'Twas the Site by Three Sisters - 2021

Christmas will be here tomorrow! AND that means, it's time for The Harris Sisters annual 2021 year-in-review in the form of a 'Twas the Night Before Christmas parody.

For new readers, this is a Harris Family tradition that dates back to the days of yore (back before computers, and blogs, and social media, and the interwebs). The original Harris Family Christmas parodies were created with good old fashioned pencil and paper while sitting at the kitchen bar on Christmas Eve night.

So, to keep this grand old tradition alive, we still bring these to you on Christmas Eve. (Just like Santy Claus - but you don't need to leave cookies out for us!)

We had lots of fun this year - and we always enjoy having a look back on just how much fun we had! We're so glad we got to virtually "meet" some of our new friends and keep up with our old ones. We hope that you enjoyed reading along with us! If you're only following us on one social platform or the other, remember you can connect with us here on the blog, on Facebook, on Pinterest, and on Instagram. 

'Twas the Site by Three Sisters - 2021

'Twas the site by three sisters, Twenty Twenty-One
And this year we’ve had ever so much fun;
In January, we taught you tips and tricks right away,
So that you could practice and learn how to crochet.

And then in March, we soon followed suit
with tips for planning a river siren photo shoot.
With your location and costumes, it'll come together in a flash,
Go down to the river; you'll make a big splash!

As Summer got started, we brought you a list
of fun activities for kiddos – with a twist . . .
What makes them so special? Well, we’ve outlined,
How to Create Your Own Summer Camp – so it’s one-of-a-kind!

As July rolled around, we said a big cheers,
To celebrate the Girls’ Weekend Anniversary – 10 years!
More rapid than eagles, these getaways we named,
And we traveled, and toured, and revisited again!

"Now, BOONE! now, PIGEON FORGE! now, LOUISVILLE and HELEN!
On, ASHEVILLE! On, HOT SPRINGS! ST. SIMONS and BRYSON!
From the hot tub to the porch (to the best antique malls),
The Harris Sisters really know The Best Southern Towns, ya’ll!

In September, of course, we needed to acknowledge,
Some fun gifts to send to your older kids at college.
With 100+ Care Package Ideas to pack,
Grab your boxes, containers, bins, parcels, and sacks!

And then in December, we planned to make merry,
With the menu and décor for a Retro Christmas Party,
In the wink of an eye, it’s easy to surround,
Yourself with mid-century nostalgia all-around. 

As the first of Two Thousand Twenty-Two draws near,
We wanted to tell you we appreciate you, Dears!
To all who have followed, shared, commented, and liked,
"HARRIS CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"

Merry Christmas from Deanna, Misty, and Donna!

Take a look at our previous year's Christmas Eve parodies.

Vegan Hoppin' John (Black-Eyed Peas and Rice)

I wanted to share with you a new recipe for our family's traditional black-eyed peas New Year's meal. It's a vegan recipe that's similar to Hoppin' John, and it was perfect for our family, which includes two vegetarians.

Rather than cooking the rice in the same pot with the black-eyed peas, we served the black-eyed peas over a bed of white rice. But, considering Hoppin' John is a recipe that originated in the Carolinas (just like The Harris Sisters!), Carolina Gold rice would be a great addition to this recipe too.

Vegan Hoppin' John (Black-Eyed Peas and Rice)

16 oz. bag dry black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke flavoring
cooked rice to serve

1. Wash the sorted dry beans. Place them into a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let them soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
2. Add olive oil and onion to a large pot and sauté until it begins to brown. Add the bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. 
3. Then add all ingredients except salt, Liquid Smoke, and cooked rice to the pot, along with enough additional water to cover the beans by one inch. 
4. Bring beans to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until beans are completely tender, about 1 1/2-2 hours, adding more water as needed. (Note: water should cook down into a thick sauce, but make sure that beans have enough water to cook in at all times.)
5. When they’re tender, add the Liquid Smoke and salt, cook for 15 more minutes.
6. Serve over cooked rice with a side of collard greens and cornbread to complete your vegetarian New Year's meal!

Notes:

If you prefer a spicier dish, you can either increase the amount of hot sauce and cayenne pepper in the recipe or serve with additional hot sauce.

If you prefer green bell peppers to red bell peppers, you can substitute them in this recipe.

