anns-liee Newsletter Issue December 2018
anns-liee newsletter offers excerpts and links to blog posts for recipes and small space living with style. The newsletter also features food photography by Shirley Byrd, blogger and food photographer.
anns-liee newsletter offers excerpts and links to blog posts for recipes and small space living with style. The newsletter also features food photography by Shirley Byrd, blogger and food photographer.
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Anns-<strong>liee</strong><br />
<strong>December</strong> <strong>2018</strong> Blog <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
What’s Inside:<br />
A peak into Christmas at<br />
Byrd’s Home<br />
Excerpts for recipes &<br />
Small Space Living Ideas<br />
with links to the full post<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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I love the winter holiday season! There are so many holidays, almost<br />
back-to-back!. Yes, preparing for them can be exhausting. But it’s a wonderful<br />
relief from the hot humid summer days. More importantly, each<br />
holiday helps us to re-focus on the things that really matter.<br />
For me, Christmastime is my favorite holiday. I simply love everything<br />
about it, from the special color-filled decorating to all the wonderfully<br />
delicious foods to the gatherings with friends and family to the celebration<br />
service.<br />
My Christmas actually starts in September when I start playing Christmas<br />
music. Then I bide my time waiting to purchase a simple, and very inexpensive,<br />
Christmas door wreath from Trader’s Joe. I unpack my homemade<br />
Christmas red bow and ornament and add it to the wreath. There<br />
are so many gorgeous choices of door wreaths from which to choose.<br />
And I love walking through the neighborhood admiring the wreaths<br />
hanging on my neighbors doors. A wreath on the door is as if to say<br />
hello, what a beautiful day to the whole world.<br />
In my small space living, I’ve downsized my Christmas decorating to<br />
simple but fun traditional colorful vignettes and a well-dressed table.<br />
But oh, do read on, there’s more.<br />
Shirley Byrd<br />
<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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This Christmas, my version of a winter wonderland<br />
table centerpiece is being served up. It started with a<br />
white ceramic Christmas tree lit from the interior<br />
with a string of glimmer lights. Lots of white tea candles,<br />
silver and white candle holders; glass candle<br />
holders; and miniature glass vases filled with earthy<br />
brown and green colors.<br />
Then I took a walk through my little apartment village<br />
and snipped off a few holly stems with berries<br />
from Hollie trees. Later I went to a local Christmas<br />
tree nursery where I was happily given small pieces of<br />
Frazer fir Christmas tree branches.<br />
There was a time when I gleefully went shopping for that<br />
perfect seven foot Christmas tree, trimming it with hundreds<br />
of lights and ornaments that I had collected over<br />
many years.<br />
Downsizing from this favorite event to a small artificial<br />
tabletop tree required a serious mental and emotional adjustment<br />
to my psychic.<br />
It took me several years to make the transition. Thank<br />
heaven for Charlie Brown! His simple child-like vision of<br />
a Christmas tree inspired me to take the leap!<br />
This year, I found the perfect big red ornament for my<br />
artificial Charlie Brown Christmas tree.<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Ice Cream Brandy Alexandria<br />
The absolute favorite winter holiday cocktail!<br />
Content<br />
These are excerpts with links to<br />
the <strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com full blog posts .<br />
Byrd’s Christmas Table, page 4<br />
Thoughts on a Well Dressed Table, page 6<br />
Christmas Tablescape Styles To Inspire You (post excerpt) page 7<br />
A Christmas Menus Idea, page 8<br />
Pepper Crusted Rump Lamb Roast, page 9<br />
Spiced Butternut Squash, page 10<br />
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots, page 10<br />
Fireside Dining To Love By, page 12<br />
Make A Smile With A Christmas Vignette, page 13<br />
23 Examples of Fabulous Fall White Pumpkin Centerpieces, page 13<br />
5 Elements To Create A Dreamy White Bedroom, page 13<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese & capers<br />
Rosemary Baked Bam<br />
& Everything Bagel Pieces<br />
Fresh Raspberry<br />
Ginger Sugar Walnuts<br />
Peppered Roast of lamb<br />
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Carrots<br />
Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin<br />
Spiced Butternut Squash<br />
Lemon Meringue Pie<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Peppered Rump Roast of Lamb<br />
Eat more lamb! That thought drifted into my mind as I had<br />
approached the butcher’s department of the grocery store.<br />
I satisfied that idea with rump roast of lamb. It the top<br />
