Food and Drink – Karla's Cottage

Surprise!

By Karla Nathan / August 24, 2025

My good buddy, Jen, had a birthday surprise party planned by another great pal, Shanna. She came up with the idea of making a donut tower and adding flags consisting of pictures of Jen’s artwork on picks to hold the treats in place.

Shan rents studio space at a venue that allows members to make use of a communal area when needed (we meet up there for a weekly mosaic club).

The room is already filled with tables and chairs, plus there is bright colored art all around. We brought in vintage tablecloths and banners to hang. And I’d just redone my booth at Good Juju for Halloween, so I’d packed up all the paper roses and white wisteria that I’d used in it previously.

I brought two bags full of flowers to spread around the room adding a rosy splash color.

The meal was scrumptious, you gotta love a pitch in dinner. They remind me of the annual family reunions we had in southern Indiana. Everyone goes all out to make that one, special dish to share, so you get the best of the best recipes, right?

Well, sometimes. I’m afraid my contribution was a bit simple. But the dip did include fresh tomatoes from our garden and was in a pretty compote.

The birthday girl was properly surprised (she thought she was running an errand for the Art Guild, then going out to dinner), the meal everyone shared was great, I got to see people I hadn’t talked to in ages, and we had a blast decorating together before guests arrived. It could not have been a better evening.

An Augtober Birthday

family, Food and Drink, Halloween treats, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 20, 2025

Welcome to Augtober!

I have been neck deep in Halloween decor getting ready for September’s First Friday weekend at Good Juju.

So when Sugarwings’ birthday rolled around, I was already full on Fall in August. And that kid loves spooky season, they keep their Nightmare Before Christmas tree up in the bedroom all year.

It was a natural progression to turn the birthday party into a Summerween bash with themed foods. Including a dirt and worms buffet.

The birthday celebrant spent all week using a silicone mold to make chocolates, enough clear ice cubes for water glasses, and plenty of fruity ones for our signature mocktail of the evening.

Plus drawing faces on the outside of the cups, filling them with layered ice creams, wrapping and freezing them so they’d be ready to serve for guests.

We dined on Monster Mac n Cheese.

Watermelon shaped with cookie cutters.

With crescent wrapped mummy dogs as the main dish at a fancy, sit down, adult dinner party with some friends.

Oh, and a Jack-o-lantern spewing out guacamole.

Why is Jack green instead of orange? At Summerween, you carve watermelons instead of pumpkins.

I was prepared to buy six small melons for us to cut up as a party activity, then we discovered that Walmart carries foam ones. With pink insides!

I’m sure the hens were disappointed to not get a ton of extra fruit, watermelons are their fave. But this way, we got keepers that could go home as party favors with the guests. And the foam punk-melons didn’t attract fruit flies like the real ones do.

After dessert, the kids, well, not kids, maybe young adults? Had a scary movie marathon and sleep over in the office/den upstairs which Sugarwings had decorated with tissue paper ghosts hanging from the ceiling.

Watching my Grandfairy turn 19 was a mix of emotions, but after seeing this get together, I knew that no matter how old, this person will keep their fun loving, silly side and always be my adventure buddy.

Treasured times in Guncleland

dogs, Food and Drink, guncles, jewelry, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 16, 2025

We enjoy traveling with our dogs, and there is no better place to take them along than to the Guncles’ house in Jax. They get the full royal treatment there, complete with a throne to rest upon.

They aren't the only ones feeling queenly on this vacation. Randy and Kevin make us all feel special with their pampering.

See how they feed us? Deliciously beautiful!

We’ve been crafting, touring the antique mall they have a spot in, drinking good wine, and playing with pups.

As well as being fed the best meal I think I’ve ever had. Honestly, the red snapper and rosemary honey carrots rank at the top of anything I’ve ever eaten.

The dinner was so perfect that we couldn’t think of erasing it from our taste buds by eating dessert. So, I’m considering having this tart for breakfast instead.

