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Between Naps on the Porch
Between Naps on the Porch: December 2009

Between Naps on the Porch

Between Naps on the Porch is a lifestyle blog with an emphasis on Decorating, Tablescaping, Before and Afters, Thrify Finds, and Gardening.

Dec 31, 2009

Christmas Tablescapes... Welcome to the 71st Tablescape Thursday!

(If pics appear to be cut off on the right side, please adjust your screen resolution to the highest setting.)

It's time for Tablescape Thursday and this is our very last TT for the year 2009. Are you looking forward to 2010? I believe 2010 is going to be an awesome year...I just feel it down to my bones. :-)

This past Met Monday, I took you on a Christmas Home Tour through Tricia's lovely, historic, Victorian cottage. During the tour, I teased you with a glimpse of her tablescape and I promised to share it with you for Tablescape Thursday. Were you wondering what the curved white object was...the one just visible in the pic below?


It's her beautiful centerpiece...a lovely Christmas swan. Tricia, if you see this, please leave a comment and tell us more about your swan centerpiece.


Tricia actually had two beautiful tablescapes awaiting her guests. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite...loved them both! I'm crazy about her brown and white transferware!


She cleverly used her beautiful ironstone/creamware collection as a centerpiece. I wish I could have taken some closeups, but on these tours, there just isn't any time for close-ups. (Click on the pic to enlarge for a better view.)


I think I know what we are having for dessert...just look what I found in Tricia's kitchen. :-) Sinful, totally sinful...and I LOVE it! :-) To see more of Tricia's beautiful home, click HERE to view that post.


I took pics whenever I could...but unfortunately, picture taking wasn't allowed in all the homes. Pretty much every home on the tour had a tablescape in the dining room. This beautiful table setting with a "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme, awaited us in another home on the tour.


Love the pear place card holders. Do you see the long mirror used in the centerpiece? It really magnifies the sparkle of the lights.


A view from the end...I think this is probably the "Partridge in a Pear Tree" salad plate...


Similar view as above, but I captured a bit of the wonderfully decorated chandelier...


A tablescape in one of the other homes on the tour...sorry about the blurriness. Since part of the tour was a "candlelight" tour, the homes were often dimly lit...plus, I had to hurry along to avoid holding folks up. Sorry to keep whining, but these blurry pics are killing me. (LOL) Isn't the centerpiece wonderful?


Here's a little close up of the figural napkin rings used in the above tablescape.


A casual breakfast room tablescape in another one of the homes on the tour...cute way to display the flatware.


As we wrap up the Christmas season, I have a few more holiday tablescapes to share. Toni graciously shared a few pics of her beautiful table setting. Love the mugs and the plaid napkins!


Each guest received a Christmas cookie cutter to take home. :-) Darling salad plates!


Close-up of her whimsical centerpiece with a mouse on an acorn sled...adorable! :-)


Toni, thanks so much for sharing your Christmas tablescape!


Bonnie shared several of her beautiful tablescapes from Christmases past...


Cute ornament place card holders...


China is Christmastime by Nikko...


Darling centerpiece...has to be Fitz and Floyd!


Bonnie can do whimsical and she can do elegant! This icey tablescape matches the icey sleet that's falling outside my window right now...


Stunning! Even her flatware has that snowy, icey feel...


Love the silver chargers and the napkin rings...


A whimsical candle holder...don't the candles look like real ornaments?!


Bonnie and I share a love for Lenox, Winter Greetings china. She created two different tablescapes with this pattern...note the centerpiece in this tablesetting with the green damask napkins...


I'm so coveting these plaid chargers...


And here's a completely different look with the same china...


Pretty red napkins and champagne flutes...


Bonnie, thanks for sharing your wonderful tablescapes!




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The following blogs have beautiful tablescapes awaiting your visit:

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Dec 29, 2009

Feeling Nostalgic...

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic these days...holidays have a way of doing that to us, don't they? As I was looking back through some of my older posts, I came across one written around this time last year and couldn't resist sharing it with you guys again. It's a post about a family tradition that I hope you'll enjoy.

But first, I have to share something that had me laughing so hard on Christmas Day, I was literally gasping for air. Have you ever done that...laughed so hard that you couldn't breathe???

I asked BNOTP readers for some hints on how to make my Standing Rib Roast actually edible this year and several folks sent great recipes/hints.  The roast turned out awesome, by the way. Yay! Thank-you so much for your suggestions and recipes.  They were brilliant!

Prior to asking you guys for some help with the roast, I read online that a popular side dish to a rib roast is something called Yorkshire Pudding. Now we've all heard of Yorkshire Pudding...but do you reallllly know what it is? I didn't have a clue, but it sounded easy, so...hey, why not? The recipe described it as a "puffy pop-over like pastry." Ummm, okay.

