Sugared Cranberry Mini Tarts
Cranberries! I’ve been craving them. I love the tart flavor. They’re gorgeous to look at. But outside of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, and maybe a handful of Craisins when we make granola, I never use them in recipes. I mean never. I buy them to put in vases for flower arrangements, but I don’t have a single recipe that calls for cranberries. So if you’re like me, you might love this cranberry-focused recipe that’s perfect for holiday entertaining.
Look how cute these mini-tarts are?! I love that the sugared cranberries look like they have a coating of frost. So cute!
…94 Awesome Gift Ideas for Teens
Your #1 most requested gift guide category? Teens! This gift guide includes 94 options — and over 50 of those are $20 or under. Lots of great stocking stuffers too.
My own teens were a huge help figuring out what to put on this list. There’s something here for every type of teen you can think of. I’ve got all the Breakfast Club stereotypes covered, and a whole bunch more as well. Shopping for Tweens? There are quite a few items on this list that I know tweens would love as well.
Let’s get started.
…The 8 Most Helpful Thanksgiving Links
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. For me, this has been the fastest November in history and I keep thinking I still have weeks to go.
This year, because we live in France, we’ll be modifying our usual menu a bit. We’ll order mini-croissants and a Tarte Normande from our nearby bakery — they will replace our dinner rolls and apple pie. And we’re skipping cranberry sauce. Why? Because we can’t find it here. Hahaha.
Are you hosting this year? Thinking about what dishes you’ll prepare? Here are 8 super helpful links to get you started:
…DIY: Monogram Mugs
Here’s a gift you will love to make and your friends will love to receive. Our daughter, Maude, made these fantastic monogrammed mugs over a weekend. Don’t they look terrific? The idea came when we saw some cool-looking initial cups at Anthropologie and remembered our kitchen was lacking in hot cocoa mugs. We decided to create a whole set.
It’s a very doable project. Inexpensive. Eco-friendly. And family-friendly too — these mugs are dishwasher safe. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
…Post It Calendar How To
I love a pretty wall calendar in my office, but since 2009, our main family calendar has been built each month on the kitchen bulletin board. We use Post-its.
I created our first Post-it when our oldest, was very young and couldn’t comprehend how many days it was until Halloween. The distinct squares helped him understand — and we crossed out each day as we went along. But it ended up being so functional and helpful, that we’ve made it a permanent fixture in our dining area.
…Tomato Basil Soup Recipe — For Stovetop or Crockpot
When I lived in New York, my friend Sara invited me to lunch at her house, and while we chatted she made grilled cheese sandwiches and warmed up a yummy box of tomato soup from Trader Joes. I adore this meal. It’s on my list of comfort meals for sure. But until Sara served it to me, I had considered it too plebian or boring for guests.
I had a lovely shift in thinking that day. Why wouldn’t I serve this comforting, beloved meal? And why stress out about a fancy meal, when I can be relaxed and enjoy my company — and serve a known crowd-pleaser at the same time? All of sudden, I could invite people over for lunch and it didn’t have to be a big deal. Which means I was more likely to invite someone over in the first place!
I hope it’s safe to say, most people love tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s definitely a favorite around our house. I can tell you I am fully on board with boxed soup, but for today’s recipe in my Crockpot & Slow Cooker Series, it’s all about Homemade Tomato Soup. It’s pretty much one of those put everything into the slow cooker kinds of recipes, set it and forget it. There are also stovetop instuctions if you want to skip the crockpot. Oh! And there’s a recipe for Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches below too.
I’m always feeding a crowd, so I included a recipe to feed 10-12. If you have a smaller family, don’t worry, just halve all of the ingredients. However, I will say the leftovers don’t go to waste! They are great to send in a lunch box or pull out for a quick meal the next day.
…Tomato Basil Soup Recipe — For Stovetop or CrockpotRead More »
Living With Kids: Palma Voutiritsas
Whenever someone new visits Palma Voutiritsas’ home for the first time, they ask the very same question: “Do kids even live here?” She used to wonder if that was a compliment or an insult, but more and more she’s determined to accept their sweet appreciation and ignore the negativity. (More on that later!)
“Yes, kids live here.” she answers with a smile. “Two of them, in fact. They are incredibly happy and active and very, very messy!”
I thought you might like to see how a designer approaches Halloween and other holiday decor in a really heartfelt way. I just know you’re going to love Palma’s spirit and contagious attitude about how much your furnishings and decor matter…but not for the reasons you might be thinking. (And just wait until you hear the story of her home remodel! Hilarious.) Welcome, Palma!
…Savory Butternut Squash Galette
It’s time to try this savory galette! It makes the most of favorite fall flavors, and it’s perfect for a low-stress mid-week dinner. Squash, apples, onions, parmesan, sage — you might not have never thought to pair these flavors together, but I’m telling you it smells (and tastes!) like heaven.
Before we jump into the recipe, I’d love to know, have you ever made a galette? I think of them as a less-formal pie. Any ingredients you like, cradled loosely in a pastry crust, no special baking dish required. Often, galettes are filled with fruit and served as dessert, but dinner galettes are delightful too. I hope you enjoy it!
…No Sew Tulle Tutu Tutorial
Here are simple directions for a no-sew tutu made of tulle. This is a pretty little project to gift to a future ballerina, to use in a costume, or to add to the dress-up bin. It’s simple enough that even a non-crafyt person can make it. The materials are very inexpensive, but they look great.
