HOME for the Holidays

"At Christmas, all roads lead home." ~ Marjorie Holmes

Hello my lovely friends and welcome to my last HOME for the Holidays before Christmas!

I imagine you are all as busy as bees these days. I know I am. We have so much to be thankful for during this most enchanting of seasons and we all need to take time out of our busy schedules to relax. Take some time to enjoy the lights and music. A cup of tea or coffee always helps me to relax. How about you?

"Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day." ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Some of us have had a difficult year while others have sailed through it enjoying good health and making lots of lovely memories. I pray this coming year will bring you all peace, love, joy, and glowing good health.

This week I hosted a special tea party called a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea. You may click on the link here to visit it if you wish. I had fun putting it together. At Christmas-time especially, the little girl in me just has to come out and play.

I served a variety of sweets including my fruit cake which I make every year.

I promised to share my recipe for my fruit cake today.

This is my maternal grandmother's recipe and I have been making it for over thirty years. It has never failed me.

It is a buttery cake filled with lots of eggs and fruit. Even those who don't care for fruit cake, like this one. I hope you will give it a try.

Sultana Fruit Cake

1 small package sultana raisins {about 3 cups}
1 cup red cherries, cut in two
1 cup green cherries, cut in two
3/4 cup chopped candied pineapple
3/4 cup mixed fruit
Mix with 1/4 cup flour and set aside while you prepare the batter. The extra flour keeps the fruit separated.

Cream together:
1-1/2 cups soft butter
1-1/2 cups white sugar
6 large eggs - beat in one at a time
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon extract

Mix:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Add to the creamed mixture alternately with
1/2 cup evaported milk or blend

When batter is all creamed together, mix in the prepared fruit. Pour into a prepared pan. I always use a 12 cup tube pan which is sprayed with PAM and lined with waxed paper.

Bake in preheated oven at 320 - 325 degrees for 1-1/2  to 2 hours. I generally bake the cake for about two hours. Now the secret to a moist fruit cake is to put a pan of hot water on the bottom rack in the oven and remove during the last hour.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Wrap in heavy paper and tin foil. I always put it into a large freezer bag too. Store in a cool dark place. This cake will keep for some time.

Here are some features from last week's party~

Sherry at The Charm of Home set a beautiful snowy Christmas cottage themed dining table. She also had the most views on her post.

Penny @ Penny's Vintage Home shared her festival of Christmas trees. Love the candy tree!She had the second highest number of views on her post.



The next two posts were tied for the third highest views...

Poppy @ Poppy View shared her Tea with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and herself.  She also shared some lovely Christmas memories.



And Debbie @ A Debbie-Dabble Christmas shared her Christmas home tour. Here's a lady who goes all out to decorate for the season.



Cecilia @ Casa Cecilia shared her tutorial on how to make her darling gingerbread Christmas boxes. So cute!

Congratulations, ladies! And thank you friends for welcoming us into your HOMES every week. You are the ones who make this party so much fun.

Since this is my last HOME party before the Holidays, I want to wish you all a bounty of blessings and I hope you will come back and join me again next year. Till then take care and have a fabulous Christmas season.

Jesus is the Gift that perfectly fits the size of every heart.

From my HOME to yours, Merry Christmas!

"And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." ~ Luke 2:7

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

I am joining the following parties as well~

What's It Wednesday~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Christmas Cookie Exchange Link Party ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Sugar Plum Fairy Tea for "Celebrate the Season" ~ Christmas Tea

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and makes everything more beautiful." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Hello dear friends and welcome to this week's  Celebrate the Season ~ Christmas tea!

As I look out the window, there is a winter wonderland spread out before my eyes. We had a snowstorm yesterday and the new blanket of snow has covered up the remnants of dead leaves and all is bright and beautiful out there. It's a marshmallow world and it's a perfect day for a little fantasy!

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie{1845-1916}

I took my inspiration for today's tea from a favourite piece of Christmas music, The Nutcracker Suite. Most of us are familiar with the story of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy who introduces Clara to the Land of Sweets. A little fantasy is fun for a change, don't you think? Especially at this time year! Are you feeling a little nostalgic?

The Nutcracker Ballet was first performed on December 18, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is one of the most famous ballets to be performed this time of the year. I have never had the pleasure of seeing a live performance but I would love to.

"Would you like an adventure now or would you like your tea first?" ~ Peter Pan

My table is sitting in front of the Christmas tree which I think lends a magical feel to our tea today. So please make yourself at home as we indulge in some spicy Christmas tea and lots of goodies.

My Sugar Plum fairy is dancing about in her lovely white tutu while the Nutcracker looks on.

"She balanced on one toe on the floor and spun around in a tutu that looked as though it had been fashioned from clouds and snowflakes. " ~ The Nutcracker

The Gingerbread house plays "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." When you ring the door bell  the gum drops on the roof light up and keep time with the music. It's a child's delight!

This green Staffordshire teacup trio is a set I found in town a couple of weeks ago. It is made in England and represents the charm of the country  so well.

I think they look lovely paired with the creamy white.

I didn't have any green transferware in my collection so I was thrilled to find these!

                         

Most of you know that I am totally smitten with transferware! I love the different pastoral scenes and the lovely borders each piece is adorned with. I find it so very charming. How about you, do you like transferware? Do you like to collect it? 

My other teacup is one you've seen before, Cream Lace made by Skye McGhee. It has such a sweet saucer.

At Christmas-time, I really enjoy the holiday teas such as this Stash Holiday Chai.

The teapot is also Cream Lace by Skye McGhee.

My Land of Sweets consists of a fruit cake I made
for the holidays.

There are also some mincemeat tarts, melt-in-your-mouth Swedish Butter Balls, and Snowballs.

I hope you're not watching your waistline!

There are gum drops and candy canes and chocolate of course.

"Tykes on sleds and shouts of glee, icy-window filigree, sugarplums and candle glow, part of Christmas long ago." ~ Jo Geis




I plan to share my fruit cake recipe at my HOME for the Holidays party on Wednesday. I have been making this cake for over thirty years and I have never had one fail me. It is a lovely buttery cake and even those who don't care for fruit cake do like this one. 

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.


"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thank you for joining me for tea today. I hope you have enjoyed your visit. Next week, I will be sharing an Angelic Tea so please join me once again for Celebrate the Season ~ Christmas Tea.

"Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, And love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children In Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, To live with Thee there." ~
From the Christmas carol "Away in  a Manger" - John T. McFarland, {1851-1913} John R. Murray, {1841-1905}

Merry Christmas!

I am joining the following parties as well~

Pink Saturday~ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Inspire Me Tuesday ~ http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Friends Sharing Tea~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
What's It Wednesday~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi