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Gingerbread Houses for Your Christmas Morn!

Gingerbread Houses for Your Christmas Morn!

Popping in this Christmas morn with a parade of gingerbread houses to thank you for your loyal following. Hard to believe I have just passed four years of this journey. Thanks for coming along for the ride. My Christmas wish is that you will get 5 friends to subscribe! What’s yours?

I’m sending you a tiny, heavily friend-based, round up of some fabulous gingerbread houses that are making the cyber rounds. Two I spied online, but the rest are made by dear friends and colleagues. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mid-Century Modern Gingerbread House

Made for charity by my Palm Springs (and former NYC) friend and stylist to the stars Vincent Beckley. I particularly love the lifesaver fence on the left!

Palm Springs gingerbread house

Good Cook Cookie Cutter Village Gingerbread Houses

Architect Cindie Flannigan for the Denise Vivaldo Group.

Cindy Fain Gingerbread Houses

Cindy Fain Gingerbread House

Cindy Fain Gingerbread House

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater

Architect – FLW; Builder –  Melodie Dearden. See the behind the scenes on Melodie’s buildout. 

Neshannock Township School District FLW Fallingwater

More Mid-Century

This beauty, also by Vincent Beckley, is a replica of the Palm Springs Visitor’s Center, once the iconic Albert Frey gas station.  The original was built in 1965 and has a deserved place on the National Register of Historic Places!

Gingerbread Magic by Vincent Beckley. Palm Springs Visitor Cener, once the iconic Albert Frey gas station.Parker Meridian’s Gingerbread Competition

This New York hotel has a competition every year to raise funds for charity. $1 a vote. Vote early. Vote often! This was a couple years ago when the hurricane knocked down a crane across the street – hurricrane? Well, this is Candy Crane! How funny that it is a gingerbread construction site! Plus old Abe, all bundled up.

Parker Meridian Gingerbread House

Candy Crane

Lincoln Memorial Gingerbread House

Indiana University (or Leesa & David U)

Made by my friend Leesa Wilson Goldmuntz, complete with Theta house and favorite pub

Indiana University Gingerbread House

Something a Little Campy

Retro Camper by Sugar and Cloth, complete with DIY instructions. 

Gingerbread Camper

Would that I could, but my gingerbread skills are pretty much limited to kits and kids. My jam is collecting the most bizarre food ornaments. So settle in by the fire, and check out this video of my tree with this year’s selection from my food ornament stash, along with 2 or 3 vintage family treasures. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays….with deep gratitude for your support!

Food ornament Tree

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2019. All rights reserved.

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Seasonings’ Greetings!

Seasonings’ Greetings!

Merry Christmas...at home...Seasonings' Greetings

I hope you are all cozied up by the fire and in full view of the tree on this fine morning! Me? I gotta get a move on in the kitchen. People are comin’!! What’s that you ask? Did Santa come last night? He did! He stopped by my house long enough to fire up the grill and pop a cold one. Santa is a hungry fella! And then, just as quickly as he arrived, he was off again to spread joy and seasonings’ greetings to all the good little boys and girls.

Santa on the grill - seasonings' greetingsSeasonings’ Greetings with Gratitude!

I want you to know how grateful I am for your support and for being a loyal follower. I have much to celebrate, thanks to you. I send my love, warm appetizers, and cold bubbly. From my kitchen to yours, Seasonings’ Greetings!

seasonings' greetingsAnd while we’re being hopeful, how about some Peas on Earth? Wishing you a joyous holiday with family and friends, and peas & prosperity in the days ahead.

Best, Katy

peas on earth

And don’t miss this year’s line up of food ornaments – check out my album on Facebook

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2018. All rights reserved.

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Prosecco Cocktail to the Rescue: Santa’s Sparkler!

Prosecco Cocktail to the Rescue: Santa’s Sparkler!

