PennyWise

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Season's Greetings

Wishing

You

Joy, Peace

and the

Magic

of the

Season

and the

Happiest of New Years

from

PennyWise

Thursday, December 19, 2013

While famous as one of the oldest summer seaside resorts on the East Coast, Cape May, New Jersey is also a delightful place to visit long after the temperature starts to drop.
I recently paid a quick visit to this charming Victorian destination for a fun winter girl's getaway (leaving flip flops and swimsuits behind), and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this unique town decked out in its holiday splendor.

In December many historic inns and private houses open for tours; beautifully decorated and brimming with ideas and inspiration for celebrating Christmas by the sea.

clockwise from top: a starfish tree perched on a porch gives a nod to the sea and a traditional fruit wreath might have adorned the same house a century ago. (exterior private residences)

Antique toy animals in shades of ivory perch on a mantle and old skates hold a spray of greens (both The Cherry House c1849) Touches of beach grass accent one of the many window boxes along Ocean Drive

Shell and Sea Glass Christmas Tree

I saw many lovely shell and sea glass holiday ornaments, decorative accents and mini Christmas trees in the lovely boutiques in Cape May but with a little patience, you can make your own version using just a few simple supplies.

You'll need

Clear Plastic cups or clear plastic cone used for doll making

(They were sold out of Doll forms at my craft store so I resorted to a DIY)

Assorted shells, moss, faux pearls and sea glass

Flameless votives

Sand and/or snow

Seaside accessories

If using plastic cups as a base, start creating tree shape by turning one cup upside down.

Trim rim and base off of 2-3 other cups and cut all the way up side so you have an flexible section of plastic.

Form sections into gradually smaller cones, taping securely. (This takes a bit of trial and error.)

Sections can then be stacked and taped together creating a cone shape.

I taped the middle section only on one side so it could be hinged open and a flameless votive can be easily layered onto the first cup as well as placed underneath for extra lighting.

Using hot glue, arrange shells, moss, pearls and sea glass to cover cone, assuring sure middle section can still be hinged open if desired.

Top with a starfish and let glue harden completely!

Your tree can simply be set in a layer of sand arranged on a tray, plate or cake stand but I chose a lantern for a nautical setting (ikea shoppers will recognize it - I simply spritzed a couple of sections before assembling with hammered copper spray paint) Arrange sand, shells and accessories, popping flameless votives in the tree for holiday glow.

for more about Cape May pop over and visit our post

Tea by the Sea

Wishing Everyone a Magical Holiday Season!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Truffle Mice - 1st Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange

Maybe it's Christmas magic but for some reason, the humble mouse takes on a special charm around the holidays. These often maligned little creatures suddenly appear everywhere in various Yuletide incarnations; stores brim with mice ornaments decked in holiday finery, mice star as charming characters in holiday books and their likeness is even made into culinary treats.

So when I was lucky enough to be included in The Everyday Home's 1st Annual Cookie exchange to share a holiday cookie recipe, I immediately thought of these sweet confections inspired by our furry friends.

There are hundreds of sweet "mice" treat recipes online in a variety of delicious styles and flavors. I simply adapted a classic truffle, popping on almond ears, a tail and friendly face. Though perhaps technically not a cookie, but seeming more than a candy, truffles are an easy and festive addition to your holiday treat repertoire. There are dozens of basic truffle recipes, I adapted mine from this version from the the Cook Republic, increasing the amount of coconut for easier modeling.

White Chocolate Coconut Mouse Truffles

for the truffles

1 1/2 cup Coconut Flakes*

1 cup white Chocolate chips (or bars, broken up)

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(coconut or almond extract works too)
extra coconut for rolling

for the accents

slivered almonds

colorful string licorice

(the string variety wasn't unavailable at my store

so I cut regular twizzlers to size)
mini chocolate chips
sprinkles

Truffles are best stored in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy or give away.

Melt white chocolate and cream over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Add vanilla extract and remove pot from heat to cool slightly.

Add coconut flakes, stirring well and chill in refrigerator until firm (about an hour)

*I quickly ground coconut in my mini food processor to create a finer, fluffier consistency

(sometimes shredded coconut can be a bit stringy)

Once firm, scoop out a spoonful of truffle mixture and roll in plain coconut forming mouse shaped bodies. (Add more coconut if necessary to retain shape or if truffle mixture becomes too sticky). Add slivered almonds for ears.

I placed my mice in mini paper baking cups for easy handling and gifting.

Pop on mini chip eyes, a sprinkle nose and licorice tails.
You may need to reshape mice as you go.

These treats are fun to display with other sweets or fruit.

A whimsical accent is "pound cake" cheese.

Simply slice a wedge of your favorite store bought or homemade pound cake (lemon adds an authentic yellow hue) and form holes in different sizes with a melon baller, straw or cocktail stirrer.

A Sweet Gift

Charming packaging turns these into a sweet holiday gift.

Simply add your own label to craft store treat boxes or tins and pop on a ribbon.

I created this label using images from the The Graphics Fairy and The Old Design Shop.

Line a candy box with wax paper and pop in mice and a mini pound cake "cheese"

Variations on a Theme

Not a fan of rodents? Truffles also make fun snowman: using black licorice for arms, orange licorice for a nose and mini chocolate chip buttons or...
Pressed for time? Simply roll mixture in coconut and pop in a fun snowflake liner for easy truffle "snowballs".

