Hogmanay celebration. Photo from rampantscotland.com

In Scotland, the New Year is referred to as Hogmanay, a word which may have derived from the Gaelic, French or Anglo-Saxon languages.  The holiday has special importance in Scotland, as the church virtually banned the celebration of Christmas from the late seventeenth century until 1958, stating that it had no biblical basis.

Winter’s cold and darkness, and the region’s flair for good whisky encouraged end-of-year revelry, and Hogmanay became an institution.  Bonfires to shed light, clearing of old debts to start the year fresh, and the singing of Auld Lang Syne are standard customs, as is the practice of First Footing.

After the stroke of midnight, neighbors visit one another, and give and receive traditional symbolic gifts.  Historically, those would include coal – to ensure a warm house, salt – representing flavor, a coin – prosperity, and shortbread or fruitcake – sweetness.  These days, shortbread and whisky are the staples, and as my friend tells it, shortbread and whisky make for an epic hangover.  Luckily, Jan 2^nd is also a holiday.

The tradition of First Footing is rooted in ancient customs.  It is believed that the first person to enter one’s house brings good or bad luck.  In Scotland, it is preferred that the first foot across the threshold belong to a dark haired male.  The fear that a fair-haired person brings bad luck perhaps harkens back to Viking times, when having a flaxen-haired Saxon arrive at your door was always a bad thing.  The Viking in me apologizes, and in penance, I offer my brown sugar shortbread recipe here. (Note: Traditional shortbread shapes are half-inch thick rectangles.  Adjust cooking time a bit longer.)

A very Happy New Year to you… may it bring you delight, promise, and love.

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

Look how pretty!

I took a quick look and found that I already had everything I needed to make beautiful custom colors right in my own kitchen, and for pennies compared to the cost of buying from a gourmet store.

Custom warm hues

This is a simple and a great activity for kids – hands-on, and lots of fun.  When I was little I made sugar eggs with my Mom, and an integral part of that project was coloring sugar for the eggs (see my sugar blog).

In small glass bowls, simply put a few drops of food coloring into the sugar and mix by kneading.  You can use regular granulated sugar, but I like the crunch of sugar crystals on cookies.  I use both liquid and paste food coloring.  The liquid blends more quickly, but the paste gives richer hues.  Experiment.  Add the color a little bit at a time – it doesn’t take much.  Pinch the sugar through your fingers or mix with a spoon until color is distributed evenly.

If you’re using liquid food coloring, it can make your sugar a bit wet, which will clump.  To remedy this, place the sugar in a heat-resistant glass bowl and place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 200° until dry.

I made this gorgeous lavender color by mixing ¼ teaspoon of “luster dust” (found in the cake décor section) with crystal sugar.  It’s positively opalescent.

Next comes packaging.  I live near a restaurant supply store that sells these little salt and pepper shakers in 24 packs – think of how many gifts you can get out of that!  Each shaker holds about one tablespoon of sugar.  Or, you can often find shakers at the thrift store.

Once you have your colors mixed, use a funnel to fill your shakers. One tip:  make sure that the holes in the shakers are big enough for your sugar crystals to fit through when shaking.

I found this porcelain tray at Pier One for less than three bucks.

What a treat to have gorgeous hues of fancy sugars on hand – for cookies, cupcakes or even to dress up your morning coffee!

So, if you’re looking to make delicious use of your new sugars, try the spritz recipe below.

Classic Spritz

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2-1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. almond extract

Cream butter and sugar.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.  Put dough into a cookie press and form onto ungreased cookie sheet, and decorate with colored sugars.  Bake at 400° until set, but not brown, 6 to 9 minutes.  Yield, 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

I can be a bit nostalgic, truth be told, I’m a sucker for old things.  My Timeless Tamara jewelry line is centered around antique jewelry pieces, I love vintage fabrics, and my family often teases me about my compulsion to photograph old fences and buildings.

One of my favorite things to do is revisit classic crafts and give them a modern twist.  Update the macramé purse, if you will (will you?!).  So here’s my take on two old-fashioned looks:  A cameo and a silhouette.

