Donut-hole Tree Tutorial

Waaayyyy back before the Internet (we may have had some sort of dial-up) and YouTube,I tried my hand at a croquembouche:

Source: http://dailydelicious.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-2010-daring-bakers-challenge-40.html

Yes, siree, I did. Made the dough, the cream filling, followed the recipe from one of my beautiful Christmas cookbooks to.the.letter… I made it to take as a showpiece to our family Christmas Eve dinner, but the cookbook didn’t say to keep it on the cool side, so eventually each puff started to slide d-o-w-n the cone. Even our sons, who were teenagers at the time, were so sad for me (it was touching, really). I ended up removing all the puffs and taking them on a platter. :(   Thank heavens they were delicious!

The Donut-Hole Tree I made for our Three Kings celebration this year (HERE) was a much easier alternative to a croquembouche. Certainly not as fancy, but certainly a much easier, fun “adornment” for the table.

(BTW, the idea came from One Charmed Party, where she made it for a Halloween party with regular donuts.)

Tutorial:

I started with a Styrofoam cone about 15” high, but of course you can use any size that’s suitable for your party. I will tell you that this 15” one required 4 or 5 dozen “holes,” so it holds A LOT (in fact, Mr. CHN had to run to the store for more!)

The cone can of course be purchased anywhere, but wouldn’t you know? I walked into our local Goodwill store and there was one, still in its original packaging, for a whopping $.25! Because I was concerned about cleanliness—with or without the packaging cover/from Goodwill or a regular store—and I wanted to be able to re-use it, I wrapped the cone in heavy-duty foil. Though probably not necessary, I held the foil in place with pearl straight pins so they’d be easy to find/remove after the party.

The trickiest part to building a donut-hole tree is holding it in place so it doesn’t tip over as the “holes” are removed.

Now, the last time I tried to use this candle holder (see picture below) with a candle, the long “spike” (what is that called?!) was so long that it broke the candle, so I’d asked Mr. CHN to cut it for me. Luckily, he hadn’t gotten to that, so I retrieved it from his workbench—it was PERFECT for the tree, because its length stabilized the Styrofoam perfectly!

To add dimension to the black candle holder I set it in a frosted-glass, beaded candle holder, but I still needing to secure the “hole” thing :).  Solution? I attached it with this awesome product—Scotch Restickable Discs. The black candle holder was “stuck” to the frosted-glass one, which was then “stuck” to the crystal cake plate. These discs are AWESOME! I use them everywhere in the house! Have you tried them yet?

To build the donut-hole tree:

1.  Insert the foil-covered Styrofoam cone into the spike in the candle holder.

2. Starting at the bottom, insert a toothpick close to the base of the cone, then insert a donut hole into the toothpick, making sure the toothpick doesn’t come through the hole.

3. Repeat the toothpick/hole process, adjusting the location of each toothpick to keep them close to each other.

4. Continue to build the tree in “rings” around the cone.

Finish the top of the tree with a donut hole at the top or a fancier topper if you have one (I was running late, because I didn’t want to build the tree too early to keep the holes fresh, and I hadn’t thought of a topper until that moment). Fill with edible greens (I used dill and it worked well, because it gives the illusion of evergreens). The tree was surrounded by Rolo Caramels, because they look like little crowns :), and they complemented the gold dots on the candle holder I’d used.

The possible uses for this tree are endless—Valentine’s Day, Easter, really, any holiday, any brunch, any reception! I hope you build your “tree” often! I know I will. 

And as for the croquembouche? I might try it again. Experience (and help from the Internet/YouTube) will make it a lot easier. :)  Have you made a croquembouche? Did it work the first time, or do you have a story to share?

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Santa Train Breakfast

Last year we took the grand-chickadees on a Santa train ride. They spent the night the night before, and to get in the spirit we had a Santa Train Breakfast. (It was too late in the season to post it then, so now is the time!)

  I searched high and low for a large train centerpiece, and the only one I could find (besides a $200 one!) was unfinished, so I pulled out my paints and to work I went, to create our very own version of the Santa Express. I set the table after the babies were asleep, to surprise them in the morning…and were they!

Since this was a Christmas train, Santa was the driver, of course, and he had his train filled to the brim with all sorts of toys (I raided their toy boxes :)). The top is very vintage—when the babies’ father (our son) was born I really wanted an old, “real” top, not the kind that had a base at the bottom and therefore wouldn’t move around, and my mother found this one for him, so it’s much older than he is. The Night Before Christmas book was also his and his brother’s.

