The Gilded Life OR I Have A Touch of The Midas

GOLD?

I have been seeing gold everywhere lately.

Do you like the metallic gold cowhide rug?

I mean the precious metal kind,

the kind King Midas wished for,

the gleaming, glittering, glamorous, gilded

kind of gold, the kind that glows and makes the plain come alive.

The last several years gold has fallen a bit out of favor for decor,

with clients and designers craving more somber grays, greiges, pewters, and silvers, but I think 2012 may just be a "golden year".

Gold is heralded 

 as a coming trend everywhere, including House Beautiful, Veranda and the Dallas Market Center.

I have to admit, I have ALWAYS loved gold, shiny and shimmery, or sophisticated and matte, from a bright lemony gold to a deep yellow with red undertones gold.

I LOVE to wear gold.

Layers of necklaces . . .

Glittery Jackets . . .
Cavelli in Milan

Golden Kissy Lips . . .

You know me!  Feathers of course! . . .
Alexander McQueen

. . .  And big chunky rings

I love to decorate with gold.



Midas Touch wallpaper from Thibaut




Gilded Gold Cheetah wallpaper
also from Thibaut






Gold Bristol Sofa by Maison 24

 

Stump Table from Arteriors
I ADORE this mix of earthy and elegant!

Mosaic gilt tiles by Sicis

I have even eaten, and eaten on, gold.





Edible gold spray made in Germany

Royal Crown Derby Gold Aves





I love to gild and leaf projects for clients.

I often gold leaf architectural elements, like this one below for clients, and add gold leaf accents on my custom furniture like the dining room console in my

last Thanksgiving post.

I am currently working on room accents and a ceiling with gold accents in Benjamin Moore's Gold 10 Metallic paint for a client's teenage daughter's gypsy bedroom.

(More coming on that later!)

Recently I received a call asking me to take on a huge, literally, gold leafing project. 

My client asked me if I could gold leaf the solid copper base, orb, and cross for the tippy top of St. Dominic Hospital's new chapel here in Jackson.  

St. Dominic's new Chapel with just my gold leafed pyramid base installed

My immediate reaction was to picture myself up 80 feet on a scaffold with precious sheets of 24 K gold leaf whirling around me, and I was thinking "NO WAY".

Fortunately, my nerves were calmed when he told me the cross was safely tucked in a warehouse until the leafing was complete. 

The copper base with its gold ochre basecoat

"WHEW!"

Now I was really excited

and ready to get started.  

It is not often that a designer gets to complete a project which she knows should still be around in 30 years,

for MY golden years!  

Outdoor Leafing Tips:
Use 24K gold at least 20 gram weight
Use high quality oil based size
Apply only as much size as you can use at one time
Basecoat in yellow ochre not red for the most glow
Cure as long as possible and burnish with cotton and a brush

The  big crane installed my golden baby two weeks ago. 

It is brilliant with the sun hitting it.

I hope to have more and better pictures of this soon.

And of course, in addition to having little pieces of gold on my shoes and in my hair, and on my sweater, and everywhere,

I have felt covered in gold!
Actually, SHE looks pretty golden delicious!

that I HAVE mostly gotten off, I HAVEN'T been able to get gold off my mind.

So, I am thinking of it for Christmas . . .

"The Brass Menagerie", One of Bergdorf Goodman's famous Christmas windows.
This year's theme is "The Carnival of the Animals".
photo by Ricky Zehavi

Using elements you collect and adding a bit of "Christmas"
 to create an enchanting vignette is to me one of the most fulfilling
 and fun ways to decorate for the holidays. 

I LOVE these gilded and leafed medallions. 
I use them for all sorts of things, from wall hangings to furniture.
They can be finished in unlimited ways.

I adore the MIX of gold and silver ornaments here,
 paired with the luscious sienna velvet ribbon

My sister called me this morning to tell me that at Breakfast with Santa this morning, my 5 year old niece asked Santa for

nothing BUT gold. 

I am asking for gold too . . .

One of John Lyle's fabulous fireplace screens

AND this gigantic golden bottle of champagne.

The 100 pound Midas gold Melchizedek of Armand de Brignac Brut is equal to
 40 fifths of champagne

Yes, I think it will be a gilded golden Christmas.

 My friend and client Pam added gold to her Christmas table today.

 Do you like gold? 

 Have you been missing it the last few years?

What would you like to leaf?

  Do you like gold with silver?

What is your golden Christmas wish?

photo credits: Alexander McQueen, Etsy, Wallpaper Weekly, Anthropologie, Elle Decor, EPaintStore, Marilyn Storey, Zarrin Henna, Ricky Zehavi  for Bergdorf Goodman, Martha Stewart, via Sarah Klassen, John Lyle, Pam Walton, Real Simple

The Harvest Pheasant, The Progress of a Dinner III

Thanksgiving
Third Course
Feast or Pheasant?
(NOT "Just Desserts")

I hope each of you had the happiest and most blessed Thanksgiving ever. 

