Warm-Me-Up Meals

As the weather gets colder I thought it might be time for some feel good recipes. I found some of my favourites on the internet to share with you. I haven't made every one shown here, but I chose dishes that were simple and yet good tasting. Things I wouldn't be afraid to try myself. Click on any of the pictures to go directly to the recipe.

I make pork roasts and pork loins regularly. Sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy I'll throw one in the slow cooker instead of the oven. But even in the oven, this is foolproof (just don't overcook!)

Pork Roast with Onions and Apples

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I make this one a lot. Just this week I made a close relative - hamburger soup. It's so good - better than chili. And again, you could make it in the slow cooker if you wanted to.

Taco Soup

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This I haven't tried but it seems easy and looks amazing. Ritz crackers or panko crumbs for the coating, plus cheese, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. What's not to love?

Baked Crispy Chicken

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Mini pot pies! Made with refrigerated biscuit dough. These would be nice to have on a night when you've worked late, you're tired, and you just want to eat, now.

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins

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I've had this recipe on my Pinterest recipe board for 21 weeks (I checked.) Now is the perfect time to give it a go. And in single serving cups they would be fantastic for a party or a family dinner. Maybe at Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle

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All of these look so good, I can't wait to get started. I'm on vacation next week (staying home refinishing the kitchen cupboards), but I think I might have to fit some cooking into the schedule.

H Marks the Spot

We've reached the end of the wreath-building marathon! It was a close one, but I think I came out on top.

Here's a look at the final wreath - made for Tom's aunt Bev.

This monogram was almost the death of me. Do you know how many times I painted it? No? Well I'm going to tell you. 6 times. SIX.TIMES.

The letter started out from the store a plain black.

I gave it a thin coat of spray primer and then painted it green (like the house numbers on the first wreath). But I was planning on using green flowers, so I thought, too much green. I decided I'd rather have it yellow, so I sanded the green off and painted it by hand.

But it still wasn't quite right. On to navy blue. Two coats of spray sealer. But no, the blue was too dark.  I went back to yellow. But not the same yellow as before - oh no - this time a pale yellow spray paint. So another coat of primer and then the paint. Whew!

After all that I sanded down the edges to give it a worn look. The extra layers of paint were a bonus because different colours show through depending on how hard I sanded.

Prior to painting (the green coat) I wrapped the crosspiece of the H with twine vertically. I wouldn't suggest wrapping before painting, but when I started I wasn't planning on painting it at all. This means I had to cover the twine each time I sprayed it. Once it was all painted, dried, and sanded, I wrapped the center two-thirds of the letter in more twine, but going in a horizontal direction this time.

I glued the letter directly to the wreath. I had originally planned to hang it from the center (like this wreath), hence the two holes at the top, but because of the size of the letter I think it's more secure this way.

I then just played around with the flowers I had on hand until I found an arrangement I liked. Once they were in place I glued each down. I have some grosgrain ribbon with green, red & yellow in it, so I wound it through the back of the wreath to give it a hanger.

How about a recap of the wreaths I made? (click on each picture to go to the post)

And if you're interested, the wreath that started it all.

Do you have a favourite? Mine is still the layered picture frame wreath. 

Now it's time to get a wreath on my own door! 

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I'm linking up here this week!

Decorating for Fall

Happy Friday! I'll be decorating the house & front entrance for fall this weekend. Do you have anything fun planned?

Just to get in the mood, here is a stroll down memory lane with some of my favourite fall decorating posts from last year. Just click on the description to go to the tutorial.

Dressed Up Porch & Mantel

Dryer Vent Pumpkins

Mason Jar Lanterns

Simple Burlap Wreath

Even though Thanksgiving is a long way away for those in the U.S., it's right around the corner for us in Canada. So here is something else you can do with your leftover dryer vent,

Dryer Vent Turkey

And finally, just to warm you up on those cold nights, or for lunch on a rainy Saturday, my recipe for Hamburger Soup.

Have a great weekend!

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I'm linking up here this week!