I gathered some oranges, ginger, cinnamon sticks and whole allspice for my simmer pot.

I sliced one half of an orange and placed it in a small pot on the stove top.

I added 1 tablespoon of whole allspice, 1/2 cup of sliced ginger, and two cinnamon sticks.

Add 3 cups of water.

Bring to a full boil.

Reduce the burner to low for a slow simmer. Enjoy the fragrance.

Tips for a Great Simmer Pot:

• You can adjust the amounts of each ingredient depending on your preferences. I will add more oranges next time for a stronger citrus scent.
• Keep a close eye on your simmering pot and add additional cups of water as needed. I set a timer for 30 minutes and check the water level.
• Store your ingredients in a glass jar overnight and reheat the next day. You can reuse your simmer pot for 3 days.

Additional Simmer Pot Ingredients:

• cranberries
• apples
• pears
• nutmeg
• rosemary
• lemon
• lime
• pumpkin spice

These are just a few suggestions. You can add any items that appeals to you.

You can also enhance the aroma by adding your favorite essential oil. There are so many possibilities. Start with your favorite combinations and vary the scents to find your favorite!

I would love for you to share with me your favorite simmer pot recipe!

If you enjoyed this post, you might like these:

The post DIY Simmer Pot – A Homemade Holiday Gift appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I grabbed my flags and went to town in my kitchen.  Flags are my easiest and most favorite way to decorate and celebrate the patriotic holidays.  Instilled in me by my Dad, my love of country is strong and we proudly fly a flag at the front of our home!   Here is my recent post on how I decorate using my flags.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping  convenience.  As an Affiliate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases.

Sadie Seasongoods

Sarah made this colorful wreath out of…old neck ties!  Can you say genius???

My Repurposed Life

If you have a love for rustic and primitive or just plain wood, you will love Gail’s projects.  Gail has a knack for transforming old beat up items into beautifully functional creations for your home. This flag tutorial is chock full of great tips.

Petticoat Junction

Kathy always has a phenomenal trash to treasure in the works with just the right amount of rust and charm.  This project is full of rustic charm and her trademark use of vibrant colors.

Organized Clutter

If you haven’t already browsed Carlene’s Minnesota junk garden…y’all!  Get over there and soak up the beauty.  Carlene is showing us how to set up a simple Patriotic vignette.

House of Hawthornes

I finally got around to posting some patriotic dessert recipes.  You MUST check out Pam’s collection!  These are phenomenal.

Domestically Speaking

Maryann has an incredibly diverse catalog of recipes.  This one for cakecicles really makes me want to have a party!  I feel the need to try these immediately.

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Kristin made the cutest little flags out of scraps of fabric.  You know I’m all about using what you have to decorate and this project is a big win!

Our Southern Home

Christy has the most lovely outdoor spaces.  Check out how she decorates for the 4th of July.  Take some tips from her classic yet trendy style.

Here are my favorite red, white, and blue desserts for our patriotic holidays:

For even more inspiration, check out the lovely blogs of these creative team members!

Enjoy browsing these fabulous projects and recipes.  Let me know if you try any.  And be sure to tell the girls that I sent you!

The post 60 Ways to Celebrate with Patriotic Red, White and Blue! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This has become a tradition.  He likes to have the same color as me and Mr. Blu but can never decide on which flavor since he likes them all.  Do you remember bomb pops?  I was always so mesmerized by the tri color  So, I decided to make some homemade red, white, and blue popcicles.  

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping  convenience.  As an Affiliate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases.

When my kids were small, I purchased these popcicle molds.

Of course, I still had them in the garage.  A few weeks ago, Gbaby Blu and I made some orange Gatorade popcicles.  He said, “Wow, Mom Mom?  You can drink the juice with these!” 

So I decided to go patriotic and bought 3 small bottles of Gatorade-one red fruit punch, one white, and one blue raspberry.

Remember that your liquid will expand as it freezes so only add about 1/2 of what you want the final level to be.  I started with the blue, forgetting that when the popcicles are removed this will actually be the top of the popcicle.  So I guess these are technically blue, white and red popcicles???  Anyway, I let them freeze for 2 hours. 

