Food Network Gingerbread Challenge Meets Nikki Wills!

Those of you who read the blog regularly know that Nikki Wills from Tikkido is one of our Taste Creation bloggers. What you might not know is that Nikki was one of the contestants for a Holiday Gingerbread Showdown on the Food Network.  She taped several weeks ago and last night the show aired for the first time.  I can assure you that I was front and center of my sofa, waiting for the show to begin! Forgive the coloring. I had the Christmas tree lit and it really impacted the color in the living room! This showdown aired as part of Marcella Valladolid's Naughty or Nice series. The contestants are competing for an ultimate prize of $25,000 but first they have to win their individual rounds which includes a lot of details such as following the theme, using the challenge in the final product, and appeal. I got settled down with a huge mug of hot cocoa and my gingerbread cookies and started watching. To my delight, Nikki was an instant favorite. She wasn't whiney or compl

Gingerbread Peppermint Kisses #fantasticalfoodfight

The November theme for the Fantastical Food Fight hosted by our own Sarah Ellis, is Gingerbread!  Gingerbread cookies, Gingerbread loaves, Gingerbread houses, whatever you want to make is right here and ready to bake! My research tells me that Queen Elizabeth 1 had gingerbread men made to look like the dignitaries that were visiting the court. There were very popular.  Gingerbread signified fancy and elegant during those times in England. The gingerbread house originated in Germany in the 16th century. They became even more popular when the Grimm Brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel.   I wanted to bring something here that wouldn't require a lot of time and that you could make on a weeknight if needed. Here come the Gingerbread Peppermint Kiss cookies! Let's go bake some cookies! Yield: 18 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Gingerbread Peppermint Kiss Cookies prep time: 20 mins cook time: 10 mins total time: 30 mins The

Countdown Christmas Plate #pinterestchallenge

Welcome to the November Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by  My Pinterventures . The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month, I chose to create a Count Down to Christmas Plate! I am a big fan of Kim Six, a blogger who does so many wonderful crafts that I admire.  I saw this Countdown Plate before I knew it was Kim's but I wasn't a bit surprised.  Kim is a meticulous crafter. Her directions are spot on and the work itself is just beautiful. You will see that I am a bit different than that! To make this Countdown Plate you will need 1 Dollar Tree Charger (they come in red, silver and gold) 1 tube of chalkboard paint 1 foam brush 1 Sharpie paint marker 1 page of Dollar Tree foam stickers Step 1. I like to wash whatever I am working with a little soap and water and let dry thoroughly. Step 2. You can tape off the circle in the middle or not.  I typica

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce

**I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Are you looking for that dish to take to the family Thanksgiving that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? I made Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce using ingredients from my local Dollar Tree !  It was so delicious, easy to make and happy with your budget! It's no secret that I am a big fan of our neighborhood Dollar Tree.   The store is clean and organized and has such friendly people. I often use them as a resource for projects and recipes. If you haven't been to your Dollar Tree, go now!  I adore their seasonal place settings, too! Do you have a favorite recipe where you buy some of the ingredients from Dollar Tree?  For the recipe below, I purchase the gnocchi and the pumpkin puree from Dollar Tree. Yield: 4 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce prep time: 5

Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin #holidaysidedish

My family loves Brussels Sprouts. We love them so much we have tried to grow them in our vegetable garden, but we haven't had much luck with them. We find them at our local Farmer's Market but not often. It makes me wonder if they are difficult to grow! We love this cheesy version of roasted Brussels Sprouts. We are nuts about them!  The hardest thing is the sauce and it's not really difficult at all!  All the better in my book.  How does your family feel about this cute vegetable? Yield: 8 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin prep time: 10 mins cook time: 40 mins total time: 50 mins Roasted Brussels Sprouts with a cheesy sauce. ingredients: 1 lb Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved 1/4 t salt dash of pepper cooking spray 1 T butter 1/3 c shallots or onion, finely chopped 2 T flour 3/4 c milk 1 t thyme 1 T grated parmesan 1/2 c grated gruyere instructions: Preheat ov

