I Was Thinking
December 23, 2024
Santa has been making his annual rounds for centuries with each stop providing a few carrots for the reindeer and a plate of festive cookies for the big guy. That’s a lot of sugar and a lot of carbs. Would Santa appreciate a treat that was a bit healthier? I think he would. Enter the Three Ingredient Shortbread , gluten free with no refined sugar. Tossed together quickly with butter, almond flour and maple syrup they will be done by the time that last favorite ornament is hung and your first Christmas Eve Manhattan is poured. Santa’s going to push you to the top of the Nice List for sure.
G’s Three Ingredient Shortbread
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together 1 1/2 cups of fine almond flour and 1/2 stick of softened unsalted butter. Add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, a couple good pinches of kosher salt and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Cream all together with a wooden spoon until a dough comes together. If the dough seems dry, add an additional bit of maple syrup and if too moist, add a bit of almond flour. Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of turbinado sugar if desired and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake on center rack of oven for 12-15 minutes. Check the bottom of a cookie at 12 minutes. If it’s browning, take them out. The cookies will be pale even if the bottoms have color. Cool on the tray for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to avoid breaking. Makes 10 cookies.
photos: gp
Merry Christmas
December 25, 2022
If you were hoping for a white Christmas, well, wish granted. However you are planning on celebrating the holiday today, stay warm…be safe.
photo: gp
Ya gotta start somewhere.
November 30, 2022
Today I’m starting with an armload of yellow twig dogwood and white pine boughs. This should fill out my large midcentury concrete bowls at my front door nicely. A few lights and done. Moving indoors I’ve selected pics from the last ten years that can take you from simplequietmodern and natural, to vintage shiny holiday combinations. Plus a few new floral ideas to compliment a modern mood and Christmas tree alternatives that offer a great bang for the buck. The holidays are upon us, so better get on this before the supplies run out. Maybe a smart cocktail and a visit to the simplequietmodern archives for the months of November and December will help kick start a fresh holiday tradition for you.
all photos except 3,6,7,10,13,15, 19 by gp.
Credits given in respective post accessed through the archives.
White Christmas
December 24, 2017
Snow, snow and more snow… a Bourbon Egg Nog Cocktail…a favorite place to relax and put your feet up…a cracking fire. Perfect. Merry Christmas.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eZgHTVh2hoc#
Photos: gp
Womb chair photo: https://www.knoll.com/product/womb-chair
Virtual Yule Log: http://www.swiss-miss.com/2017/12/friday-link-pack-263.html
Getting Started
December 7, 2017
Like it or not, it’s the holidays. Get out that pen and pad and start that list. Committing to paper will organize and simplify the tasks of shopping, decorating, cooking and entertaining, while every slash through an item accomplished will bring you that much closer to a Merry Christmas. Start with your personal traditions, add or subtract as you go, and keep your eyes and ears open for new inspiration and simple solutions. Three weeks to go…better get started.
From the top:
You can’t beat free. The last of my yard clean- up yielded perfect white pine cones to fill up a bowl or adorn a wrapped package. An added bonus…several birds nests to add to the mix.
Quince. A pot of Quince Paste simmering on the stove while decorating the house…a little holiday multi tasking. https://simplequietmodern.com/2012/12/14/small-plates/
An edited selection of vintage tree ornaments sets the color story. Have I mentioned I’m still into pink? The addition of more pink…flowers, wrapping or even the blush of a champagne cocktail can only help with an additional rosy glow.
If they were put away neatly you wouldn’t have a tangled mess. That said, a few lights are in order.
The addition of loose woven cotton metallic ribbon, also in pink, or maybe a simple spattered spritz of rose gold paint will elevate the simplequietmodern wrapping of newsprint or kraft paper. Ribbon photo: https://www.shopangelaliguori.com/products/metallic-loose-weave-wood-spool
A few more ideas can be found here: https://simplequietmodern.com/2014/12/09/low-cost-no-cost/
photos (except where noted): gp
simplequietmodern 