I made this meal for myself to celebrate spring flowers.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Top Container: Spinach with toasted pecans, mandarin oranges
Bottom Container: Flowers – red bell pepper cut with a cookie cutter, dried blueberries attached with spaghetti, roasted asparagus, Broccoli Quinoa,
White horses remind me of my Grandpa. When I was a child and we saw a white horse, he said it was good luck. He showed me the custom of stamping to get the good luck. My Grandpa is the only person I ever knew who licked his thumb when he saw a white horse. I am guessing he learned it when he was a child in Illinois.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: White Horse – cheddar garlic mashed potatoes cut with a cookie cutter, Eye – dried blueberry, roasted broccoli
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Blueberries
I made this meal for myself. I used a cookie cutter to cut the butterfly from the center of the waffle. I also ate the waffle scraps (not in photo).
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterfly – waffle cut with cookie cutter, carrot
Top Right: Butterflies – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, blackberries
Bottom Right: Butterfly – cinnamon (used cookie cutter as stencil), Greek yogurt
I made this lunch for myself. The theme was part of my continuing quest to use all of my cookie cutters.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Large Box: Bicycle – black radish cut with a cookie cutter, black olives, peanut noodles
Medium Box: Cucumber, cherry tomatoes
Not too long ago, I had my friend Renae over for dinner. I am glad that we were able to spend time together and I always enjoy cooking for other people.
Note: The daffodils are from my friend Carol’s garden.
Romaine Salad – romaine with raw broccoli and carrot
Maple Vinaigrette – Olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup whisked together (I did not measure).
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
Strawberries with Dark Chocolate – I melted Endangered Species Chocolate, Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate 88% Cocoa and made round disks.
My critique of the meal: It was good for an easy meal but I am more satisfied when I make a bigger effort. I would not make this eggplant recipe again since I like other recipes better but Renae liked it. I enjoyed the chocolate better in this form than from the chocolate bar.
Happy National Garlic Day! I made this featured ingredient garlic lunch for my mom. She is a big fan of garlic! Also she loved the roasted artichoke hearts.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Roasted artichokes with garlic, cottage cheese with paprika
Top Right: Mini bagel with fresh garlic added before baking
Bottom Right: Celery with Boursin Garlic cheese
I made this lunch for myself. The diamonds are because I discovered that I had never used my diamond cookie cutters.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Diamonds – orange and white cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, baked asparagus and spinach risotto
Right Side: Grapefruit
I made this meal for my Dad at his request. I seldom ask him what theme he wants. I usually make whatever I want. This time I thought that weather was appropriate since he often talks about the weather. I asked him which weather theme he wanted. He said, “clouds with lightning bolts”.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Large Box: Clouds – cheddar cut with cookie cutters, Lightning – carrot cut with cookie cutters, cheddar mashed potatoes with garlic and Butterfly Pea Flower Powder
Small Box: Blueberries, pistachios
I made this colorful and delicious meal for myself.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Top Box: April – carrot cut with cookie cutters, clouds – cheddar cheese cut with cookie cutters, blueberries
Bottom Box: May – carrot cut with cookie cutters, flowers – yellow and red bell pepper cut with cookie cutters, dried blueberries attached with spaghetti, rice mixed with roasted broccoli and Asiago cheese, more roasted broccoli under the rice
Awhile ago, I made this meal for my friend Carol. She had recent dental surgery and needed to eat a soft food diet. I made and delivered this meal and then we both ate and visited over video. It was a simple meal but I hope that it added some fun to eating a soft food diet.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Top Container: Cats – Mashed carrots – shape cut with cookie cutters, Eyes – spinach cut with mini cutter, Whiskers – cut carrot, cheddar garlic mashed potatoes
Bottom Container: Applesauce with cinnamon, roasted strawberries over cottage cheese
I went to my parents house for Easter this year. Pre-Covid, we used to go to a fancy buffet Easter brunch. This year we enjoyed all our meals at home.
