Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Deck My Halls



I am checking my list to find out who has been naughty or nice, looking forward to trimming the tree and preparing for a weekend trip to New York. Exciting time of year, one of my favorites! Also happens to be one of the most stressful and frenzied so I am going to try, key word, to keep it in all in perspective and remember the reason for the season. 
I have taken inventory on a few driving trips after dark recently and it seems that a significant number of people have their Christmas decorations up already. How many of you have your tree trimmed?







Images courtesy Domino, Full House, Traditional Home, Cote de Texas and House and Garden



  

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Style Shop Saturday


What a wonderful Thanksgiving, so much to be thankful for this year! The only thing better than being back at home after traveling is having the entire weekend ahead of us. I think a couple things on my list are to take a nice long walk maybe a run somewhere in there and I plan to eat a salad for a meal or 2...the stretchy pants are out in full force!

I have a few treasured finds that I am listing on the Life of Style blog today For Sale and will be adding to throughout the month of December. Email me at elizabeth@egoodwininteriors.com if you would like to purchase and I can send you an invoice through PayPal. Shipping for all items will be a standard $15.




4 gorgeous Turquoise Glass plates with a delicate flower detail
$25



You can use them like Eddie Ross to decorate your table...how festive would turquoise and red be?


Domino

They would also be gorgeous on a wall.




Antique Harvest Wheat Sconces
$175
Sold






Similar shown in the apartment of Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell's Manhattan home Elle Decor






Gorgeous embroidered Peacock Suzani 77"x 54"
$65



A Suzani adds color to any space whether it draped across a bed or


used as a tablecloth. They are lovely and this one is handmade from Uzbekistan.

Happy Weekend!










Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving Break



I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. I am very much looking forward to a little break, some travel, and a visit with the family. Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you for being a part of this little piece of me.
Happy Thanksgiving!










Photos courtesy of Country Living, House Beautiful, Kristen Buckingham and Full House




Saturday, November 20, 2010

Doe a Deer




Look for the day. Why I love it so? It happens to be a Lite-Brite Reindeer made for the Tory Burch boutique's holiday window display.  This gives Lite-Brite a whole new meaning for me, who knew that you could create something so cool with a minimal 2,025,000 pegs needed to make all 46 window displays? I will say they have definitely raised the bar in my book in this department, I won't be showing my kids. 






Friday, November 19, 2010

Ideas for your Holiday


This time of year is the best, there is nothing like snuggling up by a cozy fire after you have stuffed your belly so full from a yummy turkey with stuffing and a side of gravy. Yes, I said it and am very much looking forward to Thanksgiving and traveling to spend time with family! 

Although there is nothing more I like than all the above than decorating for the holiday. My family travels for Thanksgiving so I decorate my home for the entire holiday season tweaking little things here and there in preparation for hosting Christmas.

 The lovely Staci Edwards started us out this week with some of her favorite recipes and entertaining ideas so I thought I would show you a  few of my favorite table settings with special details to follow. Hope you enjoy!



A gorgeous table set by the master table designer Eddie Ross as shown in the current issue of Lonny magazine. Lovely warm tones and textures. What time do we eat?


Unknown

I adore the simplicity of this setting with all the white and the natural elements such as the bunch of pheasant feathers and wood adding warmth to the space.


Unknown

Green and silver a gorgeous unexpected combo for a Thanksgiving celebration.



I do love decorating with pheasants and found this pair of vintage gold ones over at Matters of Style. You have time to scoop these up for your table this year.



This unique bird plate with a menu makes your setting one of a kind.


I think everyone can agree with me that we would all like to have our very own butter...






but if I could have my very own turkey shaped mold of butter I would feel very special! I saw this yesterday at The Fresh Market and had to scoop up a couple and yes they do have tiny Christmas trees too.



Fresh flowers are always a necessity



and a glimmer of candlelight for the evening with votives wrapped in corn husks adds an extra touch.


Have a wonderful weekend! 
Elizabeth







Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Staci's Holiday



Good morning my friends, we have a special and divine treat today from friend, blogger, and Canadian designer Staci Edwards. Staci has really prepared a lovely feast for us and created a spread that makes me so excited for the upcoming holiday! I always love visiting her blog for inspiration and am thankful that she is giving us the scoop on entertaining with her favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Thanks Staci!



