Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Thank You Santa.

This year I ask Santa for 3 things......
and I GOT 'EM !



The first thing on my list was a stainless steel table to serve as a small island in the kitchen. I put it together yesterday when I was suppose to be cleaning house. It can be used with out the wheels or with...... and the wheels have little locks on them. I love the wheels and once we ever have company over and make use of the deck. The table can be rolled right on outside to the deck as a serving prep area near the grill.

But..........The wheels make the table really high. The box said 39". My tape measure says 41".

The standard kitchen counter is 36". The good thing about the height is Chris and I are both tall, and as Chris said....."The turkey would be out of Puppy's reach." (If we ever cooked turkey and all.)



My plan is to leave the wheels on a while. See how I like it. The box came with stationary self-leveling feet as well, so if I decide I don't like it I can bring it back down to a normal height with the self leveling feet.

Next.....


The fancy-dancy micro-plane grater thingy is the other item I ask Santa for. I know it can be used for 10,000 things, however I wanted it for ZEST.
I LOVE ZEST.

Making zest with the ol' normal small grater is not very fun, actually it is a pain, a chore, a task that I always dread even if I do LOVE ZEST.



Oh.....Those cookies......
They are Ginger Snaps.


I made them with my Aunt's Recipe using the Brer Rabbit Black Strap Molasses. On Christmas Eve we baked cookies and candy and more cookies and more candy. Maybe since I do not have the recipe she will post it in the comments. (Hint...You may have to beg.)

I thought the photo of the Molasses came out very weird-ish on the new table. The bunny (Brer Rabbit) was so cute on the packaging, I had to share. (By the way....If you have never used black strap molasses...it is darker than normal molasses and has the look and feel of old used motor oil. )

Also notice in the reflection.....um.....someone needs to put up door casings. I have them sanded painted and primed stacked up in the middle bedroom. We do not have the plinth blocks. I need to carry my sample to Atlanta one day to find them and buy them. ( I need 8) The only place in town that has them orders them from the source I always used in Atlanta. So, I just need to drop by there one day and eliminate the middle man. Oh and all you Georgia house bloggers, If you have never been to Randall Brothers...you must go.




Are you wondering what I am going to make first with the zester?

Cranberry Orange Scones using Marilyn's recipe for making scones.

I will replace the chocolate chips with cranberries. I made these before and I cann't find the picture to share with you.

Speaking of Marilyn...Make sure you go vote for her blog. Simmer Til Done was nominated for an Apartment Therapy Homie Award for the Best Home Cooking Blog of 2008. I am not sure where the link to vote is....Maybe someone can help in the comments.


I will also use this pastry scraper thingie that Santa wrapped and placed under the tree when I make the scones.



Santa also dropped down the chimney a pretty red bracelet, some PJ's, a shirt, a sweater, a mini-vac, a hand made candle holder, and several other nice things that I seem to be forgetting at the moment. Thanks Santa.

11 comments:

modernemama said...

lucky you. i love my microplane so much I got a second with bigger holes for hard cheese and chocolate!
And AT voting should begin tonight. Maybe. If they've cleared up their typos.....

Anonymous said...

Oh, the microplaner is amazing. We got one last Christmas and use it all the time, primarily for parmesean cheese.

Melinda said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas!

Oh, and please, please, please post the recipe for the Gingersnap Cookies. : )

Natalie at Our Old Southern House said...

i love my microplaner...but be careful--i *almost* cut the tip of my thumb off last summer when i was zesting some lemons to go on top of a meringue. :-O

Karen C said...

BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES?

I'm jealous. Our grocery has apparently decided that Brer Rabbit's "Mild Flavored" variety is all we need. Which is silly, because they have not switched the other brand - Grandma's - from original to "robust" to compensate, so now we can have mild molasses, or... mild molasses.

Both lines are by B&G, I hasten to add, so I don't get the point of that decision at *all*. I'm hoping someone just ordered the wrong thing this time. Otherwise I have to hit up Walmart, and no one wants that.

Getting blackstrap without special order is pretty much out of the question, I think. Le sigh.

Jen said...

Karen- I found the molassas @ a discount grocery store ( aka - a bent can store) and actually have never seen the brer rabbit brand before. I have a normal Grandma's molassas which looks like only slightly used motor oil.

Sounds like everyone loves a microplaner- although I am not sure how often our stores have chunks of parmesean cheese. Last time I needed it I ended up finding it in
Atlanta . I would say I could buy a big chunk and it would keep, but someone @ our house love parm on everything and has even been know to top off Puppy's bowl with Parm.

Karen C said...

I've managed to find block Parmesan even at my crazy grocery, but they've apparently dropped the tolerable one... I'm not a fan of stinky cheeses, and the one they carry now has an odor that can drop a horse at twenty paces. Husband and kiddo love it.

At least it's still better than the pre-ground stinky-sawdust stuff.

Sandy said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. That stainless steel table is awesome -- I'm jealous! I love ginger snaps. Have one for me (if there are any left - LOL)!

lizzie said...

Ooh, Santa was go-ooood to you! I love your new workstation/cart!

hex said...

I love ginger cookies too! Maybe your aunt will post the recipe one day soon.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Marilyn said...

Jenni, that's what I get for blanking out the whole month of December! I missed this delightful post and the chance to see what Santa got you.

Santa must be quite the foodie, what with the Microplaners and the stainless steel and the kitchen tools.

Hope the scones were delicious, that you had wonderful holidays, and that Puppy couldn't reach the turkey!

xo, Marilyn