Silent Night in Kyneton

It's Christmas Eve, all is quiet and I have a moment on my own. A few images of a very warm and sunny day here in Kyneton....

 

I hope you're all having a fabulous time with friends and family, and eating heaps! Catch up again soon. Merry Christmas!

janis

xo

Baked - Coconut and Pistachio White Christmas Tarts

I'm off to Australia today! It's been a very busy week and, as usual, I got almost no shopping done. Good thing Melbourne and Kyneton have fantastic shops.

My last post before, well, I'm not quite sure when, is a little tart. A fabulous coconut, pistachio and white chocolate tart. Pretty easy to make and they are perfect for an impromptu tea party!

Coconut and Pistachio White Christmas Tarts - makes about 20

1 cup dessicated coconut
1 egg white
1/4 berry/caster/super fine sugar
6 oz/180g chopped white chocolate
1 tablespoon cream (I used 10% coffee cream)
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat oven to 210f/100c. Combine the coconut, egg white, and sugar and mix well. Press two teaspoons of the mixture into a well greased 1 1/2 tablespoon capacity muffin tins to form a miniature tart shell. Use a teaspoon to measure the mixture accurately. Push the mixture down, then make a small dent in the centre. Flatten out the base of the shell and push the mixture up the sides to make a neat tart shell. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp. Carefully remove from tins and cool on wire racks.

Place the chocolate and cream in a heat proof bowl over simmering water and stir until melted and smooth, then stir in pistachios. Spoon the chocolate mixture into tart shells. Place on tray and refrigerate until chocolate is set. These are impossible to leave alone. Enjoy!

I leave you with a little 1966 Olivia Newton John singing "Christmas Down Under". Funny.


I'll be back within a week, with happenings in Australia. I hope to be able to catch up soon with you lovely bloggers. Take care everyone, and have a happy Christmas!

Christmas Decorating for a Great Cause

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of checking out the 6th annual "Homes for the Holidays" tour to benefit the Kids Help Phone, an organization providing counseling 24 hours a day to kids. If you're stuck for a Christmas gift, think of a donation to a organization like Kids Help Phone. A huge thank you to Lauren Davies for taking me on the tour. Here's a peek....

A very formal setting, designed by Red Umbrella.

All shades of white, designed by Darci Ilich of The Cross. 

Location, Carrington Stables and designed by Lin Hepner. Love that truck. 

The 4 sets of images, above, are from the home that Kelly Deck designed. Kelly and her team made the 2 different advent calendars - so cute. I want this yellow chair. Badly. 

 Last but not least, a beautiful home designed by Mandy Clark of Tandem Lanehouse Company.

Beautiful house, flowers, and all the little details. Some of the styling was done by Leo Santana.

Job well done to all the designers and volunteers that took part.  Each home was completely different, so I'm curious to know which one you like. Let me know!

By the way, I did a little tutorial over at Eat. Live. Shop. and a gift guide at PoppyTalk - take a look when you have a moment!

Back soon. Have a lovely day!

Janis

Baked On Monday - Sugar Cookie Mittens and Snowballs

I'm back. After a week of major appliance break downs (washer, dryer and dishwasher), and 2 last minute shoots, I'm ready to bake.  Let's see how the rest of the week pans out.

I've had this recipe forever. It was from an old Martha Stewart magazine, and the recipe was from one of the editor's mothers. I wish I had her name, but I don't have the actual issue. I've chosen to make mittens and snowballs, but you can use any shape you like (I'm sure you already worked that out!) I use sanding sugar for sugar cookies as I just don't love the taste of royal icing. If I'm using them as decorations, then royal icing is the way to go. I plan to eat these ones ;)

Sugar Cookie Mittens and Snowballs - makes about 3 dozen

3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
Sanding sugar and food colouring.

Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Cream butter, then add sugar gradually; beat until fluffy. Stir in egg and sour cream, then stir in dry ingredients. I use my hands for that part!
Separate dough into two balls and flatten then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.

Heat oven to 350f/180c. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch. Cut out shapes using any cookie cutter you like, then sprinkle with sanding sugar* (if using). Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
* add a tiny drop of colouring to sanding sugar to get the colour you want.

That's it for today! Back again soon.
Janis

Baked On Monday - Lemon Sandwich Baubles

Did you all have a good weekend? It snowed here in Vancouver, which it doesn't do often in November. Looks so pretty. Love it. It did make me realize that I do not have appropriate footwear for this weather. Must do something about that.

Time to get a bit more festive with the baking.  I've made Lemon Sandwich Baubles today, from a recipe I found in Canadian Living - a special Christmas cookie issue. They are addictive....and sparkly.  Bonus.

Lemon Sandwich Baubles - makes about 36 cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup coarse sugar
Yellow food colouring

Filling:
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
Yellow food colouring

In a large bowl, rub sugar with lemon rind; beat in butter until light and fluffy. Beat in cornstarch and salt. Stir in flour to make dough (I used my hands for this bit).

In a small bowl, tint coarse sugar with food colouring to desired yellow. Scoop dough by 1 teaspoon and roll into balls. Coat in coloured sugar.

Bake, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper lined baking sheets in 325f/160c oven. Bake for about 12 minutes, until firm and golden brown on bottoms. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

Filling: In bowl, beat together icing sugar, butter, lemon juice and lemon rind. Tint to desired yellow. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon on bottom half of cookies, and sandwich with remaining cookies.

I think these would be great in a small jar with a vintage decoration attached as a gift for party guests. Yes? No?

Now as for the draw for the calender.....
The winner of my 2011 calendar and print give-away is......
Random Counter # 8 - My Flying Ducks
Kylie C said...What a lovely giveaway! I can't decide between 'Walk' and 'Shanghai alley' - if I win, I'll make a choice! :)

Congratulations Kylie! Looks like you have to make a choice now ;)

Thanks for everyone who took part! I loved it. If you need a calendar, and you are not the lucky winner, I do have a few here. ;)

Back soon! Have a great day.

Festive Friday

I'm happy to see so many of you taking part in my give away. Merci! I'll be making the draw sometime on Monday....once I finish my baking of course.

I shared some of Nancy Riesco's home with you last week, so I thought I'd show you some more from that Christmas shoot for Chatelaine magazine.

Do you decorate your kid's rooms? I used to love my tinsel tree, as a kid, so I was happy to see one Nancy's son's room. 

 Pink and peppy for Gemma's room. Her duvet set is pretty adorable.

The family room was so inviting. Maureen Willick created a simple and pretty garland for the window. Love all the orange!

More pinks in the living room. I would love to be sitting on that chair, whilst posting. 

Have a great weekend. Back on Monday for a little baking and I'll announce the winner of the give away!
Janis

Is it too early for a little Noel?

Hope you're all having a good week so far! It's a beautiful sunny day here in Vancouver, but it all comes crashing to a rainy halt tomorrow, apparently. Oh well, it's only weather ;)

Thought I'd see if I can get you in a festive spirit, or maybe you'll just be irritated by seeing Christmas on November 10th. Hope not. Feel free to let me know.

I shot Nancy Riesco's house on a hot summer day, for this story. That's how it works sometimes - Christmas in August, "spring" vegetable garden in November. I worked with Maureen Willick (stylist), Kate Keeler (fabulous assisting) and, of course, Nancy Riesco (home owner and interior designer) on this story. You can read more in the December issue of Chatelaine, or on their website.

Pretty and sparkly pink details. 

Loved the chair with a stack of mandarin oranges.

 

 Those chairs. Adore them.

I love Nancy's mix of mid-century, new, and antique. The family dog, Ricky Bobby, is pretty great too. There are many more rooms to show you, but I'll leave that for another day....this could go on forever!

Back soon! Thanks for stopping by.
Janis

Beach balls and Kokeshi

Ahh, Merry Christmas. I've been shooting a Christmas story for the last couple of days, and was it ever hot. Nothing like shooting a roaring fire on a 29 degree day! I'll try to post a bit of a sneak peek later ;)

I've just posted some new images on etsy. I've actually just sold a set of the kokeshi for a girl's bedroom (they were 10"x10" each) and one of the beach balls prints, so I thought I should finally put them up on etsy. I'm kind of slow on these things.  I'll get it together one of these days!

I took this shot while camping at Monck Park. This image is just a sample of my hazy memories of camping there as a child. 

I have a small collection of Kokeshi and decided to shoot a few of them. They look especially happy in a bedroom or a powder room. 

Now that Christmas is wrapped up, I hope to be able to take a couple of hours to check out some of your fab blogs today. Have a lovely day!

What happened to Christmas?

Every year I say the same thing. The frantic build up to the big day then poof! it's gone. For the last few days I've been sure not to waste any of the cookies that were happily baked by friends and family, as well as my own sugar cookies. I'm starting to get pimples. All I've done since Christmas (other than eat cookies), is knit scarves, watch It's A Wonderful Life and clean up the house. I haven't even picked up my camera. Poor Canon. Canon and I have a shoot to do tomorrow, so we'll catch up then.

My husband and I are not fans of Boxing Day/Week/Month - it's kind of depressing to me. The picture above kind of sums it all up. I've never been able to wrap my head around shopping the day after Christmas. I would love to hear from those of you that do. Am I missing something, like free shoes and purses somewhere? 

FYI - There are a number of theories as to what Boxing Day is all about. One theory is that boxes were placed in churches, and people placed money and food in them for the poor. The boxes were opened on December 26th, the Feast of St. Stephen, and distributed to the needy. I quite like this theory.  Anyone have any other theories to share?

One last thing to share before 2010. We were mooching off my brother at his restaurant last week and after mooching, we walked by the upholstery shop that is reupholstering my chair. I took in some beautiful blue fabric from Maharam, along with my sad little chair, a few weeks ago. They told me it probably wouldn't be done before Christmas (it wasn't), but I didn't expect to see it sitting high up on a shelf looking so lost. Cheer up chair, it won't be long now!

On that note, Happy New Year everyone! I'm so looking forward to 2010!