A Simply Delightful Luncheon

 

This is a very simple but tasty Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich.  

I simply mixed together:

 3 stalks of chopped celery

One bunch of chopped green onions

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1 large chicken breast (poached and shredded)

About 1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1/2 of a medium lemon.

You can add or exchange other things you like, such as the type of nuts or fruit.  Some people like cashews, grapes and/or Craisins.  I found the seasonings to be essential! 

It was a very colorful sandwich, as well as different from the norm with the dried apricots. Yum!

The fruit cup was colorful and refreshing.

The salad was a favorite of all of ours!  

It consisted of mixed greens, sliced strawberries, candied pecans, sliced beets, and Mandarin orange slices.  It was topped with a fabulous Brianna's Dressing: Blush Wine Vinaigrette (has a single large strawberry on the label).  It was wonderful!

We finished off our luncheon with warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and vanilla Hagen Daz ice cream. Mmmm, mmmm!

The best part of the lunch was one of my dear friend's daughter attended and announced that she was pregnant for the first time...with TWINS!  

This day could not have been any better!  It was delightful in EVERY way.  

My New Logo!

What do you think? Do you like it?  I LOVE it!  I searched for hours for the perfect image.  I found this and immediately knew it was "the one".  Kind of like when I saw my husband for the first time!  I purchased the image and my good buddy, Trina, performed some of her talent on it and here it is.  

I wanted it to embody the fact that mostly what I like to blog about is entertaining and hospitality.  My passion is tablescapes, even though there are so many people much more talented than I am.  I love planning, scheming, and setting a remarkable table almost more than anything!

I have collected dishes, glassware and teaware for years and I love delighting my friends with them like I was delighted the first time I saw Martha Stewart's book, "Entertaining", in which  teal glassware and orange flowers were featured on the cover.  That was 1984 and I have been an addict ever since!  (In a good way!) 

I love the logo because it is imperfect, like me, and it is cheerful, like me.  Remember zippy, zany, and zealous?  (Inside joke.)  Therefore, polka dots! I love the font because it implies embellishment to something ordinary.  That's what I love to do, keep adding and adding until you haven't gone to far! And last, I have a foam heart in the latte cup to inspire me to do everything with love.

I would love to hear what you think about it.  I welcome your comments in the space below where you can click on "Comment". 

I hope and pray you have a DELIGHTFUL week.  Big hugs, 

Debbie

How to Make Floral Adornments for a Tea Table

Adding embellished bows and flowers to a table, especially a tea table has become a basic requirement for me.  It dresses up the table like nothing else can do, and so subtly.  I try to match or coordinate the artificial flowers with the real ones that will become centerpieces.  I think it completes the look of the table and makes it so much more above average.  I want my guests to be awed when they come in and sit down.  Above, a simple satin wired ribbon was crafted into a bow and embellished with flowers that will coordinate with the centerpiece.  The above floral bow compliments the centerpiece perfectly!

First gather the fabric of the top cloth with a large safety pin and pin it underneath the cloth. Loop the ribbon through the safety pin on the top. Gather the flowers and tie the bow around them. Work with the flowers until they lay the way you like. Above the adornment of a string of pearls is  added to kick it up one more notch.  Isn't it pretty?

Above is one of my favorite ways to beautify a table.  I first make bows from white or cream tulle, or whatever other color goes best with my scheme.  Then I attach artificial roses and leaves to the bow and it makes a beautifully feminine statement.  (The statement is:  you are really special to me and I am sooooo glad you are here!")  Very often I add a strip of satin ribbon cut with an inverted "V" at the bottom and slip it through the large safety pin for added embellishment. These take a little time to make and attach, but it is so worth it. 

The bows on the corners coordinate with the centerpiece roses

The floral bows above were designed to coordinated with the flowers in the tablecloth and the centerpiece flowers below.

I gathered flowers from the colors in the table cloth to fashion this arrangement.  First tie the tulle bow with at least four loops on each side and room to hang a bit of the tulle in the normalcy of a bow.  These flowers had to be attached with wire because they kept falling out of the arrangement without that process. (See instructions below).

You can enlarge the above picture by clicking "Control +" until you reach the size you wish.

I hope, if you are having a ladies only event, you have the chance to make these for your table.  They are the one element that ties a table together for a coordinated and upscale look. 

XOXOX, Debbie

How to Make an Edible Teacup & Saucer

This is toooooo cute not to share!

Our CBS (Community Bible Study) Leadership Tea every February is a group effort of six of the Senior Leaders designing, constructing, and hosting a lovely tea for the rest of our leadership team.  We are always trying to come up with ways to make them involuntarily express oohs, aahs, and wows!  This year we decided to make edible mini tea cups.

