Hanging greenery

I think the hanging greenery I see in florists shops and some other stores have had them as pretty decor. The one I made was simple and I didn't add too much greenery as the branch started to crack a bit.
Items you need:
A branch
Some greenery
Fishing wire
Spray paint
Twinkly lights
So, first I gathered a few branches and decided on a straight shaped one that was a medium thickness.  I made sure it was dry and then spray painted it white. I did a light coat.
Measure the fishing wire and loop it over the curtain rod and around the branch. Do on both sides.
Add the greenery onto the branch and tie down with the fishing wire.
I added some crystal faux snow to the greenery
Add the twinkly lights
So pretty and easy

Can not screw up this apple pie

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We did. My sister in law and brother in law hosted the holiday in their beautiful and cozy home in Maryland. Big group of us and so much fun.
My husband loves this apple pie I make. The recipe is from my other sister in law on the Craig side of our family.  She is Debbie Craig, too. Two of us out there. Lol. She is blonde and I am not, haha.
Ok so here is the recipe.
I always buy the pills bury pie crust. Let it sit on counter as you prepare the filling.
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash salt
6cups sliced apples. Machintosh, Rome, tart variety
2 tbsp margarine or butter
Heat 425 degree oven
Mix everything but the apples together along with 1 tbsp margarine
Stir in apples, winds up being 6-8 apples. Sometimes my pie is filled pretty high.
Set one pie sleeve on the bottom of 9" pie plate
Fill with Apple mixture, then rest of butter in shavings on top of mixture
Cover pie with second crust sleeve and pinch top n bottom together.
Cut thin strips of foil and cover crust for first 30 min.
Make a few slits in the top of the pie for steam to escape. You can be fancy with little cookie cutters.
After first 30min take foil off and continue to bake til juice bubbles and pie is alittle brown. Total bake time is 40-50 minutes.
I also set the pie on a tray in the oven so if any juices overflow they won't make a mess in your oven.
Top with ice cream or I like So delicious cool whip, coconut whipped topping.
Enjoy!

Carrot Soufflé. Last minute addition but will be a staple for years to come

I make this carrot soufflé dish every Christmas Day but I wanted to share with you all in case you want to try for Thanksgiving. This is a huge crowd pleaser. It was given to me years ago by my child's elementary school teacher, Mrs Muller. @Melinda jack muller. She had received it from Judy Firsichbaum which was stolen from Fran Skiba. Lol, well worth the theft.
Ok. So here it is. I double the recipe easily but of course you don't have to.
1 lb cooked carrots soft
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbs flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick melted margarine
Dash cinnamon
The topping:
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup cornflakes crumbs ( sometimes I delete these and add 1/4 cup more nuts)
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs melted margarine
This gets mixed together as the topping, last 4 mentioned ingredients

In food processor or kitchen aid or mixer, blend carrots til not lumpy and then add all ingredients but the topping. Pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle on topping
Bake uncovered 350 degrees 45min- 1 hr. Serves 6-10
You can cook carrots n mash them up the day before and keep covered in refrigerator to save time day of if you like.
Enjoy! Xo

Bar carts, Yes Please!

Holidays are Here! Time for celebrating and getting our homes ready for visitors. Don't stress out. It's about enjoying your family and friends. If you want to decorate alittle great! Come by my blog from time to time for ideas and inspiration.
Ok Bar carts. Any IG or Pinterest board has a bar cart decorated to the 9's. I love them. I don't have a tradional one but there are ways to make use of pieces you have already in your homes.
You can style with expensive items, heirlooms, or really inexpensive items from target dollar spit, hint, hint. @Target

Here are a few ideas. Bar carts can be for any kind of beverages. So fun to style them! I can remember being maybe 11 yrs old and my aunt had a silver chrome bar cart and I just thought it was the coolest thing. I was a weird kid, I know.  I would cut pages out of better homes and gardens and decorate my pretend home in my head. Please don't judge. Lol

Sugared fruit to Look At, not to eat

I made this years ago for a bridal shower decor piece and thought you would enjoy this easy project.
It looks pretty on a table as a centerpiece if you use a large pedestal stand. I was at a wedding years ago where they had sugar dusted fruit with a pretty ribbon as the centerpiece. It was perfect for a November wedding.
You need
Egg whites
Super fine sugar, white
Dry fruit, small in size. I like grapes any color, blueberries, small apples or pears
A pretty pedestal stand
Wire ribbon
Brush the egg white on the dry fruit
Roll in the sugar
Dry
Place on the pedestal and arrange the ribbon however you like