If you want to avoid the "rush" of buying black-eyed peas right before the end of the year, put them on your grocery list for the same week you're buying ingredients to make Christmas goodies. While you're buying ingredients to make Christmas cookies, candies, fudge, etc., swing by the dried beans aisle and pick up a bag of black-eyed peas for your pantry. That way, you'll already have them for when you need them, and you won't have to hunt for them when supplies will be low a few weeks later.

Traditions & Superstitions: 

Hoppin' John is a Lowcountry dish that is served for New Year’s Day.  According to superstition, if you eat Hoppin' John on New Year’s Day, then you will have good luck for the coming year.

• black-eyed peas represent coins
• tomatoes represent health
• cornbread represents gold (this is traditionally served with alongside black-eyed peas on New Year's Day)
• collard greens represent green backs (dollars), or cash (this is traditionally served with alongside black-eyed peas on New Year's Day)
• Sometimes, the cook slips a coin into the dish before serving, or serves each dish with a coin underneath.

On the day after New Year's Day, leftover Hoppin' John is called Skippin' Jenny, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

The 12 Vintage Days of Christmas

As Christmas fast approaches, we thought we'd count off some of The Harris Sisters favorite vintage decorating items in the famous Christmas-carol style. Starting with 12 and counting down to 1, we'll show you some fun treasures that we've incorporated into our holiday decorating over the years. Not every item on the list is strictly a holiday item, but they all blend into Christmas decorating seamlessly.

12. Shiny Brite Ornaments

The Shiny Brite company produced their most popular ornaments in the United States in the 1940s through 1960s. These are the ornaments that The Harris Sisters remember putting on our tree when we were children. Now we collect these vintage ornaments! 

Vintage Shiny Brite ornaments are becoming increasingly difficult to find as collectors compete for them. Because they're breakable, many didn't survive until now, which makes the ones that did survive even more valuable.

Even though Shiny Brite might be the most familiar name in vintage ornaments, keep in mind that other manufacturers also made glass Christmas ornaments that are perfect for collecting too. If you collect a few at a time, you'll have enough to decorate a whole tree in no time!

Take a look at some of our prized possessions:

11. Milk Glass Pieces

While milk glass may not be the first thing you think of when Christmas decorating, it's certainly the perfect color to pair with the traditional red and green colors of the season. Whether you fill it with candles to cast a nighttime glow or with some of your more treasured ornaments, a vintage milk glass collection can provide some interesting holiday display opportunities. It's easy to build a collection of milk glass piece by piece. You can find pieces find at yard sales, flea markets, and antique malls.

If you'd like ideas for how to decorate your milk glass collection for Halloween and Thanksgiving, pop over to our Halloween Home Tour post for photos and ideas. And stop by our Vintage Easter and Spring Decor Ideas post to see ideas for how to decorate milk glass for Spring.

10. Punchbowl and Punch Cups 

The holidays are always a time of gathering together with family, and one heirloom piece that we bring out every holiday is a vintage Anchor Hocking Arlington punchbowl and punch cups. This is the same punchbowl set that we used growing up, and we still use it to this day. I've put this one at #10 specifically because by the time I inherited this punchbowl set, two of the punch cups had broken and there were only 10 left with the set. But we still brought it out on special occasions to use! 

Since then, I've replaced those two broken cups with matching cups that I found at our local thrift store (and added even a few more to the set to accommodate our BIG family). But, even if I hadn't been able to replace them, this serves as a good reminder to use your vintage items rather than saving them away. (I'm sure those original cups were broken at a family gathering while we were enjoying ourselves.) Make sure you try our Party Punch recipe to fill your punchbowl!

9. Santa Mugs

Vintage Santa mugs are some of the most sought-after Christmas collectibles these days. The Santa mugs date back to the 1940s. You can find them at thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales, yard sales, and even online at sites like eBay and Etsy. But, just like other items on this list, it's easy to acquire this collection slowly over time. Look for different varieties like left eye closed, right eye closed, both eyes closed, and both eyes opened. They also come in different sizes and by different makers. If you're just interested in the vintage "look" - many vintage-inspired options are available at different retailers.

8. Christmas Albums

This particular collection of Christmas albums are the ones that The Harris Sisters grew up listening to at Christmastime, so they carry a heavy dose of nostalgia along with them. They originally belonged to our Mama, and now I bring them out at Christmastime to infuse our house with the same sounds we enjoyed growing up. 

