Pink Piggy

 The Pink Piggy is a revered character in our household.  Lil Rascal's favourite toy was a stuffed pink piggy she received on her first birthday.  It was somehow lost on a trip we took to Montreal when she was four years old and it could never be replaced.  We still talk about losing Pink Piggy!

Fortunately every Christmas we are able to honour the pink pig with the traditional family recipe for piggy cookies.  This recipe came with the family from Austria and it was given to me by MrBP's Aunt.

Middle Rascal has taken over the piggy baking duties in our kitchen and a fine job she does with it too.

 PIGS

1/2 cup. butter
1& 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup & 2 Tablespoons white sugar
4 eggs
MIX ALL
Then add:
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
6 Tablespoons grated Orange rind
2 Tablespoons grated Lemon rind
4 cups all-purpose flour, add in up to a cup more for good rolling consistency
Roll out and cut out using a piggy-shaped cutter.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes
Turn down to 350 for another 10 minutes
(NOTE: this is far too hot for our oven, for us it's more like 350 initially, turn down to 300.  Every oven is different, if yours is a hot one I would go with the lower temperatures.)

While the piggy cookies are cooling completely, mix up an icing of fresh lemon juice, icing sugar and a bit of pink food colouring.  You'll want a nice spreadable icing so just add the lemon juice until you have the right consistency.
Voila now you have piggy cookies!  They are very popular on Christmas Day with a cup of coffee.

We've woken up to a fresh snowfall and it's quite a beautiful (if still dark) morning.  Today is the day we gather provisions for the next several days and I've got a list long as my arm for Costco.  It's going to be a madhouse there.  Thank heavens MrBP closed the office yesterday afternoon so we'll be able to do it together, making it a fun event rather than a chore.

Fortunately I was able to source the roasted chestnuts yesterday and as you can see I won't be running out of them this holiday:

I hope this last Friday before Christmas isn't too hectic for you.  After running our errands today we're planning to have an oh-be-joyful in front of the Christmas tree with a little Bing Crosby playing in the background.  Hope you'll be doing something similar!
xoxDani

The Hedgehog and the Highlander

 The top two stand-out ornaments on our tree this year have to be the hedgehog and the Highlander.

 I bought the Highlander in Scotland this past October, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse gift shop, or as we always refer to gift shops "la boutique".
 That was a particularly good "la boutique".

Elephants are always a theme on our tree, I can appreciate the gold and glitz of this little fellow:

 You can't go wrong with the classic red rocking horse in wood.

 The Rascals have their stockings laid out, ready for Santa.

 I spent yesterday afternoon chopping and stirring nuts and fruit for the Christmas pudding cake.  I had to make some substitutions to keep it plant based (like using flax eggs instead of real eggs, basically it's just ground flax soaked in water until it reaches a strange, egg-like consistency).  I also used Earth Balance plant-based "butter" instead of coconut oil, only because I don't care for the taste of coconut oil.

 It smelled wonderful while it was cooking but we'll have to see how it tastes... though if I pour brandy all over it and light it on fire (not part of the recipe by the way) I think it will be a spectacle and any odd texture will be forgiven.

Last evening was an ideal pre-Christmas time at home in front of the fire with the candles lit.  First of all I was feeling very lazy so I made a green salad and then I ordered pizza, one with vegan cheese for us and mozzarella for the Rascals.
 Then we watched a Christmas movie with James Stewart: The Shop Around The Corner.

Have you seen this movie?  It was so good!  I highly recommend.
I'll be all over town today, everywhere from the Orthodontist office (Lil Rascal) to the shoe repair place, the post office, bank and the one grocery store in town where I can source roasted chestnuts... hoping there hasn't been a run on them.
I hope you get everything done today,
xoxDani

Santa's Workshop

 We spent the weekend setting up the house for Christmas even though it's not even December yet.  We've never sourced our greenery and tree so early but this year I really think we need a long festive season.  I won't be sorry to say goodbye to 2016 and I'd like to see it out properly.

 We bought this little Norfolk pine, is it not cute?  I wanted to find a smaller tree to decorate with  these painted eggs we bought in Prague in 2008.  I added some glittery red stars because red and glitter just looks like Santa.

Christmas Cactus

Hanukkah pillow.

 Our tree is a fir that is predicted to last 35 days, we'll see.  It's a bit risky to bring one into the heated house so early but hopefully if I keep it hydrated it won't look too sad by the 25th.

 I started some Christmas baking this weekend with Nigella's vanilla cake cooked in a bundt tin.  I've been looking for one simple cake recipe that smells and tastes delicious and is easy to whip up with ingredients found in the pantry.

Nigella's Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake

 This one seems to be a winner, it's a pound cake really, the link to the recipe is just above.
The only change I made was to substitute baking powder for the baking soda.

I hope your week is off to a brilliant start.  I'll be wrapping gifts and baking cookies like mad.  Any tips for Christmas music?  The only thing missing from my Santa's Workshop is the soundtrack.
xoxDani

Green Christmas

 We've been waiting for the temperatures to go below zero and the picturesque snow to fall so we can have some good photo opportunities while picking out our Christmas tree, but I don't think it's going to happen.  We'll be navigating the mud as we pick out the perfect tree this weekend.  Do you have your tree up?

Doing your best to eat your vegetables?

 Me too, but I also wanted to show you this antique paisley tablecloth which I bought from Ellie's Shop.

Antique paisley tablecloth I luff it.

 Care to see the drapes we installed in the foyer?

Here they are open.

Here they are closed.

 I look like a green puffa marshmallow in my wool stuffed vest but I don't mind.  It's from The Rose, a UK shop that sadly has closed.

Wearing the Green Puffa with Brora greens on a country weekend.

 Back in town I've been wearing my JCrew blazers from years past.
I'm a fan of houndstooth with leopard how about you?

JCrew houndstooth Robert Noble blazer 2006.

 We went to the country for a weekend of hiking in the mud (that had originally been planned for skiing- but never mind).

The food was decidedly vegetable-free.

 Having trouble sleeping?  Me too, even with cozy flannel and all of the darkness typical for this time of year.

Insomnia, even with flannel coziness.  Oh well.

 Cleaning like a maniac before your Christmas festivities begin?  That's par for the course but I could really use an extra pair of hands... fortunately the Rascal Uni kids are finished with exams soon.

 How do you store your tablecloths?  I like this system of labelling the hangers with the size and then hanging them in my laundry cupboard:

Ironed and ready to go.

 I hope your Christmas preparations are going well and that you are feeling festive.
I was feeling extremely disorganized until I made a list which was like taking a valium: very calming.  That's the power of list-making.
Put your feet up and relax awhile (maybe with a Brandy Alexander), and whatever you do avoid the malls.
Cheers Darling Tooties,
xoxDani