Foodie Friday -- November 30

Welcome to the November 30th
Foodie Friday.

Thanksgiving is over, and my thoughts are turning to
holiday baking and gift ideas.
We spent the holidays in London one year, and I fell in love
with the British tradition of Christmas Crackers. (Click for tutorial.)
We had dinner at an old country house on the Thames,
and each diner received a "cracker"--a gift-wrapped tube
that's filled with candy and tiny goodies. As we opened our crackers,
the air filled with festive popping sounds. We put on paper crowns
and plastic rings. It was the best time ever.

Now I make my own "crackers" or "poppers."

 

 

I'm always looking for new and interesting

ideas for Christmas food, and I'm sure you are, too.

This week, I'm showcasing an array of talented bloggers

who have contributed holiday recipes

to the last few Foodie Friday events.

You can find more great recipes at

last week's Foodie Friday.

 

Hope you will be inspired!

 

 Let's begin with a trip across the Pond to England...

I loved the cheese scones at Lemon and Lime Thyme. Can you just imagine sitting down to a tea table
and finding these savory scones? Heaven!
 

 

Now, let's fly back home...

Aunt B on a Budget shows us how to make
Left Coast Crackers.
They look fabulous!

My Carolina Kitchen included three cranberry sauces.
And just look at that delicate arrangement of the orange zest! It resembles a bow.
Sam, it's beautiful.

 

Posed Perfection's creamy potato soup
is a warmer-upper, a sit-by-the-fire and-eat-dinner meal.
I'm adding this to my holiday menu.

 

I was drawn the Poppy Sesame Vinaigrette
at Nancy's Daily Dish.
As a bonus, we get to see her beautiful purple transferware in the photo.
Both the food and the ironstone are stunning.

 

Barnes and Noodles' Texas Taco Salad looks fresh and festive,
a welcome change from heavy traditional holiday fare.

Half-Baked Harvest included a recipe for Broccoli Cobbler.
This dish would be at home in any kitchen.
It speaks of good times and good food.

 

 

Sidewalk Shoes offers Pasta Bolognese for a heartwarming entree.
The rising steam is enticing,
and I love how the light shines
through the wine glass.
This is a meal that says, "I'm taking a moment to rest
and to celebrate life." 

Domesblissity's 4-Ingredient Apricot Chicken is a winner.
It looks as if it has dozens of ingredients!

 

 

  If you're like me, you're always looking for side dishes.

Cath's Cookery Creations offered a savory casserole called "Zucchini Slice."

 

 

 

Komali Numma shared a recipe from her book,
Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen.
The Pumpkin Parfait looks delicious, and so does her book.
I love this photograph, with the layered parfait
on the green Majolica plate.

 

      

I loved Happier Than a Pig in Mud's  recipe and presentation

 for colored popcorn. What a great gift idea!

Spicy peach jam makes a scrumptious topper for biscuits and bread.
Find the recipe at What Smells So Good/Yummy smells.

 

The Charm of Home made Cranberry Orange Bread--perfect for dessert,

breakfast, or an afternoon pick-me-up with hot tea.

I love the drizzled icing in this photo.

 

 The Painted Apron's Pumpkin and Pecan Apple Bundt Cake

with Chocolate-covered Cranberries and Pepitas
offers a little twist on the beloved Bund. It looks dense and delicious.
I wish I had a slice right now!

 



21st Century Housewife's Apple-Cinnamon-Yogurt Cake
is so pretty it could be a centerpiece--and it looks absolutely delicious.
April's recipes are always wonderful.

The Holiday Red Velvet Cake at Susannah's Kitchen looks ambrosial.
And the presentation is gorgeous. This dessert would be the hit of any holiday dinner!

 

During the holidays, I'll be showcasing your Foodie Friday recipes.
If you'd like to have your photo spotlighted in upcoming posts,
just leave a comment.
 

Thanks so much for reading and visiting Rattlebridge. I can't wait to see what you've cooked up this week.
Have a great time visiting the blogs who have contributed recipes.

**If you're visiting from Pinterest, please do not "pin" images from this post;
go to the source blog.  You can do that by clicking on the name beneath the photo. Thanks!


If you'd like to add your recipe to the Foodie Friday linky party, locate the blue Inlinkz frog (below). Add your permalink and select an image. It may take a few seconds for the entry to process. A red X on your photo allows you to delete your entry if you make an error. The Foodie Friday badge is located on the right-hand sidebar if you wish to add it to your FF post.

If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, a tutorial is available.

 

 



Renovation Diary

source: Shutterstock

 

I've received several emails about our renovation. Well, it was derailed by illness and work. But I'm inching forward. The painters put up samples of interior and exterior paint; I'm searching for outdoor light fixtures and kitchen appliances (wall ovens and a dishwasher).

Haven't decided about the shutters.

