieces when it's appropriate. It seems fitting, but in this case the client's beautiful crystal vases would have been a classic contradiction to this casual kid's birthday party. Instead I found Pellegrino bottles in their recycling. The colors coordinated perfectly!


These are Brigadeiros, traditional Brazilian candies. The young guest of honor is half Brazilian so in honoring his culture these were served with dessert. Made with sweetened condensed milk, they are beyond delicious!

The activities were a train pinata, Put the Conductor in the Train Game and swimming.

Good luck planning your next birthday party!


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Thanks to Andrew and his family for allowing me to help them celebrate this special day. Thank you to fabulous Michigan photographer, Jen Kroll for capturing the details of this birthday party.


What are the fondest birthday memories from your childhood?