Seasons Archives - Everyday Edits

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

November 5, 2019

Growing up, cranberry side dishes came straight out of a Del Monte can and was served at room temp! That might explain why I was never a fan of cranberries until I was well into adulthood. But my cranberry memories changed when I found this cranberry sauce recipe in the celebrity section of a People magazine’s holiday issue. This cranberry sauce forever changed my holiday menu.

This cranberry sauce recipe was provided by the the former New York Times food critic, Sam Sifton. I was getting a pedicure when I stumbled onto this cranberry side dish. I took a quick photo of the recipe details.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

I could not believe the difference fresh (or frozen) cranberries made to this popular holiday side dish. The addition of pecans and ginger elevated this recipe to a new level. My son would say this recipe is legit.

I added apples to change up the flavor! I love a recipe that celebrates flexible ingredients.

CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE | PIN OR PRINT

Print Recipe

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: CRANBERRIES

Ingredients

1/2 CUP PECANS, CHOPPED
1 12 OZ FRESH OR FROZEN CRANBERRIES
3/4 CUP SUGAR
3/4 CUP ORANGE JUICE
1 TSP. GRATED FRESH GINGER OR GINER SPICE
2 TSP ORANGE ZEST

Instructions

CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE
TOAST PECANS IN LARGE SAUTE PAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT
STIR OCCASIONALLY 4-5 MINUTES. T
IN SMALL SAUCEPAN ADD CRANBERRIES, SUGAR AND ORANGE JUICE OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT.. CRANBERRIES WILL START TO POP WHEN READY.
ADD GINGER & ORANGE ZEST; COOK 2-3 MINUTES & REMOVE FROM HEAT.
ADD PECANS; COVER & COOL TO ROOM TEMP.
CHILL, COVERED FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS.

This recipe introduced me to a new berry. And, this recipe is not just for the holidays. This side dish is perfect to serve alongside a tenderloin.

Here’s another favorite cinnamon and pecan recipe during the holidays! And, if you are looking for additional cranberry recipes check out this list from Country Living.

How to Make Halloween Donuts in a Minute

October 28, 2019

Halloween is next week! The last week of October is packed with social events and school-related deadlines. In Colorado, Halloween usually brings snow and frigid temps! With a few Halloween parties on the calendar, I always include Halloween donuts in the dessert lineup. Here is how to make Halloween donuts in a minute.

Every year, I plan to make a Pinterest worthy Halloween dessert. And, every year I realize I lack the patience or talent. And, that is backstory on how I made these these fun and inexpensive Halloween donuts.

These Halloween Donuts take a minute to prepare and I only needed 2-3 items from the baking aisle.

These Halloween donuts are fun, easy and guaranteed to get a reaction from the crowd- even a crowd of teenage boys. And, kids and family of all ages can join in the fun. There is no oven required to make this dessert.

I made these last minute Halloween donuts for my sons and their friends.

The best part? All you need is a bag of mini donuts. I bought a few bags of Hostess donuts and a tube of icing gel or tub of icing.

If you buy the donut holes in the plastic containers in the bakery they are $3.49 or you can head towards the English muffins and buy the Hostess bag of cake donuts for $1.99.

I used Halloween themed cupcake liners to serve as a plate/napkin for the donuts. The cupcake liners reign in the powdered sugar and minimize sticky fingers!

So easy. No cleanup. No sticky counters.

Happy Halloween! Hope these Spooky Donuts show up in your kitchen!

Looking for a fun autumn cookie, check out this recipe! It’s an easy alternative to sugar cookie cutouts!

Autumn is the Season to Fall in Love with Candles

October 10, 2019

Do you know what I love most about fall? Besides pumpkins, sweaters and jeans? Candles. Not the battery operated ones; real candles with (soy) wax and wicks. Candles add warmth to a corner and leave a hint of pumpkin, cinnamon and even fresh baked cookies. I think it’s why we have daylight savings. So we can fall in love with candles.

I stock up my cabinets year round for the official candle kickoff in September. Even though, the temps can be over 90 degrees here in Colorado. As soon as the sun dips below the mountain range, I can’t help but light a candle or two.

Candles are one of the must-have purchases at any home goods store (did you see what I just did)? Candles made this Fab 5 List.

And, every suitcase or carryon can fit at least one candle. When I travel, I love to purchase a locally sourced candle in a gift shop. Knoxville has some great decor stores with local candles. I fly to Knoxville to buy candles and visit my sister!

And, does anyone get the daily candle emails from here?

I went a little overboard on their glass candles last year. But who can resist a candle called Flipping Awesome? And, with all those candle jars stacked up I shared this easy video on how to clean out glass candle jars here!

I love Anthropologie candles with their shimmery, mercury glass jars that add sparkle to every space. I stack up on these Anthropologie candles during the holidays when they go on sale.

