Tuesday Tip

Share some sweet basil with friends. For many, our summer gardens especially those in containers, are fading fast.

Lemon-Basil Butter Cookies-bet you can't eat just one!

Why not give the gift of herbs in the form of a cookie? This is a super easy receipe and has just 6 ingredients, that you likely already have on hand. Place a bunch in a pretty bag and drop them off to friends and neighbors. Don't worry, this receipe yields dozens, so you'll have plenty of leftovers to put in your freezer!

Wish I could send a bag of these to all my blog friends and readers!

Lemon-Basil Butter Cookies
Southern Living May 2001

Recipe:
1 cup fresh lemon-basil leaves*
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 pound of butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
6 cups all-purpose flour

Process basil and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (I use my mini-chop) until blended.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating well. Add lemon juice and egg, beating until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
Yield 6 1/2 dozen
*Plain fresh basil leaves may be substituted for lemon-basil leaves (I use regular)

Enjoy!!!

Gifts From A World Traveler

I love this time of year when I am on my way home and driving through the neighborhood in the late afternoon and I see boxes and packages sitting on front porches waiting to be brought in from the cold. And when the doorbell rings and it's a visit from UPS or Federal Express aka Santa's elves, well isn't that just the best? As luck would have it, there were deliveries for me on Friday too!



Detail of master bedroom rug

One of the perks of having a husband that travels all over the world is the treasures and gifts he brings home from far away lands.  The past 2+ years he has spent a great deal of time in Afghanistan and has brought home some of the most beautiful rugs I have ever seen. These rugs are all made by hand, and the larger ones can take up to a year to complete! I have several that I love, including the first one that he brought home about a year and half ago. The light side is truly a pale beauty of slate, cream and aubergine. It looks like an antique rug and currently resides in our master bedroom.




A&A master bedroom rug

 
Here is what arrived on Friday:




It will be a struggle to part with any of these!

 

I could easily become a rug hoarder, switching out one beauty for the next, but instead as word got out (from visits to our house) I've become an unintended rug seller to friends and clients and I truly love that these works of art can be shared!



Aqua & orange-sold!

 When my husband arrived home in November after weeks of traveling, he told me some rugs would arrive in a few weeks, but I also heard a few other things rattling around in his luggage. Santa Baby said those are gifts for under the tree!

The New Nutcrackers!

Perhaps tomorrow for "Cyber Monday" you will be shopping for gifts and your list calls for something useful...but not ordinary.  Nutcracker tools come in all shapes and sizes. Some are quite decorative, and some are just fun!





From West Elm. A portion of the proceeds of each sale goes to St. Jude's.

 


The rocket cracker. For the gadget obsessed.




I've never seen a quacker cracker?



Olive wood from Chef's Gadgets. Unique and compact.

 

John Deere.  For the big boy in your life.



From Norpro. For anyone on your list who's a bit uh...squirrely!



Fletcher from Ralph Lauren.  Wonder if he can fetch a nut too?



The Hillary. A 21st century classic nut buster!!!



 I plan on buying one of these...care to guess which one? Which is your favorite?

Michael Aram's Perfect Gifts

I spent today on the run trying to get a few more things knocked off my list. I took a little detour  through Nieman Marcus. It was suppose to be a quick spin. It turned into an hour of gazing, touching, and fantasizing. That all turned into a crush. Meet Michael Aram!

Maybe you've already heard of him. Not me. But the minute I saw this beautiful menorah in the store, I started to connect the dots.  Raina of  If The Lampshade Fits did a "One Dozen Magnificent Menorahs" post recently and I declared this one as my favorite:

When I got home, I jumped on the computer and spent another hour looking at everything on his website! Serious crush. I know I said I don't want to push Christmas, but my evening is going to be spent writing about my crush.

Dearest Santa,
I have been the best girl ever!  You must know I would never make anything up that wasn't absolutely true. Okay, maybe there was a moment or two when I could have been better...done better, but I hope you will forgive me and not put me on that other list!  Anyway, I found several pretty, shiny things that someone very talented created. I really like them all. I would be so very appreciative if you could find room in your sack for just one. There will be room under my tree and I'm attaching some pictures for you to see!!!


 The attachment...


Pear S&P Shakers



Double Nut Bowl

Magnolia Candle

Glass Pomegranate Bowl

Ice Cream Cooler

Cheeseboard



 To gather ideas for your own letter to Santa, click here to get started!