Christmas Wreath Pin

Monday!!! My favorite day. 

 I love to start a new blogging week and this week is the kick off  for:

My First Blogging Christmas

What to do with a puzzle with missing pieces?

Make a Christmas Wreath Pin

Before

Last year I was shopping with my sister at Christmas time and she was wearing a darling wreath pin.  A friend had made it for her out of small puzzle pieces.  I was amazed and I had to have one. Well, while at a yard sale this year I found two bags of small puzzle pieces for a dine.  Yes.  You guessed it.  There was the material for my wreath pin.

I took the puzzle pieces and made a round circle and glued them together with Aleene's Tacky Glue.  My granddaughter is making some wreath pins as Christmas gifts for her teachers and friends. So we are doing this project together.  I just love the girls to be interested in creative activities.  Especially with me.

I found 3/4 inch bar pins at Jo Anns and glued one on the back of the wreath .

While making Christmas cards I bought this marvelous glitter.  "Stickles" for paper crafting.  It's glue and glitter combined.  Doesn't fall off.  I put 'Star Dust' on my pin.

After

Added embellishments and Ta Da!!!

My Christmas Wreath Pin

I love it.

Today I'm joining

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

and

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday
Please link back to the hosts and visit the delightful posts.

Thank you so much for visiting

My Cozy Corner

xo
Betty

2nd Cupcake Sunday

Welcome to the 2nd Cupcake Sunday

Wow!!! One month and it's time to celebrate Cupcake Sunday.

Cupcake Sunday

It's all about Christmas today. 

Thanksgiving Day was wonderful.  The cupcake project was so much fun. With the girls help the snow people are so cute. A little discussion on how to assemble them, but I love how they look.

Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes

As you can see there is a difference in the way the head is put on the bottom.

The cranberry filling is fairly tart. The cupcake is all around tart and sweet and pleasant to eat.
You might see in the background Hot Chocolate Mix I made from the wonderful recipe posted by Yvonne at StoneGable.  It truly is delicious. 

Tart Cranberry Filling

1 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1. Rinse and puck through cranberries.

2. Add to a medium pan with water and sugar.  Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve sugar.

3. Let the mixture boil for ten minutes.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

5. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

Lemon Cupcakes

28 regular cupcakes/ 375 degree oven(preheat) cook at 350 degrees

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.

2. Add sugar.  Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes

3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.

4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat to combine.  Add about a half of the mild and beat to combine.

6. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, beat to combine.

7. Scoop into cupcake papers about half full.

8. Place cupcakes in the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Eyes are chocolate decorating DECORS

Nose is orange slices

Hat is Fruit Flavors decorating DECORS
Cupcake papers are sold at Jo Anns

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is the glue

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature

1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

zest of one half lemon

1. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy.

2. Add cream cheese and beat until combined.

3. Sift 3 cups of the powdered sugar into the butter and cream cheese. Add the lemon juice and zest.  Beat until combined.

4. Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.  I used 4 cups.

Assemble

1. Fill the cooled cupcakes using the cone method.
2. Frost
3. Top off with marshmallow snow people.

Hope your Thanksgiving Weekend is going as you planned.  And, the shopping is all that you expected it to be.

Thanks for joining Cupcake Sunday
Betty

If you new to participating in Cupcake Sunday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address.  To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky.

Please include a link in your Cupcake Sunday post back to the host blog.  Cupcake Sunday.  Why is this important? When you include a link back to Cupcake Sunday, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will fine the other awesome "Cupcakes" linked for this Cupcake Sunday.

Please do not add your link below, until your CS post is actually published to your blog.

Now that administrative stuff is out of the way.  Let's see some Cupcakes.

I'm joining

Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

and

Bargain Hunting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday

Tablescape #11

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

This photograph was my inspiration for My Thanksgiving Day Tablescape

I love the woodsy look with the nuts, berries, leaves and fruit. And, the pheasant is soooo....grand.  Now, you know how Thrifty I am and I love Vintage things so I have set the table with the same color tones as my inspiration photograph and my treasures.