My parents have a traditional Easter Basket bread that they make every year. I am surprised that this is the first time to share it here!
BREAKFAST
MAIN MEAL
EASTER BASKET BREAD
My parents have made a version of this for many years (probably at least 35 years). Over the years they make it slightly different – sometimes with candied fruit, sometimes orange zest, sometimes lemon zest, sometimes nuts on top, sometimes an icing drizzle. They used to make a large one but now with only a few people, they make half the recipe. I included a photo of the original recipe but they do it their own way. They make the bread the night before and leave in an off oven until morning. They usually put dyed hard boiled eggs on after baking.
As usual, we had a nice time with a beautiful table, delicious food, and gifts from the Easter Bunny.
I enjoy using my cookie cutter collection. This meal was cute and easy to prepare.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Chicks – orange cheddar cut and imprinted with a cookie cutter, rice with roasted zucchini
Right Side: Mandarin oranges
I made this fun meal for myself on a snowy winter day. It is a little different from most of the others in my themed potato salad series but it follows the same pattern.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bunnies – roasted sweet potatoes, orange cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese cut with cookie cutter, spinach leaves
Top Right: Toasted hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Mandarin oranges
Awhile ago, I made this meal for my friend Carol. I delivered it to her home and we ate our meals virtually in our own homes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bunnies – carrot cut with a cookie cutter, snow peas, peanut noodles
Top Right: Peanut Butter Balls
Bottom Right: Orange slices, blueberries
I made this Purple Bunny Peeps themed lunch for myself. I don’t eat Peeps but I think they are cute and was happy to use my Peeps cookie cutter.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bunny Peeps – cheddar mashed potatoes with Butterfly Pea Flower Powder cut with a cookie cutter, Face – spinach cut with a mini cutter, strawberries
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: Snow peas
What are Wagashi? Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets usually served with green tea. Most of the ones I made here are in the Nerikiri style. Traditional Nerikiri Wagashi are soft and smooth. They are made by hand from rice flour and white beans and are often filled with red bean paste. Wagashi are made to represent the seasons.
What are my imitations? I decided to make food that looks like Wagashi but are really savory food. My bird, flower, and balls on a stick are cheddar cheese mashed potatoes. Green has finely chopped fresh spinach leaves. Yellow has tumeric. Red has tomato paste. Purple has Butterfly Pea Flower powder.
Why I made these? Inspired by Fukuyadou Honpo (Kyoto Love Story) drama I watched on Amazon Prime in the winter. The drama is set in Kyoto at a traditional Japanese sweet shop. I only have a little experience eating actual Wagashi and not the Nerikiri type I imitated here. I used one potato and ate these as part of my dinner.
How to make? Probably the most difficult part is getting the mashed potatoes the correct consistency to shape by hand. I got lucky with these (I did not add butter or milk). But I have experience with shaping mashed potatoes. The strawberry is covered with Greek yogurt. I also include a spinach pancake leaf with potato ladybug at the end of this post.
My Spring Potato Wagashi Set:
Bird – Cheddar mashed potatoes with Butterfly Pea Flower powder, candy eye
Hanami Dango – Green – cheddar mashed potato mixed with finely chopped fresh spinach leaves, White – cheddar mashed potato, Pink – cheddar mashed potato with tomato paste, wooden skewer cut to size
Flower – Cheddar mashed potato with tomato paste, Center of Flower- cheddar mashed potato with tumeric, Leaf – spinach. Use the side of a chopstick to press into a mashed potato ball to make the petals. Make an indent in the center with the larger end of a chopstick.
Strawberry Daifuku – Strawberry dipped in plain Greek yogurt. Freeze.
Leaf with Ladybug – Leaf – pancake with finely chopped raw spinach, cheddar mashed potato ball, Ladybug – cheddar mashed potato with tomato paste, black sesame seeds, black food coloring
Dishes: The small leaf and flower plates are from Natural Kitchen (100 Yen store in Japan).
