We threw Mom’s 90th birthday party Friday night, and my body needed the better part of the weekend to recover from all the cooking, decorating, and party planning. Oooh, Betty…all the parts were talking to me after the shindig!
But it was all worth it, as the night was a huge success. We went with a Fiesta theme, starting the evening with my dad’s famous Margaritas, Shrimp Salsa, and Gorgonzola and Chive Cheese Spread. Dinner featured Ina Garten’s Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Black Beans and Corn Salad, and a Spinach, Orange and Avocado Salad. (all chef’s kiss-worthy!) Pots of Sunflowers and Marigolds adorned the tables, and bright orange bandanas served as napkins. I had a fun time creating a playlist of 50s-70s fiesta-ish music (think Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, Tito Puente, José Feliciano, with a bit of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra thrown in for good measure). Days later, and I can’t get “Guantanamera” and “The Girl from Ipanema” out of my head.
Thankfully, one of the party guests snapped a picture of my mom, my brother, and me, because otherwise we wouldn’t have pics from the evening.
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We will actually fête Mom twice: we celebrated with her local friend this past week, and then in December we will gather with the entire family and her friends up north.
It’s another short week here, as Terry and I will hit the road again on Wednesday to spend a long weekend with Terry’s sister in Blowing Rock, NC. I just checked the Fall Foliage website, and the leaf-viewing will be at its peak while we are up there! Score! 🍁🍂🍁🍂
I don’t know if it’s just because October is birthday-heavy in our family, but it’s always been a hectic, non-stop month for us.
From the Knit + Crochet Studio
Fall is the perfect time to get the needles going, and this week’s knitting picks cover a holiday project, two finishing skills, and a crochet bag you can work on anywhere.
It’s not too early to think about holiday projects, and when you need a stocking that works up fast, this chunky knit Christmas stocking is a great choice. You can whip one up in no time—seriously, you could finish it in just a day! It uses only stockinette stitch, so it’s simple but still pretty. Videos walk you through the magic loop, the Kitchener stitch, and the heel and toe shaping. If you want more texture, there’s a broken rib version too.
The mattress stitch is great for sewing your knitted pieces together; it creates a seam that’s almost invisible! It covers side seams and cast-on and bind-off edges, so it’s worth bookmarking for your next sweater or pillow.
If you’ve ever finished a knit blanket and thought the edges looked a little ragged, adding a crochet border to a knitted piece is the fix. It tidies raw edges, tucks away those pesky loose tails, and can even calm a curling edge. Reader Barbara learned to knit during lockdown and said this tutorial nudged her to finish a throw for her husband.
This free crochet purse pattern is built one granny square at a time, so you can toss the project in a tote and work on it anywhere. The popcorn stitch flowers give it real personality. You can make it roomy or petite, and you can skip the lining for a quick finish.
From the Kitchen
Several of mom’s party menu items came from the blog. The rest of this week’s kitchen picks are cozy, budget-friendly standbys for the cooler days ahead, plus one spooky cocktail for Halloween.
We served this shrimp salsa, and it disappeared fast. Because some folks are cilantro-averse, we left one bowl cilantro-free.
And, because a few of our guests had shrimp/shellfish allergies, I also made this gorgonzola cheese spread right alongside the salsa. It’s one of my favorite go-to quick appetizers and easy to make ahead.
We raised a glass to my mom with my dad’s famous margaritas, and it felt like he was right there with us. His margarita recipe is one of the blog’s most popular posts and a Pinterest favorite. Not surprisingly, Dad’s margs remain a huge hit!
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip is a party dip that practically makes itself. Skip the bottled ranch and use sour cream with pantry herbs for a fresher taste and a smaller grocery bill. Prep it the night before! The post also has plenty of ideas for turning leftovers into another meal.
When my husband first tasted these sourdough discard cheese crackers, he said they tasted just like Cheez-Its. Mine use up sourdough discard I’d otherwise toss, so they also help reduce kitchen waste. Deb’s review is all you need to know!
I stopped buying the name brand crackers because of their horrendous ingredients. My family went crazy for this recipe results! I used my pasta maker attachment to make the dough very thin. They even looked just like the name brand. The crackers were gone as fast as i was able to bake them! Thank you for this recipe we needed this bad.
My husband swears the beer is what makes this crockpot turkey chili so good. And even though I don’t drink the stuff, I totally agree. With smoky paprika and cumin bringing oodles of flavor, you’ll never guess it’s a lighter chili choice. It cooks in the slow cooker or on the stove. Sue’s comment made my day!
I made this chili for game day yesterday and it was DELISH! Everyone asked for the recipe! Thanks for sharing.
This Tuscan White Bean Soup works just as well in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, whichever suits your day. The secret ingredient is a Parmesan rind. Definitely read the info on using dried beans in the slow cooker.
I’ve been making and canning my own stock for over fifteen years, and it all started with this recipe for canning chicken stock. When my husband needed to cut back on sodium, I began controlling everything that went into the pot. The savings add up too, because one batch fills the pantry shelves and can even yield treats for the pups.
Halloween is right around the corner, so it’s time to line up your spooky drinks, and this Black Widow Martini is my favorite. It has a dark cherry flavor, a creepy blood drip down the glass, and an optional puff of smoke.
From the Arts + Crafts Studio
A few small handmade touches can change a room, and they cost far less than buying them. These crafts add polish to furniture, tidy up your cords, and freshen the bed.
If a plain piece of furniture needs a little something extra, decorative tassels can do the job. I figured out how to drill the wooden balls myself, but you can also purchase already-drilled wooden balls. These cost far less than store-bought tassels, and you can use jute, cotton rope, or whatever string you have on hand.
These monogrammed leather cord keepers solved the “whose charger is this?” problem at our home, since each of us has our own initials. Your Cricut does the cutting, so you can make a bunch of them quickly. Make extras, because they’re the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone with a phone.
If your bedroom needs a little refresh, start with this flange-edge pillow sham pattern. If you can sew a straight line, you can make these. Big Euro-sized shams add a jolt of color or pattern behind your regular pillows.
From the Garden
Even as the season winds down, there is still plenty to do outside. This week’s garden picks put kitchen scraps to work, help you plan next year’s vegetables, and bring fall color to your porch.
Those eggshells in your kitchen trash can are garden gold, and I’ve got the how-to for using them in your garden. I keep a large bowl in my kitchen to which I regularly add empty eggshells. When the bowl is full, a little prep gives your plants and the birds beneficial calcium. One reader even shared how her vet suggested ground eggshells for her cat, so they’re handy well beyond the garden.
If you’re planning next year’s vegetable garden, check out these potato companion plants before you plant. Some neighbors help keep pests away and add nutrients, while others should stay far from your spuds. It’s part of my companion planting series, so you can build a garden where everyone plays well together.
Still working on fall color for your porch? Check out these fall container gardens and window boxes. One of my favorite ideas is to keep one small tree as a permanent anchor and swap out the plants underneath each season.
Around the House + Home
Two practical posts to round out the week: one to get you organized before your next trip, and one to help you finally tackle those shelves.
If you’ve been reading our blog for any time, you know we love travel! We live by these Organized Travel Tips. They walk you through a timeline from several months out to the day you leave, and our printable packing checklists (for both men and women) are in the subscriber library.
For a couple of years, our living room shelves just never sat right with me, so I asked a decorator friend for help, and her bookshelf styling tips made a bigger difference than I expected. The biggest change was simple and didn’t cost a fortune.
Well friends, I hope you carve out a little ‘me-time’ today, doing whatever it is that you need.
