Cookie Decorating... Not Just for Kids!

A few years ago, I had a holiday cookie decorating party for my closest girlfriends.  We drank champagne, rolled cookie dough (sugar cookies and gingerbread), dished celebrity gossip, it was hands down one of the best parties I have ever thrown or been to!  Several of the ladies brought different colored sugar, sprinkles, red hots, all the things we remember decorating cookies with when we were small!  Some of the ladies even brought sweet little aprons to wear, the kind that are only from the waist down with ruffles.  We used a variety of cookie cutters, some were seasonal and some were wacky animal shapes, like elephants and lobsters!  Lobsters are a great excuse to make an exclusively red hot decorated cookie...  And you can give them to all your New Englander friends...

Toward the end of the afternoon, one of our cookies had been given a pink bikini, and I think most of us went home for the afternoon to 'recover' from the festivities.  I haven't yet been able to repeat the party theme, but it is on my mind quite a bit, especially as the holidays approach! 
Why not throw your own cookie decorating and champagne party?  All you need to do to prepare is make the cookie dough, put some champagne on ice, and round up some fun ladies for an afternoon!  Everyone can go home with a little package of cookies.

China for All Seasons?

Before we were engaged, I had already set my heart on a particular china pattern, Woodland Spode.  I don't know exactly what it was about this pattern that I loved so immediately, whether it was the traditional feel, or the different game shown on each piece, or the tiny little bird on the inside of each delicate tea cup, but I knew instantly it was for me.  (I was amused to later find that it had been listed by a style magazine as a china you might choose if you identified with the character Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives)  To my surprise, my husband immediately agreed to this china choice, and I say to my surprise because our silver choice was a bit of 'process,' with each of us having distinctly different points of view.

We love this china, but after a few years, I had to face the reality that it was wonderful for fall and winter, but for spring and summer, it was not ideal.  After some careful discussion and research, we decided upon a second china pattern, Si Kiang by Raynaud.  It was crisp white where our Woodland Spode was creamy ivory, pink and green where our other was rich chocolate.  Instead of buying larger pieces in each of the patterns, we bought silver serving dishes to go with both.  Now, each fall and spring, I change china patterns and our table feels properly 'seasonally' dressed. 

The Trick to Perfect Linen Napkins

It may surprise you to know that within the last six months, I have had two very serious conversations with close friends about starched linen napkins.  The friends were lamenting how difficult it is to get a linen napkin wrinkle free and how they wished they had a better way.  Enter stage left, the starched linen napkin trick...  Wash your linen napkins as your normally would, but do not put them in the dryer.  Instead, while they are still damp from the washing machine, spray them with spray starch.  (Note: I recently purchased some scented spray starch.  While this would be wonderful for bath and bedroom linens, I would avoid it for linens you use while dining.  The scent can be a little strong and may overwhelm the lovely aroma of your dinner.)  If you are using them immediately, iron them while still damp and after you have sprayed them with spray starch.  If you are not using them right away, fold them and place in a zip lock bag and store in your freezer.  (Note: My freezer is nearly half full of napkins, runners and place mats, that's how much I believe in and use this method.)  When you are ready to prepare them for use, remove from the freezer, wait a few minutes until you are able to unfold them, and iron them as you normally would to achieve a smooth, flawless napkin.

Stay tuned, how to fold your napkins will follow!

With regard to your tablecloth, this will not work (I have tried it).  I recommend sending your tablecloths to the cleaners to be starched like men's shirts.  They will hang, somewhat folded, until you are ready to use them.  They will have some creases that will ease over time.  With a white tablecloth, I apply a bleach pen such as Tide or Clorox as spots appear.  Protect your table beneath the spot from the cleaning solution, however, with a paper towel or dish cloth. 

You are certainly also able to send your napkins to the cleaners for the same treatment.  Dinner and luncheon napkins (dinner napkins are larger), however, will most likely get folded, and the folds may not be to your liking or in places that don't work with how you'd like to present your napkins.

Cardamom!

I love cardamom.  It is so delicate and delicious!  A few years ago, I started to scent my sugar cubes with whole cardamom pods.  The effect is very subtle, although, when you open the sugar bowl, the scent is certainly evident.  It makes a very pleasant addition to your cup of tea, coffee, or espresso.  You could certainly do the same thing with other herbs or spices, dried lavender for example, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, you get the idea.

Another thing I have done with cardamom lately is to use it in hot chocolate.  It is wonderful with dark, bittersweet chocolate, which is truthfully the only kind I eat!  I prefer 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate.  To make my cardamom hot chocolate, heat one part heavy cream and three parts milk, either in the microwave or on top of the stove.  After it is heated, add chocolate, I add roughly one ounce of chocolate for each cup and a half of liquid.  After the chocolate is melted, add a pinch of ground cardamom, and then use an electric wand to mix and froth the hot chocolate.  This is so good!  I had it every morning for about two months!

Welcome to Life Well Cooked!

Welcome!  In this blog, I will share recipes and entertaining tips that will make you feel like you still have an elegant life!  (Perhaps desite having had little babies...  raising hunting dogs... or just being really, really tired!)  To begin, I would like to share with you my thoughts on curly parsley.  Curly parsley might as well be wearing shoulder pads, leg warmers and a side pony tail.  When I see it, I think of the eighties when it was overused as a garnish.  I also wish beets would go away.