Cookie Thank You

My thank you cookies are packed and ready to deliver.

My 4-day adventure is chronicled below







My 96 year old Mom has resided at a local nursing home for the last 6 years.   There's no way to properly thank the dedicated staff of aides, nurses, activities staff, cafeteria staff and cleaners for the loving care and kindess they extend to the residents everyday but thought I'd extend a show of appreciation with some special cookies for Valentine's Day.

Mom on her 96th Birthday

Making these cookies turned into a 4 day adventure.

Day 1 - I mixed the dough and put in the refridgerator to chill

Day 2 - I rolled out the dough and baked the cookies

Day 3 - Preparation for decorating began by preparing the Royal Icing used for this decorating technique.  During the 10 minutes beating process for mixing the icing my mixer set up and I had to send hubby to the store for a new mixer.  In our little town this was a dollar store and the resulting mixer had the capablity of whipping cream!    I finally acquired the required texture and proceeded to dam and flood the cookies.   Damming  is the process of piping a border around the cookies.  Flooding is done by squeezing a thinner icing onto the cookies.  The dam holds the icing and a smooth glassy surface is created as the canvas for further decorating.  The cookies have to set overnight for the icing to set up completely.

I wish I had thought to take pictures of this process but really hadn't planned this post until it was too late. 

Day 4 - At last the fun part and the decoration begins.  Or so I thought.  I started with a new mixer and fresh batch of icing but couldn't seem to achieve the right consistancy to hold the designs for piping borders, flowers and leaves.   After several times of empting the pastry bag and adding more confectionary sugar to the icing I gave up and settled for dots, squiqqles and waterever else came off the end of the pastry bag. 

 After 2 hours of decorating cookies and fighting with the icing I was totally exhausted and my kitchen was a total disaster.  I placed the cookies on cookie sheets to finish drying and at this point decided that I should take some pictures.

After cleaning up the kitchen (no way was I taking pictures of that mess) it was time for me. 

 I was much too tired for a fancy tablescape at this point but had to test the product.  I made a pot of Victorian Rose tea  and grapped a couple cookies that wouldn't fit on the trays (or so I told myself) and crashed. My daughter made the knitted tea cozy for me while visiting at Christmas.  She did it in one evening without a pattern and I love it.  As I looked across the table at the trays of cookies I decided they didn't look half bad and hope the staff at the nursing home will feel the appreciation I feel for them each and every day.



Christmas Tea

A Christmas Tea was an enchanting afternoon of relaxation and sharing the holiday spirit with friends.

White Trumpet Swans glide across the

table with grace

Mother and baby polar bear have found a warm place to snuggle.

This beautiful centerpiece was a gift from a new found friend from our trip to Alaska this summer.

 

Snowman are everywhere in this winter wonderland.

Another snowman and elf are set for the fun.

Add Pfaltzgraff Winterberry Dishes

And a few extra touches

The dining room is ready, now on with the show. 

Teapots stand ready and the menu's been planned.

Christmas Tea Menu

Tomato Provolone Deli Spiral

Turkey Pepper Jack Deli Spiral

Turkey, Bacon, Ranch Deli Spiral

Spanokopita

White Chocolate Peppermint Scones

Candy Cane Cream

Cheese Cake Sampler

Red Velvet, Chocolate Turtle

Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Raspberry

Petits Fours

*********

White Christmas Tea

(White Tea, Peppermint and Ginger Root]

Dream by the Fire Tea

 (Caffeine Free with Cinnamon and Vanilla)

Comfort and Joy Tea

(Black Tea with Spices and Fruit)

Holiday Spiced Plum Tea

(Green Tea with Cinnamon and Spice)

The Santa Bakers  have been hard at work.

But I decided a little help was in order and gave them a hand

with some of the goodies I sampled at a recent

trip through the grocery store.

The savories were purchased and all very good.

The peppermint white chocolate scones were a new recipe and the hit of the party.  They were accompanied with a peppermint whipped cream spread which doesn't show in the picture.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

The dessert course is a combination of homemade and purchased. 



More cookies in the kitchen for treats to take home.

