Christmas Celebrating with Advent Calendars

Thinking of a fun way to count down til Christmas? Try making a homemade Advent calendar.

Wooden Advent tree calendar with boxes

Colorful paper pouch advent calendar

Christmas countdown tree

Fabric “envelope” Advent calendar

Tree Advent banner

Garland art calendar

Scratch-off snowflake calendar

Advent calendar in a jar

Balloon garland calendar

Take-out box calendar

Wooden house calendar

Wooden tree advent calendar with little metal buckets

Felt stocking garland calendar

Paper stocking garland calendar

Christmas light bulb garland calendar

Paper woodland houses calendar

Hanging paper houses calendar

Boxes on canvas calendar

Activity card calendar 

Star garland calendar

Upcycled toilet paper gift-filled Advent calendar

Punch box calendar

Tree-topped Advent calendar boxes

Message in a bottle calendar

Matchbook advent calendar

Ornament calendar

Advent calendar with little mailboxes

Geometric calendar

Envelopes in a box calendar

What are your Advent calendar ideas?

On A Roll

As we head into another holiday season, I thought today we’d take a look at roll recipes.  Rolls are an amazing and creative way to bring the bread group to the table, whether you eat them with a little butter or pile on some meats and other tasty treats.

Simple Rolls:

Amish dinner 

Japanese milk bread 

Parker House 

Honey wheat 

Crusty European style hard rolls

Ciabatta rolls

Kaiser rolls

Sourdough rolls

Multigrain rolls

High fiber pretzel

Hawaiian rolls

Honey wheat yeast

No-knead cloverleaf

Cornmeal rolls

Wheat, oat and flax 

Crescent rolls

Edys braided rolls

Mini brioche

Gluten free

Rolls with a Little Extra:

Cranberry pumpkin

Herb and onion

Golden pumpkin

Rosemary potato

Four leaf clover

Semolina with golden raisins, fennel and pine nuts

Three cheese crescents

Olive rolls

Sweet potato 

Garlic butter

What rolls do you serve for holidays and gatherings?

It’s Time to Talk Turkey

As we get ready for Thanksgiving in less than 2 weeks, today I’m sharing turkey recipes that you can enjoy both on Thanksgiving and after with leftovers.

Turkey and dumplings

Pot pie with biscuits

Meatloaf

Turkey and panchetta meatballs

Enchiladas

Sloppy joes

Taco pie

Turkey chutney pasta salad

Ratatouille

Turkey, bacon and guacamole wraps

Alfredo turkey skillet dinner

Red chili

White chili

Turkey tetrazzini

Turkey soup with egg noodles and vegetables

Turkey pad Thai

Turkey gumbo

Just Turkey:

Turkey roulade

Black lacquered

Spicy turkey thighs

Roast turkey with rosemary and lemon

Bacon roasted

Salt and pepper

5 star roast turkey

Brined, herb crusted turkey with apple cider gravy

Smoked turkey with bbq gravy

Shepherd’s pie

Roasted and braised turkey with cognac gravy

Cajun brined turkey two ways

Getting Ready for Turkey Time:

Turkey brine

What are your turkey tips?

Giving Thanks with Root Vegetables

As we prepare for Thanksgiving at the end of this month, today I thought we’d take a look at yams/sweet potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, carrots, and parsnip recipes that you can add to your Thanksgiving.

Yams/Sweet Potatoes:

Sweet potato gnocchi

Baked sweet potatoes with citrus

Candied sweet potatoes

Spicy sweet potatoes with lime

Bourbon sweet potatoes

Sweet potato souffle

Roasted sweet potatoes with honey butter

Honey roasted sweet potatoes

Whisky glazed sweet potatoes

Sweet potato fries

Sweet potato pie cookies with orange glaze

Garlic and herb grilled sweet potato fries

Rutabagas:

Rutabaga fries

Rutabaga and potato salad

Rutabaga gratin

Roasted rutabaga

Bacon and chive mashed rutabaga

Mashed rutabaga with sour cream and dill

Roasted rutabaga in brown butter

Hasselback rutabagas

Rutabaga, sage and white cheddar soup

Turnips:

