WHAT: Tablescapes: Christmas on Carter Creek, hosted by The Woman’s Club
WHERE: 1200 Carter Creek Pkwy, Bryan
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10am to 6pm; Thursday, Nov. 19, 10am to 4pm
This year the Bryan College Station community can learn the art of tablescaping from local experts to create a memorable and festive table for the holidays.
Tablescapes: Christmas on Carter Creek is an event hosted by The Woman’s Club, a local organization that has served the B/CS community for more than 125 years. Molly Watson, a member of The Woman’s Club, is excited to introduce the community to this new event.
“The community can come view inspirational tables and designs by local community members throughout the Brazos Valley,” Watson says. “These designers will be florists, interior designers, and local furniture and boutique store owners,” she says. “Some Woman’s Club members will be hosting a table as well.”
This is the first tablescapes event hosted by The Woman’s Club, and it replaces the House & Garden Tour the club has organized in past years, says Watson. Proceeds from the event will support scholarships for local high school girls, the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, and other organizations in the B/CS community.
Businesses and vendors at the event include Post Oak Florist, Nita’s Flowers, Heartworks, Old Bryan Marketplace, and other local individual designers, says Watson.
Holiday raffle items include a hot chocolate cart from Brenham’s Hermann Furniture and two front door wreaths and a garland from local florist Tricia Barksdale.
Designers and local vendors will have contact information for any items that will be on display so visitors can purchase the unique and exclusive items they want to bring home for the holidays, says Watson.
The Woman’s Club started with 20 members and now has more than 230 members, according to Watson. The mission of the organization has remained the same, she says; its members are committed to civic, cultural, and educational responsibility.
“The past few months have offered us a different way of life, and that will soon be in the past,” Watson says. “We feel like this is the perfect time for the community to have a vibrant spirit of renewal, and we hope this event will offer welcomed feelings of change and excitement for the holidays. I know the spirit of anyone who enters the clubhouse will be lifted on those two days.”
English Toffee
Recipe provided by 2020-2021 Woman's Club President Carol Wagner
½ pound salted butter
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
3 bars milk chocolate (or chocolate chips)
½ cups blanched almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
Combine butter and sugar in a heavy 2-quart pan. Place over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until a small amount dropped in cold water is brittle (290 degrees on a candy thermometer).
Add 2/3 cup of almonds (avoid over stirring as this will cause mixture to sugar). Immediately pour into a 13 x 9 greased pan. Let stand until mixture is set but still warm.
Arrange candy bars on top of the warm toffee (broken into squares for easy spreading). Spread with a spatula as it melts. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds, which should be chopped smaller than the others. Press in lightly and let sit until completely cool. Break into irregularly shaped pieces.