Santa Sparkler

I am here to the rescue. Relax! I got you covered. Not just any old Prosecco cocktail, but Santa’s Sparkler here to save the day. You have got to be anxiously running down that list and back up, checking it once and checking it twice!! Sound familiar? Tree trimmed?

trim that tree

Check. Stockings hung? Check. Then why do I feel like this? 

Swipe Right

Can’t quite get this magic all in sync! I feel like a monkey handing out suckers. Okay, not really but this photo is too good to waste. Wait. Does that monkey carry a Gucci handbag?

Welcome to candyland

You haven’t heard of Santa’s Sparkler before? Possibly because I just made that name up. I was going to go with Santa Sipper but that seemed questionable and Santa’s Helper seemed enabling. Sparkler because it’s got a little bubbly, but then I dose it with something stronger, and a couple of aperitifs to boot. I’m just here for the aromatics. I know not all of you are drinkers and I appreciate that, so please enjoy the random photos and see how many reflections of me and my cell phone you can find in them. #onvacation And while you take a gander at the photos, look at the special ornament in the top photo mixed in and among the flutes. Anybody? That is a Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraising ornament from their series of Broadway Legends from some years back. That is Angela Lansbury in her 1966 version of Mame, the Miss in the Moon. See the trumpet against her leg? So cool!

Prosecco Cocktail

Holidays are stressful enough, and I wanted to bring you a little cheer before you throw the wrench at your beautiful tree when the wheels literally fall off the bike you’re assembling. We’ve all been there. Take a deep breath, take a sip, and double down on getting the job done. 

I like to think of this Prosecco cocktail as the UN of holiday cocktails. A regular Aperol Spritz makes total sense – everything is Italian. And TBH I photographed just that some months ago to bring it to you, but by the time I got to December I felt it wasn’t enough for you, my people. I needed to zhuzh it up a bit. Enter the multi-cultural line up of bevvies. I am normally a bit opposed to cross cultural-ing food, but I saw a drink like this on a menu and it made me want to tinker with the classic Aperol Spritz. I wanted something to balance the bitter of Aperol, and Lillet sprung to mind. Both are orange-based, but the flavors vary pretty significantly.

Lillet (I’m using Blanc which is a little yellowish) is made near Bordeaux, France (since 1872) and is a maceration of sweet and bitter oranges, quinine (adds a bit of bitterness, but overall this is more floral and citrus-y), and barks. The fruits start their maceration in alcohol, and once the key flavors are extracted, they are pressed and mixed with wine, then aged in oak barrels. 

Aperol is of course Italian, from Padua, and that is a country with a fine appreciation for bitter – a far cry from the sacharin-y sweet palate we Americans favor. (I do not resemble that remark.) Aperol is just about to celebrate its 100th birthday, and its secret formula is unchanged since two brothers took over the biz from their father and created this aperitif. It too uses sweet and bitter oranges, but it also includes flowers, rhubarb, roots, and herbs in the recipe. Taste the two side by side and you will find they make a real cute couple.

Santa’s Sparkler – a twist on the classic Prosecco Cocktail, Aperol Spritz

Rosemary, pomegranate and orange garnish

Print

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Glass of prosecco with orange slice and pomegranate arils, with a glass pitcher of the drink including rosemary sprigs

Prosecco Cocktail to the Rescue: Santa’s Sparkler!


  • Author: Katy Keck
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: Pitcher serves 5

Description

Think of this Prosecco cocktail as the UN of holiday cocktails – Italy meets France meets Iceland. The pomegranate and rosemary add a holiday vibe, but it’s festive and bubbly enough to drink all year round. 


Ingredients

  • Vodka, I prefer Reyka or Ketel One
  • Aperol
  • Lillet Blanc
  • Prosecco or Sparkling Wine

Garnish:

  • Pomegranate Arils
  • Orange Slices
  • Rosemary Sprigs

Instructions

Measurements by the glass:

  • 2 Tablespoons Vodka
  • 2 teaspoons Aperol
  • 1 teaspoon Lillet Blanc
  • 5 ounces Prosecco or Sparkling Wine

Measurements using one bottle of Prosecco:

  • 5 ounces Vodka
  • 3 Tablespoons Aperol
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Lillet Blanc
  • 1 750-ml bottle Prosecco or Sparkling Wine

If making by the glass, add one ice cube to a champagne flute. Add the vodka, Aperol, and Lillet Blanc to the flute and swizzle until chilled.  I like to leave the cube in, but remove if you prefer. Top with Prosecco.

