here comes december!

This post contains so much that it might explode.

I just want to make sure you are ready for December.... I am about to burst with happiness I am so excited that this month is almost here! Here are some of my favorite December posts from the past 

(no surprise that they are almost ALL treats)....



First up..... 

The easiest advent calendar you will ever make....just a little string of

Mi Escalerita=Happy Banister

Do you decorate your stairs and banister? It could be tricky spaces to decorate, not because they are  too big or complicated but because after all is a functional space. I've seen a lot of decorations on Pinterest placed on the steps of the stairs. Even though I think it's very pretty and packs a big visual impact, could you imagine going down stairs for a glass of water and tripping on your luminarias? all the way down??? Yikes...only if you want to spend the Holidays in a full body cast!!!

While on Pinterest, I found the answer to my wishes here! This lady, Joy,  did such an amazing job with her banister. It's inviting, beautiful and elegant!!! Everything on my wish list! I decided to give it a try.

As I told Susan, the lady who writes the wonderful blog where I found the original picture, this was to me a painful labor of love...oh yeah...I think I have a whole new respect for ornament hooks. As I grouped some of the ornaments in sets of 3's wrapping them around the pine wreath was beyond prickly! I stop counting how many times "the hooks" got me after I had every finger of my hand sore and said No More (for that night), lol

Following along with the Candy theme in my home, the colors were selected to resemble peppermints of all shapes and forms.

It turned out to be quite heavy, the Hubs had to help me put it together and making it secure enough for little hands and paws not to knock it down.

I also added peppermint ribbons to give the garland a little more texture.

It took a couple hours of work to finish this little garland, I'm so happy I don't live in one of those palatial homes with endless twisty stairs (sigh).

Here are the stats:
(2 )6 feet wreaths with lights
175 ornaments
20 yards of ribbon
(1) set of left over outdoor white lights with 500 little lights!...yeah 500 give and take a couple burnt out, which I didn't notice  until after they were all wrapped around the garlands (fail oops!)..I don't think you can tell, right?

I hope you enjoy my little project of love and try it on your home. It really brings a nice little glow at night and cheer with bright festive colors at daytime!

Besitos,

Lizy

I will be joining these wonderful parties
Foodie Friends Friday
Bowdabra
Whipperberry.com
Debbiedoos.com
Debbiedoos.com Newbie Party
Savvy Southern Style
Ginger Snap Crafts
Setting for Four
From My Front Porch to Yours
Cherished Bliss
Funky Junk Interiors
Creative Geekery
The Pin Junkie

all mine

What a good and happy thankful month we've had.

I have to end it with being completely cliche' and saying how thankful I am for my little family. 

We have so much fun together, and this silly little picture makes me so happy inside. 

I wanted a quick snap of us together in Montana--proof that we are actually a family, and capable of taking a photo together. 

The wind was blowing exactly 1007

Decorating with Christmas Candy

This year we are having a Sweet Christmas theme around the house. From candy canes to chocolate, from tree ornaments to our china...we are trying to sprinkle a little of sugar plum fairy dust in our home this season from our friends and family to enjoy when they visit!
There are lots of great inspiration pictures and projects on Pinterest, for example this cute collection here. I took ideas from several of them and this is how my Sweet Christmas is starting to look like.

Peppermint Wrapped Candle

This was so easy to make and cheap too, I already had the pillar candle and was about to toss it since I thought it was just bulky and plain, good thing I had a change of heart. I headed to the nearest Dollar Tree Store and got myself a couple of boxes of Candy Canes and some Christmas Ribbon and Voila!!! A whole new look for this baby, for about $4.00, can't argue with that!!!

Candy Trees

O.K I'm busy (lazy,lol) 2 kids, 2 crazy kittens, my hubs and a house to take care of, so I really don't have too much free time to hot glue at least a hundred candies to cones, balls, or whatever you wish. I think they look adorable, but I just wish I had the time and patience. Here is my quick fix version of candy trees. Marshmallows acting as snow and the trees, well..candy trees from where else, the Dollar Tree (yeah I can't get out of that place)..Note: the tall trees are from last year, I saved them and just opened them this year.

Melted Candy Trays

These trays are hot on Pinterest too, for example this cutie here!. Even though I don't bake, I figured or should I say, convinced myself, that this was just heating up candy on a cookie tray over parchment paper in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Not too bad and fairly easy and super cheap, I only spent $2.00 for the 2 bags of candy from you guessed it, the D.T.

