"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind ?Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and days o'auld lang syne ?"Robert Burns Scottish poem written down by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294).

A luncheon invitation for a few good friends to my home turned into a 50th birthday celebration as well as a meeting of the minds of four creative women. After a toast to the New Year, Happy Birthday and Girl Power we enjoyed a Ham & Cheese Strata, Broccoli Rappini and a Fresh Garden Salad.

Since making this dish for over 30 years, always sure to please a crowd, I find it is perfect to make ahead so I can enjoy being with my guests. I never make it the same way twice so here is a one recipe to give you something to build on, your creation is limited only by your imagination.

BRUNCH STRATA
8 slices whole wheat bread,cubed

6 eggs

1 lb. ham, cubed (or pork sausage, cook and crumble)

1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced

add olives, chopped green, red, yellow peppers for color

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Layer all of this 3 times in greased 9 x 13 inch pan, with a final layer of cheese.
2 1/2 c. milk

3/4 tsp. dry mustard
Beat these 3 together and pour over casserole.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next morning mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk. Pour over casserole. Top with extra grated cheese.

Bake at 300°F for 1 1/2-2 hours, until set.

Holly is a good sport.

She put on her crown as soon as she arrived. Party hearty Holly...

Signing off with wish for a very Happy Birthday to Holly

and Happy New Years 2010 to all of you ;~)

I spent Sunday in the kitchen preparing a meal for Jim's sister Mari Pat, Susie and their extended families for a late evening dinner.

They were greeted upon arrival into our home with a drink and a hot basket of calamari as an appetizer. We enjoyed homemade Italian meat sauce over whole wheat pasta, garden salad, homemade whole wheat bread with herb seasoned olive oil dipping sauce.

Everyone was anxious to see Niagara Falls, NY the next day, still they took time for a Rafferty Family " Gap Pose" before we ended a fun late night visit.

To the left are undated version of my grandmothers Rich Rolled Butter Cookies with Maraschino Cherry filling topped with a Vanilla Sugar Glaze and festive sprinkles shown here fresh baked with a tall glass of cold milk ready for a visit from St. Nicholas.

This holiday was constantly filled with opportunities to reconnect with old friends and family as well as meet new friends and family.

Rich Rolled Butter Cookies
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on 10x sugar covered surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. For filled cookies, slice marachino cherries into half, add corn starch and heat to thicked half of the juice from the jar liquid. Place a tsp of the filling in bottom cookies top with cookie of the same shape. Press edges together
Bake around minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

make a thin glaze from 10 x sugar, drop small amount of skim milk stir until just thin enough to pour over cookies, if desired sprinkle with festive sugar sprinkles for extra color.

New family guests in our home this year were theMeghan's relatives the Green family. Uncle Dan, Aunt Lydia and cousin Danny have lived in Western New York since the 1970's. We had the pleasure to have them in as guests for dinner on Christmas Eve. We had such a nice, natural first visit that we decided to get together as second evening for dessert and dictionary word games. I am sure Barry's & Meghan's wedding will be more fun now that I have to privildege to meet more family and friends.

I love company in my home, love to cook and love to share time with the special people in my life. Company in for dessert and coffee was the perfect time to bake Italian Butter Rum Cake, layered with fresh egg custard, frosted with Butter cream and topped with toasted Almonds.

Italian Rum Cake
Cake
6 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
heavy splash dark rum
1 cup cake flour
In a 5 quart mixing bowl whip the eggs and rum adding the sugar 1/3 at a time allowing 3 to 4 minutes between additions until all the sugar is in, whip until real fluffy and fold in your cake flour, add mixture to 3-9x1inch cake pans, bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown, cool.

Syrup For Cake:
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup rum
Combine corn syrup and rum
When cake is cool drizzle syrup on to all 3 layers of cake.


