Christmas Tea and Cookies

HELLO FRIENDS! 

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

NICE TO BE BACK!

I recently invited an elderly friend over for tea and knew

 I'd get busy and forget to take pictures! 

So I set up a tea for one after she left so I could share.

This is the third wee tea and cookies I hosted this month.

It is easy and intimate and quite pleasant

 to have one-on-one times with old friends.

I made peanut butter fudge and raspberry brownie bites 

and bought iced sugar cookies because I didn't bake mine

until today....and I made Santa's Favorite Cookies!

You see, I was a very lucky winner of a giveaway

from Mary - with her awesome blog Home Is Where The Boat Is.

(Click on her blog name to get her cookie recipe!!)

There are some really surprising ingredients. :-)

If you've never been to her blog you really need to asap!

I know I am late is sharing this so close to Christmas

but in case you want to make them anytime, do. YUM!

I won that amazing shallow cookie tray and cooling rack.

I also won those two nifty heavy-duty Christmas rubber spatulas

and those fancy cookie sprinkles!

I was beyond delighted!

(Thank you, Mary!!!)

I still adore my Christmas cozy I bought from 

my old blogger friend from her Etsy shop

Bernideen's Tea Time

Music and bird theme. Sigh.

I always get compliments about it.

I hope to post my home tour this Christmas.

 I have had such good intentions.

So if I am able, I will try to do so.

But I am soooo running out of time.

If I do it, it may be late. Ugh. 

I have had some tough health issues that's kept me from blogging. 

I have surgery scheduled in January.

 I hope and pray that it remedies the situation.

But I have NEVER stopped thinking about you all!

I haven't stopped wanting to blog post!

 I have so much to share, but so little energy to do so.

So I am sure hoping for better in 2024!!

In the meantime heat up your kettle,

 make yourself a nice hot cuppa,

and try to enjoy the peace and joy celebrating

 The Reason for the Season!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hugs, prayers and smiles to my very precious readers.

Thanks for not giving up on me! 

~Michele

Christmas Morning Biscotti Gifts!

 

Today I am sharing an adaption of a post
 I did last year - but was a little late getting it posted.

And I think good timing is everything -

so right now seems to be the perfect time to share this,

for early enough planning ahead!

CHRISTMAS BISCOTTI!

Biscotti is a double-baked dry crisp Italian "cookie,"

that travels well and keeps a while in an air tight container.

And just who wouldn't want a simple crispy crunchy biscuit

really good for dippin' and dunkin 

 in tea or coffee to start a morning off to a sweet start?

These easy-to-make baked super crunchy goodies

are the perfect answer!

I have been making them for years -

and last year had the idea (I got from Diana at Nana Takes a Break blog) to make them just 

the right size to fit inside Christmas card boxes

to give as gifts.

I love cleverly repurposing the use of things, don't you?

She made fudge for hers.

(I am adding this now- last year I had mentioned her and this year I omitted, so fixing now.)

 I always save these heavy-duty card boxes,

 and they'd been really adding up.

Last year I filled my seven boxes I had saved

 and dropped off to all my neighbors in my cul-de-sac.

(Hobby Lobby sells my favorite cards and have the best boxes.)

Of course biscotti individually wrapped up

 in cellophane & tied with a bow

 tucked into a jar or basket,

filled in a repurposed large jar, put in cute square cookie tins or filled up a cute holiday box...any contained works!

Two favorite recipes for fall & winter:

Cranberry-Orange Biscotti

and

White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti

I cut up the cranberries much smaller and use less 

from the above recipes, which helps them

 keep their shape and stay together and not break too easily.

These make really great treats to mail to loved ones!

So, remember:

 SAVE YOUR CHRISTMAS CARD BOXES

 and plan to do some biscotti baking this year!

As always, thanks for your visit.

Hugs and prayers,

~Michele

Linking:

Share Your Style

My Advent Calendar

 Happy First Sunday of Advent!

 Let our Hope Begin! 

