Sausage Apple Overnight Breakfast Cassarole, shared with fond Christmas memories...

 My life is filled with so many blessings, one of them being you! I've been blogging for a full year now and  have formed so many friendships along the way...all of which mean the world to me! Thank you all for your wonderful love and support you've shared with me throughout this past year.

It was a beautiful Christmas this year in our home... I hope yours was just as lovely! I didn't take any pictures,  we really wanted a low key, relaxing Christmas with family. Don't worry though, with our first born on the way in April,  I'm sure next Christmas our cameras will be OVERLOADED with pictures ready to share with everyone...by then she'll be 8 months old!! See how quickly time flies?

 This year we thought it would be nice to just relax and enjoy time with family instead of rushing around everywhere to get a million things done, that in the end don't really matter {especially when it comes time to spending time with your family}. We spent Christmas Eve at my mom's house {in honor of my grandmother} who passed away this year. With a full spread of home cookin' to snack on, we had such a great time sharing stories and our fondest memories of her throughout our lives.

What a blessing she was to our family!

 Memories of my grandmother Wilma's delicious home cookin' will always stay with me! She raised a family of some amazing cooks, let me tell you. So for Christmas this year I wanted to make a little homestyle breakfast casserole for my family at home and share the recipe with all my blog family here.

This recipe is so easy to make and the best part is you can make it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next morning when you get up...I love it!!  So, here's what I made...

Sausage Apple Overnight Breakfast Casserole

• 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Maple Flavor Pork Sausage Roll
• 6 cups bread cubed into ¾-inch pieces
• 10 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• maple syrup, if desired

1. Brown sausage in a skillet until cooked; drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended.
3. In another bowl, mix apples, sugar and cinnamon together until well coated.
4. In a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish,  place half of the breadcubes followed by half the sausage, half the apples, and and 1 cup of the cheese.  Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
5. Pour egg mixture over the layers making sure to evenly coat it all with the egg mixture.
6. Place in fridge and refrigerate overnight.
7. In the morning, remove the casserole from the fridge and preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 6-8  pieces and served topped with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.

Recipe adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen


Thank you for stopping by! I hope your Christmas and memories of Christmas past keep you cozy warm this week, sprinkled with lots of love and hugs! 

Christmas Tree Envy...

Okay, all the Christmas decorating is finally done. The cookies and delicious little treats have been made and I'm ready for Santa...How 'bout you?

This year with a "Baby Girl" on the way (due in April) the budget was tight and we decided to keep the decorating low key.  I think the "over the top decorating" in my house is over, sad to say! Next year, I'll  have a 8 month old baby (and 2 BIG dogs and a cat....who thinks he's a dog)!! Maybe we just put the Christmas tree in the den with the french doors closed. That way we can still admire the tree without worrying about a Christmas Catastrophe {ha,ha,ha}!

This afternoon I was looking for a little holiday home inspiration, when I can across these Christmas Trees on Pinterest.

Gorgeous... aren't they? 

Yeah, I know. You're probably thinking "Who has the time for all that?" Well, I'm thinking the same thing too, Sista! My crazy hectic life (and wallet) just doesn't seem to allow for moments like these anymore. But that's okay, I can live vicariously through some of my amazing girlfriends.

Becca at Adventures in Decorating has an amazing gift when it comes to home decorating....I love this girl!! She has several Christmas trees in her home and always has the most amazing holiday decor. I don't know how she does it all but she truly rocks it, every time!! Check out how she's adorned her GORGEOUS home for Christmas...

ONE OF HER MANY BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS TREES... 

THIS ONE IS IN THE MASTER BEDROOM

 SHE EVEN DECORATES THE CHANDELIER IN THE DINING AREA,

 ISN'T IT GORGEOUS?

C'MON...HOW ADORABLE ARE THESE PLACE SETTINGS?

ON THIS TREE SHE ADDS CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 

EVEN A FEW OF HER FAVORITE CARDS FROM YEARS PAST.

 {I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA TOO}

WHAT A GREAT IDEA FOR DECORATING THE ISLAND IN YOUR KITCHEN! THIS TREE IS DECORATED WITH GINGERBREAD ORNAMENTS AND COOKIE CUTTERS.

ALL THE WHIMSICAL LITTLE TOUCHES ADD SO MUCH, DON'T THEY?

HER FORMAL DINING ROOM IS DECKED OUT WITH SILVER AND GOLD

THIS TREE IN HER FRONT SITTING ROOM IS ONE OF MY FAVES!

I JUST LOVE HOW SHE PUTS PERSONAL TOUCHES ON EVERYTHING, 

RIGHT DOWN TO THE PILLOWS WRAPPED WITH BURLAP.

FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ARE PLACED THROUGHOUT 

THE HOUSE NEXT TO FAMILY PHOTOS. SHE EVEN HAS A FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE TRIMMED IN FAMILY PHOTOS AND INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES.

 {GREAT IDEA}

EVEN THE ENTRYWAY IS ADORNED WITH CHRISTMAS TIDINGS THAT JUST MAKE YOU FEEL RIGHT AT HOME WHEN YOU WALK IN...I JUST LOVE IT!! 

