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Friday, December 31, 2010

A Yummy Appetizer: Brie with Fig Jam



New Year's typically means more gatherings and, yes, more food. One of my fave go-to appetizers is brie cheese with fig jam, crisps and walnuts. Not only is it delicious but totally easy to make, too.

There are tons of ways to make brie including different spreads, crackers and bread that people use. Others bake the brie in puff pastry, which makes for a nice presentation but a different taste, I find.



I love Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps in the Rosemary Raisin Pecan flavour. The mix really goes great with the Brie, much better than regular crackers or plain bread (in my opinion!) I can't remember the exact name of the fig jam I use but for those who are local it has an orange top and is available at Longo's (usually in the cheese section or with the other jams).



To make the appetizer I just cut the wheel of brie in half and coat liberally with jam. Then I bake it at about 325 for 5 to 8 minutes in the oven or just put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. When the insides are melted and oozing slightly I remove the brie and top it with more jam and crushed walnuts. I serve on a dish with fun spreaders and surrounded by the crisps. The brie is great with wine too and has always been a hit when served. What's your go-to appetizer?

Wishing all of you a very safe and happy
New Year's Eve! xoxo


Images: 1 / 2 / 3




Thursday, December 30, 2010

Spotted: Faux Fur & Mock Croc


I love the casual mix of prints, patterns and fabrics in this outfit.
I guess it's because I've always had a soft spot for some
soft faux fur and mock animal prints. (Photo by Tommy Ton via Jak + Jil)


Which is why I was really attracted to some of the
accessories that Urban Barn has put on sale recently.



Like their faux fur throws and pillows--
such a great way to warm up a living room.



Not to mention their collection of mock crocodile items.
I guess my Christmas wrapping paper this year pretty much
gives away how much I love the glam look of mock croc.



I really love the chargers (which come in a variety of
colours), but the placemats, trays and storage units
like the remote caddy are also pretty stylish.

What do you think?



Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Etsy Inbox


A recent Etsy email featured two items that are just
calling my name. The first are these gold brick



The second is this fun customized Nutella print
from Sarat Gallery -- great for the kitchen!


How is everyone's holiday going?



Tuesday, December 28, 2010

A Gossip Girl Giveaway from Runway Rundown & Daily Accessory

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED



I guess my love of all things Gossip Girl is well known, because when Kim at Runway Rundown decided to have a GG Week complete with 5 daily giveaways she had a good idea that I'd be up to participating. Runway Rundown is a site that breaks down expensive fashion looks and gives you more affordable options. Yesterday was a Serena outfit and an accessory giveaway on Couture Carrie, today is all about Blair and a giveaway right here!


Now you have a chance to win the glittery, Blair-inspired Daily Accessory Getty Bracelet shown above -- a $60 value!


How to Enter

Giveaway is open to followers of Sogni e Sorrisi.
and leave a comment here.


Extra Entries

1. Follow me on Twitter.

2. Tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy Tweet this:
Runway Rundown Gossip Girl #Giveaway @SogniESorrisi: Win a Daily Accessory Cuff http://tiny.cc/lml5n


4. For 5 extra entries sign up for Runway Rundown
(just click on the Signup tab on the left of their site)

6. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway.
Just leave the URL in your comment.


Contest open until January 7, 2010.
Winner will be chosen via random.org.



Good Luck!





Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ~ St. Luke ii. 10-12



"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas." ~ W. C. Jones

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!
xoxo



Friday, December 24, 2010

Wishing Everyone a Wonderful Christmas Eve

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever."  ~ Bess Streeter Aldrich

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve and a very Merry Christmas. For those that are interested I've compiled a few holiday related links to peruse: 
 
What are yours?
 
 

A religious pilgrimage in Turkey



Do you have any special Christmas Eve traditions?
 

"Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind." ~ Helen Steiner Rice




Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Cake Opera

Hall of Mirrors Cake

It's the festive season so desserts are on my brain. Take a look at these gorgeous cakes, macaroons and petit gateaus (not to mention everything from Confection Towers to marshmallows) being served up at the Cake Opera Co. (1136 Eglinton Avenue West).


Not only are the desserts and shop the height of Baroque
elegance, but just check out their website. Love.


Cake Opera will even custom make a sweet table for your event.
 


The shop was founded by Alexandria Pellegrino who, along with
a Fine Arts degree, also attended Le Cordon Bleu's Patisserie program.



Pellegrino's partner is pastry chef Jessica Smith who has been the head
pastry chef at highly regarded establishments like the Four Seasons' Truffles.
Pellegrino says that they "approach cake design first and
foremost as artists" with an intense attention to detail.


Inspired by Valentino red, Christian Lacroix's Spring 2008
collection, and the embroidery on the bride's sari.


A cake decorated to look like vintage milk glass.

A Bohemian Romance themed cake, inspired by
pomegranate red and coral, includes ribbons and brooches.

One of the company's signature 18th century French
figurine cakes.

Ships, pirates, tulips and anemones grace this cake,
which won The Wedding Co.'s 2008 Cake Competition.



Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Some Christmas Gift Suggestions



Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.

~ Oren Arnold




Book of the Week: The Wilde Women


Paula Wall's The Wilde Women, about the lives of the residents of Five Points, Tennessee, begins on Black Friday in 1929 when Pearl Wilde catches her fiancĂ© doing the nasty with her sister Kat in the family barn. To add insult to injury Kat is wearing Pearl's shoes and the rakish Bourne Cavanagh's response to being caught is a drunken, "Please, darlin'. Give me just one more minute." Needless to say Pearl is both hurt and angry, leaving town on the next train not to be heard of for years except for the monthly postcards she sends her sister from the four corners of the globe. Those postcards are devoured by the town gossips before they even reach Kat's hands and they always contain the one same sentiment, "Kat Wilde, I still hope you burn in Hell!"

"The sisters dove headfirst into this world on fire with life and expectation...Hair black as midnight, eyes blazing blue, they were so bright white hot they hissed when you touched them.
In school they knew the answer before the question was given, broke the hearts of boys they never noticed, were the envy of rich girls who had it all. Could have had any man they wanted. Could have been anything they set their minds to. But like their mother and their mother's mother before them, the Wilde sisters took the path of most resistance. At every crossroads in life, there is always one right choice. Inevitably, Wilde women go left." [p 1]

The talk of small town Five Points since the day their grandmother left rich and adoring Cyril Rudolph at the altar, the Wilde women march to the beat of their own drummer. When Pearl returns home--gorgeous, successful, mysterious--she has plans not only for revenge but for a scandalous new business venture. As the story of Pearl, Kat and whiskey distillery heir Bourne unfolds so do the lives of their friends in neighbours in Five Points, a sad town weighed down by both the Depression and Prohibition.

I grabbed this book in hardcover for $5 after being attracted by the cover, but having never read anything by Paula Wall I didn't know what to expect and truthfully wasn't expecting much. I can say I was more than pleasantly surprised. Sure, the stories contain some cliches, but there were also some laugh-out-loud moments and I found myself drawn to the flawed characters. Wall has a talent for drawing you into her story, whether it is a feud between two sisters, a headstrong rich man trying to land a volatile Wilde woman, a tale of ghosts and curses that stretches back two generations, or the simple disintegration or reigniting of a marriage. I'd recommend this one.




Monday, December 20, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: For the Kids


Kids are usually pretty good at letting you know exactly what they'd like to see under the Christmas tree, but if you're looking for some ideas not found at Toys 'R Us for the munchkins in your life here are some other options...




Doll House Furniture, $200 (32 pieces)




A Fine Art Print from Eastwitching of a Lucky Ladybug, $19









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