I enjoyed making this Wagashi set for spring. I am already thinking about ideas for the other seasons.
My family and friends love it when I make homemade pasta. For my Mom’s birthday I made flower shaped ravioli for my Mom, Dad, and me. All of us kept raving about the meal. It was a delight!
Spinach Strawberry Salad – Spinach leaves, sliced strawberries, toasted sliced almonds
Maple Vinaigrette – Olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup whisked together (I did not measure but I have experience making vinaigrettes).
Three Cheese Flower Shaped Ravioli – This is my favorite pasta dough, I used a flower shaped cookie cutter to cut the dough. The filling is Ricotta, Asiago, and Mozzeralla cheeses with some garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes. After plating, sprinkle dried basil on top.
Tomato Sauce – Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, add canned strained and chopped tomatoes, basil, and oregano, cook for about 25 minutes.
Roasted Asparagus – Drizzle a little olive oil over asparagus, roast asparagus in a 420 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Add Asiago cheese after plating.
No-bake Lemon Cheesecake Cups with Raspberries – soften 8 oz cream cheese, whip a small container of heavy cream with some vanilla and a little sugar, whip cream cheese with some sugar and lemon zest, fold cheese mixture and whipped cream together with a spoon. Put some raspberries on the bottom of each container, spoon the cheese / whipped cream mixture on top, garnish with more fresh raspberries.
My critique of the meal: We all loved it. I don’t think that I would have done anything different. But if I really need to be critical, maybe next time I would plan a decorative center on top of the flower ravioli. I thought about it ahead of time but did not plan anything. Last minute as I was plating, I sprinkled some dried basil on top of the ravioli.
This week I received my second COVID-19 vaccine. It seemed fitting to make a themed meal for myself to honor the occasion. I was excited to use the COVID-19 cookie cutter made by my friend Renae. She now has a 3D printer and has made several cookie cutters for me!
My cheese person getting a COVID-19 vaccine is not wearing a mask so you can see the smile. The smile is there since it was suggested by my friend Renae. Without the face, it was not clear what was happening here. Sometimes I send images to friends while I am in the middle of making something to see if they know what it is supposed to be. Also, often I make art with people or animals without facial details and wish later that I had included a face.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Person: cheddar cheese, Face: paprika and food coloring, Shot: cheddar cheese, food coloring, spaghetti, Other: roasted asparagus, Broccoli Quinoa, COVID-19 tortilla chips: flour tortillas cut with cookie cutter, (place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, brush with olive oil, bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp), Other: pecans, fresh broccoli.
I have a longtime fondness for stickers so I was especially happy to receive this sticker after getting my vaccine. Also, I like to think that I am tough.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I made this cute leprachaun for myself. I mostly followed this idea. To see all of my St. Patrick’s / Ireland themed food, please go to my collection.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Leprechaun – hummus in a silicon cup, spinach, carrots, black olives, dried blueberry, radish, walnuts, shamrocks – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter
I drew Saint Patrick on a quesadilla! It was a fun meal for myself. Every year I think I will make a themed meal with the Saint but it never happened until now.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Saint Patrick – drawn with food coloring markers, cheddar quesadilla
Top Right: Dry roasted edamame
Bottom Right: Orange
I made this shamrock pesto pizza meal for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Shamrocks – pesto pizza cut with a cookie cutter
Top Right: Shamrocks – orange and white cheddar cut with a cookie cutter
Bottom Right: Mandarin oranges
I made this easy lunch for myself. The cheese decoration is supposed to be a Celtic knot.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Celtic knot – orange cheddar cut with a knife, rice with roasted zucchini
Right Side: Pineapple, pumpkin seeds
I made this camel chip and hummus snack lunch for myself.
