Homemade Cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce is so easy to make & SOOOOoooo much better homemade than store bought! You can add your own touches, apples, nectarine zest, orange zest, ginger, whatever flavor you think will go nicely with the meal you're preparing. Here's my favorite version of cranberry sauce, perfect for the holidays coming up! Hope you enjoy!

1 bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp brandy
1 cup cabernet or other red wine
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Allspice
a pinch of nectarine or orange zest

Put in sauce pan, bring to a boil & then simmer on low until berries pop & sauce mixes together. Put in refrigerator to chill, then serve when needed. Can double or triple the batch for a large gathering. Great to make ahead also.

Another version is instead of brandy & 1 cup of red wine, instead use 3/4 cup red wine & 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. orange juice. Both versions are delicious & beat store brands any day! 

Please watch this, will be worth it, promise! Beautiful ~

The Best Pot Roast Recipe ever!

1 Beef such as Brisket, Rump Roast, etc.
2 large onions
6-8 carrots, peeled & cut
1-3 parsnips, peeled & cut
4 potatoes, peeled & cut
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle dark beer (optional)
1 can beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet lipton beef/onion seasoning (soup mix)
salt/pepper/olive oil

Add ins:
Turnips, package of mini onions with cream sauce (I had in fridge) I love adding mushrooms to this, but didn't have this time!

Brown roast on all sides in pan of olive oil, season with salt/pepper first. Keep in pan (roasting pan with lid). Add cut vegetables all around. Sprinkle with lipton soup, scoop cream of mushroom soup over & pour broth & beer (1/2 bottle) all over. Put in oven & cook at 350 degrees for about 3-4 hours, until tender! Simple as that & delicious! You can add to the gravy it makes on it's own by adding more broth, water, etc.

One of my favorite family Photo's

5 years ago, Wells Beach, Maine! My husband's family reunion, his sister comes up every 4-5 years or so, she lives across the Country in Washington State. His family takes a lot of pictures when they're together, so we got in on the action! LOL!

Cheap wall decor

I had a wall & it is pretty large. I didn't want to hang a little picture on it, or spend a fortune & get posters, paintings or frames. Decided, since the room is a bit country, I'd make my own design!

I had some twill that I hung across the wall. I bought at a craft store some cheap stars & spray painted them black. I then bought some tiny, cute birdhouses (which were on sale for like 20 cents!!!) & alternated them across the twill. I love the look! It may give you some ideas, it was so inexpensive, and used materials I can use for other projects, like spray paint & twill. It also covered the whole wall & is a little different than a poster, picture or painting. Ties the rest of the room in nicely. Sorry picture is blurry, but you get the idea:

Plant containers

Plant Container Re-Do! I had a table of plants, many from my Grandma who has since passed away. I didn't want to get rid of them, but the area was a bit of an eyesore. I had mis-matched pots & straggly plants. It came to me they would look better in uniform containers, in a design. I bought cheap clay pots, all the same size, except 1 slightly larger. A green paint that matches the decor in my room & black spray paint. I sprayed the pots, lightly (rustic look) & painted a green rim around the largest pot. Then I arranged the smaller pots all around the largest one, in a bit of a design. They looks so much better now! Sorry I don't have before picture, but this really makes the plant area, which is special to me, more uniform & streamline, not clutter, but adding to the design of the room.

Lunch Box Ideas

My daughter is a vegetarian, she HATES the school lunches because, well, for a vegetarian it's either pizza, pizza again, or, um....pizza! Not many choices & how quickly would one get sick of that? Also, not very healthy day after day. She was THRILLED with this lunch I made her & saves time in the morning. If your child is not a vegetarian you could add meat in the mix if you wish. I'm going to try & post more as I make them this year. Feel free to share your lunchbox ideas also!

Pictured above: Mini bagel/peanut butter, cut up peach, cheese & crackers.

Above: Almonds, mandarin oranges, orzo salad with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, dressing & seasonings.

Above: PBJ sandwich, cukes & light ranch dip!

Above: Peanut butter crackers, chocolate almonds, light ranch dip with peapods, cheese stick cup up, carrots

Veggie Bean soup

This soup is so delicious, my daughter LOVED it & called it "gourmet" lol! It was very easy to make, and the BEST part is that it's healthy!!!!!

1 can beans like cannellini drained & rinsed
few handfuls of kale, rinsed
1 box of chicken broth & 1 can of broth
1 small onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 carrots diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 can garlic & olive oil diced tomatoes
ditalini pasta 2-3 cups (or other pasta of choice)
1 potato peeled & chopped
1 loaf of rustic bread
thyme, rosemary seasoning, salt/pepper

Chop the veggies & saute in olive oil, season with salt/pepper, herbs. Add can of tomatoes, beans & chicken broth & cook until blended, warm & vegetables are cooked to liking. Add Kale & pasta & cook until pasta is done. Put in bowl, top with fresh shredded parmesan cheese, a sprinkling of cracked pepper & serve with slice of rustic bread.

Enjoy this hearty, healthy & delicious soup!

Quick Pasta dinner

Any type of pasta you prefer. I used fettucine.
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
shaved parmesan cheese
salt/pepper
Kale leaves

Boil pasta, when almost done, add kale to the boiling water. While that is cooking, chop 2 garlic cloves. When pasta/Kale is done, toss with olive oil, add chopped garlic, season with salt/pepper & top with shaved parmesan! This is SO quick & easy! My kids even ate the kale!!!! If you're looking for an extremely quick dinner, this is it! You could use spinach if you don't have kale, add sausages if you'd like some meat.