Food and Drink – Page 7 – Karla's Cottage

Thankfulness, hugs, and gingerbread

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 23, 2018

I can't imagine a nicer Thanksgiving. Kia helped me prep quite a bit the day before and we had a pretty laid back Thursday, with all of the chopping done ahead of time.

We even baked a double batch of gingerbread cookies on Wednesday, which made for a fun morning of playing with icing and sprinkles before getting dinner in the oven.

After cookie masterpieces were created, we popped a little turkey into the oven (for the few of us that were not vegan) and headed out to the woods to enjoy the sunshine and the last of the fall colors.

We didn't go far, just out in our back yard, we have ten acres that have a few trails through the trees.

While out there, we visited the fallen Grandfather Tree, which we have harvested to make slabs. In the future, it will be a dining room table.

For now, it is fun to climb on.

And jump off of.

The grandfairies found a few fun places to climb around.

And Avahni showed off her fire fighter training by carrying people around.

Dororthy enjoyed it.

Twinkle isn't as fond of the hugging.

But the girls are.

After a festive dinner with lots of toasts and laughter, we started decorating gingerbread again, this time some premade houses.

Every year, I get a couple for the littlest grandfairies to pile up sky high with globs of candies, but didn't even think about getting them for everyone to play with.

But after watching the Halloween baking shows with Ryan, he and I thought we should probably try our hands at making some houses ourselves.

I certainly had plenty of toppings! We do NOT eat these, they are just for display, so we use candy that has been around longer than Dewdrop, back when Sugarwings first crafted a house. And I buy the 25 cent, clearance decorations after Christmas to save up and use too.

The only fresh stuff we have is for the cookies that we eat, and they are dye free, organic goodies.

Oh, yes, I do buy fresh fondant to play with too. You have to have that soft and pliable, it doesn't save like hard candies do.

The big girls like the fondant as much as the little ones do. Thia made a unicorn with hers.

This looks like it will be a holiday tradition around here, we had such a good time with it, that there is already talk of gingerbread birdhouses for Easter. And maybe even some more houses at Christmas dinner? Although, we usually spend the evening playing games that the kids get as gifts from Santa after dinner on that day, and decorating cookies in the afternoon.

I am truly blessed to have a family who can enjoy a relaxing day together, while pitching in to help with cooking so that the day wasn't all about slaving away in the kitchen and dozing in front of a game on TV.

And I was thrilled to have them want to make Gingerbread Houses! I'm not really a Thanksgiving person, for me, it is just the gateway to the holiday season, it is hard to hold back and not start rushing headfirst into Christmas before Thanksgiving is over.

This season, I decided there was no reason to hold back and went for it. I was glad to have my trees up, and the twinkling lights strung for atmosphere. And loved having these houses to do, even though they are a traditional Santa thing, not a turkey thing.

(with a side of Turkey!)

The kids were calling the meal, our "Healthgiving" Dinner, we kept all of the items freshly made, with no processed foods. With everyone helping, that wasn't hard to do. There were circus tricks on the aerial rig, a walk in the woods, crafting, massage therapy, and we all took turns giving a Huzzah! for what we were feeling grateful for.

The laughter, warmth, and hugs were much appreciated.

What a nice holiday! I hope you had a happy one too.

Our respect for the bird is slipping….

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

By Karla Nathan / November 19, 2018

Sugarwings and I LOVE decorating for the holidays, but we try to hold back and wait til after Thanksgiving. Our reminder to each other is, "We must respect the bird!"

Last year, our home was on the holiday tour plus I was hosting a holiday workshop (A Snowbird's Song) and I had a great excuse to ignore our rule and toss tinsel everywhere on November 1st.

And this season, we started our holiday fun a bit early by attending the play, "Elf" at the KU Lied Center. We decided to throw a mini dinner party before the show, and simply had to have appropriate decor to serve our meal, right???? Heck, it wasn't our fault that the date of the play was before Thanksgiving.

Sugarwings was in charge of the tablescape and made up this Candy Cane Forest, from the story.

Cocoa parties are a big part of our Christmas celebrations, and Buddy the Elf loves cocoa too. Typically, we do not have our first cup until the tree is up and lit. We made an exception, and served hot chocolate with organic candy canes and marshmallows in both vanilla and peppermint. She made a banner from one of Buddy's quotes.

He does have some of the best quotes.

While she crafted a candy cane forest, I hot glued some felt and feathers into elf hats to wear that night.

I was kind of surprised that we were the only group decked out for the theme, but was proud of my girls for rocking the look.

We served finger foods and things we thought elves would like, although we didn't go whole hog with Buddy's list of elves' favorite food groups:

1- Candy

2-Candy Canes

3- Candy Corn

4- Syrup

We decided to compromise on our respecting the bird rules and leave our tablescape set up. I dodged a bullet on breaking the rule even further by being very busy, and having a couple of trips come up to prevent me from pulling more yule goodies out of the closet.

But I'm twitching with the need to tear into the storage closet and fling lights and ornaments from one end of the house to the other!

Honey Harvest

cottage, family, flowers, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / October 2, 2018

Last year, we hit the honey jackpot.

