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My Holiday Home (with the Valentine’s Day Basket)!

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Basket decorated for Valentine's Day
Happy V’Day!

Hope you all had a good weekend – now that Groundhog Day and Super Bowl Sunday are over, it’s time to think about Valentine’s Day! I didn’t go nuts decorating this year. I’ve been busy at work, so I didn’t have a lot of time to make new things for Valentine’s Day this year. What I did do was recycle a lot of things I had on hand. Some are from last Valentine’s Day and some are leftovers from other holidays. You don’t need to buy a whole bunch of new things to decorate for each holiday!

The Kitchen

Kitchen towels with hearts and dogs.
I love doggies!

I put out my favorite decorative towels in the kitchen – I keep one side of the rolling island for “working” dishtowels and put one or two decorative ones on the other side.

The Living Room

Mantel with red and white flowers and sign that says "love".
A red living room helps when decorating for Valentine’s Day!

I also did a little decorating on the mantel. This vase and flowers were in the basket last year. I got them both at the dollar store and I glittered around the top (because you can never have too much glitter, amirite?

What’s not to love!

The “love” sign is another find from the dollar store – I wrote “Love” on it myself. You can see I also moved my cranberry glass onto the mantel to go with the theme, and simply put a pink heart-shaped doily under the vase and some heart-shaped crystals around the vase.

Vase with red flowers on pink doily
You can never have too much glitter or too many hearts!

The Basket!

And the moment we’ve all been waiting for…the Valentine’s Day basket!

Basket decorated for Valentine's Day
Here it is!

If I say so myself, it really came out well this year! I drew the glitter hearts on plain glass vases last year. The box is another carry-over from last year. I added a few things this year. I painted the inside of two diamond-patterned mason jars with pink glitter paint. Painting the inside helps avoid splotches that can develop when you paint the outside of a diamond-patterned jar. The red candle is one I had on hand – I was looking for something for the center and I actually keep extra candles on a shelf under the “basket table”.

If you’ve been following me, you recognize the candles on the side. Those candles are one of the best things I’ve ever bought! They were a Halloween decoration from Target that I picked up for half-price on November 1st, and I’ve used them for every holiday since then! The little lights are pink flowers, and I bought them for Easter last year.

I think you can see that the lights are pink!

Hope you’re feeling inspired to look around your house and see what you can use to decorate for Valentine’s Day!

Squash and Sausage Soup

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Pot of butternut squash and sausage soup
Hearty, savory, squash and sausage soup!
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As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve come to appreciate butternut squash recently. I love summer squash (especially zucchini) with sausage. Those two factors led me to decide to try doing something with butternut squash and sausage. Unlike a lot of butternut squash recipes, this is entirely savory – no cinnamon or other sweet spices are used at all!

This is a somewhat chunky soup. If you prefer your soup smoother, you can remove the sausage and puree the soup. You can then return the sausage, re-season, and heat through. I think it’s a perfect winter meal just as it is, though. It’s hearty, filling, and warming – great for snow days or any day! And if that’s not enough to convince you to try this, it holds well in the fridge and freezes well. You can make it on a day off and keep it ready for the next time you want to to treat your family to homemade soup!

Sausage and Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash and Italian sausage combine to make a filling and delicious soup!
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Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 people
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (I provided for 1 tablespoon for brushing squash – you may need less)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (1 provided for 1/2 teaspoon to sprinkle on squash)
  • ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons parsley (I provided 1 teaspoon to brush on squash)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 sweet Italian sausage
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 bay leaf

Method
 

Preparing the Squash – this can be done in advance
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Quarter squash and remove seeds.
  3. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil (you may need less, depending on the size of your squash) and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley.
  4. Roast squash in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until soft.
  5. When squash is cool enough to handle, remove peel and cut into 1 inch chunks.
Making the Soup
  1. Dice carrot, celery, and onion into 1/8″ cubes.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
  3. Saute carrot, celery, and onion for 5 minutes or until carrot and celery start to soften and onion is translucent.
  4. Remove sausages from their casing and put sausage meat into pot (I usually just squeeze the meat out of the casing right into the pot. Some stores sell loose sausage meat, and that works just fine too – you’ll need a little less than a pound).
  5. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic. Saute sausage meat, garlic, and veggies for 10 minutes or until sausage is browned. Stir often to avoid burning garlic and onions.
  6. Add cubed squash to pot.
  7. Add 4 cup vegetable stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sage, and bay leaf.
  8. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1/2 hour.
  9. Remove bay leaf. Using a potato masher, mash squash until soup is generally creamy, but retaining some texture. If you’d like it creamier, remove sausage and puree, either in a blender in small batches or with an immersion blender.
  10. Put soup and sausage (if you’ve used the blender) back in the pot.
  11. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon parsley, and ground pepper. 
  12. Heat through and serve immediately or store in fridge/freezer until ready to heat and eat.