Then I added the white.  And allowed that to freeze for 2 hours.  Finally I added the red and placed the stick holders into the juice.  Two more hours in the freezer and they were ready.

Be sure to allow the layers to freeze completely or the liquid will fall under the previously frozen layer and cause it to float to the top!  Although the taste will not be affected, popcicles are popcicles, they won’t have the pretty separated colors.  I did have to practice this! 

Aren’t they just the cutest??  And the Gatorade makes tasty popcicles too!

I can’t wait for Gbaby Blu’s reaction to these.  He will surely want to make some of his own so we will definitely improve on the process.

Stay cool my friends!

Here are some other Red, White and Blue Patriotic posts:

The post Easiest Red, White, and Blue Popcicles! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping  convenience.  As an Affiliate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases.

I selected some vintage dessert cups for my red, white and blue dessert.   

I also wanted to make a parfait like treat and found these drinking glasses with handles at the Dollar Tree. 

To make the bright Jello colors visible, I selected clear glass.  But, I’m a vintage lover so I couldn’t resist the milk glass variety as well.  Why not make a big batch?  I mean, can you ever make enough Jello?

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Make the Jello!

Start with the blue jello as it is the bottom layer.  Follow instructions and fill your dessert cup about 1/3 full.  Move the dessert cups to the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours. 

Add the Layers!

Remove the dessert cups from the freezer and add one layer of Cool Whip.  Spread it around to completely cover the previous layer of Jello ensuring the Cool Whip extends around the entire cup.  I placed these in the freezer for 2 hours.  This allows the Cool Whip to harden.  This way the Cool Whip stays put when you add the last layer of red Jello.  In my first attempt, the Jello sunk below the Cool Whip.  Since the Jello was heavier, the Cool Whip to floated to the top. 

Yes, this was my mistake on the first batch.  You can see that the Cool Whip in the photos of the finished clear vintage dessert cups aren’t as pretty.  But it was just as delicious!! 

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After 2 hours, remove the dessert cups and add the red Jello.  Place the dessert cups back in the refrigerator for 4 hours. 

Garnish and Serve!

The final step is to garnish with your choice of toppings.

This is a fun little dessert that is quick and easy if you don’t mind the multiple steps.  I can’t wait for Gbaby Blu to try these on Friday!  

I don’t know about you but these bright and vibrant colors make me so happy.  And the bonus is that it is a sweet refreshing treat!  You can even use low sugar Jello!  

Do you have any quick and easy dessert recipes?  Share them over on my Facebook page!  Or tag me on Instagram.  I’d love to try your recipes too!

The post Easy and Patriotic Red, White, and Blue Jello Dessert appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I Found it on Pinterest!

This recipe was found on Pinterest from Two Sisters.  I was particularly impressed with the time they took to explain the importance of butter to the recipe.  And if it is possible, I believe I have found the perfect sugar cookie recipe.  This is my new favorite recipe.  The dough is manageable and not sticky or crumbly.  This is important for a sugar cookie.  It’s a nightmare when you’ve painstakingly followed the recipe only to have the dough ripping and sticking to your rolling pin.  That’s the worst.  And that did not happen with this recipe!  Nor did I have to chill the dough.  I don’t mind chilling the dough.  But if I’m ready to make cookies, I want to keep the process moving and not delay for 3-6 hours while the dough cools.  Alot can happen in my household in 3-6 hours.  If we are baking cookies, we need to get at it now!

And so, I crown this the BEST sugar cookie recipe ever!

Mixing was easy.

Rolling was easy.

Baking was easy.

I do believe this really is the BEST sugar cookie recipe. 

But my favorite is still my moms!  Try it and let me know what you think…it’s really good!