Since it turned out pretty close to perfect (well in my book perfection means not calling the F.D), I decided to try some cookie shape peppermints. I crushed the candies and let heated them up for the same amount of time. They don't look as pretty as the tray, but still they are kind of interesting and fun.

Hope you like my projects today they were fun to make and so far Pinterest has proven  to bea good source of inspirations with easy, quick and cheap ways to decorate for the holiday!

Besitos,
Lizy

Joining this great party:
Who Needs a Cape
Bowdabra
Rate the Plate Utah
The Chicken Chick
A view Along The Way
Savvy Southern Style
Made in a Day

we wondered as we wandered

On our drive home through Montana, we took a quick detour through Bannack. 

Bannack was a bustling gold town from the late 1860s-1930s and many of the structures still remain today. It's a state park, so it's been preserved more than other ghost towns, and many of the buildings are open to explore--some with furniture still in place. We didn't have a lot of time to spend--it was a quick stop-

Giveaway! Lucky Girl Hair Tie Holiday Set- Closed

No matter what skills you have or don't have in the kitchen, there is one thing that will ruin any meal... yep, that's right, hair in your food.

Kind of a gross concept so let's not dwell on it.

Let's just move on to the solution.  Sure any plain old rubber band will work but I like to take any opportunity to jazz things up.  Enter Lucky Girl Hair Ties.  The ties are showing up all over the place, but you can't beat the selection and price of this Etsy shop.

UPDATE- WINNERS
Congrats to Brittni and Shelley!

I found out about these just in time to keep my unruly frock out of my wedding cake.


I created a holiday set and I have two to give away to you today!

Just leave a comment below that you would like to be entered.  Two winners will be announced Friday.  Entries must be received by midnight Thursday, November 29.  In the meantime, check out the massive selection over at Lucky Girl and keep up with her newest sets on Facebook.

big big sky

Montana. 

Many of you may have heard it called "Big Sky Country". 

Maybe you have wondered why......

I am about to show you.



Let me just tell you first how thankful I am 

for this wonderful state. 

When I was little, I lived in a small mountain valley in the west. 

We were close to mountains for picnics and camping and playing in creeks.

We spent summers at rivers, lakes, and the

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe

Hola Amigos, I hope you had a great weekend among family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving and now are ready to embrace the coming Holidays full of energy and patience! Yes patience as the Holiday Season approaches, we need to arm ourselves with an extra dose just in case someone out of nowhere takes our parking spot that we were waiting on for the last 5 , in case we can't find "the it" toy the store guaranteed it will be in stock when you called earlier, in case you can't find that one bad bulb which is keeping your whole strand of lights in the dark!!!

This week I'm looking over my Pinterest Boards for some inspiration starting with dinner. I think my family had enough turkey for now so I found this delicious recipe for Thai Coconut Curry here at  Group Recipes. I tweaked it a little bit to make it more to our liking and it was a hit! This is my version of the original.

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

3 TBS of  Olive Oil or Butter

1 Medium Onion Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic choppend

3 Tsps of your favorite Curry Spice

1/2 Cup of Water

1/2 Cup Diced of Potatoes and 1/2 Cup of Diced Carrots

1 Pound of Cooked Shrimp (if you prefer uncooked it's ok too)

1 Can Unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

Salt

Parsley or Green Onions

 Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

In a skillet heat Olive Oil or Butter. Add the Medium Chopped Onion until they start turning transparent. Add the Garlic and cook another minute or two, being careful for it not to burn. To help cooking without adding more fat to the recipe,  you can add a bit of your 1/2 cup of Water as needed.

Add your Curry Spice, Mix and add a bit more water to the mix if it starts getting too lumpy. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remember is important for the mix not to burn

It's time now to add the Can of Coconut  Milk and Diced Potatoes and Carrots. Season the  Mix with Salt to taste and a Pinch of Cinnamon. I diced them very small so they cook faster. Cook at medium heat until vegetables are cooked. If you are in a hurry, by all means use canned vegetables. It will reduce the cook time immensely since you basically would keep it in the stove long enough for the ingredients to heat up.

Once the veggies are cooked, add the Shrimp and the Heavy Whipping Cream, stir until thickened. and remove from heat. Garnish it with Parsley or Green Onions.

Serve over white rice and enjoy. 

Remember, everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love

Besitos,

Lizy

Joining these Fabulous Parties:
Rattlebridge Farm
Dear Emmeline
The Shabby Creek Cottage

Call Me PMc

Brown Sugar and Spice Muffins

"There are two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle."

