Tag: Thanksgiving

Easy Turkey Cookies

Make room for these adorable turkey cookies on your Thanksgiving dessert table! Kids big and small will love these sandwich cookies turned turkey!

There will be a new sweet treat joining the plethora of pies on the dessert table this year! Chocolate covered sandwich cookies topped with a chocolate kiss and a fan of fruit leather are all you’ll need to to make these turkey cookies. Make them ahead or set up a station and invite your younger guests to busy themselves with making their very own turkey creations!

These festive turkey cookies could even be used as place cards if you wish! Just tuck a thin strip of paper with your guests name in between the fruit leather feathers. How cute is that?

Whether you make your turkey cookies ahead or entertain the kiddos with an edible sweet-treat-turkey-making-station, I can guarantee a fun element of whimsy will be enjoyed by all as they indulge in one of these turkey cookies.

Supplies you’ll need to make the turkey cookies :

sandwich cookies
chocolate melts
red & orange fruit leather strips
gold dragees
small tube red gel icing
small leaf cookie cutter

What you’ll do :

Melt the chocolate melts according to package instructions. Cut fruit leather with a small leaf cookie cutter into as many leaf feathers as you like (I used 4 leaf feathers on each cookie). Open cookie and spread melted chocolate over the center icing (take care not to put too much or it will squeeze out the sides). Lay the fruit leather leaves on the melted chocolate in a fan along top half of cookie. Put the top cookie back on and gently squeeze to help seal cookies back together. Spread melted chocolate on top of cookie. Place a chocolate kiss onto melted chocolate and let set a few minutes. Put two dabs of melted chocolate on kiss where eyes should go (I used a clean paint brush to do this). Place gold dragees on the dabs of chocolate and hold in place with finger for a few seconds. Squirt a small line of red gel icing to to side of the tip of the chocolate kiss to make the turkey gobbler.
Enjoy!

Wishing you & yours a very sweet Thanksgiving!

Wenderly

Easy Turkey Cookies

Author: Wenderly | Wendy Hondroulis

Make room for these adorable turkey cookies on your Thanksgiving dessert table! Kids big and small will love these sandwich cookies turned turkey!

Ingredients

sandwich cookies
chocolate melts
red & orange fruit leather
gold dragees
small tube of red gel icing

Instructions

Melt the chocolate melts according to package instructions.
Cut fruit leather with a small leaf cookie cutter into as many leaf feathers as you like (I used 4 leaf feathers on each cookie).
Open cookie and spread melted chocolate over the center icing (take care not to put too much or it will squeeze out the sides).
Lay the fruit leather leaves on the melted chocolate in a fan along top half of cookie.
Put the top cookie back on and gently squeeze to help seal cookies back together.
Spread melted chocolate on top of cookie.
Place a chocolate kiss onto melted chocolate and let set a few minutes.
Put two dabs of melted chocolate on kiss where eyes should go (I used a clean paint brush to do this).
Place gold dragees on the dabs of chocolate and hold in place with finger for a few seconds.
Squirt a small line of red gel icing to to side of the tip of the chocolate kiss to make the turkey gobbler.
Enjoy!

Tags cookies, dessert, Thanksgiving

Appetizers Eat

Easy Appetizer | Cranberry and Goat Cheese Crackers

Post author By Wenderly
Post date 20.Nov.2014
No Comments on Easy Appetizer | Cranberry and Goat Cheese Crackers

Easy Appetizer Cranberry Goat Cheese Crackers

Who doesn’t love an easy appetizer? These cranberry and goat cheese crackers are a stunning and delicious beginning to any meal.

It’s no secret at my house, I adore jellied cranberry sauce! I look forward to that sweet and tart ruby red deliciousness every holiday and this time I decided to incorporate it into an easy appetizer!

Any big meal can become slightly laborious as we scurry about the kitchen cooking and timing the rolls to turn golden just as the sides are perfectly heated and the turkey has been sliced into perfection.

So I ask, who needs a fussy heavy appetizer? Not me! I’m all for an easy appetizer that’s light and tasty and tantalizes my palette just enough to get me ready for the main meal. These little beauties will do just that. The tart sweet cranberry sauce pairs perfectly with the creamy goat cheese.

It’s a match made in heaven that takes minutes to prepare and I guarantee that your guests will oooh and ahhh at the presentation!

Wishing you a delicious stress-free holiday!

Wenderly

Easy Appetizer | Cranberry and Goat Cheese Crackers

Author: Wenderly | Wendy Hondroulis

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 24

Who doesn’t love an easy appetizer? These cranberry and goat cheese crackers are a stunning and delicious beginning to any meal.