We started with these white chocolate cordial cups found at Tuesday Morning. You can find similar offerings at World Market, possibly Trader Joe's or local gourmet shops.

 We (Trina) set the base as a chocolate wafer cookie.  They can be purchased online here:

Trina filled the cups with caramel that you drizzle over ice cream. Doesn't it look like tea? ;-) She attached the front flower (purchased at a cake decorating shop) with white chocolate that she had when she hand-crafted the diminutive teacup handles.   They were placed on the most adorable lace sugar doilies.  I found them in Tea Time Magazine or Southern Lady Magazine.  They were pictured in a cup of tea.  I thought they would be so great for our tea, but I experimented with one before the tea, thankfully, and found out that they dissolve and break apart in a rather unattractive way that did not  show off their best feature.  So we brainstormed and came up with these as our plan B.  I feel they are worthy of plan A status. You can order the lace sugar doilies from Sweet Marve Lace an Etsy shop.  She has a parade of designs and quantities.

Lace sugar doily atop the chocolate cookie wafer.

The Grande Finale!  Such a remarkable treat!

I'm sure these would work for chocolate cups too.  We just liked the look of these for teacups.  I hope you get the chance to make someone's day delightful with these cute little teacups. 

If you aren't yet a blog follower of mine, please consider going to the top right-hand corner of this blog and sign up to receive my blog posts by mail when I post them.  I don't post every day.  I only post when something has moved me to share something special with you.  I don't sell anything.  I simply share ideas and always love to hear your feedback and ideas.  

XOXOX, Debbie

How to Make a Napkin Rose

Napkins fashioned into roses are perfect for an afternoon Tea.  They are so feminine and make a delightful impression on your guests. What made the one above look so realistic is that it had all four sides completely edged with a frilly ruffle.  This is THE BEST way on earth to use a napkin that has four ruffled edges! Have you ever tried to fold a napkin with four ruffled edges?  It's too big to hold in the middle and squish outward.  It looks awkward when folded any other way.  I know, I tried it first!

The napkin doesn't have to be a solid color to look amazing.  The napkin above is a floral patterned one.  The leaves were taken from an artificial floral arrangement I designed for the edges of the tables.  I will feature how to make them in the next day or two, so please check back!  I am a believer that "details make it delightful".

The smaller the napkin the smaller the rose.  Folding the napkins this way saves so much room on a tea table.

 

(To enlarge these instructions, press "Control +" until you reach a comfortable viewing size.)

I hope this has made it easy for you and you have fun making and displaying these.  They add so much more than normal to a table.  Actually, they make it delightful!

If you would like to follow my blog posts, please sign up at the top right hand corner of the blog where it says, "Follow By Email".   Enter your email address, then go to your email address and be sure to confirm that you signed up.  Thank you for following my blog.  I LOVE to hear your feedback.  

XOXOX, Debbie

Tea Time Veggie Bouquet Salad

 

I saw a salad very similar to this on Pinterest.  However, there were no instructions to accompany the picture so I decided to post some because many people have asked me how to make this salad.  It is really very simple, but time consuming to make.

First one...a prototype.

Starting with yellow and red bell peppers, I used mini-floral cookie cutters found a Michael's to cut small flowers.  I then used an even smaller heart cutter to cut a heart in the middle of each one and switch out the hearts in each color. I then sliced and cut flower shapes from radishes and cucumbers (These can be seen in the picture of the final bouquet).

Blanch the asparagus spears.  These are about 4-5' in height.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

All blanched and ready to refrigerate.

Wash and slice radishes.  You can use a cookie cutter to cut your shapes, but I found simply trimming them into the shape of a flower with a paring knife produced a better result with a different shape than the bell peppers.  I liked the variety of shapes.

            

Peel and slice the carrots into about 1/4' slices.  Then cut the top of the carrot to resemble a tulip.  Slice a washed cucumber (I used English Cucumbers) into about 1/4" slices and fashion a double leaf out of each side of the sliced cucumber. Just like the picture.  It is very easy!  I loved the look of this little flower.  It looks so cheerful!,

I think you could slice up jicama to make a daisy-like flower and even used sliced beets for flowers.  I'm sure there are other items that could be fashioned into beautiful flowers.

I purchased plastic cups with stems at Party City in a package of 32.  I washed and placed the leafiest lettuce leaves I could find in the bottom of the cup.  I added two asparagus spears and two snow pea leaves to each arrangement to resemble plant leaves.  I then placed all the different flowers on tooth picks and inserted them into the lettuce leaves.  You may have to work a bit with them to get the desired arrangement you're looking for.  When your guests enjoy the salad all they have to do is reach in for the toothpick, and dip it into the dressing and consume. 