What’s your favorite soup recipe?

Bowl of butternut squash and sausage soup.

Candy Bar Cupcakes!

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Peanut butter cup cupcake and snickers cupcake
PB Cups and Snickers!

Who doesn’t love candy and cupcakes? I combined some of everyone’s favorite candy bar flavors – peanut butter cups and Snickers – to make these delicious and pretty cupcakes.

You can use whatever base you’d like for the chocolate cupcakes – if you have a favorite recipe, go for it, or go for the easy way and use a box mix (I always add an extra egg and replace the water with milk). The same goes for the chocolate frosting – you can make your own or use the premade and it works fine either way.Then you mix up some easy buttercream icing and away you go!

These recipes call for the use of some decorating tips and a decorating bag. Please don’t be intimidated by the cake decorating aisle at your local crafts store! Learning cake decorating is a lot of fun, but even if you have no intention of doing so, picking up a box of disposable plastic decorating bags, a few tips (round and “star” tips in different sizes), and the plastic couplers you can use to switch out tips will make your life so much easier. If you’ve always used the supermarket cake decorating sets with the plastic tips, you won’t believe how much easier it is to get the results you want with these! As a note, very large tips (such as the 1M I use for the chocolate frosting in these recipes) will not fit on the coupler – you drop them straight in the bag and then cut the bag so the tip sticks out.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Buttercream
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 24 chocolate cupcakes
  • chocolate frosting

Method
 

  1. Bake cupcakes and let cool completely.
  2. If making chocolate frosting, make it now and set aside.
Make Peanut Butter Buttercream:
  1. Add peanut butter to softened butter in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Mix peanut butter and butter together until creamy and well combined.
  3. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and beat until sugar is completely incorporated.
  4. Add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until frosting is desired consistency.
  5. This will make a little more frosting than you need for 24 cupcakes. You can keep the rest in the fridge for 3 days and use it to ice additional cupcakes. It will harden in the fridge – let it sit out at room temperature for about a half-hour and if necessary, mix in more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time.
Fill, Frost and Decorate:
  1. Fill decorating bag about 1/2 full of peanut butter buttercream. Using a large round decorating tip (Wilton #10), push down into the cupcake to fill with peanut butter buttercream. As you squeeze the decorating bag, you should see the cupcake fill. Be careful not to squeeze too hard, or the cupcake can crack. If this happens, simply squeeze the two sides together around the filling. Repeat for each cupcake, refilling decorating bag as necessary.
  2. Fill a second decorating bag about 1/2 full of chocolate frosting. Using a large star tip (Wilton #1M), pipe a large star on top of each cupcake, covering the hole where the filling went in. Alternatively, you can just frost the entire top of each cupcake with chocolate frosting.
  3. Change the tip on the peanut butter buttercream decorating bag to a small star tip (I used Wilton #16, but any star tip smaller than the first one will work. Pipe a small star on top of each cupcake.

Peanut butter cups are JP’s favorite, and he loved these cupcakes! I’m not the biggest peanut butter cup fan, but even I liked these. If we’re talking candy bars, I like mini Snickers – I think I’ve told the story of how I thought I didn’t for a long time and then I had one and remembered I do. I’m not sure my waistline thanked me for that revelation…oops!

So, in the interest of having something for everyone, I present Snickers cupcakes! By the way, JP really liked these too!

Snickers Cupcakes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 24 chocolate cupcakes
  • chocolate frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/8 cup caramel homemade or premade – do not use sundae syrup
  • 1/8 cup peanuts, finely chopped

