Category: Holidays

Holidays, Recipes, Sip3 Comments

Hot Apple Cider with Cranberries and Pears

Shae | Hello Homebody

Hot apple cider is a new favorite of mine, after being introduced to it at my husband’s family’s holiday celebrations. It’s a fun, festive drink to enjoy on cold evenings! I really wanted to try something different than the usual citrus infused cider, so I flavored some store-bought apple cider with Bosc pears, fresh cranberries, and a couple of cinnamon sticks. It’s as easy as washing the fruit, placing all ingredients into a pot, and simmering on the stovetop over low heat. Or warm cider in a crockpot. So simple! After posting a photo to Instagram, someone suggested adding tropical … Continue reading Hot Apple Cider with Cranberries and Pears

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet16 Comments

Best Ever Cheesecake

Shae | Hello Homebody

This cheesecake is perfectly rich and creamy, with a smooth and sweet sour cream topping. This is the cheesecake recipe that my mom has always made, it really is the best! I made this cheesecake in jars for my wedding and they were a great hit. We popped the leftover cheesecakes-in-a-jar straight into the freezer and they still tasted delicious. This year I made these mini cheesecakes for two Thanksgiving celebrations. Single serving cheesecakes are perfect for holiday dinners. I’ve included both mini and regular cheesecake baking instructions below. Look at that delicious layer of sour cream topping on top … Continue reading Best Ever Cheesecake

Holidays, Recipes, Sip, Sweet8 Comments

Malted Hot Chocolate Mix

Shae | Hello Homebody

Hot chocolate is one of my favorite drinks in the wintertime! It’s so easy to make a batch of homemade hot chocolate mix. Just add this mix to hot water, milk, or coffee! You can easily turn your homemade mix into a pretty party favor or stocking stuffer… This mix goes perfectly with the Hot Chocolate Spoons that were on the blog a few days ago! Malted milk powder can be a little tricky to find, this recipe is good with or without! Malted Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe 3 cups powdered sugar 2 1/2 cups powdered milk 1/2 cup malted … Continue reading Malted Hot Chocolate Mix

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet7 Comments

Gorilla Bread

Shae | Hello Homebody

Gorilla Bread is pretty similar to monkey bread, but each pull-apart piece is filled with a special ingredient… cream cheese! This delicious pastry has a caramelized cinnamon/sugar outside with a soft cream cheese center. It’s a simple recipe that takes only about 10 minutes to put together, making it a great Christmas morning breakfast (or after-dinner treat)! Note: I made half of this recipe and placed it into a large loaf pan. Use two loaf pans or a bundt pan if making the whole recipe. This is an adaption of Paula Deen’s recipe. Gorilla Bread             … Continue reading Gorilla Bread

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet61 Comments

Hot Chocolate Spoons

Shae | Hello Homebody

Hot Chocolate Spoons are perfect for stirring up a mug of hot chocolate or coffee! Try making them with any variety of chocolate and candy. My favorite is definitely the salted caramel! Create these spoons for a hot chocolate bar, give them as favors at your next Christmas party, use them as stocking stuffers, or enjoy them yourself! Try serving them with my homemade Malted Hot Chocolate Mix! I used these wooden spoons for this DIY, and created these flavor combinations: Salted Caramel // melted caramel squares topped with coarse sea salt Dark Chocolate Toffee // melted semi-sweet chocolate chips topped with toffee bits … Continue reading Hot Chocolate Spoons

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet12 Comments

Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels

Shae | Hello Homebody

I love peppermint everything at this time of the year! My husband and I had a Chick-fil-a date on Monday to celebrate the return of their Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake… Starbucks’ Peppermint White Chocolate Mochas are the best… and these Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels are one of my favorite holiday treats! I love their simple salty-sweetness, with a hint of mint. They’re also the simplest Christmas treat to make. Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels pretzels white chocolate chips peppermints Unwrap peppermint candies and place them into a ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer to crush … Continue reading Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet7 Comments

Cherry Turnover Pastries

Shae | Hello Homebody

These Cherry Turnovers have a flaky pastry outside with a warm cherry pie filling (and a sweet glaze!). They are a festive treat for the holidays… these turnovers are just as quick as opening a tube of cinnamon rolls, making them perfect for breakfast or dessert! This is one of those recipes that is so simple that you almost don’t need a recipe. I got my inspiration for these from the Pillsbury’s cherry turnover kits that I loved when I was growing up. I haven’t been able to find them anymore so I decided to make my own simple version. Try … Continue reading Cherry Turnover Pastries