The graphics on the sleeves of vintage Christmas records are often kitschy and make great additions to your Christmas decor, even if you're not interested in the music on the albums themselves. If you'd like to start your own collection of Christmas vinyl, you can find them at thrift stores and used book stores around this time of year. Estate sales may have Christmas records mixed into record collections throughout the year. 

Make sure you bring your Christmas records out to enjoy and to introduce to the next generation. Nothing can compare to the sound of original artists on original vinyl.

7. Christmas Drinking Glasses

Vintage Christmas drinking glasses are a festive addition to your holiday barware. Mix some pretty Christmas cocktails and serve them up in these drinking glasses to add some vintage charm to your next party! 

Fun fact - beginning in the late 1940s, jelly companies like Welch's and peanut butter companies like Boscul and Big Top started to put pretty designs on their jars knowing they were later being reused in households as drinking glasses. (Some of you might remember drinking out of jelly jars when you were a child? We sure do!) These companies released promotional designs in the hopes that families would continue to buy more of the same design to "complete a set" of glasses, and some of those designs were Christmas patterns. Since these jars were made out of thicker glass, they have the best chance of surviving until now, so often those will be the ones you'll find. 

You can find full sets of Christmas drinking glasses on eBay or Etsy, or if you're interested in the thrill of the hunt and don't mind mixing and matching holiday patterns, you can often find singles or pairs at your local thrift store. Some glassware brands that you might want to keep your eyes peeled for are Anchor Hocking, Hazel Atlas, Indiana Glass, Libbey, and Luminarc. Happy hunting!

6. Christmas Tablecloths

Christmas tablecloths are a fun collection to build, and Harris Sister Deanna has started a collection of some of these beautiful linens. Because these items were holiday-specific and only brought out once-a-year, you've got a good chance of finding them still in good condition. 

Mid-century vintage Christmas tablecloths had many different designs. Designs included Santas, angels, bells, ornaments, candy canes, cookies, poinsettias, candles, florals, wreaths, Christmas trees, Christmas villages, carolers, sleighs, and holiday greetings. So you're sure to find a design that matches your favorite holiday theme!

5. Other Christmas Linens

If you're not quite ready to jump in the deep end and start a Christmas tablecloth collection, there are all sorts of smaller vintage Christmas linens that also have beautiful graphics. Just like Christmas tablecloths, other types of vintage Christmas linens were only brought out for the holidays, so it's easy to find them in excellent condition. These include linen cocktail napkins, handkerchiefs, table runners, dresser scarves, tea towels, and aprons.

If you're not sure that you would use them for their original intended purpose, here are a few decorating ideas for you: 

• Tuck napkins or handkerchiefs underneath other Christmas displays and let the vintage graphics peek out. 
• Line napkins or handkerchiefs up to create a one-of-a-kind table runner.
• Fold napkins or handkerchiefs and display them in a circle underneath a small tree to create a unique Christmas tree skirt.
• Drape napkins or handkerchiefs on the diagonal to create a mantel scarf or curtain valance.
• Display tea towels over cabinet doors on your dining room hutch.
• Drape a tea towel or an apron over the side of a big bowl and then fill it with vintage cookie cutters for a fun display.
• Hang aprons from your kitchen cabinet knobs.

4. Family Photo Ornaments

This one's an easy DIY project for you to do! Simply print out vintage photos of your loved ones and frame them in small frames for hanging on your Christmas tree. The ornaments shown here were the handiwork of Harris Sister Misty, and each of The Harris Sisters have these hanging on our Christmas trees. She took old photos of Mama and Daddy and "framed" them in cookie cutters to make unique ornaments that we enjoy every year.

3. Hometown Christmas Decor

Show your hometown pride! A few years ago, a gentleman on Facebook Marketplace was selling 3 unused coal bags from The Harris Sisters' hometown of Roxboro, NC. He'd had them in his family forever, and he just wanted to make sure that they went to a good home. I immediately snatched them up to use as Christmas decor, keeping one and gifting the other two to Harris Sisters Deanna and Misty. 

I don't know much about the specific age of these bags, but I was able to find a newspaper notice dated March 7, 1946 from the Roxboro Courier Times newspaper announcing the sale of the company and the new name City Ice & Fuel Co., which is printed on the bags. The seller had them in his possession for 52 years before selling them, and his dad owned them before that.

