A Warm Glow

I enjoy decorating with lanterns all year, but they seem particularly inviting during the cold winter months. The warm glow during wintertime feels cozy to me. We have a few on display in our home right now. The one I am sharing today is on my parents' front porch. It's been in place since after around Thanksgiving and had been a quick autumn project.

This is a hanging lantern that my mother and I found at IKEA late last summer. We found the design to be interesting and it was just the size we had envisioned.

She already had a black stand that's actually designed to hold a hanging plant, but we thought a lantern would look good for the cold months. This lantern was only available in pink, but that was not an obstacle since most situations can be corrected with a can of spray paint. 😉 

 Have a blessed Monday and

may it feel warm and cozy.

National Slow Cooker Month

Happy National Slow Cooker Month! I especially enjoyed taking advantage of my crockpot from time-to-time while I was playing school. After teaching all day, I considered it a treat to come home to a warm meal ready to go. I realize that crockpots and slow clookers are not exactly the same. While crockpots have porcelian or ceramic liners, slow cookers usually have metal and there are also differences with the heating elements. I acknowledge technical differences between the two, please understand that I am interchanging the terms for this post! 😉

All of these recipes have appeared in previous Homescape Technologies posts over the past several years, but I now have links for ease of printing...just in case you're interested.

This sandwich recipe, which came from a church friend, is one we really enjoy.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 small jar pepperoncini (pickled peppers)

1 boneless chuck roast (about 3 pounds)

1/4 cup water

1 3/4 tsp. dried basil

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

hard rolls (split)

Drain pepperoncini, reserving liquid. Remove and discard stems. Place chuck roast in slow cooker. Add water.

In a small bowl, combine basil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over roast. Add reserved peppers and  some of their liquid (to your liking). Cover with lid and cook on low for 8-9 hours until tender. When finished, remove the peppers and shred beef. *Here's a tip for that process that my sister just told me about doing with a similar recipe. Rather than fork shredding, use your mixer, on low, to shred in seconds--easy peasy!

I use ciabatta rolls and spread a little mayonnaise on the roll before adding the beef and pepperoncini. We also like provel cheese added to the sandwich.

Click here for a printable version.

Here are a few entrée options which may appeal to you.

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 T olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic  (I substituted with 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T water

sesame seeds

Start by seasoning chicken lightly with salt and pepper and placing in a crockpot. In a bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic (or garlic powder) and pepper flakes. Pour concoction over chicken and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is done. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and leave sauce in crockpot. Dissolve cornstarch in water and pour into crockpot. Stir to combine, replace lid and return chicken breasts to sauce. Cook for 10 minutes on high until the sauce has thickened. Serve chicken breasts on bed of rice or pasta and top with sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

**As an alternative, you can remove the cooked breasts and shred them with two forks, Return the meat to the crockpot after thickening sauce and warm for 10 minutes on high. Serve on bed of rice or pasta. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

We  enjoyed our chicken on rice with a side of roasted cauliflower and a fresh spinach salad, so it went together quickly. 

For a printable version, click here.

This is another good chicken option. My mother shared this recipe with me.

Slow Cooker Fruit Preserve Chicken

1/2 cup apricot or peach preserves

15 oz  Russian dressing (Wish Bone brand)

4 or 5 chicken breasts

1/2 onion, chopped

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. 

In bowl, place preserves and dressing and mix well before stirring in the chopped onion. Pour over chicken and cook on low setting for 8 hours. 

Goes well with rice and a nice side salad.

The dressing has a little bite and the sweet preserves complement that well to create an appealing blend of flavor. 

Click here if you want to print this one.

You may be interested in hot soup if you, too, are having a cold snap. This recipe, from my cousin, is simple and tasty!

                                                               Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans black beans (14.5 ounce size)

2 cans stewed tomatoes, Mexican or chili style (14.5 ounce size)

1 can tomato juice (46 ounce size)

1 can green chilies (4.5 ounce size)

1 cup salsa

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (uncooked)

1 can corn

Put all ingredients in your crockpot (it will be full) and cook 6-8 hours on low. Lift out chicken breasts, shred and return to soup. Serve with tortilla chips,  sour cream and shredded cheese.