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents:
I made this Hinamatsuri (Girls Day Japan) lunch for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Emperor – garlic mashed potato with spinach and radish details, painted with green food coloring mixed with water, Empress – garlic mashed potato with spinach and radish details, painted with red food coloring mixed with water, snow peas, radish flower cut with a cookie cutter
Top Right: Dry roasted edamame
Bottom Right: Greek yogurt mixed with raspberry jam, strawberries cut with a cookie cutter
I made this as part of dinner for myself. Will March come in like a Lion and go out like a Lamb? This proverb to describe the weather in March amuses me. It was fun to celebrate the idea of upcoming spring with this themed meal.
Lion: Sweet Potato cut with a cookie cutter, roasted in oven
Lamb: White Potato cut with a cookie cutter, roasted in oven
Grass: Pesto made with fresh basil, lemon juice, walnuts, Asiago cheese
I made this lunch for myself and decorated it with flamingo shaped radish. I picked this theme since I wanted to use my flamingo cookie cutter for the first time. On a whim I colored them with Butterfly Pea Flower Powder mixed with a little water.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Flamingos – black radish cut with a cookie cutter, brushed with a mixture of water and Butterfly Pea Flower powder, peanut noodles
Top Right: Pumpkin seeds
Bottom Right: Blueberries
I made this dinner for myself. It was easy and delicious! I am glad that I enjoy cooking and can make interesting food for myself. I don’t think I had ever made romesco sauce before. I had all of the ingredients. It was quick to make in my food processor. Usually I don’t like raw garlic but I enjoyed it in this meal.
Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco
Cheddar cheese
Pears with nutmeg
Toasted sunflower seeds
I made this potato whale lunch for my Mom.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Whale – garlic and Asiago cheese mashed potato cut with cookie cutter, Eye – dried blueberry, Ocean – blue mashed potato
Bottom Left: Blackberries
Bottom Right: Macadamia nuts
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is my collection of Conversation Hearts, Be Mine, Cupid, Characters with Hearts, XO and Heart themed food. As with my other collections, I plan to update when I create something new.
Updated: 2/2/25
CONVERSATION HEARTS
Mashed Potatoes Conversation Hearts
BE MINE
Be Mine Waffles
CUPID
ANIMALS / CHARACTERS with HEARTS
Bear Rice Holding Carrot Hearts
Precious Moments Character Sandwich with Heart Egg
Mashed Potato Giraffe with Carrot Hearts
XOXO
XOXO Red Pepper over Rice XO Apple over Yogurt
HEARTS
Cucumber Hearts over Peanut Noodles
Raspberry Radish Over Peanut Noodles
Heart Cinnamon Rolls with Heart Fruit
I made this meal for myself as part of my emoji rice series.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Heart Eyes Emoji – cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a round emoji cookie cutter, cheddar cheese broiled on top of rice. Eyes – radish cut with mini heart cutter. Mouth – spinach cut with a mini cutter, peas
Top Right: Walnuts
Bottom Right: Pineapple
I made this cupid cheese art over baked risotto for myself. I used an imprint cookie cutter for the shapes.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Cupid – orange and white cheddar pressed into an imprint cupid cookie cutter, Eyes – dried blueberry, Mouth and Heart – radish. Baked asparagus and spinach risotto
Right Side: Grapefruit
Happy Groundhog Day! I made this meal for myself on the same day that I made a lunch with polenta hands for my friend Deborah.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Groundhog – polenta cooked in vegetable broth – cooled then cut with a cookie cutter, Shadow – smoked paprika, mashed garlic broccoli
Bottom Left: Orange slices
Bottom Right: Hazelnuts
To celebrate my friend Carols birthday with her this year I made and delivered dinner. Then over zoom we ate together and talked. She requested the same meal as last year. I prepared the Wellington the same way as for our virtual Thanksgiving.
