Star Spangled Cake

We remember and honor the service of the many men and women of our military who gave their lives serving their country and their families. It is our honor to celebrate their service and to honor their memory.

American-flag-display-front-house

This Star Spangled Cake recipe is from Family Circle and Recipe.com.

One of my antique dealer associates bakes this cake each year and graciously shares it with us.

It is holiday appropriate, serves a large number(35 servings), and is a delicious dessert to kick off the summer season.

star spangled sheet cake

Recipe.com

Star-Spangled Cake

Ingredients

3  cups  sifted cake flour

4  teaspoons  baking powder

½   teaspoon  salt

5 eggs

2  cups  sugar

Grated rind of 2 lemons

¼  cup  lemon juice (2 lemons)

1  tablespoon  vanilla

2  cups  heavy cream

½  cup  raspberry jam 

Butter Cream Frosting

2  cups  sugar

2/3  cup  water

6    egg whites

¼  teaspoon  cream of tartar

1/8  teaspoon  salt

2 ½  cups  (5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1  tablespoon  vanilla

2  cups  fresh raspberries

3/4  cup  fresh blueberries

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; grease and flour paper. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in bowl.  Beat eggs in large bowl with electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored.

Gradually beat in sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla.  Alternately stir in flour mixture and cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Divide mixture evenly into prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.

Place wire cooling rack over each cake.  Carefully invert cakes and racks. Remove pans from cakes; then carefully remove waxed paper.  Handle cakes very carefully since they are thin layers.  Cool to room temperature.

Spread jam in thin layer over top of one cake.  Place another layer on top; place entire cake on tray.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting:

Combine sugar and water in small heavy saucepan.  Bring to boiling without stirring.  Cover and boil for 2 minutes or until no sugar crystals remain.

Uncover pan; continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (syrup will form a rapidly flattening ball when dribbled into cold water; syrup will register 240 degrees F on candy thermometer.

While sugar syrup is cooking, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in medium-size bowl with mixer until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.  At moment syrup reaches 240 degrees F or soft-ball stage, pour syrup into egg whites in fine, thin stream, beating constantly with mixer.

When all the syrup has been added, continue to beat the egg whites at high speed until cool, for about 5 minutes.

In separate small bowl, beat butter with mixer until fluffy.  Beat butter into cooled egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is thick and creamy.  Beat in vanilla.

Use frosting immediately, or cover and store in cool place for 1 to 2 hours. (Do not refrigerate.)

If frosting is too soft and thin, stir briefly over bowl of ice water to stiffen.

Frost the top and sides of the cake, saving some frosting for decorating. Spoon the reserved frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip.

Pipe a design on the sides of the cake.  Pipe a fancy border around the top and bottom edges of the cake.

Makes 35 servings.

options-script

Flag Cake Memorial Day Dessert

Flag Cake Memorial Day dessert recipe (4th of July-sweet summer sweet, too) from Well Plated by Erin is another wonderful option for the holiday dessert table.

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake Recipe

Southern Living Magazine – Photography by Greg Dupree 

Hot holiday celebrations and cool desserts in red, white, and blue flavor files under it doesn’t get any sweeter than this.  Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake recipe from Southern Living Test Kitchen

enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

Glazed Carrots With Orange And Ginger

Side dishes, desserts, and recipes for Easter Sunday dinner are becoming part of the discussion rotation here at Places In The Home.

Traditional holiday favorites take center stage on the menu, and this recipe for Glazed Carrots with Orange and Ginger bring something new to the holiday feast.

carrots-in-basket

I found an impressive glazed carrots recipe in one of the many magazines I subscribe to and was ready to go (or so I thought).

Wouldn’t you know it, when I am ready to further investigate the ingredients and prep directions I can’t find the magazine.

Who am I kidding?

I can’t even remember which magazine the recipe was in.

I’m learning to immediately write down the name of the magazine, site or book items of interest are found in.

That did not happen in the case of the missing glazed carrots recipe, so I winged it from part memory, part personal tastes.

Here’s the recipe I came up with for Glazed Carrots with Orange and Ginger.

carrots

Glazed Carrots With Orange & Ginger

Ingredients

1 lb. bag peeled baby carrots

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 cup orange juice

zest of one lemon

zest of one orange

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and parsley in saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate all ingredients together.

oranges

Reduce heat to medium low.   Add lemon juice and  cover.   Cook until carrots are tender.

lemon-orange-fresh-mint

Taste to determine if you want to adjust the seasonings.

