Blog - Farmhouse Chic Blog

10 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

October 30, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: herb roasted turkey, lemon glazed turkey, recipes, Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes, traditional turkey, turkey recipe 7 Comments

You certainly don’t want to mess up your turkey for Thanksgiving… Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve found 10 recipes for you to try. Remember, make sure your turkey is fully thawed and cooks long enough (normally 4-6 hours). You will want to start cooking your turkey early in the morning and ensure it will be finished for an early dinner. Basting your turkey is really important so it’s juicy and full of flavor!

Whether you prefer just a traditional turkey recipe, herb roasted, or lemon glazed, I’m sure you’ll find something you like here!

You’ve got about three weeks to choose your favorite recipe… Gobble, gobble 🙂

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Maple-Glazed Turkey with Onion-Cider Gravy Recipe

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{ My Guest Post at Michelle’s Pixie Dust }

October 29, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: Guest post, Halloween kids craft, kids craft, Michelle's Pixie Dust 10 Comments

I shared a fun, super simple kids craft over at Michelle’s Pixie Dust last week! I’d love it so much if you’d head over and take a peek at it!!

How cute would these look lined up your driveway for trick-or-treat night?! I added mine to our hallway in front of the kids’ rooms. They look so cute lit up and the kids love them!

Thanks again Michelle for giving me the opportunity to share this fun craft on you blog!!

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{ Holiday Cheer }

October 27, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: Christmas cards, holiday cheer, Minted.com Leave a Comment

Holiday Cheer board by Fotini. See more Minted.com

Here’s a little inspiration for a classic Christmas… A tad bit early, I know, but I just can’t help myself!! Have you checked out Minted.com? They have a huge variety of Christmas cards sure to fit your style! They are even offering a promotion right now for 10% off Holiday cards, use code: AUTUMN2012 (expires Tuesday 10/30). The awesome thing about this is you purchase your preferred design and add your photos later!

{ Guest Post and Halloween Kids Craft!! }

October 26, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: blogger, blogging, Guest post, Halloween craft, Halloween kids craft, kids craft, Michelle's Pixie Dust 6 Comments

Today I am so pleased to have Michelle, blogger {of} Michelle’s Pixie Dust as my first guest post! Such a pleasure getting to know you Michelle, thanks so much for for sharing this fun kids game with us!!

“I remember my mom playing this game with us during our Halloween parties in elementary school. We always had so much fun! I am very happy to share this with all of you J

{ Spooky Spider Web Game }

What you need:

1 ball of yarn (pre-roll into a ball, it prevents tangles, you will thank me later!)
A few awesome kids (any age, as long as they can throw)

Have the children sit in a circle. They can sit on the floor, in chairs or even move their desks in a circle if you are at school.
Choose one child to sit in the middle of the circle.
Give another child the ball of yarn. He or she will begin the spider web.
Have the children say what they will dress up as for Halloween or have the children say a line of a scary story they make up as they go along. This is the step that can be changed depending on age group (be creative).
After the first child says their statement, they will hold on to their yarn and throw the ball across the circle to another child.
This child says their statement, holds on to their piece of yarn and throws the ball to the other side of the circle.
This continues until each child has had a chance to speak.
The result is a big, yarn “spider web”!

I have played this game with 6^th graders through 9^th graders and they all LOVE it! Since I am a substance abuse counselor/prevention educator, I have adapted this game to include drug and alcohol facts. In my adaption, I call this game “The Web of Lies”. Each child draws a myth and fact about drugs or alcohol out of a bucket. The student in the middle gets “tangled” in the web of lies about drugs and alcohol. We play this during the month of October for Red Ribbon Week. It’s a fun idea for all you teachers out there! “

{ 6 Not- So Scary Halloween Movies for Kids }

October 23, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: Halloween, Halloween movies for kids, Harry Potter, Hocus Pocus, kids movies, Matilda, Scooby Doo 19 Comments

One of my favorite things about Holiday time is watching fun movies with my little ones. Christian (my 6 year old) is all about movies right now! I really don’t like scary, violent movies, and I refuse to let me children watch them, so I came up with six movies that are fun and family friendly 🙂 ** Note: I won’t be letting little Isabella watch any of these except Charlie Brown 😉

Do you have a favorite Halloween movie that isn’t on this list? I’d love to know!