What a wonderful time of year

 counting down the coming of our Lord's birth! ♥

Thought I'd pop in and share the cutest

 Advent calender

our eldest Evelyn made us a few years ago.

It is a tree shaped wooden holder for wee clay "ornaments"

that are stamped with numbers 1-24!

♥

 Isn't it just adorable?

It's got a farmhouse/Scandy/natural vibe

that fits in perfectly with the way I am decorating this year!

I used my Rae Dunn "Blessed" sign with it. ♥

 So let our countdown begin!

May each day of the Advent Season

 bless each of you abundantly.

The key to a happy Advent - feeling blessed.

Blessed with a roof over our heads, food in our tummies,

love around us in friends and family, relatively good health

and freedom to worship as we wish, without fear.

As always, thank you for your visit!

Hugs and prayers,

~Michele

Linking:

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tea Time - Bird Theme

 I began sorting through all our Christmas bins and such

 over the weekend, mindfully choosing what to keep out.

I am decorating much earlier and differently this year,

 so it's a bit more challenging - but in a good way.

(More on that to follow in the days to come.)

We are going to follow our governor's mandate

 and not going to have any company in for Thanksgiving this year.

Our girls felt this way first, then we followed their leads.

So instead of being very sad, I am choosing to be busy!

(Thoughtful gift years ago from a dear blogger friend.)

Perhaps that is why so many of us are starting

 to decorate much more early this year....because 

We need a little Christmas,  right this very minute! 

Click on "We need a little Christmas" above and really listen-

these words never hit me like they did this past weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

This weary world needs to rejoice in its joyful hope

 of the coming of our Lord and Savior.

 Now more than ever.

 I think we all can agree that this year

 has been an absolute nightmare. 

 

I am making a promise to myself:

 to stay positive and focus on what's is happy and good.

(I guess I will just fake it till I make it!)

So what better way to start it all out than tea-for-one?

In the middle of what looks like Saint Nick's workroom

 with boxes and bits and baubles and all Christmas-y goodness

 strewn about, I made myself a pretty tea respite. 

I needed a quick easy nosh and a cuppa. 

 I put together a pretty little bird-themed Christmas tea.

I filled a pot and wrapped it with my beautiful cozy

made by blogger friend Bernideen.

She has an Etsy shop here. 

 I rested my mind, my back, my feet and my soul near a fire. 

And counted my blessings in prayer.

Then again got back to happy busy!

If you haven't yet checked out my artisan soap giveaway-

please check out a special web site filled with great gift ideas!

Just click here. 

Another great gift idea from another dear blogger friend

Angela from Tea With Friends.

You can find it on Amazon.

And last but not least, please join in the fun at

Rose Chintz Cottage's

NO PLACE LIKE HOME link party!

And as always, thank you for your visit + sweet comments!

Big happy hugs,

~Michele

Linking:

All About Home   *   Inspire Me Tuesday

Christmas Cookie Swap

Every year I host a Christmas Cookie Swap

 and Gift Exchange party.

 I have been hosting one nearly my entire adult life.

 It's a favorite of mine.

Just this evening thinking of posting about it

 I realized that I haven't posted a cookie party post

 since 2014! Yikes!!!

So just to kinda document it, I am throwing in some of the

 cuter pics from last year's party, too.

Everything is dressed so nicely for Christmas swapping!!!

There is always a few who think outside the "cookie box"

 and bring some other clever yummies.

We had gingerbread, raspberry, mint, cinnamon,

 chocolate, peanut butter, coconut, dates, blackberry -

 so many classic flavors - what a great lineup of treats!!!

One just never knows how a cookie

 will be dressed for swapping!

Anything goes - even fun pom-poms toppers!!

We had a White Elephant gift exchange this year -

 and the winning funniest one was a

 colorful wooden picture frame painted on top saying:

 DECK THE HALLS

(Not Your Family)

Thanks for the big laughs, Debra!

We pack individually (usually a half dozen) for swapping

 and bring a dozen loose for the tasting-

this swap really is an easy self-serving kind of party.

