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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Nuts About Winter

What's It Wednesday #106

Happy 2014 everyone! We hope everyone had a fabulous and safe holiday.


Winter time always reminds me of my dear grandmother. She would bring fresh pecans from her many trees. Well the ones that weren't taken by squirrels that is. She would make delicious pies with some, whip up a batch of pralines or fold them into her fabulous cakes. My absolutely favorite thing she would do would be to shell a cup full then pour light Karo corn syrup over the top. She would hand us a spoon and we would go to town. I just shared that concoction with my kids over the holidays and I got all cool points for that simple desert. 


Winter time was when my grand-mother would introduce all kinds of nuts to us. Nuts were  part of the souvenirs she would bring back from her many travels. My cousins and I  loved when she brought us pistachios and now my kids are addicted to them as well. Brazil and chestnuts were some of my favorites. She would chop up and toast almonds, cashews, and walnuts then sprinkle them on top of our hot cereals. When she made homemade ice cream she would add hazelnut and macadamias. 


Also during the holidays, nuts were found all around the house in various silver or porcelain dishes with some type of candy near by from peppermint candy canes to various types of chocolates. You had candy in one hand and nuts in the other. The objective was to bite a bit of candy and add nuts to your mouth at the same time. Delightful!


This winter I decided to continue this tradition by displaying nuts for our holiday guest to partake at will. At Ivy & Elephants, we love our antique Bride's Baskets. You can find them in silver or silver and glass. I have them all over the house. I use them to display tea towels, silverware, guest soaps, shells, candies, and now nuts. They also make beautiful Easter baskets for around the house. 


Now you know why I am nuts about winter. 

What is your favorite nut? Keep warm and safe out there!


xoxoxo

Paula

Thanks to all of you who partied with during our last linky party! Please link-up and join us again! Remember, it's not a party without you!




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Ivy and Elephants



We are partying with these fine folks:
Come show off your whatchamacallits, what is its, what it once was, and "hey, look what I just did" posts. In other words, what you created, organized, designed or re-designed, found, purchased, transformed, inherited, re-purposed, renovated, are selling, or giving-away.


52 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, ladies! Thanks for hosting!

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  2. Happy New Year! I enjoyed seeing your silver baskets loaded with nuts and your stories about them. Thanks so much for hosting.

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  3. Oh I love those lovely bowls. I do so like too,the way you title your posts.So quirky to match the content. Lovely memories of your Grandmother. They were certainly precious and made impressions on our lives for sure. Happy New Year

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  4. we always had nuts and sweets on our Christmas table displayed in nice dishes too. I tried to keep away from it this year - too much food! Although I didn't bring out a nice crystal cake stand to put on some post dinner bites.
    Have a wonderful 2014.

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  5. Oh my, love your silver bowls! They are absolutely gorgeous! I'm a silver nut! My favorite one to eat is a cashew!

    I'm back to blogging and it's been fun being back a few days. I'll looking forward to the party.

    Nancy

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  6. Hey sweet ladies, I missed you last week, so here to wish you and yours a wonderful 2014, with love and many blessings your way. Your silver baskets are awesome with the nuts and what you've told us about it. Thank you for all the fun at What's it Wed. all of 2013 as well.
    FABBY

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  7. I'm 'nuts' for nuts too, but not nearly as much as my husband. That's his snack every night. If he runs out, he's depressed lol. I guess that's a good thing. They say people who eat nuts live longer :).

    Thanks for hosting ladies and I hope you had a lovely holiday!

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  8. What a wonderful tradition. I remember a dish my grandmother always had on her table. It was an amber cut glass dish with a lid and was always full of peanuts. My favorites are cashews and pistachios.

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  9. I love nuts too a healthier almonds are one of my favorites. Thanks for hosting and hope your new year is off to a great start, Laura

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  10. Your collections never cease to amaze me. Thanks for hosting.

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  11. Happy New Year, Girls!! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Thanks for hosting!!
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  12. Happy New Year and thanks for hosting. Linda@Wetcreek Blog and Wetcreek Museum Blog

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  13. I love nuts also. We always had a crystal dish with mixed nuts in the shells and had nut crackers and would crack the nuts and eat them.
    I was surprise when I went to my son's house for Christmas that he had a bowel of walnuts to crack. He recently separated and she never had nuts setting around. So I guess that he remembered some of our traditions - made me feel good that he remembered.
    I love black walnuts.
    I hope that your Christmas and New Years were wonderful and I wish you the best for 2014.
    Mary

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  14. I love nuts and pecans are one of my favorites. I love pecan pie. Never heard of eating them with corn syrup. I'm sure it's tasty. Thanks for hosting.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  15. Paula, your nuts look like special offerings in those pretty silver baskets. My favorite nut is an almond, though pecans run a close second. Thanks for hosting.

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  16. Love your silver baskets and nuts are my favorite snack for Christmas. Eating way too many pecans, but they are good for you. Love that you are remembering your sweet Grandmother with your traditions now.
    As always, thanks for hosting a fun party. Love your features too.
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasuers

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  17. So happy you are back! Love your Nut Post! Ill be posting a Link Party for Friday tomorrow.. its my very first Ill send you an invite.

    Take Care Maria http://simplenaturedecorblog.com

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  18. Oh such pretty bowls, they are so handy, that's the kind of decorating I like, beautiful! I love macadamia and almonds, but pretty much all of them :) Thanks for hosting us!

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  19. Your bowls are all so pretty. I love brazil nuts and macadamia nuts. Cashews are a favourite too. Thanks for hosting and Happy New year!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  20. So nice to have you back! Hope you had a nice Christmas. Thanks for hosting the party.

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  21. Thanks for hosting and Happy New Year.

