Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Sandwich

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I also hope all the food was as delicious as you expected it to be.  So, now you're wondering what to do with all the leftovers....

 

Here's an idea!

If you can make a Grilled Cheese sandwich, you can make this!

(Sorry for the blurry photo, I was in a hurry!)

 

Just cut your bread ~ I used sourdough ~ and butter the outside of each piece.

Then, lay the bread buttered side down on a warm skillet and layer your brie, cranberry sauce and leftover turkey.  Let the bread toast a bit and the cheese melt, then add the top bread piece and flip it back and forth a few times until the bread is toasted to your desired toastiness!

 

Remove from the skillet, let it cool a bit & enjoy! It was sure enjoyed by my husband!!!!

 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and get ready for amazing Christmas ideas starting next week!

~ Kerri

 

 

Easy Thanksgiving Place Setting Tags & Holders

I know Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but if you are out and about today and just happen to run into Hobby Lobby or Michael's...pick up some tags to make your Thanksgiving day table special!  These place setting tags are so easy.  
The hardest part is having the patience for the glue to dry (on the glitter tags). 
I had the blocks, pom poms, ornament hangers, and I always have tags on hand and most of them I tea dye (to get the aged look), so this project was FREE! 

What you will need for the tags:

Tags

Pom Poms (various colors)

Twigs or sticks

Glue

Glitter

Twine or other ribbon

Wire for vine

What you will need for the place holder:

Blocks of any kind

Spray Paint (the color you choose)

Wire ornament hangers

Drill

Directions for the tags:

If you are going to make the pom pom (pumpkin) tag, you just have to hot glue the pom pom onto the tag where you want it.

Next, you hot glue the stem (I used a skewer and used the distressed ink to make it brown) behind the pumpkin and the wire vine (if you want a vine).  

For the glitter pumpkin, you just need to make the shape of a pumpkin out of liquid glue.  Then you shake the glitter on it and dump off the excess glitter.
Tie twine through the hole in the tag.

Yes...it is that simple!

Directions for the holders:
Spray paint the blocks any color, I used Champagne by Krylon.  I thought it was a neutral choice and could be used throughout the year.
Drill a hole in the middle (top) of the block (I did not take a picture of this...SORRY).
You need to straighten out the lower part of the ornament holder (see above in the top, right photo).
Add hot glue to the straight part of the wire and place it in the hole.
Last, tie a cute bow around the wire.

These were very simple, but I think they turned out adorable!  
My hope is that you will have a wonderful day with your family and friends on Thanksgiving.
~Julie

Thanksgiving Decor

Happy Thanksgiving week!!  Being that this is our last week posting Thanksgiving themed ideas, I wanted to share with you my home décor in case you need some last minute ideas!

For my indoor décor...

My husband made this fabulous console, which you can read about in this post.

The HARVEST blocks I shared with you last week and you can read about them in this post.

I found these lanterns at Hobby Lobby last year and have been able to use them for so many occasions!

This is what I did with the piano.

If you want to read how I made the 'Give Thanks' banner, you can click here.

The Turkey handprints were done by Julie and you can see that post here.

Guest towels/napkins are always a good way to stay festive!

I bought this soap at JoAnn's and the soap was tinted orange (and had a spice sent!), so when we used all the soap, I refilled it with the liquid soap I had and added an orange bow on it to keep it festive!

 For my outdoor décor....

You can see a close up of the wreath on the door on this post.

I had a lot of these fake pumpkins, but I found some colorful smaller ones at Costco, of all places, and placed them within these crates I found at JoAnn's along with some burlap and garland.

And for a touch, I added another lantern!

Hay bails!  I love hay bails! Add a few other random decorative items and you're done!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Look for Julie's post on more last minute Thanksgiving ideas on Wednesday!

~ Kerri

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

Want to know what to do with all of that leftover turkey (and mashed potatoes)?  
Make turkey noodle soup!
This recipe is super easy and delicious.

What you will need:
2 TBLS. Butter
 1 Cup Chopped Celery
2 Cups Chopped Carrots (I use less)
1 Chopped Yellow Onion
6 Cups Chicken Broth
Milk
 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup
Frozen Peas (not pictured)
11or 16 oz. package of Grandma's Noodles (found in the freezer section)
Leftover Turkey
Leftover Mashed Potatoes (if you want)
Salt & Pepper

Thaw noodles according to the package directions.  In a pot saute the onions, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer.  Next, add the milk to the pot and bring to a boil.  Gently stir in the thawed noodles (the Grandma's brand noodles are the best...I have used the off brand before and they were not as good), along with the leftover turkey and the peas (I thaw mine out a bit before I put them in the soup).  Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.  

