I made my very first gumdrop Christmas craft while I was still in high school. My sister was away at college and I decided she needed a gumdrop wreath to hang on the door of her dorm room. The wreath was a huge hit with the girls in her dorm, but alas the wreath was too heavy and WOULD NOT hang from her door. No nails were ALLOWED on dorm room walls!
Sunday, December 23
Saturday, December 22
RED VELVET BROWNIES
'Tis the season to satisfy your sweet tooth, right? From candy to cookies to cakes, everyone has their favorite Christmas sweet. It's no stretch to say that my family LOVES Red Velvet Cake. It's the most requested cake in our family.
There's nothing more festive than ending your Christmas dinner with a beautiful and stately Red Velvet Cake. This year I have decided to shake things up a bit and make Red Velvet Brownies instead of cake. Sacrilege! I know. I will keep you posted on how this goes over with the family. Fingers crossed. Red velvet brownies are a bite-size version of the classic cake we all love so well. Top it with cream cheese frosting and you've got yourself the ultimate holiday dessert! This already sounds like the kind of thing that will be calling me at night!
Thursday, December 20
Mini Christmas Trees, An Extra Touch
Seventeen years ago I decorated my very first mini-Christmas tree. Flipping through a magazine one day I came across a photo of a small tree for a baby's room. Ms.E was 6 months old at the time and I thought a tree dedicated to a baby's first Christmas was a brilliant idea. Why had I never thought of this before? It was genius. Inspired really. Well, I'm sure you can see where this is headed, after the first mini I never looked back. Now there are trees in every room of our home. There are years when I would rather NOT decorate every tree, but it's tradition here at Porter Central and the kids wouldn't have it any other way!
Spread the holiday cheer in your home with mini decorative Christmas trees. Your Christmas decorating should not be concentrate only around your mantel and family room but throughout your whole house. Put around as many as you like in different themes to keep them interesting. Enjoy the following eye candy. You just might find something here that peaks your interest starting a new family tradition in your home.
Tuesday, December 18
Outdoor Christmas Decorating Tips
Want to make the exterior of your home just as classically welcoming with holiday cheer as your interior? Look to the award-winning landscaping firm 'Mariani Landscape' for tips on giving your home’s landscape a festive, timeless look you’ll love.
Monday, December 17
Sunday, December 16
Versatile Chocolate Chip Cookies, Baking Tips and Ideas
Last night Mr.P and I were ALONE! It was sheer heaven. What did we do? We baked cookies by candle and twinkle lights. With our favorite Christmas tunes playing on the stereo and just the right lighting we had an absolutely wonderful time in the kitchen. I would highly recommend this to anyone in need of a little Christmastime romance with your sweetie.
I keep this cookie dough in the freezer, most of the time.
Meet my trusty 'cookie' scoop.
It makes perfectly-sized cookies, consistent every time!Friday, December 14
COZY CHRISTMAS JAMMIE'S
Christmas pajamas, a holiday tradition I love, probably because they remind me of snuggly kiddos all clean and warm from their baths, cuddles by the fire and happy smiles as they open gifts.
However finding the perfect Christmas Eve Jammie's for your family can be a bit of a challenge especially if you are looking for a particular color, a style that works for boys and girls, in a range of sizes and reasonably priced. No one wants to spend a small fortune on PJ's, specifically during the Christmas season. Personally, I try to keep ours priced under $15-$20 a pair. Here's what I have found this year. ENJOY!
Thursday, December 13
Tuesday, December 11
Christmas Eve Party-In-A-Box
This has to be one of the best ideas I have come across in quite some time. My kids and their sweeties will adore this little extra special gift on Christmas Eve. This all-in-one surprise in a box is easy to pull together at the last minute. If you happen to find yourself wandering your local Walmart, brain dead from the mad dash you have been on since Thanksgiving, look up and add these items to your basket and start a new family tradition.
