a blog about home decor, renovations, and all things that bring me joy (and my husband roll his eyes) by Erin C. Morgan
But since we don’t share SarahRichardson’s budget, I hunted down a $10 version at a garage sale last spring.
But, I always prefer a well stocked bar to one that looks pretty. Here are 5 must have’s for your bar this holiday season:
1. Glasses
Although I have lots of glasses stashed in kitchen cupboards, I make sure to keep a few wine glasses and some tumblers right on my bar cart. This way I’m ready to serve at all times for a small crowd, and can run to the kitchen if the party gets bigger than expected.
2. Wine
Red and white! Although I drink both red and white, I would keep a few bottles of each handy even if I didn’t. It’s nice to be able to serve someone what they really will enjoy. And don’t think you have to spend a fortune to get your wine count up, either. I have a ‘under $15’ rule, and in sticking to it the past few years, I have discovered many wonderful wines that I might have over looked next to their pricier cousin. When in doubt ‘EverythingWine’ is my go to when I’m unsure – their knowledgeable staff always is able to find me just the bottle I’m looking for (even when I don’t know what I’m looking for)
3. Hard Bar
We don’t drink a lot of hard bar in our house, but I tend to keep it all corralled on the bar cart. Close to the holidays, I stock up on a few essentials (rum, vodka, whiskey, Amerato, and Baileys) so that there is a little bit of a selection for guests. When in doubt, rum and vodka are great when mixed with soda or fruit juice, so these are always a versatile choice.
4. Beer
Come on, keep the boys happy.
5. Supplies
I make sure to keep things like napkins, cork screw, reusable cork and a good cocktail mixing book right on my bar cart. This way it is all there for when I need it – no rooting threw the kitchen drawers every time someone asks for a little red.
And for those of you that make quilts (applause!) – or like me are tempted to make a quilt, here is a link to a fabulous DIY quilt. Although I have yet to try it, she explains things very well, and the finished product is nothing short of amazing.
I am all for neat pumpkin ideas that don’t require me to get my hands too messy – and here are some great ideas that I will be trying out this year!
Puff Paint – only Sherry from YoungHouseLove would have the guts to try something so risky, yet have it turn out beautifully. She used puff paint to draw dot designs on her pumpkins, and then spray painted them in white and yellow (a woman after my own heart)
Pumpkin Meets Doily – putting a doily on the top of a pumpkin and penning in the details with a black marker. Genius! And it looks so pretty!
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Painting Your Pumpkin – Great idea for me since I’m handy with a paint brush, but not so great yielding a sharp knife. Paint your pumpkin white or ivory, and then paint decorations on them with black paint. I very much am in love with the zebra print one.
Will you be doing pumpkins this year? I really like the painting idea, so I may opt out of the traditional look for something a little more Erin. (plus, I'm not really allowed to use the big girl knives anymore...)
Today, for a change of pace, I introduce MorganDesignInc's first guest writer, my dad, Patrick!
"I feel larger birds (over 20 pounds) are more flavourful and moist. I tend to go for one 23-26 pounds, lots of leftovers and I can send some home with my kids!
Start with making your stuffing:
Turkey Stuffing (12-14 pound turkey, proportionally more for larger birds)
1 cup celery, finely diced
2 medium onions, finely diced
¼ cup butter (margarine), melted
1 cup mushrooms, finely diced
1 tsp salt (can use less)
1/8 tsp black pepper (or more!)
3 tsp poultry seasoning (or more, to taste!)
10 cups bread cubes (1 large loaf)
¼ cup chicken stock ( or boullion cube with ¼ cup hot water)
Saute onions, celery and mushrooms in butter until transparent. Add spices to veggies. Add veggies/spices to bread cubes. Add chicken stock as required to stuffing and stir well. Aim is for stuffing to be slightly moist, not dry and not saturated/soggy.
Stuff neck/crop area and sew skin to contain stuffing. Stuff body cavity, not too tightly but not loose.
Cover turkey loosely with foil (shiny side in) and put in preheated (325 degree) oven. The last 45 minutes, remove foil covering and continue roasting until skin browns up nicely (baste if desired). Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes or more before carving. (time to make gravy in roasting pan). Carve no more than required at one time, as leftover breast meat pre-sliced will tend to dry out.
8-12 pounds = 4 - 4 1/2 hours
12-16 pounds = 4 ½ - 5 ½ hours
16-20 pounds = 5 ½ - 6 ½ hours
20-24 pounds = 6 ½ - 7 ½ hours
Larger birds, proportionally more time.
By doubling the stuffing quantities, I end up with more stuffing than will fit in a bird. My solution is to remove the last two joints of the wings, and place that and the neck on top of a Pyrex dish full of uncooked stuffing. Pop it in the oven for about 1 ½ - 2 hours and keep covered when removed from oven. Once it’s cooled, I remove the neck/wings (discard), and cover the stuffing up again to prevent excessive moisture loss. I line the bottom of the Pyrex casserole dish with aluminum foil, shiny side out. Then I completely wrap the stuffing in another layer of foil, shiny side in and sealed (to keep the moisture in). With stuffing cooked without the benefit of a turkey around it, the main challenge is to keep it moist. Too high of heat or not having the stuffing sealed up inside foil is a recipe for very dry stuffing (not what I like!).
