A Free Recipe Book Just for You

I just noticed I've been blogging about food a lot lately! My secret is out - I love good to share good food with family & friends during this wonderful time of the year. 

I'm excited to share a free cookbook with you from the wonderful people at PicMonkey. "Yours Truly" is included in the project - as well as a lot of other bloggers. It's an e-book {which just means that you can download it to your computer & then print it out if you wish}. All you have to do is click here: PicMonkey Holiday Recipe Book & click on the pdf graphic. {See below}

Thanks PicMonkey for all the great new recipes!

Book Club Dinner Party & Some Recipes You're Gonna Love!

My book club is filled with such wonderful women who are the absolutely BEST cooks. I'm excited to share our Christmas dinner party & some of the recipes with you.

First of all, my friend Karen has the most amazing Christmas decorations. She has a style all her own & her decor includes many beautiful antiques. 

The table was so beautiful. Cloches with tiny Christmas village scenes served as the center-pieces.

And look at this cute table setting. The small white dish contains butter {Karen got them at TJ Maxx}. The little antique spoon has an ornament hanger attached & it was our favor. #luckyme

Here's Colette's Strawberry Spinach Salad. It is different from other spinach salads I've tried & the dressing is to die for! Followed by my Creamy Tomato Soup . . . 

Sweet Won-ton Strawberry Salad Recipe

www.michellelunt.com

• 12 oz. washed spinach leaves
• 12 won-ton skins - cut into triangles & fried in canola oil
• 1/2 cup Butterball turkey bacon, fried & cut into bits
• 1/2 red pepper - cut into thin strips
• 8 oz. sliced strawberries
• 1/4 of a red onion - thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds - toasted & carmelized in butter & 1/3 cup sugar

Dressing: {Mix together in blender}

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mustard

Creamy Tomato Soup 

- adapted from "Tomato Basil Soup" at girltalkhome.com -

www.michellelunt.com

• 3 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• the liquid from 1 - 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 2 packages fresh basil leaves
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 sticks {1/2 lb. butter}
• salt to taste
• ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large pot. Puree canned tomatoes & basil leaves in batches in blender. Add to butter in pot. Add whipping cream, salt & pepper. Can be transferred to a crock pot & kept on low. Garnish with shredded parmigiano & reggiano cheese {from Costco}.

By the way, we read a fascinating & emotional novel called

Moloka‘i.  {Warning: it has more sexual content than I'm comfortable with.}

Yam Casserole Recipe - One of My All Time Favorites!

We make this dish every Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . and sometimes on Easter.  But we seldom make it at other times of the year. Why? Because it is SO good {and deliciously fattening}, that it is hard not to overindulge. So, we "save" it for special occasions. 

Sis discovered this recipe at least fifteen years ago & it is always a hit. 

Here's the recipe {which is also a printable} - enjoy!

Thanksgiving Blessings & a Mashed Potato Cooking Tip

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a wonderful day. Sis's table was so beautiful. She used her grandmother's Minton bone china. I love the beautiful burgundy & turquoise floral pattern. She used these colors with gold thrown in.  Gorgeousness!!

The day was PERFECTION. Well, except for the following:

• In an apparent suicide attempt, my iphone JUMPED into the toilet & tried to drown itself. {Atleast the toilet water was clean.} I've given the phone the rest of the week off at the rice spa. Please help me pray I can bring it back to life.
• While "helping" Sis cook our Thanksgiving meal, my gravy overflowed all over her beautiful cook top.
• I burned my hand getting the sweet potatoes out of the oven. Not too bad though. 
• We cooked the turkey upside down! While slicing it, the men couldn't "find" the white meat because it was on the bottom. Ha ha. Still delicious though!

BY THE WAY, WE TRIED SOMETHING NEW WITH THE POTATOES THIS YEAR! You know how you're always rushing around trying to get the mashed potatoes ready at the last minute - so they are nice & hot? This year we learned you can cook & whip the potatoes hours early & put them in the crock pot to keep them nice & warm. We tried it & it worked like a charm! 

I'm so very thankful for my faith, my family & my many blessings!

PS - Isn't my "Sis" {really my sister-in-law} the cutest? She's my BFF!

Favorite Holiday Recipes

Oh wow, "the most wonderful time of the year" is upon us. It is almost Thanksgiving, closely {a little TOO closely} followed by the joys of Christmas. One of the best things about these wonderful holidays is sharing good food with those we love. 

Here a few of our favorites that we just can't live without. {Just click on the title to go to the recipe.}

I'm starting with an unusual side dish {but it's kinda like a dessert} - Cinnamon Red Hot Jello. It's delicious & unique & we love it!

I'm a pie lover, but I'm not always in the mood to make a crust. This recipe is a lot like a French Apple Pie - but waaaay easier. It's always a hit!

Click here for the recipe: Apple Crisp

This next one has been irreverently dubbed "Christmas Crack" by our family - because it is THAT addictive.  {When you make it, hurry & give a bunch of it away! You've been warned.} Click here if you dare: Christmas Crack

More recipes to come! What favorites do you have at your house?

A Sweet Girl's Retreat

As you know, I often feature homes or rooms that I feel are fun or innovative in their design. I instantly fell in love with this room that my friend & her daughter put together. It has lots of creative touches that I thought you'd enjoy seeing too.

I'm a sucker for a chalkboard wall. Didn't Katelyn do a great job of drawing a bicycle?

The fun headboard was made from pallets. Various colors of stains were used to achieve this effect.

The carpet in the room had seen better days - but it was not in the budget to replace it. It has been said, "Necessity is the mother of invention" & the need for an inexpensive solution paved the way to a gorgeous new floor. Lisa used craft paper, stain & polyurethane {right on top of her plywood subfloor} to create this rustic floor covering. It looks fantastic & fits right in with the feeling of the room.

A "tree" adds an unexpected element to the room plus it serves a great function - storing all those cute accessories. They wisely attached it to the wall so it doesn't tip over {see photo below}.

The room has a tranquil, neutral color scheme with some carefully placed global accessories to add a cool vibe. It's a perfect girl's retreat! Thank you Lisa & Katelyn for sharing it with us.

Decorating for Thanksgiving

When I recently posted a Thanksgiving decor pic on Instagram, my friend commented, "Cute, I never knew how to decorate for Thanksgiving." Fall happens to be our favorite season at the Lunt home & Thanksgiving is particularly cherished by my Hunny. So I try to always make an effort to decorate for it. Here are some tips to help make fall special at your house . . .