All the hostess has to do is provide invites and a variety of drinks.

My staples are hot and cold tea, decaff coffee, egg nog and ginger ale.

I thought of serving hot cocoa, but I figured we had enough super sweet chocolate things,  killing us so I passed.

The gingerbread cookies had JOY written on them

 and then just J and O and Y are others.

My two beautiful daughters attend every year. 

I would like to thank my wonderful husband

 and my precious 3-year-old grand daughter

 for taking all the pics for this post.

 I was too busy eating cookies, entertaining and providing drinks to get out my camera. 

And the wee one was having such a fun time with the camera-

she decided she wanted to be IN a pic so she struck a pose.

She told her Grandpa that she was "thinking really hard"

when he reminded her to smile-

and the gift box prop and background was all her idea.

(I think she's ready for her close-up, now, Mr, DeMille!)

If you missed my last post - it is all about my

Christmas Afternoon Tea Party I hope you check it out, too.

As always, thank you for your visit! 

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Anything Goes Saturday

A Christmas Afternoon Tea

Greetings one and all. 
Please come to afternoon tea!

I recently hosted a Christmas tea for my tea society besties.

It's a pic heavy post, so I will TRY to keep words to a minimum.

(You know that is a real challenge for me, right?)

Thank you, Mary D. for taking these pics with your phone
 while I was busy brewing tea and such.
(You just knew I would get too busy and forget!)


~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~


I made the mushroom soup with 3 kinds of mushrooms
and my bone broth, and vegetable broth as well.

The greens were mixed with candied walnuts and tart apples

 and lots of crispy bacon.

The night before the tea I cooked the bacon

 and made the candied walnuts -

it was all I could do not to sit down and eat it all, it smelled so yummy.

MD either ate her apples or skipped apples in her salad, haha.

And I forgot to put out the Meatball Basil Bites. 
I hate it when I do that. Just sayin.

I think if I do the tree bread cut-outs ever again 

I will use rye or wheat so it shows better on the plate.

The traditional British "crackers" or "poppers"  were fun.

We were surprised they didn't contain a paper  crown inside -
which is highly traditional -  but the silly jokes inside made up for it.

I photo-shopped out my melted mess of holly and berries on my

teapot cookie. Just couldn't bear to post it like they really looked.

My personal fave sweet by far was my gingerbread madeleines.

 I was so pleased how they came out -and they froze nicely, too. 

That is always desirable when one needs to prepare ahead of time.

The dark bits on the lemon truffles were dried lemon zest.

We had some awesome live entertainment, too!

A dear old friend and old co-worker of mine

(who also did the music for our wedding)
came and crooned holiday songs for us.

What a treat it was to have him take the time
 in his very busy schedule for us!

You can find his holiday sampler CD
 by contacting him directly from his website here.

It can also be found on Amazon here or on itunes here.

His City Sidewalks sampler CD is the perfect little last minute

Christmas gift for postal carrier, teachers, babysitters, host/hostess gift, stocking stuffers, etc. 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

Frankincense and myrrh soap

 and peppermint lip balm favors!

My daughter launched her new company of artisian soaps

and bath products recently and I am so proud to share it!

 She wrapped the favors up so nicely for us with a simple and

fun little holiday theme. (Thanks so much, Evelyn!)

If you get the chance please visit her web site -

it is filled with quirky fun humor and interesting facts.

 Click on company name below for the awesomeness!

FRESHA SOAP COMPANY

Her stuff is PERFECT for last minute unique gifts, too.

Again - great gifts for the person who has everything-

consumables makes the perfect present.

Everything is hand-made and is made with ALL natural goodness.

Her Christmas cut-off day is rapidly approaching 
so visit Fresha Soap soon!

I know she can help finish your gift-giving list -

filled with things for anyone on your list!
(Or just spoil yourself for once. You will be so glad you did!)

As always, thank you for your visit.

Hugs and prayers,

Michele

Linking:

Anything Goes Saturday   *   Tablescape Thursday   *   H and G Thur