These are such an easy and versatile treat.
Using different extracts or flavorings, you can adapt them
to different occasions.

Looking for a more grown up version?
Try a Guiness and Bailey's Irish Cream truffle
(I made some for St. Patrick's Day)
or
lavender chocolate version for an afternoon tea.

Also On the Cookie Tour Today!

Cottage at the Crossroads

And for even more fun cookie recipes check out the rest of the 1st Annual Cookie Exchange featuring a week's worth of sweet treats perfect for the holidays.
simply click cookie schedule, check out a great pecan cranberry recipe and then and scroll down for links.

Our winners are

Many Thanks to all for participating in our holiday giveaway!

Our winner of the French postcard set is:

The Refeathered Nest

And the winner of the Cat and Macaron painting is:

Pat in NY

....but since it's more fun when everyone wins, Botanic Bleu and Moments in Grace will be getting a mini 3 pack of my French postcards as a runner up Prize!

Simply send me a message in my contact form on the sidebar stating where you would like your prize sent and I will get them out ASAP.

*Please note: Mother nature has doused us with unusually heavy snow so my trip to the post may have to wait until our town thaws out!

Wishing Everyone a Happy Holiday Season and please check back later in the week for the 1st annual cookie exchange!

Sneak Peak

I'll be making Coconut Truffle Mice

For a full list of bloggers and a fabulous cranberry pecan cookie recipe from from The Everday Home, click here

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Joyeux Noel Giveaway

With the season of giving upon us, I thought a giveaway, however humble, would be a fun choice to coincide with the announcement of my new Etsy shop,
Le Beau Chaton

While admittedly warned as a young student, not to pursue the career of "starving artist", few things compete with the delight of creating items by hand and being able to share them with others even if your boutique is only a small corner in cyberspace.

Le beau chaton features affordable original paintings,

whimsical handcrafts and photography

designed to add a little Joie de Vivre to your day.

I'd love you to drop over for a visit!

The Giveaway

Joyeux Noel Postcards

This set of six postcards printed on linen finish paper features an original antique toned photograph with vintage graphic and french holiday greeting. They come with envelopes and can be mailed as a Christmas card, used to spruce up a gift, or even hung on a tree or garland.
or.....

Miniature painting
Fluffy and the Macaron Tree

This original painting was created on a mini 2x4 canvas and features a curious cat eyeing a tree of delicious Macarons. The painting was done in acrylics with vintage inspired stamped accents, metallic gold paint and a fun Pom Pom hanger. The pastel colors are reminiscent of the famous french confectionery.

To enter the Giveaway, simply leave a comment below stating which prize you'd prefer to win by December 9th 2013 and two winners will be chosen via a very random and low tech "name in a hat method".

Thanks so much for visiting!
Make sure to pop back for
more holiday fun!

Coming Soon

If holiday planning has you working up an appetite, don't miss the Everyday Home's First Annual Cookie Exchange with a delectable selection of holiday cookie recipes from 30 bloggers. I'm so thrilled to be included in this fun event!

Wishing everyone the happiest of holiday seasons

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours the Happiest of Thanksgivings

I am so grateful for my wonderful blog friends and followers and for their wonderful support and feedback during the first year of my blogging adventure!

and to our non-U.S. readers, Happy Fall!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Vive le Macaron - faux French sweets

There is much debate as to the date the famous Macaron (or macaroon) was invented, some tracing the treat's origin to as early as the 1500's some claiming a later 1700's date. Regardless of its origin, centuries later, this wildly popular colorful and elegant confection is having a hayday, starring in cookbooks and confectioneries and being reinvented in hundreds of unique new flavors.

Since several attempts to create these heavenly sweets in my own kitchen resulted in a charred sugary disaster and three ruined cookie sheets, I figured my best bet was to go the faux (and calorie free) route with air dry clay and craft paint

You'll need:

For macarons

Air dry clay

Gloss pastel colored paints

Glossy Puffy paint in coordinating colors

Photos of Macarons or the real thing for reference
(This delightful book is from my local library)

old toothbrush, plastic knife or paintbrush with fine point end

for packaging

Empty candy boxes (yes I have a sweet tooth)

scrapbook or decorative paper

printables

I started by shaping the clay onto Macaron shapes making the tops as smooth as possible. Using a small toothbrush I created texture around the center to simulate filling, pressing into clay firmly to define.

Using the end of the dull side of a plastic knife, I made a small indent around the cookie in the textured filling area where the puffy paint "ganache filling" will be applied.

Allow to dry thoroughly.Patience required: Mine took over 24 hours.

Once the clay was completely dry I covered them with several even coats of gloss paint in flavorful colors, allowing to dry between coats.

Pipe Puffy paint around center to create filling and let dry.

Laduree window, Milan Italy CPaul2013

Macarons are often displayed in shop windows on cone shape trees so I thought I'd try it with my faux sweets version. I simply painted a cardboard craft cone and hot glued sweets in place.

You can also pop them into an apothecary jar or arrange on a decorative plate (to avoid unnecessary dental drama, make sure family or guests don't mistake them for the real thing)

Elegant Packaging is part of the joy of indulging in a fancy treat. A fun addition to your project is to create your own logo and label.

You can cover empty box lids with scrapbook paper and add your own printable and ribbon if desired. I used vintage images from the the Graphics Fairy to create my own faux confectionery brand. When the paper didn't work for the larger box, I spray painted it with white primer instead before adding label. To my surprise it worked.