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| photo found here |
12.31.21: reverse sear standing rib roast
12.31.20: new years eve (rerun)
12.31.19: new years eve
12.31.18: antipasto wreath and wrapped pears
12.31.17: January no-sugar challenge
12.31.16: new years eve "write a good one"
12.31.15: opening champagne
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| gotta love those ears! |
12.30.21: wonton sausage cups
12.30.20: borchers breakfast pie (rerun)
12.30.19: crostini appetizers
12.30.18: 🔥week 52
12.30.17: elf place cards
12.30.16: pimento cheese spread aka: yummy cheese!
12.30.15: breakfast pie
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| my sis sent this and I laughed out loud! |
12.29.21: wreath making (funny)
12.29.20: recycled card projects (rerun)
12.29.19: 🔥week 52
12.29.17: christmas bark
12.29.16: gold fish
12.29.15: christmas card crafts
12.28.21: creamy chicken ranch sliders
12.28.20: stuffed pizza crust
12.28.19: wrapped ornament centerpiece
12.28.18: Christmas card pillow box
12.28.17: how to steam crab legs
12.28.15: storing Christmas lights
12.27.21: bbq chicken sliders
12.27.20: Christmas break
12.27.19: baked brie
12.27.18: sweet and tangy crockpot meatballs
12.27.17: chocolate caramel tart
12.27.16: peppermint sugar scrub
12.27.15: butter and bread pudding with salted caramel whiskey sauce
Today is 'boxing day' - I have another post from '18 about boxing day that I'll repost below; I'm pretty much in the same boat as back then on this day after Christmas when the house is a wreck and I don't have anything else to write about LOL. My wish for this boxing day is that someone would come over and help me box all this stuff up! And also box up the huge amount of leftovers we have - the ham (which turned out terrific by the way, I highly recommend this recipe next time you want to make a ham! click here for that post) and scalloped potatoes (which also turned out amazing, not gonna lie I had them for breakfast and will most likely also eat them for lunch and dinner) are going to last us for many meals! Anyway - happy boxing day!
from 12/18:
I don't actually know what "Boxing Day" is - I thought it was an old English thing about packing up leftovers the day after Christmas to take to the downtrodden, but I randomly heard the other day it's a custom (not sure where?) that the servants/housekeepers/maids/etc. who had to work on Christmas Day received boxes of food the day after...I didn't ask 'uncle Google' so I don't know what the definitive definition is. This is totally beside the point - I only titled this "Boxing Day" because it's the day after Christmas and I don't have anything else to post because I spent the entire day, repeat the entire day, cleaning the garage. Which is nothing to blog about.
12.26.19: naughty gingerbread man
12.26.18: boxing day
12.26.17: chex mix
12.26.16: melting snowman cookies
12.26.15: Janis's crunchy fruity granola
Awwww I'm just seeing last years post with this cutie picture of Sarge and I've decided it's too cute to not share again!
Merry Christmas! Hope you have a blessed day filled with love, laughter, Joy, peace, and good food! 🎄
Ghosts of Christmas's past:
This is a repeat from 2015 that I'm sharing again in case you want a fun, easy Christmas craft for the next couple days (that you probably don't have to go to the store for supplies - 'cuz nobody wants that right now!):
LeDonna sent me an inspiration picture of this fun paper craft but no instructions - it's so simple I really could have played around with figuring it out on my own, but because I'm a little bit of a perfectionist I didn't want to just wing it if there was someone who could just tell me exactly how to make these somewhere online, so of course I googled and found a few different ones. I followed these directions and they worked perfectly.
Supplies are few:
- cardstock in a few different colors for the lights, and gray for the tops
- hole punch
-ruler and scorer (scoring isn't necessary but it did make the tops fold easily and look neat)
-glue stick or adhesive of your choice (I used my Stampin' Up rolling glue thingy)
- thick twine to string the lights on, I used about 48"
12.24.20: snowman place setting
12.24.19: appetizer wreath
12.24.18: animal figurine small gift holder
12.24.17: turkey breast and stuffing
12.24.16: Christmas eve thoughts
12.24.15: pop up gift wrap
I Googled for some new ham recipes and came across this one that sounds really good (and easy) so I'm going to try it for Christmas. I don't have a picture but will update this post after I make it - if you click the link below there's a video of how to make the recipe if you want to watch or have any questions.
It's recommended to buy 1/3 pound of ham per person if you're having boneless ham, or 1/2 pound per person if bone-in ham. I would buy more tho to make sure I have leftovers, because it seems like having leftover ham and the hambone are the only times a year I make ham-based soup - and I love soup so...