Of course, no Christmas train story would be complete without a jingle bell (a nod to The Polar Express). They each took their bell to the train ride and took one for their little cousin who was joining us.

While they waited for breakfast to be served Baby Boy Chickadee #1 and his sister, Baby Love, entertained themselves with the goodies on the table~~the nativity scene animals gathered on her napkin, and the small train ornaments came alive in his imagination!

Baby Boy #2 (11 months) had his table set too. :)

And what was on the menu, but TRAIN PANCAKES! Williams-Sonoma carried these pancake molds at one time, but they were no longer available. I was very lucky to have found them on eBay!

This is the best picture I could manage of the finished pancakes…we had hungry little bears chickadees on our hands, and she had already cut the top off when the camera arrived! The steam from the engine is whipped cream (boy, did they like that part!!), made with my handy-dandy iSi cream whipper. You can read all about this favorite gadget here.

Their first course was granola with yogurt and red sprinkles, served in my “best” footed bowls—the now-famous holly collection from Arby’s, from years ago! (I’ve had the glasses for years, then our son found these at GW and gave them to me, beautifully wrapped, as a Christmas present!)

And then…SANTA CAME TO OUR TRAIN CAR and visited with each child! We can’t wait to do it again this year, so….

…tell me, please—have you found a good train to use as a centerpiece? Even on Pinterest I haven’t been able to find much. I think this year we might go with their dad’s and uncle’s real train set that they’ve never seen before, but I sure would hate to retire the first one after only one year!

What other children’s Christmas breakfast ideas can you share? We can never have too many ideas!

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

I’ll be attending these fun parties:

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

Friday Bacon Time’s party at http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com

Friday at It's Overflowing

Friday at Shine on Fridays

Fridays at Stuff and Nonsense

Saturday Strut Your Stuff at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Sunday at DIY Show Off

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Celebrating The Epiphany--the Three Kings' Long Trip

"Celebración de los Reyes Magos" - Having come to the U.S. from Cuba in 1961, our family still celebrates "El Día de los Reyes Magos" (The Day of the Three Kings), and the Kings still bring presents to our children.  Our 4-year-old granddaugher explained to her pre-school teacher that they come to our homes "because our family is Cuban."  :) 

The "Reyes Magos" are such an integral part of Latin culture that my mother told me recently of a wonderful toy store in Havana (Cuba) called "Los Reyes Magos."  Isn't that a great name for a toy store?!  Surely it didn't survive much after 1961.

This year my husband and I hosted our family's Three Kings celebration, now that our granddaughter is old enough to understand the story.  The Three Kings brought some gifts and left them under the tree for them (yes, we keep our tree up until The "Reyes Magos" come), but to make certain that the spirit of the day wasn't lost, the central figure in my tablescape was my childhood Baby Jeasus, which my grandmother managed to bring back to me in 1983 when she was able to visit Cuba.  She gave it to me originally, and gave it to me again...isn't that {AMAZING}?!

A celebration of the Three Kings is really about Baby Jesus.

The Three Kings:  Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar
We know they brought frankincense, myrrh, and gold,
but we don't know which gift each brought.
The red candle urn (left) is Tiara.

Crystal Three Kings and Baby Jesus
After I took this picture I added the the full text of Matthew 2: 1-12,
telling the story of The Wise Men.
A battery-operated candle behind the vintage trees
gave the scene in the cloche a soft glow.

In our invitation we promised cookies and hot chocolate and other "kingly" treats...
The table was set in jewel tones--befitting the gifts that the Three Kings brought.
Here's what we served~
Christmas tree carrot Bundt cake (in s/p cake stand with wonderful high dome,
from Bombay Company, a gift from my mother years ago)
Cream cheese with hot pepper jelly (red) and green pepper jelly
with buttery crackers (lower right)
Gem shortbread cookies
Candy cane-striped meringue kisses 



Jewel-toned vintage Tiara platter and Cambridge Caprice bowl
(the latter a gift from my SIL years ago)
Sterling compote holds whole cashews and dried cranberries,
a simple, yummy combination.