Sunday, December 9
Friday, December 7
Wednesday, December 5
Monday, December 3
How to Throw a Successful Christmas Party
Ten Things That Are Sure To Make Your Holiday Party Planning Fun and Simple.
Christmas is a fun and festive season with tons of parties. Why not throw one of your own this year? It doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. The following ten steps will help you get a jump start towards holiday party success!
Saturday, December 1
Friday, November 30
JUST BEING in NEW YORK CITY
Multiple trips to any location has its benefits. It gives you the chance to enjoy your travel at leisure, freedom from the demands of a schedule. When you are at leisure, something wonderful begins to happen. You begin to find yourself JUST BEING. What does it mean to just be? I realize to some of you this concept may sound silly, after all, just being is a bit like a car idling, it is there, a sort of foundation of existence. You may say, 'so what?'.....and I'd say, 'just being is a lot more interesting and satisfying than it sounds.' Don't knock it until you've tried it!
Tuesday, November 27
One Cold November Night.......
.....found me all alone at Porter Central; highly abnormal for our household. There is ALWAYS someone or something underfoot. Finding myself in this 'blue banana' sort of situation was a pleasant surprise indeed. So what to do with my free night. The house is clean. Laundry maybe? Or, I could always finish Christmas decorating. Nope, I think I'll have a bowl of my favorite soup, listen to my Christmas music on Rhapsody and do a bit of cyber window-shopping. The laundry and decorating can wait until tomorrow because the night belongs to ME.....AND IT'S GONNA BE FUN! Well, at least relaxing and I'll take that any day!
Monday, November 26
Are You A HUNTER GATHERER?
Are you a hunter gatherer? Someone who loves to forage? No, not the society of people that lived thousands of years ago, but circa 2012 at a flea market near you! Do you gather together in one space the things you have a passion for?
Sunday, November 25
Making Your Home Christmas Cozy
If you want your home to reflect that warm and cozy feeling that only Christmas can bring, it can be as simple as adding a few personal touches that appeal to the senses. Often, you can rearrange or bring out items you already own, or buy a few simple home accents that aren't very expensive. Here are some of my favorite ideas on how to make your home warm and cozy during the Christmas season.
Wednesday, November 21
WHEN A FAMILY GATHERS......
If you are fortunate enough to be with your loved ones today on Thanksgiving, make it a day to remember. Pulling the men away from televised football and flushing the women out of the kitchen may be harder than you might think, but if you plan a few activities you just might pull it off! A day to cherish. A day to remember. Here are just a few last minute ideas for a good old fashioned family Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 20
PONDERING PIES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Monday, November 19
Sunday, November 18
SUNDAY BRUNCH IN BED WITH Mr.P
What happens when you wake up early on a cold Sunday morning and decide to dash out the door for the early service at church, without eating breakfast? You go back to your warm little house, climb back into your pj's, make Sunday Brunch for your sweetie and snuggle under the covers in your cozy bed while eating scrambled eggs and reading the Sunday paper. Life can sometimes be complicated so it's important to make time for you and your family to slow down and just BE. Tomorrow morning will be here soon enough bringing a busy week of work, school and preparing for visiting family, friends and our Thanksgiving feast. So in the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't slow down and look around, you might miss it".
I didn't plan to make brunch in bed this morning. When we came in from church, I was hungry and decided to scramble eggs. In an effort to free up as much space as possible in my fridge for the coming holiday week, I began pulling things out that I could quickly throw into my eggs. A handful of spinach, a few left over grape tomatoes, grated cheese, sausage crumbles and a bit of onion. What started out as cleaning the fridge quickly turned into a delicious meal for two under the covers.
SPINACH, TOMATO AND SAUSAGE EGG SCRAMBLE
There is no written recipe for this, however I will tell you what I used.
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
3/4 cup baby spinach
2 tablespoons minced onion
a handful of grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, if you don't
have it you can use a pinch of dried or skip it completely
1/2 cup prepackaged, precooked sausage crumbles
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
WHAT TO DO
Crack eggs into a small bowl. My 'large' eggs were huge and I only used 3.
