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Fake it, don’t bake it: stress free holiday hosting!

Hello friends!  I’ve got quite a treat for you all today!  Literally.. ha. :)  Anyone starting to feel some holiday stress creeping in?  With Thanksgiving this week and Christmas right around the corner it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do.  Today I’m joining five other bloggers to share one simple way that you can eliminate some stress this holiday season!  Each of us have taken a store-bought food item and dressed it up to look beautiful and homemade.  Yes.. this little blog hop is right up my alley.  I’m the queen of store-bought meals and wear that crown proudly as you all know well. ;)  The truth is.. we can’t do it all!   If cooking isn’t your thing we’ve got you covered!  You can still pull off a beautiful meal with no work or stress involved.

If you’re popping over from KariAnne’s fun blog Thislewood Farms hello and welcome!  I’m so happy to have you here!  (Isn’t KariAnne a doll!?  Love her!)  We have a good time here at Sunny Side Up too so I hope you’ll stick around. :)

Reeses Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Before we get started, I have a confession to make.  I’m not into pies.  (GASP!)  I know.. my husband thinks it’s an absolute crime and that I should be tried and sentenced.  But I just don’t love them.  At all.  Now cheesecake!  That’s a different story.  Because of my undying love for cheesecake today I’m sharing a fun way to dress up a store bought cheesecake and not only make it beyond delicious, but also make it look like you spent hours putting it together instead of minutes!  All you need is the cheesecake – right out of the freezer section of the grocery store, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (lots of them!), nuts – already chopped or you can chop them quick yourself, and fudge.

Is your mouth watering already?  Mine too.  :)

Take the cheesecake out of the box and put it on a plate.  Because you just slaved over it for hours, remember?  Then chop a few handfuls of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups into halves and thirds.  Chop up some peanuts if they aren’t already chopped.  (I just used the bottom corner of a cup to chop them quick!)

Then heat up the fudge in the microwave.  I like to heat mine in a measuring cup like this so it’s easy to pour on after.

Reeses Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Pour on the fudge letting it drip all down the sides – the messier the better! ;)  Then add your Reece’s to the top middle of the cheesecake and sprinkle the chopped nuts around them.  DONE.  Takes about 10 minutes and this dessert is a total crowd pleaser!  Plus it looks like you spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  When everyone praises you and asks for the recipe simply smile and thank them and tell them it’s a well kept family secret.

I won’t tell a soul. ;)

Thanksgiving tablescape

Now for a quick and easy Thanksgiving tablescape to go along with your store bought dessert!  Because for me THIS is the fun part. :)

Remember all of the pumpkins I had on my Halloween Porch?  Kole washed them all so nicely for me. ;)

And all of the pumpkins I had sprinkled throughout my family room this Fall?

I had a lot of them. :)

Pumpkin Thanksgiving table

With Christmas decor taking over most of my house the pumpkins needed a new home!

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Tablescape

I put my faux Fall branches underneath, added pumpkins on top and then candles here and there.  So pretty!  So festive for Thanksgiving!

So done in 15 minutes. :)

Thanksgiving Pumpkin tablescape with recess peanut butter cheesecake

I laughed when I went to decorate this table and pulled out my gold silverware only to remember that I was going to buy the rest of the set and never got around to it last year (story about my airhead moment decorating this table last year here).  Ha ha.. they are on my Christmas list so that I won’t run into this little problem again!  ;)

Candlelight Thanksgiving tablescape

Candlelit Thanksgiving table

The candles add such a nice touch during the day but look even more beautiful at night!

Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving table

So warm and inviting.

Thanksgiving tablescape

Enough to distract your guests from whatever you are serving that you haven’t have slaved over in the kitchen all day. ;)

Fall pumpkin tablescape

I hope my easy dessert and tablescape gave you a few ideas of how to ease some stress this holiday season!  Really.. we can’t do it all so keep things simple and stick to what you enjoy and do best.

Thanksgiving tablescape

I’m so thankful this year.  For my family.. for my health.. for all of you sweet friends!

