Saturday, November 30, 2013

BLT Dip

BLT dip is one of my favorite appetizers. This dip, when served with Sea Salt Bagel Chips, taste just like a BLT on toasted bread, yummy good!  It so easy to prepare and everyone will love it.

BLT Dip
1/2 cup Daisy sour cream
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
mix together
Then stir in 1/2 cup Hormel crumbled bacon bits
Refrigerate until ready to serve, then top with chopped plum tomatoes and shredded lettuce, serve with Sea Salt Bagel Chips


Friday, November 29, 2013

All I Want For Christmas...... Is To Be done Decorating!

On Day 8 of decorating, I just finished the last few things inside the house.  After Thanksgiving I will put up the tree and decorate outside, then I am DONE!  Just waiting for Christmas to get here.  I finished the shopping too!  HOORAY for me!  I am so happy, I don't have to fight the crowds.

I found this rustic, old looking silver tinsel wreath at a flea market and added a berry garland.  I used a trifle bowl, filled it with glittered and sequined balls, pine sprigs, glittery candy canes and snowflakes, with a candy cane striped pillar candle.  The stand that I got the garland from, had the bowl filled with water, berries and a floating candle.  THAT would have been a pool party for the cats! So I had to change it. The the plaid table cloth is from IKEA.
My daughter came on Saturday, and decorated my railings and catwalk with pine garland, berry's, ribbon white lights and handmade bows.  I still have to add the peppermint candy balls to it. 
 This is part of the catwalk that is decorated with a handmade MERRY CHRISTMAS sign that I made out of scrapbook paper.



Thursday, November 28, 2013

Well Hello, Pilgrims....

!HAPPY   THANKSGIVING!

I am having fourteen people for Thanksgiving this year.  I know, nuts huh.  But pre-planning some things, with the help of my sister, the day should run really smooth.  Baked my desserts, and prepared some appetizers and side dishes the day before, so it will take the load off the holiday, and I will be able to relax a little bit today.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the day with your family and friends and don't eat too much, or you will feel like a stuffed turkey!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies

My Christmas cookie party is coming up fast, so I started pulling out some of the cutters, sprinkles and jimmies, to see what I have and what I still need.  This is just a sample of some of the things we will use.  I found quite a bit of sprinkles/jimmies at Home Goods, they had some very unique colors and shapes.  One of the shapes I found, which I had never seen before, were gingerbread men sprinkles and candy canes, so I grabbed them.  IKEA had cookie cutters that are 3D, in the package are a big tree, a reindeer and a star.  I also found a reindeer face with antlers, he is really cute! And an angel turned to the side.  I found Food Writers, Wilton makes them, you can write on the frosting after it dries.  I have two cookie stamps, one says Merry Christmas, the other is a snowflake, and a Linzer cookie cutter.  We will be working hard that day so I like to prepare in advance and have everything lined up and ready to use.  I will also bake some things ahead of time.  The sweat shop will soon be open for business, there is a big list of cookies to bake, share and enjoy!
Another set of 3D cookie cutters and stamps.  Cookie cutter on one side then turn it over and stamp your cookie with the other side.  Pretty cool, found them at Sur la Table.  Santa, Snowflake, Christmas Tree and Snow Globe.  Each side has a different stamp so there are 8.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back ..... Ribs!

I found the barbecue sauce of my dreams.  There is none better than Sweet Baby Rays. When I make these baby backs ribs, I have to make 3 slabs of them.  For fall off the bone ribs, my method is not normal, I boil all three slabs first, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, cover them with a lid and then turn the heat off and let them sit for another hour, drain them, then I am ready to grill.  Heat up the outside grill, so its nice and hot, grill them up on both sides, then slather on the Sweet Baby Rays. OH YEAH, slather it on both sides and use lots of it!  It's the best and comes in a couple of different flavors.  Look at those tasty little babies right down there. These can also be made in the oven if it's too cold outside to grill.  Spray the baking pan first so they do not stick to the pan.
I made Roasted Parmesan Potatoes and Roasted Garlic Green Beans for one fabulous dinner!



Monday, November 25, 2013

Keep Calm and Jingle On.........

 DAY 7! I am still at it, decorating is almost done.  I did the kitchen yesterday and then the front of the house will get done, providing the weather does not get too cold.  I do not like the cold, at all.  The last thing to do  will be putting up the tree and decorating it.  Then I will be able to relax until Christmas Eve.  That's party time with my family and friends at my daughter's house, it will be her time to work and I can be a guest, that's always fun for me, because I don't have to do a thing.