Grandma Camella's Pizza bread recipe

Wanted to pass along my Pizza Bread recipe. Well, not My recipe, it's my grandmother's that was passed down thru the years. It is easy to make and great for tailgates, a good snack to make for your college student, of course a big favorite as an appetizer to bring to a party or serve at your next get together.
I make a simple sauce and keep it warm
I buy the dough. You can find in the dairy section of most stores. I buy two bags of dough as two pies fit on one baking sheet.
Take the dough out of the bag and put in a bowl and cover so it can rise
After it rises, spread out on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper. As I said, two fit on one large baking sheet. Form into two rectangles and make little indents in the dough for the sauce to hang onto.
Preheat the oven to dough package directions.
Let rise a bit more in the baking sheet
Spread sauce onto the dough,not too much. Then spread a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese.
Insert into oven and watch it often as to not over cook.
After it's done let cool and then cut with pie cutter. I just love this @Williams and Sonoma pizza cutter. It sits at an angle that doesn't dig into the pie.
Enjoy!

Easy Tailgate Food

Ok, so even if we aren't a big football fan we all can enjoy a good tailgate.
For those who are attending weekly tailgates for college games I want to share some fun recipes that I know you will enjoy.
For earlier games we have been making PEC's Porkroll, egg and cheese sandwiches on a soft roll. In New Jersey Porkroll is a big favorite breakfast meat. Sometimes we mix it up and also do bacon egg and cheese. They are easy to put together and stay warm in foil and big batch goes a long way.
Along with them we have been doing mimosas and procecco.
If you want to incorporate some school spirit you can find straws in the school's colors. Party City has a huge selection. @Partycity #partycity.
They have the colored napkins as well
It's totally informal but trays are a good idea to keep the food and drinks on a flat surface. The one in the photo is from @hobbylobby.
I have been bringing an assortment of fruit, something sweet, and these cheese and sausage puffs are always a hit. My mom started making these years ago, not sure where the recipe originated before her, but no matter the event everyone loves them.  I recently made them for a bridal shower brunch.
Here is the recipe
1 lb of hot or sweet sausage
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese shredded
3cup bisquick mix
3/4 cup water
Remove sausage from casing, or buy it already out of casing cook in large skillet breaking it up til its crumbly
Put in a bowl
Cool then add cheese, bisquick mix, and water mix
Roll into 1" balls put on cookie sheet that I line with parchment paper
Bake at 400 degrees 12-15 min.
You can cool the and freeze and reheat at 375 degrees for 10 min.

Early Fall

Almost time to winterize our outdoor bar but there are a few warm days and crisp fall evenings left to enjoy.
Here s a few photos of Gil's turning alittle Fall.
I just love the idea of a throw or oversized scarf at each seat when you entertain outdoors. These are from target, 7.00. I want to have them embroidered with GIL's on them. For another day. Lol
So many cute pumpkins out this season, different textures and sizes. I like neutrals.
Plaid is just so versatile for the autumn season.  It s available in any combo you can think of. Got yo get some buffalo check for my tabletop.
Enjoy these pictures and remember to keep using your outdoor spaces.

Style maker- Barri Leiner Grant

As a kid I remember loving to look at pretty settings.  Whether it was a window in a department store or a beautiful home pictured in a magazine.  I would sit and look at the rooms featured over and over and sometimes I would cut out certain pages and pretend they were rooms in my pretend house. Lol. I can still remember my dream kitchen when I was 11. I guess I was a weird kid.

I was reading Better Homes and Gardens, currently, although I did read it when I was 11. Again, weirdo, I know. Anyway, I came across this awesome photo stylist, Barri Leiner Grant.
She works with leading architects, photographers, and interior designers to help style and personalize their spaces. Companies will hire her to take a product and showcase it in creative ways such as  on Pinterest boards and catalogs.
I just love her thoughts on decorating.  Many points are my way of thinking as well. She compares decorating to putting on your make up. Love that she likes imperfect over flawless. In real life nothing is perfect. You can work hard to make a space awesome but once real people live in it, it may be totally imperfect, who cares.
She believes rooms are always evolving. Barri recommends choosing a signature color, as she did for her front door, a vibrant green. She then carried it thru the home in little pops of color.
She urges, don't be dragged down by decorating rules.  If something catches your eye, go for it. It will make the space your own.
Advice I follow, add alittle sparkle to every room, with a metal as an accent. Just like gold or silver earrings would do for an outfit. Finally, she says she concentrates on the smallest details that are unexpected for a room, I love that.