Stir in the cream of chicken soup and simmer a few more minutes.  I like to top my soup with mashed potatoes...this makes it even thicker and creamier! 

 (My mom does this when she makes veggie soup (sometimes), so I tried it with my soup and it was delicious!)

ENJOY with family and friends the day after Thanksgiving!

~Julie

P.S.  I just wanted to share a couple of pictures of something I had the kids (in my class) do for Thanksgiving...

 Every year I do this, the kids have to make a list of what they are Thankful for and this is how I have them publish their list.  They draw the tree, then they write their list on leaves (I use the die cut at work).  I tell them that they have to think about the important things in life (family, friends, food, shelter...etc.) to be Thankful for and that they may have only ONE toy on their list.  This is another easy project to do with your own kids or grandkids (when they come for Thanksgiving dinner).

Decorative 'Harvest' Blocks

Okay, so this is by far my FAVORITE project!  I think it's so stink'n cute and it's so simple. I found the idea on Pinterest (click here for the website). Best of all, I spent $0 on it!  Yay! If you're a crafter, most likely you have all the supplies in your collection as well!

Here is what you will need:

- Different shaped blocks (cut by my husband & sanded by me!)

- Scrapbooking paper (design & color of your choice)

- Mod Podge & sponge paint brush

- Sandpaper ~ and grit, I used 80 (not in picture)

- Brown (or black) Distress Ink pad, which you can find at Michael's, JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby

- Vinyl letter, which I cut out using my Cricut!

- Raffia, twine or jute

Here is what to do:

(by the way, I apologize for all the pictures, but I really wanted to show you the step-by-step process of this project)

You will start by figuring out your layout. Set up your blocks how you would like it to be when the letters are put on.  This was my layout.

Next you will need to figure out your letter size for each block.  Obviously, I'm a visual learner, so I made a chart! Then, using your Cricut (or a Silhouette if you have one) cut your letters with your preferred font.

Then you will need to cut your scrapbooking paper out to fit each block. I laid the block on the paper and marked where I wanted to cut.

Then I cut it!

Next, I applied one application of Mod Podge onto the back of the scrapbooking paper and 'pasted' it onto the block.

Then I laid them faced down so they would dry flat.  I let them sit over night, but it usually dries within 1 hour.

Next, I trimmed the extra paper and sanded all the edges to give it a distressed feel.

And to further that distress feel, I used my Distress Ink pad along the edges and a bit along the outer part of the paper.

I used my finger to rub in the ink along the paper, which I could have done with a rag, but I was too lazy to get up and get one...The ink came off by the next day!

~ Great conversation piece for my 3-year old!

Next, I laid out my blocks according to the layout I already decided on in the beginning and moved a few around so the colors of the paper looked good (meaning, I tried not to put a yellow block next to a yellow and a purple next to a purple...) 

Then it was time for the letters.  They all fit for the most part, but I did over-measure some, so I played with it and flattened it out. You can't even tell!

And for the final touch, I added some raffia.  You can use twine , but I liked the way the raffia looked for my blocks.

And you're done!  How easy was that? 

I guess the hardest part was sanding the blocks in the beginning because I hate sanding!

Happy creating!

~ Kerri

Thanksgiving Craft for Kids

Last week I was able to get away for a few days and finally meet the newest member of the Gastineau family...Lucas Brian!  

It is hard being so far away from family (especially when there are precious little ones involved), so I was able to surprise Kerri with a visit.  

To be honest with you...I almost spilled the beans and told her I was coming, but I didn't!  Not only did I get to meet Lucas, I was able to be there for Eliana's 3rd Birthday party...how exciting is that?!

Another added BONUS...a Thanksgiving craft with the two of them.

With Thanksgiving coming up I wanted to do something fun with Eliana while I was there and this is what I found!  I decided to do it on a tile so Kerri could display it for years to come and have the memory of her babies being so little.  I got the tiles at Home Depot for .51 each...I know ridiculously cheap, huh?

