Winter Belly Pleasers!

Happy 2014 everyone! 

 Hope your new year has started off well, you've made your resolutions and goals and are looking forward to a fresh, happy & healthy new year!  I know a lot of you are suffering from this Polar Vortex weather system...sounds like a word in a Thor movie if you ask me...and its COLD here in Virginia.  Supposed to feel like 20 below tomorrow and I'm not digging it, it can go back to the South Pole for all I care...I'm ready for spring already.  

However I am thankful to be in my warm house cleaning up Christmas decorations and cooking some good foods this week.  Once I get my Christmas stuff all packed away and the house cleaned good I will have some new projects and posts for you...my goal is by Friday to have all that done.  It takes awhile to pack up all these trees and then clean and I'm not rushing it this year...in the past I've rushed and usually put my back out..not this year. I've learned my lesson :)

So stay tuned for some fun Valentine projects, some new recipes and some more DIY projects. I hope to be in full working mode next week!  But I gathered some recipes for some home-cooked COMFORT FOOD goodness...I included some of my faves, some of my own and some I haven't tried yet.  So if you need some ideas for your winter menus I highly recommend some of these belly-pleasers.

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COMFORT BELLY PLEASERS

Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese ~ Pioneer Woman

I'm not a big fan of mac-n-cheese...gasp...I guess the kind in a box just turned me

off over the years. But I do highly recommend this one, its the only one I will eat & so easy to cook up!

Chicken & Dumplings ~ Pioneer Woman

I'm a BIG fan of Ree aka Pioneer Woman...she's real, down to earth and one of the first blogs I ever started reading years ago.  And her recipes always rock...period. And her Chicken & Dumpling recipes is the BEST I've ever tried hands down...you will thank me and her when you make this LOL..trust me!

Guinness Beef Stew ~ Brown Eyed Baker

I love beef stew in the cold weather months...its hearty and just tastes soooo good when the cold is chilling your bones.  There are lots of recipes out there but this is the basic one I follow...but I add a bit of garlic, cayenne pepper and either pearl onions or large chunks of onions to mine. I also top mine with some homemade mashed potatoes. Next time I make mine up I will share the full recipe but you gotta have some Guinness for it..I hate beer..but I like cookin' with it :)

Shepherds Pie ~The Candid Appetite

This is my hubby's fave dish in the winter! And given my Irish roots its no surprise I make it so much...so grab more of that Guinness cuz' you will need it. I add a bit more tomato paste and skip the peas because we don't like them...but we do add the cheese on top too. Its so yummy!

Tomato Bisque ~ Southern Living

I love, love tomato soup...make it tomato bisque and even better served up with a grilled cheese panini and mmmm..mmmm good stuffs.  This recipe I tore out of my Southern Living Magazine in November and haven't made yet but the reviews were good and it sounds so flavorful.  Think it will be on my menu this week!

Hamburger Soup ~ Pioneer Woman
I haven't tried this one yet...its a new recipe that Ree just posted but it sure does look good and easy to get simmerin' on the stovetop.  Definitely on my menu this week!

My BBQ Mini Meatloaves ~ Suzanne

This is my recipe...it is the ONLY meatloaf I and my teens will eat..its really that good. Stuffed with cheese makes it even better I tell ya!  Lots of flavor and even better the next day on a sandwich..mmmmmm!

Potato & Leek Soup ~ Robert Irvine

This is one of my fave soups in the cold months...the hubby and I love soups and we eat them all year.

I follow this recipe pretty much to a T---except that I set some potato chunks aside before blending and then add them. I just like the bit of chunkiness they add to it and I top it off with a bit of swiss cheese or parmesan under the broiler too but you can skip that or use cheddar.  Everything is better with some cheese right?

Chicken Pot Pie ~ From the Kitchen of Mama Harris

I have my own recipe for pot pie but I found this one that was pretty close to mine. I skip the peas and use mushrooms, onions, carrots and asparagus in mine.  Its another one of my husband's fave recipes to eat although the teens are big fans LOL.

Cheesy Tex-Mex Pasta Bake

This is a newer recipe I found and adapted a bit...but we love Mexican based foods and this one is easy to make ahead on a busy day.

Ham & Bean Soup ~ Chow.com

This is a soup I make on occasion for the hubs and myself...the teens don't like it and that's ok because I HATED it when I was younger too LOL.  But its easy to get going on the cooktop and simmer all day and serve up with some biscuits...makes you all warm and toasty. This recipe is similar to what I use again except I add leeks instead of celery.

