Tag: warmth

Cozy Classic Christmas Playlist 2020

Cozy Christmas Playlist 2020Welcome to the cozy month of December my friends!

My family and I have created a playlist of cozy, classic Christmas music for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on the “tried and true” classic Christmas songs that leave a cozy feeling in your heart and soul. Primarily Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, with a few other artists sprinkled in, including Seth Macfarlane who, although a modern artist, fits in handsomely!

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your classic Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Cozy Classic Christmas Playlist 2020

  • CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS | Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters
  • THE CHRISTMAS SONG | Nat King Cole
  • IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR | Andy Williams
  • MISTLETOE AND HOLLY | Frank Sinatra
  • SILVER BELLS | Bing Crosby & Carol Richards
  • WHITE CHRISTMAS | Rosemary Clooney
  • SNOW | Seth MacFarlane
  • THE FIRST SNOWFALL | Bing Crosby
  • LOOKS LIKE A COLD, COLD WINTER | Bing Crosby
  • BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE | Seth MacFarlane & Sara Bareilles
  • A WINTER ROMANCE | Dean Martin
  • I’VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM | Dean Martin
  • YOU’RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS| Bing Crosby
  • SLEIGH RIDE| Ella Fitzgerald
  • LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! | Seth MacFarlane
  • WINTER WONDERLAND | Bing Crosby
  • A MARSHMALLOW WORLD | Seth MacFarlane
  • LITTLE JACK FROST GET LOST | Seth MacFarlane & Norah Jones
  • FROSTY THE SNOW MAN | Bing Crosby
  • WARM IN DECEMBER | Seth MacFarlane
  • CHRISTMAS DREAMING | Seth MacFarlane
  • I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS | Seth MacFarlane
  • O TANNENBAUM | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • O FIR TREE DARK | Bing Crosby
  • THE CHRISTMAS TREE ANGEL | The Andrews Sisters
  • IS CHRISTMAS ONLY A TREE | Bing Crosby
  • DECK THE HALL | Nat King Cole
  • CHRISTMAS CANDLES | The Andrews Sisters
  • THE CHRISTMAS SONG | Seth MacFarlane
  • HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS | Judy Garland
  • A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS | Burl Ives
  • (EVERYBODY’S WAITIN’ FOR) THE MAN WITH THE BAG | Seth MacFarlane
  • SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • JINGLE BELLS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • I’D LIKE TO HITCH A RIDE WITH SANTA CLAUS | The Andrews Sisters
  • JING-A-LING, JING-A-LING | The Andrews Sisters
  • CHRISTMAS DINNER, COUNTRY STYLE | Bing Crosby
  • CHRISTMAS ISLAND | The Andrews Sisters
  • MERRY CHRISTMAS POLKA | The Andrews Sisters
  • TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS | Bing Crosby
  • DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? | Bing Crosby
  • THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY | Bing Crosby
  • MY LITTLE DRUM | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING | Bing Crosby
  • THE LITTLEST ANGEL | Bing Crosby
  • O HOLY NIGHT | Bing Crosby
  • WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEARS EVE? | Seth MacFarlane
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Tiana’s Gumbo Recipe

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we will be cooking up Tiana’s gumbo from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog!

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

This recipe is featured at the beginning of the film when Tiana makes gumbo for her family and community. It’s one of my favorite moments in the movie, revealing the loving relationship she shared with her father and how much she looked up to him, her passion for cooking and her generosity within her community.

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

This recipe is delicious! Absolutely perfect for this time of the year or whenever you need something warm and comforting.

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

Tiana's Gumbo Recipe From Disney's The Princess and the Frog

GUMBO
  • 1/4 cup of butter
  • 1/2 pound of smoked beef sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup of celery, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup of onion, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen orka, thawed
  • 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of cajun or creole seasoning
  • 3/4 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1  pound of frozen cooked shrimp
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a dutch oven and brown the sausage in it.
  2. Remove the cooked sausage and set it aside.
  3. Whisk the 1/3 cup of flour into the butter and meat drippings until combined.
  4. Continue to cook the roux, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 20 minutes or until it turns a dark amber-brown. If it’s cooking too quickly, or starts to smell faintly burnt, turn the heat down a little.
  5. Stir in the bell pepper, celery, garlic, onion and okra until they are completely coated in the roux.
  6. Cook these ingredients for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften, stirring every 10-15 seconds.
  7. Once the vegetables have begun to soften, add the tomatoes and the chicken broth, stirring as you go to smooth the roux into the broth.
  8. Add the bay leaf, black pepper, cajun or creole seasoning, chili powder, hot pepper sauce and salt; stir to combine.
  9. Bring the gumbo to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  10. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  11. Stir in the shrimp, then cover and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp thaw and cook through.
  12. Remove the bay leaf and serve the gumbo on its own or over cooked white rice. We recommend Jasmine Rice!
  13. Enjoy!

Little John’s Beef Stew Recipe

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be cooking up Little John’s beef stew featured in Disney’s animated feature, Robin Hood!

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood
This recipe is featured when Robin Hood and Little John are taking a break in the woods. Unfortunately Little John leaves Robin to tend the stew, and Robin starts daydreaming, effectively burning the stew (don’t worry we won’t burn ours). Friar Tuck shows up while Little John is trying to salvage the food; he tries the stew, coughs a bit, and comments “well done, ain’t it?”

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood
I love a good, hearty stew! I thought burning it would be in poor taste (#momjoke), so I kept an eye on it. I also feel like Little John takes pride in his cooking so I kept it simple based on ingredients they may have been able to obtain, but not so simple as to insult his enthusiasm.

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

BEEF STEW
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 pound of beef stew meat, cubed
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon of basil
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of rosemary
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 cup of tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 potatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 1/4 cup of water (additional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot on medium heat.
  2. Season the stew meat with a little salt and pepper, then add it to the pot and brown all sides.
  3. Once browned, remove the meat and allow it to rest on a plate with its juices.
  4. Add the onions, basil, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, salt, and thyme to the meat drippings within the dutch oven and sauté for about four or five minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and celery, then sauté for another two to three minutes.
  6. Deglaze the pan with a little water (enough to loosen up the food particles left behind from cooking the meat and aromatics) and stir, then allow everything to cook for another five minutes.
  7. Add the beef (and its accumulated juices) back into the pot, along with the diced tomatoes and two cups of water.
  8. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the beef is fork tender.
  9. Add in the carrots and potatoes and bring the liquid back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for another thirty to forty minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  10. In a separate bowl, mix the flour into 1/4 cup of cold water and add it into the stew.
  11. Continue cooking and stirring the pot until the sauce has thickened (about 10 more minutes).
  12. Serve warm and enjoy!