Top 10 Recipies For 2010, Oh YUMMY!

Yesterday I posted my picks for the Top Ten Tablescapes of 2010. So, today I wanted to try to highlight some of the best Foodie Friday dishes of 2010.

I posted 50 tablescapes and coincidentally I also posted 50 Foodie Friday posts! And choosing 10 dishes was just as hard as picking 10 tablescapes.

I did not include any recipes from the 53 weekly menu plans I posted, which hold many, many delicious recipes! (Don't ask how I got 53 weeks, probably one left over from 2009)

These are some of my favorites. Each has a special place in my heart and in the tummies of my family!

For original post and recipe, click name below the picture.



TACO CHEESE SOUP

If you are have made a resolution to lose weight, this might not be the soup for you. But if your are resolved to find a fabulous soup that EVERYONE will love, make this! I get more e-mail singing the praises of this really yummy, easy soup!

Taco Cheese Soup

HERBED SCRAMBLED EGGS IN TOAST CUPS

I am not a huge breakfast eater. That being said, I do love these wonderful delicate tastes of scrambly delight!

I made a HOT breakfast every morning for my family when my children were growing up. We sat together as a family for breakfast and devotions before work and school. Even though it meant getting up super early every day, it was so worth it and paid off in BIG ways for all of us!

This was on the top of the most their most wanted  list!

Herbed Scrambled Eggs In Toast Cups

EASY CINNAMON BUNS

Please make these and then eat them as soon as they come out of the oven! They will make you smile all day long! These are fabulous goodies and very easy to make. Everyone will think you toiled all morning... but you won't!

Easy Cinnamon Buns

MILE HIGH HERBED QUICHE LORAINNE


Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this totally delicious quiche is in a league all of it's own. It bakes so high and fluffy. If I want a NO FAIL brunch this is my go-to recipe. I really can't praise this dish enough!

Mile High Herbed Quiche Lorainne

HERBED BUTTER

Making herbed butter is almost a religious experience for me. I feel like I am doing something good and bigger than myself!

Silly as it sounds, seeing parchment rolls of this buttery goodness in my freezer let's me know that I can throw a delicious dinner together in no time.. and there is peace in the world!

Herbed Butter

PANSY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

My friend Capi (hi, dear!) brought these for her daughter's bridal shower I hosted last spring. Well, I was so taken with them that I could barely think of anything else until I made my own!

I think these are the most beautiful food I have ever seen! And they taste heavenly!  This is truely food as art!

Pansy Shortbread Cookies

PIE IN A JAR

Have you ever seen anything so precious? My family LOVED these darling little pies! You can make these up ahead and freeze them. Just pop them out of the freezer and right into the oven. I have a "thing" for individual serving size.

 Cute!!!!!

Pie In A Jar

SALMON EN CROUTE WITH DILL SAUCE

Salmon = Love at StoneGable. We have it almost every week. Wrap it in puffed pastry and it's a love affair!

This company worthy dish is so simple to make. And even better than that... it is impressive, exquisitely beautiful and decadently delicious!

Salmon En Croute With Dill Sauce

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

This is the taste of Autumn! My friend Marilou brought Pumpkin Bread Pudding to Bible Study this fall and I could have eaten the whole pan! Brimming with full flavored ingredients all combined together in a perfect symphony of yumminess!

She generously shared the recipe so I could share Autumn-At-It's-Best with you!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

This is another recipe that I get thank you e-mails for sharing! It is scrumptious and hearty. A meal in a bowl.

Wouldn't this be perfect for Superbowl Sunday.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Bonus Recipes!



FONDANT DAISIES

 My first foray into the mysterious world of fondant was making daisy tops for a bridal shower cup cakes. It was ridiculously easy and had a huge WOW factor. Aren't they sweetness personified? Darling! And they taste pretty good too.






http://stonegable.blogspot.com/2010/04/daisy-cupcake-tutorial.html


MAKING VANILLA

I think vanilla is my favorite flavor and  scent! When I saw how easy it was to make I just could not wait to share it. Real vanilla extract which can be refilled and lasts for years and years. What could be better.



Making Vanilla


OKAY... Just One More!

My Nani's Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is a MUST TRY! There really are some simple secrets to making great chicken noodle soup. We are BIG soup eaters at StoneGable and this is our favorite hands down!