Of course, hometown Christmas decor will be a little different for everyone. Does your town host a holiday festival or light show with unique souvenirs? Or, if you happen to be from somewhere like Bethlehem, PA or Santa Claus, IN, you might have great luck finding Christmas items that others might not have a special connection to. 

2. Wooden Sleds

If you're looking for a big statement piece to add to your Christmas decor, look no further than your old wooden sled. If you don't happen to have your own sled from your childhood, it's easy to find one on Facebook Marketplace, especially around this time of year. (Harris Sister Misty is the proud owner of The Harris Sisters' original sled now.) Wooden sleds offer lots of decorating possibilities. Here are a few Christmas decorating ideas for your vintage wooden sled: 

• prop a sled up against a wall as-is (many sleds have graphics painted on them and you might not want other decorations to "compete" with those graphics)
• string it with lights
• hang a wreath, a Santa hat, ice skates, mittens, or stockings from it 
• use it as a base for a Christmas tree
• lay it out flat and stack wrapped presents or vintage toys on it

1. Costume Jewelry Tree

Here's another craft project idea for you. If you've got lots of heirloom costume jewelry pieces or Christmas brooches and you're not quite sure what to do with them, you can craft them into a costume jewelry tree like Harris Sister Deanna did. You'll have a beautiful tree that is unlike any other and you'll be able to see your family's jewelry pieces beautifully on display. If this sounds like a project you'd love to complete, we have the full step-by-step DIY tutorial for you to follow so that you can create one of your very own.

There's something about the holiday season that makes us feel nostalgic. When we decorate with vintage Christmas decorations, it can remind us of our childhood. If you're lucky enough to have the original heirloom items passed down through generations of your family, make sure to incorporate those into your decorating. Or recreate those memories by shopping thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales, yard sales, and flea markets for vintage Christmas decor pieces that will bring the nostalgia back to the holiday season.

Hope we've given you some good ideas for how to incorporate vintage pieces into your Christmas decorations!

How to Plan a Retro 1950s Christmas Party

The Harris Sisters are gearing up for the holidays, and we wanted to bring you an idea for a Vintage/Retro Themed Christmas Party. We know that lots of families may have not had the opportunity to see each other last year, so why not go all out this Christmas and host a themed 1950s cocktail party? We have all the details to make your vintage-themed Christmas party a success!

Have Yourself a Retro Little Christmas

Start with an invitation that matches your retro 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'd like for guests to come dressed from the era, add "vintage attire requested" to the invitations. (That will add to the fun of the party!)

What to Wear to a Vintage 1950s Christmas Party

For women, the main part of your party attire will be a vintage 1950s dress. There were two silhouettes of cocktail dress that were popular in the 1950s: a slimmer dress that was a bit longer and a full-skirted dress that was worn with a crinoline petticoat underneath.

If you really want to go all out, you can wear matching 1950s accessories like gloves, pumps, and jewelry. If you have access to vintage Christmas brooches or Christmas corsages, these would make the perfect accessory for your outfit.

For men, you can wear a suit and tie (or a jacket and tie with dress pants). If you'd like to accessorize, you can't go wrong with a fedora and suspenders.

How to Decorate for a Mid-Century Christmas Party

Part of the fun of this party will be decorating with real vintage Christmas items. If you already collect vintage Christmas decorations, now's the time to bring them out to help set the scene. (These items are available on eBay and Etsy if you'd like to purchase the real deal.) Mid-century Christmas decorations that would be perfect for decorating for a 1950s Christmas party:

• Vintage Aluminum Christmas Tree
• Shiny Brite Ornaments
• Tissue Paper Honeycomb Christmas Decorations (fans, bells, trees, etc.)
• Vintage Tablecloths
• Blowmolds
• Plastic Inflatable Christmas Figures (Santa, Reindeer, etc.)
• Vintage Christmas Wreaths

If you don't have access to a vintage aluminum tree, try decorating your Christmas tree with these items to give it a vintage look:

• Tinsel or Tinsel Garland
• Bubble Lights or Other Large Colorful Bulb Lights
• Lights with Reflectors
• Popcorn or Cranberry Garland
• Star or Angel Topper

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

If you have a record player and Christmas albums from this era, now is the time to bring them out! However, the next best thing is to make a playlist with some classic Christmas songs for the party. Here are 10 Christmas Songs from the era to get your party playlist started:

1. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
2. Here Comes Santa Claus - Gene Autry
3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
4. Frosty the Snowman - Jimmy Durante
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
6. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Alvin and the Chipmunks
7. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
8. Santa Claus Is Back in Town - Elvis Presley
9. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Dean Martin
10. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong

Encourage your guests to dance in the style of the era too. Some popular party dances from the 1950s were:

• The Twist
• The Stroll
• The Jitterbug
• The Bunny Hop

1950s Cocktail Party Menu

Since this is a cocktail party, an important menu item will be the cocktails. Popular drinks from the 1950s include martinis, daiquiris, old-fashioneds, mint juleps, highballs, whisky sours, champagne cocktails, and punch.

Most cocktail party menus in the 1950s included platters of bite-sized appetizers and desserts. Here's the retro menu we used for our 1950s Christmas Cocktail Party:

• Shrimp Cocktail
• Pigs in a Blanket
• Cucumber Finger Sandwiches
• Crudité Platter: Dill Pickles, Cherry Tomatoes & Olives
• Cheeseball & Crackers
• Chips & Dip
• Decorated Christmas Cookies
• 7-Up Pound Cake
• Cherry Christmas Punch

Other 1950s-era appropriate menu items include:

• Jello Mold
• Deviled Eggs
• Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Swedish Meatballs
• Fondue
• Chex Mix
• Ribbon Candy
• Old-Fashioned Hard Candy
• Fruitcake
• Rum Balls
• Champagne Punch
• Eggnog
• Soda in Glass Bottles

I hope we've inspired you to plan your own 1950s-themed Christmas party. The Harris Sisters send you warmest holiday wishes and hopes for a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

This post contains affiliate links.

The Best Lip Products for Dry, Chapped Lips

Fall is one of my absolute favorite seasons. But as the leaves start to change colors and the temperatures start to drop, every year - without fail - my lips start to dry out and get chapped. I am always on the hunt for the best lip products for dry, chapped lips. 

Also, wearing masks seems to have made the situation worse for me as far as I can tell. Last fall brought with it the worst chapped lips I've seen in a very long time, so I kicked my quest for the perfect lip product into high gear. I was determined to have better results this fall season! So, since I have been searching to find the best solution to prevent chapped lips, I thought I would share the products that have worked for me.

This is a review of my tried-and-true recommendations for those with dry, chapped lips. I did my best to include as many different price points as I could. All of these products have worked wonders for me, but not everyone will have the same results. I hope you will find this post helpful!

Best Recovery Lip Balm for Severely Chapped Lips

I'm starting with the big guns. If you have severely chapped lips that need repair and healing, this is is the lip balm I would start with. Lanolips Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm is a super-thick lip balm that penetrates your dry, cracked lips and seals in moisture. Made from humanely sourced, ultra medical grade lanolin, this cruelty-free lip balm gives the absolute best hydration for extremely dry and chapped lips. 

In addition to the traditional Lanolips 101, it also comes in flavor options such as strawberry, peach, green apple, and lemonaid, as well as tinted options like rose gold, bronze gold, and rhubarb. If you're looking for a tinted lip balm, this might be the best option for you.

Best Everyday Lip Balm

This lip product was at the top of my list to try simply because it's been around for decades and the formula has not changed. I wanted to find out if it lived up to all the hype - and boy did it ever! 

For severely chapped lips, Vermont's Original Bag Balm makes a great everyday lip balm because it contains ingredients like petrolatum and lanolin to lock in moisture. The Bag Balm formula has remained the same since 1988 (with only 4 ingredients and no added fragrances, colors, alcohol, parabens, or phthalates). Because this is the original, cruelty-free Bag Balm formula (only in a convenient lip balm sized tube), you can use it on any part of your body that is dry, chapped, or cracked.

If you don't need the lip balm sized tube for on-the-go use, you can order the larger sized Bag Balm in the tin. The ingredients are the same.

Best Lip Balm with SPF

Stick with me on this one - it's actually from a men's skin care line. But as far as I'm concerned, if a product works, it works. And since there's nothing inherently "male" about this (or any) lip balm, it can really work for anyone. 

