Recipe: French Onion Soup
Yay! It’s time for another recipe in my slow-cooker series: French Onion Soup. It’s such a classic thing to eat. And it was made to be cooked in a slow cooker!
Is there anything better than a piece of cheesy toast dipped into a flavorful soup? I think not. Just slice up a bunch of onions, pop them into the slow cooker, and when you get back add the stock and dinner’s ready that fast. The Gruyere toasts are ready in a flash too.
For this recipe, the onions are cooked alone first, then the stock is added. This gives the onions ample time to cook down and get soft without melting away and disappearing into the broth. If you’d rather not go that route, just add everything to the slow cooker all at once and it will still be really good.
It’s great served with fruit and a very simple green salad like the French might make — torn Romaine with a flavorful basic herb vinaigrette.
…You’re Invited: Relocation Retreat
You’re invited to the Relocation Retreat in Normandy, France, hosted by Gabrielle Blair.
At this 4-night retreat, guests will learn explore some of Gabrielle’s favorite parts of Normandy, and learn about aspects of daily French life. We’ll visit actual homes for sale so that retreat guests can get an idea of the types of properties available at different price ranges. And guests are also welcome to attend our workshops and classes from local experts on topics like buying property in France, how to apply for a residence visa, and how to work with a maître d’œuvre (a French general contractor).
Guests will enjoy beautiful days in Normandy, and return home with the contacts and information they need to make their relocation-to-France-dreams a reality.
…Living With Kids: Amy Webb
When Miggy sent me her interview answers, she apologized for the length and mentioned she could probably write forever about her special life and family. I wished she would. You will, too.
Welcome, Miggy!
…Overnight Steel Cut Oats
It’s time for another recipe in my Slow Cooker Series — and this time it’s a breakfast option. Did you know how easy it is to make steel cut oats in a slow cooker? So easy!
Put them in before bed and when you wake, they’re warm and ready to dish up. Normally steel cut oats take nearly an hour to cook, which can be tough on a school morning. Using a slow cooker bypasses that hour on the stove, so there’s no active cooking time and it’s ready to go when everyone is getting up and going. It feels good to send the kids off to school with a wholesome warm breakfast in their tummies, and anything that frees up time on busy mornings is a plus!
This recipe makes quite a bit — 8 servings or so depending on how big the servings (or the appetites) are. And one of the best parts is that you can add your choice of toppings, so you can vary the options endlessly. You could even host a family oatmeal buffet!
Have you ever tried steel cut oats? If you’ve been meaning to, try this recipe first.
…Easy, Memorable, Lollipop Valentines
We have officially finished up our valentines-for-classmates preparations. I think they turned out great. The idea and the execution are both very simple.
…DIY: Make Your Own Party Blowers
Here’s a super easy, super festive valentine that’s perfect for handing out to classmates. Good for both boys and girls — and it’s candy-free! All you need to do is pick up some festive party blowers and package them with the You Blow Me Away printout, and you’re good to go.
For those of you who are really in the mood to get your craft on, you can MAKE YOUR OWN PARTY BLOWERS — using pretty paper you picked out yourself! There’s a full tutorial with lots of photos and clear instructions below.
Custom party blowers would also be a fun detail at the next celebration you host.
…DIY: Snow Paint Made From Old Markers
Facing another snow day? Well here’s the perfect activity to keep the kids active and happy — and the main thing you need is old markers. Emphasis on the old! Before you throw away that set of neglected/mostly-dried out markers, give them one more shot at artistic glory. Use them to make snow paint!
Instead of tossing the old markers, soak them in water, put the water into spray bottles and then head out to add some color to your snow-covered world.
It’s just so happy seeing bright coloring on the white snow. Grab your old markers and let’s get started.
…DIY: Flavored Sugar Valentines
Hey Sugar! Here’s something to sweeten your day. Flavored sugar recipes are popping up everywhere — sugars infused with flavors help elevate the taste of the recipes they are added to. And since flavored sugars are so simple to make, you could create sweet gifts for neighbors and friends (pun intended).
All it takes to make citrusy sugars is sugar and zest. There’s even a tag (free printable!) for you to tie on so this treat is as adorable as it is easy to make.
Let’s make something sweet!
