❄️Making Cozy Soup & Homemade Bread, Finding Joy in Slow Living | 1st Winter Vlog of 2025
#wintervlog #2025 #daysinthelife
Making Cozy Soup & Homemade Bread, Finding Joy in Slow Living | 1st Winter Vlog of 2025
Hello there sweet friends! In today’s video I am going to embrace the winter season by soaking in the beauty of slow living. Plus we’re going to be in the kitchen making a cozy & delicious soup & my homemade bread!
Warm Winter Blessings,
Karen
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In This Video:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients | serves 4
Roasted vegetables:
3 onions, peeled, halved and sliced into thirds
1 small butternut squash, peeled and sliced into cubes
1-2 tsp chilli powder
4 cloves garlic, skin on
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sprigs each – rosemary, sage, thyme
1 parmesan rind
1.4L vegetable or chicken stock
1 lemon zest
½ lemon juice
200g short pasta
100 ml heavy cream
⅓ cup parmesan
Salt and pepper
Set the oven to 375F. Place butternut squash, onion and garlic into a roasting tin and season with thyme, chili powder, salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Mix everything together and place in the middle (not top) of the oven until golden (approx 30 mins or until butternut squash is softened )
Place a dutch oven/ deep saucepan on a medium heat and drizzle the base with olive oil. Add the sliced garlic followed by salt, rosemary, thyme, sage leaves and parmesan rind. Let this all infuse for a couple of minutes but don’t let the garlic burn.
Pour in the stock, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Return the lid and let this simmer gently for a couple of minutes.
Add the pasta. You can remove the sprig of thyme and rosemary at this point but keep the sage leaves they are delicious!
When the pasta is al dente remove from the heat and add the roasted veggies to the soup. Squeeze in the roasted garlic don’t waste it! If you need to season again at this point and you can add more lemon juice if needed.
Stir in the cream and parmesan.
Serve instantly in bowls with a grating of parmesan, some black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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47 Comments
Dear Sweet Friends, I am in tears reading all of your beautiful comments! I LOVE our community! You all are a true blessing to me!! I hope & pray we will continue to lift each other up, support one another, share joy & hope to as many people as we can. This cannot be done without all of you! Thank you so much for sharing my channel with your friends & family! Love You!! xx
I love the content. No need to be fancy. I'm not even sure what all those tech words meant lol
Love all the cooking videos. And I’d love for you to start a Bible study with us😊
Karen, so enjoy your content. You’re doing a great job with video content. Perfect coziness!
Hi Karen. Happy New Year! Where can I get those beautiful earrings from?
I love watching your videos and newsletters. Everything about both. I love all of your recipes and all of the things you shoe. Please dont change anything. I love it all
Happy New Year Karen, Hubby & Family. I Love Your Sweater its my Favorite Color. I Love To Sit By A Warm Fire and Read or watch TV, Decorate or Bake. I Love Tea and Toast or Hot Cereal.karen I Love How You Decorate, Cook, Food Hauls, Getting Your Nails & Hair and Your Baking ❤. Love & Hugs
Hi Karen hope you had a wonderful holiday! I like your intros but do what works with your timeframe. I love vlogs just hanging out. I love beauty and decor and all of your content. One of my goals is to get a bit more order and organize. I love going on my afternoon walks and feeding the quail and the occasional roadrunners. It’s my winter treat. Your soup looks amazing.
Love your videos! You are Beautiful! Happy 2025! Aw that Soup & Bread looks so yummy!!! Thank you for sharing! I love forward to everything!!!❤ (especially share your snow!! ❄) I wish we had some! Stay Cozy & Warm!!!
Karen, you said it "Be yourself" your videos are fine, and that is why we share, like and save. See ya next time.
