Blogspot - Recipe Scratch Rusia

'Tis the time of year to always have a selection of easy gifts to grab as you're running out the door.  I've put together my favorite one-size-fits-all, budget friendly gifts for $10-20.  They are just the thing for teachers, neighbors, birthdays, friends, & hostesses.  Red Wrap, $16 Ivory Scarf, $12 Red Scarf Above, $12 Quite often, I wrap a pretty set of Taper Candles up in a bow and present that to our Hostess as a gift.  They always get rave reviews if they've never seen such beautiful candles in these gorgeous colors. The 15" Celebration Candles in Gold are always a favorite to give for a birthday or anniversary. I love giving Tablets to friends and teachers, too.  Because these are so classically simple in design, they will suit anyone's aesthetic.  They are also seasonless.  They come prepackaged in a cellophane bag with a logo sticker, ready for giving. LePens are such a treat for anyone.  They are a perfect gift to a teacher. For ...

Last week, I hosted our annual Thanksgiving Baskets Party.  I always have snacks and wine for the girls.  This year, I made a cheese board and a couple of batches of Homemade Chocolate Bark.  I have always wanted to try it after watching the Barefoot Contessa make it.  It was beyond simple to make, it took a total of about 5 minutes and it is completey beautiful and delectable.  The combinations are endless. Candy making can be intimidating.  I don't really dabble too much in complex candy making.  This homemade chocolate bark was frighteningly simple.  Like, I could make a batch every afternoon without any effort.    I made two versions, one with milk chocolate and one with white chocolate.  This chocolate version has dried cranberries, cashews,  pistachios and sea salt.  The sea salt was absolutely an amazing touch - don't forget that!  I look forward to making a festive version with Emma with mini marshmallows, pr...

I would not say I'm officially decorating for the Holidays, yet.  I'm more testing things out.  We are not hosting Thanksgiving, but we are hosting our entire family the day after Thanksgiving for a post-ice skating and Christmas shopping dinner.  You know how Santa brings up the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parade?  I sort of feel like that is what will be happening at our house on Friday.  We'll have had the feast, and then completely throw ourselves into Christmas the day after.  I want our house to really feel decked out and full of holiday cheer when everyone arrives... although we won't get our Tree until the following Sunday. So, I spent yesterday playing with pillows, linens and greens and did some holiday cozying.   I fluffed and played, d ebating prints vs. velvet and rich reds vs. neutrals and greens. Our house is so neutral (intentionally so) so I'm really able to change the entire feel of the house each season.  The addition of th...