Candles are the perfect hostess or birthday gift during the fall season.

I like to tuck miscellaneous white candles in my fall decor.

And, when my new favorite lantern needs to be filled I love to mix new and old candles.

I can almost smell the pumpkin spice.

Pottery Barn Bar Carts for the Home

October 4, 2019

When the season rolls into fall in Colorado, we roll our bar carts indoors. My mom’s version of a bar cart was an aluminum, folding television tray. I have no idea how it stayed steady on 1 1/2″ shag carpet. With bar carts on the brain, I have my eye on a few Pottery Barn bar carts for the home and patio.

In full disclosure, I intended to share a variety bar carts from different sites, but I could not move my mouse away from Pottery Barn.

It turns out, Pottery Barn has a nice selection (and price points) so today is all about the Pottery Barn bar carts for the home and patio.

Let me know which ones caught your eye. I’ll share my favorite bar cart at the bottom of the post.

No affiliate links, just a good old fashioned helpful links for bar carts.

Pottery Barn Bar Carts

The Tristan Metal Bar Cart has come along way from my parent’s aluminum trays.

Source: Pottery Barn

I love the shape of the Hugo metal bar cart. It is priced at just under $500.

Here is a similar bar cart in a different finish; my mom might light one too for an update look from her t.v. dinner trays.

Source: Pottery Barn

Moving on to this budget friendly cart. The galvanized finish gives it a more casual look. And, the price will not disrupt a monthly budget.

Pottery-Barn- Bar-Carts-for-the-Home-patio

Source: Pottery Barn

My only issue with this mobile bar cart is with our two Berner Mountain dogs. In general, Berners require a generous turning radius to navigate tight corners and this bar cart might take a spin on those wheels.

Source: Pottery Barn

Here is the Abrego all-weather wicker cart. This one is ~~$699~~ $639 which sounds like a typo. I think I could rig up some wheels on an oversized basket and call it an all weather-wicker bar cart. What do you think?

Source
Finally, this Abbey Oval Bar Cart is a little fancier than my tastes, but it would be darling in so many homes. Again, our Bernese Mountain puppy rescue, Elliott, could upend this cart with a slippery paw.

Source: Pottery Barn

Do you have a favorite Pottery Barn bar cart? Or, did you find one you love somewhere else? I would love to know other places to source bar carts! I will be back to share more affordable options for tiny spaces and budgets.

This time of year coincides with the holidays which means holiday and cocktail parties. And, the perfect reason to invest in a multi-purpose cart!

How to Make a Centerpiece With Branches

September 5, 2019

It was the best and first curbside find the day I asked an arborist to help me parallel park my car in Denver. I didn’t actually have him park my car- I just needed some eyes on the curb and hand signals. Once parked, I asked him the stack of branches next to the curb. Before I could finish my offer to take a few bundles of branches, his crew loaded the twigs and branches into the back of my car. The leaves and bugs were included.

As I pulled away from the curb, he asked me what I planned to do with a carload of branches. I told him I didn’t have a clue…

but, I would figure it out.

Which is basically my motto in life.

With a car full of branches and bugs I was on a mission to get home and spend a few ~~minutes~~ hours on Pinterest. I needed a plan to explain why there were bundles of branches leaning on the side of the house.

My craft plans tend to go sideways quickly because I lack the patience and discipline to follow directions.

How to Make a Centerpiece with Branches

I tend to take a few shortcuts. Get it?

I needed an easy way to layer the branches on a base. With a quick look around the garage, I settled on a cardboard box. I made a cardboard form for my centerpiece’s base.

From there, I just needed a glue gun to create the centerpiece with branches.

My vision came together for my centerpiece. I love an upcycle project and this was the perfect us of reusing everyday objects for a centerpiece with branches.

And, from there it was just adding a boxwood wreath to add a pop of greenery. I get most of my boxwood wreaths from here.

My first plan was to layer berries and twigs, but then I remember the stash of boxwood. I love boxwood because it is a seasonal favorite.

I love to use a small boxwood wreath to layer and stack candles during the holidays.

This centerpiece made with branches was coming together.

I added my favorite mini candle from Anthropologie to pull the centerpiece together.

This upcycled centerpiece, made from Denver’s tree branches is ready for the the table.

The lesson with this centerpiece is o always say hi to your neighborhood arborist.

How Charlotte Motivated Me to Clean the Side Yard

September 3, 2019

Who is Charlotte and how did she motivate me to clean up the side yard? Charlotte was the garter snake who gained squatter rights in our side yard this spring. My son nicknamed her Charlotte thinking a cute name would help my phobia. Well, Charlotte motivated me to clean the side yard.