If they had been smaller I would have used 4. Add a pinch or two of salt and ground pepper. Whisk and set aside.
If they had been smaller I would have used 4. Add a pinch or two of salt and ground pepper. Whisk and set aside.
Melt butter in a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat.
Add spinach and onions. Saute until spinach is wilted.
Add grape tomatoes, sausage crumbles and parsley;
cook about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir everything well to make sure everything is heated through.
Add whisked eggs to your skillet and begin stirring at once. Immediately turn
your heat down to medium-low. Keep stirring and folding the eggs over and over.
When they are almost cooked, add cheese.
Make sure to mix the cheese in well so that it melts....and your done.
I served my SPINACH, TOMATO AND SAUSAGE EGG SCRAMBLE with toast, juice, coffee, newspaper and a smile.
Had I planned ahead I would have had some sort of fresh fruit on our tray and maybe some really good quality jam or small danish. I did add an iced pumpkin muffin, which neither of us ate. It was a relaxing moment in our otherwise hectic lives. It was nice to start the week off with wonderful quality time with my husband, Mr.P!
Go through your fridge as you prepare for Thanksgiving. You never know, you
just might find the ingredients in there for something wonderful!
just might find the ingredients in there for something wonderful!
You'll be glad ya did!
ENJOY!
~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~
RONDA
MAY THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING BRING YOU
LOVE, LAUGHTER AND A WARM HEART!
Saturday, November 17
THANKSGIVING DINNER WEBSITES
Far be it for me to know all of the ends and outs of cooking a full out Thanksgiving Dinner. In our family, everyone brings the dish they are most known and loved for. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my mother's Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and my sister's Green Beans and so on. If you're on deck this year for cooking your families dinner and find yourself unprepared, here are a few direct links to Thanksgiving websites you might find helpful. HAPPY HUNTING!!
SAVEUR
FOOD NETWORK
TASTE OF HOME
MARTHA STEWART
SOUTHERN LIVING
EPICURIOUS
MOMS WHO THINK
FOOD AND WINE
THE PIONEER WOMAN
FOOD NETWORK
TASTE OF HOME
MARTHA STEWART
SOUTHERN LIVING
EPICURIOUS
MOMS WHO THINK
FOOD AND WINE
THE PIONEER WOMAN
Bliss Tree offers gluten-free recipes for anyone out there in need.
No prayer can be better than the prayer of giving sincere thanks and praises to God. May you have a Happy Thanksgiving feast!
ENJOY!
~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~
RONDA
RONDA
Friday, November 16
Jared's Favorite Apple Crisp!
What is it about the this time of year, the cooler nights and Autumn in the air, that causes us to crave the warm aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, or coffee? There is just something heart-warming to the soul about pulling a steamy apple pie or crisp out of the oven! What a delicious surprise for your family at the end of a long week of work and/or school. Surprise them as they come in from school, or on a cool brisk Saturday after 'the' big game. A dessert dotted with butter and brown sugar somehow always puts a smile on my face and the faces of my little family!
Tuesday, November 13
Bacon-Wrapped Roast Turkey
Thanksgiving in the Making: Table Arrangements
If you plan to entertain for Thanksgiving, chances are you may be arranging a Fall centerpiece for your table, sideboard or buffet. The problem is, the more you search for Autumn table top ideas, the more they start to look alike. I mean really how many acorns and faux leaves can a person put on a tray? There are many ways to establish the “tone” of a Thanksgiving table, whether it's casual, formal, whimsical, or rustic. One of the easiest ways to do that is by creating an arrangement. You may opt to have a professional arrangement created for your holiday table, or instead, you may be in search of inspiration to create your own! Take a look at some examples of different styles of centerpieces that can be used as a starting point from which to “build” the rest of your table.
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