Method
 

Get Ready:
  1. Bake chocolate cupcakes and let cool completely.
  2. If making chocolate frosting, prepare it now.
Make the Buttercream:
  1. Beat softened butter and vanilla extract until creamy.
  2. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and beat at medium-high speed after each addition until sugar is completely incorporated (about 5 minutes).
  3. Add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, and beat well after each addition.
  4. Chill until ready to use, bearing in mind that it will harden in the fridge. If you’ve made it in advance, let warm at room temperature for 30 minutes and add more cream if necessary.
Fill, Frost and Decorate:
  1. Fill a decorating bag about 1/2 full of buttercream. Using a large round tip (Wilton #16), push into the middle of each cupcake. Squeeze gently to fill the cupcake with buttercream. Be careful not to squeeze too hard – you could crack the cupcake. Continue until all cupcakes are filled, refilling decorating bag as necessary.
  2. Fill a second decorating bag about 1/2 full of chocolate icing. Using a large star tip (Wilton #1M), pipe a star on top of each cupcake, completely covering the hole where the cupcake was filled. Alternatively, you can just frost the entire top of each cupcake with chocolate frosting.
  3. Pour caramel into a squeeze bottle or a decorating bag with a medium round tip (Wilton #5 or 7). Draw an “x” across each cupcake, from side to side (this will cover both the frosted and unfrosted parts of the cupcake). As mentioned in the ingredient list, you can use pre-made caramel, but do not get caramel “sundae syrup” in the squeeze bottle – it is too runny and will drip all over your cupcakes instead of sitting nicely on top.
  4. Finely chop peanuts. Sprinkle each cupcake with chopped peanuts.
Peanut butter cup cupcake
One more picture of that beautiful peanut butter cup cupcake!

New Year, New Look!

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As you can see, I’ve updated my logo (and changed some colors) for 2019! I’ve also started using a new recipe format which should make it easier for everyone to read and print recipes!

I’m still learning a lot, and I want to thank everyone who’s been with me since the beginning! If you like what you see, please…let other people know about Allybear’s Den!

My Holiday Home – Styling the Basket!

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basket 1
I’m sure you were wondering where is the basket this Christmas (or maybe I’m overestimating your attachment to my basket, ha ha)? For some reason, it took me forever to get a look I was happy with there – I think I used some of the things I had in last year’s on the mantel and other places, and I didn’t want it to be exactly the same as last year anyway. I tried a bunch of things but ended up with this!
basket 2
I’ve had this snowman for years and done a lot with him, but I think he looks cute in the basket! I had done the little jars with the M&Ms in them during the week and so I decorated the big jar to go with them at the church Sip and Paint last Friday. I only bought the little tree in a pot from the Boy Scouts on Sunday – did I mention it took forever to get this together? I honestly thought we were going to be celebrating Christmas with the basket not done!

Anyway, more of the holiday home (and cookies) will be coming soon – I know I’ve been a little MIA lately, but I’ve been busy decorating and baking and doing a bunch of stuff I can’t wait to share with you! Hope you’re having a good holiday season!

More of My Holiday House (and a cork craft)

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Well, I’m almost done decorating my living room and dining room, including the trees, but in the meantime, I wanted to show a little of how I extend the Christmas spirit throughout my home!
bedroom
This is actually my bedroom dresser – for December, I remove almost everything that’s usually on it and put up this cute little tree. The snowflakes have been used all over the room at one time or another – they’ve been on the tree, hanging from drawer handles, and strung over the curtains, but this year, I decided to simply scatter them on the dresser, and I like it!
bedroom 3
The blue vase usually holds silk hydrangeas, but I swap them out for blue and pink pinecones.
bedroom-1.jpg
I love the quilt my mom made me, so I don’t bother changing it, but I did swap out the pillows that are usually there for a few Christmas-themed ones. I also have two little needlepoint stockings (also gifts from my mom) hanging above the bed – JP likes lighthouses and I like penguins, so these are perfect for us!
bedroom-2.jpg
Now that I work at home, I had to decorate the office too! Most of these are actually decorations I had in the office, and I’m even going to tell you how to make one of them! I had the green tree and nativity in the office and bought the pink one (bright pink is the company color, so I had to get it) and the white one this year.
Office 1
Office-3.jpg
(It’s hard to see, but the stocking has my name on it – I used to sit in a “pod” of four women, and I gave us each a personalized stocking one year).

Office 5
This garland is made from prosecco corks! A while ago, I worked in an office where we drank prosecco fairly often, and for some reason, I started saving the corks. If you’re planning a New Year’s party or just enjoy sparkling wine, you can make an easy and cute garland from the corks. Simply paint them with craft paint (I used white and gold, but you could do whatever colors you like – they don’t have to be a holiday decoration, so you might want to use your favorite team’s colors – especially if you’re celebrating a championship, for instance). Once the paint dries, apply glue to the wide end and dip in glitter. Dry upright and then tie them together with ribbon. The only word of warning is that the garland is pretty heavy, so plan how you’ll hang it accordingly (or plan to use it as a flat decoration like I did here). You can also use the loose corks as a decoration on their own, as you can see from these two here by the penguins.
Office 2
Hope you’ve enjoyed a little more of the holiday house tour and I hope you’re feeling inspired to carry the holiday spirit throughout your house!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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happy thanksgiving
Wishing all my readers and followers a very Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for joining me here in Allybear’s Den – I’m thankful for each and every one of you who follow, read, and support me in this little corner of the interwebs.

Have a wonderful day – I hope you all have many things to be thankful for today! ♥
thanksgiving 3

 

Sweet and Simple Thanksgiving Decorating (including the basket)

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Thanksgiving 2017 4
For the first time in a long time, we’re going away for Thanksgiving. I’m really looking forward to seeing some family we haven’t seen in a long time and some folks who are like family, but what this has done is decreased my Thanksgiving decorating! We’re going to be away the whole week before and a few days afterwards, and when I get home, I have to get the Christmas stuff up!

But, that being said, I didn’t completely forget Thanksgiving, and I wanted to share what I did in the living room this year.

This is one of the two shelves I have on either side of my front window, and as I promised in my last fall decorating post, I am indeed reviving that poor plant – doesn’t it look better?
shelf 2
This is the other shelf – you may recognize the straw bale that’s turned up all over this fall!
shelf 1
The fireplace:
fireplace.jpg
And last, but never least, Styling the Basket! I love this turkey – he used to be battery-operated and his feathers turned different colors, which was fun, but at some point, a battery exploded in its compartment and he no longer lights up. Sadness! But I got that mess cleaned up and he’s still cute!
basket.jpg
Hope you’re having fun with the last of the fall holidays! Stay tuned for recipes for the big day coming up next week!

A few pictures from last year, just for comparison purposes:
Thanksgiving 2017 2
Thanksgiving 2017
Thanksgiving 2017 3
(If you’re wondering why there’s a shelf with a non-centered teapot, that’s for pie)!

Strawberry Lemonade Sangria!

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Strawberry Lemonade Sangria 3

So…tonight is a ladies’ event at my church, which I’ll be missing because I’m vacationing, but we had one a few months ago and as part of it we had raffles. Among other things, I won a massively huge bottle of Absolut Strawberry Lemonade Vodka. So of course I had to think of something to do with that, and I came up with Strawberry Lemonade Sangria. I’ve made it for two parties so far, and it’s been a hit every time. I know it may not seem like the most fall-like drink, but let me assure you, it’s delicious any time of year!

Strawberry Lemonade Sangria – makes one punch bowl full

1 cup Absolut Strawberry Lemonade vodka
2 bottles prosecco, refrigerated
2 64 oz. bottles lemonade
2 boxes (16 oz. each) strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 lemon

Wash and slice strawberries. Mix sugar, water, and 1 cup strawberries in saucepan and heat to boiling. Let boil for about 10 minutes – the sugar should be completely dissolved and the strawberries should be losing color. Cool completely.

Mix vodka, lemonade, strawberry syrup, remaining strawberry slices, and lemon slices.  If the strawberries in the syrup have lost too much color and look yucky, strain them out (sometimes they look ok and sometimes they just look awful). Keep in pitcher or covered container in fridge if possible until ready to serve. Just before serving, add prosecco and stir gently (you don’t want to break the bubbles! If you weren’t able to refrigerate your vodka/lemonade/strawberry mixture, add some ice before adding the prosecco.

Enjoy at your next ladies’ night or plan one as an excuse to make this!

Strawberry-Lemonade-Sangria.jpg

Girls’ Night In with Strawberry Lemonade Sangria!

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Strawberry Lemonade Sangria 3

Tomorrow is National Girls’ Night In Day, and tonight is a ladies’ jewelry making event at our church, which (unfortunately) I won’t be home to attend! The last time we had a ladies’ night, it was a Sip and Paint, and I won a huge bottle of Absolut Strawberry Lemonade Vodka in a raffle!

Of course, me being me, I had to think of what I could make with that, and I came up with Strawberry Lemonade Sangria! It’s perfect for summer parties, sure, but it’s also good when you just want to feel like it’s summer! As the weather cools down, we can all use a little of that summer feeling in our life, and this is an easy way to bring summer into your house even in the middle of winter!

Strawberry Lemonade Sangria

1 64 oz. bottle lemonade
1/2 cup strawberry syrup (see note below)
1 cup strawberry lemonade vodka
1 bottle prosecco
Strawberry slices and lemon slices for garnish

Make strawberry syrup –

(Please note: to fill the punch bowl above, I doubled the recipe)