Holiday House Tour 2015

Well I can hardly believe that Christmas is less than three weeks away!  I've been so busy with work and kids that I haven't actually had a chance to photograph every room in the house yet! (Oops!) But since I don't see my schedule changing any time soon, I figured getting s few posted is better than not getting any!  So without further ado, here is my home for the holidays!

Thank you so much for stopping by my home today.  Check out last year's Holiday home tour here!

Peppermint Bark

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I would post a few recipes that make great gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers... These bark recipes are simple, delicious, and really pretty too!

All three of my chocolate bark recipes start the same way.  You'll need two 12oz bags of chocolate chips for each one.

I made three different kinds, but there are so many toppings that would be delicious.

Ingredients for Peppermint White Chocolate Bark:

Two 12oz bags of white chocolate chips

6 candy canes with the wrappers removed

1 large sheet of parchment paper

Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Bark:

Two 12oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whichever type of chocolate you prefer) 

6 candy canes with wrappers removed 

1 cup of small marshmallows

1 large sheet of parchment paper

Ingredients for Chocolate Turtle Bark:

Two 12oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of cashews

1 cup of small marshmallows

1/2 a bag of carmels removed from their wrappers

1/2 tsp of sea salt

1 large sheet of parchment paper

Directions:

Each of these bark recipes start out the same way.  Using a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.  You'll want to check them every 15 seconds and stir them until they are completely melted.  Once melted pour the chocolate onto a large piece of parchment paper and spread evenly using an off set spatula.  Top the bark with the toppings for each one.  For the Turtle Bark follow the same directions for melting the carmel.  Top the bark with the melted carmel and sea salt.  You'll need to let the bark set up on the counter for a few hours, or if you want to put it in the fridge, place your parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet first, then make your bark and place in the fridge.  You can slice your bark with a knife if you want, but I like the rustic look of just breaking it into big chunks.  

Famous Artichoke Spinach Dip

Whenever I get invited to someone's house for dinner I always get asked to bring this dip.  I think it's become my signature contribution to dinner parties, sorting events, ect.  Since Thanks Giving is this week, I wanted to be sure to share this awesome recipe with you again.  If you make it, I guarantee it will be a hit and you may just be asked to bring it with you next time you get a party invite!

Ingredients:
3 tbs butter
2 cloves of garlic
pinch of salt
3 tbs of flour
3 1/2 cups of milk
1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 tsp of ranch seasoning mix
3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese; Plus additional 1/4 for top (I liked shredded for top, but anything works)
1 10oz package of frozen spinach defrosted and drained (you can place it in a dish towel once it is defrosted and give it a good ringing to get all the water out)
1 can of artichoke hearts chopped finely
Chips, baguette or veggies to dip with

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  While oven is heating, place a large skillet or sauce pan over medium heat and begin melting butter.  Add garlic and flour and stir together for a couple of minutes until a thick paste forms. Slowly whisk in milk. (Make sure you whisk and add milk slowly so lumps don't form!)  Bring to a bubble and add the cream cheese.  When it is melted and combined add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add the ranch seasoning mix.  Check the seasoning at this point. (I didn't need more salt, but you may want to add a little more.  A little cayenne or hot sauce would be delicious too!)  Add spinach and artichoke hearts.  Stir well and remove from heat.  Transfer to a greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place in oven and bake until bubbly and the cheese is golden.  Serve with tortilla chips, bread or veggies.  Enjoy!

DIY Flocked Christmas Tree

I bought our Christmas tree about 7 years ago for $70 at Target.  It's been a good tree.  But the pre-lit lights gave out about three Christmases back.  I painstakingly used wire snippers to cut off strand after strand of lights because a new tree wasn't in the budget that year.

This year I was seriously crushing on some beautiful flocked trees that I was seeing in Instagram and Pinterest.  Once again, not in my budget.  So... I researched how to flock my own tree.  I figured if this old tree had made it through nearly 8 Christmases I didn't have much to lose if it didn't turn out great.  So I headed out yesterday and I bought three bags of artificial snow at Target for $1.99 each. Then I found some Elmer's Glue Spray Adhesive from the hardware store for $4.99 (I actually bought 2 cans of this but only needed 1).  At the hardware store that had some canned snow and I picked up a few cans of this too.  I think it was $2.99 a can.