I like to add the parsley and one additional squeeze of lemon to the pan to allow it to soften for approximately 1 minute.

orange-carrots-parsley

enjoy

A Seasonal Blend Of Old World And Modern Day Holiday Decors

Christmas In Provence and Eastern Europe comes to life through the pages of Art & Décoration and Campagne Decoration.  These wonderful publications feature two stunning homes in their holiday issues.  The first of these features takes the reader on a private tour of the Chateau d’Ansouis.  Steeped in history and dating back to the thirteenth century, Château d’Ansouis overlooks the village of Ansouis and the valley of the Aigues.

Ownership of Château d’Ansouis has shuffled through the centuries. Owned since the tenth century by the powerful house of Forcalquier, the medieval fortress was next sold to Ansouis Zosimus-Elzear-Louis, Duke of Sabran in 1836.  Elzear de Sabran and his wife Delphine. Honorably devoted to the causes of the poor resulted in Elzear being canonized and Delphine beatified in 1369.  In January 2008, Gérard and Frédérique Rousset-Rouvière acquired Château d’Ansouis and a refined renovation soon began. Designer Jean-Jacques Bourgeois was brought on board and the beauty is in the details now more than ever, but especially at the holidays.

The arms of Sabran with diamond points grace the entryway.  Lanterns and candlelight greet visitors in quaint and quiet splendor reminiscent of old world charm.

Soft candlelight in the stone stairway from the rows of candles, lantern, and wall table festively light the way to summer, the terracotta statue standing in the niche on the landing.

candle-lined-stairs

An exquisite interpretation of the list of thirteen traditional Provencal Christmas desserts is represented in grand detail.  Mandarins, candied fruits, dates, dried apricots, chocolate and fresh grapes sit beautifully displayed between crystal candelabras atop a marble top buffet.

Eighteenth century antiquities set the tone for holiday dining with a festive, yet understated tablescape.  After midnight mass on Christmas Eve, a gourmet meal of  roasts, turkey and wines from Provence precedes the famous thirteen desserts.  The thirteen desserts stand in remembrance of the Last Supper with Jesus surrounded by his twelve apostles.  The Murano glass chandelier is stunning, as is the mantel and eighteenth century Rocaille.

The Grand Salon Rocaille, the 18th-century style of plaster-work featuring elaborately stylized shell-like, rocklike, and scroll motifs, is ranked among the best of Provence.  The painted almond green walls are original to the decor.

Excuse me while I gain my composure after swooning over what I can only describe as an armoire cupboard.  The contrast of the rich walnut armoire and original green patina of the interior cupboard is a Provincial design masterpiece.

Christmas en Provence are very traditional gatherings of  family and community. The celebration begins with a vigil of songs, hymns and stories and concludes with gifts being handed out. The Big Dinner is a meatless meal held before midnight mass on Christmas Eve.  The traditional table is set on three white tablecloths removed successively during the meal and adorned with three large white candles which represent the Trinity.  Copper utensils and Moustiers earthenware shine as characteristically French features of an understated, utilitarian beauty.

The second feature has us shifting gears from historically traditional to whimsical wonder represented through warmth, color, and texture.  This nineteenth century mansion of Slavic origin stands amidst a village in the north of the Ile-de-France. The dining room crystal chandelier and glass mercurisées reflect the reds, metals, and magentas of the holiday decor. My eyes immediately widen in decor amazement at first glance of the magenta branches on the mantel and the Reindeer skin draped garden chairs.

‘Tis the season for color, texture, velvet, silk, ribbons, embroidery and florals.

A lone display works as the perfect compliment to the whimsical decor~ a Christmas cuckoo clock with mushroom glass mercurisé.

Accessories inspire the gift of creativity.

Old world and modern day traditions at Christmas, both celebrated and decorated in other parts of our world, fittingly represent history, culture, and design.  The beauty, joy, and traditions of the season translate well.

Love your style!

 

 

 

 

Château d’Ansouis photo source: via

Nineteenth century mansion photo source: via

 

 

O Christmas Tree! Unique Christmas Tree Decoration Ideas

Exceptional and inspiring Christmas tree decoration ideas are wonderful by-products of holiday decorating.

House & Home

These unique interpretations of the season speak magnificently for themselves, and hopefully offer unique and inspiring Christmas tree decoration ideas.

Christmas Tree decoration ideasBallard Designs

On the first day of Christmas…

Ornaments inspired by nature adorn the branches of a pear tree uniquely positioned in this formal living room.