Holidays, Recipes, Savory5 Comments

Spicy Southwest Cornbread Dressing

Shae | Hello Homebody

As un-American as this sounds, I’m really not a fan of traditional Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing. I’ve always liked the idea but I just can’t get into the taste. Last year, at my husband’s family’s Thanksgiving dinner, we enjoyed dressing that was flavored with cilantro. It’s something that I never would have thought of, but the flavors really go so well together. As much as I love Southwestern food, I had to try making it myself, so I came up with this similar, spicy, version! Note that this makes a pretty large batch, perfect for serving up at the holidays! … Continue reading Spicy Southwest Cornbread Dressing

Holidays2 Comments

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Shae | Hello Homebody

Today I’m so excited to feature a guest post from my friend, Dominique, of Gusto & Grace! I absolutely love Dominique’s creativity and style, her recipes and home decor are always so perfect. Go follow the Gusto & Grace blog and like the Gusto & Grace Facebook page! Thanksgiving Tablescape This is my first Thanksgiving as a married woman. My husband and I will be hosting both sides of our family this year. I am excited to spend this holiday in my new home and am thrilled to entertain. When thinking about how I would set the Thanksgiving table I … Continue reading Thanksgiving Tablescape

DIY Tutorials, Holidays5 Comments

Simple Holiday Centerpiece Ideas

Shae | Hello Homebody

Today I have a few simple holiday table centerpiece ideas for you. You can create a great centerpiece without setting up an elaborate tablescape! Have a small space? Make a centerpiece on your coffee table if you don’t have a large dining table. Use things that you already have to a create unique and beautiful centerpiece that will pop! A cake stand makes a perfect base for a centerpiece! It’s a great way to decorate without sacrificing a lot of table space. I used tall vases, filled with natural cotton, to give the centerpiece even more height. Grab a pretty tray, plate, … Continue reading Simple Holiday Centerpiece Ideas

Holidays, Recipes, Sweet8 Comments

Gourmet Caramel Apples

Shae | Hello Homebody

Gourmet caramel apples are one of my favorite holiday treats. Just the fact that there’s a piece of fruit inside makes me feel okay about eating layers and layers of candy! I chose three different apples for this recipe and went with three different flavor combinations on top of the caramel: mini dark chocolate chips, drizzled dark chocolate and white chocolate, and (my favorite) melted dark chocolate dipped in toffee bits… I loved the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate, mixed with the saltiness of the toffee and the tartness of the green apple! It’s so easy to make fancy … Continue reading Gourmet Caramel Apples

DIY Tutorials, Holidays5 Comments

Modern Paint Dipped Pumpkins

Shae | Hello Homebody

Silver mercury glass pumpkins and natural white pumpkins are my favorites! I decided to do something of a combination of the two when I painted this pumpkin. You can use this easy method, in whatever color scheme you like, to add some modern flair to your Fall decor. Fall and DIY projects, what could be better? Start by choosing a pumpkin! I knew that I wanted to use my pumpkin for a painting project, so it didn’t have to be anything special, I picked this one up at Walmart for $5. I would suggest buying a plastic pumpkin for this … Continue reading Modern Paint Dipped Pumpkins

DIY Tutorials, Holidays5 Comments

Orange Clove Pomanders

Shae | Hello Homebody

I love natural decor for Fall! This year I’m decorating with a collection of pumpkins, natural cotton, and orange clove pomanders. These pomanders are both natural and fragrant, with a spicy citrus scent! I love making them at least once during this time of the year (it’s also a fun project that you can create with kids!). These pomanders are the perfect decoration for Fall, Thanksgiving, or Christmas! Wrap twine or ribbon around pomanders to make them into hanging holiday ornaments. Orange Clove Pomanders oranges whole cloves a toothpick Using a toothpick, make a small hole in the skin of … Continue reading Orange Clove Pomanders

DIY Tutorials, Holidays7 Comments

Natural Cotton Wreath

Shae | Hello Homebody

I have a pretty unique name. It isn’t very common, and the spelling of my name makes it super unique (I know, you’re wondering how this could possibly tie in to this wreath project? but just wait!). Several years ago I connected, via Facebook, with someone else named Shae. The really crazy thing? Our maiden names were exactly the same as well! This obviously doesn’t happen very often. Okay, so, this has never ever happened before. Even better, we have similar characteristics and similar tastes! Recently Shae and I were talking about Fall decor and our search for natural cotton or … Continue reading Natural Cotton Wreath

DIY Tutorials, Holidays19 Comments

Birdseed Bird Feeder Ornaments

Shae | Hello Homebody

I’ve been wanting to make birdseed ornaments for a while but I just couldn’t bring myself to search for suet (a must-have ingredient in most birdseed ornaments). This recipe doesn’t call for suet or gelatin, and it doesn’t involve messy peanut butter! These ornaments will be great for the winter, when birds really are in search of food, but I didn’t want to wait until then to make them! I’ve hung these birdseed ornaments on a tree just below our balcony where I can watch birds munch away. You can make your own bird feeders with this simple recipe! Check … Continue reading Birdseed Bird Feeder Ornaments