Digging these new year's eve decorations from martha. And how pretty is that ball dropping? (The only photo credit I could find is Shannon Stapleton  /  Reuters)

west virginia

I went to Berkeley Springs WV the week after xmas and happily it was still covered in snow! These pictures are from a hike we took in some little park. Afterwards we took the waters which was especially nice in the frigid weather. I am always itching to go away in december- I think winter vacations are underrated. I have been planning vermont and france trips for years... but wv it was. (yes... I am a compulsive trip planner)

merry christmas!

ps- look closely there is a camera in his hand. He was filming himself while he sang christmas lounge classics. It was freakin' awesome.

snow day

It snowed for the first time in long time- a real snow like when I was a kid. Right before Christmas too- I hope it sticks around. Like everyone else in Maryland I panic and run to the grocery store at the mere mention of snow so I was prepared with plenty of things to bake. (I spent most of the day making desserts that will be part of a future post) It was finally cold enough to freeze my ice candles- and they looked lovely in the snow. Plastic bag snowflakes get hung in my giant corkscrew willow tree every year after I receive my semi- threatening letter from the community association telling me that at a resident on the parade route it is my duty to decorate. I wanted some eco-friendly, weather proof and non-denominational enough that it wouldn't matter that I typically don't get around to taking them down until march. Xmas lights don't really work because the parade is during the day. So I have been making my snowflakes for a couple years and love the way they look from the road- especially in the snow. If you haven't already tried fusing plastic bags learn how. I usually use fabric bags, but I always manage to pick more plastic ones than I would like- this uses up my entire years stash. After all of my dessert baking I decided that a pot pie was the only logical thing to make while snowed in-- and luckily I had made some puff pastry the day before in preperation. I used the leftover roast chicken and cider/apple/mustard sauce that I had made a few nights ago and just thickened the sauce with a little cream and beurre manie. I added potatoes and veggies too. It was awesome. The roast chicken recipe is from my current favorite cook book: Roast Figs Sugar Snow. I was feeling cutesy and cut out little snowflakes for the top with my pastry scraps.

christmas cookies and parade

Ciambelle (lemon wreath cookies) with little sugar snowflakes,

a baby riding a baby pony, a pony wearing socks,

bourbon date balls, more of my kugel ornaments & a pretty green rock,

my frankenstein xmas tree composed of pine branches and holy swiped from the vacant lot by the elementary school, rosemary from my garden and more kugel ornaments,
cuccidati (fig cookies) It seems I was feeling Italian this year. There was panaforte and torrone too,

salty peanut butter cookies.

xmas wreath

This wreath is obviously made of torn up plastic bags- but it started off as a way to use up the handles and bits let over from making plastic bag yarn. I made a crocheted wreath with the insides of the bags but it wasn't nearly as exciting. I love the texture of the torn plastic.