Roasted Corn Orzo Pasta Salad

As picnic and BBQ season rolls around, I always like to post a new side dish for you guys to try. This one is an easy one to put together and as a bonus, you might have some of the ingredients already growing in your garden (I did). This recipe makes a big batch so that you can feed a large crowd or you can take half to a cookout and keep half at home.

Roasted Corn Orzo Pasta Salad

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fresh cooked corn

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb orzo pasta

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 bunches green onions, sliced

5 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tsp pepper (or to taste)

1. Cook orzo according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside to cool.
2. While pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to a large 5 quart sauté pan. Add garlic and sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
3. Add corn, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper and sauté 8 more minutes. Add pasta to corn and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. While corn is cooling, chop cherry tomatoes, basil, and green onions.
5. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.
6. When corn and pasta mixture has cooled, add tomatoes, basil, and green onions and stir to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
7. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Make sure to check out these other favorite Harris Sisters side dishes for your next summer cookout:

• Southwest Pasta Salad
• Rainbow Couscous Salad
• Southern Potato Salad
• Simple Greek Pasta Salad

How to Make Vintage Christmas Pipe Cleaner Cone Dolls

Dolls and crafts made from pipe cleaners have been around for a very long time. Last year, I came across a tutorial from Pyrex Girl on TikTok showing how to make vintage-style pipe cleaner (chenille stem) dolls for Christmas and I set about to make three of them.

I kept one for myself and gave the other two to Harris Sisters Deanna and Misty.

These were fun crafts to make and if you're the crafty sort, you can to make them too! They blend in seamlessly with other vintage Christmas decor.

The directions written below are step-by-step guidelines to follow to create these dolls, but if you are a visual learner, I would encourage you to watch the Pyrex Girl tutorial.

Supplies You'll Need to Make Vintage Christmas Chenille Stem Dolls

Pipe Cleaners or Chenille Stems in Colors of Choice

Scissors or Wire Cutters

Hot Glue and Glue Gun

Cardboard/Paper Cone in Desired Height

Doll Head

Other Decorative Items like Pom-Poms, Sequins, Beads, etc. (optional)

1. Fold each chenille stem in half and cut with scissors or wire cutters.
2. Fold each half chenille stem piece in half and cut with scissors or wire cutters. (Each chenille stem should produce 4 chenille stem pieces.)
3. Fold the four chenille stem pieces in half and set aside.
4. Repeat the first three steps until you have a supply of folded chenille stem pieces, then hot glue each folded piece in a row at the bottom of the cardboard cone, so that the u-shape overhangs the bottom by about half. Repeat gluing each folded piece until the row is complete. (Note: For each row, you will be gluing the open end and the bent, U-shaped end will always be toward the bottom.)
5. Next, glue the next row so that the u-shape of that row overlaps the previously glued row by about half.
6. Continue gluing rows until you get to the top of the cone.
7. When finished gluing all rows, turn up all chenille pieces so that all U-shaped pieces stick out 90 degrees and form an L-shape when the cone is sitting on a flat surface.
8. If necessary or desired, wrap the doll head with a chenille stem to create a hat or ear muffs. Use glue to secure. 
9. Glue the doll head to the top of the cone.
10. Create arms by twisting chenille stems together and a wrapping them around the neck area. Glue if necessary to secure.
11. Cover the area where the doll head meets the cone with another chenille stem and glue. Use your own design skills here to create a scarf, a flower, or whatever you think looks best!
12. If desired, decorate the doll with additional craft items like pom-poms, sequins, beads, etc.
13. Don't forget to sign and date the doll inside the cone.

Notes:

The number of chenille stems you'll need will depend on the height of your cone. The three dolls you see here use a cone approximately 11 inches tall at their base. Premade paper cones come in standard sizes.

The doll heads I used came from Target elf ornaments. The heads on these ornaments were plastic and the bodies and elf hats were fabric. It was easy to remove the fabric body and elf hat from the plastic head. Other options for doll heads include: 

• Repurpose an Elf on the Shelf (sometimes these will show up at thrift stores)
• Other elf ornaments
• If you want more realistic faces, consider Barbie dolls (these are also found at thrift stores)
• If you plan on making a large amount of these or want to share with friends doing the same craft, you can get a set of 12 elf heads for crafting
• If you have any artistic abilities, you can paint a face on a large wooden bead and use that for the head

Make sure to check out Pyrex Girl on Instagram and Tik Tok for other inspiration photos of the pipe cleaner dolls she's made!

 

Other Vintage Christmas Crafts You Might Be Interested In:

• How to Make a Christmas Wreath with Vintage Christmas Decorations
• How to Update and Repurpose an Old Christmas Wreath
• Christmas Granny Square Afghan
• Handmade Christmas Ornaments

How to Plan a Christmas Ball

As The Harris Sisters prepare for the holiday season, we wanted to bring you (yet another) idea for a themed Christmas party. Over the past few years, we've brought you a few different ideas for Christmas parties: 

• Vintage 1950's Theme Christmas Party
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Theme Christmas Party
• Christmas in Carolina Theme Christmas Party

This year's theme is A Christmas Ball!

Now, I know what you're thinking . . . isn't this a little fancy schmancy? 

Never fear! The Harris Sisters' Christmas Ball is a play on words! And we've got all the details covered below so that you can host your very own "Christmas Ball" yourself! (Easy peasy!)

We're Having a Ball This Christmas - Won't You Join Us?

Start with an invitation that matches your Christmas Ball theme. Because people's calendars tend to fill up around the holidays, make sure to send your invitations well in advance of your party date. If you want go all out and have your guests to dress a certain way (fancy Regency-era dress a-la Bridgerton-style?) - make sure to add that to your invitations. If you'd like them to bring a round (ball-shaped food) to add to your party menu, add that to your invitations too! Check out these invitations we found for the Have a Ball Christmas theme:

Bridgerton-Style Have a Ball This Christmas Party Invitation

A Christmas Ball Party Menu

You'll have lots of fun planning a menu for this party (because this is where the pun comes into play). For our Christmas Ball, we chose to serve appetizers and desserts that were round or ball-shaped food. Make sure to tell guests the theme of the party and ask them to sign up for ball shaped food item to build your menu. 

Peanut Butter Balls and Orange Balls

Here's the menu we used for our Christmas Ball Party with links to recipes:

• Sausage Balls
• Crockpot BBQ Sriracha Meatballs
• Caprese Skewers
• Macaroni and Cheese Bites
• Cheeseball and Crackers
• Cheezballs
• Orange Balls
• Peanut Butter Balls
• Russian Tea Cakes
• Oreo Truffles
• Chocolate Cherries (read The Harris Sisters story about this Christmas Tradition)
• Ferrero Rocher Candies

Sausage Balls and Crockpot BBQ Sriracha Meatballs

How to Decorate for a Christmas Ball Party

Since the round food items were the main "ingredient" of this theme party, we chose very simple decorations. Fill a few large glass containers with vintage glass ornaments, use them to decorate your table, and you're all set.

What Music to Play at My Christmas Ball

Before your Christmas Ball is in full swing, make sure you download some of your favorite Christmas music to play at your party. (You'll be Rockin' a-ROUND the Christmas tree in no time!) 

• Pop Music Christmas Playlist
• Country Christmas Music Playlist

If you're still stumped for what to play, Headin' for the Christmas Ball (available on CD or Vinyl) has a great assortment of swing and R&B Christmas classics that can't be beat, and the name alone is perfect for the theme this year.

I hope we've inspired you to plan your own party with a new and fun theme this year.

The Harris Sisters (and our BIG family) send you warmest holiday wishes and hopes for a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!