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  22. Thanks for hosting! I love how you displayed all the nuts. Happy New Year

    Shannon ~ bohemianjunktion.com

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  23. Happy New Year Gals! Pecans are my very favorite but after reading your blog I better go try some more! My kids are not nut fans. What neat memories you have of your grandmother and so glad your kids like nuts. Your bowls are so pretty.
    Thanks for hosting and have a great week.
    Gina

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  24. Your candy and nut dishes are gorgeous! Pretty features too....Christine

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  25. Love your nut dishes! We're a "nutty" family here too...and pecan is our favorite! Thanks for hosting and Happy New Year!
    Ruth

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  26. Paula, thank you for reminding me of such warm memories of my great grandmother and her travels. She also returned with nuts and we would sit around on the floor around her chair sharing the nuts while she told us stories about her latest adventures. I had forgotten about those special times. Happy New Year to you!

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  27. Hi Paula and Patti,
    Hope you both had a lovely Christmas and that your New Year will be beautiful in every way.........
    and Paula I am crazy about nuts too.
    I pretty much love them all, the one I probably use the most is pecans,
    but I adore pistachios. We eat nuts year round, but I remember my Mom
    and Grandmother always having a bowl of mixed nuts especially at christmas time. Loved your story about your Grandmother and what she did with all the nuts, aren't those just such great memories.
    They all looked so pretty in your
    silver basket too.
    Well, thanks for hosting this fun party........
    Blessings for a Great New Year,
    Nellie

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  28. Hi, Happy New Year to you and all your followers:) I'm sooooo happy to be featured in your so prestigious and elegant party...All of your things are pleasure for the eyes and mind:)
    Thank you for hosting, Hugs, Marinela

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  29. Thanks for the party and wishing you a blessed New Year!

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  30. Happy New Year, ladies, and thanks for hosting!
    Rita C. at Panoply

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  31. Thanks for hosting AND a big thank you for featuring my metallic paint mirror. Happy 2014!

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  32. Our sweet Grandmothers was the best
    My grandmother and I went to the woods and picked up hickory nuts to put in candies. That and pecans was only nut I knew till I was an adult
    I love Pecan's first then pistachio's
    I always have nuts around my house however not always in pretty silver bowls

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  33. Thank you so very much for the lovely feature!

    I am beginning a new series on Fridays and would love to have you as a contributor. The details are on my blog today.

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  34. Thank you so very much for the lovely feature!

    I am beginning a new series on Fridays and would love to have you as a contributor. The details are on my blog today.

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  35. Thank you for hosting! Happy 2014! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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  36. Happy New Year Ladies! thank you for hosting!

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  37. Never met a nut I didn't like! Thanks for the party, Happy New Year! ~Ann
    Tarnished Royalty

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  38. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  39. Happy New Year and many blessings in 2014!! And thanks for hosting dear ladies!!
    Big hug!! :)

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  40. I love nuts! I grew up among English Walnut trees and Almond trees in central California. They were neglected and all nuts were mine for the gathering. My favorite are walnuts. I love them baked into anything!! My grandmother always brought us M&M's when they visited (we saw them almost every week). My tradition when our grandchildren were small was to bring an edible treat of some sort. Nuts often filled the bill! Pistachios of course!

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  41. Happy New Year, Patti and Paula! Cute post…the bride's baskets are so versatile, and make everything look so elegant.

    I love nuts, especially pistachios, peanuts, and pecans! You can make wonderful things from pecans…yum!

    Thanks for hosting!

    xo,
    RJ

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  42. I LOVE nuts, and yours are displayed so beautifully! Happy 2014! :)
    Susan

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  43. Happy new year!!!I like to read about your sweet memories and about nuts.I love your gorgeous baskets and how you displayed them.
    Kisses
    Alessandra

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  44. Beautiful and so elegant! Lovely memories of grandmother too, dear Paula...
    I definitely love nuts...hazelnut flavored anything is my favorite. :)
    Love and blessings...and a big thank you HUG to dear Patti for the sweet Christmas and New Year message!!
    xoxoxo

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  45. Such a lovely tradition to enjoy various nuts served in pretty dishes. I like the sweet candy bite with a salty nut together.

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  46. Oh my... hands down pecans are my very favorite. I have a bowl of them in my kitchen right now with an adorable stainless squirrel nut cracker next to the bowl. Don't think winter would be winter without the enjoyment of cracking open a nut.
    Vera

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  47. Thanks for the party. Have a good week. Tina

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  48. Hi lovely lady.
    Thanks so much for hosting your linky party for us. I hope you and your family had a wonderful New Year.
    xxoo
    Diane

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  49. I LOVE cashews!! I have to limit myself as to how many to eat or I get out of control LOL! At the holidays my Mother always had a large wooden nut bowl with nuts in the shell. There were tools in the center to open the shells. And on Christmas Eve there would be thin ribbon candy and a box of chocolates on the table with the nut bowl. Mmmmm wonderful memories.

    Blessings, Edie Marie

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  50. You really need to start your post with disclaimers... I was so mismerized with your lovely pieces around the tables that I missed the text and the nuts subject. Then I had to go all over again and start paying attention ahahahahah
    I love Macadamia and Cajus. Also love pistachios. Nuts are indeed one of the best things you can have. On a daily basis. You should also have a nut or two in your life to make it insteresting ahahaha but here opinions are divided.
    I'm nut by your parties. I might return to munch a nut or two or maybe not because those thumbs are to die for.
    Love and Wishes of a Fabulous New Year!
    T

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  51. Your dishes are perfect! We have pecan trees and love having them during the winter - great post! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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Thank you so much for your comments! We enjoy hearing from you.