Vegetable Wellington (I used frozen Puffed Pastry and did not use mushrooms or eggplant), served with Citrus Beurre Blanc sauce (recipe at the bottom)
Individual Chocolate Cream Pie
My critique of the meal: Wonderful meal! The only thing I would change is to use chocolate curls instead of mini chocolate chips on top of the pies. But the mini chocolate chips worked just fine.
I made this two box meal for my friend Deborah on her birthday. I was happy to try making an earth out of eggplant! When I delivered her food, we went for a walk. It was lovely to go for a walk together. The air was crisp and woods pretty from a recent snowfall. And I always enjoy speaking with Deborah.
Container: U Konserve
Contents: Earth – roasted eggplant brushed with a little olive oil and Butterfly Pea Flower Powder for the water and some basil-lemon-walnut to represent land. Hands – polenta cooked in vegetable broth, cut with cookie cutter, mashed garlic broccoli (to make it vegan for my friend, I did not use cheese)
Contents: Sliced oranges, coconut-pecan-date balls
My Dad ate this potato and cream cheese penguin for lunch. He did not know what it was supposed to be but he said it tasted great. Both my Mom and Dad independently turned the lunch around and though it was a dolphin.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Penguin – blue mashed potato cut with a cookie cutter, cream cheese, Eye – dried blueberry, peas
Top Right: Macadamia nuts
Bottom Right: Blackberries
I made this easy lunch for myself. I also ate the waffle scraps not shown in this photo.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Greek yogurt with sprinkles
Bottom Left: Walnuts
Right Side: Waffle cut with a cookie cutter, radish slices
I consider this blog my scrapbook of the past 9.5 years. I made this lunch for myself to represent this time in history. A year ago I owned no masks and now I have many.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Mask Emoji – cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a round emoji cookie cutter, cheddar cheese broiled on top of rice. Eyes and eyebrows – spinach. Mask – cheddar cheese, spinach leaves
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Clementine
I made this snowy lunch for myself. So far this year we have less snow than usual.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Snowflakes – cream cheese piped (imprint in potato with cookie cutter, cut corner off of small plastic bag and pipe shapes, blue mashed potato
Top Right: Macadamia nuts
Bottom Right: Blackberries
I made this simple meal for myself. Happy New Year!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: 2021 – Carrot (cut with cookie cutters), rice with peas and cheese
Top Right: Mixed nuts
Bottom Right: Pomegranate seeds
I am happy to share my favorite bento meals from the year.
I made this Daisy Vegetable Potato Salad for my friend Carol.
This Cheese Helicopter over a blue potato sky was for myself.
My friend Renae ate this Cheese Witch flying over a lentil sky.
I enjoyed this Tooth Pizza meal.
I made this Woodland Snack lunch for my Mom.
I enjoyed this Day of the Dead sugar skull rice.
I made this cute Cheddar Fox meal for my Mom.
I enjoyed this Carrot Eiffel Tower meal.
My Mom enjoyed this polenta and cream cheese Owl.
My Dad ate this mushroom themed lunch.
Happy New Year! May your 2021 include delicious and attractive food.
I love the song, Carol of the Bells. This year it was my inspiration for Christmas dinner. When I first told my Mom the theme, she seemed confused but planned beautiful table decor. I made the menu cards and we used bell napkin rings that I made for this dinner. We played various versions of Carol of the Bells during our courses.
We decided to space out the courses throughout the day. It was fun that my niece who was not able to join us, figured out the spacing since my Mom sent her a photo after each course.
Cracking and eating nuts at the end of the meal is a family tradition. We used a historical wooden nut bowl that I remember from my Grandmothers house when I was a child.
