New Year Table Decor!

HAPPY 2011!

We are having a few people over tonight and here is my table. 

Printables have already been uploaded to the blog ;) Download here from Scribd!

Don't forget your Black Eyed Peas & Collard Greens!

These two foods are a staples in our house and God forbid, we go without on New Years Day! *wink*wink*  In the south you eat collard greens on NY's Day to bring you $$$$ for the upcoming year and black eyed peas for luck.

Collards are easy to make.  Here's the run down.

Get your greens.  Chop them about a square inch.

In a pot put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 4 to 5 strips of bacon. Saute the bacon until it is soft.  Put in your greens and cover with water. Pour in about 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar. Boil on high for about 10-15 minutes and then turn down to low.  These need to cook slowly for about 2 plus hours...the slower and longer you cook them the better. Always make sure you have enough water ;)

Salt to taste and add more vinegar if you would like.

I usually make these with white rice, black eye peas, biscuits and fried chicken!

Have a lucky and money filled 2011!

Printable New Years 4 x4 Circles.

New Years Circles

New Years Circles

Happy New Year. Blog Hop!

HAPPY 2011!

We are all caught up and should be following everyone back!
I hope you had a fantastic Christmas. 
Wishing everyone lots of love and blessing for 2011!

We're mixing it up a little bit over here on our Friday Follow.  We are looking for blogs with great decorating tips, home decor, floral arrangements, party ideas, crafts and more...
If you have a blog post with one of these or something else you think is creative add it to our linky list!

December 31th-January 2nd

Every Friday begins with "Find" Fabulous Friday Follow Blog Hop
here at Lily's Laundry and  Cleaning Claire's Closet

Here's what you do...

1. YOU MUST FOLLOW LLBB and Cleaning Claire's Closet. (We will follow you too!)

2. Click on the Linky Tool below and add your CREATIVE BLOG POST.

3. Check out the other blogs on "Find Fabulous Friday Follow"

Linky will close on Sunday evening at 12 PM PST

Thanks to everyone who comes back for FFF every week.
We appreciate it.   Happy Find Fabulous Friday!

Happy Following!

It is sad that I even have to write this but DO NOT add anything to this linky list

that is not family friendly! Please only add our blog once! It will be ERASED ASAP!

Happy 2011!

 

Just in the nick of time;)

Happy 2011 Printable Banner in our scribd store for free!  

Best if printed on thick card stock.  Squares 4x6! 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Blog Hop! FFF!

Merry Christmas Blog Hop!
I have been a little lazy over here at LLB and I promise to catch up with all my "following back"
from last week and this week after the holiday! xoxo

We're mixing it up a little bit over here on our Friday Follow.  We are looking for blogs with great decorating tips, home decor, floral arrangements, party ideas, crafts and more...
If you have a blog post with one of these or something else you think is creative add it to our linky list!

December 24th-26th

Every Friday begins with "Find" Fabulous Friday Follow Blog Hop
here at Lily's Laundry and  Cleaning Claire's Closet

Here's what you do...

1. YOU MUST FOLLOW LLBB and Cleaning Claire's Closet. (We will follow you too!)

2. Click on the Linky Tool below and add your CREATIVE BLOG POST.

3. Check out the other blogs on "Find Fabulous Friday Follow"

Linky will close on Sunday evening at 12 PM PST

Thanks to everyone who comes back for FFF every week.
We appreciate it.   Happy Find Fabulous Friday!

Happy Following!

It is sad that I even have to write this but DO NOT add anything to this linky list

that is not family friendly! Please only add our blog once! It will be ERASED ASAP!

Day 2...My Mom's famous Cranberry Salad

 Day 2 

Ya-Ya’s Cranberry Salad

(Serves 8 or more)

What you need
2-3 oz packages of cranberry sugar free Jello 

(some places in the country i.e. in CA you cannot find cranberry jello so I sub for strawberry)

2 Cups of hot water
1 Bag of Fresh Cranberries
1 Whole Orange (navel, if possible)
1 Med. Can of Crushed Pineapple add juice to the jello mixture.
1-1/4 cup of sugar ( I use ½ cup of splenda)…but don’t tell dad! (this makes me laugh ;)
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I don't use the walnuts!)

How you do it
In food processor grind the cranberries well.

Section the orange. Set aside.

