Celebrations Archives | Lilies and Loafers

Celebrations/ DIY/ Halloween/ Side Dishes

Paper Bats: Halloween DIY

October 1, 2023

A previous version of this post for Paper Bats: DIY Halloween was published in October 2013. We took new photos and updated some of the written content. Bats are everywhere! Need a quick idea to set up your Halloween entertainment space? Make some paper bats to adorn your walls and ceilings. I can’t take the credit on this one. Our friend, and Lilies and Loafers blogger, Ashley, did this last…

October 1, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Autumn/ Breakfast and Brunch/ Celebrations/ Dessert

Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake

September 20, 2023

Once again, I found myself trying to get rid of extra buttermilk. I went back to my list of buttermilk recipes, but I didn’t feel inspired. I wanted to try something new. I perused Pinterest and stumbled on this farmhouse buttermilk cake recipe and knew I needed to try it! Just stop reading and click the previous link to look at the recipe! I was stressing about something and this…

September 20, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Autumn/ Breakfast and Brunch

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Brioche French Toast

September 13, 2023

September 5, 2023 has arrived! Trader Joe’s around the country have released all of their pumpkin products. Using one of those pumpkin products, we made this delicious pumpkin brioche french toast. Last year, we used our go-to french toast recipe (thanks Martha!) with Trader Joe’s brioche bread. It was fantastic. By the time we made that, we missed the opportunity to try their pumpkin brioche bread with this recipe. Once…

September 13, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Autumn/ Celebrations/ Dessert/ Halloween

New England Apple Cider Donuts

August 23, 2023

Every fall, I am on the lookout for an apple cider donut. One of my favorite things to do when we pick pumpkins is to grab a dozen apple cider donuts, sit in the pumpkin patch, and share them with the kids. It’s a whole vibe. Between the whole family, you must empty the box. I’ve tried baked apple cider donuts, Bon Appetit’s apple cider donuts, a loaf cake, and…

August 23, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Birthday

Blair’s First Birthday

March 1, 2023

We cannot believe Blair is now a toddler! It truly feels like yesterday we were just bringing him home from the hospital. Alas, here we are; newborn-less and two kids chasing each other around the house. Here’s a look at Blair’s First Birthday! It is so unlike me to not take photos. I was so busy setting up and then having fun, I forgot to capture our decorations in the…

March 1, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Christmas/ Dad Bakes Cookies/ Dessert

Christmas Cookies

December 21, 2022

Around Christmas every year, we’d have my Nana bring her box of handwritten recipes to our house and we’d bake all sorts of things for everyone in my family. Christmas cookies, fudgy bars, pies; if sugar was the first ingredient, we baked it. I had my parents over a few weekends ago to do the same. It brought back so many fun memories. I am happy to continue this tradition…

December 21, 2022 By Brian

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Christmas/ Dad Bakes Cookies/ Dessert/ DIY/ Gift Guides/ Side Dishes/ Valentine's Day

DIY Gift: Cookie Jar

December 21, 2022

A previous version of this post for DIY Cookie Jar was published in February 2013. We took new photos and adjusted the recipe. Valentine’s Day (and the week leading up to it) gives us a sweet excuse to make delicious treats. This DIY cookie jar is a perfect gift to hand out to your friends and loved ones. Although Fatima and I would love to hand out jars of MarquisRitas, we…

December 21, 2022 By Brian

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Christmas/ Dad Bakes Cookies/ Dessert

Peanut Butter Blossoms

December 12, 2022

A previous version of this post for Peanut Butter Blossoms was published in December 2012. We took new photos and adjusted the recipe. One of my favorite flavors, as you are well aware, is peanut butter. What better way to celebrate the holidays than to mix peanut butter and chocolate? These peanut butter blossoms are really easy to make *cue eye rolls* trust me, they are! Remember when I tried…

December 12, 2022 By Brian

#LoveSummer/ All Recipes/ Breakfast and Brunch/ Celebrations/ Christmas

Authentic French Toast

December 7, 2022

A previous version of this post for Authentic French Toast was published in May 2013. We updated the recipe with new photos. For Mother’s Day Fatima and I made a delicious breakfast for my mom. She only had a few requests for the menu, one of them being french toast. I love french toast. Rather than making the same egg mixture for her, I wanted to try something new. Enter Martha…

December 7, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ Christmas/ DIY/ Side Dishes

Chalkboard Ornament

December 5, 2022

A previous version of this post for DIY Chalkboard Ornament was published in December 2013. We took new photos and updated some of the written content. Here’s a thought, let’s make a chalkboard ornament! Take all that chalkboard paint you bought earlier this year and spray your ornaments. We got these ceramic ornaments from Michaels for about $1. Let them dry and write a message or draw a picture! This…

December 5, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ Christmas/ DIY/ Side Dishes

DIY Faux Gingerbread Houses

November 30, 2022

A few weeks ago, an Etsy ad jumped into my Pinterest feed pushing a faux gingerbread house to me. These weren’t just any old gingerbread houses. These were dollhouse-sized replicas of historical homes. They were gorgeous and way out of my price range. But they gave me an idea. Can I make these in real life? And then I saw a video of someone making faux gingerbread houses on Pinterest.…

November 30, 2022 By Brian

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Lunch and Dinner/ Thanksgiving/ Vegetarian

Thanksgiving Baked Ziti

November 20, 2022

What makes this a Thanksgiving baked ziti? I make ziti for Thanksgiving. With a handful of vegetarians in my family, I need to find other mains for the plate that aren’t just vegetables. So we get Thanksgiving baked ziti. What I love most about mid-to-late November is bringing my family together and cooking for them. I enjoy putting together a family dinner. I show you that I love you when…

November 20, 2022 By Fatima

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Lunch and Dinner/ Thanksgiving

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes: Cooking Through Cravings

November 16, 2022

I don’t make mashed potatoes often. I usually make them with a few select meals like parmesan chicken, Thanksgiving dinner, and as the star in these mashed potato bowls. When we bought Chrissy Teigen’s latest cookbook, these parmesan mashed potatoes were one of the first things we tried. We made these for the first time on Thanksgiving last year! Did we take these photos almost a year ago? Yes. This…

November 16, 2022 By Fatima

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Comfort Food/ Thanksgiving

Sheet Pan Cornbread

November 10, 2022

Brian bakes his cookies, and I bake cornbread. It is a staple side at our Thanksgiving. However, I don’t limit it to November. I bake cornbread all year. I make muffins and sheet pan cornbread. While I love making muffins, and those are easier for Liam to help make, I prefer a sheet. When I start my Thanksgiving shopping, four or six boxes of Jiffy mix are some of the…

November 10, 2022 By Fatima

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Thanksgiving/ Vegetarian

Spicy Honey Butter Glazed Carrots: Cooking Through Cravings

November 8, 2022

I had to introduce more vegetables to my Thanksgiving spread. We make brussel sprouts way too often, and I needed a vegetable that wasn’t spinach or kale. Carrots were my first thought, but they’re also our least favorite vegetable. So a flip through Cravings, led me to these spicy honey-butter glazed carrots. I did not make nearly as many carrots as the recipe. Like I said, cooked carrots are our least…

November 8, 2022 By Fatima

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Lunch and Dinner/ Thanksgiving/ Vegetarian

Collard Greens

November 4, 2022

A few years ago I decided to make collard greens for Thanksgiving. It had been a while since we had greens at our family dinner, and I had never made them before. For my first experience, it was quite the process. Now, I prep and cook those collard greens in no time. There was one year I looked at the Thanksgiving spread and thought, “There is nothing green here. Just…

November 4, 2022 By Fatima

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