We decided to schedule Christmas EXTRA early and had our company party last Friday night. It was an intimate gathering of employees and their husbands. There was 22 of us, but enough food to feed about 100... YUMMY. We called it "heavy" appetizers and desserts. We even had sushi :-) It was a nice kick-off to the Holiday season and a time to reflect on the wonderful family that was started over 20 years ago by a very special woman, Dawn Hall.
Notice the quilts on the tables... (yes, Cherrywood is washable)
This is a photo of the food buffet before it was even full... cheese and crackers, dips, sushi, crab and cream cheese wontons, 2 kinds of meatballs and chicken wings, hot taco dip, an assortment of handmade truffles, almond bars, mini cheese cakes, a cream puff tower.... I can't even remember the rest....
Here is a super easy recipe for Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons:
1 tub chive and onion flavored cream cheese
8 oz. regular cream cheese
(2) 6 oz. cans of crab meat
1 package wonton wraps (found in the produce section by the tofu)
Mix cream cheese and crab together. Season with a little salt and celery salt. Lay out wonton wraps on parchment paper and put a dollop of crab mixture in the middle of each wrap. Dip finger in a bowl of water and wet two sides of the wonton. Fold over to form a half-square triangle (quilters term). Wet the two "arms" of the triangle and fold them over each other to form a little "pope's hat." PInch the wet tips to make sure everything is sealed up nice a tight. Use peanut oil in a deep fryer to fry wontons for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy....
These are the four women responsible for making those Cherrywood Bundles look so irresistible. Meet (front to back) Darla, Cindy, Deb and Arlo. These women take the wet fabric home after we dye it and use Rotary Irons (those old-fashioned manglers your mom used to use) to press and dry the fabric. Then they carefully check for flaws as they cut, fold, and package the fabric into nice, neat bundles. They are the quality control team of Cherrywood and we affectionately call them "The Manglers." We tried calling them "Rotary Iron Technicians" but it just didn't stick. We love them.
Here is the larger Cherrywood Gang. These are the women (and men) who make up the Cherrywood Team. Some work in the studio. Some work out of their homes. Some work at the Quilt Shows. All are great people who love their jobs and are proud of the work they do. What a great job I have..... :-)
AND there is an even LARGER Cherrywood family comprised of supportive spouses, "Show Girls" and a HUGE fan base of wonderful customers who give us ideas and inspirations all the time.
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cherrywood.