Happy new year 🎆
Hi Karen, late to the party haha! I just wanted to say that I think that this style of video reminds me of who I saw years ago. While I know that I may be wrong in saying this…but two or three years ago I saw when you and Lauren made a change in how you were presenting videos. I could only conclude from this side of things, that the both of you were possibly being challenged by outsiders that were being cruel or possibly judgemental of you both. I saw what seemed to be that you were withdrawn and not as comfortable sharing with us. Completely understandable if that was the case. It made me sad, and felt like you were going away. Your new format, at the time, was more voice overs in the videos and seemed distant to me. But I hung on, because you are such a sweet heart. Fast forward to now, and this is the Karen that I always loved watching! We love you even though we don't know each other and I also think as we age, we change a little along the way. I enjoy any content that you feel like sharing, but don't stress yourself out trying to get things out for us. We understand. Life is short, you should do what makes you happy!😊
It's not necessary to please us.. You need to please yourself. Make it as easy on yourself as possible. We will watch everything you put out there. You are very interesting to watch. It's your personality wanting to please everyone. But let me tell you, you wouldn't have 42K subscribers if you weren't doing something right. just be yourself and we'll follow. Luv you too!
Karen, I love your videos as is. I love the variety of your channel, and I enjoy when you go out to different area businesses. Thanks to you I have found some new places! Happy New Year!
True meaning of hygge ❤
I am really enjoying these vlog style videos. I am a very seasonal person, and I love seeing how you prepare and decorate for the seasons, especially fall and Christmas. As a younger subscriber, I feel that you are someone I can look up to, and your videos bring me a sense of peace and joy. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Watching this as I take my Christmas decor down…I love decorating with one of your videos on! I always enjoy the graphics you make for intros and things. You're so creative! But if you didn't make them, I wouldn't mind a bit. I'm here to watch you and enjoy the peaceful beauty that you exude! Happy New Year, dear Karen!!
I love your style everything you do is inspirational so please don't stop being you 🙏
Karen your face is glowing! I love your sweater. Your Channel is one of my favorites
Always enjoy spending part of my day with you!! Your soup 🥣 and bread 🍞 look delicious!! Your sweater and earrings look gorgeous on you!
Karen keep doing such an awesome job! Love your channel
I love your "gentle " inros where you are puttering around
We love your content and appreciate everything that you do
We miss Julie too…using her camera is very special
❤❤❤❤❤great video and newsletter!
To me, I don't think you can go wrong with vlogs like a day in the life type of thing, just what's going on with you. If you tried a new recipe, or found a new, wonderful lipstick, nail color, just whatever your life is. I'm 62, and we do have quite different lives, I'm in the deep South, and have been a country girl all my life, but I'm always amazed that we really do have so many things in common. Guess that's why I like that type of video.
Don't stress. I love your videos. Everyday life.❤
Hi Karen, thanks for your video. And I know you worry so much about the content you put out for us. But remember, this is your Channel, you do what you like and obviously there are so many of us who really enjoy what you do. There's always going to be people who don't agree with everything you do. That's just the way life is . I know it is hurtful, but there are so many of us who are true blue to your Channel. You are so authentic, and so sweet and we love you for that. So keep doing what you're doing, you are truly an inspiration to me and I really look forward to each and every one of your videos. Thank you again for everything. Barb from Jersey
I love that sweater. Its beautiful on you.
Don't over think it. Just be yourself – no intros needed and no special pictures or add ons on the screen needed.
I'm 45 and I enjoy all of your content ❤
Karen , Happy new year❤❤
I love watching your videos. I never comment, but I look forward to them every time. Keep up the wonderful work you do and thank you so much for everything. Much love from Chicago.
Happy New Year Karen!!!💞 Its OK to show your authentic self!! We all should focus more on what's important….our faith, health and family. Karen, can you share what shampoo & conditioner, etc. you use. Your hair always looks so healthy!
Since my hubby is sick, I'd love to have a "me" day alone and doing what I love most….drinking my tea & reading my bible/devotional, magazine.
