Christmas in the Woods: Fox & Raccoon

 

Welcome to my 8th annual Christmas Open House! This year's theme is Christmas in the Woods. Snuggle in for a week of adorable critters and favorite recipes... the sewing room and the kitchen are open!

Today we have a little cookie waving bandit and the most joyful wee fox ever. These two just overflow with Christmas cheer. They look like partners in crime!

This year had to be easy, y'all! Quick stitches, simple finishing, maximum cuteness. I usually wait til the end of my Open House to post all my sources, but just in case your year has been like mine, and you need a little helping hand for a fast homemade gift, I'm listing my supplies today.

The most adorable animal designs in the world are by LaSelva Design and are available in his Etsy shop.

I stitched them on Mill Hill Perforated Paper in the color Wheat, but you can use any color, or even fabric.

I Christmassed 'em up with buttons from JABCO.

The wood disks are from this Etsy shop, but you can find wood disks at most craft stores. However, you won't find this same quality. His stock varies quite a bit, and shipping can take a bit as the order is prepared, but they're worth the wait. Uniform size and a beautiful finish. I'll be talking more about these at the end of the week. If you can't spare the time, craft stores usually have lots of blank or unfinished ornament bases. 

I finished them off with various snippets of Christmas picks and greenery.

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It's Soup Week, y'all. To go along with my quick and easy Christmas finishes, I'm sharing my favorite soup recipes. They're all easy. Some are for the soup pot and some are for the slow cooker, but either way, is there anything nicer than having a big batch of soup simmering away on a cold winter's day? So cozy and comforting.

We're starting off with the old stand by, Vegetable Beef Soup. Nothing fancy about it, but boy does it hit the spot when you just need soup. And the older I get, the more I just need soup.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained

16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 c. frozen seasoning blend (onions, peppers, celery) or fresh in the amount you prefer

1 can diced tomatoes

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Tbsp. dried basil

1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 c. beef broth

1 c. water

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low 5 or 6 hours.

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Come on back tomorrow and see who else in the woods is getting ready for Santa!