Modern Christmas Table - Red/White/Black

There is nothing more exciting than experimenting with colour at Christmas. I have had the idea of combining Red White and Black to create a modern take on a Christmas table setting for a little while and with friends coming over for lunch I had the perfect excuse to decorate!

While I love black I didnt want it to be a dominating feature so with my table already black I simply added black bead placemats. I filled Mason Jars with vibrant Christmas Bush (Mason Jars are vintage preserving jars, originally used for jams, pickles etc. I bought a dozen half pint jars online for $30). The table napkins are simply plain white cloth napkins which I stamped a red christmas tree shape onto.

The bon bons are from the Reject Shop (I have no issue buying cheap bon bons cause they always just end up in the bin!) and $4 for a box of 10 was perfect! A simple christmas tree in the middle and a Hersey's Kiss on each napkin as a little sweet treat to finish the table.

Gingerbread Army

Each holiday I like to give my nearest and dearest a bag of baked goodies, especially to family and friends who you dont normally exchnge gifts with, so as I was catching up with my school friends for dinner, Saturday became Gingerbread Army Baking Day. This recipe is super easy and makes delicious Gingerbread that is not too overpowering with its taste.

Gingerbread Recipe

Makes  20 - 30 (depending on the shapes/sizes you are making

Ingredients

• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
• 1 egg, separated
• 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Plain flour, to dust
• 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
• Smarties, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (oven or fan forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking/grease proof paper.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
3. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use cookie cutters of your choice to cut shapes and place on the trays about 1cm apart.  
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until corners start to brown (if using fan forced 7 minutes). Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool. 
5. Place egg white in a clean bowl, gradually stir in icing sugar until thick. Tint icing with food colouring if desired.
   
6. Pipe icing over gingerbread to decorate as desired. Finish with Smarties

 

These are the perfect gift for friends or addition to any christmas table.

Decorating the House for Christmas

Last weekend was the first weekend of December which in my house means covering my house in Christmas decorations inside and out. While I got off to a slow start (couldn't find the hook for my wreath) by Sunday night the house was sparkling and festive ready. One of favourite parts of this weekend every year is picking the tree. As a family we head to our local fruit market and try and find the biggest tree available. This years is 8ft tall, perfectly shaped and smells amazing! 

In terms of decorating the tree, in past years I have been strict with my colour themes. Blue, silver and lime green has been my staple for at least the last 2 years now, however a fortunate mistake has resulted in the most gorgeous tree ever! We bought new multi-coloured LED tree lights not realising the length so we ended up with 70metres of lights for an 8ft tree, slightly overkill? After wrapping the tree 4 or 5 times the effect was amazing and we now have a baubleless, tinseless tree, who would have thought? The star is also new this year and was a hanging decoration which after drilling a hole in the bottom and adding a stake became the perfect massive star I needed.

In terms of the rest of the house I have decorations everywhere, but it is always a challenge to not get too carried away. Some of my favourite items are a basket of baubles, christmas door mats and little gold trees on the bathroom sink.