Albert Einstein




Wow, the holidays are here! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! The weather is chilly here. I don't seem to remember how cold it gets here in Western Washington. The Summer comes, and I blissfully forget of the winter before, leaving me cold and dumbstruck when it arrives again.



Mix wet ingredients with dry

We've lived here 5 years now. Maybe it takes longer than that to forget a lifetime of year round warm weather in Southern California.

Don't mix it too much, just until it's combined

This is the kind of food I like to eat when the weather is cold. Warm, simple food with yummy spices. This muffin recipe is super easy. Really. Add dry ingredients in a bowl, add wet in another bowl, and fold together gently. That's it! Which makes these muffins easy to whip up in a hurry.

Scoop batter into greased muffin tin

With the holidays upon us, and families visiting, having an easy muffin recipe with simple ingredients in your back pocket is a good thing.

  

Right out of the oven

These muffins will please even the most discerning guest. They are moist, and flavorful, with a sweet cinnamon sugar top. Heartwarming food that will comfort you on a cold day.

Vintage Paragon teacup (below) available in my Etsy shop, House of Lucien.

House of Lucien is having a big CYBER WEEK SALE! Take 20 % off anything and everything using coupon code, CYBERMONDAY2012. Coupon good till Friday, 11/30/2012.

House of Lucien is also on facebook!

Brown Sugar and Spice Muffins

These would also be tasty with some raisins, or other dried fruit, or nuts added


Ingredients

Dry:

2 cups (300 g.) all-purpose flour

1 cup (200 g.) brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Wet:

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups plain yogurt or sour cream

1/3 cup (78 ml.) vegetable oil

1/4 cup (59 ml) unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For Topping

cinnamon sugar

ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit, 190 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 5. Spray or grease a 12 count muffin tin. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and gently fold the mixture into the dry mixture. Don't mix it too much, your muffins will be tough if you do. Just mix it enough to blend it, then stop.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tins using an ice cream scoop. Sprinkle tops of muffins with a little cinnamon sugar, then top them with a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes, (check after 18 minutes.) Let the muffins cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tins by running a knife along the edge to loosen, then remove and let cool on a rack, or remove them and serve them!

 

Today

 The fruit is getting plump and juicy. Will probably make this Christmas cake late today or tomorrow.

Another three metre stretch of bunting - Christmas theme this time. So far, I've made nine metres and looking to make another nine.

A gift from my thoughtful girl. She bought two silk scarves after seeing them made in a workshop in Cambodia. She held them up and asked me to choose. Aren't I lucky?

I didn't have to choose this lovely hand-embroidered napkin from Vietnam. Nicka felt it would look lovely with one of the vintage cups. Like I said.  My thoughtful girl.

What about Nicka's trip?  Very successful by the sounds of it. The owners of the travel agency were most pleased with her work attitude but also with her social skills. Apparently they made mention it was difficult to find someone with excellent people skills whilst also being a competent photographer.

Result? A trip to France next year with celebrity chef George Colombaris and Matt Preston. This time she'll be paid too.  Destinations of many faraway places were talked about but the one place that has absolutely consumed her with passion and yearning is Antarctica. She'll do everything in her power to be on board when and if that cruise is organised.  And knowing Nicka it'll happen. Sorry if the following line offends, but as her brother says with great affection; "that girl was struck up the arse with a rainbow".

Ham & Cheddar Potato Soup

When you send your husband to the grocery store and there is a severe and expensive mistake made in the deli department, it is hard to know who is to blame.



For example, when you ask for a ham steak and for starters, you know there are packaged ham steaks that would be small and perfect.  But just in case, you write down a few specifications... 1/2 inch thick and you let the shopper know that you will need about 3/4 cup chopped ham in the end.

When the groceries arrive home, and you find yourself with a slab of ham that could be considered a Christmas dinner for six, who is to blame?  Let's go multiple choice...

a. The deli department.
Did they see that husband-sent-shopping from a mile away and think ah, today is the day I get this sucker to buy half my inventory?

b. Your husband.
Did he think, this purchase will seal the deal in me never having to grocery shop again.

c.  Your husband and the deli department.
Do husbands and deli departments have a little "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" deal going on?

d. You
Probably not, but should you have been more specific and realized that sending a man into a grocery store might be like him sending you to buy parts to fix the sink?