If you don’t already know, cameos are made by carving gemstones or shells.  The finest examples of gemstone cameos are customarily carved from agate, onyx, or other layered semi-precious stones, where carving reveals contrast.  While stone cameos can be traced back as far as 25 BC, shells and glass began appearing during the Renaissance.

Silhouettes originated in the 18^th century, and were traditionally profile outlines of people cut from black paper, then mounted and framed.

Here’s now to make your own updated cameo/silhouette pendant, using thoroughly modern materials.

Things you’ll need:

Translucent Shrink Plastic –mine is from Grafix (available @ Amazon), and Aleene’s (Stampington.com)

Dye-based inkpads, or permanent ink pens (like Sharpies)

E-6000 or other glue suitable for use with plastic

Punches and scissors/sizzix cutting dies

Heat gun or Oven

Sandpaper

Wooden or acrylic  block

Pie plate or cookie sheet

Drill

Jewelry findings/chain/pin back

A quick side note on shrink plastic:  The translucent stuff is pretty easy to find in craft stores.  But if you want to be SUPER thrifty, you can use #6 plastic, which is found in salad bar or to-go containers.  It’s usually clear, so you might try sanding both sides to get that milky-colored look.  It’s sometimes hard to find pieces big enough that are flat to do this project with, but give a whirl, Up-cyclers!

First punch or cut out your scalloped circle.  This will be the base of your cameo.  Since shrink plastic reduces by about 75%, I started with a punch 3-1/2” in diameter (mine is from Marvy Uchida).  Then punch or cut a circle that is 1/4” smaller in diameter.  This will be your middle layer.  Once shrunk, the base circle will be about 1-5/8” in diameter.

Finally, cut out your subject piece.  Hold or tape the template on your plastic and cut with sharp small scissors.  You can find templates for everything shown, here: Silhouettes.  If you want to cut your own subject shapes, just make sure that before shrinking, all the elements are in proportion to each other.  That way all the elements will look perfect when reduced.

The letter “T” I used is Lucida Calligraphy font, sized 140pt.  If you’re making a monogram/letter subject, I recommend that you use simple cursive fonts.  The plastic usually warps a bit when shrinking, so straight fonts can get a bit tweaked.  Also, small details can melt or get stuck, so simpler is better.

Normally I would recommend punching a hole in the plastic before shrinking, but I found that my circles sometimes shrank to ovals, so my pre-punched holes often ended up in the wrong place and the piece hung wonky.  So drill the holes after everything is shrunk.

Take your smaller middle circle and sand one side in two directions to rough up the surface.  This will help the ink to adhere to the circle.  Once you’re done sanding, apply dye-based inks to color, and let dry a few minutes.  If you are using Sharpies to color, you don’t need to sand plastic.

Ink colors intensify as the plastic shrinks, so I recommend creating a test sample with scrap plastic before coloring the finished product.  Also, sometimes the intensified color looks beautiful on the ‘wrong’ side – take a look and see if you like the color on the back better than the front.  This is your project.  You decide what looks best!

Time to shrink.  You can use a heat gun or your oven, set at 250° to 300°.  Here are the pros/cons for each method.

Heat gun Pros:  It’s super fast – about 30 seconds to shrink.  You can watch it go (c’mon.  It’s fun!).  It’s easy.

Con:  Items distort a bit more.

Oven Pros: Even shrinking – minimal distortion.   Less possibility for sticking.  You can do all your pieces at once.  Shrinks about 10% less than with a heat gun.

Cons:  Takes a LOT longer (5-7 minutes for bigger pieces, but if you’re doing all pieces in one batch, it’s pretty quick.).  You can’t watch it unless you have a window in your oven.

It’s a bit hard to tell in this picture, but the circles on the left were done in the oven, and came out perfectly round, the ones on the right are more oval.

Once your items are shrunk, but still hot, grab the wood or acrylic block and press down on the plastic items for a few seconds to make them completely flat.  Let cool, then assemble and glue in place.  Drill holes near top with 1/16” drill bit.

Add jump rings, chains or pin backs.

Because you can choose your subject, and it’s made from plastic, your new cameo looks completely modern, yet unmistakably retro.  Enjoy your modern classic!