My Comfort Food Recipes:

Other dishes I make a lot in the winter are below. I have my own special recipes for them but just haven't had time to type up the recipes because I don't know the measurements really...I'm a dash of this & a dash of that kind of cook...tastes good but hard to tell someone how much of each.  So they will be coming real soon...I have pictures taken but have to figure out the measurements for you all.

Chili...my chili is award winning good, no lie...its the bomb diggety and I will 

have a recipe up soon I promise.

Spaghetti Patties...a recipe I came up with as a newlywed on a budget 18 years ago. Its still

a hit in our house & super inexpensive and easy to make.

Chicken Corn Chowder...easy to make even if you only have 30 mins.

recipe soon to come

Proscuitto, Carmelized Onion, Tomato and Cheese Paninis...so good you will slap yourself after making them! hahaha

Mexican Lasagna...good stuff and easy to make as well!

BON APPETIT!!

NYC Fun!

The Dean family has taken a wee trip to one of our fave cities in the US...New York City!  We've come up here a lot over the years and we've done a lot of the touristy things but we just enjoy the energy and fun things you can do here.  So while it is VERY COLD and snowy we are having a blast. If you follow me on Facebook I'm sure you've read some of the stories so far....trouble follow me everywhere just because...and lots of laughs ensue as well ;)  We get back late on Sunday and resume work and the real world and school again...aww shucks LOL!  Have a great weekend!

Our view from our room in Times Square BEFORE the snow hit!

That's Riley standing there without his hat on in the middle of snowy Times Square

Me and the teens bundled up at Rockefeller Center in front of the pretty tree.

That is snow not dandruff in our hair btw ;)

Cold ice skaters at Rockefeller while it was snowing!

If you ever come up to the city during the holidays its always worth it to take in the Christmas Spectacular show at Radio City Music Hall.  Great show & a beautiful theater!

Some of the pretty holiday decorations in NYC...especially pretty in the snow too!

Within 1 hour this is what the sidewalks looked like on Thursday night in NYC.

#Hercules I believe the name was called and he sure brought in the MIGHTY COLD!

I took this pic with my huge lens from our room at 2 am LOL..yup we were still up and enjoying room service cuz that's how we roll.  I had to laugh at the grown man doing snow angels at 2 am in the middle of Times Square :)

View from our room after midnite on Thursday...wee bit snowy. In fact the workers were trying to clear the steps and snowy sidewalks and gave up because as soon as they finished part, the other part had snowed back in...kinda funny to watch.

One of the coolest billboards outside our hotel in Times Square.  It looks like workers are in the building making the Coca-Cola sign...welding and fixing lightbulbs...and then they paint it all in red. LOVED IT!

Here's Alexa on Friday after we forayed out into the cold for a bit...every part of us was frozen.

If I ever get botox I now know what it would feel like to have my forehead frozen...no lie!

So she huddled in bed WITH all her outdoor gear still on bwahahaha.

And tonight we are heading to Broadway to see "Rock of Ages'...I love going to the theater..one of my all time fave things to do!

Merry Christmas!

From the Dean Family

We hope you have a blessed, wonderful, magical holiday

filled with love of friends & family!

I'm taking a few days off from blogging to spend with my family and to enjoy some downtime. But I promise I will be back!

Riley with Baylee, Me & Alexa on Christmas Day!

James & Alexa

Alexa in her new Ravens hat

Riley & his large Gummy Bear lol

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Tink in a box...our game night on Christmas Eve ;)

Riley, Alexa & James

The National Christmas Tree in DC

Rustic Country Shaker Ornaments!

Every year I choose a few ornaments to create for my trees because I love to and its a bit of a tradition. I've been making ornaments for my trees since I was first married and the budget was tight.  Now I do it because I enjoy it and it makes my trees unique and special for my family.  I keep a folder of Holiday Ideas full of magazine tear-outs that I've had for YEARS (long before Pinterest people lol) and dig through it! And I believe it was Country Living (I think) that made some similar ornaments but without the trees many moons ago...but I pulled it out this year because I saw the letter beads at Hobby Lobby that looked similar to those they had used.  They are inexpensive to create and you can customize them for your decor and taste!  These ornaments I finished later than I wanted in the season but that's ok...they're done and that's what counts right LOL!  