Ingredients

1- 14 oz can jellied cranberry sauce
5 oz creamy goat cheese
24 whole grain crackers (or any cracker you fancy, cracked pepper would be good too!)

Instructions

Slice the cranberry sauce into 12 even rounds.
Cut 2 leaves (with a small leaf cookie cutter) out of each round of cranberry sauce.
Spread goat cheese on each cracker.
Top the cracker with the cranberry leaf.
Enjoy!

Tags appetizer, Thanksgiving

Decorate Home Accents Seasonal

Thanksgiving Mantle :: Gold Leaf Garland

Post author By Wenderly
Post date 18.Nov.2014
2 Comments on Thanksgiving Mantle :: Gold Leaf Garland

Dress up your Thanksgiving mantle with a gorgeous gold leaf garland. You’ll get a sophisticated look with minimal effort that costs next to nothing!

I usually don’t do too much for my Thanksgiving mantle but after making my gold leaf pace cards, I just couldn’t seem to put my spray paint can down! I was so smitten with their luscious luster I just knew that I had to continue the gold leaf theme and embellish my mantle as well!

Garlands have become a staple decoration in my home. They are just so sweet and unassuming and add such a celebratory statement to any room.

For my mantle, I decided on a simple and somewhat small leaf and to give an all over unified affect, I gathered a collection of leaves that were all similar in shape and size.

After spray painting both sides of the leaves, I simply hung some white string across my mantle and hung them with small wooden clothes pins (that I found at Michaels).

Make your mantle dazzle this Thanksgiving with a gorgeous gold leaf garland!

Supplies you’ll need for a gold leaf garland :

Leaves that are of the same size and shape that have been washed and dried well
Design Master gold spray paint (I used #731)
white string (or if you have a different color mantle, try to find string that matches the color of your wood or paint)
small wooden clothes pins

For other Thanksgiving decorating ideas check out my Glitter Gourds and Gold Leaf Place Cards.

Wishing you & yours a wonderfully decorated Thanksgiving!

Wenderly

Tags gold leaf garland, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving decorations

Decorate Seasonal

Thanksgiving Table Ideas :: Gold Leaf Place Cards

Post author By Wenderly
Post date 14.Nov.2014
7 Comments on Thanksgiving Table Ideas :: Gold Leaf Place Cards

Thanksgiving is two weeks away and I’ve got some fun table ideas for you! Greet each special guest as they gather around your table with a personalized gold leaf place card.

I’m a fan place cards. It’s a subtle detail that makes a table feel finished and your guests feel welcome. I love to come up with original ideas that dovetail into the overall decorations of my table. This year I decided to bring nature indoors and glam it up with my glitter gourds and gold leaf place cards.

They’re so elegant and simple, I just adore them! And you’ll just love how easy they are to make. Collect an assortment of leaves wash and dry them and find a well ventilated area (or outside) to spray paint them.

I experimented with a few different craft paints but they took forever to dry and the leaves ended up curled because of it. After some investigation I found the PERFECT spray paint at Michaels. It dries in minutes, gives a nice thick coat and had the exact gold finish that I was looking for. I wanted the look of gilded without the expense.

I sprayed both sides of the leaves and stems to give an all over finished look, it also helped to seal and preserve the leaves. Aren’t they lovely?

So simple, stylish and sophisticated.

After they dried I tied some sweet little ribbon on the stems and wrote my guests names on each leaf with a black felt tip pen. You could always write a simple initial if you wish. I liked the way the names looked. I made sure to make a couple extra leaves to tuck around my centerpiece for an added touch.

Try adorning your Thanksgiving table with gold leaf place cards this year!

Supplies you’ll need for gold leaf place cards ::

Leaves (that have been washed and well dried)
Design Master gold spray paint (I used #731)
Ribbon (preferably that matches your table color scheme)
Felt tip pen (for writing names on the leaves)

In case you missed it, I made glitter gourds for my Thanksgiving centerpiece, hop on over to check it out.

Happy decorating!

Wenderly

Tags place cards, table setting, Thanksgiving

Desserts Eat

Pumpkin Bread Petit Fours Recipe

Post author By Wenderly
Post date 09.Nov.2014
14 Comments on Pumpkin Bread Petit Fours Recipe

Pumpkin bread petit fours are perfect to have on hand for entertaining family, friends and last minute guests as the holiday season unfolds. These delicious little pumpkin bread packages wrapped in dark chocolate will pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Or maybe champagne?