I intended to post this Thanksgiving night, but I was enjoying my family too much, as it should be.  I was lucky enough to have both of my parents, both of my sons, my youngest sister with her husband and my niece, and several friends with me.

I hope that you will enjoy the post tonight and use the recipes and table ideas throughout this holiday season. 

I look forward to sharing my first Holiday Season/Christmas of blogging with all of you!

At this point, as my Father often says,
"You have labored and produced."

It is time to enjoy
and
BE THANKFUL
 just like the Pilgrims did on that first 
Thanksgiving so long ago.

You have earned your "just desserts".


NOTHING in life is perfect,
despite all our BEST efforts.

The way I approach life is:
Do everything you can humanly do,
 and then let go and don't worry about
what you have no control over.

Now is that time.
Relax now and enjoy your day, your family, your friends, your home, and of course your feast,
and NOT just the desserts!

This is the menu I shared with my family.

Thanksgiving Menu

Salmon Mousse* with Cucumber Slices and Crackers

Cheese Board, Blues and Bries

Olives

Pickled Okra

Seasoned Cashews

Cheese Straws

Champagne Cocktails*

Roasted Oysters

Wild Mushroom Soup*

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

with

 Champagne Vinaigrette

Apple Cider Roast Turkey Breast

Nanny's Cornbread Dressing*

Turkey Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Honey Roasted Root Vegetables

Wines

Mamaw's Chess Pie*

Raspberry Trifle

Chocolate Kahlua Peppermint Cocktails*

My Recipes

Hmmm, these cocktail recipes are mine,

 and the food recipes are family recipes handed down from my grandmothers, both of whom were divine cooks.

I wonder what that says about me?

Oh well, they are all delicious!

Champagne Cocktail

These are my go to cocktail for holidays and any type of celebration.  They are festive, beautiful, simple to make, utterly delicious and not expensive, even for a party.

Inexpensive Champagne, I usually use Cook's Brut for these

Sugar Cubes

Angostura Bitters

Orange slices or rinds

Place a sugar cube in a champagne flute. 

Cover with bitters.  You will have to experiment with how much you like.  I like it heavy.

Rub the rim of the glasss with a slice or rind of orange.

Place the orange on the sugar cube.

Carefully fill the glass with champagne.

(The sugar tends to make the champagne extra fizzy.)

Nanny's Cornbread Dressing

This is a simple Southern recipe, but totally delicious.

I watched Nanny make it many times, and of course tasted and tasted for her.

It is my very favorite Thanksgiving dish.  I never actually stuff the turkey. 

I bake the dressing in a pan and put celery, onion and apples slices in my turkey cavity

with sage, salt, and pepper for flavor.  (I discard these when the turkey is cooked). 

I also pour about 2 cups of apple juice around my turkey. I tent the turkey and cook it in a covered roaster.  The breast is NEVER dry.

Nanny's Cornbread (see recipe below)

2 slices White Bread

 6 cans Swanson's Chicken Broth

Celery

Onion

Sage

Salt

Pepper

Chop onion and celery. Place about 1 1/2 cups of each in a pot with the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil.  Turn to simmer and cover.  Simmer for approximately 2 hours. 

 Celery and onion should be tender.

Break cornbread into pieces and place in a casserole dish along with the bread,

 also torn into pieces.

Using a large slotted spoon, add onion and celery pieces to the cornbread until you see pieces throughout the cornbread.

Using a measuring cup, dip broth from the pot and pour over cornbread until it is well wet,

but NOT soupy.

Add pepper and lots of sage to taste.  The broth is salty, so be stingy with the salt.

I love the sage and usually use most of a small container.

As Nanny always said though,  you can keep adding, but you cannot take it out.

So, be careful here.
I encourage LIBERAL tasting to get it just right.

Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Note that this dressing does not have eggs in it and will not spoil as easily.

Nanny's Cornbread

Ok, I am NOT trying to brag, but everyone no matter their age,

who eats this cornbread swears it is THE best ever. 

You MUST bake it in a small iron skillet and you must use

Martha White Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix, no substitutes.

Crisco Oil

 2 c. Martha White Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix

2 c. Buttermilk

Egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Pour approximately 1/4 c. or a little more of the oil in an iron skillet. 

 There should be about 1/4 inch layer of oil in the skillet.

Put the skillet in the oven to heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Watch carefully as it can flame if neglected.

Just before you remove oil from oven,

 mix MWSRCMM and buttermilk.