Add the jello to 2 cups of hot water, (in a casserole dish that can go in the refrigerator) stir, until dissolved, add pineapple and juice.

Add all of the other  ingredients in a bowl,

Stir until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Chill for several hours and then serve!

Day 3... Vic's Sausage Dressing....

This is a family recipe.  I hope I don't get in trouble for putting it all over the internet

but it is the best dressing ever and I just had to share!

My grandmother wrote this recipe down for me and at the top she writes 

"Yankees call it stuffing, Southerners call it dressing."  

Which is funny 'cuz I just Goggled this and Ryan Seacrest did a whole tweet about it!  

He's from Atlanta so he knows ;)

Vic's Sausage Dressing

2-16 oz. Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing

1- 16 oz. Pepperidge Farm herbal stuffing

2 packages of Jimmy Dean sage sausage

3 Cups small diced celery

3 Cups small diced onions 

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 teaspoons dry sage ( I use fresh)

1 Teaspoon of poultry seasoning

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

3 sticks of butter to saute onion and celery

4 cups (more or less) of low sodium chicken broth

You can season with Lawry's too but be careful not to make too salty.

How you do it...
Saute onion and celery with butter and seasonings and set aside. Cook crumbled sausage, drain all the grease and put on paper towel to wick it all away. (You can do this days in advance.) 

Assemble in a large bowl all ingredients.  Mix with hands completely.  Spray 2-13x9 casseroles dishes and put in dressing.  Do not pat down! Bake on 350, until heated through ( about 30 mins)....ready to serve!

Missing my plated pic...but trust me it is Yummy!

Day 6, 5, 4...Let's get the bake on...Christmas Cookies ;)

I know I missed a few days but I have been busy, getting ready for this weekend and for my parents who are coming TODAY! YEA!!! This is a different Christmas for us this year. It is the first time in 32 years, I have not been in the house, I grew up in, for Christmas morning...

My parents are so sweet...Santa still comes there every Christmas morning...

Any-who, with life things change and we are excited to start our own traditions and are thrilled not be getting on a plane with the little ones...

So here's my Sugar Cookie Recipe, which I kind of made up combining a couple I liked... 

I think they turned out really good! 

Sugar Cookies

2 Cups of Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Sticks of Butter

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

Cream butter in mixer, add in sugar, salt, vanilla and flour until thick. 

Roll or hand press out your dough. 

Get your favorite cookie cutters out and cut away.  

The trick is to leave them thick at least an 1/4 plus inch!

Place on a cookie sheet and place in oven on 350 degrees for about 8 Mins. 

DO NOT Over cook! You know how I am about things being dry! LOL!

Take off cookie sheet, let them COOL COMPLETELY and royal icing them up! 

I used the Royal Icing recipe from Joy of Baking!

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large (60 grams) egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

 

To get them the perfect color I used this Wilton Icing Coloring.

I bought at Joanne's Fabrics of all places.

Let cookies sit for at least 2 hours for icing to harden...then enjoy!

 Please excuse my transistion from stars to pumpkins...I forgot to take pics for the stars!

Merry Christmas!

Day 7....Merry Christmas Printable Banner

Not to late to decorate!  Get your glitter on with this printable banner.

Just print, cut it out, glitter it up, hole punch and string your ribbon through!

Easy as can be...and adds a festive touch to any space.

Day 8. Personalized Gift Guide...

I LOVE personalized gifts (getting and giving.)
I found a few neat things in my search for the perfect gifts this year and wanted to share.

Louis Vuitton Monogrammed Bags
Did you know that you can now get your LV bags personalized?  It is so cool.  I couldn't get an exact pic but you can click here and design your own.  
It won't be here for Christmas but is well worth the wait!

How about some great cuff links from Eternally Linked. 

"Eternally Linked has recently created a line of unconventional customized initial cuff links. Instead of the usual typical monogram sets, they offer a more modern take on the classic accessory.  You have the  option of color (with over 25 colors to choose from) and initial placement.'

P.S. Throw in a necklace that matches for you. Cuff links start at $42.

Williams Sonoma!

How about Monogrammed Steak Brand and Cutting Board from Williams Sonoma. Starts at $69.95

• Set includes a customized brand and a personalized John McLeod carving board.
• Hand-forged iron brand is an authentic miniature version of the cattle brands used for centuries to identify livestock and designate ranch families.
• Made of sustainably harvested New England birch, the board has a well to catch meat juices.
• Includes a wall-mounting storage rack for the brand.
• Choose single, double or triple initials.  All letters will be of equal height and weight.
• A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.