Time for the mandatory photo.  To my friends on the other side of the table forgive me your photo is not here.  Next time remind me to warn you in advance when I'm going to take a picture, to say smile and always take at least 2 pictures.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Halloween 2013

'Tis Halloween and all thru the house

Creatures are stirring
Yes, even a mouse.

Skeleton lady dressed in her finest

Stands ready to serve her Halloween guests

Looks like rat and spider will have the first bites.

An ugly black spider stands ready for flight

While skeleton demons watch in delight

Witches adorn the mantels with flair

Pumpkins and spiders are everywhere.

Halloween Menu

Witches Brew Spiced Cider

Boneless Chicken Thingamajigs

Squeamish Squash

Pickled Beeting Hearts

Broccoli Slaw-th Salad

Monster Finger Corn Bread Sticks

Herbal Sour Screaming Biscuits

Pumpkin Meadow Muffins

Apple Pie Ice Scream Sundaes

Garlic Free Pumpkin Roll

Our host heads the table

Tea party finery's been banned

With men at the party
Had to cut back on the glam

  Posing for pictures is always required

Lets put away the cameras-Eatings desired!

Butterfly Tea

These butterfly plates (found at TJ Maxx) were the inspiration for my butterfly tea.  I don't like to use paper products for my teas but these were too cute to pass up and I convinced myself paper plates were OK for an outdoor tea.  I have been wanting to try "floating icing" on cookies so decided to give it a try with butterflies which I placed in each cup.

My mom did the cross stitch on the table cloth.



Another view of the table.  





       

        Menu

    Chicken Salad Tarts

    Lemon-Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

    Herbed Strawberry Sandwiches

        Cream Scones with Lemon Curd and Blackberry Jam

Butterfly Cookies

Pavlova with Lemon Cream and Berries

Lemon Bars

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Lipton's Blackberry Vanilla Tea

Gevalia Green Tea with Mango

  



 

My tiered tray has pink roses on it.  I added crocheted hot pads in blue to go with my color scheme.

 Teacups ready for the addition of a butterfly cookie and trip to the patio.  Rain was threatening and I didn't set the table until 10 minutes before the ladies were due to arrive.  We lucked out with just a few sprinkles.  Unfortuately I didn't have much time to take photos.  I'm so envious of bloggers with the professional quality photos.



Desserts.

  Can you see the butterfly drip catcher on the teapot?

 





A new tea tile and tea bag holder that I used for lemons.  The metal bird is a lemon squeezer.

 




The butterfly vase was on a patio table didn't appear in any of the photos so took a photo inside.  This is an "Andover China" Vase.  Andover China was produced locally in the late1940's.

 




The tea lady obligatory photo

 

Lavender Tea

I watched my garden carefully for the lavender to come into bloom so I could host a lavender tea using a new violet teapot and my violet teacups.



Playing with ideas inside



I started building my tablescape with a lavender piece of fabric as my tablecloth.   I wanted to use my Heishey clear plates but needed to boost the color against the tablecloth so pulled my first faux pas of the tea by using purple paper plates as chargers.   Needing still more contrast I used large doilies as place mats.  I had a lavender print paper napkin that I layered with a another purple napkin on top of a white linen napkins.  Overkill, yes, but it created the desired effect.  The second faux pas in the photo above is the use of jam in a jar complete with label.   The jams, however, were purchased for the tea at a local festival because they  contained lavender.

I set the table a couple hours before the tea turning my plates and cups upside down to keep any bugs off and unfortunately forgot to turn them over before I took pictures!  Each place setting had their own tea strainer for the herbal teas we would try.



Fresh herbs were picked just before tea



Lavender Tea Menu

Egg & Chive Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches

Carrot Chive Bundles

Lemon - Lavender Mini Biscuits

Lavender Jelly

Strawberry Lavender Jelly

Blueberry Fool

Lavender Cookies

Lavender Tea

Rosebud Tea

 Sandwich Tray

 Blueberry Fool and Lavender Cookies.   Lemon-Lavender Biscuits in the forefront.

My centerpiece was  made from several bundles of herbs which were favors for my guests.

No tea is complete without a photo of my tea ladies.

Extra seating on the patio and in the garden.

Time to pull out the embroider tablecloths.



Anyone need a hat?



My favorite spot  in the garden.

  

Of all my teas, I think this was my favorite.