Amaryllis 'Ambiance'

Blooming just in time for Christmas and the colors couldn't be more perfect for the season.

Love the pairing of red & white against the antique blue vase.

I usually don't cut my Amaryllis flowers but 'Ambiance' put up three bloom scapes so I didn't mind cutting the first one to put in the vase.  

Besides the Amaryllis, I also have blooms from a new pink Christmas cactus.

Given to me by one of my sweet neighbors as a thank you for decorating her mantel.  

VERY nice of her, especially when I was happy to help.  That sort of thing is fun for me and not a chore at all

 

I hope I can keep it alive.  I'm good with outdoor plants but not so much with houseplants.

This past week I kept really busy baking for both my book club and cul-de-sac parties.

I made the above Hazelnut expresso cookies for my book club. They were devoured!  I highly recommend them if you're looking for a new cookie to try over the holidays.

For my cul-de-sac party, I was put in charge of desserts.  I enjoy making those so I chose both a no-bake white Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

and Lime Gin Coconut macaroons.  

At least one of my neighbors is on a gluten-free diet so I left out the cookie crust base from the recipe ~ it was still totally divine.

The Peppermint sticks came from Cracker Barrel ~ I thought they'd be a festive (edible) decoration but they actually turned out to be the perfect utensil for eating them!  Dipping the peppermint sticks into the cheesecake gave us a little extra zip of peppermint flavor.  Because of that, they'd be great for any party, you wouldn't have to provide extra serving pieces.  They're also very easy to make & everyone enjoyed them.

I guess I hit both desserts out of the "ballpark" because they were both gone by the end of the night including all of the Lime and Gin Coconut Macaroons (see link above for recipe.)

Another easy dessert to make and if you are a fan of coconut, an absolutely amazing treat!

I couldn't ask for better timing on the Paperwhites either.  

They are just beginning to open ~ they'll be gorgeous at the end of the week for Christmas!

and finally, our little "baby" Ivory has a new favorite spot to sleep ~ on top of the bookcase next to the tree!

Isn't she sweet illuminated by tree light???

Now I'm signing off to try and catch my breath before the next round of parties.  I still have all my wrapping to do plus some cards and a little shopping left so it's going to be a busy final few days.  I hope you all are more ahead than me??!!!  If I don't get back to the blog, Merry Christmas to you ~ I hope it's a peaceful, happy holiday.  










 

Comments

[Beth @ PlantPostings]

Merry Christmas, Kathleen! I'm salivating over your luscious images of desserts and beautiful plants. I'm scrambling around doing last-minute prep, too. Enjoy!

[Robin]

Life at your house is very holiday festive, and delicious looking! I swear that your amaryllis is actually made of candy cane, don't you think?

[Grace Peterson]

You are such a talented decorator, Kathleen. I love the color on the amaryllis and of course the sweet pink of the cactus is so elegant. And I really like how you display the paperwhites in the tall vase to keep them from leaning. Brilliant! I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and are now enjoying the post-holiday down time.

[Jennifer@threedogsinagarden]

Your amaryllis is gorgeous, as always. I can see why everyone devoured your baking. It all looks wonderful. I am going to check out a few of the links. Happy New Year Kathleen!

[Andrea G.]

Those espresso cookies were delish! My hubby liked his too! Ivory is so cute!