My Tea was for 30+ women so I made two recipes of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing with one cup of milk in one recipe and one cup of buttermilk for the other.  Then I mixed it all together.  It turned out perfect!  With the two recipes we did have about 1/2 cup of dressing left over.  We placed the dressing in small ramekins.

Everyone "swooned"  (Swoon: to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy ;-)) when they saw this salad!  It was truly delightful, and really fun to hear my guests enjoy a treat made especially for them.

Hopefully, you can surprise someone at one of your dining events with this arrangement.  I think they are perfect for Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Birthdays, Showers or just to impress you loved one.  Have fun!  And send me pictures at MakeItDelightful@gmail.com if you make these.  I love to see them!  

If you haven't signed up to receive my blog posts you may do so by going to the top right hand side of the blog and enter your email address where indicated.  I'd love to have you join me in my domestic endeavors. Big Valentine hugs to all of my blog followers.

 XOXOX. Debbie

Favorite Christmas Cookies to Give as Gifts

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Bohemian Cookies

I discovered these a number of years ago.  I just love the way the chocolate and cookie dough melts in your mouth.  These are way up there on the Star Scale for me.  They are very easy to make too.

Here's the recipe:

CHOCOLATE BOHEMIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)

1 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 1/4 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup walnuts (chopped fine in a food processor)

6 oz. German sweet chocolate (chopped fine in a food processor)

1 tsp. vanilla

Grind nuts and chocolate together.

Cream shortenings and sugar and mix well.

Add flour and salt alternately with nuts and chocolate. Mix. Add vanilla.

Pour scant teaspoons of dough on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 225 degrees for about 40 minutes or until firm to the touch.

When partially cool you may sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. 

How to Decorate for a Whimsical Christmas Gathering

Welcome to my home! Here is how I have decorated for Christmas gatherings this year.

Above is our family room where we spend the most time.  I love the tranquil feeling the cream colored walls provide us.  We had the color custom-made at Dunn Edwards Paints.  It is called "Chez Bolduc".  It means "House of Bolduc" in French.

Each year I change up the mantle a bit.  This is a picture before I received the wonderful Luminara candles I did for my birthday from five of my best friends.  I'll show you those later.

This whimsical snowman always reminds me of my sister, Ann, who passed away in 2008.  She had a massive Snowperson collection.   She was so cheerful like they all are.  In fact, many people likened her and her best friend to the two Foster Farms chickens.  Just makes me laugh thinking about them!

I found the adorable gift-wrap pillow at Michael's this year and got two of them 50% off. :-)  The burgundy velveteen pillows were a purchase from World Market for 25% off. :-)

 I love the look for Christmas.

Another angle. The beautiful flowers that Chad and family gave me for my birthday made it to the coffee table.  They are pretty, aren't they? ;-)  Many people don't like matchy-matchy, but I LOVE it.  I like balance in my life and view.

Many people comment on our octagonal windows in the family room.  They really like them...and so do we!  I found a picture of a window like these in a Sears 30 years ago and had our contractor design these for us.  I love their uniqueness.

Here is a small buffet table readied to serve sweets, treats and beverages.

I am going to have a Hot Chocolate Station this year.  I found these fun chocolate and marshmallow, and peppermint candy stir sticks at World Market.  Tucked inside the box are also grated chocolate and cinnamon for the top of the whipped cream.  I'm getting thirsty!  Do any of you want to stop by and join me?

These tin men snowman grace a long sofa table and will soon be joined with cookies. You can see here the LUMINARA candles.  They are so life-like!  They have a little flame that flickers back and forth with the help of two "D" batteries.  The best price I've found for them is on Amazon.  You can purchase cream and white ones at Pottery Barn, but they cost a lot more there.

I love Mr. and Mrs. Snowpeople, found at Pier 1 a couple of years ago. 

 

This beautiful arrangement adorns my entry way table that is usually nestled into the rounded part of the stairs bottom.  We moved it right into the entry to host the Christmas tree.

I have decorated my tree this way for a few years now.  I LOVE it!  The small oval frames that have red jewels and gold filigree framing host all the different names of the Lord that I could think of.  I also have a variety of nativity ornaments, crowns and musical instruments that celebrate the birth of my Savior.  

 

My very large Nativity set rests in the living room.  I have two sets, this one, and one my precious daughter-in-law and family gave me.  I alternate them every other year.

This is one of two wreaths that decorate my husband's office doors.

Of course, you have to embellish the shower too!

I hope you have enjoyed browsing and this post has inspired you in some way to make your home delightfully Christmassy for not only you and your family, but for any guests you may have over to visit.  The best part of Christmas is the people you share it with and celebrating the incredible gift we have of Jesus Christ.  

Come on back tomorrow for some more ways to make your Christmas DELIGHTFUL.  :-)