It's pretty cold out there these past couple of days... It snowed over the weekend and the temperature has been dipping low. To be expected in January for our area, right? So what does this scenario call for?

Comfort food...

One relatively quick and easy dinner favorite during these longer cold evenings combines simple pantry staples, a supermarket roaster and freezer favorites. Of course, any of the following ingredients can be swapped for the ultimate fresh and/or make-from-scratch options, but if you want to whip them up any weekday night, these will do just fine for...

I usually make four pies at a time, and these can be frozen to be baked for a later meal. Just assemble as instructed here, cover in freezer wrap, and freeze. They will sit well in there for about a month, so when you want to enjoy one, simply bake at 350 degrees F for at least an hour right out of the freezer, no thawing necessary.

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Spoon the mixed vegetables divided evenly into four medium-size ceramic ramekins. Now you can use just frozen veggies or a combination of frozen, fresh and canned. It can be whatever you have on hand. I used frozen peas and green beans, then divided a can of corn, and topped that with some fresh baby carrots. Sometimes I add fresh baby spinach leaves just out of the package as well.

3) Remove all the meat from a cooked supermarket roaster and cut up into bite-size pieces, or use cooked white meat Perdue or Tyson chicken. If you want to swap the chicken with that leftover cooked turkey or steak, absolutely do so. Divide the meat in four and add to each ramekin. Set aside.

4) In a medium saucepan you will make the cream sauce. Melt the butter and add the onion. Saute until translucent, about three minutes, then add the flour. You need to cook the flour for a couple of minutes creating a rue as the flour will slightly brown and become pasty. Next, add the stock, followed by the milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk continually as all the liquid blends smooth. This needs to come to a boil as you continually stir on medium heat. The sauce will bubble and thicken as you continue to whisk, about ten to fifteen minutes, and will reduce to a third less. Once finished, remove from heat and grab a ladle.

5) Carefully ladle the cream sauce into each of the four ramekins, evenly divided once again, making sure to not overfill. Once you have filled each pot, carefully mix each one with a spoon or spatula, blending and coating all the ingredients. Set aside

6) Unroll the two pie crusts and cut each in half. Now with the four crusts, cover each ramekin, overlapping the edges about an inch. Cut away the excess. Sometimes when I want to get real creative I use the extra to make pastry rosettes decorating the tops (as I often create in clay for my jewelry). But now I just kept it simple, crimping the edges all around each ramekin with my fingers to seal them. 

7) With a fork, gently press the edges. Cut three slits in the tops of each to vent. Place them into the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. If you want a shiny finished crust, simply beat one egg and brush the tops before baking. 

The house smells divine! Nothing like cooking comfort to satisfy. Enjoy! xoxo-Sonya

While the weather outside has been seasonably stable, inside I have been captured in a flurry... of fonts, formatting and photos.

Before the holiday, I created and launched my new website. Quietly, it just slipped in under the radar, though much preparation went on behind the scenes for a many weeks beforehand. I am still configuring the redirects of my original site pages and refining SEO, all of which seems a language forcibly learned while immersed in a foreign land. There is always something to be learned, and each time I Google a question, new answers appear in abundance, some causing confusion, others providing clarity. It all depends on the day. Thank God I am a fast learner who loves a challenge.

With the cyber-lift, it was natural for me to change my blog templates too. Trend Spotlight is crisp and modern now, the background lighter with renewed focus on the mood boards, each compilation popping in the dynamic views. Visitors can actually choose how they wish to view the blog by selecting from a drop-down menu of seven different options including classic, magazine or timeslide. You are bound to find a preferred perspective.


This journal blog was more challenging. I have to apologize to anyone who has visited these posts over the last couple of weeks wondering why each time the appearance was different. I must have changed the background with a dozen or more images, continually testing the look on desktop and mobile, unsatisfied with each clicked preview. That's just how it is when you work on a site that is live. What I really needed was an entirely new template, and I found my answer from Beauty Templates. The clean look and enhanced placement of elements fit my vision and was easy for me to customize. Plus, it is completely responsive design so the pages look uniform on any screen whether viewed on your personal computer, MacBook Air or Android phone.


So here we are. I hope all of you enjoy the revamped format. I really love it! It's like slipping into the fabulous new outfit you got for Christmas! Nothing like a fresh start in a new year... xoxo-Sonya

One of my favorite publications to read cover to cover is Victoria Magazine. Actually, I not only read it, I savor each and every page, usually while sipping a hot cup of tea. The engaging photography, articles about enterprising women, and their unique gifts shared with the world enthralls me every other month. As a subscriber since it began in the late 80's, I cannot count how many tear sheets I still have in my library of inspiration. Yes, this is what all us creative folks did before Pinterest! I have a shelf of binders filled with magic next to my desk.

There is a portion of the magazine which asks readers to submit letters for considered publication based on creative prompts in their aptly named Reader to Reader section. Over the years I have submitted several pieces, but this time around, fortunate to have my article selected to grace lucky page thirteen of the January / February 2017 issue! Glad to be home alone when I read the email, I literally jumped up and danced around the kitchen when I received notice. This is such an honor for me. Let me share the experience with all of you here...

~‘Tis the season to pull off the ivory cotton slipcovers and get reacquainted with the weathered denim sofa and warm brown suede chairs in the family room. All the cushions get their seasonal makeover too, as we cover the lively batik florals with patchwork shams. The crochet-square throw resumes its spot on the chair closest to the fireplace, preparing the favorite napping spot for our cat Kit in the colder months ahead. The adjoining kitchen sheers and patio door panels are all replaced  with a rich paisley pattern, swirling colors of crimson and toffee. The handmade birch bark candle holders are pulled out of storage and grace the coffee table, while quilted place mats in plaid set a cozy counter for our weeknight dinners. I love to keep the windows open just a crack and let that crisp air whistle into the rooms, enough to encourage couch cuddles. Now we are ready for the falling snow, the flowing hot cocoa, and ladles full of my signature sweet potato soup.~