Category Archives: holiday

Year of the Tiger Card

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Not only is next Sunday Valentine’s Day, but it is also Chinese New Year. Year of the Tiger. Roar. There seems to be a little conflict on what year it is: 4707 or 4708. Check here for an explanation.

I found some handmade paper cards in red, stamped Chinese text in VersaMark watermark ink (VERY lightly seen), a few tigers and the Chinese characters for happiness and peace. Added a little joss paper for some shine and voila – three cards in about 20 minutes (after getting everything out and cleaning up). It’s definitely more simple than what I had intended to make, but they’re enough. I’m happy I had a few uninterrupted moments to make them. They will be in the mail to a few relatives today.

Better Homes and Gardens Entertaining Tips from 1960s

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Look at this book I found at my mom’s house. First published in 1963, then again in 1972… The ideas and recipes may be sort of timeless, but the pictures, oh, the pictures are outstanding.

And just in time for getting birthday party ideas… my daughter turns 8 in just over a month. Will she cringe when she sees some of these? (Love her haircut.)

Could the frosting on these cakes look any more “nuclear”?

These kids are decorating their own cupcakes. Love the chef hat and aprons which are all paper.

What is she wearing on her head?

Doesn’t this look mint-a-licious?

I don’t know if there are any teenagers out there who would even THINK of having a “wingding” like this. Maybe if there was a “Nancy Drew” sort of person out there in a town-that-time-forgot.

This picture below for Christmas is a little spooky to me. Dolls creep me out sometimes.

I think my parents have an indoor grill just like the one in the picture below.

Clearly, I missed the boat on having a 60s themed New Year’s party this past year. Maybe next year! I can’t get over their clothes.

But, there is Valentine’s Day coming up. I’m really tempted to try some of these throwback recipes (looks like some kind of mousse)… too bad I can’t bring “homemade” goods to my daughter’s school!

Celebrating with Fruit Cocktail Cake

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A few ornaments to put away

“And now let us welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

What better way to start the new year than with family and friends? It’s a Filipino tradition to celebrate the life of a loved one on the 40th day after his or her passing. So, my dad’s youngest sister and her family hosted a memorial service and reception in honor of my aunt and uncle who recently passed away (They were my dad’s siblings. Big family, gets confusing, I know: my dad is 1 of 14). It was so heartwarming to have so many friends and extended family come out the day after the New Year; so many I haven’t seen in a long while, so many new babies. My Auntie Tess and Uncle Fred would’ve loved the party so much.

Auntie Con and Uncle Wilmer are fantastic hosts who had more than enough food to feed the 50-60 people who attended, but I like help out, so from our home we brought my husband’s signature crab dip and my fruit cocktail cake. Normally, I’d bake it in a 13×9 pan, but for Christmas, I got the “Big Top Cupcake” in our cousin gift exchange. Yeah, “As Seen on TV” bakeware!

We could not stop laughing, and yet, it’s proved to be useful. I’ve never baked with silicone molds before. It was so easy to get the cake out, and washing was a breeze. The only thing that didn’t work as well was the “insert mold”, that little bowl shape piece on the right in the picture. I placed it on the bottom mold, just like a lid and it snapped on just fine. Seemed secure, but in the middle of baking it came off as the cake rose. It wasn’t a big deal though. I just kept pushing it down when I checked on the cake. Baking time increased just a little bit, too. I was surprised when the “cupcake top” wasn’t done when the bottom part was – I just had to add a few more minutes. I didn’t get all crazy with decorating the cake. There was no time, and I had no butter left in my house. But, all is good with a little dusting of powdered sugar and a gumdrop.

Fruit Cocktail Cake with Vanilla Pudding

Cake
1 pkg. yellow or lemon cake mix (with pudding)
16 oz. can fruit cocktail including syrup
1 cup flaked coconut
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Whipped topping (optional)

Butter Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1-1/3 c. flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend cake mix, fruit cocktail, coconut, eggs and oil in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Pour into 13×9 pan. Sprinkle brown sugar (and nuts). Bake for 45 min. or until toothpick comes clean from center. Spoon glaze over warm cake, approx. 15 min. after removing from oven. Serve warm or cold with whipped topping.

Butter glaze: Heat butter, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan until it reaches a low boil. Cook for 2 min. Remove from heat and stir in coconut.

From our home to yours

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Hunkering down with new toys

We’re having fun with family in town, visiting relatives and friends who have come home for the holidays, hosting family and friends at our home, not to mention playing with new toys (Santa brought me Copic Markers!!!) It’s been a whirlwind of activity, and so there hasn’t been too much time to write.

See my kids personalities shining through

Just a sincere thank you to our friends and family for visiting “So This is Julie” this year. It’s been fun sharing parts of our life with you. We hope you’ve had a wonderful 2009 and look forward to sharing more home, crafting, food and party ideas in 2010!

2009 highlights

Little Man’s
-learned his ABC’s and can count up to 20 fairly well by himself
-started going to “Tiny School” (once a week program)
-took a memorable plane ride to California
-was ring bearer when his aunt got married

Daughter’s
-lost her first tooth right before school started
-learned how to ride a two-wheeler, finally
-took a trip to California
-started second grade

Husband’s
-sister got married in October
-being introduced to the cheese counter at Whole Foods (we love Joanna)
-losing some weight
-getting braces for 18 months
-teaching Abby to ride her bike

Julie’s
-started this blog and has made some cyber-friends
-seeing some icons: Martha Stewart and David Foster (now I just have to meet Oprah)
-visited family in California
-started exercising…again, but actually enjoying it
-got a new bike and will be gearing up for a “century ride” in September ’10

Cookie Exchange

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Another year of over indulging. Another year of amazing cookies, and a little, just a little, unspoken competition. More cameraderie, I’d like to think. Another year of seeing our friend’s children grow a few more inches. Another year of welcoming new friends into our lives. Another year of opening our home to loved ones, another year of laughing and catching up on all that has happened.

We paid tribute to John Hughes, writer, director of movies that define moments of high school in the 80s: Ferris Buehler’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He holds a special place with some of us because we graduated from the same high school he attended, Glenbrook North High School.

So, our friends brought their best cookies. We tried to name them accordingly, too, (i.e. Cookies-when-you’re-“Home Alone”, or “Ferris’s thumbprint cookies”, Sloane’s Sugar Cookies, Blaine’s Butterscotch shortbread, Abe Froman cookie) Still, it was a Christmas cookie swap, so if the creative mood didn’t strike them, it was okay.

After sharing two dozen to sample, we swapped six dozen (plus some leftovers) more. Seventeen households/families… it was quite a party! We recognized the best theme-related, best tasting, best decorated, best-in-show, and best haiku.

See some pictures here taken by my brother-in-law and my pictures below. If you roll your cursor over the pictures, you should be able to see their names. Want recipes? Let me know. Enjoy!