Filling:
3 egg
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
2 cup milk
1/2 cup rum
In a stainless steel sauce pan whip together eggs, cornstarch, sugar, milk and rum concentrate. Place pan on stove over medium heat until thick mixing regularly, don't burn. Cool to room temperature.
Assemble Cake:Starting with cake on a cake board or whatever the place filling evenly and repeating until ending with cake on top.

Your cake is now ready to be frosted:Frost with whip cream or Butter Cream Frosting

Don't forget to put your sliced toasted almonds on the top

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month." Harlan Miller

Too much, too quickly. Too much to do, too little time; that would be the best way to describe this past week.

Barry, Meghan & kitty cat "Fever" arrived around 10 pm on December 19th. We welcomed them into the house, got bags to their rooms, had a late night snack then played word games until after 1:00 am.

Sunday afternoon, passports in hand, we spent the day at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada.

We wanted to show Meghan around town and some last minute Christmas shopping.

The damp, cold day was full of surprises. Little did we know the Olympic torch was going to pass through the center of town that day.

After a cold, day enjoying the town Barry treated us to Irish pub fare at the old Angel Inn.

http://www.angel-inn.com/

Later in the evening another Olympic torch sighting in Niagara Falls, Canada.

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-relay/olympic-torch-relay-interactive-map/

Honestly, after a day out walking around town in the cold I was ready to go home. They wanted to show Meghan around Niagara Falls. She was so excited to ride the SkyWheel. Everyone agreed so I reluctantly put on my wet gloves and damp Beret not anxious to go back out into the cold. It turned out Barry, Kara and Jim do not like to ride on farris wheels so I treated Meghan to a turn on the SkyWheel over looking Niagara Falls. Who knows when we will get the opportunity to do that again.

http://www.cliftonhill.com/niagara_falls_attractions/niagara_skywheel/



Here is Meghan just as the ride is about to begin.

My last image from the top of the SkyWheel just as my battery power pack closed for the day.

One final surprise was a fireworks display over Niagara Falls, the perfect way to end the first full day of our Christmas Festivities.

Merry Christmas from rice rafferty; a company of women specializing in women's apparel and accessories. Founded in 2009 by Carol Ann Rice Rafferty & daughter Kara Rice Rafferty. We are committed to improving the quality of life for women through education. Kara and I are funding an educational grant for women returning to college in search of a better life. Ten percent of the profit made from the sale of our products is reserved in an education grant to be announced.

After twenty-two years supporting my husband in his career ambitions, working as a full time mother raising Barry and Kara, as well as, serving as a caretaker for my mother and father simultaneously for three years while they were terminally ill; I finally created time to pursue my dreams to study art in college.

Returning to college at age 45 as a design student I was awarded a Buffalo State College Fellowship Summer Research Grant 2005. Throughout that summer I researched the old art of Devoré, along with Fiber Reactive Dyes and Dye Discharge techniques. For the past four years I have been perfecting my craft through much research, trial, error and experience has gone into the perfection of my craft.

While, Devoré is simple, it is not easy.

First as a student, then as an Adjunct instructor at Buffalo State College, I shared my knowledge with the Fiber Design student for two years. I resigned from that position to pursue more education as at Savannah College of College for Art & Design in the graduate program. Since Devoré is no longer part of the SCAD program due to the caustic nature of the chemicals, I continued to work with my daughter Kara creating one of a kind pieces in silk velvet Devoré.

Devoré, from the French word for devour, occurs when sodium bisulphate is applied to the cloth, dried, then heated. The heat process causes the sodium bisulphate to eat away at the fabric, leaving the treated area transparent. Devoré, is a process that has been used in the fashion industry for many years. Originally it... was known as "poor man's lace" and was called "broderie chimique" in Europe because it was used to simulate magazine embroidery. The main use of Devoré, has been on cut velvet fabric with a pile of viscose or rayon on a silk warp/backing.