Reeses Peanutbutter Cheesecake

And for anything that takes the baking out of meal prep. :)

Thanks again for stopping by today!  If you missed the new Frosted tree I decorated in my bedroom this weekend you can see it HERE (such a fun color change for me!).  There are also lots of fun gift ideas for everyone in the family HERE and you can see my office decorated for the holidays and still enter the Container Store giveaway HERE.  Yea!  Fun things going on.  I’ll announce the gift card winner in my next post. :)

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Next stop on the tour is a real treat!  My amazingly talented friend Kelley at Kelly Nan is sharing her secret to simple mashed potatoes!  Plus she is the queen of beautiful tablescapes (and will no doubt have ALL of her silverware.. ha.). ;)  After you visit her blog make sure to stop by the rest of the amazing blogs on this tour!  Lots of talent and fun ways to simplify your holiday meals. :)  Happy Thanksgiving prep everyone!

Kelley Nan

The Lettered Cottage

Driven by Decor

ZDesign at Home 

Thistlewood Farms  

xoxo, Erin
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23 thoughts on “Fake it, don’t bake it: stress free holiday hosting!

  1. Oh Erin…you aren’t the only one who isn’t that into pie. I’m not really, either. Although, a few weeks ago I tried a Strawberry Creme pie (store bought)that was scrumptious and just last week tried a pumpkin spice creme pie that I liked so well I went back and bought one for Thanksgiving. I also like cheesecake and your recipe for it looks divine! :) Your tablescape looks amazing with all the pumpkins, leaves and candles. Thanks for sharing how beautiful it looks lit up at night. I giggled at your silverware quandry. Hopefully that’ll change after Christmas. I’m thankful for all the you share. You bring a smile to so many with your honesty and humor and delightful personality. I really appreciate your sharing a bit of yourself with us. Hope you have a wonderful week and a beautiful Thanksgiving! Hugs!

    1. Jeanne! Maybe I’m just trying the wrong type of pie because those sound amazing! I might need to re-think being anti pie.. ha. ;) Thank you so much sweet friend! You are always so sincere and kind and bring a smile to my face every day. I hope you know how much I appreciate how supportive and caring (and hilarious!) you are! Grateful for your friendship this Thanksgiving. I hope you and your sweet family have the best holiday! xo

  2. HI Erin
    This is my first visit (I think). I met KariAnne at Haven and fell in love with her. Love the Cinderella pumpkins! House looks great! Love the front porch! laura

  3. Hahaha! I’m totally laughing Erin, because I’m the exact opposite. I’d die before I took a storebought dessert anywhere! But my house is a complete disaster and I only wish I had a fraction of your creative decor/organize/style skills!!! I don’t love pies either, it’s because I don’t like pie crust! So I only make pies that work with a graham cracker crust. My tradition the last couple years has become banana cream pies and a pumpkin pie cheesecake that is to die for!! Let me know if you want the recipe,. Maybe Kenny could bake it. ;)

    1. Oh man that sounds so good Josie! Just think of what a perfect pair we’d be if we were neighbors! I could decorate and organize for you and you could take care of all meals.. I can’t even think about how good it would be! Ha ha.. We can dream.. ;) xo

  4. Not sure if there’s anything you can do about it, but two times in a row pop-ups appeared on your blog that would not let me do anything. Had to shut down the blog and start over again to be able to read it. Just wanted to let you know.

  5. I’ have a store bought cheesecake in the freezer. Im doing this. You know I’m right there with you when it comes to cooking!! ;). Your table looks so festive and pretty also Erin. xo

  6. Erin, it turned out amazing! Are you sure you don’t have some hidden kitchen skills that you’ve been holding out on us about?! :) Love your table, love your dessert, and always love your beautiful home! Enjoy your Thanksgiving! XOXO

    1. Um.. right Kris! I would have been lost without you on this one! I told you.. I don’t even embellish! Ha ha.. ;) Such a fun blog hop cutie! Thanks again for including me! xo

  7. This blog hop was SO FUN! I love to cook but potlucks and other random parties happen during this busy time of year…I may bring this cheesecake to my holiday party at work! And the friend who wrote about the mashed potato bar is also a genius. Love these ideas! Happy Thanksgiving!

    1. Yea! I’m so happy you liked this hop Mary Beth! Thank you! That cheesecake is such a crowd pleaser. And I agree.. loved the mashed potatoes! :) Enjoy your holiday! xo

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