All things old and new to enhance your home and holidays
Inspiration for cooking, crafting, home decorating and celebrating
Ripe apples signal the arrival or cooler weather and when combined with the spicy scents of clove and cinnamon, remind us that the holidays will soon be here. Nothing epitomizes the fragrance of autumn more than the sweet spicy aroma of simmering apple butter wafting through the air. Making thick and spicy apple butter can…
This centerpiece is very easy to make and perfect for any table during autumn or the holidays. The amount of supplies and the size of the Styrofoam base will vary depending upon what you feel is a good size for your table. Here, our base was about 16″x12″. We used six 3″ pillar candles in…
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making Ukrainian Easter eggs. The process is a fascinating one as the design is created by using a special tool designed to hold beeswax and is heated by a candle. With this instrument you draw your design and then dip a blown out egg in a dye…
This quintessential Halloween treat gets a sophisticated update that no adult could pass by. With dark chocolate, homemade caramel and crushed cashews covering a sweet tart Empire apple, all the tricks fade and only the treat is left to temp you.
This is a general guide for hot water bath canning of acidic foods such as fruits to make preserves, jellies, jams, etc. Non-acid foods such as vegetables and meats must be processed by the pressure canning method. Consult the specific instructions that accompany your brand of mason jars for the exact procedures as they may differ between manufacturers.
What a bright and sunny greeting this wreath makes on a door for the harvest season! And nothing could be easier. Because of our abundant wildlife and busy traffic through this door, we used artificial bits from the craft store. Ideally, it could be made using things right from your garden. Sunflowers, an assortment of…
Do you know how Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers of our country came up with the idea of uniting the colonies into a confederacy of states? If you come up clueless, you’re not alone. Most people have no idea how or where the idea originated. A couple of hundred years before the Constitution…
To do something a little different for Easter, we grew pots of rye grass and then inserted sugar cookies that we baked on bamboo skewers into the pots to create a “blooming pot of flowers.”
Do you know how our celebration of Thanksgiving came to be? If you answered “it was a feast held between the Indians and pilgrims in late November that the Pilgrims continued every year thereafter,” you’re not alone. That’s the generally known history of Thanksgiving, but as with all legends and stories, there’s much more to…
Don’t just make your holiday village displays on shelves, platforms or under your tree… use your dinging room table. A small village display makes and excellent lit and lively centerpiece for holiday entertaining. Here we used Department 56’s Dickens’ Village The Original Shops of Dickens Village. You will have to sacrifice a tablecloth for this…
This table was set for a soup party – the perfect repast for a chilly October evening. Three different homemade soups were served: cream potato, vegetable and beef, and Julia Child’s Soup in a Pumpkin which is a creamy cheese and onion soup cooked and served inside a pumpkin! The table cloth is a rusty…
The Department 56 Dickens’ Village Signature series is displayed on the fireplace with a festive garland and wreath. There is plenty of “snow” to bring the winter time feeling inside.