The table is set for five.  Yes, just five. Son #1 is staying home with his two girls. Son #2 is staying home with his two girls and his beautiful wife entertaining the In-Laws.  #3 daughter and two girls are spending Thanksgiving here. (The girls are 9 & 10)

I'm truly grateful for this day.  I have had an awesome year.  My husband's health issues are being resolved, I have been on two amazing vacations and I celebrated 50 years of marriage.
Wow!!!! And the year isn't over yet.

Welcome to Thanksgiving Dinner. We can always find another plate and chair.

My dear friend brought me this darling spoon last week as a hostess gift for inviting her to my Harvest Tea.

The dishes are Ridgway Ironstone Staffordshire England "Antique Rose"

This is about as woodsy as I could get this year.

I just purchased this set of dishes about two months ago at the Antique Mall and they were just a great buy.

Since my granddaughters are spending the day with us Old People, I thought it would be fun if they had some activities to do.  Yes, we are baking the cupcakes for Cupcake Sunday and making Christmas Pins for their teachers.  I also have a DVD of the Radio City Christmas Show to watch.  Plus puzzles and my ace in the hole is TV.

The platter for the Turkey and the serving dish for the Mashed Potatoes.
The girls love Mashed Potatoes and Stuffing. 

Fostoria "American" is my favorite vintage glass pattern

Susan over @ Between Naps on the Porch had a napkin tutorial on napkin folding.  I love this one and wanted something special for my Thanksgiving Tablescape

OK!! I thought the girls would like to have name cards so I found the old scrabble game (circa 1975) and just made the name cards. I think they will enjoy adding the letters to see who has the most points. There are only four trays in the game so I will be looking for more trays at garage sales and estate sales this year and next year maybe have trays to hold the letters.

There's a Pheasant in the house.  Oh! Wait just a feather.

I think we have a winner.  Lexi has the X for 8 points.

Pa and Ma are losing.

I put a battery tea light in the cup for candlelight

Berries, nuts and fruit.

Thank you so much spending Thanksgiving Day at My Cozy Corner.

Please join me on Sunday November 28, 2010 for

Cupcake Sunday

I'm joining friends over at

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Coloradolady for Vintage Thursday
and
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Please link back to their blogs for entertaining posts.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving

xo
Betty

Tea Experience

What a grand time my friends and I had on Friday November 19, 2010 

 at

 My Harvest Tea. (Click Here)

I would love to share with you the luncheon recipes.

 Cozy Corner Chicken Salad

Makes 6 servings

4 medium skinless and boneless chicken breasts

1 cup mayonnaise

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend

1 1/2 cups seedless red grape halves

1. In large saucepan, place chicken breasts in water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce temperature, and cook over low heat until tender. Remove from heat, drain and cool.

2. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.  Add mayonnaise, onion, and seasoning blend; mix gently.

3. Fold in grapes; refrigerate several hours to blend flavors.

Cozy Corner Deviled Eggs

Makes 6 Servings

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Paprika for garnish

Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork.  Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.  Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

Fresh Sliced Tomatoes from my garden

Endive

Cozy Corner Pineapple Pecan Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup orange juice

1 (8.25-ounce) can crushed pineapple in syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

2. In large bowl and using electric mixer at medium speed, beat brown sugar and shortening until light and creamy; beat in egg.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and orange juice.  Stir in pineapple with syrup and pecans.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. cool slightly in pan.  Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Note: To store, wrap and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Tiramisu

Dr. Oetker Instant Dessert Mix

We enjoyed dessert in the living room. I shared my 50th Wedding Anniversary trip to Europe with a DVD.  The ladies have traveled and have been to most places.  Watching the DVD made for great conversation about some of the places I had visited on the trip.