Since we were serving buffet style, the "star" stacker seemed quite apropos, don't you think?
Ribbon candy is a must during the holidays...in another Cambridge Caprice bowl,
surrounded by a mix of sterling and crystal candle holders.
Dishes are Lenox Eternal and the clear ones in the first two tiers are vintage Federal, Heritage pattern.
The bottom ones are vintage, of unknown lineage, but pretty.

We served Golden Pineapple Punch in our sterling punch bowl--a gift from my MIL,
complete with ladle, platter, and lid. 
Have you seen many punch bowls with lids?  I haven't,
but it's quite old now, and perhaps it was something more common in the past.

We served the punch in our "vintage" ARBY's goblets (can you say "vintage" and "goblets"
in the same sentence as Arby's? :) ) 
I have many of the glasses, and our son found these at Goodwill recently
and wrapped them up as what he thought would be a funny gift--

ARE YOU KIDDING?!  They're PERFECT! 
Funny, when I set them out I actually admired how they glistened!  :)

~~~~~~We also served the BEST CAPPUCCINO HOT CHOCOLATE EVER,of course
topped with whipped cream from my iSi Cream Whipper
(to find out more about it see HERE)
Everyone raved and asked for the recipe.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture.
I served them in old footed punch cups--very pretty. 

I wish you a happy, healthy 2012 with much to be thankful for.

Does your family celebrate the Epiphany?
Do the Three Kings visit your home and leave gifts?
If you do a celebration, I'd love to know about it,
and if you have posted pictures, please be sure to share them with me!

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

 Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

 House in Roses Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

 Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

 Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple   

 Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

 Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

 Mrs. Hines’ Wednesday Show & Tell at  http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=120723&type=thumbnail

 Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

 Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

 Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

 In and Out of My Nest’s Saturday weekend party at http://inandoutmynest.blogspot.com/2011/12/r-r-weekend-party_29.html?showComment=1325569309720#c8749613812899918207

From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

Christmas Vignettes

What would a home be at Christmas with no vignettes/only a Christmas tree?  The tree might be the central piece, but it's the vignettes that spread the warmth and holiday cheer throughout the house.

This Kneeling Santa is one of my favorite pieces, and maybe my most treasured Christmas decoration--Santa/commercialism bowing to Baby Jesus.  I love the reverence--he's kneeling, and his hat is off--and the acknowledgement that Christmas is not about Santa, but about God's gift to mankind.

This is a numbered piece.  Friends of ours had one, and I searched until I found one at a wholesaler's close out--What luck!  It's bisque, not resin, and though I've searched high and low for more like it, I've never been
able to find it.  I would love to give such a beautiful piece to our sons and DILs, so their babies
have it in their homes.

This mother-of-pearl nativity scene is right up there as a favorite treasure...
My grandmother brought it back from the Holy Land in the late 1970s.

And my {real} feather trees...
They are made from goose feathers!
"The tradition of feather trees began in Germany in the mid-19th century, when the cutting-down of trees was banned to save German woodlands.  German immigrants brought feather trees with them when they sailed to the New World. Their popularity increased when President Theodore Roosevelt also responded to the diminishing supply of fresh evergreens in America by ordering that no live trees be used in the White House holiday decorations." (From http://www.feathertreekits.com/history.htm)

Our son's nutcracker collection--in "storage" at our home for now, has been a constant in
our Christmases for many years.
The large apothecary jar holds three 1946 ornaments from my MIL--
can you imagine such fragile items lasting this long? 
They deserve a place of honor...apart from all the others.

No mantel can hold all these stockings!
Many are handmade; our sons' are the original ones they've had since their first Christmases.

A Christmas-y kitchen corner.  Both snowmen are gifts from my boys...
and the dish on the back splash--disguising an outlet (do you dislike outlets as much as I do?)--is
also a gift from one of them.

A rosemary bush--have been looking for one since fall, and finally found it.  Perfect for another
kitchen vignette.
The silver Revere bowl is filled with mixed nuts in the shell--my parents always had them at home
around the holidays, and we've carried that tradition on.
The homey candle holders are a gift from my SIL...have had them for years, and still love them.
The Lenox Christmas plate on the wall is also a gift from one of our sons.

Miscellaneous other vignettes...they're everywhere!!

  

I wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas.  Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

 Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

 House in Roses Show Off Your cottage Monday http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

 Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

 Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Motivated Monday at http://becolorful.typepad.com/  

 Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

 Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

 Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

 Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

 Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

 Five Minutes Just for Me at http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com

From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni