October Make and Take Goes for a Broom Ride!

Make and Take celebrates Halloween at Pam's house!

With Witches Brooms Candied Apples and Birthday Peanut butter Cup Cupcakes! That's right, a trick is in our treat making!

The kitchen was brewing with our many hands creating these darling brooms and cupcakes. We stuffed our chocolate cups with peanut butter or marshmallow and created these cheerful looking cupcake creations that are really a chocolate surprise!

Then it was time to gather around Pam's festive table and enjoy her always indulging menu for lunch. We delighted in Butternut Squash soup and Cheese Fondue! It was so delicious!

Dessert was a treat for the eyes with this darling witch's hat and broom, and a delicious pumpkin bar drizzled in chocolate! 

 Thank you Pam for all the treats and no tricks!

September Make and Take Warms Up With Jean's Homespun Fall Treats!

 

 Fall has rolled into Portland with a chilly change to the season. After a deliciously long and hot summer, the brisk pumpkin weather took us by surprise. Our hostess, Jean, however planned for the transition in this month's Make and Take. With her skillful direction we revisited the cozy fleece blanket project and produced a splash of fall color blankets to cover our families in.













In addition we made a festive and beautiful Autumn Nut Bark that is insanely good!

No visit to Jean's house would be complete without testing out some delicious new salad recipes. Lunch was devine! Thank you Jean!

 Recipe can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/greek-quinoa-salad-recipe/index.html

Make and Take February 2009

February Make and Take

As we all gathered around the table, it occurred to me that on this blustery morning there was no where else I wanted to be. As Pam always says "we feel so pampered when we get together at our Make and Takes". Because we rotate each month, the hostess always feels fresh and ready to wow the team with some simple pleasures. Jean out did herself this month with a fun and relaxing craft of card making. She had white, 5x7 card stock available and we made sleeves, from many types of beautiful paper, to glue around the outside and added ribbon and some darling initial dots to charm it up. We each made about 10 to take home and Jean supplied us with envelopes and a bag of dots that had initials and sayings to decorate the front of our cards as we used them. For lunch, we had a garden themed table with darling forget-me-not miniature pots and wonderful garden gloves for us to take home. The main course was Jean's famous green bean salad, stuffed chicken breasts and pasta. Dessert was her favorite, healthy recipe for carrot cake and lemon sorbet. So far my favorite carrot cake recipe I have tried...yummers! Throughout our club meeting, Jean kept are glasses full of Sassy water, which is an herbal and water mixture designed to detox your system in a friendly way. The taste of mint, cucumber, ginger, and lemon was refreshing and light.

Another wonderful M&T! Thank you Jean!
~ MJ
Copyright 2009 MJ's Table Talk

December 2008 Make and Take

December 10, 2008 Make & Take Table

It has been a long term at school and this morning I turned in my final paper! None too soon, as I have a string of holiday parties in the next few days. I am thrilled to be celebrating and connecting with family and friends.

Today, my Make and Take group gathered to create H'orderves. Stocking the freezer with yummy morsels to have on hand for the holidays. Poh did a spectacular job with her choices: candied pecans, Cranberry studded cheese ball, Samosas with yogurt sauce and yummy turkey pinwheels.

It is our tradition to have lunch after we are done creating, and today Poh whipped up a delicious Pomegranate salad, Panini Sandwiches, white bean soup, and sparkling pomegranate apple cider! The salad was so festive and yummy I am including her recipe below:

Dressing:
Trader Joe's Pomegranate Vinegar
1 Tblsp of Dijon Mustard
Olive oil to taste

Pour this over your favorite lettuce combination and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and candied nuts on top! Then sit back and wait for the compliments!

Over lunch the gals and I were discussing that it has been 8 years since we started our monthly artistic adventures. We are amazed that our winsome group never seems to run out of ideas. Each month we gather and soothe the creative beast, while exploring our wild side. It has been a wonderful time to connect, laugh, cry, and generally cause as much artistic mayhem as possible. Merry Christmas dear friends! Here is to 2009, a blank canvas waiting for us to create our best lives ever!

~ MJ
Copyright 2009 MJ's Table Talk