Autumn Harvest Soup #soupsaturdayswap

There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup to cheer you up on a cold Fall day.  You know what I mean, like the 40s temperatures we have had all week, ending up with snow on November 8.  NOVEMBER 8, people!  This is a fail-proof soup that will get you in and out of the kitchen quickly so you can get close to the fireplace and watching your favorite college football team. (Go Tigers!) We enjoyed this soup on a cold Saturday with slices of the Skillet Cornbread with Bacon, Onion, and Cheddar I made last week for #HolidaySideDishes.  Did you see that post?  No?  Just follow the link.  The recipe is outstanding. So, here you go, a fall approved recipe that has minimal time in the kitchen! Yield: 4 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Autumn Harvest Soup prep time: 5 mins cook time: 8 mins total time: 13 mins A fall soup that requires minimal time in the kitchen! ingredients: 1 can Yes! Tomato Carrot Bisque 1 can Yes! Butternut Squa

Things to Consider When Buying an Older Home

Image Credit Older properties are often full of character and charm, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll find one that holds some historical significance. However, as great and beautiful as older properties can be, they can come with not so desirable quirks that you may want to take into consideration before making the leap, because, depending on what issues a house has, it could impact things like when you’re able to live there, and how much money you’ll have to spend on things like renovations. Below we’ve included a list of things you should consider before buying an older home so that you can focus on enjoying it as much as possible. Issues with Asbestos or toxic paint: Whilst asbestos certainly served a purpose when it was first introduced to the building trade, it’s extremely dangerous to health and has been directly for countless deaths, so it’s not something to be taken lightly at all and needs to be handled by a professional company that specializes in the s

Savory Bread Pudding with Onion and Rosemary #HolidaySideDishes

My holiday side dish for today's event is our favorite.  My daughter had savory bread pudding at a restaurant we went to recently and has been asking me to make it.  Her dish was delicious and I was a bit nervous to tackle something that was so good. Looking at my favorite bread pudding recipe, I knew I had to take out the "sweet" and replace it with savory items. My daughter loves rosemary and onion so I knew that would be a good flavor profile to try. I did a bit of research on savory bread pudding and came up with this one to try. Yield: 9 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Savory Bread Pudding prep time: 20 mins cook time: 1 hour total time: 1 hours and 20 mins A beautiful dish to serve with poultry and roast beef. ingredients: 4 c torn bread (I used a French baguette) 2 c cream 1 c water 3 T chopped fresh rosemary 1 medium onion chopped 6 eggs 2 T olive oil 1 c shredded white cheese of choice inst

The Girls at 17 Swann Street #ourgoodlifebooklist

I was given this book to read in exchange for my honest review. Publishing Date:  February, 2019 From the Publisher: Yara Zgheib’s poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting portrait of a young woman’s struggle with anorexia on an intimate journey to reclaim her life.  The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists’ list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound. Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach pink house where pale, frag

Skillet Cornbread with Bacon, Onion, and Cheddar #holidaysidedish

Welcome to Holiday Side Dish Week!    We will be posting on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday this week so make sure you come back all four days to enjoy the delicious holiday side dish recipes shared by nineteen amazing bloggers!  There’s quite a variety of recipes and you can be sure to find something yummy to add to your holiday table. Of all the things, Thanksgiving side dishes are my favorite. I generally get one serving of turkey, but then I load up on Thanksgiving side dishes.  My favorites are noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, any kind of Brussels Sprouts, and anything that is at our table for the first time. Then I did in. My sister makes homemade rolls every year. She uses my grandmother's recipe, so nothing will ever top that bread on our table. This Skillet Corn Bread with Bacon, Onion, and Cheddar might raise some eyebrows, though. I use a sweet cornbread mix as the base and then, lord help me, I add bacon and cheese. Then onion, sauteed in but