How long to bake a ham? Since spiral hams are already cooked, you’re really just warming it through, infusing it with flavor, and crisping the edges. To avoid drying it out, add water to the bottom of your roasting pan, place the ham on a baking rack above the water, and cover it with foil. You're going to want to bake until it’s 140° in the center (this should take 10 to 12 minutes per pound). Uncover it in the last 30 minutes when you’re glazing it, so those edges get caramelized.
This recipe serves 12
(8 to 10-lb.) whole cured, smoked, bone-in ham
apricot jam
light brown sugar
bourbon (optional)
Dijon mustard
crushed red pepper flakes
12.23.21: broccoli Christmas tree veggie tray
12.23.20: candy cane danish (rerun)
12.23.19: santa cheese plate
12.23.18: 🔥week 51
12.23.17: candy cane danish
12.23.16: caramel corn
12.23.15: Christmas table decorating ideas
Mae sent me this recipe and pictures and yum! This looks and sounds great, and I love the details she shared - thanks again Macey! Here's what she did, in her words (her last sentence made me laugh!):
Tonight’s dinner was a White Bean Chicken Chili prepared in the crockpot!
I began by carmelizing onions, (1 whole white onion) in Olive Oil and Butter… (salted butter is best). From there, I added minced garlic (this recipe calls for 4 cloves which I thought seemed like a lot, but it wasn’t)!
Once the garlic was just about done (seriously, only cook the garlic for less than a minute or you’ll run the risk of burning… yuck).
I added 1/2 can of northern beans with 1 cup of chicken broth into a blender and let it go until the consistency was smooth.
From there, both the contents from blender and onions/garlic in pan went into crockpot where I then added the remainder of the northern beans (1/2 can), a 1/2 cup chicken broth (not included in the blender), 1 can of whole kernel corn (drained) and a couple tablespoons of green chilies. ** the recipe calls for 1, 4oz can of green chilies but I couldn’t find at the store so I went with the best bang for my buck and figure I’ll make something else this week that incorporates the remaining green chiles 🤤 (no food gets wasted around here! HAHA).
There is two ways you can do the chicken for this chili. Either put the chicken in raw (breasts) and let it slow cook for 4 hours (turn on high for the first 30 mins and then bring to a low level on crockpot for the remaining 3.5 hours).
I didn’t do this way; rather, I took the chicken that I had in the fridge already (I like to cook a whole chicken once a week and use this as a way to make many many meals… I don’t cook the chicken fully so that it doesn’t dry out). But I used this chicken for the chili and shredded the pieces by hand).
From here, I added the oregano, salt and pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, (all 1 tablespoon) and a few drops of lime juice to taste. It adds a nice zing to it without overpowering!
Once you are nearing time to eat, spoon a dollop or two of sour cream, (heavy whipping cream if necessary but I try to keep things somewhat healthier where I can).
I topped the chili with cilantro, and more salt and pepper to taste. You can add shredded cheese to the top as well, but I decided I’d rather drink those extra calories in wine than include 🧀 😜
12.22.21: funny secret santa
12.22.20: circle gift card enclosure
12.22.19: 🔥 week 51
12.22.18: wine cork reindeer ornament
12.22.17: coconut thumbprint cookies
12.22.16: santa ball ornament
12.22.15: hot chocolate spoons
This is another knock-off Home Chef recipe for crispy chicken piccata. It isn’t really a standard version of piccata other than the capers, it’s really good tho so no matter what we call it this is a keeper recipe. They served theirs with roasted red potatoes and green beans tossed with olive oil, garlic, and salt - I did buttered noodles with Parmesan and a Caesar salad; here’s my version:
12.21.21: rudolph gift bags
12.21.20: tube gift wrapper by B
12.21.19: santa baby gift enclosure
12.21.18: chocolate fudge wreath
12.21.17: Nat's Christmas sugar cookies
12.21.16: focaccia bread tiles
12.21.15: framed wifi password
Tesha sent me this idea and it's a great tip for today, just in time for wrapping Christmas gifts - a great use of leftover bits of paper. Here's what she has to say:
A tipsy Tuesday idea for you - use leftover wrapping paper scraps and any shopping bag you have with handles and make it Christmasy. Just glue the wrapping paper onto the bag.
12.20.21: felt gift card holder
12.20.19: caprese bites
12.20.18: cheeseball wreath
12.20.17: chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies
12.20.16: tiger fudge (although I think it should be called Buckeye Bars!)