This year?

Not so much.

I'd prepared for another huge harvest, and bought not only our normal sized jars, but also these mini bears to give as gifts.

We only filled one of these, (to save for Dewdrop) and very few larger ones for the family this year.

The set up isn't any easier to get an abysmal number of bottles than it is to have a bountiful harvest. It took a day to get it all ready then cleaned up for this slow trickle. And this year, there were 3 hives instead of just one.

I guess the drought over the summer was hard on these poor little gals.

Florida Friends with Flowing Paint and eating from field to fork

Books, celebrations, dogs, family, Food and Drink, guncles, paintings

By Karla Nathan / September 20, 2018

While Karen, Regina, and Randy were here from Florida, we got together at the Cottage for some flow painting. I showed them how to make an ocean scene.

And we made some book covers.

They all got messy with me, and we poured paints in the garage.

This is a "swipe" technique. The colors go on over black paint, then more black paint is drizzled over it, and swiped across to make a pretty design. The paint needs to dry for a while, when it is done, I'll assemble the books, and show you how it turned out.

Here is Guncle Randy's other painting.

WOW.

I love it.

I wonder if he will notice if it isn't in the box I am mailing to him when the paint dries….

I'd planned a lunch for us and was happy to have a chance to use the fall tablecloth that I found at the flea market we all shopped at.

We had beef pot pie with puff pastry, salad, and rosemary garlic bread fresh from the oven.

With "paint pour" cupcakes for dessert.

But that wasn't it for the day…

Karen started her morning at 4am, dove hunting at the camp we had been visiting.

She brought them along to clean and gifted us with a whole flock.

It is not something I've ever done before, but intriguing. There is definitely a bonus to a meal that you have hand crafted, whether from garden to table or from field to fork.

And well worth it, those doves were tender and delicious! We soaked them in salt water for 24 hours, before marinating in Italian dressing.

While the dove breasts soaked up the flavors, we took a Labor Day spin out on the lake.

After boating, I wrapped the breasts in bacon, and my husband slow cooked them on the grill. We served it with a cauliflower mash, asparagus, fresh made bread, and a salad featuring tomatoes just picked from the garden.

Thanks, for being such a great shot, Karen! And for sharing your bounty!

A Woodland Fairy Themed Birthday Party

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

By Karla Nathan / September 1, 2018

Sugarwings hosted her 12th birthday party at her family's Kismet Farm. She, her sister, and I set up the cake table, and I brought a few of my things to use, as well as a stack of paper butterflies I'd gotten at an estate sale for a couple of bucks.

(I wish I'd gotten a photo of the cake her mom made, it was really something special! That lady has a magic touch with cake decor)

To go along with the woodland theme, the kids and I walked to the treeline and we gathered grapevine hanging from the trees, to craft fairy crowns and dream catchers from them.

There was a nature walk and scavenger hunt, time to play on a swing, then a picnic.

The kids got to do a circus workshop and learn some tricks.

And of course, we had marshmallows to roast for s'mores!

Our Hippy Chick brought a pile of hula hoops too.

But in my opinion, the best part of a party is to just let the kids play outside and have all the fun they can make for themselves.

There was camping for those who wanted to sleep overnight in tents, so the party favors were LED glow sticks and flashlights to play with after dark.

Walmart has these mini lights for $1 each.

We also gave out necklaces that Sugarwings and I made, using paint pours.

The cake table was outside against the covered patio wall, and we hung odds and ends of fabric remnants and curtains behind it, then layered old tablecloths and burlap onto it. The butterflies were pinned to the fabric and it was a pretty simple set up to create and to take down. I brought serving pieces that I already had, along with the $2 pack of butterflies, so we didn't put any money into the decor at all.

I didn't get a photo of the table with the cake or punch on it, but the cake was so cute. And the punch was berry juice mixed with lemonade. Sugarwings and I sliced up fruit and froze it into bowls of lemonade to make pretty ice that wouldn't dilute the punch as it melted.

What a nice evening!!

Special K Day, a party in the studio

celebrations, flowers, Food and Drink, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 7, 2018

When I'd heard that my Fab, Florida Friend, Karen Hillman, was going to be in Kansas, I thought it would be an ideal time to plan a craft day.

Since my birthday was coming up, I thought I'd combine her visit with a little party to celebrate the occaision.

Karen and I call each other, "Special K", along with our third K, Guncle Kevin. And I wanted to make the day extra special for my K, so I set the table with some of my favorites and we all made some goodies for a ladies' luncheon.

I fixed quiche, bread, and cupcakes. Others brought snacks, treats, and plenty of deliciousness.

While in Florida, I arm wrestled Guncle Randy for the leftovers of the cake Karen had baked, packed it in my carryon and froze it that night, to thaw out for Special K Day and serve to the guests.

It was every bit as mouth watering as it was the day she made it. Wow, I need to try to make one of those.

We had some afternoon goodies in the treat cabinet too.

Can you have enough desserts on craft day? I don't know if I like craft days for the food or the projects.

For birthday party gifties, I provided unfinished wood shadowboxes, with a table full of the supplies to fill them up.