If making a pitcher, add the vodka, Aperol, and Lillet Blanc to a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into the pitcher and top with Prosecco.

Garnish with orange slices, pomegranates and rosemary sprigs. 

Notes

For the orange slices, slice as thinly as you can and then cut each slice in half, then the halves into three wedges, making sure that each is small enough to fit in a flute. I love to use Cara Cara oranges or Blood Oranges if they are in season…like now!

Making quantity: If I am making this for a party, I make enough of the vodka/Aperol/Lillet mixture for the number of bottles I plan to serve and keep it chilled. Then when I open a new bottle of Prosecco, I add just under a cup (7 ounces) of the mixture per bottle of bubbles. 

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Cocktail
  • Method: Mixology
  • Cuisine: Holiday

Keywords: Prosecco cocktail

Hope you enjoy your holidays – responsibly – and find a little cheer in Santa’s Sparklers! And you might still be able to squeak in some Amazon orders from my Cook’s Best Gift Guide, if you click fast! I know for a fact you can make those charitable donations up to the very last minute. 

Counting down the last five days of the sixth year of Facebook ornament “advent calendar”. If you haven’t seen it, please take a gander. Self-proclaimed world’s largest private food ornament collection! 

HOHOHO!!!

Aperol and Prosecco

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2018. All rights reserved.

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Top 25 Food Ornaments & a Very Merry Christmas!

Top 25 Food Ornaments & a Very Merry Christmas!

Food Ornaments for a christmas tree - bowl of ramen noodlesTa da!! Here it is …. the last of the food ornaments for 2017 – Day 25! Another season comes to a close. And for the occasion, may I present a big ole bowl of steamin’ ramen?!? It seems only fitting because it was the go-to meal of 2017. It might be my new favorite ornament! Have you been following my 25 days of ornaments posted on Facebook? This is the last one for this, the fifth, year. Every round someone says, “I remember that one!” But, au contraire. There are no repeats. Themes? Yes, absolutely. But repeats, NEVER!!

Picking the Tree

The Christmas tree, starting with the tribe’s outing to make a selection, was kind of a big deal in the Keck family. Despite numerous offers to be the DD and fetch the tree in my Pinto with Firestones, it was the ole man who maneuvered the troops to his dealership to get a truck for this annual pilgrimage. And, yes of course, we all piled in and rattled around in the back with the tree. You could hear us coming “We are going to pick up the pickup to pick up the Christmas tree.” It’s no wonder that Christmas trees and ornaments have become such a big part of my holiday traditions.

Back in the day, we always got our tree from the Boy Scout lot. Something super flimsy and likely cut in September, but short-needled to accommodate the over-sized ornaments. Yes, I descend from big ornament people. Fraser firs were not a thing – at least in the Midwest when I was younger. But today that is what I need to support the weighty and robust supply of lovelies I parade out this time of year. When I recently found this card in my stash, I had to wonder if it could possibly have been inspired by our yearly expedition.

Picking Up the Tree cartoonYou Always Remember Your First

katy angel christmas ornament from the 1950s - green wings, white fur body and wooden head

I got my first ornament when just six months old and it was always set aside for my arrival at the holidays, waiting for me to add it to the tree. HashtagTradition!!!! But, when my Dad remarried and the combined ornaments were “too much”, I was told that that angel was set aside with my personal stash to relocate to my place. As it turns out, “personal stash” equals one angel and one half of a broken soldier. Sad trombone. Really?? You couldn’t fit THAT on the tree??? Ultimately, I was thrilled she was all mine. And, bonus, I think she has a burrito under that wing, so technically she was my first food ornament.