I know, I know.  It’s ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure I was switched at birth with some fabulous princess, and poor me, I’m destined never to recover my crown.  There’s something about those folks – that hush hush society, the dinners and parties, the accents, the castles, and oooh, the jewelry.  Yep, I’m a lost little royal.

When all the hubbub got going with Kate and William, my yearning for all things regal was again ignited.  And, to be clear, I not only think that I was meant to be titled, I’m pretty sure I should also be English.

I don’t have a bit of Brit in my body, I’m full blooded Scandinavian.  No dispute on that.  But I am a wistful anglophile, to be sure.  As a kid, I always hoped my parents would send me off to a drafty, porridge-peddling ancient stone boarding school in the English countryside where I would have great adventures with girls with braids.  I dreamed of riding horses through the mist on the heath (they have heaths in England, right?), and to this day, my favorite drink is a spot of tea.

Did you know that the bag of tea was actually invented by an American?  That’s right – In 1904, tea merchant Thomas Sullivan from New York sent out tea samples in little fabric bags.  Customers realized that these could be popped right into a teapot, and thus, the tea bag was born.

So in the theme of the Brits, I’ve got a few subjects in my pocket that feed my fascination of the regal people.  This one’s a bit English, a bit crafty, and a bit yummy.  Mine, tied with Divine Twine.

My cookies with their Divine Twine ties.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Tea bag Shaped Cookies

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2-1/4 cup all purpose flour

Super fine sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Cream butter and brown sugar, add 1-3/4 to 2 cups of flour and mix well.  Sprinkle board with remaining flour and knead the dough until soft and holds together – about 5 minutes.  Add up to a 1/4 cup flour if needed.

Roll to about 1/4” thickness.  Cut out with customized cookie cutter or cut in rectangles, approximately 2” wide by 3” tall, and then trim off top corners, to make bag-shapes.  Use a straw to cut hole in the top of cookie.  Sprinkle cookies with superfine sugar.

Bake on un-greased cookie sheet for 12 to 18 minutes (depending on thickness), until just barely brown.  Cool completely on a rack.

Chocolate Dip

In a microwave safe bowl combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 Tbs. vegetable shortening.  Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals, mixing in between, until smooth.

Dip cooled cookies 1/2” in chocolate, and leave to cool on waxed paper.

Tie twine through hole in top and serve or wrap as gifts.  Makes approximately 40 cookies.

Like any proper “maniac,” I do delve into certain subjects with more-than-average interest – some of the fruits of that ‘delving’ can be seen here on the Tamara Blog.  But I digress.  Speaking of delving, let’s examine the humble white glue.  We’ve been familiar with it for decades, and honestly, with all the ‘adhesive technology’ that has popped up in the last few years, plain ol’ Elmer’s is still my go-to-glue.

So exactly what is it?  White glue, sometimes called carpenter’s glue, wood glue, school glue — among other things — is actually Polyvinyl Acetate, also known as PVA glue.

It’s used widely in crafts, woodwork – hence the name, ‘wood glue.’  I’ve even read that PVA can be used as a coating to protect cheese from fungi and humidity.  Hmm.  I’m not so sure about that one.  While PVA glues don’t emit harmful fumes, the glue is toxic to ingest.  So, if you have a childhood taste for paste, this is one glue you don’t want to eat!

Aside from the paper, leather and wood binding properties of the awesome adhesive, here are a couple of lesser-known non-craft uses for wonderful White Glue.

THE WONDERS OF WHITE GLUE

Fabulous beauty trick:  White glue can be put on your face in place of those expensive blackhead remover strips.  Check to make sure you’re not allergic to the glue, and then simply apply to your bad-skin prone areas.  Smear on, let dry, and then when it’s dry, gently pull off, and come away with super clean skin. (Caution: like when you use those strips, your tiny hairs will come off too.)   For me, it even works better than the drugstore strips, and it’s custom sized!

Relieve the ouch:  So you’re opening the mail, and get a paper cut.  Dang those hurt!  Grab your bottle of white glue, and put a little drop on top of the cut.  Let it dry, and you’ll have a barrier that will keep out dirt, seal out air, and dull the pain until it heals, and the cut won’t crack open again.

Another ouch:  It’s also great for removing splinters – just put a dab on top of the splinter, wait for it to dry, and peel it off.  Splinter comes out with the removal of the glue.

