"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Silver And Gold


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  I have one gift left to buy and then the baking and candy making.  But, if you are going to use nonpareils or dragees on your holiday baking, think about my tooth crown first.  These little goodies are like little rocks.

I called my dentist's son yesterday, to glue my crown back on, and he had had an emergency appendectomy the night before.  So, put in perspective, I'll take the crown mishap. 

By the way, the silver dragees now cost nearly $17.00 a bottle, say non-edible on the directions, but look oh so pretty atop the confections.  With only a few days left to get ready for Christmas, my friends are taking me out today to celebrate my birthday.  Love my friends.  We've been together for over thirty years now.  True gifts - the best kind.

35 comments:

Amanda Summer said...

Happy Birthday dear Donna!!! Wishing you a wonderful natal day!!!

(I agree that the silver and gold nonpareils are beautiful to look at but murder on the teeth :))

RachelD said...

So true---both friends and dragees---beautiful and gleaming in your life, strong and unyielding when you need them to be, and SWEEEEET.

Happy Baking, Friend-Sharing, and BIRTHDAY!!! Wish this thing had all the little fun add-on pictures as on my new phone. Party hats and hearts!! <%] and <3, like in the stone age.

r

La Table De Nana said...

Happy Birthday to YOU!
Yes those guys are hard balls..but yes oh so pretty too!

ellen abbott said...

happy birthday. lucky you to still have the same friends after 30 years and you still socialize together.

Down by the sea said...

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Sarah x

angryparsnip said...

awwwww ! Happy Birthday to you.
My friend and I was just talking about how expensive they were but so lovely on cookies. Much to hard for me.
Playing catch up, goodness such cold weather !
Stay warm.

cheers, parsnip

Elephant's Child said...

A very happy birthday to you. Hooray for good friends. And hooray for being nearly finished Christmas preparation.

donna baker said...

Thank you dear Amanda. I am definitely not biting down on anything hard or gooey. Happy holidays.

donna baker said...

Ha Rachel. Well said. Love my blogging pals too. Thought I'd like to start forgetting these older birthdays, but never know how many more there will be, so I'll celebrate another year. Happy holidays, Rachel.

donna baker said...

Thank you Monique. I just love the look of them and remember them from my childhood.

donna baker said...

Very lucky. I don't stay in touch with my childhood friends because I don't do Facebook, but these are like sister's. They've been there through thick and thin. And, I know I could always depend on them. That is a treasure. Thank you Ellen.

donna baker said...

I did and so sweet of you to say so Sarah.

donna baker said...

Thank you Parsnip. It was warm and beautiful today - the sun warmed my face. I was back yelling at the kids trying to walk on the frozen lake (where are their parents) and throwing rocks and bricks at the ducks. So, back to normal. ;)

donna baker said...

Thank you Child, and it is a relief to be nearly ready. It'll be here before we know it and I've decided if it doesn't get done, well, it didn't get done.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Wishing you the best of birthdays sweet friend !
Those dragees are expensive, it used to be my job in my grandma's bakery putting them on the Christmas cakes, and they had to be perfectly placed or else :)
I never liked them because it was like eating a ball-bearing.
Enjoy what's left of your day, and watch your teeth.
Hugs,
~Jo

Michelle said...

Happy Birthday!! I share this birth month with you. Nothing like getting Christmas/birthday gifts all rolled into one. Do take care of that tooth!

Frances said...

Dear Donna, a very Happy Birthday to you, and also sending along wishes for many happy returns, too.

(Funny development about the dentist's son. You cannot make this stuff up.)

I've never used those shiny decorations in baking, but have only admired them from a safe distance.

Still a bit more baking for me to do. If I can stay awake long enough to mix up another batch of dough, I will be rolling, cutting, decorating (with sanding sugar) and baking what might be the final bunch of brown sugar butter star-shaped cookies tomorrow morning.

I brought out some of my glass baubles tonight, and might get around to buying some greenery tomorrow. Then...as Thursday arrives, I might just be able to relax and enjoy that part of Christmas.

xo

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Happy birthday to you, Donna!! I remember my mom using those little silver balls as cake decoration. Now that I have broken not one, but two, teeth I try to avoid such things. (Once is was on toffee coated peanuts, the other was on a chewable vitamin C tablet!) Maybe some chocolate shavings instead? -Jenn

donna baker said...

Ha, thank you my first blogging buddy. I still long for a taste of your grandmother's loaves of bread.

donna baker said...

I used to feel kind of cheated as a child, getting them rolled into one. But, I like being a Sag, not the body kind. ;)

Out on the prairie said...

Leave the spinkles off mine. You are the 2nd person in the last few days to lose a crown. Ouch!Happy Birthday!

donna baker said...

Thank you Frances and do shoot a few pictures. Brown butter cookies sound really good and I've never made those. I have my sugar cookies made, but not iced and peanut brittle all done. Relaxing for a few days at Christmas sounds good. Mine is going to be Christmas Day.

donna baker said...

Oh goodness, and thank you. I should have known better as I quit crunching ice a long time ago. Vitamin C tablet is just wrong.

donna baker said...

Dentists must just love Christmas and Halloween. I'm sure not eating one.

Deborah Nolan said...

Dear Donna wishing you a belated happy birthday. Hope it was wonderful. Ouch with the crown-sad for your dentist too.
In spite of all things may your Christmas and New Year be the merriest. Hugs!

donna baker said...

You too dear Debbie. You too.

Share my Garden said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Wishing you a lovely time with your friends. My years are adding up and my teeth getting less, but friends and birthdays should always be celebrated!

donna baker said...

Rosemary, thank you so much. We did have fun and you are right, we should always celebrate.

Val said...

Happy birthday, Donna! 'Glad you had fun. ♥

Bea said...

Happy Birthday, Donna! How fantastic to be able to share it with dear friends. :)

donna baker said...

That is so sweet of you Val. Here's the funny part. After lunch, they wanted to know where I wanted to go and I chose Trader Joe's. I've never been before and wondered what it was all about.

donna baker said...

You're a sweetheart Bea. Thank you.

Val said...

Well, I have a Trader Joe's about a mile away and have yet to visit it. Were you impressed? Find anything? 'Hope so. :) Some people rave about it, and others have said it's not a big deal. I hate shopping in the first place, so my "thrill-mark" is set pretty high for any store, I suppose, but their ads used to come in the mail here and looked vintage-y and clever anyway. :)

And you are blessed to have a group of such close and long-held friends. I only have one I-know-in-person friend (as opposed to online friends and family I consider friends) in my life, and she's a state away and I rarely see her. This whole "girlfriend" thing hasn't been a part of my life since high school, so I am always envious when I read of you ladies who are blessed with such friendships. ♥

donna baker said...

Well, my take is that you have to know what is good there as I didn't know of the good stuff, but did buy a jar of the cookie butter (haven't tried it yet) and two very nice lavender plants. I doubt I'll go back as it is pretty far from my part of the city. Yes, getting together with old, dear friends is the best. We've been together for our triumphs and tragedies and know each other inside and out, the good and the bad, can finish each others sentences, etc. They lived in the town near my farm and moved many years ago to the city, but we always got together. In fact, I think I saw them more before I moved to the city. I am blessed for their friendship.

Val said...

That does sound like a blessing of a friendship for all of you. That makes me happy. ♥

And cookie butter and plants: not a bad haul. ;)