Top 25 Favorite Food Ornaments

It wasn’t long ‘til I started collecting food ornaments in earnest. They date back to graduate school, years before my transition to a culinary career. And for five years now, I have been sharing them with you via social media. In keeping with the theme of 25 days, here are my 25 best-loved food ornaments, spanning my entire collection. Not that a mother can really chose.  I love them all. And I love each for very different reasons. I hope you find them as special as  I do. Let me know which are your favorites.

Honey-glazed ham with pineapple ornament

Sunnyside up fried egg tree ornament

Lasagna Slice on a plate ornamentGobble Gobble turkey tree ornament

Loaded Baked potato ornament

Mozz & Tomato slices on a tray - christmas ornament

Nacho christmas ornament

Chicken leg christmas tree ornament

Christmas tree ornaments: a pig looking at a pack of hot dogs

Avocado Toast Christmas tree ornament

Christmas ornaments: bucket of champagne and tin of caviar

open face bacon, lettuce tomato sandwich christmas ornament

almost lifesized hamburger ornament with sesame seed bun, pickles, cheese and more

Sushi tray ornament

tree ornament of a toaster with two pieces of toast popping out

Macaron Tree Christmas ornament

Can of Ham a la spam tree ornament

Eggs Bendict tree ornament

Cuts of meat marked on a pig: flank, spare ribs, ham - tree ornament

Prosciutto & Melon ornament

Steak Dinner ornament with beans, baked potato and a fork

TV dinner tree ornament

cosmo christmas tree ornament

Christmas ornament of a pizza slice

Burger Basked with a side of fries Christmas ornament

I’m grateful to you for your support and enthusiasm for this blog, its stories, and recipes. Thank you for being a fan and for always letting me know what you think. No, really!! Let me know what you think!!!! Comments make me so happy.

Wishing you and your friends and family the Merriest Christmas and Happy Holidays, and a year filled with peace and joy. See you in 2018!

Find your Joy: Christmas 2017 2 year old Katy Keck poses by the tree

My very proper Grandfather was once dragged to a party by my very social Grandmother. He acquiesced on attending, but refused to concede it all. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m not wearing my good hat!” I say…Wear your Good Hat!! Wishing you a joyful holiday and a year filled with good hats! 

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2017. All rights reserved.

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Spice Up Your Holidays: Give the Gift of Homemade Salt & Pepper Blends

Spice Up Your Holidays: Give the Gift of Homemade Salt & Pepper Blends

close up of the jar being filled with citrus salt

Salt & Pepper in da House

Seasonings Greetings! Just saying that reminds me of the Christmas card from years ago where I clipped measuring spoons to my lobes and stood among hip-high bags of spices in a market – caption: Seasonings Greetings. Cheesy? You betcha. But that’s the way I roll. And giving gifts that are edible is another way I roll. Be honest. What rivals something homemade? Maybeeeeeee….something that you can use up? I think so. This salt & pepper gift pairing does double duty as homemade and consumable, and it is a perfect stocking stuffer.  Or a gift exchange. Or a hostess gift. 

Citrus Salt Ingredients: maldon sea salt, orange, lemon, grapefruit with zester and fennel seeds

Citrus and Seeds

This salt blend benefits from a quick round of oven-drying citrus zest. Combining orange, lemon and grapefruit adds just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. And, the added fennel and celery seeds add a hint of fresh herbs, but provide a shelf life longer-lasting than fresh. 

Fennel seeds and citrus

Picking the Right Salt

I am a big fan of Maldon Sea Salt and use it for its flaky form as a finishing salt.  It’s delicate and thin, with crispy flakes. And great news! When I initially started making salts a few years ago (my maiden voyage in gift salts was a trio of this spiced citrus, along with kale-walnut and hazelnut-spice), I found a 3.3 pound tub of Maldon which had to be shipped from England, where the salt has been harvested along the coast since the early 1800s. Today that tub is available on Amazon. It makes using an uber high quality salt easily sourced and affordable for gift making, with plenty left over for personal use. Try it on anything that needs a sprinkle of salt – like chocolate espresso shortbread or salted caramels. 