This is a cupcake dome, I put in some iridescent shred and a little house.  The snowman is handmade out of paper, stuffed and hand painted.
Collector Car with tree in the seat.  This is a replica of the original model, in detail, of a pedal car from the 1940's and 1950's.
Metal Train Lantern with stuffed snowman, pine candle ring and seed lights.  A cup of Christmas Tea and Tea Cup.
Metal Tray is a replica of a tin ceiling in Old New Orleans.  Hurricane with sand, candles and scrub brush pine wreath. Gold Stars are candles
My daughter gave me this 3D card last year, I thought it was so pretty I framed it.  This little cardinal in a basket of pine twigs and holly is my favorite winter decoration.
Real Wood Window Shutter that is hand painted with a snowman.  This is the tree I made for my kitchen, I put it into this galvanized metal bucket with handles.
 My mother had these little elves (now The Elf On The Shelf craze) when we were growing up.  She would have them sitting in all different places around our house.  I could not find these anywhere and recently came upon a website that sold them.  These are the original elves from the 1960's.   My daughter can make a BEAUTIFUL handmade bow!
I love my Red Feather Wreath!
This can on the right is an old antique film can with hand painted snowmen on it.  This is an antique apothecary jar hand painted with a snowman.
Big, red, white and silver striped knit mitten. I took some mixed green branches, a snowflake and bow and decorated my laundry room door with it. 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Wrap It Up!

Now that the holidays are upon us, quick meals will be on your agenda for dinner.  Take some of the stress out of cooking a full course meal on a weeknight or the weekend, by making wraps.  You can throw anything in a wrap, chicken Caesar salad, tuna, a burger, cheese teak, hoagie, veggies, just to name a few.  Nowadays wraps come in a lot of different flavors too.  I made tuna wraps the other night just for the hubby and I, it took less than 10 minutes.  This is how I make them.

Mix together:
2 cans of water packed, premium white albacore tuna, drained
2/3 cup light Hellmann's Mayonnaise

Divide evenly into 2 large tortillas
 And top with:  Sliced Red Onion, Sliced Tomatoes, Chopped Lettuce 
 When you roll a wrap, start at one end and tuck the sides as you are rolling, doing it that way will make it tight and nothing will fall out. Slice  the wrap on the diagonal and serve with chips

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Chic - y Cheap Jewelry

I never was a, must have gold, diamonds and real pearls around my neck or on my fingers, kind of girl.  I like colorful jewelry, statement pieces, and there is no better way to get them, then to go with costume jewelry.  I always look for unique pieces, things that I don't see on everyone else.  These are a few of those pieces.  I always shop ON SALE! It makes the piece you purchase even that much better.

Three strand, graduated pearl, stretch necklace with rhinestone and pearl earrings.  This sits higher up on the neckline and works great with open neck shirts and blouses. I found it at Kohl's and wear it all the time.
 Turquoise stone, strung on leather cord, silver button closure necklace and matching silver and turquoise earrings.
 I liked the turquoise necklace so much I got the red one too! with matching lever back earrings.
 Pink jewelry is very hard to find, unless it's hot pink.  I found this pale pink, ruffly, iridescent bead necklace and earrings at Charming Charlies.
 I love this necklace my daughter bought for me.  It's boho chic.  It has a lot of charms on 3 strands of copper.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Crazy Christmas Decorating Time!

You are not going to believe this, I am in day 6 of decorating the house for Christmas.  This is crazy, why do I put myself through this?  I asked my sister this same question and she said jokingly, "Because it's the most wonderful time of the year".  Really, then why is my whole body aching, I'm tired and cranky.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, I just love it better when all the decorating is done.  This year I came up with a new idea for my sister and I, we are switching some of our decorations, we are sharing (it's always nice to share).  This way we don't have to buy new things, because we can't afford to, but it will seem like we did. So, stay tuned I still have A LOT to get done!

This is the first time I decorated this light.  I took 2 handmade bows and attached them to the light fixture with floral wire, hung some prisms and big gold and silver glitter balls.
 Burlap runner stamped with wording and poinsettias.  Crystal cake stand with a silver wreath, 2 red pillars in hurricane vases and 2 red votives in votive cups.  
 Up close of the cake stand.  Hurricane with all Walmart deco's that were 75% off last year.  I made 2 of these for both sides of the table.  Total cost for both was $5.00!  Inside the china cabinet is decorated too.
 Little gold sequined and glittered tree in an antique tea cup.
 Found these last year, 20 stringed bell lights for $3.00.  They are very 1950's looking.
 This is an electric candle that flickers, just like a real flame. The glitter moves around, it's a really cool light!
Then I got the dining room tree up, it's decorated in Santa's. I DO have to get that cord hidden though!
This is the downstairs bathroom, it's decorated with lots of snowmen that have been given to me over the last 26 years.
Craft Tip:  Every year I save some of the Christmas cards that we receive.  These were snowmen cards that I cut to fit the frames, then hung them in the bathroom to go with the rest of the snowmen.  No cost, I already had pictures in the frames in the bathroom, I just switched them out.
And, the mantel.  Glittered sequined reindeer, big and small glittered snowflakes, lights, glittered green light bulbs, red glittered ting ting, pinecone mixed greens garland.