Innehållsförteckning för Celebrate Christmas 2011 från Southern Lady

Supper Club Tip: Let everyone help with the cooking. Send your invitation about two weeks before your dinner, and ask guests to RSVP with the dish they plan to bring. It’s always a treat to gather with dear friends for a monthly supper club, especially at Christmastime. But with all the holiday hustle and bustle, who has time to prepare a full-blown feast? the menu for this month’s gettogether for couples is a breeze to create for easy entertaining. To make the most of your celebration during the season of giving, choose a charity, like Toys for Tots or the Angel Tree, and ask each guest to bring a donation. It’s a great way to reflect on your own blessings and to help those in need this holiday. Marinated Cheese…

1. Something Different Choose three different colors of yarn. Wind one color several times (winding at a different angle each time) lengthwise around a wrapped present. then, wind another color around, and finally wind the third color. Tape each string to the back of package. 2. Thick and Wooly Wrap thick yarn around a present, tying in a bow on top. Cut off any extra yarn to leave just 2 loops. Tie a thinner yarn in the same manner, leaving just a knot on top. Cut excess yarn, and slide knot underneath bow so that it is not visible. Using 1 (approximately 20-inch) piece thick yarn, make several loops on top of bow. Secure to already-tied yarn, using smaller yarn wrapped around center of bow several times. 3. Pom-Poms Wrap…

Bloody Mary Makes 8 servings 1 (46-ounce) bottle tomato– vegetable juice cocktail 1½ cups vodka ½ cup fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon celery salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until chilled. Serve chilled or over ice. Garnish with desired toppings. The name Bloody Mary has been credited to several different people, including Queen Mary I of England, actress Mary Pickford, and a waitress named Mary. But actor George Jessel claims to have come up with the recipe as a hangover cure. Whether you prefer your drink shaken or stirred, it’s usually served with a stalk of celery and a variety of other garnishes. Check out the suggested garnishes for…

I love Christmas. When I was a child, it was all about the presents. But now that I’m older (and maybe a little wiser?), it’s all about family. My mom and my four siblings are scattered around the country, so it isn’t often that all of us get together at the same time. Our family of Celebrate readers is also spread around the country, from California to New York and Alaska to Florida. Although separated by distance, our readers are joined in the desire to entertain family and friends. When our editorial team planned this Christmas issue, we hoped to inspire you with ideas for holiday parties, Christmas tablescapes, and memory-making events for the entire family. Peruse our pages to discover a “Sweet Brownie Swap,” “Marvelous Mantel Ideas,” “Santa Claus:…

Meringue Powder Icing Makes 1½ cups 2 tablespoons cold water 2 tablespoons meringue powder 1 cup confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract In a small bowl, beat water and meringue powder with a wire whisk until frothy. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Painted Cookies Makes 2 dozen cookies 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 3 cups all-purpose flour Meringue Powder Icing (recipe on page 43) Assorted food coloring gel pastes* Assorted colors sanding sugars, sprinkles, or dragées (optional) In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and salt, beating until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating to…

1. Confetti on a String Cut out felt circles in various sizes and colors. Tie thin string lengthwise around wrapped present, and then use tape to attach felt circles to string. 2. Felt Flowers Cut 20 circles from various colors of felt: 5 small, 5 slightly larger, 5 even larger, and 5 largest. Stack one of each size on top of the other, beginning with the largest and ending with smallest (on top). Sew together. Use a hot-glue gun to attach stacks to each other in the shape of a flower. Tape to corner of a wrapped present. 3. Bunting Cut small triangles out of various colors of felt. Using a needle and thread, string desired number of triangles onto three different strings. To achieve the look of the strings…

For a cute centerpiece that reinforces the party theme, use elf shoes. Line each shoe with a plastic baggie. Insert a piece of floral foam that has been soaked in water. Add red and white flowers to the foam. (We used red roses, white mums, and moss.) Cranberry Cocktail Makes approximately 8 servings 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Prosecco,chilled 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail,chilled 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ½ cup fresh cranberries In a large pitcher, combine Prosecco, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and cranberries, stirring well. Serve immediately. Avocado Dip Makes approximately 8 to 10 servings 4 large avocados, peeled, pitted,and chopped ½ cup halved grape tomatoes ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained ¼ cup chopped red onion 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons…

