Sweet paul

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Dec 1st

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...".
We all know this song.
But do you know how to prepare chestnuts?
No?
Well you are in luck my friend.
Sweet Paul will tell you how.
First of all the chestnuts need to be firm to the touch and heavy in hand.
Use a knife and make a cross in the skin, just deep enough to penetrate it.
I like to put mine in a roasting pan filled with coarse salt.
Roast them in the oven at 350F(180C) for about 35 minutes.
While they are hot, remove the skin and they are now ready to enjoy dipped in a little salt.
Photo by Studio Dreyer Hensley

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 30th

I made this advent calendar for Country Living.
Its made of matchboxes and some scraps of paper.
Just hot glue the tops of empty boxes to one another so you get rows.
The bottom should be 9 and decrease by two until you have a single box.
Cut wrapping paper to cover each row, secure with hot glue.
Then hot glue the rows in a tree shape as shown.
I used small stamps to stamp the numbers on each box.
On top you can hot glue a star or a cut out like I did on this one.
Fill the boxes with candy and trinkets and you are ready to go.
Photo by Victor Schrager

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 29th

Today is the first sunday in advent.
The advent handles is a tradition in many european countries.
You light up one candle every sunday until christmas.
In norway where Im from we even had a poem we say when we light them.
This is my take on a advent candle.
Its 4 old clay pots from the garden that I first fillet with dry oasis.I use the one for dry flowers, not the green kind.
Then stick your candles in and place wet moss all around.
Remember that the moss must always be wet when you light the candles and that you never leave these candles alone.
Photo by Studio Dreyer Hensley

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 28th

Today is all about the birds.
When I had a garden I always fed the birds.
One year I made this nut star for them.
Its a store bought ready made straw star.
Not only was it great for the birds, but it also looked pretty hanging in a tree.
This is how you make it:
Melt about 1/2 cup lard in a pan.
Let it cool off enough that I could use a brush and sort of paint it on to the star.
Then before the lard cooled I stuck walnuts, hazelnuts etc into the lard.
The nuts are great for the birds as are the lard.
Hang it in a tree with a metal wire.
When the nuts are all gone you can always take it in and fill it up with nuts again.
Photo by Studio Dreyer Hensley

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 27th

I created this photo wreath for the latest issue of Country Living.
I though it was a really nice way to display your photos.
You need a wire wreath, photos( if you don't want to use your originals, make photo copies on thick craft paper) and a hot glue gun.
Place the wreath on a table and add the photos, so that you can move them around and see what looks best.
Then glue them on and your wreath of memories is ready.
Photo Victor Schrager

Happy thanksgiving!

I hope you all have the fab'est thanksgiving ever!
Love
Paul

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 26th

I made these lollipop cookies for my niece one christmas years ago.
After that its been a tradition in my family to make these.
They are the perfect holiday gift. 4 of these wrapped in cellophane with a pretty ribbon.
Such a cute gift.

Maple syrup stars
Makes about 25

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons maple syrup
powdered sugar
water
25 lolipop sticks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and maple syrup. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll out the dough to a thin layer and cut out stars, and place onto un-greased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
Mix powdered sugar and water to a thick frosting.
Fill in a piping bag with a small tip and frost all around the stars.
Sprinkle with décor sugar.
Melt a little sugar in a pan and use that as glue to glue the sticks to the back of the cookies.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski

In the paper!

I was asked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet to pick out 3 advent candles for their sunday magazine.
Advent candles is something we do in Scandinavia. Its usually a candlestick with 4 candles and we light up one candle every sunday before christmas.
I wanted to find some alternative sticks this time.
Not all of us have the need to fill our home with to much christmas junk, so I though these 3 was a good mix.
I really want those dolls heads.
Maybe a christmas present for little old me?
I have been a very good boy!

Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown Nov 25th

Im very proud to welcome you all to Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown.
Everyday until dec 25th will be a new fun craft, recipe or something even more fun!
Todays craft idea is for all of those of us that don't have that much space and still want a tree.
You need 34 white paper cupcake liners, double sided tape and a glitter star.
Tape the cupcake liners to your wall in a tree formation and finish it off with taping a star on top.
You now have a very modern and might I say so, a fab christmas tree.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski

Only one day now!

Only one day boys and girls to the start of Sweet Paul's Holiday Countdown"
From tomorrow I will post a new fun craft idea, recipe or something fun everyday.
So make Sweet Paul your pal now in the holiday season.

Also want to say thank you to Bradford over at "The bedlam of beefy" blog.
Thanks for a great design.