…DIY: Ice Luminaries
Winter is dark and cold. We can’t do much about the cold, however, we can do something about the dark! The long nights of the winter are a perfect time for luminaries. Who doesn’t love the inviting look of a walkway lined with lights?
The light source is your choice — small click lights or candles — and with a few other simple materials, your winter can be a little less dark too.
It’s so easy you’ll want to make a bunch!
…DIY: Colored Ice Ornaments
Ice hangings! They’re a delightful way to add rainbows to winter skies, welcome cold-weather visitors, or decorate for a party. Don’t you think they could chase away the most gray of days?
This is a Big & Small project. The big variation is something that will appeal to adults, and the small variation is a simplified version of the same project, just right for young children.
The “freezing” step of this project makes it feel almost magical for children — once these have been un-molded and displayed, you won’t believe how quickly your little ones will say: “again!” The best part: You probably have all the supplies you need for this project right at home!
So let’s get making!
…3 Recipes To Amp Up a Holiday Cheese Platter
Tell me how you handle New Year’s Eve? Do you stay in or go out? Get sitters or bring the kids? Or maybe the party is at your house, and the guests come to you!
Our New Year’s Eve celebrations seem to change every year, but even when it’s just us, and we’re cozy at home, we love to set out a celebratory feast of finger foods. Think dips, appetizers, hors d’oeuvres. We want to eat well, but we don’t really want to cook. And this kind of food is perfect.
So here are three amazing recipes to improve even a casual New Year’s Eve feast.
Let’s get to nibbling.
…Living With Kids: Trina McNeilly
There are stunning homes that look like they should sit on a magazine page or ten, and there are homes that look like – whoa – a lot of little children live there! And then there is Trina’s home, which is a splendid mix of beauty and beast! There’s not one space in her home that’s too precious or too perfect for her four children, but there’s also not one space in her home that doesn’t look absolutely precious and utterly perfect, either. I’m happy she’s achieved this magical blend, and I couldn’t wait to show it all to you.
Also! She is one of the lucky ones who get to relive her childhood all over again in her family home. You’ll love that part of her story. (There’s a line or two about one decorating regret that will make you misty, I bet. Tell me if you find it and have to wave off a few tears like I did!)
Friends, please welcome the McNeilly family. This is such a fun tour.
…Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows — With Flavor Options!
Let’s make marshmallows! Let’s make pretty bags of marshmallows, in lots of different flavors, and give them out to everyone we love!
Have you ever eaten a homemade marshmallow? They’re kind of game changer. I mean, I’m not one to complain about any sweet treat, so it’s not like I reject store-bought marshmallows, but once you’ve eaten a really good homemade marshmallow, nothing else quite compares.
So let’s grab a mug of warm sweetness and get this sugar show on the road!
…Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows — With Flavor Options!Read More »
DIY: Giant Knit Mega Scarf
The obsession with giant knit blankets and poufs and pillows continues. And with good reason. There’s just something about those oversize stitches! The texture is pretty much irresistible — it demands to be touched and cozied up to. If you’re trying to communicate comfy, any oversize knit piece will do so immediately.
I’m always on the look out for giant knit projects when I’m on places like Pinterest. And when I saw the work of Anette, I begged her to share one of her tutorials on Design Mom. Happily, she said, “Yes!” So let’s whip up chunky knit scarves for everybody!
Click through to meet Annette and find instructions for this gorgeous chunky scarf.
…Recipe: Almond Feta Dip That You Will Want to Eat With Everything
We’ve been making a wholesome walnut feta dip from The Moosewood Cookbook for almost two decades. It’s one of the Blair Family favorites! But the last few times we made it, I could see we needed to change it up a bit — its popularity was waining.
So I switched out the walnuts for something spicier — I used smokehouse almonds instead.
Results? Holy cow. This dip is SO GOOD! I mean it. You are going to want to skip the veggies and the crackers and just spoon this in your mouth like it’s porridge. You will love it.
It’s a super easy recipe, and I’m betting it will become one of your family favorites as well. Let’s get started.
