In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from  Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, consider taking part of this fun event. It is a chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.  

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Starting with some super special gifts…

If you follow this site, you may remember that we said goodbye to our Osky Boy back in November. To my surprise, I got this beautiful artwork in the mail, from Veronica, who does not even know me in real life. We’ve been friends online for a very long time and she is an amazing artist. She captured the essence of Oscar in a way that was incredibly touching. Thank you, we are framing this to showcase in our home.

These amazing pottery pieces were a gift from Marlyn, former cookie decorator wizard, turn Pottery Art Extraordinaire. The teacup has a tiny little frog peeking from the bottom and I adore it. This was a gift that left me speechless when I opened the package. Thank you, not only for the gift, but for everything you taught me over the years. I never get tired of seeing your beautiful productions online, and now I am the proud owner of some of them!

And my special gift to Phil…

His Birthday is December 27th, which happens to be the day we met in a lab at Institut Pasteur. Years went by, we got married, and lived again in Paris, where Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots were part of our routine. Our dear friend Alain and his wife Corinne gave us little coffee cups from Cafe de Flore more than 10 years ago. I decided to splurge and get this set of cappuccino cups to celebrate his day.

A call from the past. On my Birthday, March 2007.

In our kitchen…

These were a joint acquisition, I got the small cast iron first, Phil loved it so much he went ahead and splurged on a bigger version. They are both from Field company, and super high quality. We are using them almost daily now.

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In our kitchen…

This is a fun gadget that Phil installed. He had it for years, probably bought at a flea market somewhere, it is a bottle opener and works like a charm. With a vintage look, to match the owners of our home (wink, wink).

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In our kitchen…

Ready to eat (or use) chestnuts. They came in very handy to make a special dessert that should be featured in the blog soon. Stay tuned. Ordering info here.

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In our kitchen…

This pan was recommended by a food blogger I follow. They are perfect for egg muffins, or any kind of muffin you bake. Non-stick, easy to clean, bake perfectly without the need to line or grease. I am in love! Ordering info here.

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In our kitchen…

This is a very tasty chutney, recommended by Amber, a cookie decorating artist I’ve been following for a long time. Available here. I put it to use in two different types of cookies, will blog about them hopefully soon.

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Speaking of cookies, I have three little cookie-related things to close this post with…

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In our kitchen…

This set of cutters is simply adorable! Available from amazon (click here). It will work not only for the cookie itself, but also if you like to cut rolled fondant or rolled buttercream to decorate. Very handy for Christmas cookies, as you can see in this post.

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In our kitchen…

These are new products by SugarArt, natural food colors. They aren’t cheap, but they provide a good alternative for food dye using exclusively natural pigments.

In our kitchen…

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I saved the best for last. This is the best acquisition ever if you are a cookie decorator! I am so in love with it, I don’t know how I lived without it. Seriously. You stick the bag with icing through the opening and slide it down. It comes out with the tape neatly closed around it. No mess, no struggle with bands. Works also with bigger bags of buttercream if you need. Available at amazon (click here). The tape is not sold with it, must be ordered separately.

So that’s all for now, my friends! We wish you a wonderful New Year, and….

Well, with the New Year I was hoping to do things differently but apparently the furry friends feel the need to bark their piece…. So be it… Let’s see what they’ve been up to.

But truth is, with the holidays and the fireplace going inside, we have perfected
The Art of the Snooze!

Every once in a while, we manage to circumvent the sophisticated security system of The Kingdom and take a nap where we really belong.

Unfortunately, for the most part the Door to Nirvana is kept annoyingly closed, which forces Royalty to sit, stare and show his displeasure.

But Prince is not the only one to stir trouble in our peaceful palace. Star decided to destroy a very important cookie decorating tool: textured parchment paper. Guilty on all counts.

This was the last cookie made with the murdered paper…
A moment of silence, please and thank you…

In her defense, she seems ashamed and apologetic, so yeah, all forgiven for the time being…

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Together, the two Black Dotted Heroes can create quite a bit of chaos…

And make dinner preparation a bit tricky…

But even with all the trouble, the pups are a ton of fun and keep the Humans happy, either watching their favorite shows on TV….

Or playing a super fun ball game…

Santa decided that they’ve been nice enough to get new toys for Christmas….

And maybe even an invitation to sit at our table….

This is the first time in many many years that our beloved Grumpy Terrier is not around. We miss him, and share one of the last pictures of him, just a few days before he crossed The Rainbow Bridge.

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That is all for now, friends! We hope 2026 will be a kind year for all of you, and for us here as well at The Kingdom of Tatarrax… See you when Spring starts!

ONE YEAR AGO: Happy New Year in my Kitchen!

TWO YEARS AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen, 2024

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, January 2023

FOUR YEARS AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen!

SIX YEARS AGO: Happy 2020 In My Kitchen!

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Happy 2019 In My Kitchen!

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Happy New Year In My Kitchen!

NINE YEARS AGO: Happy New Year In My Kitchen!

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen: Happy New Year!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: And another year starts…

TWELVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen: January 2014

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Tacos with Pork in Green Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:  Maui New Year!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Natural Beauty

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Rye

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