An Interior Desgners Gingerbread House

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AN INTERIOR DESIGNER’S GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Every year James Deartron makes a ginger­bread house part of his holiday decora­tions. His professional experience gives him lots of good ideas for decorating the delicious structure, and he has become known around town for these clever cre­ations. Here are some of his tips.

Cotton batting is perfect for smoke com­ing out of the chimney.

Un-shelled sunflower seeds give the look of flagstones.

Chocolate-covered   graham   crackers pave the walkway outside the house.

White frosting makes good snow; to cre­ate the effect of rooftop icicles, allow frosting to drip down eaves.

Powdered sugar resembles the freshly fallen snow.

Pine cones provide some outdoor land­scaping (tip them with frosting for snow).

A red-and-white  peppermint drop is a good stained-glass window.

Meringue latticework is used for the doors and windows, which are glued to gingerbread pillars with royal icing (a mix­ture of egg whites and powdered sugar).

Twas the Month Before Christmas – A Christmas Dinner Time Line

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A month in advance
Make and freeze soup and cookies.
Take stock of your cutlery, china, stemware and linens.  If your party or dinner is too large for your personal collection be sure and contact a party rental supply shop to best fit your needs.

Two to three weeks before
Decorate the house.

The week before
Make a list of everything you want to serve.
Clean out the refrigerator to make room for holiday groceries.
Shop for all non perishables.
Make place cards.
Bake and freeze desserts and breads.
Buy or make extra ice.
Polish silverware

Up to two days before
Shop for the remaining ingredients.
Make casseroles and salads that will
keep in the refrigerator.
Make centerpieces and floral arrangements.

Up to one day before
Remove frozen dishes from the freezer.
Cut vegetables.
Make stuffing.
Decorate and set tables and buffets.
Set up extra tables.
Clean and polish the dining room tables.
Iron linens.
Lay out tablecloths, napkins, glasses and silver.

Day of
Chill the wine and soft drinks.
Make punch and eggnog.
Prepare the main dish and any “sides” you haven’t made in advance.

Cranberry-Port Pot Roast

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Cranberry-Port Pot Roast

1   beef eye of the round or rump roast (3 1/2 to 4 Ib.)
1   tablespoon salad oil
1   can (14 1/2 oz.) regular-strength beef broth
1 3/4   cups port
1/3   cup firmly packed brown sugar
2   packages (10 oz. each) frozen petite onions
2   cups fresh or frozen cranberries
6   cups hot cooked egg noodles
2   tablespoons cornstarch
Parsley sprigs
Salt and pepper

Rinse meat, pat dry, and rub with oil. Place in a 10- by 14-inch roasting pan. Bake in a 450° oven until meat is well
browned, about 45 minutes; turn often. Add broth and port. Cover tightly; re­duce oven to 400° and bake l’/2 hours.

Mix sugar and onions into pan; cover and bake 1 hour. Add cranberries; cover and bake until meat is tender when pierced, about 30 minutes longer.

Put meat and noodles on a platter. With a slotted spoon, ladle onions and berries onto noodles; keep warm. Skim fat from pan juices. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Bring pan juices to boiling over high heat. Stirring, add cornstarch mixture until sauce is as thick as you like. Pour sauce into a small bowl; serve with meat and noodles. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 10 to 12.

Per serving: 363 cal (20 percent from fat); 33 g protein; 8.0 g fat (2.3 g sat.); 38 g carbo.; 87 mg sodium; 98 rag chol.

Lentil Soup

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Wholesome Lentil Soup

1   package (12 oz. or 2 cups) lentils
2   large (about 1/4 Ib. total) onions, chopped
6   cups regular-strength chicken broth
4  cups water
2  pounds carrots, thinly sliced
2  cups sliced celery
1   can (28 oz.) Italian-style tomatoes
2   teaspoons each dried basil leaves and dried thyme leaves
3   dried bay leaves
1   teaspoon each fennel seed and pepper

Sort lentils for debris; rinse and drain lentils.

In an 8- to 10-quart pan over high heat, boil onions with 1/2 cup broth until liquid evaporates and onions begin to brown. Add remaining broth; stir to free browned bits. Add lentils, water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and their liquid, basil, thyme, bay, fennel seed, and pepper.

Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer until lentils are soft to bite, about 1 hour. Serve, or if making ahead, let soup cool, cover, and chill up to 3 days. Makes about 5 quarts; serves 10 to 12.

Per serving: 185 cal. (6.3 percent from fat); 11 g protein: 1.3 ff fat (0.3 a sat); 34 g carbo.; 279 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Bread Dough Aztec Mask

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A stunning wall decoration created by molding and layering simple template
shapes combined with surface texturing techniques. The earthy yellow, red
and greens blend do well together to produce a strikingly authentic effect

YOU   WILL   NEED
1 batch salt dough
Roiling pin
Flour
Pastry board
Tracing paper
Pencil
Plain paper
Scissors
Small knife
5-inch diameter saucer to use as a mold
Plastic food wrap
Modeling tools
Wooden skewer
Fine srade sandpaper
Paintbrushes
Acrylic paints
synthetic sponge (optional)
Satin polyurethane varnish

~ Roll out the dough to a thickness of  1/4  inch on a lightly floured pastry board. Trace off the basic template, and then trace off the other template details following the solid lines (the dotted lines represent surface details). Cut out the templates in plain paper and place on the rolled-out dough. Cut around each shape, using a small knife, removing the eye and mouth sections. Remove the excess dough.

~  Cover the convex side of the saucer with plastic food wrap and lay it on the pastry board. Carefully lift the main mask template and place it over the mold. The saucer should fit under the face part of the mask and the head-dress should lie flat on the board. Moisten the entire surface of the dough with water and carefully lay the other cutout shapes in position.

~  Use modeling tools or a wooden skewer to make the surface decorations, referring to the dotted lines on the template and to the photograph as a guide. Use a moistened modeling tool to smooth out the joins. The raised details on the forehead and earrings are made from small balls of dough squashed to make a flatter shape and then pierced with the blunt end of a skewer. For the nose, model a small ball of dough into a pyramid shape and press it carefully into position, smoothing out the joins with a moistened modeling tool. Form the nostrils, using a pointed modeling tool.

~  Transfer the mask to the microwave turntable plate and bake on low for 20 minutes + 20 minutes, medium low for 20 minutes, and medium for 10 minutes + 10 minutes. Remove it from the microwave oven and leave to cool. Do not attempt to remove the mold while the dough is still warm as this may cause warping and damage. Gently prize the dough mask away from the mold and, using sandpaper, smooth off any rough edges.

~ Apply two coats of beige acrylic paint to both sides of the mask to act as a sealant and bottom coat. Apply the other decorative colors, using the photograph as a guide. Use a dry brush or a sponge to achieve the subtle effects.

~  When the decorative paintwork is dry. apply three coats of varnish, Leaving each coat to dry before applying the next.