Ok… let’s talk about this casserole. I know, I know, you’re either a casserole person or you’re not. Growing up in the south, casseroles were way overdone. Way! This delicious Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice just so happens to be cooked in a casserole dish! Trust me, don’t skip it. It’s put together by the fabulous Half Baked Harvest and is a modern take on a classic. I suppose there’s not much about it that makes it “fall”, it just feels cozy to me, so I included it.

If you’re needing a fall-inspired side dish, these Roasted Carrots with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese by Inspired by Charm are so bomb! My husband does not care for cooked carrots ever, but I’ve taken them to friend’s homes several times and they’re always a hit! They not only look beautiful (especially if you can find rainbow carrots), but they’re super flavorful.

Lastly, I’m including a new recipe I pinned to try this fall. This Autumn Wild Rice Soup by Gimme Some Oven looks absolutely divine. Let me know how you like it if you get a chance to try it before I do!

If you’re looking for a great dessert or cocktail to pair with one of these delicious meal ideas, checkout our favorite fall drinks and desserts too! Let me know if you try any of these this fall. Leave a comment so I can see how you like them. Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

We always have our fair share of King Cake (we even made our own one year!) and try to make it to the Children’s Parade here in our hometown. I have only a few decor items that I consistently put out each year, and it’s because they’re special to me.

Mardi Gras decor can get a little tacky, honestly. If you’re decorating for a ball or a big party, you should totally go all out! But if you’re wanting to leave a few things out around the house for the season, I have some tips for doing that seamlessly.

1. Vintage Mardi Gras touches.

Vintage “anything” is going to immediately elevate your decor, so the same is true for vintage Mardi Gras pieces. Vintage figurines can be a great way to incorporate the colors and “feel” of the season.

Additionally, vintage Mardi Gras items tend to have more muted colors and less glitz and glitter. This type of decor blends beautifully with most neutral home color palettes.

2. Masks. Real masks.

You already know I’m not talking about the plastic masks you can get anywhere, I’m referring to the real-deal masks. You can buy them anywhere in Nola, or order them online directly from local artisans. These beauties are truly art, and will certainly give you the feeling of Mardi Gras!

3. Subtle purple, green and gold tones.

Bringing in the colors of the Mardi Gras season need to be done subtly, but intentionally. I love the idea of color blocked book stacks to achieve this look! I think Mardi Gras is fun and playful enough that an idea like this just might be perfection! Here are a few colored book stacks available for purchase on Pinterest. A quick search turned up these and a lot more!

4. Mardi Gras beads as a focal point.

I realize using Mardi Gras beads as decor is a no-brainer, but hear me out. Choosing the right beads is important. I’m always careful to only use the traditional purple, green and gold colors; and I’m choosy about the beads themselves. I like to pick out the biggest, and most special ones to display. These are perfect in a large vase, draped over a jug or tray, or filling a decorative bowl. Beads are a great way to add a small pop of Mardi Gras to any room!

5. Traditional Mardi Gras art.

Art is relative, and I use the term loosely. There’s no shortage of New Orleans art on the market, so this should be an easy one to incorporate. You can easily find traditional street scenes of New Orleans, beautiful abstract pieces that reflect the revelry, vintage posters, or some type of mixed media that is created by an artist on the streets of New Orleans. What you choose for your walls fully depends on the style of your home and what you’re naturally drawn to.

When thinking about any or all of these ideas, keep in mind the style and functionality of your home. Choose items that make sense for you and that you LOVE. Decorating just to decorate isn’t what we’re going for. I want you to find joy in each and every piece of your home, even during Mardi Gras season! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I hope these tips were helpful and encourage you to incorporate a new item or two into your Mardi Gras home decor this year.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Making a king cake from scratch shouldn’t intimidate you, it’s much easier than you may think! It’s basically a giant cinnamon roll dressed up for Mardi Gras!

Here’s my recipe, have fun with it, it won’t be perfect and may not look neat, but it’ll taste delicious, I promise!