With full knowledge of the dangers from working with these materials, like a moth to the flame, I return to my craft for the love of the art of Devoré.

rice rafferty is proud to offer one of a kind wearable art scarves and jacket/capes made with love for years of luxurious enjoyment.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased our products, supported our endeavour to improve the quality of life for women through good aesthetics and education.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours from Carol Ann & Kara of rice rafferty.

You can follow us on facebook as a fan of rice rafferty
http://www.facebook.com/pages/rice-rafferty/203899441756?ref=ts,

purchase our products on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/ricerafferty

or shop at the wonderful shops listed on my website http://carolannricerafferty.com/

Ten percent of every dollar made from the sale of our products is reserved in an education grant

"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays 'Cause no matter how far away you roam When you pine for the sunshine Of a friendly face For the holidays, you can't beat Home, sweet home"

No Place Like Home for the Holidays
Christmas Song

Barry and Meghan arrived around 10 pm last Saturday evening after a long drive across New York State to find this room lovingly prepared for them.

Since we have spent so many Christmas' away from our home Kara and I thought of a few easy finishing touches that we would be happy to find as a guest in some one's spare bedroom.

http://www.links2love.com/christmas_songs_home_holidays.htm

• Kara thought a personal Christmas tree would provide a space for some quiet retreat time away from the family activities serving as mood lighting for the room.
• Since we had an extra microwave oven, we tucked it into the room along with a wooden, breakfast in bed, tray complete with twoCurrier & Ives mugs, Serendipity Hot Cocoa Mix, spoons, napkins and two homemade cupcakes.
• I added a vanilla bean candle, book of matches and the Sansevieria trifasciata( mother-in laws tongue) plant for some comic relief ;~) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sansevieria_trifasciata

When a large number of people are home, as a perfect accompaniment to the spices, salty and sweet holiday foods, I like to have a large bowl of fresh cut fruits available to refresh, nourish and clear the pallet. Here is a bowl of ripe, apple, bananas, dried cherries and cranberries, papaya, peaches, mandarin oranges, fresh orange slices, pineapple sprinkled with coconut flakes.



Kara had the great idea to offer Meghan, kitchen time and space for her to share O'Reilly-green family traditions and recipes. After all, being together for Christmas is not about converting someone to a certain way of thinking; it is about making a larger circle. We are anxious to learn new ways to celebrate from Meghan.

These hints should make anyone feel more welcome in your home as a guest and new family member.

Happiness is being with people I love and people who love me.

Christmas is the time to say I Love you ;~)

Tuesday December 15th was National Cupcake Day according to National Food Day @ http://www.tfdutch.com/foodh.htm.

These fresh Chocolate Fudge cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream Frosting perfect to share with people at work, school or any holiday party. Kara took this batch into share with the people at her office Christmas party.

Cupcakes are like a stolen kiss; sweet and fleeting without too much commitment. http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Cupcake_Recipes

Christmas is the perfect time to renew old friendship.

In early December, while in the NYC area, Jim, Barry, Kara and I were invited for a wonderful dinner in the home of my dear friend from high school Jim McDonald. He used to call me everyday for years, we attended a few formal dances together at Canevin, kept in touch while commuting to classes in college. Jim even attended our wedding. The last time I saw Jim was in winter of 1981 while I was exploring Dinosaur hall with Barry who was just a little over one year old at the time.

I sent a card to Jim's NYC address hoping to reconnect. He called, same voice, to tell me he was happy to hear from me and my card arrived on his birthday March 9th. Somethings are just meant to be. Here we are outside a German Restaurant around Gramercy Square after seeing each other for the first time in 28 years.
After a day of sharing laughs and memories Jim treated us to be his VIP guests for a trip to the top of the Empire State Building 100 club. It was great to have my high school friend conversing with Barry & Kara as adults. When the evening was over they said, "Mom, you have cool friends, we would have been friends with Jim too."

Thank you Jim for a great day, we are defiantly going to keep in touch more often now.