Fast forward, it's Christmas Day and after a late morning brunch where we stuffed ourselves silly, I got busy preparing our Christmas Dinner. We were getting down to crunch time...you know...that period when you have all the ovens going and everything is just about to be ready. I had both timers set on the double ovens, the timer on the microwave was timing a third dish in one of the ovens and one of the oven timers was really timing two dishes. It was sooo confusing I had written all the times down on a paper, so I'd know what to take out when each timer went off.

Suddenly, a timer went off while I was clear across the kitchen. After checking my trusty scrap of paper which indicated whatever was in the top oven was now ready, I yelled over to my son's sweetie, Nancy, asking her to take care of it. She opened the oven door...and just as quickly, shut it back, saying, "Uh...you might want to come check this." The look on her face was one of stunned disbelief. This got my son's, (Chip's) attention, too. I rushed over thinking something must be burned beyond recognition. As I opened the door, Nancy, Chip, and I all peered inside and what we saw left us completely speechless. Dead silence...then we all three burst out laughing!

The Yorkshire Pudding had grown into this huge, irregular, shaped blob and it was threatening to envelop all of Atlanta! It was truly unlike anything I'd ever seen, and apparently unlike anything Nancy had ever seen, either. It sort of resembled a bunch of popovers all blown up and squished together around the outer 2/3rds of the pan, with the center part kind of nice and squishy flat, even a bit pudding like--imagine that! :)  And, it was the prettiest toasty brown color you've ever seen. In the midst of all the laughing, Chip kept asking, "What IS that? What IS that???" I was laughing so hard I couldn't even answer! The more he asked, the harder I laughed!

I took it out and almost immediately, it deflated, but it still remained nice and puffy.  It was actually pretty yummy! I do think I'll be making it again, but never will it be as good as this first time when I laughed until I couldn't breathe.  Did you have any breathless moments this Christmas?

Hope you enjoy the following post from Christmas past...it's all about family and tradition.

My Father-in-Law, shown below reading to my son when when he was quite young, faithfully served during World War II. One Christmas, after returning home, he and my Mother-in-Law were making a coconut cake and ambrosia, a traditional Christmas dessert for many generations in their families. The war was still going on and many products were either unavailable or being rationed, including metal.



This picture taken in 1942 of movie star, Rita Hayworth, was definitely a sign of the times. (You can read more about rationing during the war at the SITE where I found this picture.)



My Mother and Father-in-law had not been married long, and as most newlyweds, were still accumulating some of the basic things you needed for a kitchen. The family recipe for the coconut cake called for fresh coconut and there were no metal graters to be found. So my Father-in-Law, being the creative and resourceful person he was, decided to just make one himself.

He used the only metal available, a tin can. Though not the fanciest grater in the world, it did an outstanding job of grating coconut extremely fine. The coconut it grated came out feathery light...very different from what you would ever find pre-packaged in stores.



Over the years, everyone in the family became very spoiled and only liked coconut cake if the coconut was grated on this tin can grater. Who could blame them...the coconut was so light and airy, it all but melted in your mouth!

In later years, the job of grating the coconut was passed down to my husband. And with each passing year, it became harder and harder to use the grater as the little teeth became more and more dull. Over all those many years, I'm not sure anyone had ever realized what a true labor of love it was for Grandpa, as he grated the coconut for the coconut cake.



Now each year, when the coconut is grated for the coconut cake and ambrosia, it's mostly done on a grater I purchased at Williams-Sonoma with very, very fine teeth...and a microplane grater I received as a gift from my sister, Glenda. Fortunately, I was blessed with two wonderful assistants this past Christmas...my son, Chip...



and his sweetheart, Nancy. They humored Mom and let me take a pic, despite knowing they just might end up on "The Blog."



They both did an outstanding job of grating the coconut. In memory of Grandpa...and for the sake of tradition, some of the coconut was grated on a little grater made during the era of WWII. I know Grandpa must have been smiling down from heaven seeing his much loved grandson using the grater he had made almost 60 years before.

The cake turned out great! It was moist, light and fluffy, the icing didn't sugar, and the coconut was food for angels.



Today I'm sharing the cake and icing recipe with you. It's an old fashioned, simple, family recipe that's been passed down through the generations. I got it from my Mother-in-law (pictured below.)