What you will need:

An adorable little one (or more depending on how many you have)

Tile (you could use any color you would like; the white makes it stand out)

Acrylic Paints (brown, yellow, green, orange, & red)

Paint brushes (I used one for each color, but you could use one and rinse after you apply each color)

Permanent Marker (any color you choose)

How to do it:

Paint brown on the thumb and the palm of the hand.

Paint each finger a different color (see above photo).

Turn the hand over and press it on the tile (I put pressure on the hand to make sure the paint was applied evenly to the tile surface).

Paint the gobble red and the beak yellow.

Let the paint dry.

Draw the legs on with the permanent marker.

Write their name and date on the tile with the permanent marker.

*When applying the paint, you need to make sure you put enough on the hand (so it won't dry out before you change colors), but not too much for it to smear.

It's as EASY as that!

Eliana and I had so much fun making this craft together (just look at that smile)!  

Putting the paint on Lucas' hand was not as easy...as soon as I would paint his hand he would curl his tiny fingers and it made a mess!  I did the palm of his hand first, then I did each finger individually.  His fingers weren't spread out as evenly as Eliana's but it is still adorable!

So if you have family coming for Thanksgiving, you should do a craft with the little ones.  

It makes great memories and a great keepsake.

Don't forget to GIVE THANKS for all of your BLESSINGS this holiday season.

~Julie

Pumpkin Brownies

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to make them for the holidays because it only has 3 ingredients!!  Can't be any easier than that!

All you need is Devil's Food Cake Mix, 15oz can of pumpkin & pumpkin flavored Hershey Kisses, which I found at Target ~ THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!

 

Here is what to do: 

Preheat your oven to 350. Then mix together the cake mix and pumpkin until it looks like this (I used my Kitchen Aid, but if you have the wrist strength, you can do it by hand!)

Next, I used a cookie scooper and scooped the dough onto a baking mat (you can line your baking sheet with parchment paper if you don't have a baking mat). Then I baked them for 10 minutes.

Here is a picture of what they look like when they come out of the oven.

Let them cool for 1 minute and then place the kisses on top!

Let them cool a little longer and enjoy!

 

Again, another easy recipe for you to create for your Holiday!

~ Kerri

*** I changed the name of the recipe to Pumpkin Brownies because I felt the consistency of the cookies were more like brownies!

Holiday Hostess Gift

This summer my mother-in-law and father-in-law came for a visit and they brought a gift!  There is kind of a family joke about my mother-in-law and her napkins...she loves napkins! 
So this gift was very appropriate, coming from her. 

Of course, she couldn't just give me one...all of us girls needed one.

Here are the jars that my mother-in-law gave to each of us girls:

Mine is the top left, Susan's is the top right, Tammi's is the bottom left, and Kerri's is the bottom right.

 This super easy gift would be great for the hostess of your Thanksgiving meal and/or your Christmas meal (if you aren't the hostess), all you need are dessert napkins and a jar. 

 It's really that simple!

These are the napkins I will be using for Thanksgiving.  I had the turkey ones from last year.  I just bought the brown and orange to go with them, I got all of them at Hobby Lobby.  The plain dessert napkins are only $1.99 for 50 (regular price) and the decorative ones are $4.99 for 50, but of course they were 50% off when I bought them. 

At the time of writing this post, Hobby Lobby did not have any of their Christmas napkins available.  In a future post I will share my Christmas napkin display with some ideas of the Christmas hostess gift! 

I will also have a fun Thanksgiving day craft to do with little ones...

~Julie

DIY Thanksgiving Wreath

Last year I made a Christmas wreath and it came out pretty good (which I will share with you in a future post).  This year I thought, why not make a Thanksgiving wreath?! 

 

Wait until you see how easy it was to make this!

 

Here is what you will need:

- Wreath

- Burlap ribbon

- Paper clips

- Fake flowers (any color of your choice)

- Thanksgiving or Harvest sign (any of your choice)

- Wreath hook

- Hot glue gun

 

Here is what to do:

Start by cutting your flowers into individual stems and then insert them into the wreath.  I put about 3 stems going one way and 3 going the other, then I filled in the center with smaller stems.

Next, I attached the burlap to the wreath using the paper clips.  I used paper clips because I felt it allowed the burlap to gather where I wanted it to and it was a way to attach the burlap to the wreath.  Hot glue could have done the trick but I didn't feel it would have done it as well.

 

Finally, I glued the sign to the burlap and voilà!  It was done.

 Now how easy was that?!

 

Happy Creating ~ Kerri