Maldon sea salt in a lime green bowl

Zesting the Citrus Peel

When zesting the citrus to make the salt blend, I like to use a bar tool that makes long thin strips (use the section with the little holes, not the channel knife.) But you can also easily use a microplane which works well in removing only the outer peel of the citrus. The key is to avoid grating too deeply, thereby grabbing the white pith which adds unwanted bitterness.  

Mix all the salt ingredients and spread out on a parchment-lined sheet pan and pop in the oven. It should take about 20 minutes to dry out the zest, but check after 15 minutes and give the salt a stir. 

Spiced Citrus Salt drying from oven roast on parchment paper

From Zesting to Zesty

And what’s salt without pepper? Salt: sister from another mister. Pepper: brother from another mother. Salt & Pepper: we are fam-i-ly! This particular pepper blend was introduced to me by a dear friend. I made my own ratios so the end result is a bit different, but she was spot on in marrying cardamon and coriander with black pepper to get a blend with more zip than any ingredient could deliver on its own. Yahoo!

Pepper, Coriander, Cardamom on a wooden board with a jar in the background

Once the blends are assembled and the salt is fully cooled, the only thing left to do is put them in cute little spice jars, tied with a decorative label identifying the goods inside. I have taken these to a gift exchange, and this was the top sought after gift once the stealing began. Showing up with an armful of these salt & pepper gifts at any holiday party is sure to earn you the Best Guest tiara!! Enjoy!

Salt & Pepper Gifts; funnel in the salt jar with a red and white ball of twine

Print

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Filling the Spice Jars: rows of flip lid jars being filled with a funnel, tags, twine

Give the Gift of Homemade Salt and Pepper Blends


  • Author: Katy Keck
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 pairs (100ml jar) 1x

Description

Nothing is better than a handmade holiday gift. In my book, bonus points if it can be consumed and if it adds a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to my pantry. This spiced citrus salt and zesty pepper blend is my favorite spice combo! Salt & Pepper, you rock!!!


Ingredients

Scale

Spiced Citrus Salt

  • 3 cups flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • Zest of 3 oranges (I like the long strands of using a bar zester, but a microplane works too).
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Zest of 2 grapefruits
  • 1 Tablespoon celery seed, ground in a spice grinder
  • 1 Tablespoon fennel seed, ground in a spice grinder

Zesty Pepper Blend

  • 1 cup ground black pepper
  • 1 cup coriander seeds
  • 1/2 cup cardamom seeds

Instructions

Make the Spiced Citrus Salt:

Preheat oven to 275oF.  Line sheet pan with parchment. 

Mix salt with citrus zests and ground seeds. Mix until well combined. Spread evenly on the parchment paper and bake until the zest is fully dehydrated, about 20 minutes.  Check after about 15 minutes and stir the salt, turning over the bottom which may still be a bit wet.  Once completely dried, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Transfer to sterilized airtight containers. Stores well for at least 3 months.

Makes 4 cups and will fill 8 100ml (3.4 ounce) jars.

Make the Zesty Pepper Blend:

Grind each seed separately, in batches as needed, in a spice grinder, mini chopper or food processor. 

Mix all spices together.

Transfer to sterilized airtight containers. Stores indefinitely.

Makes 2 1/2 cups and will fill 8+ 100ml (3.4 ounce) jars.

Notes

For zesting citrus, I prefer the long strands from a bar zester versus the shorter zest from a microplane. However, I’ve been known to do a bit of both and combine.

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Spices

close up of the jar being filled with citrus salt

Don’t forget the yumster English toffee that I wrote about last year. It, too, makes a wonderful holiday gift. Cookie Exchange ladies – brace yourselves. This is headed your way!

Toffee in a tin with christmas ribbons and evergreen

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© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2017. All rights reserved.

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