A barrel top lazy Susan from The Wine Crafters!
 A monogrammed lazy Susan. With a traditional interlocking monogram.  This lazy Susan is Eco-sustainable and crafted by hand. They use only Triangle Mfg® bearings, made in USA, and only Grabber® professional wood screws, also made in USA. This would make a great gift for wine lovers...or anyone who enjoys entertaining.  P.S. THEY HAVE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Happy Shopping.  Merry Christmas!

"Find" Fabulous Friday Follow...Blog Hop!

"Find Fabulous" Friday Follow!

We're mixing it up a little bit over here on our Friday Follow.  We are looking for blogs with great decorating tips, home decor, floral arrangements, party ideas, crafts and more...
If you have a blog post with one of these or something else you think is creative add it to our linky list!

December 16th-19th

Every Friday begins with "Find" Fabulous Friday Follow Blog Hop
here at Lily's Laundry and  Cleaning Claire's Closet

Here's what you do...

1. YOU MUST FOLLOW LLBB and Cleaning Claire's Closet. (We will follow you too!)

2. Click on the Linky Tool below and add your CREATIVE BLOG POST.

3. Check out the other blogs on "Find Fabulous Friday Follow"

Linky will close on Sunday evening at 12 PM PST

Thanks to everyone who comes back for FFF every week.
We appreciate it.   Happy Find Fabulous Friday!

Happy Following!

It is sad that I even have to write this but DO NOT add anything to this linky list

that is not family friendly! Please only add our blog once! It will be ERASED ASAP!

Day 9...Peace on Earth Banner-Free Printable

My photos are poor. Really bad lighting but the banner is really cute. 

I am calling it  a mini banner. 3x3 squares that say "Peace On Earth"

Super easy! Download and print (on thick card stock.) 

Cut out.
Get your glue, glitter, hole punch and ribbon out to decorate.

You can download yours below.

I also did a Merry Christmas one is in Scribd but not on blog yet.

Glitter is the key!

"Joy to the World" coming this weekend!

Day 10... Holiday Cookies by Bakerella!

Can you say this girl has some crazy talent or what!?!?  Look at these cookies!  This is from Angie over at Bakerella.  She is amazing.  Here are some of her Holiday cookie designs.  She even has a  tutorial on how she makes and decorated these cookies, which includes a PDF download for the template, so you can too!  Want to WOW somebody with your creative cookie talent?  

Go learn some cool tricks from Angie on her amazing blog!  

Oh...P.S.  The video below is her on the Today show making her famous cake pops!

Photo by Bakerella

Photo by Bakerella

Photo by Bakerella

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Day 12 and 11..."Wordly Wine" and Santa Transfer...

My husband loves wine. Not only does he love it but he's pretty knowledgeable about it also. I saw this cool ribbon with words transferred on it (I think at Potterybarn but couldn't find the picture again) and thought I could do that... the idea of words that people use to describe wine came to my head.

It would be neat to tie on wine decanters, glasses, bottles of wine, gifts and more.  

You will need ribbon (I used a soft canvas one.)
An ink jet printer.
An iron.
Transfer paper ( I used transfer paper from Dharma Trading Company.  The paper comes directions but it you want a really good tutorial check out  Lil Blue Boo.)

You can download it below for free.  Download is printed backwards so it will transfer correctly!
I printed 4 sheets out for 1-9 Ft. spool of ribbon.






















Words that describe wine

Day 11
Speaking of Lil Blue Blue and transfers... she has a really cute Santa one you can download for free too!

Lil Blue Boo Facebook Page

Day 14 and 13... Holiday Decorating!

Day 14

The New Christmas issue of Lonny is out and it is AWESOME!

I am totally in love with how this whole house is decorated and Lily and I really like this pink tree!

Aren't the colors in this room amazing!
  I am loving the the contrast of the blue wall with all of the decorations.
I am really into all shades of blue right now...

A Holiday Table Setting to die for!
I love that it looks like a winter wonderland but uses soft colors
(not your typical Christmas reds and greens)

Day 13

Grab a cute little button to dress up your blog for the holidays!

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