Frank Lloyd Wright Cocktail Napkins: synergy of architecture, art, geometry, and agroforestry. For the price of, you know, paper.
Museum of Modern Art Store, $5 ($4.50 for MoMA members)
December, 2008
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Frank Lloyd Wright Cocktail Napkins
Sunday, December 21st, 2008Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint Icing
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
After making my gingerbread house I had a bit of leftover dough (from this recipe).
I used the top of a water glass to make circular cookies; pushing the glass firmly through the dough and twisting the glass back and forth before removing will keep them looking perfect (or close enough). Bake ~10 minutes or until edges begin to turn a bit darker. When cool, I added some peppermint extract to the icing to make a tasty filling for sandwiched gingerbread.
Peppermint Icing for Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Adapted from Elise‘s Royal Icing
What I Changed (Reflected Below) and Why: Halved recipe since original was for gingerbread house; Added peppermint extract for flavor; Skipped the beating and other complicated steps of the recipe since the texture of cookie filling is more forgiving than icing used as gingerbread mortar; Included option to use water instead of egg white since, again, it’s just filling.
1 large egg white OR 1 Tbsp water 2 2/3 cup powdered sugar, divided 1/2 tsp peppermint extract1. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Whisk rapidly until well combined and a bit fluffy. This step can alternatively be done in a mixer.
2. Spread in between two gingerbread cookies (or another type of flat cookie). Let rest for several hours or until firm.
Optional Step 3: Roll edges of cookies in crushed candy canes. Do this before the icing is set so that candy canes adhere well.
Dustpan and Broom by Normann Copenhagen
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Dustpan and Broom by Normann Copenhagan is a serious upgrade from the plastic thing I’ve got lurking next to the fridge.
Flower Flask
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Flower flask is pink and green and yellow and pretty and wow it’s been a long week and I can’t believe that I have to go to work on Monday and Tuesday it’s not like I’m going to get anything done but let me stop thinking about work because it’s the weekend now and did I tell you how pretty you are and how much I love you?
Pylones, $35
Avoiding Treats? Gift them to parrots
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
Holiday parties over the past few weeks inevitably have people grumbling about how they’ve eaten too many treats.
But treats are fun! And you have people left on your gift list!
Here’s a solution. Give treats to parrots who need them at the Best Friends Animal Society on behalf of your carb-conscious yet animal-loving friends.
Dave’s Gourmet Organic Spicy Heirloom Marinara
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
Dave’s Gourmet Spicy Heirloom Marinara Organic Pasta Sauce proves that bottled pasta sauces are capable of incredible things.
1. It’s way easier and quicker than homemade.
2. It’s tastier than homemade.
3. I know this because I tried to recreate this pasta sauce. No matter the organic spicy heirloom ingredients I threw into it, the flavors fell short.
4. Time to take on this challenge yourself… or by gifting it to someone who might be inspired to try.
Dave’s Gourmet, $7.99
Time Warner Calendar Babe Cooks
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
Time Warner Cable is offering free 2009 calendars of babe employees (both male and female) tackling various tasks around town. Request yours here (must be have Time Warner account).
Naturally, the cooking-themed Mr. November is my favorite.
Via NY Daily News
GelPro Gel-Filled Anti-Fatigue Floor Mats
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
Gelpro Gel-Filled Anti-Fatigue Floor Mats are a gift for our aching feet and legs during zealous holiday baking season and beyond. They cushion your kitchen floor aside the sink, stove, or as a runway along your entire counter.
You choose a color that best suits your kitchen decor.
Then you choose a style/texture that best suits your inner-safari-diva:
-Crocodile, Ostrich, Basketweave, Cordoba, Straited, or Rattlesnake.
Hsssss….
GelPro, Starting at $99.95
Martini Glass, Inside Out
Monday, December 15th, 2008
Hooray, a martini glass that still looks tres chic while being less prone to breakage, spillage and drink-becoming-likewarm-by-clammy-handage.
Charles & Marie, $55 for two
Gingerbread House of Homemade Charm
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
Homemade gingerbread houses are fun to make at any age.
I am indebted to Elise‘s How to Make a Gingerbread House for making my first non-kit and non-graham cracker gingerbread house a success.
Per usual, I swapped whole wheat flour and succanat for the white flour and refined sugars. I also used blackstrap molasses instead of regular molasses.
Another adaptation which turned out to be a lifesaver: using a cardboard six-bottle beer carrier as a structure around which to build the walls and lay the roof. Without this my house would have certainly caved in. It also meant I only had to cut out a cardboard pattern for the roof since for the walls I just placed the carton onto my rolled-out dough and cut around it with a knife.
By the time I finished it was late at night and I didn’t decorate. The next day I elected to keep it the way it was. I like having just the dark brown and bright white.
I constructed it atop a cake platter which worked well. Now it serves as a holiday decoration that I can move as needed.
With leftover dough I made some gingerbread sandwich cookies. Recipe to come!