Chicken Noodle soup is a family recipe passed down for generations.



StoneGable Chicken Noodle Soup


As I look forward to a New Year full of Foodie Friday fun, I hope to bring my dear readers more delicious, easy and flavorful dishes full of love and yummines! (I think I just channeled Paula Deen!)

Be looking for SOME healthier versions of old favorites this year... I said SOME! And new bread recipes as I want to master breadmaking.

I am participating in Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescapers. Check out all the creative, timely ideas by clicking HERE.

Top 10 Tablescapes of 2010

This past year, 2010, I have posted 50 tablescapes! I wanted to share 10 of my favorites. I found out THAT was like asking me who my favorite child is! Each table has memories attatced to them and a back story. They are filled with elements that are sentimental and things I love.

So, here are a few that I think best show MY personal style and passion for setting a table.

Click on the title beneath each picture to go to the original post.


NEUTRALS AND NATURALS

This table is a good example of my love of neutral colors. The tablecloth is a vintage Italian cotton lace. A true treasure, and it show off my beloved dinning room table (inlaid mahogany).

Notice the leaf and berry plates in so many of my tables. They are my "signature plates" . I just never get tired of them!

Neutrals And Naturals

EASTER BRUNCH

Family is a major joy in my life. And StoneGable is the primary gathering place. I am happiest when my home is full of love and laughter.( And very exhausted when everyone leaves) This Easter we got together for a big Easter Brunch. I used the Peach Lustre dishes I have collected for over 20 years.

I kept the color scheme simple and quiet. Peach and white are so beautiful together.

Easter Brunch

RED, WHITE AND ROOSTERS!

This little table was inspired by K-Mart. Just goes to show~ setting a pleasing table does not require expensive things! I LOVE red and white tablescapes. This bisque rooster has been pecking around my kitchen for year!

Sweetheart roses are so pretty and a bargain! They last longer than their long stemmed cousins.

Lilac And All That Jazz

Many of my favorite tablescapes are set outdoors and several are spring inspired tables.

StoneGable has a big wrap around porch. This table was set in a corner of the side porch. Inimate, with a gorgeous view~ a delightful place for a meal.

 Lilacs make me swoon! And lilacs and silver are perfection! This simple little table is one of my top 5 favs!

Lilacs And All That Jazz!

  

YELLOW CHINA AND BLACK TEA

Here we are again on the side porch. This is another favorite.

I sat at an auction in sweltering heat with a cranky 4 year old (feeding him animal cracker and playing with cars- his 5 year old sister was perfect) for 6 hours to bid and win this little tea set. It was so inexpensive! But I fell in love with the colors and lines of this set. I just had to take it home.

Yellow is my favorite color, and when it is paired with black it makes my heart sing! 

Yellow China And Black Tea


PINK PEONY TABLESCAPE

 Can you almost smell the gorgeous peonies? I was celebrating the One Year Anniversary of Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound. This was one of those effortless tables that just evolved!

Many elements of this table are vintage or antique. The Limoges pink floral plates are old and exquisitely designed. They are so ladylike.




Pink Peony Tablescape



4TH OF JULY PICNIC

Honestly, This table almost made me stop blogging!

 I was so tired and dripping wet from the heat and humidity. Nothing went right! I literally was crying by the end of this shoot, I was so frustrated. I don't use bad language, but if I did I would have had to wash my mouth out with soap!

 I decided that blogging was not worth this much trouble... then I got some wonderful comments, and changed my mind. Such appreciative readers!



4TH Of July Picnic


DAISY CHAIN

A white wire Gardiner and a perennial border full of blooming daisies are great inspirations. I wanted to convey the sweetness and innocence of these amazing flowers. This tablescape reminds me of my sweet daughter when she was 13.

My crew~ hubby and son dragged my grandmother's utility table out to the garden. They have schlepped in and out so many tablescapes!

I could not find the right place mats and napkins so I made them myself. What a fun project!





BLUE HYDRANGEA AND WHITE DELIGHTS

Some tables just have a life of their own. This was not the table  I had pictured in my mind, but the elements just sorta happened. I love blue and white and the serendipity of this table was even a surprise to me! It was better than I ever planned,.