back part of the lamb and is full of flavor. It’s also quite<br />
easy to roast. The simplest method is to pan fry or rather<br />
seer its exterior and finish it in the oven. And like any<br />
roast, one doesn’t want to overcook it.<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Spiced Butternut Squash<br />
Side dish or dessert? Call it what you<br />
may, this spiced butternut squash<br />
delivers flavors for both with its<br />
brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and<br />
ginger. A shot of bourbon bumps up<br />
the flavor without the mood altering<br />
effect. Optional: Top the spiced butternut<br />
squash with crème fraiche for<br />
a cool, mildly sour taste.<br />
Easy roasted Brussels<br />
Sprouts and Carrots<br />
My version of her brussels sprouts is<br />
to roast it along with baby carrots,<br />
white pearl onions and lots of garlic<br />
and thyme. I toss it in 100% olive oil,<br />
kosher salt and black pepper. Then I<br />
top it with a simple Swiss cheese<br />
sauce. In fact, this entire side dish is<br />
simple and easy to make--offering<br />
the rewards of a healthy side dish (or<br />
meal) with lots flavor. For the holiday,<br />
I omitted the Swiss cheese<br />
sauce.<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Lemon Meringue Pie with<br />
Gingersnap Crust Snap Crust<br />
I made the pie! But it’s not my recipe. I do make a delicious<br />
Lemon Curd but I discovered the recipe for this<br />
lemon meringue pie with ginger in a pie book by Williams<br />
Sonoma. The ginger crust intrigued me. Or perhaps<br />
I should say, the thought of it made me drool a bit!<br />
It’s an interesting recipe but I so wish cooking notes<br />
were provided. For example, a description of the texture<br />
of the ginger snap when grounded. And I would have<br />
liked a reminder of how much meringue is produced<br />
when using a food blender versus a hand mixer versus<br />
just a fork.<br />
I do plan to try the recipe again but with several adjustments.<br />
In the meantime, I’m happy to share the link to<br />
the recipe. If you give it a try, I love to hear about your<br />
experience.<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Fireside Dining To Love By<br />
Whether you live in a small or very<br />
large space, the glowing flames of a fire<br />
and a table beautifully set with china,<br />
glass and food creates intimacy. It caresses<br />
you with the feeling of comfort,<br />
a time to reflect, a time for soft quiet<br />
discussions.<br />
Don't have a fireplace? Not to worry.<br />
Stand-alone electric fireplaces are available<br />
and at a wide range of prices. I give<br />
some examples in the post<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Make A Smile<br />
With A Christmas Vignette<br />
Christmas vignettes can make you smile. Christmas<br />
vignettes can warm your heart or take your thoughts<br />
to a special world or bring the world to you. And<br />
Christmas vignettes are simply great for small spaces<br />
and small space living.<br />
23 Examples of Fabulous Fall<br />
White Pumpkin Centerpieces<br />
Pumpkins aren’t always orange, fortunately!<br />
Now we can enjoy them an<br />
array of colors that complement our<br />
decor.<br />
5 Elements To Create A Dreamy<br />
White Bedroom<br />
You’ve seen them. Right? White bedrooms that too<br />
often look sterile and unapproachable. Yet, you<br />
long for the calming peacefulness of a soft dreamy<br />
white bedroom. It’s inviting, alluring you to daydream<br />
and let your thoughts float. So how do you<br />
create this haven?<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
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Dear Reader,<br />
Thank you so much for allowing me into your<br />
homes. With all my heart I wish you and your<br />
family a safe and very happy holiday season!<br />
Until next time, May Each of Your Days Be<br />
a Good Day.<br />
Shirley Byrd<br />
<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
<strong>anns</strong><strong>liee</strong>@ec.rr.com<br />
Www.<strong>anns</strong>-<strong>liee</strong>.com<br />
page16
May each day in the week be a good day<br />
May the Lord always watch over you<br />
And may all of your hopes turn to wishes<br />
And may all of your wishes come true.<br />
May each day in the month be a good day.<br />
May you make friends with each one you meet<br />
And may all of your day dreams be mem’ries<br />
And may all of your mem’ries be sweet.<br />
The weeks turn to months<br />
And the months into years.<br />
There’ll be sadness and joy.<br />
There’ll be laughter and tears.<br />
But one thing I pray to heaven above:<br />
May each of your days be a day full of love.<br />
May each day in the year be a good day.<br />
May each dawn find you happy and gay<br />
And may all of your days be as lovely<br />
As the one you shared with me today.<br />
May each day in your life be a good<br />
And good night.<br />
Lyrics by George Wyle and Mort Green<br />
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