Bear's Breakfast at Tiffanys

Bear insisted we look at Tiffanys windows Christmas day...
And what Bear wants,
Bear gets...
Even if it meant rousing himself out of hibernation...
Even if it meant pushing other window viewers out of the way...
And stepping on a few paws...

Tiffanys outdid themselves this year.

Don't you think?

Catty-corner Bergdorfs is up to tricks with an all paper window...

Even a paper panda bear...

Well a bit of fur was included...

And a French Bulldog wearing a French bow...

Bear is in love...

With this diamond leash.

Bear has stars in his eyes...

What did YOU do Xmas Day?"

Stocking Stuffers

What do you want in your holiday stocking? Nothing wrong with a block of chocolate soap IMHO...
Or an edgy pair of J-P Gautier sunglasses.
So what if these gorge shoes poke a hole in my stocking or make my feet tres miserable...
A nice box of Carette petit fours would do nicely...
A dozen or two of French homemade jam...MIAM!
I'd love my own macaron machine...

A pair of cafe chairs svp.

My very own presse kiosk preferably on bvd St.-Germain...

While I'm dreaming, why not a twirling French stairway...

Leading to a Parisien hallway...

I'll jump into my chocolate mini Smart car (another stocking stuffer)

And go spinning around la place de la Concorde at l'heure bleu

BIG MERCI PBers for sending your pets to Paris this Xmas!

What do you want in your stocking?

xxxCarolg

Fortnum & Mason Hampers

Depend on the British to come up with christmas hampers, ok hampers for all occasions. Fortnum & Mason has all manner of hampers and everything required therein...
This is your basic hamper...

Inside you'll want F&M's splendid traditional sweeties...

Barley sugar goes back to the 17th century by boiling down refined cane sugar and barley water, cream of tartar and water. Created by Benedictine monks in 1638 of Moret-sur-Loing. There is even a "Barley Sugar Museum" (Le Musée du Sucre d'Orge) in the town. Don't you love F&M's traditional Victorian packaging?

How else should christmas pudding look?

Edible toys for adults of all ages...

Fortnum & Masons candy counter heaven...

Gingerbread of course!Et macarons bien sur for your hamper.

Nutty balloons!

My nutty balloons during my 'Dickensian' period...

Why not go up in a balloon sitting amidst F&M's goodies? Are you expecting an xmas hamper for the holidays?

Make-shift Gingerbread

Yesterday when Sue mentioned she'd made Trader Joe's gingerbread mix(in a box in fact), wheels started turning. Off to TJ's to search and reconnoiter. This morning I took one look and decided I would try making gingerbread cookies out of these puppies. Why not?
It was easy to knead the lumps into a ball and roll out..

Pigs and rabbits here I come!

The dough comes with a packet of crytallized sugar for decor. I added in some cinnamon for extra umph...

The 1st batch came out rather pathetic but tasted fine :)

The 2nd batch was pas mal at all!

Instead of 12 fat chewy cookies I got 3 dozen plus crunchy, hard, quite tasty cookies...

For all of $2.99!

BIG MERCI Trader Joe's!

Granted my little ginger bunnies are a long way from Birdbaths gentlemen...

And I'll never sniff again at Eleni's gorgeous yellow taxis...

Miracle of miracles, baking these cookies did not turn me into a glutton!? Three cookies and I was satisfied. Did the baking aromas do the trick? Do I now dare to make homemake marshmallows?

You tell me? What have you been baking lately?

CHEERS!