Southern Lady Celebrate Christmas 2011

I just love Christmas shoes! How do you like my selection for this year? My grandchildren will love these beauties, complete with bells and glittery buckles. But I am not quite sure if my adult friends will appreciate the jinglebell steps! We have some wonderful party ideas in this issue. What could be better than a brownie swap? My goodness, fans of chocolate will come out in full force to a party dedicated to the brownie. Kids love these, too. So get ready for a fun time swapping a holiday favorite. When I was a child, one of my favorite things was to watch the Rose Parade. I still marvel at the magnificent floats made from all-natural materials. I cannot begin to think about the number of blossoms needed for that one…

I love Christmas. When I was a child, it was all about the presents. But now that I’m older (and maybe a little wiser?), it’s all about family. My mom and my four siblings are scattered around the country, so it isn’t often that all of us get together at the same time. Our family of Celebrate readers is also spread around the country, from California to New York and Alaska to Florida. Although separated by distance, our readers are joined in the desire to entertain family and friends. When our editorial team planned this Christmas issue, we hoped to inspire you with ideas for holiday parties, Christmas tablescapes, and memory-making events for the entire family. Peruse our pages to discover a “Sweet Brownie Swap,” “Marvelous Mantel Ideas,” “Santa Claus: the…

Caramel Apple Cider Makes 1 drink . cup chilled apple cider 1. ounces caramel vodka* . teaspoon vanilla extract Baked Apple Chips (recipe follows) In a drink shaker, pour cider, vodka, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with Baked Apple Chips, if desired. *We tested with Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka. Baked Apple Chips Makes approximately 1 dozen chips 4 cups water, divided 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 Red Delicious apple 1. cups sugar In a medium shallow bowl, combine 2 cups water and lemon juice. Using a sharp kitchen knife or a mandolin, slice apple to ? -inch thickness. Place slices into lemon water. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine remaining water and sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove mixture from heat, and cool for at least 15 minutes.…

Table Talk…

To Amy Graham Stigler, Christmas is about finding joy in the simple things. It’s about stepping away from the seasonal hustle and bustle to cherish those near and dear to us. She translates that sentiment to Smock’s holiday collection of letterpress cards, gift tags, and gift wrap. Amy, the creator and designer of Smock, takes classic Christmas colors and motifs and tweaks them a bit to fit her modern style. Each one of Amy’s designs are letterpressed by hand onto eco-friendly, luxurious bamboo paper. Letterpresses leave deep impressions in the paper, which results in a one-of-a-kind, textural piece of art. “the holidays are a time when so many people are frenzied, and there’s so much going on,” Amy says. “So I think people appreciate receiving something in the mail that has that handcrafted…

Double Chocolate Brownies Makes 1 dozen (3-inch) shapes 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels,melted and cooled Garnish: cookie icing, Christmas confetti Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat butter at mediumhigh speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and brown sugar to butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, beating well. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in cooled…