For our family, traditional vegetables to go with turkey include brussels sprouts (not everyone enjoys them), carrots, niblet corn, mashed potatoes, and candied yams (peel, boil until cooked, drain, mash and add margarine, spoon into casserole dish and cover with a layer of brown sugar, then back in the oven for 30 minutes)"
There you have it, folks. My Dad's tips on the best turkey. And although his intructions are perfect and easy to follow, I think I will still just let him take care of it on Monday night. And by all means, Dad, I will help you out with any leftovers!
Which one is your favorite? I think I’m leaning toward the grey one from TheHouseOfHemp – maybe I could make one like that? Or maybe it will never be finished, so I should just cave and buy it from this veteran Etsy seller.
Fall can be a great time to refresh your garden preparing it for the following spring. But don’t forget to add some interest to your gardens. Plants like garden mums are perfect to add a hit of colour to tired summer containers.
Now is also the best time for, if like me, you let the weeds get a little out of control in your beds. You are best to do it before they set seed and go crazy next spring. This is also a great time to remulch your beds.
Remember that a healthy, vigorous growing lawn makes it harder for weeds and moss to establish – another great reason to feed your lawns roots for winter. A good fertilizer for this would be a 6-3-20 blend.
Plant picks for great fall colour:
Burning Bush
Maples (Acers)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Witch-hazel (Hamamelis)
Garden Mums (Chrsyanthemum)
Asters
Pansies/Violas
Flowering Kale
Besides putting away lake-trip-items, this brings me to a few other things I shift around in the house as the temperature outside drops:
1. Pull Out the Coats!
I make sure all of our winter and fall coats are downstairs on the hooks ready to go. I also pull out any sweaters that I have been stashing under the bed.
2. Clean out the Wellies
I get all the cobwebs out of our wellies, and put away any summer shoes I know we won’t be needing.
3. Hats, Scarves and Mitts – Oh My!
I pull out our box of winter accessories and have them at the ready by the front door. It is always a good idea to have a few extra pairs of mitts in the box to – for impromptu snowball fights with friends (happens much more often than you would think)
4. Blankets
Anyone that knows us well will tell you that we keep out house fairly… ‘crisp’ during the winter months. But we are happier with a fire and some extra sweaters than wasting electricity with baseboard heaters during the cold months (we know this will probably change when little bean arrives). I make sure to keep a few blankets in the living room as well as an extra hoodie or two (you would be surprised how often I get taken up on that offer!)
5. Make Sure the Pantry is Well Stocked
I do this every year, and with nesting hormones kicking in – this year will likely be no different. I make sure that our pantry is fully equipped with all needed baking supplies and lots of pantry staples for meals. Since the Victoria BC blizzard of ’96 (I was 11 at the time) I think about what we would do if we lost power for a week and were unable to get to the grocery store. Being able to make do with a wood fireplace, stocked pantry and a full propane tank for the BBQ gives me peace of mind. (Also, don’t forget your pets! I make sure we have an extra bag of dog food during the ‘might-get-snowed-in’ months)
What do you do to prepare for the fall season? Does anyone else wish their pantry was that organized? (or full?)
Welcome to the first day of our series ’31 Days to Fall in Love with Fall’! We are very excited over here at MorganDesignInc, and are thrilled to be participating with TheInspiredRoom in this post-a-day-extravaganza.
I thought I would start things off for this series with a list of my favorite parts about fall. Fall used to be my least favorite season growing up (that long rainy stretch between summer holidays and Christmas break), but as I get older I am starting to appreciate this season more and more. Here are a few of my favorite things from this season:
1. Wellies!
I love tromping around the yard in my (or my husband’s) Wellies. There is something that feels so very basic about working in your gum boots, it just makes me feel cozy.
2. Fires in the Fireplace
Nothing I love more than curling up by the fire with the dogs and a nice tea. Our house gets cold in the fall and winter, so there is usually a fire roaring when we’re home.
3. Fall Fashion
Wearing suede slouchy boots over jeans, with a sweater and a nice scarf is a fashion season I wait for. I love curling up at work with a big pashmina like a blanket (or sometimes a real blanket)
Hubby and I at Butchart Gardens
4. Rainy Days
Curling up with a good book, watching bad TV, or having Monopoly marathons with friends – rainy days are something I look forward to. Don’t forget the popcorn, grilled cheese sandwiches and hot chocolate!
Friends during a 4 hour epic Monopoly game
5. Pigging Out
Come on, you all know this is the best part – I’m munching on a giant cookie as we speak (er, type). I love baking in the cooler months and there is usually something yummy on the counter (cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins – whatever I feel like!). I also make homemade chocolates every year (a family tradition at my house growing up), tried caramels last year (mmm) and am going to try my hand at peppermint sticks this year! And then there are turkey days – nothing better than my Dad’s turkey stuffing. Okay, maybe his lemon tarts.