I have to say in this real life situation that recently happened to me, I'm not sure Mr. Hungry can be to blame.  Last year, I sent him with a list that included pancetta.  We had been on a big pizza kick and we needed just a sprinkle of diced pancetta.  When he came home with an $18 1 lb. chunk of pancetta, I had quite a few emotions, but none of them strong enough to take him off of the occasional grocery duty.  He knows he is not getting of that easy.

The good news is I needed the ham to try out this soup recipe and it instantly became a favorite.  I've made it three times in two weeks.  It's hearty, has so much flavor and makes the perfect chilly night meal.

As we continue our culinary study in ham, we have also had ham in our eggs, ham and pineapple pizza and we still have just a bit that I might need to find a way to heavily disguise because I'm not sure we can take much more.  At least I got a new favorite recipe out of this beautiful mistake.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Ham & Cheddar Potato Soup
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Note
Note about chicken bouillon: Chicken bouillon comes in granules or cubes and can be found next to chicken broth in the grocery store.  I think the cubes are easiest to work with and store, but the granules will do the trick as well.
Ingredients
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes (about 1/2 - 1 inch cubes)
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese + more for garnish
Step by Step
Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a wire whisk, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and blended.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. 

Garnish with extra cheddar cheese and serve hot. 

//Adapted from allrecipes.com

pie. and other things.

I swore I took a picture of these lovely pies with my real camera.....but when I got home and went through my pictures.....I hadn't. I was stuffed full and delirous with mashed potatoes and cranberries....so I guess I forgot to do it. So here is a phone shot--apple, buttermilk, pumpkin, and chocolate pecan. 

None of them made by me, all of them tasted by me.



Did you have a fabulous

thank thanky thankfulness

a quick phone snap from my drive through the desert last week



So happy and thankful for this pretty place we live, and for all the pretty people I share my life with. I am so lucky.

Happiest Thanksgiving to you and yours!!

Cranberry Apricot Brie

There are two situations that you could in find yourself in on this Thanksgiving Eve that could make this recipe quite worth your while.

 

A.  You are invited as a guest to someone's house for Thanksgiving and maybe you haven't slowed down yet to think through how rude it might be to show up empty handed for a feast that has been planned and prepped for weeks.

B.  Maybe you are in charge of this colossal meal and between the big bird himself, countless sides and pulling your house together, you haven't really stopped to think about all of the people who will be milling around waiting for everything to get to the table.  Ever notice how no one asks when dinner will be ready if there is plenty to snack on?

Whether you want to be invited back next year or you want to keep restless pilgrims at bay, this is a pretty perfect Thanksgiving appetizer.   While it's one of my favorites all holiday season, it becomes especially handy on a day like Thanksgiving where you couldn't find extra oven space no matter how hard you try. While this baked brie will also always be a favorite, this one comes together in a matter of minutes and looks pretty fancy if you ask me without needing even a second of heat.  It's also a bit of a star because it's actually best at room temperature, which means it can sit out for hours.

Okay, I'm gonna wrap this up... you need to get to the grocery store.

And if you just so happen to be one of those really on the ball types and have had this big day planned out for months, you could always keep this in mind for a Christmas party.

From my little kitchen to yours... Happy Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Apricot Brie
Note about cranberries and apricots:  If your grocery store has bulk bins, there is a good chance that they carry dried apricots and cranberries.  If your bulk bin does not have the bright orange apricots, check the dried fruit aisle because the color makes for a much prettier presentation than the dark brown variety.
Note about brie:  If you are not familiar with brie, you might be confused by the white skin that surrounds the cheese.  This is completely edible.  We only remove it from the top of the cheese to help the topping stick to the actual cheese.  If your brie is extra creamy, it might be hard to cut.  Make sure it is very cold and run your knife under hot water to heat up the blade to ease it into the cheese.
Ingredients
1 8 oz round of brie
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
3/4 cup dried cranberries
5 dried apricots, quartered
Step by Step
With a very sharp knife, slice a very thin layer off on one side of the cheese, taking off the white coating and exposing the cheese.  Discard the thin piece.  Make another horizontal slice in the brie leaving you with two even layer of cheese.  Place the round that still includes the skin on a serving tray.  Slather the cheese with one tablespoon of apricot preservers and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cranberries on top. Place the other round of cheese on top.  Smother with two additional tablespoons of apricot preserves.  Top with cranberries and quartered apricots.  Brie can be prepared up to two days in advance.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve with your favorite plain crackers.