12.20.15: corn bread with jalapeños and cheese mini muffins
Brooke sent me this photo of Grinch heart rice krispies and I asked her where she saw them - apparently she saw them in her kitchen because she made them hahahah, and I'm so impressed! These are adorable, and her directions make it seem pretty easy to make - just in time for Christmas! Here's what she did, in her words:
Hey guys! Today i made these Grinch Rice Krispies! They were super easy to make, and look super cute!
Take 3 tablespoons butter and 5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows and melt that in the microwave for 3 minutes. (Or melt on the stove but you know.. i was excited to eat them…) then when thats done add 6 cups Rice Krispies and food coloring! Then i layed it out on a baking sheet and pushed it flat the best i could. I let that set then took my heart cookie cutter and cut out some hearts! Then you can take some red frosting and draw the grinches heart! (Sprinkle hearts would be great! Unfortunately i could not find any hearts at the local store but the frosting worked just as well!! Just had to focus on my drawing skills lol) these were super easy to make, super cute and so delicious!
12.19.21: 🔥 week 51
12.19.20: candy cane bag closure
12.19.19: grinch fruit kabobs
Dear Campers ~
Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:
Posts ~
12/11: 🔥 week 50
12/12: Christmas lights cupcakes
12/13: tip-sy tuesday - muffin tin drink holder
12/14: confetti gift wrap #2
12/15: P's fried chicken
12/16: royal icing by Mickey
12/17: hoop driftwood Christmas hanging
What's Cooking ~
I'm afraid I still haven't been cooking so don't have any menu ideas for you of what I made this week, here's a few recipes tho that I've made in the past that you might enjoy revisiting:
12.18.20: candy bows by B
12.18.19: how to make gift bows
12.18.18: melting snowman chocolate bark
12.18.17: stabilized whipped cream
12.18.16: cocoa snowballs
12.18.15: gift paper wrapping bag
I saw this inspo picture on Pinterest, it was based on another inspo picture found here - I love that an idea gets turned into different ideas, and in turn turned into another idea - I don't have time to make it myself right now and get it out to you before Christmas so I'll just share it for now (I know, I've done so many days of ideas lately instead of actually making anything - but...life...!). Once I make it I'll update this post with any changes or details that come up.
It's a large embroidery hoop, a piece of fabric, driftwood pieces in the shape of a tree, a starfish on top, mini ornaments, and the message is stenciled on with fabric paint.
The original inspiration picture found at 52 Mantles used cream burlap as the base and mini glass ornaments to make the tree - so take this idea and make it your own!
12.17.21: grilled shrimp tacos
This weekend was our annual Gingerbread house competition, and I was tasked with bringing the icing. I’m sure everyone already knew this, but I learned this weekend that in order to have good quality gingerbread houses, you can’t use just any old icing! We made this icing and it worked to make some pretty awesome houses! The key is the cream of tartar… and making sure you don’t turn on the mixer too fast unless you want it to look like a Christmas wonderland in your kitchen (yes, I learned from experience). We put the results in Tupperware and ziplock bags for easy use! So easy, not super tasty, but a great way to make a gingerbread house!
12.16.18: 🔥week 50
12.16.17: reindeer cupcakes
12.16.16: candy cane mice
12.16.15: sea salt body scrub
Guys - I'm super excited about this post, I'm pretty sure it's the first one from PJ (sorry P, as an adult she likes to be called Paige but she's been PJ forever hahaha!) and I'm so impressed - for real I had no idea she can cook! And it's legit real food haha - fried chicken, which I'm still too scared to make so...way to go P!! Thanks for sharing, this looks great! :)
ingredients she uses to season the chicken: creole seasoning, pepper, garlic and herb, steak blend, montreal steak seasoning, garlic powder, buffalo sauce and yellow mustard. You'll also need buttermilk, pickle juice, flour, and oil to fry in.
What to do, in Paige's words:
Step 1: towel dry your chicken, place in a big bowl, coat your chicken with a light layer of hot sauce and mustard.
Step 2: add about half a tablespoon to a full tablespoon of each seasoning. (Or whenever your heart tells you to stop)
Step 3: fully coat the chicken with butter milk and set in the fridge from anywhere between 2-12 hours.
Step 4: put flour in a pan or a plate and season the flour with the same seasonings you used for your chicken.
Step 5: take the chicken from the bowl of milk and coat each piece of chicken in flour, let stand for 10 minutes and then coat again in the flour and let sit again for 5 minutes.
Step 6: while coating your chicken in the flour heat up your oil on the stove. when it’s between 325-350 degrees place your chicken in your oil and fry on each side for nine minutes each flipping only once. remove chicken from oil and place on paper towels to soak up the grease.
Oh wait - in the milk bowl mixture add half a cup of pickle juice as well!! It was so juicy and crispy, very good.