Easy instructions below.
…Peach Crisp Recipe for Slow Cooker or Crockpot
It’s peach season and one of my favorite ways to enjoy this glorious fruit is in a bowl of warm peach crisp topped with a big dollop of whipped cream — or a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I adore fruit pies and crisps. If I’m in a restaurant, and a fruity dessert is on the menu, it’s always the one I pick. A warm fruit crisp is my ultimate comfort food.
Happily, making a crisp at home couldn’t be easier. It comes together in just a few minutes and doesn’t require much attention after that. You literally toss everything into the crockpot or slow cooker, set it, and forget it, as the saying goes.
This recipe uses peaches, but you can also use nectarines, plums, berries, or any other favorite summertime fruit.
…Living With Kids: Leslie Burket
The Burket’s house is a home – and life – edited for their specific needs. Nothing more, nothing less. Not in their home design, not in their social media plan, and not even with their family calendar. If you’re on the verge of considering paring down your family’s day-to-night events, I think Leslie can offer some guidance and inspire all of the over-scheduled readers in the crowd. Friends, I am pleased to welcome Leslie and her family!
…DIY: Seed Bead Necklace
For jewelry, seed beads are one of the favorite materials to work with. They’re available in a huge assortment of colors, from the palest pinks to the brightest neons, and the finishes are just as diverse. Now, you can get fancy with seed beads and weave intricate patterns and designs, but for this project, we kept on the rather clean side and strung a lot of lovely coordinating colors together. Stringing seed beads is not complicated, it just requires a bit of patience, so let’s get started.
…White Chicken Chili Recipe for Crockpot or Slow-cooker
I’m ready for fall. I’m looking forward to the casseroles and stews and roasts of colder weather, but first, this chili. It’s the perfect dish to bridge the gap between summer and fall because while it’s warm and thick and comforting, it also highlights the best of late summer’s corn and bell peppers. And it couldn’t be easier to make. Most of the ingredients are thrown in the crockpot in the morning — including the uncooked chicken — to simmer away all day. But what you’ll love most is the creamy indulgence of this chili; a bit before serving, you stir in heavy whipping cream and sour cream, placing this chili somewhere in the 95th percentile on your belly’s glory index.
You can give this chili a southwestern flair with limes and cilantro and tortilla chips, but it’s just as good with some fresh parsley and crispy garlic bread for dipping.
Autumn, we’re ready for you this year.
…White Chicken Chili Recipe for Crockpot or Slow-cookerRead More »
Turn Eclectic Inexpensive Rocking Chairs Into an Eye-catching Outdoor Collection
The goal for this project was to create a collection of second-hand rocking chairs for our backyard patio, one for each member of the family. The chairs were all found locally on Craig’s List at prices from $10 to $40 each. If you’d like to create your own collection, here are my tips and tricks.
…Turn Eclectic Inexpensive Rocking Chairs Into an Eye-catching Outdoor CollectionRead More »
Five Easy Lunch Box Menus
Packing lunchboxes and need a little inspiration? Here are five easy menu ideas.
…Living With Kids: Jane Foster
Have you ever seen a breath of fresh air? It usually appears suddenly, boldly, always beautifully, and leaves you much happier than you were just a second ago. And that’s exactly how I’d describe Jane Foster’s home. Jane is a brilliant screen printer and fabric wizard who lives in Totnes Devon in the UK with her partner and young daughter. Together they’ve built a contemporary modern eco home where she creates all of her happy designs. I promise her home tour will make you want to paint every wall in your house white!
Please say hello to Jane!
…The Easiest (and Most Fun!) After School Snack
Oh my goodness. I think you’re going to LOVE this idea. It’s as EASY as can be, and it’s absolutely no fail. Whatever food you’ve got in the house — raisins, fresh veggies, nuts, cheese, frozen peas, olives, and on, and on — can be used.
This is why it’s such a hit at our house:
…DIY: Colored Pencil Jewelry
I asked Kate of Mini Eco to create a Back to School themed project for us to try. I think making beads out of colored pencils is brilliant! Wouldn’t these beads be fun for your elementary school-ers to string for a class project? It would also be a fun activity at an art-themed birthday party. Here’s Kate:
…Recipe: Simple Blueberry Syrup
This recipe for blueberry syrup is a celebration of this time of year, when berries start to come back into season. This syrup could not be easier to make, and just tastes like summertime. While you can use any kind of berry for making syrup, using blueberries is ideal because they make for a not-overly-sweet syrup. This syrup is the perfect way to use up any berries in their last days in your fridge, or to make if you’ve gone berry picking and gone a little overboard. It’s also great that this syrup offers a nice economic alternative from what can be pricey pure maple syrup in case you too are somewhat a syrup-snob and only opt for the good stuff these days (this is especially true if you start with a giant bag of frozen berries).
…Living With Kids: Ashley English
The sign leading to Ashley English’s home should read Wonderland, perhaps even with a stern warning to Enter at Your Own Risk. It’s mesmerizing, this one. After only a few paragraphs and lush photos, I’d mostly convinced myself that we need more grocery gardens, wine-berry bushes, a secret room decorated as a cave, and a yome. (It is the yome, I think, that will hook Ben Blair into the idea!) Enjoy meeting Ashley, friends, and enjoy the moments of “Honey? Let’s move to the forest!” cravings this tour will surely evoke.
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