Here you can see one of her floral arrangements, for the State Visit honoring Mexico, which sat in a hallway in the Residence of the White House, May 19, 2010.

A contractor works on floral arrangements for the State Dinner honoring President Felipe Calderón of Mexico and his wife, Mrs. Margarita Zavala, in the East Tradesman Entrance of the White House, May 19, 2010

White House Chief Floral Designer Laura Dowling arranges a bouquet in the Vermeil Room of the White House, Dec. 1, 2010.

Guests attend the State Dinner honoring President Hu Jintao of China in State Dining Room of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011.

Over the weekend the White House and all of it’s current and past occupants were saddened to hear the news of the passing of former White House chief florist Nancy Clarke.   Nancy Clarke’s floral designs graced the rooms of the Executive Mansion for 31 years, from the Carter to the Obama Administration.

In 1978, Nancy Clarke became a volunteer floral designer working side-by-side with the permanent staff to decorate the Executive Residence.  At the beginning of the Reagan Administration, in 1981, she became a full-time member of the White House Flower Shop staff under White House chief florist Dottie Temple .  In 1985, at the beginning the second term of President Reagan, following the retirement of Temple, she was hired as the White House Chief Floral Designer, a position she held until retiring on May 31, 2009.  For thirty-one years, she designed everything from simple bud vases to elaborate and formal State Dinners, coordinated and created all decor from the Christmas celebrations to the annual Easter Egg Roll. Nancy and all of her talent will be very missed – our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family.

Nancy Clarke did the flowers for this dinner in February of 2009, before she left the White House.

The exhibit is displayed November 18, 2011 – January 8, 2012. “The holidays come alive at the Reagan Library! Enjoy a tour through our winter wonderland featuring 24 trees decorated to celebrate the defining moments of America’s road to greatness, from the Revolutionary Era to today. Each tree reflects the life and times of American society and culture during each decade between 1700 and 2010, thus tracing the evolution of America. Through the use of lights, ornaments and decorations, each tree becomes its own piece of magnificent art. Also on display will be a collection of beautiful hand-crafted Menorahs that were given to President Reagan while in the White House.”  This truly is an exhibit to see and enjoy. Regular Museum charges apply. They are spectacular you can find more information and see photos of these holidays exhibits on their website at The Reagan Foundation.

In honor of talking about the Reagan library, I thought I would share another one of Mrs. Reagan’s recipes.
Nancy Reagan’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Recipes using McCormick’s Ground Cinnamon

4 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups canned or mashed cooked pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine all ingredients except pecans.
Pour into the pie shell – top with pecans.
Bake for 40 minutes or until set.

Roland recently came out with another great book-  A Sweet World of White House Desserts is available through the White House Historical Association  (see more about his book below).  The book should be on everyone’s gift list.

You can also see in person one of Chef Mesnier’s fabulous confectionary masterpieces at Mount Vernon at the home of our very first President. The replica of the Mansion was created from scratch and is  five feet wide and three feet tall. It includes such intricate details as works of art on walls, marzipan George and Martha Washington figures, and the grounds surrounding the Mansion.

If there was one place I would want to visit other than the White House at Christmas, Mount Vernon would certainly be at the top of my list, and  I can not think of a more appropriate time of year to visit than at Christmas.   They have an incredibly special tour at the home with the Candlelight tours, and more details and photos of these tours can be found below.

Historic Mount Vernon Sparkles with Holiday Cheer During Candlelight Tours
Tickets on Sale.  Event Dates: Nov. 25-27, Dec. 3 & 4, Dec. 10 & 11, and Dec. 17 & 18

MOUNT VERNON, Va. – Join “Mrs. Washington” as she hosts an enchanting evening of candlelight tours, fireside caroling, and hot cider and ginger cookies. Tours include merry music, and characters from Washingtons’ world guiding visitors through the first and second floors of the home, adding ambiance and authenticity to a traditional Christmas evening at Mount Vernon. By popular demand, an additional weekend has been added this year. The event takes place on November 25, 26 & 27 (Friday – Sunday), December 3 & 4 (Saturday – Sunday only), December 10 & 11 (Saturday – Sunday only), December 17 & 18 (Saturday – Sunday only) from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Starting November 1, tickets may be purchased in advance at the Ford Orientation Center (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily), or through www.MountVernon.org. Admission is $20 for adults and $14 for children under 12.