Hocus Pocus

The Addams Family

It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Scooby-Doo

Matilda

Harry Potter

{ From HUD to Home: A Series }

October 22, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: blog series, DIY home, dream home, first home, from HUD to home, home renovations

In March of this year {2012} my husband and I purchased our first home! The home we purchased was a HUD. I know, this may scare some (and believe me we saw some pretty bad houses), but this one had so much potential!!

Please follow along with us as we show you the transformation, as we make a HUD home into our dream home!

I will be doing room-to-room features, with detailed renovations and pictures galore!! Be sure to check back soon for updates!

{ Favorite Quote Canvas }

October 19, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: art for the home, bible quotes, canvas, canvas art, diy project, easy craft project, favorite quotes 2 Comments

Creating pictures using canvases really couldn’t be simpler! Using them to display your favorite quote, saying, wedding vows, etc. is such a great way to personalize art in your home! I took one of my favorite quotes from the Bible, and in one of my fav. songs. I chose “where you go I go, where you stay I stay” from the chapter Ruth.

Begin with your blank canvas. I used scrap-booking stickers to write out my quote evenly. Once you’ve got your quote completed, take to a well ventilated place for you to spray paint. I used my garage and sprayed on scrap cardboard. Evenly spray the entire canvas, including the sides. Let dry, and check for any spots you may have missed. If this is the case, spray again and let dry completely. Once your canvas is dry, simply begin peeling off the stickers to reveal your masterpiece! I added the chapter and verse in permanent marker on the bottom.

That’s it!! You’ve just added a personalized piece of art to your home 🙂 You can do so many wonderful projects (and gifts!!) with this!! Have fun creating 🙂

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16 Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes

October 18, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: holiday recipes, recipe-1, recipes, sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner 512 Comments

One of my favorite sides on Thanksgiving is sweet potato casserole, yumm! This year I will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our “new” home! I’m super excited because I love hosting, but my grandparents from Greece will be here! I haven’t seen them in six years, and they’ve not met either of my children. This is going to be a really special time, and I can’t wait to spend the Holiday with all of our family! With that being said, I want some side dishes that wow my guests! Here’s a few sweet potato casserole recipes I think you’ll love!

Not sure which one has won my vote yet, they all sound delicious!!

Chef In Training

The Truth About Motherhood

The Girl Who Ate Everything

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Better Homes and Gardens

sweet potato casserole lg 300x234 A No Measuring Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Babble

{ Two Years }

October 16, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: anniversary, love of my life, marriage 18 Comments

I find it incredibly hard to believe that it’s been two years since I married my best friend, the love of my life…

Our day was magical and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Our day wasn’t the norm wedding day…Some of our plans changed about two weeks before our big day (which was stressful in its’ self), but we ended up at home at the end of the night with our son, just elated in the support from friends and family and feeling blessed beyond belief!

I truly can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else! My husband is endearing, devoted, loyal, honest, funny, sensitive, hard-working, and passionate about our marriage, and family! He ceases to amaze me daily! I’ve never felt so much love from a person in my life 🙂

Happy two year anniversary to the best husband a girl could ask for, and I am thrilled to spend the rest of my life with you, I love you!

Lovely Burlap Wreath

October 12, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: burlap, burlap craft ribbon, burlap wreath, diy, holiday wreath, wire wreath, wreath 42 Comments

I love meeting new people! A few weeks ago, I got a call from a Mom whose son is in Christian’s class, and she wanted to plan a play date! We met at her house on a Saturday afternoon and chatted while the kids played. I soon found out that she loved crafting too! She showed me some of her fabulous creations, but there was one in particular that I fell in love with. It was a beautiful, full burlap wreath. We had a great time talking about all things we loved making and scheduled another get together, this time at my house and making that wreath!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Start by grabbing the end of your burlap and feeding it through one end, leaving about a quarter inch as the ‘tongue’. Be sure to leave about a half inch (height wise) of burlap loops. Continue to weave your burlap through the additional two wires, and twist the bottom a couple times before continuing onto the next section. Continue this three to four times in each section of the wire wreath, pushing the burlap back as you go. This will create the “scrunching” look that makes the wreath look full! Simply cut your burlap free from the spool when done. You can hot glue the loose end on the back or simply tuck it into the wiring. Perfect and fluff in any desired places.

I am so happy with how this turned out! It’s so beautiful to look at and a cinch to make 😉 I plan on adding some removable embellishments that I can swap out for each holiday! I’ll update when that time comes…

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