Thank you, my sweet Karen, for sharing your time with us!!❤❤
Thrilled to see Ohio State beat Oregon! I speak for all University of Washington fans…we do not like ANYTHING about Oregon!
Karen I love your videos, your content is great, because you are such a genuine person and share so much. I'm like you I get emotional just watching a commercial lol. So just be you my friend. Love you and your channel.❤
Hi dear Karen, I have watched you for years and always enjoy your videos!! Can you please tell me who that woman was on YouTube that you used to talk about who had a bible study i believe on her channel? I cannot recall her name and i know it has been a while since you mentioned her. Thanks! And a blessed Happy New Year to you and to your family❤❤
Happy New Year! I have been subscribing to your channel for years — keep being YOU, the authentic, happy person you are. You don't have to do the fancy stuff with us, just keep doing you.
Thank you for today’s video. I was just telling Rick yesterday that I really need to simplify things in our lives. I love the holidays and all the things, but this year was hard for me. I was also having a conversation how I wanted to embrace the seasons and what they’re “meant” for. This is a time for rest in my world and I really want to embrace it. Love you my friend. ❤
I love you…stop beating yourself up…I want to see you…keep it simple
Hiiii 👋 Karen ❤ Happy New Year 2025’ 🎈🎊 to you and your family!! You look Great & I Always watch & I do Enjoy you little extras on your videos 🙌🏻 I am 52’ and don’t feel it, I feel alot younger 😅
Let’s embrace one another , love life & life will love you back!! ❤❤❤
Thanks for sharing your life with us.
Happy New Year Karen! I really enjoy your videos. I recently visited my daughter in North Caroline. While there we had some delicious yogurt with fruit for breakfast. When I returned home I looked for it in the grocery stores. I found it in Rulli Bros. (Yes, I live in your home town!) It is Cabot yogurt made in Vermont. I love the 2% vanilla yogurt so much. Give it a try!! I like your delicious, nutritious & simple dinner recipes. The decorating is great also!
So happy to see you are still excited about making videos. I know it's a lot of work, but you don't know how much of a blessing you are to me. When I am down, which is quite often, I watch your videos (especially the fall and Christmas ones) and I feel a lot better. So, thank you so much for sharing your life.
Karen, good afternoon I love your channel. Thank you for inspiring me everyday.
❤❤❤love this video it was such a cozy watch. Thank you so much😀😀😀😀
Hi Karen! I think if you were to have the same consistent intro that would be fine! But… I personally watch people on YT (for cooking inspo, knitting inspo, fashion inspo) to help me ‘curate my life’ in a sense. I will say that I want to see more on your LTK, even if you’re not compensated for each and every item. We have a super busy teenager, and I don’t have a ton of time to shop, so when I see something (a sweater/necklace/etc) on a YT influencer I want to know where I can get that thing. I’m grateful for the inspo and entertainment, and wish you and yours all the best in this new year.
Hello Karen, wishing you & yours a very happy new year!!!
I love your sweater & your hair looks beautiful. I’m in the process of letting my hair grow out from having it short for many years.…what a process! 🤦🏻♀️
🍃♥️🍃🤗
I don’t mind when you just get into it No need for the fancy but do what you like. If it’s fun for you to create it’s still fun to watch but doesn’t make the video for me. Authenticity is great. Too many ppl focus on the influencer side and the perfectionism aesthetic but I’ve been watching your channel for a while and I love you for you and your cozy content Everyone needs peace in their life and I feel like if you stay true and do what you like to create the followers will come
Glad to see a Chairside Chat to start off the new year. I enjoy seeing you open making a cup of coffee or tea because, I always watch you in the morning while I have my coffee. You project a much needed light into this world and I like starting my day watching you. You make every Monday and Friday morning special. I especially love you taking us to all the places you go – salons, markets, restaurants, Lake Club, shopping, walking Archie, drives around your charming town, recipes. Thank you for sharing your life with us when none of your children were married to having seven beautiful grandchildren now!