Recipes to Make your Thanksgiving Easier

I know that, at least in my family, it can be a struggle to get everything put together and cooked on Thanksgiving day, with that darn turkey taking up oven space all day. Being able to make up a few awesome side dishes the night before could seriously come in handy. I scrounged up a few tasty recipes that can be ready-to-go come Turkey Day!

Green Beans with Almonds – Especially for the holidays, when everything is already stressful enough, simplicity is key. Just a little fresh garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and chopped almonds to give his modest side dish some flare.

Bleu  Cheese and Pine Nut Puffs – This is an awesome alternative to tradition dinner rolls.

Herb- and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms – Who doesn’t love stuffed mushrooms? These sound extra delicious!

Mashed Potatoes with Savory Thyme Granola –  Personally, I think these would be better without the granola, but everything else about them sound incredible. I just don’t think crunch in my mashed ‘taters sounds very appealing.

Cheesy Garlic Rolls – I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there are two more wonderful things in the world than garlic and cheese. Another awesome twist on traditional dinner rolls.

Swiss Corn Bakes – These are like little quiches of cheesy deliciousness.

Butterhead Salad with Smoky Ranch – The real delight here is the recipe for the ranch. You could toss it with any of your favourite salad ingredients.

Hope these tasty, quick treats help to make your holidays a little less stressful. Pass the recipes around to your guests for some extra help!


Top Holiday-Related Accidents

The holidays are right around the corner! Along with all that merriness, cheer, and celebration can also come accidents. Around the holidays is one of the most accident-prone times as people are distracted and stressed. As I say over and over, knowledge is power, so here is a list of the most common accidents that occur around the holidays, so that you and your loved ones can be aware and prepare.

Did you know that poisonous plants are actually all around right now? Mistletoe, holly berries, poinsettias, Jerusalem cherry, and amaryllis are all dangerous when swallowed. Make sure to keep these away from where pets and children can get ahold of them. If they do get consumed, call poison control immediately.

Electrical fires are also common around this time of year as people try to over-use extension cords. You should use a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) to prevent electrical shocks and don’t plug in more than 3 strands of lights into a single extension cord, as a good rule of thumb. Also, keep cords out from underneath rugs, as this is also a common cause of fires.

Open fireplaces can cause trouble if not properly taken care of. Always make sure to have your chimney inspected at the beginning of the season before use; make sure you have a grate or screen in front to keep stray embers inside the fireplace, where they belong; and remember that only one artificial log should be used at a time. And if things do get out of hand, always use a fire extinguisher or sand. NEVER water.

Home cooking fires are also prevalent as there tend to be many things going on at once during the holidays. Take extra care to make sure all things flammable are away from the stove.

Christmas tree fires are most commonly due to a tree being too close to a heat source (i.e. a space heater or fireplace). Also make sure that if you get your tree from a lot, they cut off at least a ¼ inch disk from the bottom of the tree so that your tree will absorb the water.

Home heating fires are one of the most common accidents, especially caused by space heaters. Make sure that they are kept far away from flammable material and always turn it off when you leave the house.

Over 5000 Americans went to the hospital in 2007 for holiday decorating related falls. Make sure you’re using a stable ladder on a level surface and that you have someone there to help spot you should anything go awry.

Here’s hoping you have now been well-armed with information and that your holiday season goes along safely and cheerfully. Happy pre-holidays from everyone here at Sweeney & Sweeney!


Halloween Safety Tips for Parents to Kids

Some of us have kids that are just hitting the age where they want to go out trick-or-treating by themselves. From the parental side of things, this can be a little scary. To help take some of the stress off your mind, try out these little tips.

Make up a set of ground rules. Have a set time when your kids have to be back make sure they know the areas that they’re allowed to go, and where not to go; don’t stray away from your group of friends; etc.

Remind them to stay on the sidewalks,  cross streets only at corners and crosswalks, and double check no cars are coming before crossing.

If your kids don’t already have their own, loan them your cell phone in case of emergency and so they can check in.

If they’re going out after dark, make sure they have glow sticks/necklaces/bracelets or flashlights so that they’re easily visible.

Make sure your kids know what the candy-consumption rules are before heading out, to avoid arguing and upset when they get home with their loot.

Halloween has a tendency to also bring out the crazies, so a refresher lesson in Stranger Danger may be in order.

If your kids have any allergies, remember to send them out with their medicine, just in case they dip into their stash early, and eat the wrong thing.

Even though you’ll still be worrying about your kids the whole time they’re out, try to have fun handing out Halloween candy at home or having a little Halloween get together of your own. We hope these tips help to alleviate some of your fears, and allow everyone to have a happy and safe Halloween, this season!


DIY Halloween Decorations

I’m sure like most of you, I love going to my favourite stores and checking out the new Halloween decorations. Unfortunately, they can often be rather expensive, and I may only be able to find a couple things that are really my taste. This spook season, check out these cool DIY decorations that are totally customizable to your taste and needs.

Scarecrow – With a few scrap pieces of lumber for the body and a ball—or even a balloon—for the head, you can customize your very own lawn ornament to be scary, silly, formal, or down-home; whatever look you want for your home.

Door Wreath – With a simple wire coat hanger formed into a circle, you can pick up a pretty cheap garland from just about anywhere, wrap it around to hide the wire, and add any embellishments you wish for an extra personal touch.

Haunted Hotel Sign – You can pick up an old post and corbel at a reclaimed goods/salvage store and add your own spooky sign. Your choice if you have any vacancies or not …!

Window Silhouettes – Cut out the shape of your choice from some black construction paper, adhere it to your window, and let your figures come alive when the lights come on! For some added effect, create a whole shadow-y scene!

Welcome Mats – If you have some carpet scrap lying around, you can paint a ghostly scene and a message to your visitors. If not, pick up a plain, cheap porch mat, cut out some shapes (i.e. bats, ghosts, cats, barren trees, letters) to stick to the mat, and spray paint over your now-stencils for your very own custom greeting!

Picture Frame Lanterns – Want a cute way to light up the path to your door? Try picking up some cheap picture frames, use some wood glue to form a cube (minus the top and bottom) and then some vellum paper to print some Halloween-tastic pictures and place either real or electric candles on the inside for a fun way to light up the trail to the candy.

Hope you can have fun with some of these and please feel free to share them with us! As always, everyone here at Sweeney & Sweeney hopes you have a fun and safe holiday!