Take Something. Make Something.: Will you shellac my pine cone?

It has been a crazy couple of weeks and the holiday train is in motion. In fact, I’m worried it left the station. You better get on board because there are only 11 days ‘til Christmas!

Two weekends ago, I invited some of my wonderful lady friends over for my 2nd Annual Holiday Craft Brunch. We enjoyed some delicious food and libations before getting down to the serious business of holiday crafting. Creativity was the name of the game, and with a mountain of supplies and the nectar of the crafting gods - glitter, the sky was indeed the limit.

In the words of my mother,

“The creative juices were flowing!”

No two crafts were the same and I’m so proud of everyone’s ingenuity and imagination. A piece of friendly advice, here; an offer to shellac one’s pinecone, there; it was a melting pot of skill, inspiration and collaboration with friends helping friends turn their crafting visions into reality!

So take a look at the wondrous creations of my lovely friends, along with some of the quick and easy recipes we prepared to sustain ourselves during this 7 hour crafting bonanza!

Enjoy!

Citrus Salad and Ginger Yogurt

1 pink grapefruit

2 tangerines or minneolas

3 navel oranges

1/2 up dried cranberries

2 TBSP honey

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Greek Yogurt

2/3 cup mince crystallized ginger

1/4 cup brown sugar

sliced mint leaves

Peel all fruit and cut into sections, preserving the juices, and place in bowl. Add cranberries, honey and cinnamon. Let set at least an hour up to 1 day ahead. Mix ginger and yogurt together. Before serving top yogurt with mint and brown sugar.

Prosciutto and Pesto Egg Cups

Makes 12 individual egg cups

24 strips of prosciutto

Cheese of your choice (we did half cheddar and half goat cheese)

Pesto

12 eggs

Spray a muffin pan generously. Line each cup with two slices of prosciutto to create a cup. Sprinkle in some cheese. Crack one egg into each cup. Top with a generous dollop of pesto and a little more cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook at 350 for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on these because they cook quickly!

Whiskey Sours

6 oz. good whiskey

6 oz. frozen lemonade

1 egg, lightly beaten

lots of ice

Throw everything together in a blender and be prepared for deliciousness!