Dough:

• 1 (8oz) container sour cream
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (¼ oz) envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 C warm water (100° to 110°F)
• 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
• 3 to 3 1/2 C bread flour

Cinnamon/Sugar Filling:

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 TBSP ground cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 C powdered sugar
• 1 TBSP butter or cream cheese, softened
• 1 TBSP milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• Purple, green and gold sprinkles

1. For the dough, add the sour cream, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat & cool down the mixture to 100° to 110°F
2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together yeast and 1/4 cup warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes. The yeast should become foamy and be ‘activated’ after that time.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs and 1 cup of flour. Give a quick stir with a spatula and then turn the mixer on medium speed. As the ingredients start to come together, reduce speed to low, and gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
4. Once the dough forms, lower the speed setting and allow the dough to knead until smooth and elastic (this can take up to 10 minutes).
5. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a linen cloth or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (85° is ideal) for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
6. While dough is proofing, make the cinnamon/sugar filling. Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.
7. After the dough is finished proofing, divide the dough in half.
8. Roll each portion into a long rectangle using a rolling pin. Spread 1/2 the cinnamon/sugar butter evenly on each rectangle.
9. Fold each dough rectangle in half long ways, and add the remaining cinnamon/sugar butter.
10. Roll the dough rectangles up long ways.
11. Place the dough rolls parallel to one another, pinch the tops together, and twist the dough rolls over each other to give a braided look. Bring the other ends around together to form a ring, ensuring to make a good seal at the seam.
12. Cover and let rise in a warm place again, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
13. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
14. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden.
15. If the outside is golden, but the inside is still gooey, lightly cover with foil and bake in 5 minute intervals, checking carefully in between until cooked through.
16. After the cake is done baking, allow to cool most of the way.
17. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the glaze ingredients until smooth & creamy.
18. Pour glaze evenly over warm cake; sprinkle with colored sugars, and alternate colors.
19. Let cool completely & serve.

Check out the Instagram reel here:

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Check out my Instagram Reel here. Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Honestly, this punch could be made for almost any holiday using other color sherbet and changing out a few things on the skewer! Imagine how cute strawberry sherbet and gummy hearts would be for V-Day!

Anyway, let’s get to the recipe. Lime sherbet, ginger ale and green food coloring is all you need for the punch. For the skewer I used gummy worms, Swedish Fish, and sour tape. It all came together in minutes and was so easy!

This weekend I’ll let the kids make their own skewer and and have a little fun with it. I know they’ll think it’s delish too!

For a bright green punch, add 5 drops of green food coloring (on top of sherbet, before adding ginger ale), and for an adult cocktail, add 1-2 shots of lime vodka to your glass.

I hope you enjoy this Halloween Monster punch with your family and friends. Let me know if you try it!

Check out the Instagram Reel to see it come together!

Thanks for stopping by and happy Halloween, Jamie xo

You’ll need:

Assorted Sprinkles

Ice cream sandwiches

Pour sprinkles out on a flat surface (plate or pan). Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and press ice cream onto sprinkles covering all 4 sides. Lay flat and store in freezer until ready to serve! Enjoy!

See how simple it is in the video below!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Download your FREE Party Planner

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Ice

Cranberry Strawberry Juice Cocktail

Unsweetened coconut milk

Freeze dried strawberries

Sweet Cream coffee creamer (optional)

Fill your glass half full with ice, cover ice with juice. Add a few freeze dried strawberries. Pour in coconut milk to fill glass. Leave an inch on top for creamer if you like. (Froth creamer for extra creaminess!)

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Last weekend, this happened to us. Getting my family of five out the door in a timely manner is virtually impossible some days. It seems like the later we are, the slower my people move! I’m sure some of y’all can relate!

Anyway, I needed a creative idea, and I needed it quickly! I remembered something I had seen on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot!

I had cubed cheese and grapes, plus some leftover herb garnishes from another project.

I arranged the grapes and cheese in a tree shape, and boom! An inexpensive, creative, holiday dish!

A few tips:

• Cut your grapes in clusters of 3-5 to make it easy for guests to grab & go.
• Use various colors of grapes and/or cheese to create a great look.
• Rosemary & Thyme make beautiful garnishes, especially at the holidays.
• Buy a new tray or board and gift it to the host/hostess of the party!

These are some of my favorite boards from Amazon!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Like any small business, Bloom Creative Co. earns money when you shop here. Your price is never affected. Thanks for the support.

Jamie

charcuterie [SHärˈko͞odərē] NOUN 1. cold cooked meats collectively.