Campagne-Decoration

All wrapped up in gray silk and delicate delight.

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles 

Dressed to impress for the season.

dress form Christmas tree

An artificial bonsai tree spray-painted in shades of gold and accented with glitter coated birds of beauty is as spectacularly unique as it is beautiful.

bonsai Christmas tree

Martha Stewart 

dowel Christmas tree

Better Homes & Gardens

Victorian inspired in winter white and pretty pastels.

white-angel-tree

Charlie Brown, your grown-up Christmas tree is beautifully displayed in Traditional Home.

Traditional Home

chalkboard-Christmas-tree

Hunted Interior

 All I want for Christmas is a pop of color.

House to Home

Vintage collections upon the tree and shelves.

Traditional Home

Lemons with gold cast a pristine presence and natural beauty.

lemon-christmas-treeMidwest Living

Pencil trees in pairs and pattern.

pencil-christmas-trees

Traditional Home

Puttin’ on the Ritz.

ritz-carlton-new-orleans

Ritz Carlton 

A glowing review for this circa 1946 photograph of Charles Eames, designer extraordinaire, with a Christmas tree made of molded plywood chair legs.

LOC

All that glitters is gorgeous, grapevine and gold gilt.

grapevine-christmas-tree-in-urn

Nell Hill’s

 Festively flocked and perfectly perched.

flocked-tree-house-and-home

House and Home

In all its traditional regal red and gorgeous gold glory.

traditional-christmas-tree-red-green

Traditional Home

Fresh greens, candlelight, and a skirt of apples eloquently convey the message step into Christmas!

Traditional Home

O Christmas Tree!

Your designer, luscious, unique, vintage, fun, classic and bare branches beautifully delight us.

love your style

A Dash Of Louisiana “Seasoning”: Casual Christmas Tablescape Ideas

A holiday tablescape featuring regional pieces made by local artisans is a natural fit for casual Christmas tablescape ideas.  A touch of Louisiana “Seasoning” enhances the flavor.

cypress-santas2

A trio of Louisiana Cypress knee Santas crafted by local artisans make an appearance each holiday season.

christmas-deer

 Louisiana is truly a Sportsman’s Paradise.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

christmastime

Burlap sandbags from Tractor Supply make perfect placemats for a natural tablescape.  Natural raffia ties adorn white linen dinner napkins.

louisiana-christmas-tablescape

My favorite Black Friday purchase has to be the Biltmore For Your Home autumn birds salad plates.  The set includes a turkey, pheasant, quail and mallard.  The turkey is conspicuously absent due to turkey overload.

christmas-pheasant

Louisiana pecans and fresh cranberries naturally make a beautiful addition to any table.

christmas-tablescape-candle

 Merry Christmas, Y’all!


Scents Of The Holiday Season

One of the things I love about this time of year is the scents of the holiday season.

Walking into a home that smells like Christmas is just so holiday.

Oranges adorned with whole cloves, hot cinnamon cider, and fresh pine garlands- the scents of the holiday season aroma therapy is a priceless treat.

It is difficult for your thoughts not to go directly to the heart of the holidays as you experience the scents of the season.

From aromatic wreaths and centerpieces to hand and dish soaps, the scents of the holiday season are everywhere.

orange-cloves-swag

Traditional Home

Pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves and cinnamon comes together in one aromatic wonder.

oranges-with-whole-cloves

Better Homes and Gardens

The fresh fragrance of rosemary will fill your kitchen with herb goodness and offer a unique holiday decoration.

rosemary-tree-by-sink

Country Living

rosemary-trees

It’s not only the holiday season but the cold and flu season as well.

Keep the germs at bay with one of the favorite scents of the season, peppermint.

hero-sticks1

Piedmont Candy

Louisianians

fruit-swag

Country Living

The quintessential scent of Christmas has to be the smell of fresh cut pine.

ScentSicles green scented ornaments come with decorative caps and hooks to easily hang in your tree or blend into wreaths and garland.

scents of the holiday season Target

Fill your gingerbread house with the scent of homemade gingerbread with the Homemade Gingerbread Fresh Farm Collection Candle from A Cheerful Giver. 

gingerbread_house_vert

Martha Stewart

gingerbread-scented-candle

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas, especially when this hot spiced tea made from Tang is being made.

I found this great vintage picture and recipe at Recipe Curio.

My mother considers this recipe a gift from the culinary gods and a holiday must have.

Sheldon Cooper Christmastime is quick to offer everyone (and I do mean everyone) who graces our doorstep a hot cup of spiced tea prepared from this exact recipe.

