Dreaming Of A Downtown Christmas...

My Downtown Monroe Christmas List:

My Little Charlie Brown Tree

-For ANY kid: Elf On The Shelf can be purchased at Man In The Moon Books @ 133 S. Broad Street for $30. This is the cutest gift and unlike many children's gifts, it will be used year after year.
-For the gardener: Pick up some gardening tools and seeds at Buckles Hardware Company @ 113 N. Broad Street. Stick them in a galvanized tin bucket and top with a bow! Its a practical gift that any gardener will appreciate.
-For the chef: A gift certificate for a Honey General Store Co-Op Box of course! For just $25 you can introduce your friend to an organic cooking experience that they might just share with you!
-For the aspiring yogi: Classes at Shapes Yoga Studio are a great way to destress after the Holiday frenzy. Men and women enjoy yoga, pilates, and balance ball classes geared toward beginners. There is even a pre-natal yoga group for all moms-to-be!
-For the aunt who loves pink: Sugar Free Pink Flamingo Chocolates from Merle Norman @ 121 S. Broad Street. Yummy! Bring her in for a makeover too!
-For the architecture lover: Houses of the Founding Fathers, a coffee table book filled with beautiful homes and outstanding architecture. $50 at Man In The Moon Books.
-For your favorite niece: A Vera Bradley Miller Tote in the Cambridge pattern from Clara Belle's Monogramming & Gifts @ 117 N. Broad Street.
-For your wife, mom or basically ANY woman on your list: A spa gift certificate for Roxy Salon & Spa! They can enjoy their choice of services and you pick the dollar amount! This gift is flexible, relaxing, and luxurious.
-For your husband/boyfriend/dad: Help him get his caffeine fix and free wireless internet access at the Blue Marley Cafe on the corner of Washington Street and S. Broad Street. You choose the dollar amount for a gift card that they can use all year!
-Last minute Christmas Decor: Check out all of the beautiful trees, wreaths, and ornaments at Once Upon A Season @ 127 N. Broad Street. These ladies can help you decorate your entire home for your Christmas festivities!
-For your little ballerina: Dance, gymnastics, or art lessons from Ballet On Broad at 132 N. Broad Street are a great way to get the kids moving! You'll find something for every age group. They also have great clothes, dance accessories, and toys!
-Oysters Anyone? Do you have an oyster tradition for Christmas Eve (raw oysters, fried oysters, oyster dressing, oyster stew)? If you don't, start one this year! Visit CCS Fresh Seafood Market @ 129 N. Broad Street for the freshest seafood around. Their sock-eyed salmon, halibut, and shrimp are incredible too!
-For the too-cool little brother: A recycled onion bag wallet for $10 by Jocelyn at Honey General Store and a Johnny Cash CD from Stan's Music & Sound @ 139 S. Broad Street.
-For the art lover: Local art is an incredible gift...to the recipient, to the artist, and to your community. Honey General Store features art from Leslie Moody, Susan Pelham, Becca Blair, Jacqueline Delker, and Sarah Howard, who are all Monrovians. Many of the other downtown businesses display pieces from our local artists, so stroll through downtown and check them all out! The Gilded Lily @ 123 N. Broad Street displays and frames many of these unique local pieces. Make sure you stop at the Monroe Art Guild as well.
-For the foodie: You can't go wrong with a gift certificate to Twisted Oak Woodfire Grill. Contemporary American food at it's finest with great a wine selection, too!
-For the out of town guests: If you're having guests from out of town consider booking them a suite at The Wayfarer Hotel in downtown Monroe. Give your guest room a rest!
-The ultimate gift: Own a piece of Monroe! If you're looking to move to Monroe or really surprise your family, stop by Broad Street Realty @ 118 N. Broad Street to buy this fully renovated 1930's cottage. With 4 fireplaces, you can hang all of your stockings! This 3 bedroom/3 full bath home is at 716 East Church Street and was renovated by Draper Construction Company. Call 770-601-7992 to view the house! Pictures coming soon!

Cold(er) weather is coming...What are you knitting?

October begins the second month of Honey General's weekly Knit Cafe on Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m. So we would like to know...what are you knitting for this winter? What crafts do you share with your friends and family during Christmas? Has anyone tried to knit the red bikini in the Stitch 'n Bitch book? If so, what happens when you take a swim?
Alice is finishing up her final (for now) pair of socks to tackle a few projects that require less brain power. Rose went back to crocheting after one very interesting lesson on knitting. I have set a goal for myself to complete one scarf per week from now until Christmas. That leaves me with ten scarves. The first one is an oatmeal colored angora 4" scarf with very, very, very small stitches. Friends and family, please put in your color requests now. :) Maybe next year someone will get a sweater or a yoga bag tote!
If you're knitting or stitching or crocheting alone, come and join our group! If you are a beginner, we can help you with the basics! See you soon!

Yum! Plums!

Plum Sorbet!

Plum sorbet...a sweet way to end any summer meal! Sorbet is a a flavored syrup with a slushy consistency that contains no dairy. Serve this treat in a chilled martini glass or small ice cream dish. Garnish with an sugared orange peel twist and mint leaves!

Plum puree:
3 cups ripe red fleshed plums
1 cup boiling water
2 cups superfine sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick

Plum Puree: Place the boiling water and sugar in a saucepan and stir them together until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick and plums to the syrup and place the saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring the syrup to a simmer and reduce the temperature slightly. Leave the plums to cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and remove the plums with a slotted spoon and leave them and the syrup to cool. Cut the plums in half and remove the pits from them. Roughly dice the plums and place them in a food processor or blender and puree them with cooking syrup. Set the puree aside until well cooled.

Sorbet: Place the puree and syrup in an ice cream machine and allow it to churn until the mixture becomes firm. Place the sorbet in a well sealed freezer proof container and freeze until ready to serve. If you don't have an ice cream machine place it in a freezer proof sealed container and place it in the freezer for 1 hour then remove it and stir, then return to the freezer and take it out and stir it every 30 minutes for 2 hours then freeze it until ready to serve. Remove the sorbet from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.