For a simple way to give your Christmas table extra magic: scatter pom poms over your table. They remind me about snow flakes and never fail to make people smile!
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Another simple table decorating idea. Use upside down wine glasses as candle sticks. By placing a Christmas decoration under the glass, it becomes extra festive!
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Another fun and affordable table for your Christmas table. Use coasters as place holders. You can write the names of you guests on cork coasters with a simple marker.
I made personalized coasters before, you find them here.
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Get creative with paper this year when decorating your Christmas table. Did you know gift wrapping paper can make a great table runner?
Or try some origami instead. This simple Christmas tree is such fun to make. I made it from pages from a Christmas magazine, making them very affordable. You find the instructions here.
Christmas coloring fun
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This year I would like to inspire everyone for Christmas with some table setting ideas. My first tip is to get your vintage china out of the cupboard. I used to love my grandmother’s teacups, that’s why I made sure I inherited a fair share of them!
If you have fine china cups, they are perfect for your candles. To add some height to your table, use a cake stand. You can place a serving dish with a tasty side dish on top for a festive treat.
Great birthday treats
My son recently celebrated his birthday. He handed out these lovely creatures for some festive fun. We just combined these googly eyes from Flying tiger and simple carrots. This made for a healthy snack and a fun simple trinket for the kids to take home.
Last time I made these beautiful cars, but my son really enjoyed being able to join in this year. This made all it feel extra special for a toddler in the “I wanna be independent” fase!
Christmas is coming!
If you are anything like me, you will have started planning your Christmas dinner(s) by now. Normally cooking is a spontanious thing for me, but for parties and holidays I make a list of what I want to make. After this I plot out my preparations in time, scheduling my shopping, prepping and cooking over the days before Christmas. Ideally, I do as little as possible on Christmas day.
Here are my favorite recipes for Christmas this year:
Starters
- Salmon salad – light and healthy but yet luxurious. A well balanced fish starter.
- Brussel sprout cappucino – seriously indulgent vegetable starter! Think creamy brussel sprout heaven
- Beetroot carpaccio – this vegetarian starter will surprise all your guests. The best of beetroot is accentuated by this recipe. This will convert all beet haters!
Side dishes
- Broccoli feast – easy to make a day before, and so rich and creamy.
- Carrot soda bread – I like offering some bread with a swanky dinner. Even better paired with some home made garlic butter
- Make oven chips with regular and sweet potatoes for a different twist on roasted potatoes.
Main dishes
- Make whole bird mustard chicken in the oven (1 bird will serve about 4 persons). This mustard marinade will keep your bird moist and form a tasty crust.
- Make vegetarian moussaka for your vegetarian friends. Don’t be surprised when the meat lovers dig in too. The spices in moussaka are the perfect heart warming Christmas flavors.
- Make salmon in puff pastry. Make a large fillet or individual portions, it’s fancy either way.
- Try cheese fondue for a laidback Christmas party.
For more Christmas inspiration look at my Christmas page or my Christmas pinboard.
Winter sprout quiche
I love eating Brussel sprouts and now I am happy to tell you about a new way to enjoy this winter vegetable, in a quiche. The bitterness of the sprouts is such a great combination with the egg and the cheese! The whole family polished their plates the day I cooked this quiche.
Sprout quiche
- 1 recipe of short crust pastry or a ready made puff pastry
- 200 gram of boiled sprouts
- 1 onion, finely sliced and gently fried till tender
- 100 gram of small bacon cubes or a handfull of pine nuts for vegetarians
- 150 gram of grated cheese (cheddar or young Gouda)
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml of cream
- Pre-bake your quiche base for 10 to 20 minutes until just cooked at 210 degrees C.
- Spread your ingredients on your pizza base and fill your pie with a mix of eggs and cream.
- Bake at 220 degrees C for 20 degrees or until golden.
For more quiche inspiration, look at my asparagus quiche or spinach quiche. This quiche taste great with a simple tasty salad. For more sprout inspiration, look at the sprout cappuccino.
Bookmarks made with love
My sweet mother bought me a laminating machine the other day (thank you mum!). And I must say I have been feeling very inspired! I used this machine to create a beautiful gift for my son’s daycare lady’s. They are like second mothers to him, which makes them extra special!
I drew 3 bookmarks with a black marker. One with a lucky theme with clover fours, one with a love theme with hearts and one book marker with a party theme with balloons. After this I went crazy with the coloring pencils. Of course I wrote a personal message on the back of the book marks and I added a foto of my toddler. To preserve the book marks I laminated them first, after which I cut them out. I attached ribbons with a bead that can stick out the book they read.
I attached each marker to a beautiful bouquet for a festive surprise. Of course you could also let your toddler do the coloring for a personal touch too.
