This Is What Jolly Looks Like!

Merry Christmas!

O Christmas Tree(s)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Using my Fall starfish frame door "wreath" as the star over baby Jesus

Our foyer Christmas tree (burgundy & gold)

Nativity wreath over  berry trees in the foyer

Red, turquoise & apple green ornaments for the three accent trees in the family room

(only two trees are pictured)

Family room

Remember these from Target last year?  Target is my first stop when it comes to after Christmas clearance sales!

Blue & gold tree in the dining room

Dining room

Dining room china cabinet

Kitchen tree

(we also have a small counter top tree in the kitchen as well)

Living room trees by the fireplace

Sunroom tree

(Red & cooper ornaments with pine cone garland strands)

The "Martha Stewart" tree

(pink, purple, pearl & gold glass ornaments with pink & gold bows)

This tree is decorated entirely with Martha Stewart ornaments bought on clearance from Kmart eight (yes 8!) years ago.  The year after I bought them, Ashleigh was only 11 months old, so these glass ornaments have been packed away ever since then.  But this  year, I decided to be brave and put them out!  The tree is sitting on top of a dresser in the living room.  Safe from little hands - but not so safe from our new kitty Oreo!   

The "Sweets" tree upstairs by the kids bedrooms

(Candy themed ornaments, pearl bulbs with gumdrop garland)

Adorable Country Living fabric cupcake ornaments

Red poinsetta for upstairs


Our Main Christmas tree with family ornaments, some dating back to Dave's childhood

We also have a tree in our master bathroom that wasn't decorated at the time I took these photos.  But I did the same theme as last year with the recycled paper towel garland and copper ornaments.

Only 3 days till Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

Our Mostly Local Thanksgiving Meal

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Herb Roasted Pastured Turkey with Pan Gravy

Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes

Cornbread Crockpot Stuffing

Steamed Green & Yellow Beans

Sweet Potato Casserole topped with Pecans (and homemade whipped cream!)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Buscuits

from local sources:

Pastured turkey & red potatoes - Cane Creek Farm, Efland, NC

Fresh rosemary - backyard container garden

Green & yeallow beans - Cloverfields Farm, Timberlake, NC & Cedar Rock Farm, Castalia, NC (frozen from summer)

Sweet potatoes - R & V Farm

Pecans - S & L Farm, Louisburg, NC

Cream - Maple View, Hillsborough, NC

Wheat berries for flour - The Grain Mill of Wake Forest, Wake Forest, NC

Thanksgiving Preparations - Cooking A Pastured Turkey

This year for Thanksgiving, I'll be cooking a local, pasture raised turkey for the first time!  I'm finding these cooking tips for pastured turkey to be extremely helpful in my final preparations for the big day. 

Quick Meals for Working Moms - Local Veggie Stir Fry

A veggie stir fry with local, organically grown items from the Midtown Farmers Market

Broccoli - Cedar Rock Farm

Yellow Beans - Rocky River Farm

Daikon Radish - Edible Earthscapes

Stir fry makes for a quick meal on busy evenings.  You can also adapt the recipe to what is currently in-season.  For my latest version, I've been using local broccoli, yellow beans and sliced daikon radish (a new favorite of mine).  Saute the veggies along with sliced organic onion in a pan with about a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Once the daikon begins to sear, add some organic soy sauce and about a 1/4 cup of water.  Cover the pan and cook until veggies are desired tenderness (I like my broccoli to still have some crunch!).  Serve over organic brown rice.

Enjoy!

   

Halloween

This year Halloween fell on the weekend...

Me and geto boyz are trick-or-treating ;)



Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!