Beat very well.  Incorporating air in, this I think, is why it is so light and fluffy.

Nanny used to beat the stew out of it!

Add egg, and beat some more.

Remove skillet from oven.  Carefully pour hot oil into mixture and beat one more time.

Pour back into hot iron skillet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden with brown crust on edge.

Remove from oven and immediately run knife around to loosen and invert on plate.

I ususally make my cornbread for dressing the day ahead.

Mamaw's Chess Pie 

My Daddy's Mother was a fabulous baker, and this is her recipe

for a classic southern Chess Pie.

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. white vinegar

1/2 c. melted butter

1T. vanilla

Pie shell  (I use Pillsbury in a glass pan, Mamaw, of course, made her own.)

Beat eggs.

Add sugar, vanilla, and vinegar, then melted butter.

Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

Chocolate Kahlua Peppermint Cocktails

1 c.chocolate milk

1 oz. Kahlua

2. oz. Peppermint Schnapps

1 peppermint stick

Mix ingredients in order and garnish with peppermint stick.

Recipes From the Silver Palate Cookbook

 When I got out of college, I realized that I truly love to cook, not just Southern recipes handed down from my grandmothers, but all kinds of things, even complicated things. 

I guess you could say I am a foodie.

Some of the first cookbooks I bought were the Silver Palate

cookbooks by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. They were and are a joy to peruse and use.

I still have my originals and use them often.  Next year the original Silver Palate Cookbook

will celebrate its 30th anniversary, which is hard to believe.

Both of these recipes are from the books and I have made and enjoyed them many times during many holiday seasons. 

I promise that you will too!

Salmon Mousse

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann's
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated onion
• Dash of Tabasco
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups finely flaked poached fresh salmon or canned salmon, skin and bones removed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Watercress, for garnish
• Toast, pumpernickel, or crackers, for serving

(I also serve it with cucumber slices!)

1. Soften the gelatin in the cold water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the boiling water and whisk the mixture slowly until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

2. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, Tabasco,  paprika, salt, and dill. Stir to blend completely and refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.

3. Fold in the finely flaked salmon. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is thickened to soft peaks and fluffy. Fold gently into the salmon mixture.

4. Transfer the mixture to a 6- to 8-cup bowl or decorative mold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. Garnish with watercress, and serve with toasts, pumpernickel, or crackers.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Madeira

• 1/2 c. Madeira
• 2 3/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 oz. dried morels
• 3 leeks, white parts only, well rinse and dried
• 1 onion
• 4 T. unsalted butter
• 3 T. unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 c. beef broth
• 1 lb. fresh button mushrooms, stems removed
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• creme fraiche for garnish
• Snipped fresh chives for garnish

1. In a small saucepan combine the Madeira , 1/2 c. of the chicken broth , and the morels.  Bring to a boil, reomove from heat, and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Dice the leeks and onion.  Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add the leeks  and onion, and cook over low heat until wilted, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and cook an additional 5 minutes.  

3. Add the remaining 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, the beef broth, button mushrooms, morels, and their soaking liquid, and salt and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are soft, 30 minutes.  Allow the soup to cool slightly.

4. Puree the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor.  Return it to the  pot and heat through over low heat,  Serve with garnishes.

Makes 6 portions 

In addition to the tablescape I did in my own dining room for Thanksgiving, I helped several of my clients with their
"Harvest Feast or Pheasant" tables.
I did indeed use birds and feathers in some way, shape or form on each of them!

I tied napkins with sheer orange ribbon ribbon  and jute twine with one of my favorites,
hypericum berries tucked in.



I designed the console especially for my client's dining room.  The space was very long and narrow.   The console's top is marblized and the carved edge is gold leafed.
We devised storage beneath.

The flowers are all arranged in vintage silver pieces and more are displayed around the dining room, along with antique
blue and white porcelain.  I love the old world patina the vintage silver gives the dining room.

We set up an additional dining gallery across the foyer in the library, which I loved.  I love a dining area surrounded by books.

And while we were setting up in the library, I found something
special . . . 

No Thanksgiving feast here would be complete without my client's precious pug
Izzie as "Pugahontas".

And at another client, we simply added to her year round naturalistic dining room decor for her Thanksgiving feast.

We use shells, acorns,
 dried flowers, feathers, moss and stone in her dining room year round, in tones of white, cream, tan and gray.  For her feast we simply added fresh flowers tucked in here and there, oh and of course a few little pheasants.

I LOVE the silver here too.

 

I hope your feast was a smorgasbord of delights, with or without a pheasant, AND that you enjoyed your just desserts!

What is your best NEW Thanksgiving memory?

photo credits: Gina's Recipes, Marilyn Storey

Special Thanks to my dear clients LWR and PGW.  I love you and am most thankful for you.