It tastes and smells so Christmas good!

Hot Spiced Tea from TANG

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups TANG

½ cup sugar

½ cup instant tea*

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

Directions

Combine ingredients and store in tightly covered jar.

Makes approximately 24 servings.

FOR 1 SERVING–Place 1 well-rounded teaspoon of mix in a cup, fill with boiling water and stir until dissolved.

FOR 1 QUART–Dissolve 1/2 cup mix in 1 quart of boiling water in a teapot or heat-resistant pitcher.

*Or use lemon-flavored unsweetened or sugar-sweetened instant tea.

 

What’s your favorite scents of the holiday season?

Love your style!

Home For The Holidays Series Part Four: Holiday Desserts

Holiday desserts.

Oh Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Holiday dinners and holiday desserts make a delicious combination.

I stay true to tradition at Thanksgiving with the meal and dessert offerings.

A house full of family and friends gathered on a day centered around thankfulness and fullness is not the best time to experiment with new dishes, or at least it isn’t for me.

I save that stress for Christmas!

If you can make things easier by purchasing ready made items that pass the taste test and your approval, I highly suggest doing so.

I do make a mean pumpkin and sweet potato pie, but the local market puts mine to shame.

When I say good, I mean delicious with a capital Easy!

Dave the Builder has put his order in for both the pumpkin and the sweet potato pies, and just when I thought I was off the hook, Mama Places In The Home put in her order for a no crust coconut pie and my fresh apple nut cake.

With apron on and mixer in hand, I will make their holiday desserts wishes come true.

No Crust Coconut Pie

Ingredients

4  eggs

1 3⁄4  cups sugar

½  cup flour

¼  cup margarine, melted

2  cups milk

1 ½ cups shredded coconut

1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease 10-inch pie pan; set aside.

Combine ingredients in order given; mix well.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Middle of pie will appear rather soft.

Properly done, the pie will have a delicate crust over the top.

Old-fashioned egg custard pie sits upon many a Southern dessert table at the holidays.

Paula-Deen-pound-cake-holiday-dessert

Paula Deen’s Southwest Georgia Pound Cake recipe is quite frankly the best pound cake I have ever baked.

My family loves a good pound cake, and they are not afraid to request one quite often.

Can you guess what I was doing last night at nine o’clock?

Baking a Paula Deen Southwest Georgia Pound Cake.

Southwest Georgia Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

6  eggs

3 cups sugar

2  sticks butter, softened

Directions

Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.  Do not preheat oven.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Begin by adding ¼ of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Next, add 1/3 of the heavy cream into butter-sugar mixture. Repeat steps and end with flour.  Stir in flavoring by hand.  Pour batter into greased and floured pan.

Place in a cold oven, set oven temperature at 325, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes without opening oven door.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes if necessary(it was for my pound cake).

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes before plating.

Pumpkin Parfait

When our son is home for the holidays I prepare his all time favorite dessert, Pumpkin Parfaits.

Pumpkin Parfaits

Ingredients

15 Oz Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 ½ Oz Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 Tsp McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

12 Oz evaporated milk

1 cup(s) H-E-B Select Ingredients Fat Free Milk

4 Oz fat free cream cheese

14 Oz fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 cup(s) whipped cream, reduced fat

Directions

In food processor blend together pumpkin, pudding, pie spice, evaporated milk, milk, cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Place in parfait glasses, and chill until set; top with whipped cream.

Makes 12 servings.

– My H-E-B Texas Life Magazine

recipe apple nut cake 1

Speaking of holiday desserts favorites…

I have had more request for my Old Fashioned Apple Nut Cake recipe lately and am happy to list it again.

apple-pecan-walnut-cake

Old Fashioned Apple Nut Cake

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup applesauce

3 cups fresh apples, peeled and sliced

Icing

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Peel and slice apples.  Add brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon,  ground cloves and lemon juice to apples coating well; set aside.  Mix together sugar and oil.  Add eggs; beat until creamy.  Add vanilla.

Combine salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour together.  Add dry ingredients in small amounts to sugar and oil mixture.

Next, add apples, apple sauce, and chopped pecans and mix by hand.   Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

fresh-apple-nut-cake-3

For the icing:

In a medium saucepan bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly.  Boil for one minute continuing to stir or whisk constantly.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Add powdered sugar and stir or whisk until smooth and continue until it begins to thicken slightly.  Immediately drizzle over cooled cake.  Top with pecans.

enjoy