Visitors will also meet a cast of friends and family of the famous founding couple. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking, see Martha Washington’s Great Cake, and be given a complimentary copy of the recipe to try at home.  Following the Mansion tour, guests are invited to stroll candlelit walks, join in fireside caroling, and enjoy complimentary hot cider and cookies.

The Food Court at Mount Vernon is open during Candlelight Tours for fresh and convenient meals and special holiday treats. The Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, with its early-American fare and colonial servers, offers the perfect complement to the Mount
Vernon by Candlelight program. Reservations are suggested for this popular dining experience.

The Shops at Mount Vernon are open late during Mount Vernon by Candlelight. Twelve themed departments, including The Christmas Corner, abound with a broad selection of unique gift items including holiday ornaments, estate jewelry, and an exceptional selection of gifts for children.

The Shops, normally open 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily, are open until 9:30 p.m. during Mount Vernon by Candlelight.  No admission is required to shop.  Mount Vernon’s Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center will be closed during this evening event.

Events, programs, and activities are subject to change.

Public Information: 703-780-2000; 703-799-8697 (TDD); www.MountVernon.org

Without a doubt one of the largest attractions each holiday season at the White House is the annual gingerbread house.  Of course there had been gingerbread houses at the White House before the term of First Lady Patricia Nixon, but it was Pat Nixon along with Pastry Chef Hans Raffert (who later became Executive White House Chef) who made these tantalizing treats an annual White House tradition.  Chef Raffert’s Gingerbread Houses were a precious A-framed house that in later years began to add some special touches to reflect the current first family (i.e. jelly beans for President Reagan’s- his favorite candy, or including things such as the First Pet). They became so popular that during White House tours it actually became necessary to post a marine guard beside them to stop the quick hand (or teeth) of a child from grabbing a piece.

It was First Lady Barbara Bush however that ensured the tradition continued.  Following the retirement of Chef Raffert she was able to convince Executive White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier to make this most loved tradition.  (He was reluctant at first as he was such a good friend of Chef Raffert’s and he knew it was one of his favorite projects).  And made them he did- they were no longer the traditional A-framed house, but instead for his first Gingerbread house to be displayed in the State Dining Room was an actual snow village (and it even included a miniature version of First Lady Barbara Bush herself).  They continued to grow each year in both size and in spectacular detail.  It was during the term of First Lady Laura Bush that each year she requested that the gingerbread house actually represent the White House building or a structure in it’s architecture (something that still continues today).

Following the retirement of Chef Mesnier, current White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses continues to make the gingerbread house, a white chocolate house (covering the Gingerbread house entirely in white chocolate) making them the heaviest to date.  For the next several days we are going to visit some of these fabulous treats of the past!

So many people have already emailed that they love Mrs. Reagan’s monkey bread recipe – So I had to share another favorite! Barbara Bush’s fabulous chocolate chip cookies:

Barbara Bush’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

2 teaspoons vanilla

one 12-ounce package chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugars.

3.  Add eggs and beat well.

4.  In another bowl, sift flour, soda, and slat and add to butter mixture.

5.  Add oats, vanilla, and chocolate chips.

6.  Mix together well and drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

7.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies!

And, Nancy Reagan loved to have her monkey bread out at these holiday press previews …….. HAPPY BAKING !

• 6 ounces butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan
• 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring pan and work area
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces melted butter

1.  Butter and flour a 1-quart or larger ring mold or tube pan and set aside. Whisk the yeast with the milk in a large bowl. Whisk in 2 of the eggs and then the sugar, salt and 4 cups of the flour, switching to a spoon when the dough gets stiff. Stir in the softened butter and knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together in a ball. Turn out onto the work area and knead until it forms an elastic ball, sprinkling with and working in up to 1 cup more flour to keep dough from getting sticky. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

2.  Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work area. Roll dough into a log and cut into 28 equal-size pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, dip in melted butter and place in the prepared pan, staggering pieces in 2 layers. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat the remaining egg and lightly brush over the top of the bread. Bake until top is nicely browned and dough is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. (Test by turning out the loaf onto a rack; the bottom and sides should be nicely browned.) Turn upright on another rack to cool slightly before serving.