Empress Tea

Served at the Empress Hotel

 Victoria, British Columbia

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

2 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup molasses ( used maple syrup) I didn't have molasses

1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist.  Do not overmix.  Generously grease a 12-muffin tin and dust with flour or line with paper muffin cups.  Fill muffin cups about 2/3-full with batter.  Bake pumpkin muffins in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Remove pumpkin muffins from tins to wire rack to cool.  Makes 12 cranberry pumpkin muffins.

What a lovely afternoon visiting with good friends, relaxing with a hot cup of tea, and sitting by the fireplace reminiscing about the wonderful places we have visited.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
and
Don't forget Cupcake Sunday
November 28, 2010

I'm joining some great blogs to share my Harvest Tea
Please link back to their blogs and enjoy the wonderful inspiration they have to give.

A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday
Silken Purse for Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday
Martha's Favorites for Tea Cup Tuesday
Artful Affirmations for Tea Cup Tuesday
Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday
The Plumed Pen for Tuesday Tea for Two
Breath of Fresh Air-Paper Butterfly for Tuesday Tea for Two

xo
Betty



Cupcake Mosaic

I'm joining Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

I love to bake cupcakes;  And I love to have a party.

I hope you have baked some fun and delicious cupcakes for Thanksgiving Day and BLACK FRIDAY. Please don't forget to bake enough for the weekend when company is looking for something sweet to enjoy with a cup of hot tea or a cup of warm cider while watching sports on television.

Just a Reminder
 Cupcake Sunday on November 28, 2010.

and

Thank you for visiting My Cozy Corner.
Please leave a comment and become a follower.

xo
Betty

Tablescape #10

I'm celebrating my 100th post!!!

Please join me in my home for tea and a delicious lunch.  I hope you enjoy our restful and beautiful Autumn day before the rush of the Christmas season begins. 

Each person has an individual cup, saucer and luncheon plate.  I have provided salt and pepper at each place setting.  I will serve the Cozy Corner Chicken Salad in the wine glasses and sugar and milk is on the table.  I will bring the pots of tea to the table as soon as the water is hot.  Please find a favorite place setting and make yourself at home.

Luncheon Menu 

My Cozy Corner Chicken Salad
Pineapple Pecan Quick Bread
Pumpkin Muffins with Fresh Cranberries
My Cozy Corner Deviled Eggs
A Slice of Tomato and Endive
Dessert
 Individual servings of Tiramisu in the living room
with a cup of tea 



Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim have joined our Harvest Tea.  They brought some fruit and vegetables from their garden and their Turkeys too.

'Lavender' Royal Albert Bone China

 Theodore Haviland New York  Made in America 'Annette'

'Nosegay' Royal Albert Bone China England

'Sylvia' Thomas Ivory - Thomas Bavaria Germany
My Silver-Plate is vintage 'First Love'

I love to drink from this tea cup and when I'm finished I see the rose at the bottom of the cup.

'Pompadour' Rosenthal Selb Germany

I love the inside of this tea cup.  It's a work of art.

C. H. Field Haviland 'Limoges' France

On this two tiered serving plate,  I will be serving delicious Pumpkin muffins with fresh Cranberries.

The beautiful cut work tablecloth and napkins I purchased at a garage sale for $12.50.  The tablecloth is 102" long with 12 napkins.

We are having sliced fresh tomatoes from the garden.

Fresh butter to spread on the Pineapple Pecan Quick Bread that will be served on the Theodore Haviland 'Annette' Dinner plate sitting on the cake pedestal at the end of the table.

Cream Cheese will be served in this vintage dish.

 Pomegranate Jelly for the muffins and quick bread served in this vintage jar

A 'Dove' Dark Chocolate candy with an Inspirational message for you

I will be posting the recipes from The Harvest Tea soon.
and
I hope you had a relaxing afternoon with conversation and warm tea on a cool and crisp Autumn Day.

I am joining some wonderful bloggers to share my Harvest Tea.
and
  Please link back to see the fabulous posts from my most inspirational friends.

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday
Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Southern in My Heart for Inspirational Friday
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday
Bargain Hunting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things
and
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Bless you all from My Cozy Corner
Have a great weekend

xo
Betty