I started with the bottom layer.  First I sprayed the glue on the branches, then I sprinkled on the fake snow.  Next I filled in the leftover green with the canned snow.  It turned out really good!

When we brought the tree inside a quite a bit of "snow" came off.  I should have filled it in then, but I got all anxious about putting on lights and ornaments and sort of skipped this step.

I still need to buy some more ornaments.  For some reason I feel like the tree looks a little sparse.  I am loving it though!  And for only about $20 it totally gave my tree some new life and got me the look I was going for!

Happy Holiday decorating to all of you!

Birthday Cake

I posted a picture of this cake I made for my niece's birthday last month and I had a few people ask me to share the recipe.  Unfortunately, I am not a huge baker, so I don't really have an amazing recipe to share. I used a boxed mix lemon cake and split the batter between two round cake pans.  I followed the box instructions and let the cakes cool over night.  Then I made my favorite icing, which is just one block of soft cream cheese, one stick of butter and one box of confectioners sugar, whipped until light and fluffy.  I added a little lemon juice since I used a lemon cake mix but you could easily use vanilla or another flavor if wanted.  Also if you wanted pink frosting or another color you could add a few drops of food coloring.

 I used a serrated knife to cut the cake rounds in half so I would have four layers of cake.  I spread a layer of frosting over the top of each cake as I stacked them.  Then I topped the cake with some fresh flowers that I washed well and dried first.  I happen to think it looks beautiful and it tasted great too!

With the holidays coming up you could use a spiced cake and all kinds of different flowers (be sure they aren't poisonous!) I hope this inspires you to decorate a cake!

Penne Primavera with Chicken

This comfort classic is on my Dinner Delivery menu next week. I thought I would share the recipe for those of you who aren't going to be ordering, but still want to give it a try.  I promise it is delicious and very easy to make!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1lb of penne pasta (or any pasta you have on hand)
2 cups of mixed vegetables (I used bell peppers, asparagus & broccoli)
2 cooked skinless chicken breasts, diced (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1- 5.2oz garlic cheese round (such as Boursin)
1/2 stick of butter
2oz. cream cheese
1 cup of whole milk
 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsb olive oil
1 tbs Italian Seasoning
fresh parsley for garnish
Shaved Parmesan for garnish


Directions:
Prepare the pasta according to package directions.  While pasta water is heating, place a sauce pan over medium heat and add the butter and boursin cheese.  Whisk until melted and combined.  Stir in the milk and the cream cheese and continue to whisk until smooth.  Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth.  Lower heat and keep warm until pasta is cooked.

After preparing the sauce, chop your vegetables into bite sized chunks.  In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  When hot, add vegetables, chicken & Italian seasoning.  Cover and saute for about 5 minutes.  I like my vegetables to be slightly soft, but still bright in color.

When pasta is al dente, drain and add to the cheese sauce.  Combine and transfer to a serving dish.  Top with the vegetables and chicken.  Garnish with parsley and fresh Parmesan shavings.  Serve immediately.

The Messy House Home Tour...

Hello friends!!  How're you all doing today?  I had some friends over for coffee this morning and have been a little lazy since they left.  I was poking around on Instagram (I just love Instagram, you should follow me there if you don't already @lilyseclaires) and I came across this picture and link to a blog post over at Bless'er House.  It's an awesome blog and I love reading all the things that Lauren comes up with over there.  Her current post about The Messy House Tour inspired me to share a few pictures of my messy house.

It's not always sparkly clean around here.  I mean, come on. I have two kids, two dogs, two cats, two fish and a husband (see how I like things in twos?  except for the husband...)

On most days there are dishes in the sink, laundry on the couch or table, towels on the bathroom floor... You get the idea.

Yeah, I'm confused by the wig and guitar too...

This is our home.  It's where we visit with friends, eat our meals, read our books, and love each other. And while I love sharing photos of it all organized and clean, the reality is we are messy sometimes. We live here.  Thank you Lauren, for inspiring me to share our messy home.