I’d brought fresh peaches from our tree and made this a little differently, with a tiny bit of brown sugar, spices, and some white wine drizzled over the fruit. I think it will be an appropriately decadent breakfast for Guncleland.

The girls are enjoying the trip as much as we are. They travelled well, stopping at dog parks along the way. All are freshly groomed to be their loveliest selves for the adventure, including Honey. We take the doodles into the groomer a couple times a year, with home trim ups as needed, and regular baths in the garden hose.

But not their mama dog, I didn’t even think about getting a haircut for a golden retriever, til I saw one being styled when I picked up the golden doodles from their appointment.

So Honey Bunny got the full treatment, including a furminator brushing. Worth every penny! On the drive here, no clouds of hair were wafting from the backseat and floating up my nose. Who knew you could avoid fluffs of fur like that? And doesn’t she look pretty for going to see the Guncles?

We are heading out to a cruise this weekend, and the dogs are staying behind in the lap of luxury here on Sweet Cherry Lane. I know they will love every minute of it. That’s how we all feel here.

Celebrating each other

Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / July 9, 2025

Beth, Angie and I threw ourselves a party.

Their birthdays are only a week apart, while mine is a month earlier. But all are springtime, so meld together nicely as a reason to celebrate with each other.

While I don’t think you ever actually need an excuse to have a party, when I see one, I’ll nab it.

Any chance you get to have an afternoon with friends, especially if you also get wine and chocolate, you should take it.

Add in some cupcakes, lots of laughs, and who cares if it’s a birthday today, a month ago, or no where near one at all.

When I count my blessings, days that my buddies come out to spend an afternoon with me ant the cottage are way up there.

Delicious dates

Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / May 12, 2025

How did I go 66 years thinking that I didn’t like dates? I recently discovered that they are one of my very favorite foods after seeing so many reels about how yummy they are and ways to cook with them. Those stories made me think I needed to give the fruit another chance.

I guess I’d only eaten them chopped up in trail mixes and that is a whole different thing. You miss the gooey, Carmel like flavor and texture that way.

When I was visiting my family in Indiana, I decided to try one of those ideas I’d seen online. It was simple, no recipe needed. Slice a date, take out the pit, add a nut and a bit of cheese, roll it in bacon, then cook.

We used Brie and seasoned almonds, but I’d say any number of combos would work, like goat cheese and cashews, or cream cheese and pecans.

I went sparingly with the bacon, about a third of a slice on each wrapped treat. And we over cooked them a tad, because I wasn’t paying attention. But I enjoy a char flavor, so I was happy to have burnt ones.

This is the only time I’ve sampled any of the cooking ideas that I’ve seen, and would probably do it again. And will try a few more ways to prepare dates too.

Although I love them so much as is, that I don’t need to do anything at all with them besides treating them like a piece of candy. And treating myself by keeping them on the counter in a pretty, lidded dish to snack on throughout the day. (I guess those are called candy dishes, huh? Appropriate!)

It’s still February, so it’s not too late to celebrate Valentine’s Day

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / February 22, 2025

I had a Galantine Party planned for before the holiday, but the weather cancelled it. Too bad, because with this dreary, cold, endless winter, we needed a break to be together and have some fun.

After the February Juju sale, I brought home my leftover inventory with a heart theme and decorated with it to make the cottage festive for my friends.

We rescheduled our gathering for after the 14th and I did not mind savoring all of my roses and hearts in the kitchen for an extra week.

Our party was right before more snow and hideously cold temps were beginning to rage across the plains again. So I salted my sidewalks, had logs blazing in the fireplace, and lit lots of candles for a cozy evening and we made the best of it. Our timing was pretty good, snow started falling later that night, we had our evening together before it hit too hard even though it was bone chillingly freezing already.

Originally, I’d planned mostly snack type foods. With the never ending cold and the dismal forecast, I figured we needed a more hearty meal and whipped up a beef stew casserole topped with Duchess potatoes, and set the table for a dinner party instead of a casual hang out evening. I was glad I did that, it’s good to enjoy your pretty things and spoil your buddies sometimes, isn’t it? I eat off of paper plates a lot, and completely forget I have these lovelies.