Glam:  Finally, you can mix a little watered down glue with food coloring and glitter, and use for dramatic hair streaks that also have some structure.  Use sparingly, as a little goes a long way.  But the look is so cool.  And, when it comes time to wash it out, make sure to soak hair well in warm water before shampooing.

So there you have it… enjoy some new uses for white glue.  But before I leave you, can anyone tell me why glue doesn’t stick to the inside of the bottle??

I’m long past my Prom days, but I do believe that we need more reasons to wear flowers — in our hair, on lapels and the ever-lovely corsage.  But fresh flowers do have a more ‘Weddings and Proms’ sort of vibe, so I’ve created a ribbon wrist corsage that you can wear anytime and with anything from a little-black-dress to jeans and a t-shirt.

This is an easy project that you really will use for years to come.  To make it, all you need are a few coordinating ribbons, some beads, and a needle & thread.  It’s perfect for a Mother’s Day gift, birthday present, or to keep for yourself.  And, best of all, no pimply boys sticking you with pins!

My finished corsage

Starting from the top layer, here’s how to make the corsage/bracelet.  (Apologies for the sometimes-blurry pics.  I was snapping while folding!)

It’s much easier making this with a ribbon that’s not too slippery, and not too thin.  My beige ribbon is 5/8″ wide cotton.  Don’t use wire-edged ribbon for this part.  You also want to have the same color thread already threaded in your needle, with a knot at the end, and have some coordinating seed beads handy.  Don’t skip this preparation step… you’ll regret it in a minute if you do!

Just so you have enough, start with about 16″ of ribbon, find the middle, and create a 45° fold.  Like this:

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Then turn down the top, so that top point is pointing down.

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Then flip the entire thing over, like you’re turning a page, so you’re now looking at the back, and it looks like this:

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Take the tail on the right and fold it over to the left.

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It will look like this:

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Then take the bottom tail, and fold it up… like this:

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Fold that tail on the left over to the right, like this:

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See a pattern forming?  You’re creating little box folds.  Keep doing it for about 12 to 15 times.  Your ribbon will look like this:

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Be sure to hold the bottom securely, and let your ribbon expand out like this:

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Now the fun part! Still holding the bottom layer with your left hand, gently pull one of the tails (it doesn’t matter which one).  Keep the bottom secure, but let the ribbon slide through… the top will sort of collapse down to your left hand.

Holding and pulling… gently…

Keep going…

STOP!  (Don’t pull too far and ruin all your work.)  Magic!  You have a little rose. Look how cute!

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Now we have to secure the cutie-pie.  This is where you need your pre-threaded needle.  Grab that, and start to make little stitches from the back to hold your folds in place.

Back of your tiny cute rose

Make sure your stitches go through all layers of ribbon.  Then bring some stitches from front to back and add a sparkle of seed bead.

I put about ten stitches in my rose, just to make sure it doesn’t move.  Trim your ends on a diagonal.

Finished Rose

Next step is the satin flower base.  Simple.  Really.

I’ve got 8″ of single faced satin ribbon, 1-1/2″ wide.  Stitch together the short ends, shiny (right) sides together, knot.

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Next, along one of the long sides of the ribbon, create some gathering stitches — about 1/4″ long, with a knot at ONE end.

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Next you’re going to gather that one side.  Gently pull that thread tightly…

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Once the gathering thread is tight, you can secure it in place with a couple stitches.

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Here’s that pretty flower…

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A little greenery as a base (this ribbon has a wire edge, so it stays put.).

Then I finished off the ends of my velvet base ribbon with velcro (Velvet ribbon 1-1/2″ wide, 7-1/4″ long).

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Stitch all the flower layers together on the base ribbon, and you’re done!  I added a vintage brooch to the end, to make the back look more finished, and the weight of the brooch keeps the flower from twirling around to the back of my wrist.

I must say, I think it’s beautiful, and I wear mine A LOT.  Of course, you can use the same flower-making techniques for hair ribbons and handbags.  Make something beautiful. Enjoy!

One of my most favorite public art installations is the Urban Light exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  Take a look:

Here is more info on the museum, and the Urban Light installation. I love art!

