Easy Apple Crisp

One of my favorite desserts around the holidays is apple crisp, and I used to buy it for our Christmas parties because I didn't know how easy it was to make.  Tomorrow evening Aubergine Emporium is hosting their annual holiday event and so I decided to learn how to make my very own apple crisp recipe.  I found some recipes on the internet and this is my version.  It passed "the husband" test so I think it's a good recipe to share with you.

Homemade Apple Crisp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter a 9x13 baking pan.

2 cans prepared apple pie filling.

Spread the apple pie filling in your prepared pan.  I sprinkled a tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg over the top.  Not too much though.  About a 1/2 tsp. of each. 

For the crumb topping, mix the following ingredients in a large bowl.

3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 white or yellow cake mix
1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.

Mix it all in a bowl and spoon over the top of the apples.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes then cover with tinfoil and bake another 25 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy.  Yum yum!!!

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Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

A Feast Fit for Santa

Years ago I started collecting glass pastry ornaments for our tree, and my collection grew so large thanks to my two daughters and friends that it spilled over to the dining room table.  Every year I set the table for Santa and his helpers and it has become one of our Christmas traditions.

In years' past I have used one of my antique lace table clothes, but I am opting for a more simple look this year so I left part of the table exposed since the wood is so beautiful and I used the wrapping paper placemats I made yesterday. 

I have three of these three-tiered silver stands that collapse and stack together after the holidays.  This makes them incredibly easy to store.  The one in the middle was a gift from a friend who has passed on and it makes me think of her when I am setting the table for Santa.

My collection of glass food ornaments grew to include things such as red onions, watermelon slices, corn on the cob, blood oranges and I  could go on and on.  I think I have every fruit and vegetable represented on this table plus a lot of other beautiful pastry ornaments such as the one above from Mark Roberts.

I love this little chef.  He reigns over the whole presentation.

This table really is very festive, and it is only set up between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

In addition to my pretty shimmery placemats I added this snowflake table runner from Home Goods.  I thought it was a perfect addition for the holidays.  It would be easy to make out of white felt.  In case you are wondering why some of the paper tags are still on some of the ornaments, these are my Radko ornaments, and I like to keep the tags on them because the names of the ornaments and the year they were made is a reminder of how special each and every ornament is to me and our family tradition.

Thanks for visiting.  Would you like something to eat?


I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Wrapping Paper Placemats

The day before Thanksgiving I paid a visit to our new Home Goods to see if I could find some pretty new napkins for our Thanksgiving table.  What I had been using for the last 10 years was looking a little tired and I wanted a change.  I found my napkins and saw some fabulous placemats for $10 each that I thought would be pretty for our Christmas table, however I did not like the price.  Now mind you this is for a table we do not eat at, it's for my Christmas decorations which I will share with you tomorrow.  And anyway when I went back to Home Goods today, the placemats were all gone which removed any temptations I might have had to even purchase them.  I actually was quite pleased.

However, the Christmas placemats that remained were ho hum, nothing to get excited about, and they were at least $3 each and I needed six of them at the very minimum, and I certainly didn't want to store them until next Christmas.  

So I spent a long time finding six placemats that I didn't even like and didn't want to purchase, but on the other hand, I didn't want to run all over town to find what I wanted.  While standing in line with what I did not want anyway, I spotted some shimmery striped wrapping paper that was more along the lines of what I wanted.  Shiny and bright was on my menu.  So I scooped up the $2.99 roll of wrapping paper, dashed across the street to Michael's crafts and found some construction paper for .99 cents a sheet and came home with my goodies.

I measured an old placemat I already had and cut out six rectangles of the construction paper.  Each sheet of construction paper gave me two placemats.  Then I cut out my wrapping paper a tiny bit larger than the construction paper rectangles.
I used spray glue and sprayed a strip of glue down the left hand edge of the construction paper and then carefully laid the wrapping paper right on the edge.  With the left side secured, I lifted the wrapping paper back and sprayed the outer edges of the other three sides of the base paper and then a couple rows in the middle.  The wrapping paper laid right down.  I ran my hand over the newly made placemat and they were perfect.  I trimmed any excess wrapping paper and now I have six pretty and festive placemats.  I also have a lot of the wrapping paper left to wrap gifts with.

I'm estimating these six placemats came to a total cost of $4.50.  Tonight I'll get my table set for Santa and I'll show you how it all came together.

Thanks for visiting.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

A Traditional Tree

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting my friend Elaine at her beautiful home.  Elaine loves to have a traditional tree every year and I think it is exquisitely done.  She has a professional come in and decorate the tree so, as you will see, it's over the top with wonderful goodies.  I will just let you see for yourself.  The pictures speak for themselves.

 

Sorry for the blurriness of this next pic, but it was the only one I snapped of the full length tree which stands about 12 feet high.

Most of the instruments used on the tree are the real deal and I think they create a spectacular vignette all by themselves.

I love the effect of this next photo.  Real vintage Christmas carol sheet music crumpled up with a shiny spray and tucked into the tree.  The effect is truly magical.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope your holidays are merry.


I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best