Blue Hydrangea Table


BEES AND SUNFLOWERS

I dream of keeping bees. I love the idea of it! Anything with a bee motif draws me to it like... well, a bee to honey! This table is an Ode to the bee.



Bees And Sunflowers

AND TWO MORE BONUS TABLES...

 BLACK AND WHITE AND BOO!

I think this was actually the most popular table I have done, judging by the comments. Who doesn't love black and white. And those adorable baby boo pumpkins! The pumpkins came from my garden and all the dishes and linens came from my dish closet... nothing new. Just put together in a different way.



Black And White And Boo


WOODLAND TABLESCAPE

Maybe Woodland Tablescape gave Black And White And Boo a run for the money in the most popular department. I found these fabulous dishes in Southhampton this fall. I planned this table on the drive home from Long Island to Lancaster all the while clutching my new dishes. Many times I build a whole table around one element.

Another table that was just so easy to set!



Woodland Tablescape

Okay, Last one! I forgot about ....

PANSIES AND THE GIRL'S BREAKFAST

Company is always welcomed at StoneGable. I planned a breakfast for some fabulous girlfriends. I am fond of sending my guests home with a remembrance of their time at StoneGable, so I made these little pansies in egg shells encircled with a nest like wreath. What fun!

I love this table because it holds the promise of Spring and we had such a splendid time!



Pansies And The Girl's Breakfast


This coming year, I hope to set many more unique tables to inspire and delight. I am also committed to posts discussing the how-to's of tablescaping and helpful tips and hints. Be looking for more ideas for centerpieces and little take home gifts.

I am participating in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch.

I am joining Jenny at Off On My Tangent for Alphabe-Thursday.

I am participating in Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.

Christmas Card from StoneGable

With love and blessings,

Yvonne



Christmas Pizzelles

This Christmas I made ONE kind of cookie... Pizzelles.  These are new cookies for me to make. I bought a Pizzelle iron and tried several recipes before I decided on the best one. Most recipes are VERY similar. I tweaked one a little to get a nice anise flavor. Other flavorings can be substituted such as orange, almond or even chocolate.



What fun! I thrive on learning new things. These were easy and so pretty. Their delicate anise flavor and crunch makes them perfect for dessert or even breakfast! They can be rolled to make ice cream cones or filled with a sweet gooey filling.



If you have never made Pizzelles they are worth giving a try...even if you are not a baker. I invested in a good Pizzelle iron. I decided on a this electric, very substantial one by Palmer Company.

Pizzelles will be served as part of Christmas morning brunch. YUMMY! But wouldn't they be wonderful for breakfast on New Year's Day? I hope there are some left over!

StoneGable Pizzelles

3 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. UNSALTED butter, melted and cooled 

1/2 tsp. anise extract* 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 TBS anise seed, ground

  2 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs.

Add sugar and beat. Add butter when it has cooled. Beat. Add anise extract and vanilla and beat.

Mix flour, anise seed and baking powder in a seperate bowl.

* Grind anise seed using a mortal and pestle or in the food processor.

Add to wet mixture. Beat well.

Heat pizzelle iron according to directions. Drop stiff dough on iron and cook.

 Remove pizzelles from iron with a fork and place on a cooling rack. Cool.

Store in an airtight container... or pretty jar!

Pizzelles can be sprinkled with confectioner's sugar for a little extra sweetness... and a heaping helping of panache!



The Stockings Were Hung...

The Stockings at StoneGable are hung, but not by the chimney with care. We hang them on the back of our kitchen chairs. It is just much more practical! And goodness knows these old chairs could use a little sprucing up too! The tree in the background is my Kitchen Tree.

My stocking is made from an antique quilt and embellished with some old lace and antique muslin.

My children's stockings were made more than 20 years ago when they were babies. They are made from my GREAT Grandmother's muslin flour sacks. The sacks were passed down to my Grandmother and I remember her washing them once a year and putting them back into her hope chest (that I now have).

So when the muslin sacks were passed down to me I knew that a few would be used for Christmas Stockings. When grandbabies come some day I will make each of them a stocking made out of their GREAT GREAT GREAT Grandmother's muslin flour sacks.

The Stockings are attached to each chair with a big ribbon and filled with greens for an extra festive touch!

I am saving quilts, fur, cashmere, and old buttons...and have visions of new Stockings are dancing in my head!