Oh is it a happy day here at Wenderly!!! For months now My Yanni and I have been discussing, drawing out plans, discussing again, picking fonts, changing fonts, redesigning logos & icons, discussing more, picking out font sizes, drawing layouts, comparing color palettes, agreeing on layouts, then changing layouts, creating categories, drawing graphics, making multiple lists and checking them thrice. Then one day after discussing and refreshing the page for the umpteenth time and holding our breath for what seemed to be an eternity…the new Wenderly was born.

And here it is. Pop the bubbly!

I made pumpkin bread petit fours to celebrate! I hope you’ll join me!

It seems only appropriate that Wenderly be reborn in Autumn. I simply adore the beautiful transformation of the warm humid air into crisp clear days, the abundant harvest of perfect pumpkins and tart apples and I especially love the parade of color that seems to happily saunter down every avenue.

It gives me a totally new outlook on life. A fresh perspective. And a craving for nestling into creativity and capturing all the senses.

These pumpkin bread petit fours were inspired by all of those things. And they’re as easy as can be.

I just used my favorite boxed pumpkin bread, made a scrumptious chocolate glaze and then topped them off with festive little candy corns & pumpkins.

A decadent taste of autumn all wrapped up in a dark chocolate coating is the perfect way to celebrate all the wonderful changes going on in the world outside as well as in my little world online. Not to mention, they make a delightful treat to have on hand for those who gather in your home this holiday season.

I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that you’re here. Whether this is your very first time or you’ve been stopping by for awhile, I do hope you’ll join me as I venture on in this most exciting world of sharing what I love to eat, decorate, make and inspire with each of you, for a long time to come. Cheers!!

With love and celebration!!!

Wenderly

Pumpkin Bread Petit Fours Recipe

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Wendy Hondroulis | Wenderly

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 9

These delicious little pumpkin bread packages wrapped in dark chocolate, will pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

[i][b]For the pumpkin bread ::[/b][/i]
1 box Trader Joe’s pumpkin bread mix (or your favorite)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
[i][b]For the chocolate glaze ::[/b][/i]
7 oz of dark chocolate (good for melting)
1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 or 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar for thickening

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix the pumpkin bread following box instructions.
Pour the pumpkin bread mixture into lined baking pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until springs back to the touch.
Meanwhile, break the chocolate into pieces, place into a heat-proof bowl and heat over a pan of low bowling water until the chocolate is melted. Take care not to burn the chocolate.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the chocolate until it is glossy and shiny.
Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar to thicken the glaze. It should coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready.
After the bread has cooled turn it out onto a cutting board and cut into 9 equal pieces.
Shake off extra crumbs, place the pumpkin bread square onto a large fork and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate.
Carefully spoon the chocolate glaze all over each square then slide the chocolate covered square onto a cooling rack to set while you cover the other squares.
Place a candy corn or pumpkin in the center of each square.
Pop the finished petit fours into the freezer for about 15 minutes to let the chocolate glaze really set.
Enjoy!

Tags dessert, petit fours, pumpkin bread, Thanksgiving

Decorate Inspire Parties

A Grateful Garland

As Thanksgiving gracefully approaches I find myself settling into a quiet place. A peaceful place that always seems to surface this time of year. My little darlings have fallen into their stride with their new school year routines and I find myself falling into a rhythm as well. We gather inside more often as the days grow darker and a chill takes over the air. We share dinners around the table rather than dinner on-the-run and my soul just takes a sigh as I savor the moments that I have with my girls who are blossoming into lovely young ladies right before my eyes.

I find comfort and quiet in the chores that accompany the change of seasons as I put my flower beds to rest for the winter.

I get lost in raking the leaves and marvel in how my once full yard has become so tidy so quickly.

I’m fascinated by each leaf …

engulfed in their beauty and individual shapes.

My mind wanders to the pile of blessings I’ve collected in my life. Blessings that come in so many shapes and sizes and sometimes go unnoticed until I stop long enough…become quiet enough to really see the pile.

Only then can I take a running start and jump right in.

I stood quietly and thanked the good Lord above for my pile of blessings. I made a quiet vow to remember these blessings and continued with my work. Later that day as my mind continued to swirl, I was astounded by the many blessings in my life that had gone unnoticed. It was then that I decided to make a “Grateful Garland” as a way to remind myself and my family of all that we have to be grateful for.

I hung a rope on my fireplace mantel and washed and dried some leaves.

I got some wooden clothes pins,

and a gold marker.

I then began to write the things for which I’m grateful on each leaf…

then clipped them onto the rope.

It was a beautiful reminder of the many blessings in my life. Each leaf seemed to capture and somehow express the very essence of what I was writing on it. Whether it was small or large, perfectly shiny or dull and haggard around the edges…perfectly symmetrical or slightly imperfect in some way, each leaf gently reminded me of the many different blessings that come to us in so many different guises.