Hark How the Bells
Onion Rings with Sour Cream Ranch Dip
Sweet Silver Bells
Pumpkin Ricotta Cocoa Ravioli with Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Brown Butter
Bringing Good Cheer
Leek Potato Galette with Pistachio Crust
Merry Christmas
Lemon Cake with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Nuts
My critique of the meal:
I liked having my Dad’s onion rings as a course. He made them so it gave me time to do other things. This was my first time making bell shaped cocoa ravioli. I was concerned that my Mom would not like it. Both of my parents loved the ravioli. I was on the fence about them. But I thought they looked beautiful especially with the combo of the brown ravioli and orange pumpkin filling. We all enjoyed the Leek Potato Galette with Pistachio Crust. The cake was delicious. My Mom made it in 6 inch pans and frosted it. She used Raspberry Jam from France. My only contribution to the cake were the decorations. I wrote “Merry Christmas” in leftover frosting dyed green (snipped the corner off a zip lock bag), and used mint leaves, pomegranate seeds, and raspberries. My Dad made cappuccino which is always appreciated. It was a special meal.
We decided on a Snowman theme for our traditional Christmas breakfast table this year. I love the snowball lights my Mom found! This was at least our second time making a citrus snowman but this year was the best. I made the chocolate hat and my Mom did everything else. A wooden skewer holds the grapefruit, orange and clementine together.
This year we did something we never did before. You don’t have to have children around to have fun. We wore matching pajamas.
I don’t know when I first started making Pig Scones but it could have been as long as 1992. I make them most years but I don’t usually blog it. Including this year, the pig scones are in three blog posts – 2014, 2018, 2020.
Traditional Christmas Breakfast
Roasted Potatoes with Dijon Dip
For lunch on one of the days before Christmas we had a beautiful and delicious soup.
Tree Wonton Crackers – we used olive oil and fresh herbs instead of pesto
I was fortunate to spend 5 days at my parents house for Christmas this year. When my Mom and I planned the meals, she wanted to have themed nights celebrating different countries. My Mom planned the tablescapes for each of the meals. My parents researched traditional Christmas celebrations in each country. It inspired the table decorations. Also they prepared fun facts about the holiday celebrations. The table decorations were special and added to the atmosphere. The German wooden winter pyramid was a huge hit. We delighted in watching the scene spin around from the heat of the candles.
The first night was inspired by France.
French Onion Soup with Homemade French Bread
The second night was inspired by Italy.
Broccoli with Garlic
Italian Cookies from Carlo’s Bakery
The third night was inspired by Germany.
Red Cabbage (we reduced the sugar and increased the vinegar)
Toasted Pecan, Coconut and Chocolate Clusters
The three of us enjoyed our holiday meals this year. We made it special and it was memorable.
I made this pesto pizza tree for myself. It was delicious!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Tree – homemade pizza dough cut with a cookie cutter, pesto, Star- yellow bell pepper cut with a mini cutter
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Cotton Candy Green Grapes
I continued my challenge to find ways to use my angel cookie cutters.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Angel – cooked and mashed carrots inside an angel cut-out (cookie cutter), cheddar mashed potatoes
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Angels – mango cut with a cookie cutter, blueberries
Continuing my popular series of themed potato salad, here are some angels.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Angels – orange cheddar, white roasted potato, yellow bell pepper cut with a cookie cutter. Face – paprika (put on with a toothpick)
Top Right: Pumpkin Seeds
Bottom Right: Angels – melon cut with a cookie cutter, Face – cocoa power (put on with a toothpick)
I made this angel lunch for my Mom. As usual, she enjoyed the meal!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Angels – Cheddar cheese, tortellini, cherry tomatoes, spinach, black olives, olive oil and red wine vinegar
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Raspberries, blackberries
This year my parents came for Thanksgiving. We shared the same food and ate together virtually with my friend Carol. I delivered the food to Carol and gave her instructions to cook the main course the same time I cooked ours. I am glad that she lives nearby. I was distracted by actually having people at my place and I forgot to bring the wellington sauce to Carol. It worked out fine. I drove it over to her between courses and it gave my parents time to talk to her without me around.