Without getting too “elementary teacher”, let me explain. The word ‘charcuterie’ refers to a collection of cold cooked meats. A ‘charcuterie board’, used correctly, indicates these meats are being served on a board. That’s it. Just cold meat. When you gussy up the board or platter with cheese, breads, nuts, fruits and whatever else, it just gets that much better!

If you’ve been a Bloom subscriber for any length of time you know I keep things simple! This board is no different. I’ll show you how I create one and hopefully it’ll inspire you to try one at home!

1. Shopping!

I recommend choosing things in threes. Three meats, three cheeses, three breads, three fruits and three “others”. For me, I usually always add nuts, chocolate and/or something candied. I also like to add a ramekin or two with olives, or a jam/spread of some kind. When you’re building your snack board, imagine yourself eating and sampling from it. The bread serves as your base, the meats and cheeses are layers and then the spread/olives/jam are unexpectedly delicious toppers. The nuts, fruits and chocolates are easy to grab and snack on from the board as well.

If I don’t like it, it doesn’t make the board. I never put things on a snack board “just because”. Come to think of it, I rarely do anything “just because”. I believe everything has purpose. Even something as seemingly as insignificant as a snack board. When I create something, it is always a reflection of me. I challenge you to adopt that idea for yourself. Don’t create a snack board you “think” your guests will like. Create what you like, and then share it with whoever else happens to be there!

2. Preparing the board

There are so many directions you can go when choosing a surface on which to build your snack board. I use our large teak cutting board most often, but I’ve also used glass platters, trays, cake stands and cookie sheets. I also love the idea of presenting a snack board to a hostess of a party with the intention of gifting the tray that the snacks are on! It’s extremely simple, yet very thoughtful! Plus, you can snag a board or tray for less than $20 at Home Goods or Hobby Lobby.

Start with a clean, dry surface. I like to use a few pieces of Romaine type lettuce or kale. Today I’m using red chard. It happened to be on sale and I love the deep red color. It’s perfect for fall!

3. Strategically add the snacks

When it’s time to start building onto the board, I fill the ramekins first and place them very randomly on the board. I can always rearrange them later. Today I have Bleu Cheese stuffed olives and pimento cheese spread.

I then add a few pieces of lettuce, also randomly. I use this under meats and cheese. Don’t be particular here, everything will get shifted around as you build.

Next, I start with the items taking up the most space. I’m adding, toast rounds, grapes and then the other two cracker types. When I’m picking crackers, I always choose various shapes and sizes, it adds more interest to the board.

After that, I add the cheeses. Even though you’ll be slicing it, cheese usually lays pretty flat on the board, so it’s a good base. Today I found a cheese flight at Kroger! It was much cheaper to buy it this way, plus I know these will compliment each other well. When slicing cheese, let it lay where it falls naturally sliced. This gives the most organic look once you place it on the board. If you have two cheeses that are similar in color, be sure to put them on opposite sides of the board to create a balanced look.

Once the cheese is added, it’s time to add the meat, the actual charcuterie! When adding meat, I roll/fold it. It’s a loose roll. I’m using prosciutto, Black Forest ham and salami. When you are slicing and rolling meats and cheeses for a board like this, keep in mind, you want it to be ready to go on a cracker or small toast. It needs to be convenient for your guests as well as appealing.

When adding meats like salami or pepperoni, don’t just take them out of the package and lay them on the board. The slices tend to stick to each other and don’t come off easily for your guests. Also they look nicer when you loosen them up a bit.

Time to add the finishing touches! I find little spaces to place small handfuls of pecans and dried mango (apricot would’ve probably been more appropriate this time of year, but I don’t like it… so mango it is)! As you probably noticed, I rearranged the grapes a bit to create a small space just for my mixed nuts and dark chocolate bits! If you decide to add a dessert element, separate it from the meat and cheese with grapes or crackers. Spicy meat and cheeses tend to affect the taste of the sweet ingredients. I always create a tiny separate place for the sweets!

Don’t forget the serving ware for your spreads if needed, and voila! It’s ready to serve!

A few extra tips:

• Give yourself 30 minutes
• Don’t prepare more than one hour ahead of time (cheese sweats and crackers get stale)
• It will NEVER be perfect! The untidy look is what gives a snack board its charm!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo