Mariano's Cakes

Yesterday was my son's birthday. So a special dinner was in order of prime rib, roasted asparagus and risotto was to be prepared. But a birthday cake was a necessity, so I bought one at Mariano's, our newest grocery store, for the occasion. Not only was it gorgeous, it tasted delicious. The light and airy cake with a butter cream icing was wonderful. Adding the spray roses to the center of the top made a beautiful presentation. I love the color of the green icing against the chocolate cake! Happy Birthday Tyler!

Hot Crab Dip

After publishing "Romancing the Home Entertains", we are continually testing and enhancing the recipes. Katha made the Crab Meat Dip during the holidays and found a little mistake in the preparation instructions. Sherry was listed in the ingredients in the instructions, but not in the ingredient list. After researching the original recipe from my childhood in Virginia, I found that sherry was not in the original recipe. So last night I decided to prepare the Hot Crab Dip for Mr.RTH and myself two ways- one with the sherry and one without! I prepared the dip according to the cookbook instructions and ignored the sherry in the preparation guidelines. Then I divided the recipe into 2 parts and added 1 1/2 Tablespoons of dry sherry to one half of the recipe and baked them both sepaarately! They came out of the oven bubbly and covered with cheddar cheese. I served them on toasted baguette slices and asked my husband for the verdict- with the sherry or not??? Both versions are delicious - it just depends if you like the flavor of sherry. My favorite was the sherry and my husbands was the original recipe. So if you like sherry, I would add 3 Tablespoons to the crab mixture before baking it. In addition to being an appetizer, this Hot Crab Meat Dip would be delicious as a small individual casserole for an entree with a green salad for dinner. I highly recommend the Jumbo Blend crab meat in the can in the deli section at Costco for this recipe- it's delicious and virtually free of shells.

Tomato and Bacon Bites

These are one perfect little bite- slow roasted tomatoes wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with a mixture of brown sugar, pepper and sea salt. I made these little goodies several times last week for my grandson Logan. Using the sweet cherry tomatoes ( I like the ones that are called "cherubs") wrap them with 1/4 slice of bacon and put them on a skewer. Place brown sugar in a small bowl and add sea salt and cracked pepper to taste. Sprinkle it on the bacon and tomato skewers. I placed them under a low setting on my broiler, but roasting them in a 350 degree oven would work too! Slow cook them for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the tomatoes are soft and plump. They are the perfect accompaniment to scrambled eggs or quiche for an easy winter dinner!

Pink and Chartreuse Table to Cheer Up Dreary Days

There is nothing like a little color to cheer up a gray rainy day. Chartreuse crystal stemware, green voile napkins and brightly colored bird napkin rings bring the hope of early spring to our store windows. Pairing them with our pansy salad plates and tree of life chargers, they look ready for a party. A gorgeous beaded chartreuse topper is placed over a pink taffeta tablecloth. We also mixed in antique floral mirrors to reflect the light and add a little sparkle. Pulling all of our silk hydrangeas into the huge black urn made a grand floral impact to the setting. All of this "taste of spring" merchandise is available at Romancing the Home.

Starting the New Year

The week after Christmas is spent cleaning up the store and condensing Christmas merchandise as it sells down. It is always challenging to create new displays until the spring merchandise arrives. So this year we have brought in some new antiques to spice up the store for January. Using a theme of figural elements, we combined old busts, black and white books, grey and white pillows of women, and the fabulous oversized chair. I love the little vintage compote with the bust and the touch of emerald green. Oversized grey, black and white napkins sit on the tray by the lady statue. Mercury glass votives embellished with gold crowns are a great gift and add a bit of sparkle to the display.

As the new year begins, we look forward to all that it will bring. We are excited for Angela at http://www.parisiennefarmgirl.com/ as she begins her exciting new venture with her online magazine. I am anxiously awaiting the first issue. Hop over to her site and order your online subscription now!

New Year's Eve Tradition

Momma always told us that we had to have our Christmas tree down by New Year's Day, so that we would have good luck during the coming year. So yesterday I began to take the ornaments off of our tree in the living room. As I am removing each of these beautiful ornaments, I am remembering my mom and all of the wonderful traditions that she instilled in me. Now they are part of my children and grandchildren's traditions. As each of the ornaments is removed, I take one more good look at them and gently pack them away for next year. I wonder what the new year will bring. I am looking forward to wonderful times in 2012. Happy New Year everyone from our family to yours.

Concrete and Crystal for Christmas!

This is one of my favorite Christmas displays - the concrete old garden cherub fountain contrasted with the vintage crystal collection and old rhinestone pins. The crystal is a collection of vintage gold trimmed glasses, never an entire set, just what I happen to find and like. The gold leaf designs unify the collection. I use old rhinestone pins as Christmas decor. They look great sitting on little silver toothpick urns. A rhinestone crown sits on top of the head of the cherub adding a little holiday sparkle.