Sharing One More Holiday Party

Nicol Sayer Sugar Plum Snowman

I know we are into the New Year 

and Christmas 2009 is behind us, 

but I've one more holiday party to share with you. 

What with all the holiday rush, 

I didn't have time to post this earlier. 

I hope you don't mind. 

Baked Brie with Marinated Fruit

My husband had been longing to have prime rib for months, 

and with the house all decorated for the holidays, 

what better excuse to have a few friends over for dinner. 

 One of our guests brought a delicious appetizer. . . baked brie 

with marinated fruit served on a beautiful and unusual glass dish.

Neighborhood children stopped by 

to sing some Christmas carols. 

 How fortunate was that! 

 It gave the evening 

an extra special festive touch.

The tree in our dining room, 

topped with Courtly Check ribbon and 

decorated in part with MacKenzie-Childs ornaments, 

set the theme for the evening.

Dinner was served buffet style. 

 Snow people and candle glow 

filled the dining room windows.

The buffet continued the black and white theme 

with Nancy Thomas's New York Santa from her 1995 collection.

 We happened to be visiting Williamsburg 

during the holidays that year, and I 

instantly feel in love with Santa dressed in a tuxedo. 

 Nancy Thomas had designed these Santa figures 

to decorate the windows in one of the large 

New York department stores that Christmas. 

 The print is mounted on wood and framed in metal. 

 The Santa figure is carved from wood. 

 Click here to see more of Nancy Thomas's work.

The snow people are by Nicol Sayre, 

and the little silver tree is called a bullion tree. 

 It is made of coiled metal and just gets better with age. 

 The Snow Queen Angel cloche is also by Nicol Sayre. 

You can read a post about this little cloche here.

The Sugar Plum snowman is a 2005 design by Nicol Sayre, 

and his little friend is by Dee Faust designs for Bethany Lowe. 

 The Let it Snow figure is a 2007 design by Nicol Sayre.

This little bell ringer in his green 

snow suit is by Debbee Thibault, 2005.

Christmas red napkins tied with 

courtly check ribbon held the flatware.

The lime green of the lemon cyprus topiary 

with hot pink cyclamen added just the perfect 

punch of color to the black and white theme.

Prime rib roast 

was the main dish.

Served with au jus 

and horseradish sauce.

Roasted baby carrots, haricots verts 

with roasted baby tomatoes, wild rice salad 

with dried sour cherries, and fresh bread 

were both beautiful and delicious.

Dessert was Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake 

with fudge icing, whipped cream, and raspberries.

The dessert service is St. Nick transfer ware in red by Spode. It was made exclusively for Williams-Sonoma. These plates were from 2004. This series is now retired.

The mugs are also the 2004 edition of

 St. Nick Christmas series by Spode for Williams-Sonoma.

Each guest left with a party favor, 

a petite box of chocolate truffles.

Recipe for the Texas Sheet Cake:

Sift together: 2 cups flour and 2 cups of sugar

Put in a pan: 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of Crisco, 4 T. cocoa, and 1 cup of water.

Bring this to a boil and pour over the flour and sugar. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs slightly beaten, 1 tsp. soda, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix and pour in a greased 11" x 16" jellyroll pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the cake is baking melt and bring to a boil: 1 stick of butter, 4 T cocoa, and 6 T sweet milk. Then add 1 box powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup pecans. Spread the icing on the cake while the cake is still hot.