Click here to print this soup recipe.

After these meal options, perhaps you may be interested in a sweet treat. This recipe came from my hairdresser years ago and I have made these candies a few times over the years for large gatherings I attended. 

Crockpot Chocolates

1 jar (16 ounces) unsalted peanuts

1 jar (16 ounces) salted peanuts

white almond bark (12 ounces)

chocolate almond bark (12 ounces)

1 (4 oz.) bar of German chocolate

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Layer ingredients, as listed, in your crockpot. Cook on low for 3 hours. Turn off and allow it to sit for 30 minutes without lifting lid until time has passed. Stir everything very well. Spoon out on wax paper spread on cookie sheets, making small clusters. Allow to completely cool.

*Since crockpot thermostats vary, look through your lid periodically to make sure the ingredients aren't burning around the edges. Avoid lifting the lid, though. I never have had an issue.

*The directions on my recipe state that it makes around 100 candies. I think I have always made a half-batch and that was plenty for the gatherings I attended.

*You can also tweak your ingredients to your liking. My friend, for example, used a blend of peanuts, chopped cashews, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans and sliced almonds in addition to raisins for a tasty result! She also substituted dark chocolate for the German.

*Surplus candies may be frozen for future use.

Click here if you'd like to print this one.

Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe?

Snowy Fat Albert and a Winter Mantel

We have had unusual weather in our area lately. We literally went from sunny upper 50s to snow this weekend. Although just a few inches of fluffy flakes fell, it was a wet snowfall and looked beautiful on the tree branches. This picture was actually taken about a month ago during our last blast of winter.

This spruce was planted last fall and I really like it even when it is snow covered! Called Fat Albert, this slow-growing variety is known for its short, wide shape and blue needles. I spontaneously snapped the picture because I felt it would be a perfect winter print. As usual, I took advantage of a 50% off coupon at Walgreens and hung the 16 by 20 poster in the foyer, where it will remain through early March.

Our winter mantel is simple with pinecones, pine boughs, candles, a snowflake and penguins.

For now, it looks like winter inside and out. More mild temperatures are on the way for the next few days, though.

Happy Monday! Is it snowy or mild where you live?

Tuesday Tablescape

I was excited to use my paperwhite bulbs for today's tablescape!

Each year my husband gets me these beauties as one of my Christmas gifts and I always enjoy forcing the bulbs inside during dreary winter months.

To read a bit about paperwhites, click here to see a post from 2016. This time I received not only bulbs, but also mature plants in glorious blossom.  They've been a bright spot for a few weeks now and while I think they still look good on the table, you will note that they are beginning to fade.

I wanted this setting to be very simple, so white everyday dishes fit the bill. I just added some starched crocheted snowflakes and footed water goblets.

 Have a nice evening!

Good Bye to Christmas Decorations

It's always disappointing to me when it's time to pack away the Christmas decorations on New Year's Day. The house pales in comparison with the absence of lights, glitz and sparkle. With the décor back in storage, I am sharing a couple of spots where I was able to tweak what was already out in an effort to transition from a pure Christmas look to winter mode. 

In the dining room, I added a new table runner which is adorned with pinecones, pine boughs and berries. It's a good touch to serve through January and February.

My large red lantern anchors it for the centerpiece. 

The buffet is one of the places that changed just a bit. I left the boughs and replica 1800s snowman in place and simply added a few glass pieces.

I miss the Christmas wreaths with their red velvet bows on the windows and the candles in the sills. While the swag remains around the front door, it was another spot of easy transition. As a point of reference, this is what it looked like for the best season of the year.

I  replaced the large red velvet bow with burlap ribbon and traded snowflakes for the JOY letters. 

How about you? Are your holiday things put away until next year? Have your transitioned to winter decorations?