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm offers SPF 25 sun protection; skin conditioners like beeswax, shea butter, and lanolin; and antioxidants that soothe and relieve dry, chapped, irritated lips. This cruelty-free lip balm also comes in flavor options such as natural mint, black tea & blackberry, grapefruit & ginger, mango & mandarin, lavender, and pineapple mint. If UVA and UVB sun protection are at the top of your list for skin care products like lip balms, then this is the right product for you! 

Best Nighttime Lip Balm

The name of this product says it all: My Favorite Night Balm. It truly is my favorite. And if you're a daytime lipstick wearer, then this product is definitely one I'd recommend for you because it works all its magic at night. Can't get any better than that!

This deep moisturizing lip balm helps repair seriously dry lips while you sleep with ingredients such as shea butter and lanolin. Apply this 8-hour recovery balm liberally before bed to hydrate your lips overnight. Developed by C.O. Bigelow, the oldest apothecary in America, it's available at their flagship store in Greenwich Village in New York City, at their online store, or at other online retailers like Bath & Body Works or Amazon. 

This is actually the only product to make my list that I've been using for YEARS. I went back to the drawing board on all of my daytime lip balm products, but I couldn't find anything to hold a candle to this nighttime lip balm. It's the OG of night balms in my book!

BONUS - Best Lip Scrub

As an added bonus, I thought I'd share another favorite lip product: Eco Lips Lip Sugar Scrub. Use this to exfoliate your lips once a week to help prevent them from getting chapped in the first place. It instantly reveals softer, smoother lips after just one use (and another bonus: it tastes good too). 

Use it at night to exfoliate dry, rough lips with sugar while conditioning them with coconut oil to get them smooth and ready to apply your nighttime lip balm. Pure and 100% gluten-free and organic, this lip scrub is made in the USA, is Fair Trade Certified, is cruelty-free, and is earth-friendly. It's available in your choice of brown sugar, mint, vanilla bean, or mint truffle flavors. Pair one of these flavored lip scrubs with an exfoliating lip brush and you're in business!

Useful Stocking Stuffer Ideas

When they say that the best things come in small packages, in this case, it's absolutely true. Don't forget that these must-have lip balms and scrubs are small enough to easily fit into a stocking, so they make great Christmas gift ideas too! They're all under $20 and some are below $10 (with discounts for buying multipacks). So it's easy to buy for everyone on your list. Fill everyone's stockings this year with something they'll love (and actually use). 

This post contains affiliate links.

Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread

This Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe is inspired by the savory pastry from Brazil, pão de queijo. With main ingredients like extra-sharp cheddar and Pecorino Romano cheeses, it's made to be enjoyed warm as a snack, an appetizer, or with your favorite meal. 

These rolls have crunchy outsides, chewy insides, and a yummy, cheesy flavor. Because you combine the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth, it's an easy recipe to make. (And one your kids will enjoy helping with!)

As an added bonus, it's also a gluten-free recipe because it uses tapioca flour.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

1 cup whole milk

1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

2 cups tapioca flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Add milk, cheeses, oil, eggs, salt, and tapioca flour to blender, making sure to add tapioca flour last. Process on high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides of blender. Replace lid and process on high speed until smooth, about another 30 seconds.
4. Pour batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full
5. Bake in oven until rolls are golden brown and puffed, 25-30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let rolls cool on cooling rack in muffin tin for 5 minutes.
7. Run butter knife around edges of rolls to loosen from muffin tin and transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm.

Notes:

You can change the types of cheeses in this bread if you'd like to change the flavor, but there isn't really a good substitute for the tapioca flour. Tapioca flour provides the crispy crust and chewy texture of the Brazilian cheese bread, which is what makes it unique. This is the reason there isn't a good substitute.

The BEST Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

These cookies have been a favorite in our family for years, and if you're a fan of chocolate, I think you'll love them too! What sets them apart from other cookies is their fudgy texture.

If you're looking for a new recipe to add to your holiday baking rotation, then look no further. This one is sure to please adults and kids alike (and is sure to be a standout at your next Christmas cookie exchange)!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

28 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, divided

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Place 16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips in heatproof bowl. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir. Repeat until melted and smooth.
3. Beat eggs and vanilla together lightly. Sprinkle with coffee powder to dissolve. Set aside.
4. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds. Mixture will look granular. 
5. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add chocolate in steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. 
6. With mixer at low speed, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat. 
7. Mix in remaining 12 oz. of chocolate chips with a spoon until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until mixture is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes.
8. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
9. Leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each ball, scoop dough onto lined cookie sheets with 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop.
10. Bake until edges of cookies have just begun to set but centers are soft, about 10 minutes. 
11. Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes:

This recipe makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies. You can make a lot of cookies in one batch and they're unique, so they're also a great choice for if you're baking for charity. We've donated these cookies before as part of Aidyn's service organization's volunteer hours.

