Spring Gardening Checklist

Check all of these things off of your list as we head into the spring season, and you’ll have your garden blossoming and looking gorgeous in no time!

Clean up!

Clean off your garden decor, like bulbs, birdbaths, and so on. This will help liven it up even without plants and flowers!

 

Plant summer bulbs

Grab a few pots and plant dahlias and tulips in them before the ground is warm enough so they have a good head start.

 

Get your hose up to scratch

Check it for any leaks, organize it on its holder so there are no tangles.

 

Rake debris

Get rid of any leaves, acorns, twigs, and the like from your garden (and yard while you’re at it!). Clear debris away with a rake or blower, and use your hands around fragile perennial plants that have broken the soil’s surface.

 

Prune your trees and bushes that need it.

 

Spread mulch

Use some fresh mulch to refresh areas where it is used.

 

Happy gardening!!!

Galentine’s Day Party Ideas

Are you planning a Galentine’s Day get-together at your place this year? Give it a fun theme! Find some great ideas below.

 

Mean Girls Theme

Buy a red book or binder and have everyone sign the “Burn Book”. Stick to a pastel pink color scheme and make sure “so fetch” is spelled out somewhere!

Galentine’s Day Brunch

Decorate with pinks, purples, and reds! Serve all of your brunch favorites and set up a mimosa and bloody mary bar.

 

Galentine’s Day Fiesta

Throw a fun fiesta with all Mexican foods, a heart piñata, and margaritas, of course!

 

Bake, bake, bake!

Have everyone make yummy Valentine’s Day-themed baked goods, like cake pops with pink icing and sprinkles, cupcakes with heart candy on the icing, and so on.

 

Cocktail class!

Get all the ingredients for some fun Valentine’s Day cocktails and do a fun how-to class with your guests. We love these recipe ideas!

 

Happy Galentine’s Day!!

Purge Your Way Into 2022!

It’s time to get rid of the clutter in your home as we enter into the new year! Follow the list below and purge some of your clutter today.

Old pillows

Take a look at the pillows on your bed, the couch, the guest room’s bed, and so on. There are probably a few that are flat and tired and could do with replacing!

Donate clothes you haven’t worn in 2 years or more

Go through your closet and think about each piece. Have you worn it in the last year? If not, have you worn it in the last two years? And if your answer is still no, it’s safe to assume that it’s gone out of style or you just don’t like it anymore. Time to donate! 

 

Expired food/food you won’t eat

Go through your pantry and throw away expired food, and take a look at canned food, etc that may not be expired, but you just won’t need or eat. Donate it! Then, go through your fridge and throw away any expired food or condiments. 

Extra mugs, candles, etc

Take a look around your kitchen and dining room, and get rid of multiples of things you don’t need. If you have a cabinet full of half-lit candles, toss a few of them out if you don’t think you’ll need them.

 

Toys, puzzles, and games

Look through your kids’ playroom and toss out any old or broken toys. Then, go through your game cabinet and throw away any games that are missing pieces.

 

Happy purging!

Holiday Drinks You’ve Got To Try

Getting in the holiday spirit is easy when you’ve got tons of yummy drink recipes to choose from! We decided we’d choose our favorites for you to make. Tell us which ones you try!! 

White Christmas Margarita

1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries

1 cup tequila blanco 

2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 6 limes), plus 4 lime slices, for serving 

6 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as triple sec 

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk 

3 tablespoons superfine sugar 

1/2 cup light corn syrup 

2 tablespoons extra-fine shredded unsweetened coconut 

Kosher salt 

1 Divide the cranberries among the sections of a standard (12-cube) ice cube tray. Fill the tray sections with water and freeze until frozen, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

2 Add 1/2 cup of the tequila, 1/3 cup of the lime juice, 3 tablespoons of the orange liqueur, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the superfine sugar to a large cocktail shaker. Fill with plain ice cubes and shake vigorously until well mixed and very cold.   

3 Pour the corn syrup onto a small shallow plate. Mix 1 tablespoon of the superfine sugar with the shredded coconut and 1 tablespoon salt on another shallow plate. Dip the rim of a margarita (or other wide-mouth) glass in the corn syrup, then dip the rim in the sugar mixture until well coated. Repeat with 3 more glasses. Pour the shaken margarita mixture into 2 of the prepared glasses. Add 3 of the cranberry ice cubes to each and garnish with a single lime slice.  

4 Repeat with the remaining cocktail ingredients, dividing it between the remaining 2 prepared glasses and adding 3 cranberry ice cubes and a lime slice to each.

 

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

6 cups milk

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

3 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

7 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, chopped

Whipped cream, for serving

Mini marshmallows, for serving

1 Combine the milk, cocoa powder, sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon nutmeg and allspice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar, cocoa powder and spices are dissolved and the milk is steaming, about 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.

2 Whisk in the chopped chocolate a little at a time until smooth. Divide among 6 to 8 mugs and garnish with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.