{Thank you Becca for letting me share your lovely home with everyone}

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Cookie Dough Dip...

This time of year I love to have delicious dip recipes for serving when we get together with family and friends, and the holidays. O'ma Goodness....this dip speaks for itself!! Originally the recipe called for just chocolate chips,  but I always like to add a little something special so I thought "mmmmm, toffee chips". C'mon, What compliments chocolate better than toffee?

That little bit of crunch and toffee flavor tipped this already delicious dip right on over to out of this world!

My secret....I’ve served it with chocolate graham crackers, honey graham crackers, animal crackers (for the kiddies) and even some apple wedges. But, this dip would be heavenly just licking it straight off the spoon....trust me on this one! All you need is a cracker or apple slice to look dignified while you are gobbling it up. So, the choice is really yours on what you serve with this dip.

Here’s how you make it....

Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

 Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 12

The most delicious recipe for cookie dough dip you've ever tasted.

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup toffee bits

Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
3. Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

I hope you love this delicious treat as much as I did and if you have any creative ways of serving it up or other delicious add-ins I'd love to hear your spin on it! 


Don't forget to enter to win these fabulous earrings during my Holiday Bling Giveaway....





There's still plenty of time and THREE chances to win! Here's the link with all the details on how to enter:
Holiday Bling Giveaway from WhimSea Designs

Have a delicious day, Everyone!

Displaying Christmas Cards...

Does it seem like sending and receiving Christmas cards are a thing of the past? Everyone is either sending e-cards or using Facebook to spread the holiday cheer. Call me old fashion, but I would rather receive an actual Christmas card than an email. There's something beautifully unspoken when you receive one in the mail. It tugs at the heartstrings and lets you know that person took the time to show you how much you mean to them. I can remember when I was a child, LONG before the internet ran my life, my mom would display all the Christmas cards we received around the door frames in our home. It was always so nice to see the love of family and friends scattered around the house during the Christmas season. If you're one of the few still sending and receiving Christmas cards, here are a few other ways I've found to display them:

HANG THEM WITH RIBBON FROM A GARLAND WRAPPED BANISTER

DRAPE THEM ACROSS A MIRROR WITH RIBBON OR GARLAND...

PICTURE FRAMES ARE PERFECT TO USE IN SO MANY WAYS...

HANG DECORATIVE RIBBON FROM YOUR DOOR AND FINISH WITH

 A LOVELY BOW AT THE TOP OF EACH ROW

PLACE THEM IN A CHRISTMAS ARRANGEMENT OR CENTERPIECE

PLACE CARD HOLDERS ARE A DELICATE AND FUN WAY TO 

SCATTER A FEW THROUGH OUT YOUR  HOME

AND FOR THE OVERACHIEVER....{WHOM I IDOLIZE DEARLY, BLESS YOUR LITTLE HEART} YOU CAN PUT YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST SENTIMENTAL CHRISTMAS CARD IN A GLASS DISPLAY LAMP ALONG WITH FAUX SNOW, A FEW ORNAMENTS AND A SPRIG OF PINE! 

What's your favorite way to display your Christmas Cards? Either way you look at it, Christmas is just around the corner. I hope these Christmas Card displays inspire you to create a little magic in your home this season.

Gift ideas under $15...

Only 12 shopping days until Christmas....are you ready? I'm definitely not! With all the planning and preparation for our little bundle of joy on the way, I got a little side tracked this year. I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't even started my holiday shopping. I'm sure most of you started your Christmas shopping on Black Friday. As for me, I definitely passed on that opportunity. I try to avoid scenes like this...

With that thought in mind....I guess I'll just have to suck it up and head out with all the other "last minute crazies". I think it's always nice to have a few little extra gifts tucked away for a neighbor, your mail carrier, or even an unexpected guest that arrives at your Christmas Party. Well, here's my little secret for fabulous little gifts that won't break the bank...Shhhhh!

 I'm completely obsessed with Pier1, I could spend all day in there. In fact, I'm pretty sure I have already once or twice...LOL! I can't help it...they have the most amazing gifts under $15. {and they also make GREAT stocking stuffers too} You'll be sure to score something for everyone on your Christmas list this year. Whataya think of these?

LIP BALMS IN DECORATIVE TINS

SUPER CUTE AND SASSY PENS

...AND NOTE PADS

GORGEOUS COMPACT TOTE BAGS 

TRAVEL SIZE TOILETRY SETS...PERFECT FOR THE HANDBAG!

DECORATIVE SOAPS IN FESTIVE, COLORFUL TINS

SUPER LUSH JEWELRY ROLLS

A COASTAL INSPIRED DISTRESSED PICTURE FRAME

FABULOUS BLINGED OUT PENS....PERFECT FOR THE FASHIONISTA ON THE GO!

So, don't stress yourself out this year shopping all over town for those great little stocking stuffers or hostess gifts! Stop by Pier 1 this week and pick up a few things...you may even find a little something for yourself. {Shhhh, I won't tell...your secret is safe with me!}

What about you? Have you finished all your Christmas shopping yet? I've heard stories of ladies that start the day after Christmas, already shopping for the upcoming year. How early do you start your shopping?