The day before, I made a chocolate cake. But not just any old cake, this was Bobbie’s buttermilk cake, a trademark, family favorite, best cake ever cake.

I’m not a recipe person, but I got out Bobbie’s cookbook where she’d complied recipes from our entire Downey clan and followed her directions to a tee to bake her cake.

Between Valentine’s Day being the adoption date for my sons, and Ryan loving that holiday so much, my sister’s last name being Valentine, and the 16th being the anniversary of her death plus her daughter and our mom’s birthday, well, I desperately needed that buttermilk, fudgey delight.

And it was sooooooo good. It tasted like home.

I was glad to have my friends to share it with, and served it on my grandma’s plate. Which I did not put away back in the high cabinet. That chintz floral pretty is going to stay out year round and get the use it deserves. We never forget the ones we lost, but I think honoring them in small ways keeps them close. Like using their things, making their favorite foods, doing things they loved.

For me, sharing these moments and talking about them with others I love is healing. Thank you to my buddies for indulging me.

Our Valentine’s Day and the loved ones we remember

family, Food and Drink, Hearts

By Karla Nathan / February 13, 2025

Sugarwings and I cannot resist a holiday themed cocoa party.

So we picked out some special mugs and coordinating Jammie pants to be ready to celebrate in style.

I gathered up hearts and roses to decorate our cocoa station. But, the bottles of flavored syrups that I’m hooked on had ugly labels that did not look festive, so I made some prettier ones on my computer for them.

We also dug out the recipe book that my sister, Bobbie had compiled with family favorites in it. Her specialty was a buttermilk sheet cake.

The Grandfairy and I will be making that together in honor of Bobbie, whose last name was Valentine. She passed on the 16th, my mom’s birthday. And Ryan was adopted by Rich on the 14th, so we have loved ones to honor this week.

There will most likely be a few tears when we clink our mugs together and have chocolate cake while thinking of the ones we miss. But my kiddo and I will be making new memories and traditions together that I hope will carry into the future.

A Cottage Christmas Open House

celebrations, cottage, Food and Drink, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2024

Angie, Beth, and I cohosted a holiday get together at my house last week.

We had planned for plenty of food, and generous guests brought delectable goodies too.

It became a true feast!

And a feast for the soul too.

I loved having a houseful of festive friends filling up my space and my heart too.

Dorothy got plenty of attention and spent her days choosing which laps she wanted to visit. The hooligans, I mean, big dogs, were banished up to Ryan’s apartment.

Because they’d have loved to be climbing onto laps too. It’s not as cute when a 60 pounder does it as it is when a 6 pound dog wants attention.

Two nights earlier, I’d made dinner for my book club buddies, then Rich was out of town, Sugarwings was at mama’s house, so the cottage was already for party number two. I just shifted the extra tables around and brought in chairs from the studio.

Since I was on my own for a couple of days, well except for said hooligans, the house stayed cleaned up. I did need to re-mop, but with 2 doodles and a golden retriever that is the story of my life. I’m a full time mopper.

The outdoor tables with lights strung underneath worked well for the dinner party on Tuesday and just as well for Thursday afternoon’s gathering. They are my new favorite hosting trick and I’ll be wrapping lights under them all the time in the future. It will be a nice bit of sparkle for a summer night’s garden party too.

The cocoa station got beefed up for the day too, and we set out some tasty liquors plus whipped cream to mix in with the chocolate.

I might’ve gone overboard on the cocoa packets. But as much as Sugarwings and I enjoy our parties by the tree, plus with family coming, it might not be too over the top.

I feel quite blessed to have had these fun ladies all come to our party. Most were from Kansas City, so had to make a drive to get here. I appreciate them making the time to come and celebrate with us.

Holiday party season, part one

celebrations, Food and Drink, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2024

An event that I look forward to every year is our book club Christmas party

We do a book exchange, have dinner and wine together and just take time to chat.

I try to come up with party favors to reflect the season. This year I made stretch bracelets in genuine stone beads the colors of the holiday and used them as napkin rings.