Sometimes it’s the tiniest of blessings that can bring about the most.

A Grateful Garland.

I think I’ll be making another one with my family this Thanksgiving.

Wishing you a pile of blessings big enough to take a running jump into.

~Wenderly

Tags fall decor, Thanksgiving

Eat Inspire Soups & Salads

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup served in a Carnival Pumpkin

Post author By Wenderly
Post date 14.Nov.2011
29 Comments on Spicy Butternut Squash Soup served in a Carnival Pumpkin

Serve some spicy butternut squash soup in a carnival pumpkin for a festive start to a holiday meal! It’s a darling presentation that will impress any guest!

See that darling little carnival pumpkin up there holding a delicious creamy & spicy butternut squash soup?

Just between you and me…it took moments to prepare.

Don’t tell anyone.

Sometimes it’s just necessary to dazzle without all of the hassel. Especially for the holidays.

You may already know this about me, but I’ve got a pumpkin problem -as in, I seem to collect a plethora of pumpkins every fall and every fall My Yanni says, “what on earth are you going to do with all of these pumpkins?”. And I say, “um, decorate our house with them and look at them and love them and call them George.” He just rolls his eyes and smiles and pats me on the head in that you’re-such-a-cute-little-Wenderly way. Well this year I decided to actually do something with them. I decided to use them as darling little soup tureens. I had originally planned to roast the pumpkins & make soup with them. However, once roasted, they lost their sweet shape and there was so little flesh inside that I decided it would be easier to just embellish a store-bought soup.

Hence the dazzle without the hassel.

This is what I did. I collected a few of my cute little carnival pumpkins,

washed them with soap & water and patted them dry.

Then I cut off the tops,

and scooped out all the seeds. You may want to cut a slice off the bottom if the pumpkin isn’t sitting level. You don’t want the soup to spill.

Next I warmed up my favorite store-bought squash soup.

Added crème fraîche for some extra decadence and creaminess,

sprinkled in some crushed cayenne, cumin and curry for some added spicy, earthy, warm flavoring.

Not to mention gorgeous color.

Next, I poured the soup into the carnival pumpkin, sprinkled a tiny bit of the cayenne, cumin and curry on top,

$dollop-creme-frachie-in-soup$

and added one more small dollop of creme fraiche for good measure.

Now if that isn’t the sweetest (and easiest) way to serve soup and dazzle your guests then I don’t know what is.

$soup-with-creme-frachie-on-it$

You can even keep the soup warm until your guests are seated.

And then peek-a-boo…

soup is served.

Enjoy!

~Wenderly

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup served in a Carnival Pumpkin

Recipe Type: soup recipe

Author: Wenderly |Wendy Hondroulis

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 6

Serve some spicy butternut squash soup in a carnival pumpkin for a festive start to a holiday meal! It’s a darling presentation that will impress any guest!

Ingredients

1- 32 ounce store-bought butternut squash soup (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon cumin- crushed
1/2 curry- crushed
1/2 cayenne- crushed
1 pinch coarse salt
1 pinch fresh ground pepper

Instructions

Warm up boxed soup on the stove. Add crème fraîche, cumin, curry, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Wash six carnival pumpkins, cut off tops and scoop out seeds. Make sure that pumpkins are level (cut a slice off bottom if the pumpkin rolls around). Pour soup into pumpkins, sprinkle with cumin, curry and cayenne and top with small dollop of creme fraiche.
Serve & Enjoy!

Tags featured-eat, pumpkin soup tureen, soup, squash soup, Thanksgiving

Inspire Musings

The Gathering

With Thanksgiving patiently waiting but a week away, I find myself slipping into a state of consciousness that seems as familiar to me as my favorite pair of pajamas. There’s just something so tranquil and peaceful about Thanksgiving. Mother Nature has mysteriously cast a sleepy spell over her landscape as the sun hangs low and lazy wrapped in a thick gray blanket of sky. I find myself slowing down and turning inward for a rest.

Even as a little girl, I would find refuge in the warmth of my house after spending so many long days dancing in the sun.

It’s as if I have permission somehow to stand still long enough to reflect and appreciate and relish life; to taste the memories that are tucked away in my mind; and to see the new ones that are being made in the moments before me.

Still to this day I remember looking forward to the beautiful Thanksgiving table that my mom would so lovingly set. Each piece of the table had a meaning, a memory or a story to tell. The linens, the dishes, the recipes – they had all been gathered…gathered through the years and passed along to the next table, to the next generation who would come together and reflect and remember all the “who”‘s and “how they came to be”‘s.

So now I find myself gathering.