Somewhere over the past few seasons, our side yard resembled an end-of-the-day garage sale. It had become a collection of chipped pots, almost empty bags of soil, gardening tools and yard debris.

And, a messy side yard was an invitation for Charlotte.

I avoided the flagstone path from April thru September because I was terrified of garter snakes. The kind of fear that includes screaming, running and/or pushing my kids out of the way.

I know garden snakes mean no harm and I wish them no harm. I just want them to relocate to another zip code. Or, head over to my neighbor’s yard. She is from Louisiana and has no fear of snakes.

Neither does Elliott.

The side yard path sits between a rock wall and the side of the house. That stone wall was like a high rise apartment for critters. I shared this popular project for the narrow border. But I have to admit I did not reposition the stepping stones, until October.

Suggestions

This spring I Googled something like “how to get rid of garden snakes.” And, the suggestions were common:

Keep the home’s exterior free from clutter
And something about hawks or birds make great deterrents

Armed with these two suggestions I opted to focus on Suggestion #1.

How to Clean the Side Yard

On an unseasonably cool day, I got to work on the side yard by removing the empty flower pots, garden tools and half empty bags of potting soil and mulch.

And, I armed myself with a garden hose and push broom.

The less that sits on the ground…the fewer places for Charlotte to hide. And, the goal was to get her to relocate.

Once the side yard was cleared, I added a recently purchased garden from this daily deal site. That site should come with a warning. On any given day, I might be the proud owner of dozen white bath towels from Macy’s or an entire patio set (true story).

In hindsight, I wish I had purchased a garden bench like this one.

The garden bench was a bit tricky to stabilize because the side yard was sloped. I got creative and used pieces of flagstone to prop the garden bench. It was a short term fix unti I could find a more permanent fix.

I added a $1.99 hook from Home Depot to have a place to hang my garden tools.

I added a horizontal concrete looking garden container for fresh herbs.

Sometimes we need a little motivation and fear to clean up our spaces. I had so much fun cleaning up the side yard.

And, so far no Charlotte sightings.

Mason Jars and Matches

June 13, 2019

Here is a fun, easy idea for your home or a hostess gift. I almost always give candles as hostess gifts for parties during the year. And, I fell in love with the concept of old school matches. There is something about a match striking the strike paper. Let there be light! This simple add on, or the wingman to candles, requires mason jars and matches! That’s it!

So it only made sense that I combined mason jars and matches for this fun gift idea or bathroom accessory.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the matches printable. No fancy paper or printer required.

I purchased a 3 pack of the small matchstick boxes at the grocery store.The boxed matches are located in the seasonal/holiday aisle at Kroger. I used the small, short mason jars because the matches fit perfectly into the short jar. If the lid doesn’t secure to the jar just remove a few matches to get a tighter fit.

For the striking papers, I cut out the strike paper from the boxed matches and taped it to the bottom of the mason jars. Velcro works too if you have a few of those in a drawer. Don’t we all have miscellaneous pom poms and velcro in our junk drawers?

Click here for a 2″ label printable on a sheet 8 1/2 x11 label or plain paper. And, if you want an easier way to decorate mason jar and matches I used wrapping paper during the holidays.

Coconut Cake Recipe for Mother’s Day

May 8, 2019

Hi Everyone, Mother’s Day is almost here. With high school graduation parties this month I wanted to get a head start for a Mother’s Day dessert. I found the cake when I found this coconut cake recipe for Mother’s Day on Pinterest.

I love coconut and a homemade white cake sounded perfect for Mother’s Day. After the six months of holidays, I need a break from chocolate based desserts. A coconut cake sounds lighter; which means fewer calories, right?

Budget-Friendly Bunny Prints

March 14, 2019

It’s bunny time! Both in our yard and house! When I found these cute animal prints at (one of my) favorite online decor stores, I knew I could make inexpensive spring decor. Of all the animal prints available, the bunny prints were hands down my favorite! A side bonus was I got more mileage out of bunnies than let’s say, Easter eggs. Do you know what I mean? I picked two versions of the bunnies and created two budget-friendly framed bunny prints for some much-needed spring decor.

Wait until you see this cute bunny face.

How can you not smile when you see this face?

When I ordered these prints I knew I wanted the shadow boxes to give a little depth to these framed bunnies.

I purchased two 9×9 gray finish shadow boxes at Michael’s. Framed prints are budget friendly because the frames can be reused for seasonal prints. An added bonus is they stack nicely in a closet.

I didn’t want both bunnies centered in the frame. I wanted to offset images in a frame or a photo. What is it called? The rule of 1/3rds?

This little bunny bum looks so cute.

I positioned him under the floral arrangement so he has some shade. wink

I have not figured out where to put this bunny. Right now he is chilling on the mantel in the family room and he is the first face family and friends see when they walk into the family room. Makes me smile.