These are for my kitchen tree (above) which is more rustic and countrified and they look pretty scattered all over it because they reflect a bit of light.
I think they'd be also fab as gift toppers or table favors on each holiday plate! Change the sentiment to a name or nickname...just remember to not make them too long that they fit awkwardly in the ornament!

(sorry my tutorial pics during the project had some "issues", I think there was a smudge on my lens and I didn't want to reshoot, forgive me, please? lol)

Supplies I used for these:

-Some clear glass ornaments..whatever size you choose

-Rustic Letter beads like these

-Faux Snow

-mini bottle trees either bought or homemade 

(click here for a tut to make your own)

-small pinecones

-some faux greenery

-burlap

-ribbon of choice

-scissors

-craft tweezers or regular tweezers

-hot glue gun

1) Pop off the metal hanger on each ornament.  Hold a bottle brush tree at the very top with tweezers and add hot glue to bottom of tree...quickly place brush in ornament where you want it (the tree will squish thru the opening). Let that dry for a few minutes.  (if your bottle brush tree has a tiny wooden bottom it may fit thru hole, if not clip it off and add glue to the bottom of the trunk instead)

2) While waiting glue your letter beads together to create a holiday sentiment...keep it short & sweet and hot glue the beads together where the holes are so you can't see them when you are finished.  Set aside.

3) Spoon or funnel in some faux snow...I used 2 spoonfuls in my ornaments but you can always add more or less.

4) Then put in beaded sentiment, pinecones and greenery and place the top/hanger back on the ornament.

5) I cut strips of burlap and hot glued it around the metal hanger to cover it.  I tied a simple knot with another strip of burlap through the loop of the hanger and glued on a simple gingham bow.

Here is one done without the bottle brush tree inside...I made a few variations of each for my tree.

PROJECT COST: 

Bag of Letter Beads - $2

Bag of Faux Snow - $1.50

Glass Ornaments - FREE (given to me)

Faux Greenery - Free (my stash)

Small Bag of Mini pinecones - $2

Burlap - Free (my stash)

Gingham Ribbon - Free (my stash)

TOTAL for 6 Ornaments:  $5.50

And that's it...quick and easy to make!  Switch them up and add different words or different objects inside of each ornament...that's what makes them special!!

Merry Christmas!
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I'm entering this into the following link parties:

Domestic Superhero
Six Sisters Stuff
Inspiration Gallery
Making Monday

Wintry Muslin Trees!

I've seen lots of versions of crafty holiday trees on the web and in magazines and love them all.  But I wanted to put my own spin on some and I had some styrofoam trees tucked in the back of a closet that were screaming calling out to be used (I think I purchased them on sale after Christmas 3 years ago..shhhh)!  So I bought a yard of cream muslin at JoAnn's for $1.56 on sale and was ready to create.

I used a hot glue gun for this because I wanted the fabric to adhere quickly so I didn't have to "hold" it while it dried.  You can use whatever kind of adhesive you like and YES the hot glue melts the styrofoam a tad, but really not that much that it was an issue.  If you have cardboard or other tree forms on hand those would work as well...I only had styrofoam so that's what I used.

I cut squares of muslin (I doubled up fabric and then cut it).  Then I started at the bottom and pinched the fabric in the middle and glued on..going around the tree base.  Each of the next layers hang over the one before it.  The more rough & varied the edges the more rustic it looks and that's the goal...well it was my goal ;)

*for the top..glue a small piece of fabric over it and then cover with layers of smaller muslin squares

I added dried hydrangea blooms from my garden and twine (it came off the roll curly which I loved) to add some interest to the top in the place of the usual star.

I just love the raw edges of the muslin and varied layers...perfect for a rustic wintry look!

Here they are on my holiday table!  They would be cute done in any fabric or color you chose of course..I liked the "wintry" look of the cream muslin for mine though.  I made another set for a friend for their Christmas present too...I sure hope they love them :)

TOTAL COST:  $1.56 for just the muslin

The rest of the supplies I had on hand & blooms were from my garden.

Super easy to make for yourself or as gifts..watch out for burned fingertips..and just be patient as you work around each layer of the trees.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
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Linking to these Parties:

Savvy Southern Style
A Delightsome Life
I Gotta Create
Domestic Superhero
Get Your DIY On
The Fun in Functional
Making Home Base
Common Ground
My Turn For Us
Six Sisters Stuff
Inspiration Gallery