Snowman Candy Wraps for Holiday Gifting!

The Make and Take Gals have been busy with underground activities this month. Here is a darling and affordable gift for teachers, neighbors, hostess, or to tuck some cash into for that favorite service person. How about these darling faces poking out from your Christmas socking on Christmas morning?

Supplies List

1. Knit Gloves
2. Hershey’s 4.4 oz. milk chocolate bar
3. Double sided tape
4. Snowman paper wrap
5. Regular scotch tape
6. Ribbon
5/8” for belt
1/8” for bow on “glove” hat
7. Decoration for the front of the belt.
8. Hot glue gun

Instructions
1. Print out snowman paper wrap on a color printer. Trim to 7-1/4” high by
9-1/2” wide, keeping the snowman print in the middle.
2. With regular tape, tape down the corner flaps of the chocolate bar, so that they do not stick up over the “wrap”.
3. Center snowman on chocolate bar, fold and crease edges. Using double sided tape, tape the wrap securely.
4. Put one glove on the snowman’s head. Use a small piece of double stick tape under the front of the glove to hold in place.
5. Tuck second glove in the back of the first glove. Fold glove over from sides so that it does not show from the front.
6. Wrap the 5/8” ribbon around “Snowman” waist. Make sure that the ribbon goes over the back glove to hold it in place. Pull securely and affix in the front with a small dot of hot glue. Be careful not to burn your fingers.
7. Affix the decoration to the front of the belt with a small dot of hot glue.
8. Tie a bow on the glove to make the snowman hat with the 1/8” ribbon. Measure and cut the ribbon. Pull the ribbon taut so that all of the fingers some together to form the hat.
9. HAVE FUN!!! THEY ARE SO EASY AND SO CUTE.

Cookie Exchange 2011

 

Our annual gathering provides us with time to catch up on what's new with everyone.

 

The Ornament Exchange saw a lot of stealing this year... oh so naughty!

The Cookie Bundles Ready To Go Home!

Also, bags of warm scarves and sweatshirts for the homeless teen program downtown called P:ear. 

Make and Take Christmas Tea, December 2010

2010 Make and Take at the Tea Zone!

Pam once again pulled together her beautiful club Tea Zone celebration for us!  I love this tea spot on the Pearl map.  Full of loose leaf tea and experts who know how to make the perfect pot!  Our yummy tea plate this year seemed even more substantial than years past.  We enjoyed a delicious variety of sweet and savory and then got down to exchanging tea cups filled with treats!  Oh the joys of vacation!

~ MJ
Copyright 2010 MJ's Table Talk

Make and Take, December 12, 2010

Dec. 2010 Make and Take

Our favor was the Arizona only state signature bag!

Friday was a fun filled day at Poh's as we stocked our refrigerators for the holidays!  We made spiced nuts, Parmesan and rosemary pin wheels, and a festive layered cream cheese/pesto/sun dried tomato dip!  After whipping these up, we enjoyed a tasty and indulgent lunch of the famous Harry & David Chicken Pie that Oprah made famous...  I think I moaned through the whole experience as it is everything Oprah said it to be! Our monthly adventure ended with a goodie bag from Trader Joe's Arizona and a ribbon poinsettia, beautiful!  Thank you Poh for a wonderful day amidst all your moving!

 Our spiced pumpkin pecans!

 Jean discovered a darling treat for an underground Make and Take!

Poh scored one of the hard to get H&D Chicken Pies...It was out of this world!

~ MJ
Copyright 2010 MJ's Table Talk

Feature Artice, December 3, 2010

Holiday Fun Ideas for Portland and Beyond!

The beginning of December and I am ready to celebrate every holiday this month!  I think it is time to stop; breathe; appreciate; and be grateful for my circle of amazing friends and family.  As I finish school this coming week and prepare for out of town guests, I am already looking forward to my social calendar and what fun things are going on around Portland and beyond...

First, head over to Frugal Luxuries, Its A Gift Wrapped Life, Eating as Art, Pie Wacket, and a few more surprises to find home made wrapping, baking, and gift giving ideas for your holiday delight!  Links are to the right.

My top 10 Portland Christmas list is:

1. Make our traditional hand blown glass ornament at Elements Glass on NW Vaughn $40 each and an hour of creative learning fun! (Call now to get a reservation: 503.228.0575) Followed by a trip to the food carts downtown.
2. Holiday Tea at the Heathman Hotel with friends...stunning!  Followed by a quiet evening snuggling in front of the fireplace to watch the trees twinkle lights.
3. Spaghetti Factory on the Willamette while watching the Christmas ships go by.
4. Lunch at the Hands on Cafe at the Oregon College of Arts and then up to Pittock Mansion for a tour through the Christmas display.  If that is not enough, tour Peacock lane and drive through your neighborhood for light viewing.
5. Serving meals at the Portland soup kitchen and then off to the Zoo Lights, followed by dessert at Papa Hayden.
6. Spend a day delivering gift baskets, checking in on elder neighbors to see if they are ready for winter, then pop into LIMO restaurant before the Michael Allen Harrison Concert at the Old Church.
7. Taking friends and family to the Grotto for the Christmas lights and walk the new labyrinth.
8. Parties with friends, simple, but lots of them!Cookie Exchange, wine tasting, carriage rides downtown, dinners in with Christmas or Hanukkah music, a movie night of old holiday flicks...White Christmas anyone?  Make sure you collect warm sweatshirts, gloves and hats from your guests for the P:ear kids down in the Pearl.
9. Gather family and friends to honor the reason for the season at Midnight Mass.  Come home to hot chocolate before sharing the dawn of Christmas day.Then over-the-hill-and-through-the-woods to Grama's house! Don't forget to call your loved ones who are far away (family, military, friends) or send a facebook greeting!
10. A huge potluck on the 26th with family and friends to celebrate being together and the anticipation of the new year! 