Hello everyone, as some of you may know I am from Canada, so our Thanksgiving has long passed, but I’m excited to get back into the festivities with all of the American readers out there.  Today I’ll be sharing tips and tricks to ensure your Thanksgiving celebrations look great and taste delicious, with some simple styling tips for your table and some wonderful new recipes.  Let’s get started…




Personally, I am a casual entertainer and believe that the less work I have to do while guests are visiting, the better.  This table set up is perfect for casual entertaining and setting up a buffet style serving area for everyone to dig in, not to mention it looks great!  Setting up a table with varying heights is always a lovely way to create visual interest, and the have achieved this here by using those natural wood crates.  The knives and forks being tied together with twine not only looks nice and keeps with the neutral colour palette, but it also makes it easy for the guests to grab-and-go to prevent a traffic jam around the table.  I am all about garnishing my dishes, and by setting the turkey amongst some greenery it gives a pop of colour to a neutral table.  My favorite part of this table setting is the use of craft paper instead of a tablecloth, it makes for a very quick cleanup, and using it to label what is being served is a darling idea!
A great way to make your day run even smoother is by hosting a potluck party; ask each couple to bring a side dish while you cook the turkey.  If you are in need of a turkey recipe that is sure to impress, give this one a try that I’ve used from Rachel Ray:






INGREDIENTS:
1 small onion (golf-ball size), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
A large handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for oiling pan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
6 fresh bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2-2 1/2 pounds each)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple brandy or regular brandy, such as Calvados brand
2-3 cups apple cider  
PREPERATION:
Pre-heat the oven to 450°F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.
Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest in the food processor until fine. Add the sage, parsley, EVOO and one teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.
Put two of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from one end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast and spread it evenly under the skin.
Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan and slide two bay leaves underneath each breast. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast). Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay leaf butter.
Wash your hands after handling the raw poultry.
Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400°F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining bay leaf butter and roast for an additional 20-25 minutes until cooked through and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170°F.
Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.
Put the roasting pan over a burner on medium heat. Sprinkle flour over the pan juices and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal and serve with warm gravy.

If you prefer a sit-down type of dinner table setting, here is another beautiful choice!  It is a sit-down style, however it’s not too formal, and in my mind that’s how Thanksgiving should be… I say save the formal wear for Christmas, and keep Thanksgiving all about comfy, cozy, family dining.




This table works because it is all about mixing and layering pieces to create a casual, yet well-styled look.  When mixing plates, ensure that they are the same basic shape and look nice stacked on each other like they do here.  As for serving dishes I like to make sure to stick with 3 different finishes so that everything works together, here they have chosen white, wood and glass – A perfect combination for a casual table {if you are doing a more formal table try removing wood elements and bringing in shine with metals}.  And if you are lucky enough to be dining outside the Thanksgiving, be sure to get some hurricane candle holders like the one above this table {although I would use a couple more}  - Pergolas or awnings are a great feature to hang them from.  
My favorite part of a sit-down dinner is when the meal has been enjoyed, the wine has been finished, and it’s time for dessert!  My favorite pumpkin pie recipe is from Martha Stewart, and if you have not tried it, then here is your chance:





INGREDIENTS:
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups fresh Sugar Pumpkin Puree, or canned
3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg for glaze
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
PREPERATION:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set
aside. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon,
cloves, pumpkin puree, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk, and
combine. Set aside.
Between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll pate brisee into a 12-inch circle. Fit
pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge, leaving
about a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. If the dough
begins to soften, chill for 15 minutes.
Make the glaze: Beat the remaining egg, and combine with heavy cream.
Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Fill pie shell with pumpkin
mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30
minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 1 9inch pie.
   Recipe from: http://www.marthastewart.com/ 
And for making the pie dough…




INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
PREPERATION:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter,
and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed
tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful
not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount
together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in
plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be
stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
Makes 1 double crust, or 2 single crust – 9inch pies
   Recipe from: http://www.marthastewart.com/ 


So there you go, whether you like it casual and buffet style…








   Or whether you like it comfy yet a little more traditional… 




I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving this year!










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