12 Days of Christmas Treats

Here are the recipes Juliet from A Loverly Life and I are sharing for the 12 Days of Christmas Treats.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Fleur de sel Honey Caramels

Unexpected Toffee Cookies

Peppermint Merangue Wreaths

Cranberry Orange Martini

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Caramel Chocolate Covered Pretzel Logs

Mama’s Eggnog

The post The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe – Really! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

A Brief History of Eggnog

Eggnog screams Christmas like cookies for Santa!  Eggnog is known as an American term introduced in 1775 in Maryland.  But the origins date back hundreds of years and most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval British drink called posset.  According to Wikipedia, records show that the first US president, George Washington, “served an eggnog-like drink to visitors” which included “rye whiskey, rum, and sherry.” President’s recipe called for a variety of alcoholic beverages along with the dairy and egg ingredients: “One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, [and] 1/4 pint sherry.” The recipe instructs cooks to “mix [the] liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.”

My Recipe – sort of

My recipe is super simple.  I jotted it down years ago from a tv show and have been making it ever since.

Turns out my recipe is Paula Deen’s Mama’s Eggnog.  Apparently, I was watching Paula when I wrote down the recipe.  Of course it was Paula!

The recipe is super easy.  You make three small batches and then combine them. 

Whip the egg yolks with sugar, the whites with sugar, and whip the heavy cream. 

Then add the milk.  Set in the freezer to chill.  Super simple. 

You can add bourbon or whiskey or simply drink it plain.  It is delicious either way.

Remember to sprinkle some nutmeg or cinnamon on top for some extra flavor.

Some folks like their eggnog warm.  But I’m a fan of thick and frothy.  Sometimes I even allow the eggnog to freeze and I eat it with a spoon.  Have some fun trying it different ways.  

If you have time, check out all of our recipes for the 12 Days of Christmas Treats!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Fleur de sel Honey Caramels

Unexpected Toffee Cookies

Peppermint Merangue Wreaths

Cranberry Orange Martini

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Caramel Chocolate Covered Pretzel Logs

Mama’s Eggnog  (You are here!)

The post How to Make the Best Eggnog appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Making Pecan Rolo Pretzels Video

This recipe is so easy.  Place the pretzels on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place a Rolo on each pretzel.  Bake in 300 degree preheated oven for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven and push a pecan into the Rolo.  Allow to cool.  Enjoy.  It’s that simple!

These treats are the perfect size…one small bite.  They combine the savory pecan with the salty pretzel and the sweet chocolate in a delightful burst of flavor.  

When I ran out of Rolos, I substituted milk chocolate chips and they worked perfectly!

Not only is this a delicious treat, it is super fast!  

Here are the links to the previous days 12 Days of Christmas Treats!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Fleur de sel Honey Caramels

Unexpected Toffee Cookies

Peppermint Merangue Wreaths

Cranberry Orange Martini

The post Rolo Pretzel Turtles appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Three ingredients!

No eggs.  No mixer.  No fancy gadgets.  Just simple.

Dump. 

Mix. 

Heat.

Pour

Spread.

It’s a little messy at the end.  Once the sugar sets, it is difficult to get a straight cut on the cookies.  So I just break them.  It’s so much easier.  

And that’s that for another easy cookie recipe!

Oh, and it WAS Center Church Cooks!  McMurray, Pennsylvania!

This is still probably my favorite decadent treat.  I try not to make these toffee cookies often because, well, I simply eat them all.  They are irresistible.  I’ve seen this recipe on Pinterest labeled as Crack Cookies.  Enough said.

Enjoy!

Here are links to the previous days of 12 Days of Christmas Treats in case you missed them.

The post Unexpected Toffee Cookies appeared first on Shop at Blu.

So I headed to Pinterest and checked out a few recipes.  Many recipes use canned apple pie filling.  But I wanted to use fresh apples.  I mean, we want a truly authentic fall feel, right?  So here is my first try a Easy Crockpot Apple Cobbler!

Getting Started

The recipe card with ingredients is at the end of the post.  I’ve always loved delicious red apples.  My kids are granny smith fans.  I’ve had gala and fuji and apparently there are countless more varieties of apples.  Growing up in Philadelphia in the 70’s and being the daughter of a Depression Era born fiercely Irish father (Pop) with 7 sibilings, we ate plain old traditional red apples. 

