CROSBY & TAYLOR GIVEAWAY & RUM RAISIN SHORTBREAD


Musical pairing – Silver Bells by Jim Brickman

WE HAVE A WINNER!  TRACY, who said, ‘I love the pewter measuring cups and the dog treat jars at Crosby & Taylor!’

Tracy, contact me with your address so I can get this beautiful measuring spoon set out to you!

I have a confession to make: I have a thing for handmade artisan pieces whether it’s pottery, glass, paintings or other types of handcrafted art. I worked for a famous singer/songwriter years ago who said, ‘When someone handcrafts a piece of work, they give a part of their soul into whatever it is they’ve created – that piece is a part of the artist.’ Those words have stayed with me and describe the kinds of pieces I want surrounding me in my home.

So when the lovely folks at Crosby & Taylor asked if I’d like to give away a set of their beautiful handcrafted pewter measuring spoons . . . well let’s just say, that I was more than thrilled! If you take a look at their website, you’ll find not only pewter measuring spoons, but also measuring cups, ceramic coffee canisters, salt pots, even beautiful garlic pots. I also discovered that the owners live in Eugene, Oregon and I’m formerly a West Coast girl. Ironically the owner is originally from Northern Indiana and I now live in central Indiana – funny connections in a small world!

Here’s the deal – I have one set of gorgeous measuring spoons and stand in the Dragonfly pattern to give away to one lucky Smith Bites reader – and even though you’ll feel like they’re too pretty to use, I’m certain you’ll reach for them again and again! To enter all you have to do is:

Leave me one comment telling me what is your most favorite Christmas gift (or however you celebrate your season) you ever received.

For multiple entries, you can:

  1. Become a fan of Crosby & Taylor on Facebook; come back and leave a separate comment
  2. Visit the Crosby & Taylor website and tell me which of their beautiful products would you like to be using in your kitchen; come back and leave a separate comment; you must leave separate comments for each additional entry to qualify

The giveaway ends midnight EST on Wednesday, December 22nd; I will ship the winner their beautiful Dragonfly set and stand right away but it is unlikely you’ll receive before Christmas – so think of this as a New Year’s gift – and what a way to begin the New Year!! NOTE: Because of customs, this contest is open to US residents only and will be chosen using Random.org. Good Luck everyone!

Now on to the cookies ~ here’s another short and sweet post for a terrific Rum-Raisin Shortbread Cookie from the new Martha Stewart Cookie App for the iPad – and let me just say, that is one super cool app, Martha!

The plus is that these cookies come together fairly quickly and then you simply slice, bake and enjoy!  You do need to plan ahead just a teensy bit to soak the currants overnight – and do use currants instead of raisins – the cookies are smaller and currants just plain work better here.  Perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday cookie trays, a gift platter or buffet table.  And the taste? Oh. My. Stars. And. Garters.  These are swoon-worthy!!

COMMENTS CLOSED:

126 Comments

  1. And I’d love to have one of their coffee canisters!

  2. My favorite present was a stuffed panda teddy bear that Santa brought on the firetruck one Christmas eve. My dad was a fireman in a small town, and every Christmas Eve Santa would visit the families of the firemen, riding the fire truck, and bringing a gift to open that night. It was such a great tradition. The families usually gave Santa a drink to keep him warm in the snow, so he was pretty tipsy by the end of the night

  3. I would love the Pistachio Canisters from their website. They are lover-ly!

  4. I like Crosby and Taylor on Facebook

  5. This year I have a 7 week old and I would say that this has got to be the BEST Christmas gift ever!

  6. So far my best Christmas present would be last year – we got a stellar deal on a foreclosed home that we actually looked at about 5 yrs previous. Then again, fourteen years ago our first son was born a few weeks before Christmas and although he technically wasn’t a present, it was a pretty sweet deal too!!

  7. My most favorite….it was probably this stuffed white tiger. I don’t know why I loved it so much…but I remember getting this swell if excitement when I got to the top of the stairs Christmas morning.

    I guess I was around five or so, but it feels like it happened yesterday…

  8. Oh & the item from the site that I’m drooling over are the pewter Fleur de Lys measuring cups with the pewter display. Stunning!

  9. Best Christmas Present Ever? Hmm… I don’t really have a present per se but overall it’s the memories of sitting with the family looking up at the twinkling lights of the tree. I do the same thing now with my own kids.

  10. I love the Bird Measuring Cups with Pewter Post on their website. Besutiful.

  11. I am a facebook fan of Crosby & Taylor

    Liz Kelley Lanza

  12. My greatest Christmas gift was the birth of our first son, born in 1998.

  13. I thought the measuring spoons were my favorite, but after going to their website I think I have changed my mind to the salt pots!!!

  14. This post is my all time favorite for so many reasons. I love how you gave a glimpse of who you really are and what is special in your life. I also admire your love for artisan hand crafted artwork. I couldn’t agree more that the soul of the artist is in each piece (being and artist, I know this first hand). As for my favorite Christmas gift: I am hoping that will be this year’s. Our very sick little Boston terrier is in emergency care. Nothing would make a better gift than to have her home quickly, healthy and happy. Nothing.

  15. Choosing something from their site that I would like to be using in my kitchen is like asking me to pick a favorite child! Okay, okay…ummm…I’m loving their salt cellars, so how about their fish salt cellar? Wait, I love the bird salt cellar too! Aaaaargh, it’s too hard! Do I really have to pick just one?

  16. I’m a fan of Crosby & Taylor on Facebook!

  17. My favorite Christmas gift I’ve ever received was the birth of my oldest daughter about a week before Christmas. Her arrival was a bit scary and holding her in my arms was an incredible moment, and one that I cherish.

  18. Great giveaway!! I love this recipe and will make this weekend. Favorite gift was a bracelet my daughter bought at school gingerbread gift shop for $2.lol 😉

  19. I checked out their amazing products and love the ceramic coffee canisters with the matching spoon, especially the heart series. Gorgeous. I too love artisan products and when I became an artisan milliner I really began to appreciate and understand artisan work and now search it out.

  20. First of all, gorgeous cookies and photos! These are truly festive cookies perfect for the holidays! Favorite Christmas gift? Once and only once, my parents gave us each one gift on Christmas thinking we’d feel left out otherwise. Mine was a stuffed tiger. I loved, absolutely loved that tiger until all of its stuffing fell out. I’ll never forget it. And my husband once offered me a stunning handmade ring of sterling silver with a huge porcupine ball of silver spikes of sterling and champagne pink crystal beads. Gorgeous! I treasure it!

  21. I checked out the Crosby & Taylor site and would love the heart measuring cups.

  22. I became a fan of Crosby & Taylor on facebook.

  23. My most favorite Christmas gift ever is a white ceramic turkey platter I received from my mom.

  24. Rum raisin shortbread sounds just delightful! I have all the ingredients I need too! Yay! As for favorite holiday gift? My parents bought me a beautiful diamond necklace a few years ago that I still treasure deeply. Thank you for sharing with me week after week!