Autumn Mantel for Thanksgiving

November 14, 2018

Quick question: do you say fall or autumn? In a conversation I say fall, but when I write I prefer to use the word autumn.

It makes me sound smarter. I feel like I have not settled into the Thanksgiving season. Why? because I continue to buy pumpkins everytime I run into the store for milk or creamer. It’s ironic my kids’ favorite book was Too Many Pumpkins, written by Linda White. In my little world, there is no such thing as too many pumpkins. Oh, coincidentally the author, Linda White, lives in Colorado.

Too Many Pumpkins was my youngest son’s favorite book during fall… I mean Autumn.

I justify the costs of pumpkins because they are in season from September -Thanksgiving. Pumpkins get way more attention than the Easter Bunny who is precariously squeezed between St. Patrick’s Day and Memorial Weekend.

But with manic pumpkin purchase frenzy, there is one space that is the same year after year. The mantel in our family room. It is the seasonal anchor and sets the tone for the rest of the house.

The family room mantel always offers a proper welcome. It’s the feature wall for the main level of our home. The mantel during Autumn is the one constant, year after year. It is familiar.

The Welcome Home sign is the year-round staple. It’s on the mantel for every season and holiday.

I ordered it online last year and it was love at first sight.

And the rest of the autumn mantel goes like this…

Lights, garland, faux pumpkins, wreath, lantern. Repeat. The last step is crucial because it bulks up the mantel with layers of pumpkins and lanterns and garland and more pumpkins.

May you all find that moment to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving. So before you carve up the turkey, try and carve out a little time for thanks.

How a Bench Extends the Season

November 13, 2018

With shorter days and cooler nights, the days feel busier. Do you feel it? The calendar is filling up and errands are the bookends to most of my days. This time of year there are more leaves on the ground than on the branches. And, weather the transition a bench extends the season.

This time of year in Denver we can have a 60-degree day and wake up the next morning to snow.

After an early snow in Denver, we had both leaves and branches on our back porch. #ohsnap

But on the days I work from home I love to just look out onto our back patio. And, our bench; a basic bench that eventually found a home outside reminded me to slow down.

And what felt like a moment of buyer’s regret turned into a perfect little space outside on our patio.

I love benches because they are there to carry the weight of the day (literally and figuratively).

When we FINALLY updated our backyard last year we added a fire pit. This season I have a few ideas I found here to pull this space together and enjoy the patio (and the bench) for a few more weeks.

On my list to extend the season:

oversized pillows
wool blankets
lanterns
rug

Yep, a basic bench reminded me to slow down and enjoy the season.

How do you extend the outdoor porch and patio when the temperatures dip?

Fall Dining Room Tour

October 3, 2018

The dining room table is the center of attention in our house so the Pinterest pressure was on to create something pin worthy. I am a little late to the fall dining room tour, but I blame it on tennis balls. I just finished USTA tennis and my son is in the middle of his senior year and co-captain of his Varsity tennis team.

You may see a few tennis balls during the

fall dining room tour.

A week ago, the dining room looked more like the tableware aisles at Homegoods at the end of the weekend. But, today the table is ready to mingle. Please take a peek at my fall dining room tour (before tennis racquets and sweaty uniforms take over the chaise.

Thankfully, the fall season comforts me with its familiarity and cozy spirit. And, apple and pumpkin scented candles help too.

Our dining room table is a member of our family. I shared the table’s history here. It carries the load when some of us don’t have the energy to drop our keys or lunch bags on the kitchen counter- four feet away.

The dining room is the one room that feels complete. Well, unless I look at the rug or the lack of lighting along the hutch.

When I found this hutch last fall I felt like the room matured overnight. I found it at Pottery Barn and shared the details here.

.I purchased the mirrors this past spring here; one at a time over the course of a few weeks.

Cash flow was one reason, but I also wanted to make sure I liked them before I ordered a 2nd.

I love these mirrors. Homegoods has a great selection of mirrors too. But, if you see one, it’s best to snag it.

After spending a few weeks pinning fall tablescapes and front porches I could no longer remember what I owned.

I love white pumpkins against the wood grain table. Oh and concrete.

And, is it just me or did Homegoods have a ton of fun pumpkins this season? Just when I didn’t think I needed (wanted) more pumpkins, Homegoods brings in shades of large green pumpkins and raffia pumpkins?

You all know what pumpkins I am talking about, right?

It’s scary that I remember the price of the large, solid shades of green pumpkins ($24.99), but I can’t remember the book title I am reading.

When in doubt; add a candle. Candles make everything look better when the lights are dimmed.

And simple fall stems mixed with branches are a great way to add a little vertical next to the large windows that overlook the backyard.

I loved this look so much I duplicated this look a few times around the house. When my accessories are all the same height this is a good way to take the eye up.