Did the Acme in Roxborough even carry Granny Smith, Gala or Fuji back then?  What would have been the response in the produce aisle if Mrs. Boyce (fiercely Italian) had spotted a Cotton Candy apple??  Our only spices on our eye roast, chicken, pork chops or ham was salt, pepper, and the occasional Shake-N-Bake.  The only Chinese food Pop would eat was Chicken Chow Mein.  Mom loved eggrolls but I never saw Pop touch one.  I never had Mexican food until the Taco Bell opened (sorry Andrea).  My Dad had his first breakfast burrito circa 2018.  It was quite memorable.  

So Many Apples!

Where was I?  Oh, so of course, in the produce aisle I grabbed red apples.  But none of the recipes that I had viewed called specifically for Delicious Red apples.  Of course I grabbed 5 Delicious Red because I am nothing if not a woman of tradition.  Then I grabbed a bag of Fuji as they were very small.  And of course 5 Gala apples were loaded into my cart.  Why not experiment?  All of the apples! I remembered buying a Pampered Chef Apple slicer years ago.  It was probably when we first moved to Alabama.  I remember using it once and thinking…that’s too much work.  Guess what?  I found it in the coat closet which is where I put it almost 20 years ago!  This time, I absolutely love it!  

Step by Step

I took 1 tablespoon from my stick of butter and put it into the crockpot to melt while I prepped the apples.

Wash, peel and slice the apples.  This gadget does both at the same time.  Now I remember why I wanted one!  I sat the apples in a bowl of warm water after peeling so that they would not brown.  I don’t know if it matters if your apples are brown but it creeps me out so into the bath they went.   Add the apples along with the water (about 1.5 cups) into the crock pot and then all of the other ingredients except the cake mix and stick of butter, stirring to mix everything together.   Make certain the crockpot is on low and sprinkle the cake mix on top of the apple mixture and lay the stick of butter on top.  Replace the lid and walked away for 90 minutes.  After 90 minutes, remove the lid and gently mix only the cake mix and butter that are sitting on top of the apples.  Set the timer for another 90 minutes.  At this point my masterpiece seemed ready, though the cake on top was little gooey. 

Give a Girl Some Tips

When I added the apples from the water bath, I dumped the water (approx. 1 cup) in as well.  In retrospect, I believe the slow cooking creates it’s own moisture.  Next time perhaps I will omit the water and uses a white cake mix.  This batch almost looked over-cooked.  But maybe that was because of the brown Coconut Palm sugar?  I do feel like dark sugar will take over all of the colors.  But who knows?  Seriously…give me some tips as I’m new at investigative baking.  Why is it wet?  How to fix this or that?  What would happen if…? My husband loves gooey home-cooking, so he was thrilled with this dish.  I will be trying this again but will alter some steps to attempt to make that cake on top a little more visibly pleasing.

A Great Baking Tip

Here’s a great tip for you if you are going to do any baking or experimental cooking…limit your tasks to a time when your taste and smell are in prime condition!  I had Covid back in January.  It was very mild, thankfully.  But I still haven’t completely regained my senses of taste or smell.  It’s really strange.  Some days I can smell and taste a good bit.  Sometime nada.  I can usually taste sweet.  But not always.  So why not test a few recipes???  Because that totally makes perfect sense???!!!  Join a blog hop to bake apple recipes!  The funny part is that I still proceed through my days and tasks like it isn’t an issue.  I buy the Coconut Palm Sugar to try to lower the carbs in a recipe and am knee deep in the project before the light bulb goes on…Will I be able to taste this?? 

Well, while I couldn’t enjoy the sweet aroma of the baking apples, I could smell them slightly.  And although I could not get a true taste of the coconut palm sugar, I could tell that it was sweet but not overly sweet.  I call that a win.  And, Mr. Blu loved it so BOOM! 

Seems I have a few more test runs to make.  I think I will wait until my taste and smell are completely restored.  I am rather impatient though…so who knows! 

Check out all of the apple recipes and crafts below as part of the Apple Picking Blog Hop!  If you have similar posts, feel free to add them to the Inlinkz collection at the end.  Here are the posts from my wonderfully, creative and talented friends…

Happy Apple Picking! 

The post Easy Crockpot Apple Cobbler Recipe appeared first on Shop at Blu.