Christmas Traditions | Past + Present

by Katie @ Cup of Tea // December 7, 2016 // 1 Comment

I’m such a traditions girl. Any time of the year, I have a tradition to keep up. And at Christmas there is SO many traditions that are precious to me.

Today I am teaming up with my friend Whitney at Come Home for Comfort and several other YouTubers to share a fun Christmas Open House collection! Some ladies are sharing their Christmas decorations. Another is sharing tips on keeping Christmas simple this year.

You can view the entire playlist of videos on Whitney’s channel – https://goo.gl/Oq0lhP

But curl up and enjoy story time with me as I tell you about all the Christmas Traditions I love!

I’ve also written several blog posts here and here, sharing even MORE favorite Christmas traditions, if you’re needing a few more! HA!

What are some of your favorite Christmas Traditions? Do we share any similar ones?? Let me know!

Menu Monday | All the Noodles!

by Katie @ Cup of Tea // December 5, 2016 // 3 Comments

It’s Monday! How was your weekend? After our busy, cold weekend, we’re ready for some serious comfort foods this week. So bring on all the noodle dishes!

I often cook what I’m craving… and right now I have been craving cozy, cheesy noodle dishes. I’ve got my fav Mac & Cheese on the menu as well as a sundried tomato version of fettucine alfredo. YUM!

I’m also really excited about grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on Friday night. It’s been a while since we’ve had it, and I cannot wait.

This week feels really rushed, so I’m definitely ordering my groceries online to just drive over and pick them up tomorrow. That’s so convenient! Anyone else trying that?

Anyway, here’s this week’s menu:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Herbed Carmelized Onions with Tomato, Saffron + Rosted Garlic Soup
Vegetarian Stir Fried Thai Noodles
Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Sundried Tomato Fettucine Alfredo
Skillet Mac + Cheese

Need more info for how I menu plan? Check this out!
Or read up on my favorite meal planning and grocery shopping hacks!

Need more ideas for dinner?
Follow my Pinterest board – it’s where I save all of my dinner ideas!

Follow Katie | Cup of Tea Blog's board Good Eats | Dinner on Pinterest.

High Five for Friday #99 | Hello December!

by Katie @ Cup of Tea // December 2, 2016 // 5 Comments

Welcome to High Five for Friday – hosted by me, Tif, and Della! Come, read up on what we’ve been up to this week and get to know some amazing bloggers down below!

Today’s featured blogger is Catherine from A Short Blonde! Catherine lives in Nashville with her husband and new baby boy, Phoenix (seriously the cutest little guy ever!). Her blog features all of her favorites things in life, not to mention she has enviable photography!! Her latest post with a round up of great baby gear has so many good gift ideas if you’re looking for a baby gift OR needing to add things to your own baby registry. Swing over and say hi to Catherine!

A new month! The last month of 2016. Crazy, right??

1. Thanksgiving was a great time! I recapped a little last week but it was a fun time with family. One of the highlights was hitting up a local playground on Friday afternoon. Elizabeth just zoomed around so fast I couldn’t keep up with her.

2. In William news, he is CONSTANTLY rolling around. Every time I turn my back, he’s in a new spot.

3. The sibling love in this house is strong, and I love it!

Currently at our house… #rightnow #mondaymorning #momlife

A photo posted by Katie (@ktcupoftea) on Nov 28, 2016 at 5:29am PST

4. I wanted to start a new tradition for our family this Christmas. I had heard about the Jesse Tree Advent readings last year, but never did anything about it. This year I got a set of ornaments, and I love them! They are wood disks. One side has the picture symbol. The other side has the Bible verses that, when read in order, tell the plan of salvation from Creation until Jesus’ birth. There were so many adorable felt sets on Etsy that were tempting, but I thought these wood ornaments would last well past our kiddos’ child stage. So now our tradition is to grab the night’s ornament, sit on the sofa with Elizabeth’s Jesus Storybook Bible and read the corresponding story. She’s absorbed quite a bit of it. I’m impressed!

5. Speaking of Christmas, the decorations are up in our house! All that’s left is to get up some live pine and the outdoor lights and I’m done. Phew! Next Wednesday stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes “decorate with me” vlog AND a Christmas Home Tour post!

''Tis the season ???? #ohchristmastree #christmasdecorating #momlife

A photo posted by Katie (@ktcupoftea) on Nov 29, 2016 at 2:15pm PST

What was your highlight from the week? Can’t wait to hear about it!

I’m also linking up with Oh Hey, Friday, Meet @ the Barre, 5 on Friday & Diary of a Real Housewife

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November Favorites | Skincare + Beauty + Lifestyle

by Katie @ Cup of Tea // December 1, 2016 // 1 Comment

I can’t believe another month is over…. where has this Fall gone? Like every year, I’m bitter that Fall and Thanksgiving are done and over with… but I guess a new month means a batch of new favorites!

I’ve got a fun assortment of some beauty, lifestyle and a few fun gift ideas for you.

Products Mentioned:

L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Lipstick in Julianne’s Nude

Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Sheet Masks

Ben the Rooster Pen Pal Postcards (Use promo code BEN10 for 10% your subscription!)

Mighty Leaf Tea in Winter Solstice and Dark Chocolate

Day Designer Planner

The Magnolia Journal

Menu Monday | New Recipes To Try

by Katie @ Cup of Tea // November 28, 2016 // 3 Comments

It’s the last Monday of the month! That means I’m teaming up with my friends Come Home for Comfort, Polka-Dotty Place and Wife Mommy Me to share our favorite recipes from this past month that you HAVE to try!

I found a few old favorites that I haven’t had in so long that I just had to share them with you. There are also a few new-to-me recipes as well.

Here’s a rundown of what we tried!

Black Bean Burrito Bake – This was a recipe that we used to eat all the time when we first got married. It has been years since I made it, but discovered it when I was digging in the recipe box. I made it a few weeks ago and forgot how delicious it was! It has a smokey heat to it from the adobe chiles. And you can make it in advance! Just top with salsa and cheese before baking, and increase the baking time.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan – This was really good! Super simple to put together. And you get to bake breaded eggplant rounds instead of frying them. Win!

Spinach + Artichoke Lasagna – It was a touch labor intensive, so it’s better suited for a weekend night, but it was delicious! I’m not a huge lasagna fan, but the leftovers were calling to me for days. (And there were a lot of leftovers… so make it and share it.)

Baked Ziti – This is one baked pasta dish that will never let you down. I don’t make this too often because it makes a TON of food, way too much for our little family to eat. But I made it recently and split it up into two pans and delivered them to families who just had a baby. And both texted back and immediately needed the recipe. Don’t be intimidated by the cooking time. It bakes for an hour, so hands on time is about 20 minutes. Biggest tip? Don’t overcook the pasta when boiling it!!! Just cook it until the pasta just gives. Don’t boil it to al dente. It will continue to soften in the oven. If you cook it to al dente, then it will be all mushy when the dish comes out of the oven.

What are some amazing recipes you’ve tried lately? Have you peeked in your trusty recipe box recently?

Follow Whitney’s board New Recipes We Tried And Loved! on Pinterest.