The décor that is certainly stealing the show for this year’s White House trimmings it without a doubt, Bo. The First Pet, a Portuguese Water Dog, is prominent this year. For the past two years Bo has been a favorite, there have been Christmas cookies of his likeness, he has appeared in the past two white chocolate gingerbread houses, and last year there was even a fabulous replica of the pooch made entirely of pipe cleaners. However this year he is in almost every room of the ground and State floors, ranging from a miniature licorice and marshmallow version to a felt design four-and-a-half feet tall.

America’s most famous canine has made an appearance in almost every room. “It’s sort of a ‘Where’s Bo?’” first lady Michelle Obama explained, “You’ve got to find the Bo in every room, because he’s hidden everywhere.”

In a web video released by the White House, floral designer Heather Cooper talks through the process of creating “Button Bo,” the smallest recreation. The faux dog is made of wire and tape completely surrounded by hand-glued buttons, beads and a few sequins.

The real Bo first arrived at the White House after great anticipation in April 2009 following President-Elect Obama’s promise to his girls on election night that they had earned a puppy to take to the White House. He is a neutered male Portuguese Water Dog that was given to him by the late Senator Ted Kennedy (who had one of his litter mates). The litter was named “Hope and Change” in honor of Obama’s victory. He was selected in part due to the President’s daughter Malia’s allergies, as Portuguese Water Dogs are considered hypoallergenic.

Mrs. Obama drew a laugh from the crowd yesterday when she said Bo, “the most famous member of the Obama family,” has been a little confused walking around the house and seeing himself in “gigantic form.”

Although we all might not be up to the task of creating such giant replicas of our own pets- one of my Mom’s most favorite Christmas trees (she has nine of them) is certainly her animal tree. It is an eight foot tree that from floor to ceiling is covered in different creatures of ours (many that have likenesses of our pets while I was growing up). At the base of the tree she surrounded it with Steiff stuffed animals- my favorite- a giant antique Steiff donkey. I think it is fun for my girls each year to choose an ornament of their favorite pet- and to sometimes write the name of the animal on the ornament. It is also fun to give that special someone an ornament each year of the same animal, building a collection for them. My good friend Rachel told me that her Mom each year gives her and her sisters each an animal ornament for Christmas (the same animal each year)- so while one of her sisters has a fabulous bear collection- she cherishes her lambs.

Tributes to America’s service members can be found throughout the home. There’s a special Christmas tree to honor the nation’s Gold Star families on the East Landing (entrance to the East Wing) that was decorated by Gold Star families themselves.   All visiting Gold Star families (those are families who have lost a family member) can inscribe a ceramic gold star to adorn the tree. The decor includes the names and photos of troops whose lives were lost and messages from their loved ones. “Each one showcases the strength and resilience that characterizes our Gold Star families,” Mrs. Obama continued, “they are heartfelt notes, like this one from a wife in East Peoria, Illinois. She wrote about her husband, saying, and this is — these are her words — ‘He never thought of himself as a hero, but he always was to me’. We wanted to rally all Americans to honor, recognize and support our military families……We wanted to make sure that never again would someone have to ask the question, ‘What is a Gold Star family, and what does that sacrifice mean?’ We all should know.”  I also love that that during the holiday season, White House visitors will be welcome to write notes to service members.

The Blue Room tree, an 18½-feet tall balsam fir (The official tree given by Sue and Tom Schroeder last Friday) has been decorated with letters from the country’s military children as well as medals, badges and patches from all the military branches.

One of the big stars this holiday however is certainly Bo, the First Family’s pet. The Portuguese water dog is in almost every room, ranging from a miniature licorice and marshmallow version to a felt design 4½-feet tall.  We are going to be taking a deeper look at all the décor of this year’s White House theme  “Shine, Give, Share,” and next we will focus primarily on all the Bo look-a-likes.

Watch the video of this year’s presentation on The White House Blog »

For more information on the National Christmas Tree Association, please visit
http://www.christmastree.org/whitehouse.cfm »