I also found some Crabtree and Evelyn scented cream, in pretty, spring like tubes for everyone.

It always makes me happy to see what variations the artists come up with for the projects.

I didn't have kits as I would for an actual class, just a table full of goodies to chose through, so the styles were even more unique than usual. I also set out wooden bird houses to fix up.

(That dark paper with the birds? A gift from Alice-Anne, it is scented drawer liner that came in a box labeled, "Birdsong"!

Pretty ideas, aren't they?

So sweet.

Tami brought this lovely bouquet and table runner for me.

And Nora crafted this hand made basket! My friends were very generous and thoughtful. It made Special K Day even more special to spend it with some of my dear, Birdsong Peeps!

Galentine’s Day Workshop

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

By Karla Nathan / February 13, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm still relishing rosy thoughts from my party last week.

It was a seriously, lovely day for me.

We had two projects to do and the rest of the day was spent on freestyle crafting with a table full of supplies. Back in November, at my Snowbird's Song event, I provided free time and it seemed really popular, so I thought I'd give it another shot.

When you have creative people together, they simply want to create. Kits are important, and so is learning a few tricks, but it is also good to nurture and explore individual tastes.

Just being in a room with other artsy types and having lots of new (vintage) supplies to play with can spark some great ideas.

Here are a couple of pretties that Alice-Anne made up.

With the kits, I included some variations so my guests could personalize their projects, with a choice of words and photos to use on the pieces, and some options for the ruffles.

I'm always happy to see the different ways my kits become art in the hands of the attendees.

But the best part? The atmosphere in the room, with all the happy gluing, cutting, chatting, and creating.

It did my heart good to see ladies who had just met here in November, back together and hanging out as friends.

There were 8 of us, an ideal size group for getting to know each other while making pretty things.

Thanks to everyone who attended and to those who bought kits to make at home!

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and friendship.

A s’mores pie Pinterest Fail that was actually a Success

family, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / November 8, 2017

The grandfairies spent the weekend with me before Halloween, and decided to do some treat making. We'd seen a pie that had spooky ghost faces on it, made with marshmallows and chocolate.

For a short cut, I used a premade graham cracker crust, and we whipped up a chocolate pudding to fill it. Then, gathered up some different size choc bits to use on top.

The girls made ghost faces on the marshmallows, then we popped it in the oven to melt them together.

I might have let them get a little too brown to look ghostly.

Suntanned ghosts?

But even though the look wasn't exactly what we were going for, we didn't care, we'd gotten plenty of giggling fun from making it.

I'm already planning a redo with snowmen.

Because I'm always happy to have a reason to eat a s'mores pie!

A little dinner party

cottage, flowers, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / August 30, 2017

There is a 50% off sale in the Boutique!!! To access the bargain prices, type in

LABORDAYSALE

at the checkout, and hit "recalculate" and watch the amount drop in half.

I'll be out of town and away from my computer and out of touch for a few days, so shipping will be next week. Please remember that the postage prices will be adjusted when I get the actual total from the USPS as I box the goodies up to send to you and I will refund excesses.

www.karlascottage.com

Aren't these hydrangeas pretty? I am hoping to keep the plant I picked them off of alive, but while hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers, they are not one that like me back that much. Maybe I love them so much because of their elusive, playing hard to get, attitude toward my garden?

Sometimes I think I wouldn't be any worse off if I'd simply planted 20 dollar bills instead of hydrangeas. I sure don't love that aspect of them.

We had some little dinner parties this summer. For all of them, I kept the table simple. In the winter, I love layers of table cloths, but for summer, I preferred the bare table top.

It felt nice at the time, but looking back at the photos, it seems a little stark, doesn't it?

Labels for the honey jars, and steps to an acrylic dog portrait

dogs, Food and Drink, Hand painted, how to's, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 14, 2017

It was important to my husband to have special labels for his honey jars. So he asked the family to make some for him.

The grand fairies did some drawings, I painted our dog, Honey, and we used a mix of the designs on the bottles, front and back.

That man LOVES his dog, and our anniversary was this week (32 years!), I figured I could combine label making with creating a gift for him all in one dog portrait.

This is the photo Honey posed for. I held up a treat to get her to look up to the point where a bee would fly above her in the painting.

She seemed disappointed when her modeling session was over, she was enjoying the treats.

First, I did a value sketch over the pencil drawing.

Then I started on the eye.

The layers started to build up next and the eye got more detail.

At this point, it was almost done, all that it needed was fine tuning, the little hairs that gave it depth and texture. I chose my background color to compliment the blue that the girls used in their own art.

The final step makes a big difference, doesn't it?

After scanning the designs, I sized them and printed pages of the pictures onto matt photo paper, cut them out and glued them to the bottles.

oh no!!!

How could I have spent about 8 hours staring at the dog photo and painting her from it and not notice that her tags are missing??? As I was editing this post, it popped out at me that she has no tags. Dang, I just bought new ones for her before we went on vacation last month. Looks like I need to make another one. She is not going to get a sparkly, rhinestone one this time. She gets the cheapo, plain style if she isn't going to appreciate the nice one and take care of it.