If you are looking to do some unique travel over the holidays, here are some ideas from Wholeliving to DO SOME GOOD!

1. Earthwatch - offers an opportunity to work along side a scientist on a sustainable project.  Available all over the world
2. Hands Up Holidays - A luxury tour company offering opportunities like helping Thai children orphaned by the Tsunami or working with Aboriginal rangers in Australia.
3. Pepy Tours - Bike trips through Cambodia and Laos where cyclists can participate in projects in villages to help improve quality of life for rural families.

If Movie going is your thing over the holidays, take these tips for securing the best deals on admittance:

1. Buy in bulk for a discount
2. Redeem credit-card perks
3. Join your favorite theaters Loyalty Club
4. Hit daytime screenings
5. Drive-ins are still around in Newburg and Beaverton...what a great gift certificate that would be in your stocking!
6. Check local theaters for specials - Tigard theaters is having $5 Tuesdays with $1 popcorn; all day; through the holidays.  Se you there!

Thanks to Pam and Jean for their contributions to my fun Christmas top 10 this year!

~ MJ
Copyright 2010 MJ's Table Talk

Make and Take March 12, 2010

Make and Take ~ March 2010, Christmas goes to the Leprechauns!

This month MJ hosted our Make and Take meeting.  Usually, a bit of the green takes over in March, but this year She decided to keep the green on the table and Christmas in the craft!  We made Advent Calendar Garland and so can you!

For lunch I made Giada's Florentine Chicken and Pasta, home made bread, and dessert was a special pie that Pam made for Poh's birthday called, Crack Pie!  It was pretty amazing!

As requested...here is Momofuku's Crack Pie Recipe:

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling and chilling times

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each)

Note: Adapted from Momofuku. This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling.

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

2 prepared crusts

Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Each of 16 servings: 432 calories; 4 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 187 mg. cholesterol; 36 grams sugar; 125 mg. sodium.

It was a good day and we are making plans to make a few more garland for next year.  Counting the days until our next Make and Take...

~ MJ
Copyright 2010 MJ's Table Talk

Recipe, December 3, 2009

Fridged Temperatures in Portland and MJ's Peppermint Pound Cake!

What do you do at home when it is 29 degrees outside and if you take your 90 year old mom out in the elements she will turn into a Popsicle? Well, we bake! Christmas music playing, fireplace crackling, and hands are busy in the kitchen! That's what we did yesterday morning, baking up a storm for my cookie exchange party this week. Also, I owed a dear friend her birthday dessert. I like to make a dessert that is named after the birthday gal and have the recipe reflect their tastes.

Premiering Pam's Peppermint Pound Cake, and it is a keeper! I whipped up several loaves of this tasty treat that surprises your taste buds on the first bite. Refreshing and invigorating, can a pound cake do all that? This one can!

Peppermint Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3 cups sugar
3 sticks butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
5 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups of flour
Crushed candy canes
Frosting optional

Mix all the ingredients (except the candy canes) until well blended. Pour into one tube pan or several small loaf pans. Bake 80 min if in one pan. 5 minutes before done baking lay a whole candy cane across the top and sprinkle with crushed candy. Serve warm and watch it disappear! Next time I will add white chocolate chips! You can also frost with white frosting or chocolate :)

~ MJ
Copyright 2009 MJ's Table Talk

14th Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange, December 2008

Let the merriment begin! My 14th annual cookie exchange launched me into the holiday spirit last night with dozens of beautiful cookie packages and dear friends fighting over ornaments in the stealing game! It has been a tradition that has brought us all together for at least a once a year check-in. As we gather and unload our goodie baskets our families are waiting back home by the door in anticipation of the delectable variety of treats soon to return. In the beginning all these cookies were a great way to prepare for teacher, neighbor, and special people gifts. It allowed us to stock the freezer for holiday parties yet to come. As I look back over the years it is the faces I remember, funny moments, and dear stories of those I cherish. I know the cookies were good too, but the joy of baking with family and friends and then celebrating in the rewards will live on in my memories forever.

Our custom is for each guest to bake 6-dozen cookies and package in sets of 6 cookies each, with a holiday flare. Then at the party we set the cookies out, enjoy eating some yummy treats while we catch up on all the news, and then roll up our sleeves and dive into the ornament exchange. A mystery pile of wrapped packages, one from each guest, and numbers pulled from a basket by each gal sets the order of play. The game begins, selecting a package or stealing one from someone else who has chosen. Two steals and it is yours to keep. By the end of this free-for-all we have worked up our appetites yet again and go back to the savories this time. We close the party with the cookie swap; each gal leaving with 12 unique packages filled with mini-master pieces of holiday treats!
My teakettle is whistling, so it is time to go sample one of Pam's Cherry Tassies! Tomorrow I have my eye on Ins' creative cranberry butter cookies! Oh the joy...someone's gotta do it!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!
~ 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