The balls of raw cookie dough should be about the size of a golf ball. If you make the cookie dough smaller, the cookies won't turn out as chewy. I use the OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop in size medium, which is the equivalent of the 1-1/2 Tbsp. size needed for this recipe.

The cookies may appear under baked at first, but they will firm up as they cool. Baking them longer will also affect their fudgy texture.

If you're a fan of flavored baking chips (sometimes sold around the holidays), they might be nice to substitute for the 12 oz. of chocolate chips that you add in step 7. For years, we made this recipe with raspberry flavored baking chips when they were readily available. But it might also be fun to substitute caramel, cherry, mint, or peanut butter, according to your specific tastes. Another fun addition around Halloween or fall-time might be to substitute Reese's Pieces in this step.

Because the recipe makes so many cookies, you could also divide the dough before adding the baking chips in step 7. That would allow you to make a half-batch of triple chocolate cookies and a half-batch of double chocolate cookies with your choice of flavored chips.

Make sure to check out these other favorite Harris Sisters holiday cookie recipes:

• Holiday M&M Cookie Bars
• No Bake Choc Oat Cookies
• White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps
• Betty Crocker's Old-Fashioned Thumbprint Cookies
• Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

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Broadway's Back: Our Broadway Musical Themed Group Halloween Costume

We are super-excited to be bringing back the Walkush family costumes in full force this year. And this year, we've chosen to celebrate Broadway's BIG return. (Fun Fact: This family LOVES a musical!)

Broadway's Back Group Halloween Costumes

Broadway closed its curtains in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as of September  2021, has slowly reopened. We thought this would not only make a perfect group Halloween costume but also be the perfect way to celebrate the long-awaited return to stage!

Can you spot the characters and the shows we represent? Some are a little more difficult than others!

Moulin Rouge

Les Miserables

Annie

Hamilton

Here's a closer look at all of the costumes:

Welcome to the Moulin Rouge

Jaxon is Harold Zidler, ringmaster of the Moulin Rouge. Jaxon was VERY interested in this costume chiefly because it included a bowtie, and Jaxon loves to wear bowties! This might have been the easiest costume this year. I used some advice on How to Save Money on Halloween Costumes by repurposing an old costume of mine from a circus-themed family photoshoot. The pieces that we repurposed were the jacket, hat, bowtie, and cane. Jaxon already had the white dress shirt, black dress pants, and black vest. So we didn't have to purchase anything for this costume and he loved it. (Turns out he loved that cane too!)

Who am I? 24601!

Aidyn chose Jean Valjean from Les Miserables. Although this is not a literal interpretation of the costume, which would have been a prisoner costume from early 19th-century France, I was happy to oblige my teenage son, who specifically requested a standard "prisoner" costume and mugshot sign. I am just happy that he still wants to dress up for Halloween! We also repurposed another costume from our Police Officer costumes for our German Shepherd Chance so that he could also be a fellow prisoner with Aidyn.

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

I was the title character from Annie. This was another easy costume this year. Other than the purchase of a red wig and lacy socks, I only needed to pull the dress, heart locket, and black patent leather flats out of my costume closet to complete this look. (I got the dress for my costume closet from a clothing swap party and have just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to dress as Annie!) Our pup Smitty got to play Annie's dog Sandy for the evening, which meant that he got to go without any costume other than his usual fluffy cuteness. He was so happy about that!

While we were taking photos, we realized that Aidyn's costume and my costume put together, made for a Smooth Criminal reference: Annie are you OK? . . .  You've been hit by a smooth criminal (We are cornballs, but this is not brand new information . . .)

I Am Not Throwing Away My Shot

Ryan was Alexander Hamilton from Hamilton. This costume was one that we purchased, and it was fantastic quality for a Halloween costume. It included a one-piece jacket (with an attached vest), a cravat, and pants. We paired it with Ryan's costume boots.

And here's a look at the whole cast. Coming soon to a stage near you!

Happy Halloween from the Walkush family!