Jack-O’-Lanterns!

Welcome folks to your home this fall with a one of a kind Jack-O’-Lantern! Here are a few patterns for inspiration!

Free Disney Patterns!

Better Homes and Gardens Classic Patterns

PumpkinGlow.com’s Un-Halloween Patterns!

Enjoy and Happy Carving!

Housewarming Recipe!

Try this Black Bean Avocado Salad when you need an easy recipe to welcome or thank your new neighbors!

Ingredients:
* 2 limes
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2″ cubes
* 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, chopped (wear plastic gloves when handling)
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
1. ZEST 1 lime into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of both limes into the same bowl. Whisk in the oil until emulsified. Add the avocados, beans, corn, garlic, jalapenos, bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. COVER and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Source: recipes.rodale.com

Enjoy and welcome to the neighborhood!

Designer Kitchen Inspiration

Click the Cottage-Style Kitchen below to view HGTV’s kitchen inspiration gallery!

Cottage Kitchen

Happy Saturday!

Housewarming Traditions

Housewarming Traditions

Traditions are constantly changing and it has changed a lot over the years-from loaves of bread and salt in Russia to a idol of Lord Ganesha in India. Even the tradition of Housewarming Gifts has a long and revered history. The tradition of bringing new neighbors together has its origin in Russia.

A villager named Boris and his wife Yelena had gifted a loaf of bread for good health and a pinch of salt for long life to the Russian dignitaries who were passing through their village and that was well received by him.
The village folk broke out into cheers as a new tradition was born.

‘Griha Pravesh’ (entering the new home) as Housewarming is known as in India. In Hindu tradition, the idol of Lord Satyanarayana is worshipped on Housewarming ceremony usually on a holy day of ‘poornima’ or full moon day. The house owner can perform this puja that begins with offering prayer to Lord Ganesha-known to remove all the negativity from the house and follows with a traditional story and other religious things.

Sometimes for a grand puja celebration, people decorate the house, and call upon a Brahmin to do the puja. Yet another part of the worship to sanctify the new house involves a prayer to the nine important planets of the universe called Navagraha.

While there is no ultimate way of knowing how housewarming gifts truly originated, some historians believe that the one above may have merit. Some look back to the birth of the Christ child and the gifts of the Magi. However, some of the traditional gifts that one can present to house owners for a new house are-a broom to sweep away the evil, a loaf of bread so that there is no one ever hungry, honey that represents sweetness in their lives, coin to bring good fortune, a pinch of salt at the threshold of each door and window for good luck, plants for your prosperous life, candles for light in life, wood for harmony and peace of the house.

Source: dgreetings.com