Oh, how we love our parades. And you have to agree that none is prettier or smells sweeter than the Tournament of Roses, which began in 1890. You may not have known that the Pasadena Tournament of Roses is made up of both the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club was trying to come up with ways to promote the city and let the world know about the paradise it had come to love so much. the club’s idea centered around hosting a midwinter holiday festival with games including chariot races, jousting matches, polo, and a tug-of-war. Members hoped they could persuade their East Coast friends to come and enjoy the warm California sun. the best way to show off Pasadena’s charm, the…

Sweet Brownie Swap Page 24–candy ornaments, Hammond’s Candies; Christmas tree, Balsam Hill; star-shaped glass dish, Hobby Lobby; white platter, HomeGoods; milk glasses, Target Page 25–white cake stands, Rosanna Inc. Page 31–brownie favor boxes, Michaels; baker’s twine, Shop Sweet Lulu Christmas Supper Club Page 33–Christmas tree, Balsam Hill; ornaments, Hobby Lobby; green napkins and red votives, World Market; glasses, Pier 1; wineglasses, Bed Bath & Beyond; dishes, Old Time Pottery; khaki napkins, Target Page 34–wood tray, World Market; small evergreen trees, Lowe’s; tissue paper wrapping trees, World Market Christmas Cookie Jar Page 43–baker’s twine, Shop Sweet Lulu Marvelous Mantel Ideas Page 48–linen runner with red stripe, wire topiary tree form, and graphic bird ornament, Matthew Mead Collection Page 52–glass jelly jars and two-tiered cake stand, Matthew Mead Collection Sparkle & Shimmer…

Double Chocolate Brownies Makes 1 dozen (3-inch) shapes 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels,melted and cooled Garnish: cookie icing, Christmas confetti Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat butter at mediumhigh speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and brown sugar to butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, beating well. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder,…

1. For the Reader Wrap gift in newspaper (choose a black-and-white page with more print and fewer photos). Cut out 16 circles of newspaper and 16 circles of red tissue paper to make 4 rosettes to top the package. Stack 8 circles (alternating newspaper and tissue paper), and then, using a thumbtack, make two holes in center of stack. Insert a string through holes, tying the two ends of the string together. Scrunch paper to form rosettes into desired shape. Wrap ribbon around package. Use double-sided tape to attach rosettes to the top. 2. For the Baker Gather eight cupcake liners in various red and white patterns, and lay flat. Using a hole punch, punch two holes in center of stack, and slip a ½ -inch red ribbon through holes.…

PHD: You’ve been delivering toys to good boys and girls for hundreds of years, but I hear you also sing on the side. How long have you been doing that? SC: I began singing when I was in my teens. I have always enjoyed singing— especially with Mrs. Claus. PHD: During the holiday season, when and where do you sing? SC: Most of the time, Mrs. Claus and I sing at Christmas parties at country clubs or at corporate events. We even sing at churches. We’ve also been known to sing at Brookwood Mall in Birmingham, Alabama. Of course, we spend a lot of time singing with the elves at the North Pole. PHD: Do you have a favorite Christmas song? SC: Hmmm … picking a favorite is hard—I like…

“What if Chr istmas… doesn't come from a stor e? What if Chr istmas, per haps, means a little mor e?" —Dr . Seuss…

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Makes approximately 4 pounds of bark 2 (16-ounce) packages chocolate flavored candy coating 7 tablespoons all-vegetable shortening, divided 2 (16-ounce) packages vanilla flavored candy coating ½ (14-ounce) package red candy melts 1½ cups crushed peppermint candies Line a rimmed (15¼ x10 ¼ -inch) baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate-flavored candy coating and 3 tablespoons shortening. Microwave on High, in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth (about 1½ minutes total). Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let stand 30 minutes for chocolate to set. In a separate large microwave-safe bowl, combine vanilla-flavored candy coating and 3 tablespoons shortening. Microwave on High, in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth (about 1½ minutes total). Reserve 1 cup…