Table: I borrowed my Mom’s plates, place mats and napkins. (I sent a place mat, and napkin with cornucopia ring over to Carol with the food. She used her families China.) My Mom made the flower arrangement. She filled her ceramic pumpkin with fresh flowers. I bought and used the cornucopia napkin rings in NYC in 1999. This may have only been my second time to use them since my family did not remember them.
Appetizer: Corn Fritters with Maple Syrup (This is an old family favorite.)
Vegetable Course: Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts (I used mild Wegmans creamy blue cheese.)
Main Course: Vegetable Wellington (I used assorted bell pepper, zucchini, and asparagus. I put the vegetables, goat cheese, and homemade pesto in store bought puffed pastry cut into rectangles that I folded over), Citrus Beurre Blanc sauce
Dessert: No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie (I made these individual in bowls with the crust on the bottom), Apple Crisp in Oatmeal Cookie Cup
My critique of the meal: I think that all involved enjoyed this in-person / virtual meal. I enjoy doing virtual meals. The sweet potato vegetable course was a huge hit! It was a wonderful combination and I am sure I will make it again. It was my first time making candied nuts. They were easy to make and delicious. I think this was my third time making this vegetable wellington but the first time making it individual. It enjoyed making it this way. I think I was the only one who did not like the apple filling for the oatmeal cookie cups. We all liked the cookie cups.
I made this Turkey themed cheese quesadilla for my Dad. I was inspired by this.
Body: Apple
Eyes: Raisins
Nose: Carrot (attached with spaghetti)
Feet: Carrot
Feathers: Cheddar cheese quesadilla, carrot sticks
This year I made a gingerbread castle for Sweet Creations at the Eastman Museum. I used a slightly smaller board (14 x 16) and created an easier to assemble design. In the past I relied on an extra pair of hands from friends. Because I am limiting time I spend with people indoors, I did it alone. I had a wonderful time! When my castle was done, I wished I could actually go and visit it and walk on the bridge.
Gingerbread Recipe: I used this recipe.
Royal Icing Recipe: I love using this recipe which uses Meringue Powder. It hardens fast and in works very well.
Castle Flat Roof – Red sanding sugar attached with royal icing
Turret Roof: Ice cream cone with Wrigley’s Spearmint gum shingles (cut with cookie cutter)
Flags: Gum painted with red food coloring, linguini poles
Tower: Round gingerbread cookies (cut with a cookie cutter), glue cookies with royal icing, wrap in fondant, roll stone texture roller over fondant. Larger gingerbread cookie round on top of tower – decorated with green balls.
Wreaths: Royal icing dyed green, piped with pastry bag, small red round decorations
Doors: Gingerbread with red decorating balls
Present: Peppermint candies with red fondant bow
Bridge – Gingerbread covered with strips of brown fondant, holes made with toothpick.
Cables: Shoestring licorice
Brackets for Cables: Black fondant
Pillars: Spearmint leaves
Dragon Body: Red fondant
Dragon Wings: Used swan wings mold
Dragon Eyes: black fondant
Castle Land: Rice Krispie Treats (2 batches pressed separately into a Springform pan, glued to base and to each other with royal icing
Snow Covered Land: White fondant, royal icing, unsweetened coconut
Rocks Around Land: Royal icing and assorted candy stones
Swans: White fondant, Black Paste Food Coloring, swan wings mold
Moat: Royal icing with blue sanding sugar
Ice Around Moat: Rock candy pieces
Windows: Black fondant
Candles: White gum, Sour Streamers
Stone Walls – I used a stone texture roller on dough before baking, after assembling castle, I sprayed the castle with edible glitter. Caution: I would not recommend using edible glitter. A lot of glitter gets into the air and you could breathe in edible glitter.
New techniques I tried this year: Rice Krispie Treats, created a fondant dragon, fine coconut for snow piles, icing wreaths with pastry bag, edible glitter, towers (I tried baking two different types until I ended up using cookies covered with fondant.)
My Gingerbread Collection: Go here to see most of my gingerbread creations.
Eclectic Lamb 
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