Christmas Popcorn

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Here's a last view of the Christmas decorations throughout my home. My popcorn trees were not created with the popcorn parable in mind, but it definitely resonated with me upon finding it on Etsy.  Here's the full Parable.

  

   

Thanksgiving Leftovers Breakfast

Thanksgiving is over but there's food leftover too! Hopefully your family and friends will take some with them when they leave. If you have house guest who are staying a few days what do you feed them?  

Well here's a few dishes you may want to try. 

Cranberry Orange Scone 

1. Flour: 2 cups of all-purpose flour is my standard amount for homemade scones, but set extra aside for the work surface and your hands.
2. Granulated Sugar: Stick with around 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar for this dough. Feel free to slightly decrease, but keep in mind that the scone flavor and texture will slightly change.
3. Baking Powder: Adds lift.
4. Salt & Vanilla Extract: These kitchen staples add flavor.
5. Cold Butter: Besides flour, cold butter is the main ingredient in cranberry scones. It adds flavor, flakiness, crisp edges, and rise.
6. Heavy Cream: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream. Buttermilk works too! For a nondairy option, try using full-fat canned coconut milk. Avoid thinner liquids such as milk or almond milk—the result is often dry, bland, and flat scones.
7. Egg: 1 egg adds flavor, lift, and structure.
8. Orange Zest: The zest from one orange provides bright flavor and pairs perfectly with the tart cranberries. Don’t leave it out!
9. Cranberries: I prefer to use frozen cranberries because they keep the scone dough super cold. Fresh or even dried works too. Use the same amount.

  

Leftover Stuffing Waffles 

Preheat your waffle maker and spray it with cooking spray.
Add about 1 cup of stuffing to your waffle iron. For an extra gooey twist, mix in some shredded cheddar cheese into the stuffing before cooking! Cook until crispy and golden. 
Remove the waffle stuffing from the waffle iron and add mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce and top with gravy. These instructions may vary depending the ingredients you used for your stuffing. 

ENJOY!

10 Thankful Fall Outdoor Tablescapes

Ten Fall table outdoor settings for our final days of fall. These great ideas work well for indoor dining too!

Season of Giving

Season of Giving

Today I am going to share something special to me, charity. This has is usually a busy time of the year for me as an interior decorator with the impending holidays. It’s also a time to prepare for gift giving.  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in several charitable events, a different kind of giving. 

Major changes in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) which supports United States local, national and international charities have taken place. The CFC enabled federal employees to donate to causes around the world. I hope we will recognize and contribute  to a charity of your choice as many require funds and needs volunteers to complete their mission. 

Ways to Contribute:

Donate unused goods. Especially household items and clothing. These items will become more expensive for many with the increase in tariff. Goodwill and Salvation Army Stores use funds from their sales to further help the local communities. Hospital sponsored thrift shops are another great place to donate unused goods their funds help pay medical bills.

Food banks, family shelters and International charities like, Doctors Without Borders deliver humanitarian aide.

With the addition of  government cut grants, we are in unprecedented moments that require a unprecedented response. Visit any of these sites  to see how you can donate or  choose one close to your heart.         

End of Summer Family Fun 2025

End of Summer Fun and Taco Casserole

Family Fun usually involves good food and shared recipes. This is one that has been loved by most of my family and guest during our visits, unless they are avoiding cheese. There are many variations of taco casseroles but here's my version.

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey (chicken or beef)

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

8 oz. Mexican Shredded Cheese

8 oz. Cream Cheese

8 oz. Sour Cream

1 Cup of Diced Tomato (optional)

1/2 Cup of  Sliced Jalapeno Peppers (optional)

1/2 Cup of Sliced Green Onions (optional)

Brown meat of your choice and follow seasoning packet directions. 

Soften cream cheese and blend with sour cream. Layer on bottom of a  9 x 13 oven bake dish end to end. Cover the ground meat over the cream cheese and sour cream blend end to end. Create another layer with the Mexican cheese covering end to end. The tomato, peppers and onions lay on top. I make variations with these garnishments based on who I am serving sometimes creating a small dish variation. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese bubbles (about 30 minutes). Cool for 15 minutes and serve. There are many ways to serve it. On a Fiesta Flat, on a bed of Lettuce or just for scooping with your Tortilla chips. Regardless of how you enjoy it. It's delicious.   

View this video for our End of Summer Fun! 

 

  

Summer 2025 Week 1

Summer of Learning and Leisure Martin Luther King, Jr Center

We visited the Dr. King Center for Non-Violent Social Change and Campus.  It’s a place of Education, History, Training, Exhibits and Events for community involvement. Dr. Kings crypt lies in the of a reflecting pool and is guarded daily. Dr King was inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ and the techniques of Mohandas Ghandi.

We visited with our grand gems who viewing the reflecting pool, church and National Park exhibits. The downtown visit was fun too. They were excited to see their former state Maryland was one of the original states in the Declaration of Independence.  It was just a few days from July 4th.  

 

Walk for Water

Clean Water Is Critical

 The Global 6K for Water invites thousands of people around the world to walk, run or roll (yes Roll in wheelchairs and strollers)or simply donate to make clean water a reality for vulnerable communities.  6K, is a little more than 3.7 miles, and the average distance round trip women and children in the developing world walk for water— water that is often contaminated with life-threatening diseases. 

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to tackling the causes of poverty and injustices worldwide.