Vodka Cranberry Punch with Apple Cider Ice Cubes

2 cups apple cider, or more as needed

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups cranberry juice cocktail

1 1/2 cups vodka

1/2 cup orange juice

6 cinnamon sticks

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 Fill two ice cube trays with apple cider and freeze 8 hours or overnight. You may need a bit more or less of the cider, depending on the ice cube tray that you use.

2 Meanwhile, heat the sugar, cinnamon and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking the entire time. Cook until the mixture begins to bubble, then remove it from the heat. Allow it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3 Combine the cranberry juice, vodka, orange juice, cinnamon sticks and the cinnamon simple syrup in a large punch bowl or pitcher. Stir well and refrigerate for a few hours before serving-this will marry the flavors. Before serving, add the apple cider ice cubes and cranberries to the bowl or pitcher.

Creamy Eggnog Martini

4 ½ oz eggnog

1 ½ oz vanilla vodka

¾ oz Amaretto

Pinch each of nutmeg & cinnamon

Garnish: silver sugar nutmeg, cinnamon stick

1 Dip rim of glass in a little vanilla vodka then into silver sugar.

2 In a cocktail shaker, combine eggnog, vanilla vodka, Amaretto and a pinch of each spice.

3 Add a little crushed ice and shake.

4 Strain into prepared glass and enjoy!

 

The Mistletoe Kiss Cocktail

For the rosemary simple syrup:

½ cup water

½ cup granulated sugar

1 sprig rosemary

For the cocktail:

6 oz vodka 

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 oz rosemary simple syrup

Club soda

Handful of fresh cr

anberries (whole frozen berries are ok)

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 To make the rosemary simple syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and drop in the sprig of rosemary. Allow the rosemary to steep for about 15 minutes and then discard the rosemary. Pour the simple syrup into a glass jar or bottle, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.

2 To make a small batch: Pour vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a drink shaker filled with ice. Cover and shake well to blend. Divide drink mix between 2 rocks glasses filled with ice, straining the ice from the shaker as you pour. You’ll only want to fill the glasses ¾-full. Top with club soda and a few cranberries for garnish. Add a sprig of rosemary to use as a stirrer.

 

Christmas Martini

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened*)

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Cointreau

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice

2 teaspoons simple syrup or maple syrup

For the garnish: cranberries, rosemary sprig

1 Place the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold.

2 Strain the drink into a cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary and serve. 

 

Peppermint White Russian

One part vodka

One part Kahlua

One part half & half

One dash peppermint extract

1 candy cane, crushed

Chocolate syrup or melted chocolate chips

1 Dip your glass into melted chocolate – use a pre-made syrup, melted chocolate chips, or something homemade!

2 Roll glass into crushed candy cane pieces.

3 Pour vodka, Khalua, and peppermint extract into a rocks glass.

4 Fill with ice, then top with half & half.

5 Add a seasonal stirrer and enjoy!

Cranberry Moscow Mule

4-6 rosemary springs, 1-2 inches long

washed ice

2 shots vodka, ice cold

4 shots unsweetened cranberry juice

1 12 ounce ginger ale, I used Cock and Bull but find your favorite

fresh cranberries

1 Add 1 short spring of rosemary to each mug or glass

2 Auddle lightly with a wooden spoon or something like that to release the flavors

3 Add ice

4 Add one shot of vodka to each mug

5 Add 2 shots of cranberry juice to each mug

6 Top with ginger ale

7 Garnish with 2 sprigs rosemary and fresh cranberries

 

SOURCES:

Food Network

2CookinMamas

Smells Like Home

A Couple Cooks

Little House Big Alaska

 

Happy holidays, everyon e!

Thanksgiving Cleaning for Guests

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Use these tips for doing some last-minute cleaning before your guests arrive.

-Blow or rake leaves in your yard.

This is the first thing your guests will see so it’s important to make sure it looks nice and is ready for a bocce ball tournament or football game! 

-Sweep/blow off your front porch, walkway, or stoop.

 

-Wipe down windows and glass doors.

You’ll be amazed at how much this will brighten your home up! Don’t forget to wipe both the inside and outside of them.

 

-De-clutter!

Reduce clutter in your entryway by putting shoes and jackets away. Organize any blankets on the couch into baskets, put dirty laundry in the hamper, and so on. 

 

-Clean up the kitchen.

Cooking in a clean kitchen makes everything go much more smoothly and quickly. Wipe down counters, mop the floors, and light a candle or two!

 

-Remove lint by vacuuming or using a roller on your furniture.

Couches and chairs will look much more inviting if they don’t have your furry friends’ hair on them!

 

-Give the guest bathroom(s) a deep clean.

Make sure you do this after guests have left, as well!

 

-Empty trash and recycling cans.

Starting the day with empty trashcans is smart!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We hope this helps you get ready for company coming over this holiday season.