…Recipe: Almond Feta Dip That You Will Want to Eat With EverythingRead More »
Living With Kids: Rebecca Green
Rebecca describes herself as the stay-at-home mom of a family who really doesn’t like to stay at home! Once a big-firm attorney, she now spends her time planning family field trips, blogging, and authoring a book. I admire her sense of adventure, her enthusiasm, her Fall Bucket List, her advice about living a brave, can-do life — and, yes, I also adore her navy couches. Sigh.
So come meet Rebecca! You’re going to like her so much, I just know it.
…DIY: Easy Half-Moon Pendant
I’m so excited to share this project with you. Amy Christie and I have been talking about it for months! We saw a gorgeous half-moon pendant necklace by Winifred Grace and we both went all heart-eyes for it. Alas, it’s no longer for sale, but Amy reached out to Winifred and asked permission to try and recreate something similar in a DIY post, and Winifred said yes! Which means, lucky us! We can all learn to make one. We can make one to bling up our own holiday wardrobe, or we can make a bunch and gift them to all of our favorite people.
The half-moon pendant is simple and clean and goes with just about everything. You may not have the skills or materials for metal work but you can create a half-moon pendant necklace with polymer clay and gold leaf. Polymer clay is the chameleon of materials; it can be made to look like so many substances. For this piece, the gold leaf does the work, giving the half-moon a metal-like appearance. Add a couple of jump rings and a length of leather cord and this inspired necklace is ready to wear in no time.
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own jewelry with polymer clay, this is the tutorial for you. It’s super easy and in no time, you will be all shiny for the holidays.
Let’s get to it!
…A Continuing Discussion on Setting Boundaries & Disrupting Normalcy
I originally published this on September 1st 2020. I can’t believe how relevant it remains. I’m publishing again in full, with no edits. I hope you find it helpful.
When I write a thread for Twitter, I can’t predict if it will go viral, or what the responses will be. I don’t know how it will be misunderstood, or where my words aren’t clear, until I see the responses to it. I always wish I could revise it for clarity, but you can’t edit tweets. With the thread about Trump supporters, all responses so far (they are still coming in) have fallen into 3 categories:
-85% of the people who responded love the thread. They said things like: It was a balm! It was a relief! It gave me hope! I didn’t realize I needed permission to stop putting up with the abuse. I wrote the thread for these people.
-10% of the responses are from die-hard Trump supporters. They typically haven’t read the thread and just take a moment out of their day to call me a cunt, yell at me for being intolerant, call me a fascist, and say they feel sorry for my kids. I block them and delete their comments.
-5% of the people who respond are not Trump supporters but feel very protective of them. They insist we can’t just “give up” on Trump supporters.
…A Continuing Discussion on Setting Boundaries & Disrupting NormalcyRead More »
Recipe: Award Winning Three Bean Chili Deluxe
The Blair family chili recipe has become legendary — it has been entered into chili-cookoffs all over the country. By us, by friends, by Design Mom readers. And it has won many, many times! It’s a pretty fantastic chili for several reasons, including how easy it is to make. It’s a recipe my family has been making (and loving) for 24 years!
One more note before we jump into the recipe: I consider this a slow-cooker recipe, but I don’t actually use an electric slow cooker! Since we work at home, and aren’t leaving the cooking food unattended, we typically do our slow cooking on the stove top in a cast iron pot. But these recipes will work for any type of slow cooking — stove top or crock pot.
Let’s dive in.
…DIY: Lace-Imprinted Clay Containers
I could tell you that this clay containers project came about because I wanted to organize my makeup drawer (and I do need to organize that drawer), but the truth is, I got the idea to imprint lace into clay, and wanted good excuse to try it. Hah!
A few months ago, I came across a plate that had a crocheted doily imprinted onto it, and I wondered if lace would work just as well. So I combined some lace samples from the fabric store with air-dry clay, and tada!, now I have the cutest little set of containers in world. I’m using them here for makeup brushes, cotton balls, and jewelry, but I’m sure these clay containers would work fabulously on a desk as well.
Air-dry clay is so easy to work with. Just sculpt and allow to fully dry. It is easy to manipulate and holds texture well. Oh. And did you know air-dry clay can be tinted any color you like? I’m kind of into the ceramic look of the plain white, but if you’re craving color, the skies the limit with this clay containers project.
Let’s begin!
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