Start with tiny twist pretzels and sticks.  Add some fabulous toffee (find my recipe here), and if you really want to push the St. Patty’s day theme, top with a few green M & Ms.

Be sure to arrange the pretzels on your silicone or foil sheets before starting the toffee, because it cools fast, and you won’t have time to stop!  You’ll want to use a ladle to put the toffee in the middle of the pretzels, and CAREFULLY add M & Ms while the toffee is hot (major opportunity for burned fingertips!).

These pretzels are a snack staple in our family, often requested by friends.  I’ll take any opportunity to make them.  Enjoy, and Erin Go Bragh!

Valentine’s day… the thought (ironically) causes a chill in the hearts of most men.  Fears of ‘getting it wrong’ or disappointing their intended often shut them down, or encourage purchase of the worst desperation gift offered by the local Hallmark store, or, here in LA, the enterprising dude by the freeway exit.

According to the National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $15.7 billion this year.  But I’m always looking for something that will wow without busting the budget.  Truly, a gift made by your own two hands does mean something special.   Call me sentimental, but I think it’s true.  (“You’re sentimental!”)

I’m a big fan of the hand made valentine, whether it be a card or something sweeter.  Here’s a recipe sure to elicit kisses in return.  It’s classic gingerbread, is fun to make, and sturdy enough for shipping to loved ones.

Gingerbread Cookies

1-1/2 C dark molasses

1 C packed brown sugar

2/3 C cold water

1/3 C shortening

7 C flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground allspice

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Royal Icing

Heat oven to 350°.   In a large bowl, mix until smooth: molasses, brown sugar, water and shortening.  Add remaining ingredients (except frosting).

Roll dough about 1/4” to 3/8” thick on a floured board.  Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutter.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet – about 1” apart.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool and decorate with Royal Icing.

Royal Icing

1/4 C meringue powder (or 2 egg whites)

1/2 C water (eliminate if you’re using fresh egg whites)

4-1/2 to 5-1/2 C powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

food coloring

Combine meringue powder and water, whip to soft peaks (if using fresh eggs, just whip to peaks).  Add vanilla, then 4-1/2 C sugar to combine. If icing is too soft, add more sugar, if it gets too stiff, mix in more water by the tablespoon.   Separate into 3 bowls, and add food coloring.

I outlined my cookies with some piped icing, waited a few minutes for it to harden, then filled in the outline with softer, ‘pooling’ icing.  I generally use one or two colors besides the white, and always have sanding sugar on hand to add glitz.  Have fun!

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.  ~Author Unknown

Ever since I was a kid, Mom always made sure that the first dinner of the New Year included black-eyed peas. The practice of eating the peas in the South is thought to have begun during the Civil war.   We all grew up in the West, so this Southern tradition was something that was new to most of my California friends.  But Mom told us that eating the legumes would ensure good luck in the New Year, and we always could use some of that!

Additionally, we were told, if there was spinach cooked in with the peas, we’d have prosperity as well.  (I, however, suspected that dear ol’ Mom just added this myth to get us to eat our veggies!)  Because they swell when cooked, black eyed-peas represented coins, collard greens or other leafy greens represented paper money.

Today, the luck and prosperity theme is carried out in other newer traditions with corn bread being served with the beans, representing gold, and pork (because pigs forage) symbolize forward motion.

Here’s my recipe for the lucky peas.  Happy New Year to you and yours!

Black eye Peas

16oz. bag of dried black eye peas (or 16oz. bag of frozen)

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T butter

4 C vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. herbs de provence

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne (red) pepper

1 C dry white wine

1 cup chopped spinach

Soak the beans in 8 cups of water overnight.  If you don’t have the time, rinse dry beans, add 8 cups hot water.  Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for an hour.  If using frozen peas, simply rinse.

Pour beans from water (if using the soak method), rinse and drain.  Using a 2-quart saucepan, add butter and onion. Sauté over medium heat until soft – about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.

Return peas to the pot, add broth, bay leaf, herbs salt and pepper.  Simmer gently with lid tilted over low heat for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add white wine and spinach, and simmer for another 5 minutes, remove bay leaf, then serve.

Makes 8 to 12 side-dish servings.

Happy New Year!