Roasted turnips with Parmesan

Turnip ravioli with Brussels sprouts

Honey glazed turnips

Glazed turnips and parsnips with maple syrup

Turnip and sweet potato gratin

Apple and turnip mashed potatoes

Caramelized turnips

Mashed yellow turnips with crispy shallots

Buttered turnip puree

Carrot:

Carrot fritters

Carrot soup

Carrots with ginger and honey

Roasted carrots with lemon dressing

Roasted carrots with feta and parsley

Roasted carrots

Moroccan carrot salad

Carrot souffle

Roasted carrot hummus

Curried carrot soup

Whisky glazed carrots

Parsnip: 

Parsnip fries

Caramelized roasted parsnips

Creamy braised parsnips with sage

Roasted parsnips with rosemary

Creamy parsnip soup

Smashed parsnips with mascarpone cheese

Parsnip chips

Parsnip hummus

Maple roasted parsnips

Roasted parsnips with lemon and herbs

Sauteed parsnips with white wine and thyme

What root vegetable recipes can you recommend?

Spooky Sips

With Halloween happening in a few days, today we’re taking one last look at the holiday with some spooky and tasty beverages.

Bloody Mary shooters

Dark and swampy

Creepy cherry

Vampire vodka

Black lagoon

Bubbling green

Blood moon punch

Swamp sips

Screwed screwdriver

Ghost graveyard

Berry scary martini

Poisoned apple

Bloody floats

Creepy cocktail

Sinister cider 

Pumpkin sangria

Blueberry rickety eyeball punch

Black light

Dark and spooky

Phoenix rising

Hemlock cocktails

Cider fall fireball

Magical mad hatter 

Wonderland cocktail

Spooky lychee sangria

Apple butter old fashioned

Apple cider sidecar

Ghostly cocktail

Death eater negroni

Glow in the dark infected brain cocktail

Magic cotton candy martini

Witch’s brew

Sour Frankensteins

Grave digger

Bloody orange

Mr Hyde potion

Black widow shot

Candy corn infused vodka

Cachaça zombie

Haunted graveyard

Melted witch martini

Black widow smash

Devil’s margarita

Poisoned apple

What Halloween drinks do you have planned?

Tricked Out Halloween Treat Bags

As we get ready for Halloween in less than 2 weeks, today I’ve got lots of ideas for DIY treat bags and carriers.

Spiderweb treat bag

‘Boo’ mini paper bags

Ruffled tote bag

Boney heart bag

‘Boo’ and smelly feet bags

More sophisticated Halloween tote bags

Pumpkin and ‘trick or treat’ bags

Knitted candy corn bag

Knitted scull bag

Small knitted treat bags

Spooky owl treat bag

Sugar skull bag

Glow in the dark tote with eyes

Skull paper treat bag

Felt candy corn bag

Skeleton flamingo tote

Duct tape bat bucket

Felt cat bag

Halloween themed drawstring bag

Eyeball treat bag

“Sticky” spiderweb bag

Witch treat bag

Boo, ghost, bat and pumpkin Halloween themed bags

Haunted house paper bag

Felt ghost, pumpkin and cat bags

Simple mummy buckets

Halloween basket

Black cat basket

Pumpkin tote bag

Witch silhouette bags

Crochet pumpkin basket

Crochet happy bat basket

Candy corn, spiderweb and monster crochet baskets

What treat bag ideas do you have?

No Tricks, Just Treats

Today we’re taking a look at some Halloween themed tasty treats!

Eye spy cupcakes

Frankenstein krispie treats

Chocolate pretzel spiders

Monster eyeball cookies

Ladies fingers

Halloween brownies

Chocolate witches hat

Ghouls graveyard

Poisoned apple

Chocolate bat and cat cookies

Cured epidermis

White chocolate ghosts

Black cat paw cookies

Wicked witch cupcakes

Candy corn krispie treats

Brain cupcakes

Dulce de leche bat cookies

Cute spider cookies

Pumpkin face pizza pot pies

Witch’s cauldron cake pops

Bat stripe cake

Eyeball cake

Mini jack-o-lantern cakes

Bloody knife cupcake

Chocolate cinnamon skeleton cookies

Blueberry mummy muffins

Sausage mummies

Velvet vampire cupcakes

Peanut butter spider cookies

Mummy hand pies

Witch crash cupcakes

Eyeball cake

Ghostly cupcakes

What spooky treats are you making this Halloween?