Dinner was slow cooked beef with red wine gravy, rice, and sweet potato/squash casserole. Plus a salad. I realized at the last minute that I forgot to buy salad dressing, so whipped up a cranberry vinaigrette with the berries I’d bought to serve as a side dish. Lucky I had them available, huh? Plus, now that is my new favorite salad topper. I boiled the cranberries in orange juice with cardamom, then whipped it up in the blender with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and fresh thyme, from my flower bed with a little salt and pepper. The blender made it almost creamy, I guess that is called emulsified?

Typically I make the entire meal, but this year I asked if friends could bring desserts. What a great idea! These bon bons were sorta like cake pops, but even better.

And who knew you could make cookies with tumeric? Oh my, what a treat.

We have a large group, which meant I had to be creative with the seating. Instead of setting up a folding table, I brought in my two glass topped garden tables. Our special farmhouse table that we had made has a an epoxy river running down the center and lights below it. To match that, I taped up some lights under the glass of the two I brought inside and I really loved the outcome.

Then we had a few cancellations, and ended up not needing either one. Oh well. It’s party week and I am using them again for the next group, so am glad to have carried them into the cottage before it got so cold outside. It all worked out. In the meantime, I was playing musical chairs, switching up place settings as each person dropped out.

In my world, the best time to host a party is the same week you just had one- you only have to clean your house once! I had a great time with the book club and am looking forward to part two with the next group.

Kinda like making lemonade when life gives you lemons

family, Food and Drink, jewelry

By Karla Nathan / November 28, 2024

Did I mention how hard the renovation we just went through was? The work was grueling. But after finishing for the day, we’d have jewelry parties at night.

Being with my boy, getting to be creative, certainly helped me get through the exhaustion. And the fact that Adam got the job done so quickly didn’t hurt either. If we’d gone through a contractor, we could’ve faced months of a torn up bathroom and laundry room, not just days. And doing it as a family saved us a ton of money too.

Mine is on the left, with a golden opal. Adam’s on the right with smoky quartz.

He crafted his with a mathematical scheme, mine was more random. I lay out piles of color on my bead board, and move them around til I find balance.

These are both mine, first is a mother of pearl “doublet” topped with quartz from the gem show, 2nd is a pearl mosaic I made. One is slightly longer than the other so I can wear them together.

I also whipped up a ton of holiday colored bracelets for Good Juju and to give to friends.
Too bad that I didn’t get more pics of what Adam made, he was as talented in creating jewelry as he was in rebuilding our foundation and creating a beautiful new bathroom.

His child joined in too, Sugarwings made these pieces. The kiddo stayed with us most of the time he was in town. It was great to have them both around during such a stressful time to turn things around into something special instead. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was strenuous labor to get through, but working by my son’s side, watching his skills with pride, making jokes, and then making jewelry was a delightful way to tackle a huge project like ripping out the back of the house and redoing the bathroom.

I was also lucky enough to have a new favorite person added I too my life. Adam’s partner, Jacquelyn flew out to join him for a week. I vastly enjoyed getting to know her, and appreciated the way she pitched in on the hard work too.

She made these two bracelets.

And some earrings, as well as a few other nice pieces. Once again, I didn’t get photos of them all.

Another thing I did not get enough pictures of? Jacquelyn’s cooking. Her plates of food were art.

Colorful, all natural, delicious, and healthy too. As the person who typically does all the meals, I appreciated the effort she made along with the discovery of how nice it is to work your butt off then sit down to a plate of tasty food someone fixed for you. What a treat!

Little Dewdrop couldn’t be here with us, and her dad missed her birthday to do this job for us. We sent her a gift and got to see her open it on FaceTime, but he was still pretty sad to miss out on being there in person. Each of us put together bracelets for her that he can personally hand to her when he returns to North Carolina.

The one with the silver and crystal moon is from me, because her nickname is Tiny Moon.

Everytime I wear one of the necklaces I put together during this reno, I’ll have a reminder of my son and how he turned what could’ve been a hell into a special time.