Designer Inspiration. OHara Interiors

I stumbled upon this interior designer I wanted to share with you. Martha O'Hara interiors.
The owner had been in business since 1988. She started out as an Accountant and business consultant but decided to follow her passion for design.  I love these stories. She works closely with her daughter who is more in the marketing and social media disciplines of the business. They are based out of Minnesota and Texas.
I was quickly lost in all her projects as I scrolled through her website. Here are a few pictures I thought you would enjoy.
O'Hara interiors

How to make the most of a small backyard

My oldest son decided he wanted to build an outdoor bar at our home. He did all the preliminary work and then somehow my husband became a partner in the construction. I am including a few photos but it looks so much better when people are enjoying the space on a warm summer evening.
He decided to name it Gil's, thinking of a chubby middle aged balding man with a moustache and sitting on a raft. I think the thought process was that we are near the beach, fish have gills and so Gil can be a mascot of sorts.  Been searching for a company that will make cocktail napkins with the name and mascot. Lt. me know if anyone can do it for me.
If you look closely at the Bar top you will see coasters. My daughter made these out of tiles, beer labels, and epoxy for shine. They look great and there is such a variety.
I will post a picture on IG and source everything there. I still need to add accessories but I wanted to share pictures of what we have so far.
We had part of the backyard set with pavers and then lined the fence with trees.
Back up to last summer. My son in law was tired of me complaining about not having a table to eat outside. So, he made a picnic table for my husband for Father's Day. It is great. Seats 6-8.
He also made a giant Jenga game out of the leftover wood.
When you see the photos, you will notice the shed. My husband made a seating area and coffee table in that space. There is a TV in there for Met, Yankee, Giants and Steelers games. I found cushions and pillows to make the space alittle cozy.

  

Chicken Pocket recipe
I posted a picture of these on my Instastories yesterday
I also posted recipe on my Facebook page. It isn't a measured out recipe as I am an Italian girl. I have to give credit to a co worker, from way back when I worked for Bell Atlantic, how old am I?
Thank you Debbie Atwater. To make 12 pockets
1/2-1 thin chicken breast per pocket, as a guide
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon cream cheese
Salt n pepper
Onion chopped
Bread crumbs, seasoned
3 rolls of pills bury cresent rolls, I tried other brands and they fall apart
Cube up the chicken
In a skillet add onion and olive oil n butter, then sauté chicken, add salt n pepper to taste
Meanwhile, open the crescent rolls and pinch two together at the perforations  to form a square.
Set the squares on a parchment lined cookie sheet
After the chicken is cooked thru, add the cream cheese and then breadcrumbs til consistency is moist, not liquidy and not dry. Then take a scoop of the mixture after it cools a bit, and place in center of the crescent square, pull up the sides and pinch to form a POCKET. You can brush with melted butter if you like. Set the oven to the crescent roll directions which is 375 degrees. Watch them as they brown quickly. Serve like that or with brown gravy if you like. Enjoy!

They are great for the kids to take with them and eat on the go if you are running around.

August you crept up on me.  Lots going on this month. Family bridal shower celebration. My youngest son starts college.  My daughter and her husband are moving into their first home.

Check my Facebook and IG for Nordstrom sale items I have seen that look good🌸
I also post on my Facebook page, recipes of pictures of meals on my Instastories.

I have always loved Candice Olsen. @CandiceOlsen. Great use of under the stairwell area.

Photo below is a great example of a simple set up for an entryway or hallway. Shop your home in other rooms for item you can use.  Placing items in a new spot gives it a new life. It's fun.

Well, I'm back at writing. It's been awhile.  My IG has been current and I am posting there daily. Check it out if you can. Things are slowing down here. My daughter was married a few months ago and the planning and all that encompasses was so exciting and fun. I will post about all the details in weeks to come. My second oldest graduated from college last spring and was on a mission to find a job. He has settled into an interesting position with a consulting firm that does project management for homes and businesses in the jersey shore-tri state area. I will post about some of the beautiful rooms and properties. Finally, my youngest, is a senior in High School and we have been on a roller coaster ride of applications, college visits, football visits, and acceptances.
Warmer weather is finally here. Lots of projects for entertaining and fun outdoors.  All coming up here soon. So EXCITED to be able to be here at my blog again.
Please follow my IG to see when new posts are available.

Such inspiration can be found in this bedroom by Twentytwofiftyinteriors

Talk Soon