I'm tempted to stay with the same color family (SW 7042-7048)

 

One choice is Sherwin William's Anonymous . .

Two shades lighter than the door.

 

 

or

 

SW Intellectual Gray

This would be soft and subtle.

And ... bland? Beautiful?
I don't know.

 

 

Urbane Bronze

 

 

 

The exterior color is "Tennessee Limestone" by Sherwin Williams (Duration).

 

 

My friend Allison (from Attic Mag) suggested that I paint the keystones, which were darker and jutted up like angry eyebrows. The painters got to work, and the house looks so much better!

 

The exterior trim  might be SW's "Creamy"  (high gloss; mainly because semi-gloss seemed dull). 

 

Or

Benjamin Moore's White Dove.
I'm pretty sure I'll pick the latter.

 

 

The door is SW's "Urbane Bronze."

It looks darker at my house for some reason. 

SW Urbane Bronze

The porch's beadboard ceiling will be painted SW's Meander Blue. High gloss will bounce the light.

 



Before:

After:

??????

 

 

Painting the Steps and Wall

 

Here, you can see Urbane Bronze on the front door--it's much darker, isn't it?

 

A remodel always involves nail-biting decisions. My contractor, Mike, asked if I wanted to paint (or not paint) the top layer on the wall.

He suggested leaving the caps (on the brick columns) unpainted.

Hmmm.

As I approached the steps, I saw Mike's dilemma.

The top of the wall runs right into the new herringbone porch.

 See?

Somehow I always seem to get myself into a paint quandry.

Do I paint the top ledge or leave a demarcation line near the herringbone?

You can see the painted wall in the distance. 

 

 

 A closer look.

 

The painters are going to leave the top ledge unpainted until I can make a decision. But I'll probably paint everything and leave a demarcation line somewhere on the porch. 

 

.

 

Here's another look at the porch.

Right now, the trim is a busy little thing, with several shades of white going on. Can't wait for the painters to arrive. 

As for the outdoor fixtures, the wall mounts will go on either side of the front door, and the brick columns beside the steps will get post lights.

 

 

Outdoor Lighting

This won't be easy, either. 

The maximum width of the fixtures must be 13 inches.

I bookmarked a few contenders.

 

I love the rounded glass and elegant simplicity of this Fine Arts fixture.

The light bronze finish might be too light. 

 

 



This wall mount has an aged wrought iron finish,

which may or may not work better with my colors.

It's busy. (Update: Mike says this fixture is too big for the space.)

 

 

 

 

 

This Minka Lavery fixture has style and darker tones.

I have this fixture at my present home, and the finish "weathered" quite a bit, but it still looks nice.

 



Framburg offers several finishes, including pewter, which would work well with the exterior colors; but the

men in the house think the light is too long and narrow.



I just found this one. Lovely!

 

 

The Kitchen

 

 

Problem: The kitchen is dark and a bit claustrophobic.

 



 Solutions: 

(1) Paint the cabinets SW's "Creamy." (And hope the coffee pot doesn't explode, as it did in a previous "creamy" kitchen.)

 

(2) Raise the ceiling just a bit!

 

 I found this inspiration photo (see below) on Pinterest and Houzz, and I started hummmming again.

I love this kitchen.



Source: Houzz. Traditional Kitchen design by New York Interior Designer Anthony Baratta LLC

The layout is similar to mine, which gives a better idea of the finished space. Mike says it won't be that difficult because a storage room is directly above the kitchen.

The barrel ceiling will extend a little beyond the island.

A large, round-top window will add so much light, as will side-lights.

I haven't quite broken the news to Dr. G.
Maybe he'll see this post and love the idea of knocking out the ceiling.
Or maybe not!

I'll post an update when the painters finish.
See you then!

See you Thursday evening for Foodie Friday.
 

Foodie Friday--November 23rd

 

Welcome to the November 23rd Foodie Friday.

 

Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my Mother's home--we just couldn't pick a favorite dish. Ham, turkey, potato casserole, dressing, bean salad, collard greens, cranberry-pecan salad, homemade rolls, pecan and pumpkin pies. My oldest son is a professional chef, and his collards were a hit--they had the perfect balance
of tangy- sweetness. He promised to share the recipe.

The best part of any holiday is being with family and talking about food! 

 



Cranberry-nut bread

 



Blueberry scones

 



As always, thanks for visiting!

If you are participating in this week's recipe party,

a Foodie Friday button is available on the sidebar. Just cut-and-paste the code if you'd like to add the button to your post.

To add your recipe to the Foodie Friday linky party, look below for the blue Inlinkz frog (below). Add your permalink and select an image. It may take a few seconds for the entry to process. A red X on your photo allows you to delete your entry if you make an error. The Foodie Friday badge (or button--look for a picture of white cupcakes) is located on the right sidebar if you wish to add it to your FF post. If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, a tutorial is available.

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