Thanksgiving Recipe #2 - The Hot Toddy!

 

Mulled Spiced Cider

 

 

Image courtesy of Etsy

 

This Mulled Spiced Cider recipe

is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas,

or any gathering on a cold, winter's day.

 

Recipe:

Cheese Cloth - 4" Square

String to Tie Off Cloth

8 Whole Black Peppercorns

6 Whole Cloves

6 Whole Allspice

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Gallon Apple Juice

2 Quarts Cranberry Juice

Spiced Rum (Optional)

 

Tie-off all spices in the cheese cloth. 

Bring juices and spice bag to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer 2-4 hours. 

Add spice rum to taste.

 

Image courtesy of www.ehow.com

 

This recipe was given to Reese by her wonderful friend, Nicole, many years ago as a gift along with a carafe. 

Who will you share it with this holiday season?

 

~Maggie & Reese



Thanksgiving Recipe #1 - Dessert First!

 

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE

 

 

 

 

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

1/2 Cup Cooking Oil

1 Can Pumpkin Pie Filling

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

4 Eggs

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/8 Tsp Nutmeg

 

Mix all ingredients and bake in a greased and floured

bundt pan at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

(baking times may vary depending on your oven). 

Let cool completely, remove from pan, and Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Tabletop items available from www.maggieandreese.com ~

 

1. Plush Owl Ornaments

2. White Glazed Pumpkins S/2

3. Square Applique Placemat in Aubergine

(Also available in Brown)

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

~Maggie & Reese



Chimney Tips!

10 Tips for Good Chimney Maintenance

Fireplace image courtesy of www.countryliving.com

 

1. Maintain a safe perimeter. Keep tree branches and other objects at least 15 feet from the top of your chimney.


2. Instruct your family on safe fireplace, furnace and stove practices.


3. Retrofit a chimney cap on your existing chimney if you don't have one now. Caps keep leaves and animals out of your chimney that could create dangerous obstructions.


4. Use appropriate fuel. Green wood, dismantled furniture and other questionable fuels should always be avoided. Use your fireplace or other fuel burning feature in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If you have doubts about a particular fuel, err on the side of caution.


5. Build fires correctly. Add fuel or build fires correctly by placing fire-logs in the back of the grate and supporting them so they don't slip. Use kindling, and never add materials of a questionable nature, even small ones. Burning substances that don't flare up can still release colorless and odorless toxic gasses into your home or the environment.


6. Use fireplace screens and keep safety doors closed. Protect nearby areas that could catch fire by providing a reliable barrier and using it consistently.


7. Clear the hearth or surrounding areas. Never keep old rags, newspaper, furniture or other objects near your stove, furnace or fireplace. If there's an open flame or high heat, be sure to maintain a safe zone of 36 inches or more.


8. Don't leave fires unattended. Stay safe by developing good fire maintenance habits. Never leave a room where there's an open flame, even a candle. You never know what will happen.


9. Install monitoring equipment. One of the best precautions you can take is to install equipment, like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, that will alert you to problems before they become life threatening. If these devices aren't wired to your household current, maintain their batteries on a set schedule by checking them twice a year. A common method is to check when you change your clocks to and from Daylight Savings Time in spring and fall.


10. Have your chimney professionally inspected annually.

Chimney tips found on www.superpages.com

Bonsoir!

We left Dover, England on the 26th, I think, 
and after 5 days of being "off the grid", we are enjoying 
our last night in Versailles France. We spent our time chateau hopping and scouring small villages 
around our home base, a vineyard Gite with a 
beautiful view of the valley.  
Today was a marcher through Paris where I was disappointed to learn the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit was closed as it is Monday, de'cu, but we hit all of the original places on 
our itinerary so all in all a great day! 
Now it is time to pop the cork on a bottle of 
rouge and plan our path out of Paris and once again try to figure out how to post a picture to the blog page! 
Wish me luck, au revoir!

~Maggie

Maggie takes flight!

After a short mechanical delay at airport (good thing I had taken my flying meds) we started

winging our way across the pond at 10pm.  By the time dinner arrived (chicken?) and movie began, I was ready to hit the hay.  I must say, night flying is for me, a few tosses and turns and I was waking up to the smell of freshly brewed airline coffee.

At this point I felt calm and confident about landing until crew chief came on and asked for a physician on board.  A few minutes after that, he then informed us that to get passenger to London ASAP, he would be landing the plane "as if we were landing on an aircraft carrier"!!!!!  Wasn't sure how pilot felt about 2 sick passengers but we made it down quickly as promised with benefit of not having to wait in line to land.

Soon we had metro tickets and were "tubing" our way under London.  "Minding the Gap" with train tickets in hand, we THOUGHT we had completed our first travel day uneventfully.  Then we reached Folkstone Central train depot and were informed the train would not be continuing  to our stop in Dover due to electrical difficulties, so close-only 8 miles to go, they were sending a bus....in awhile! With memories of a previous experience due to a French train strike, we quickly grabbed a cab and finished the last leg of today's trip, 20 pounds well spent!

And as soon as I figure out how to post pictures from my iPad, I will share the view  of the English channel from our tiny, but lovely English room!
For now, we are off in search of Fish and Chips!

Au revoir!

MAGGIE GOES TO FRANCE!

Today I leave for England and France in search 

of unique, one of kind items for

Maggie and Reese 

Because we will be traveling by plane, train, 

car and ferry and I travel by the 

"if you bring it, you must carry it" mantra, 

I managed to squeeze all of my travel necessities

 for 12 days in one carry on bag!

(husband was very impressed)

In addition to browsing shops on the outskirts

 of Paris and Portobello Market in London, 

I am scheduling stops at a few patisseries, 

chateau's and vineyards along the way.  

So follow me on my journey where 

I will share pictures and design 

ideas from across the pond.

Reese will be holding down the fort, 

(and watching her Baylor Bears)

taking care of our Fall goodies (take a peek!)

and getting our Christmas items 

prepared to go on-line

(I can't wait to post them!) 

So until then, Happy Fall and Au revoir!

5 Reasons to Cheer for Fall!

1. Cooler Temperatures ~

We've had a cold front in Dallas!  I know to most of you, 90 degrees doesn't sound like a cold front, but for those of us in Texas, it practically feels like sweater weather!!

Forecast courtesy of www.myfoxdfw.com

 

 

2. Football Season ~

Are you ready for some football?!? 

Reese is a football fanatic and her favorite time of

year is the start of a new football season!

Reese with her Baylor Nation tailgate crew!

(Sorry Maggie - No Aggie photos here!!)

3. Boots! ~

There is nothing better than buying that first pair

of new boots for the Fall! 

Here are some of Reese's favorites for this season. 

What are some of your favorites this year?

1. Ralph Lauren Lavinia Vachetta Lace-Up Boot

2. Loft Skylar Suede Booties

3. B Brian Atwood Fragola Boot

4. Baseball Playoffs ~

Maggie & family are die hard baseball fans and October

is definitely a favorite time of year at their house! 

Go Rangers!!

(Maggie's son Gregory sporting traditional family fashion)

 

 

 5. End of Summer Sale at Maggie & Reese! ~

We need help making room for all of our new

Halloween, Fall, & Christmas inventory not to mention

Spring items that will be here before you know it! 

What better way to do this than have an End of Summer Sale?!? 

Be sure and visit our Last Look section at www.maggieandreese.com

to take advantage of these great savings!!

Just a handful of the items available under Last Look!

Happy Shopping!

~Reese