1 2 3 4 Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter until fluffy.
Add sugar and cream well.
Add eggs one at a time.
Beat well.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
Add milk and flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating the two and ending with flour
Beat on low speed
Add vanilla extract
Pour into 3 greased and floured cake pans. (Makes three layers)
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes...test with a toothpick to see if it's done



Seven Minute Icing

Ingredients:

2 unbeaten egg whites
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons Karo syrup
6 Tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut, finely grated

In double boiler, mix egg whites, sugar, water and Karo syrup, beating for 30 seconds until mixed. (Do this prior to placing the boiler over the boiling water.)
Cook 5 or 6 minutes in double boiler until the soft peak stage, beating with a hand mixer the whole time.
Add vanilla extract, beating 2 or 3 more minutes to the consistency for spreading.
Spread on cake, sprinkling coconut on each layer as well as patting coconut onto the sides.


Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding...add laughter for extra flavor :-)

A traditional side dish to Prime rib is Yorkshire Pudding, a puffy pop-over like pastry.

½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons oil

Mix all ingredients, except the oil, together.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Take an 8x8 square pan and pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into it.
Heat the pan for 2 minutes before pouring in the cold batter.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
Do not open the oven door during cooking.
Serve immediately and enjoy the crispy outer edges and the custard-like inside.

Additional Info. Jackie just left a comment with a link to "popover" pans available at Target...thanks Jackie. Ummm, but would it be as funny?

As this new year approaches, I'm so looking forward to carrying on the old traditions, while perhaps starting a few new ones. Happy New Year, sweet Friends!

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Dec 27, 2009

Christmas Tour of Homes...Decorating for Christmas... Welcome to the 50th Metamorphosis Monday!

For this Metamorphosis Monday, I thought I'd take you inside one of the homes I had the privilege of touring this year on the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour. This charming Victorian cottage-style home with wrap-around front porch, was built in 1901 and the owner, Tricia, generously allowed me to take a few pics to share with you all. Come see how Tricia transforms her Victorian cottage at Christmas time.


Beautiful garland encircles the front door...


As I was standing with three friends, waiting to go inside for the tour, one of them said, "Hey, take a pic of the shadow on the wall." It is awesome, isn't it?! It cracks me up that now when I'm out somewhere with my friends, they are pointing out great shots to take for "the Blog." :-)


The entry speaks beautifully for the rest of the home...


Gorgeous!


A tree decorated with vintage cards...click on the pic to see it up close...


Everyone loved this cozy bedroom. Rooms do not need to be large and "grand" to feel beautiful and inviting. There's just something about the old homes...love 'em! Note the picture rail that you see up at the top of the pic. Why don't we still put those in our homes...such a neat idea!


A guest room with adorable twin beds...love the green and white color scheme...


This whimsical piece was at the foot of one of the beds...


A comfy chair in the same room..


Love the mirror, the wreath AND the light fixture~~~sigh~~~


Another gorgeous tree....


Tricia has an amazing creamware/ironstone collection...you'll see part of it on this tour...





Tricia finds wonderful, unique ways to display her ironstone...


We were drooling over her beautiful collections...


I'll show you Tricia's table setting on Tablescape Thursday. :-)


I LOVE this!


Tricia, thank-you for sharing your beautiful home.



A few more pics from the tour:

This was the home where I worked as a docent on one of the tour days. I loved the magnolia garland around the entrance.


As well, as the magnolia topiaries at the foot of the steps.


I took a peek down inside of the garland and they used a faux garland underneath, attaching the magnolia leaves in clusters with wire all around the garland.


I didn't take any pics inside the home where I worked as a docent, it was soooo packed with folks on the tour. So the rest of the photos I'll be sharing are just a few random shots I was able to take when I took the tour the day before. Unfortunately, picture taking was not allowed in many of the homes and so often when I could take pics, there were too many people around to get a good shot, but hope you enjoy the ones I did snag. Some of the following pics were taken during the day and some were taken on the candlelight tour that evening. It was a dark night so please excuse some blurriness.

A wonderful way to decorate above the doors of the carriage house...





Ivy Grove was open this year as one of the "public" homes on the tour.


Inside, the rooms were decorated by locals shops, I think.


Isn't this charming?


One of the stores had this display on the landing area upstairs. I asked about this garden tree and was told it was purchased at Scott's Antique Market.


So if you live in the Atlanta area and have been wanting a tree like this for your garden, head to Scott's this spring. These are great for hanging bird feeders and such.


Another one of the homes on the tour...


It was so dark out this night...many of my outdoor shots are blurry. I included this pic so you could see how they decorated the fountain with ornaments. :-)


This home wasn't on the tour, but isn't it beautiful lit up at night...


I'll leave you with some fun shots...a daytime shot, before the swing takes on a metamorphosis at night. :-)


An evening shot: You may not be able to see the swing on the far right if your computer is set at a lower resolution, so I've added this same pic at the end of this post without enlarging it.


After I photoshopped out the orange road construction barrel...much better. :-)



Thanks for coming along for the tour!

Looking forward to seeing all your "Before and Afters."



If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit:

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