Learning. Living. Giving.

quinoa stuffed peppers

2011-11-04T19:09:00.002-05:00

i'm calling today Fancy Friday because

tonight i'm making quinoa stuffed peppers.

(keen-wah)

if you don't know much about quinoa, you should.

i'm not gonna lie, i don't know much either.

here's what i do know:

i know you need to rinse it before cooking

or it can taste bitter. the kind i bought is pre-rinsed.

(so you might look for that on the box when you buy it.)

i know it's very filling and a great source of protein.

if you're vegetarian, you probably eat this often.

quinoa is gluten-free and wheat-free!

i can't think of anyone that wouldn't be able to eat this!

anyway, i bought a box of quinoa a few weeks ago at the store. the recipe for stuffed peppers on the back looked super fun to make.

(this is not my own recipe. it's from Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa.)

quinoa stuffed peppers

(makes 4-6 servings)

preheat oven to 325°F.

1 cup traditional quinoa

2 cups water

bring to a boil and cover. simmer about 10 mins.

4 large or 6 medium green peppers, steamed

cut off tops, clean out insides (seeds and membrane)

in a large pot or steamer, add about 1-2" water. place peppers in colander in pot and cover.

steam about 3-5 mins. you want them to be soft but not limp.

in pot or skillet, melt 2 tbps butter and add 1 medium, diced onion and 1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms.

add 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes to the mushroom/onions (reserve the juice).

next, add 2 cloves, crushed garlic and 1 12-oz jar of mexican salsa.

cook over medium heat for 10 mins.

add 2 tbsp dry sherry and simmer 10 more mins.

(i substituted 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.)

fold in the quinoa to this mixture.

in baking dish, place steamed peppers and fill each with quinoa mixture.

add reserved tomato juice to remaining mixture and use it to fill in bottom of dish.

top each filled pepper with shredded mozzarella cheese (use about 10 oz).

bake for 30-35 mins.

since i've never made this before tonight,

i'm not sure how it's going to go over with the kiddos.

i have a feeling they're going to notice, tonight more than ever, that the halloween candy is gone.

*sigh*
so what if i just wasted time in the kitchen and a bunch quinoa.

(i doubled the recipe.)

at least it's pretty.

Happy Birthday Jill!!!!

2011-10-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILL!!!!

To the most beautiful, giving, and understanding sister around....I hope today is a wonderful day and the beginning of an amazing year! I love you more than Bluebell Ice Cream and Black Friday shopping! ;-)

Thanks for being a great example of motherhood to me - your family is so blessed to have you.

designer pillows for girls room

2011-07-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

these pillows turned out just like we had imagined!

i love when that happens.

i embroidered the initial of their first name on the front of the ruffled skirt pillows.

katherine wanted the pillow with
ribbon blossoms to be a smaller square.

i tried sewing them on with my sewing machine. bad idea.

hot glue, as it turns out, is more my style.

this ribbon was so perfect for this project.

here you can see the ribbon in it's original form,

and how i wound it around to form each blossom.

ta-dah! perfect little pillow for perfect ~~little~~ girls.

i stitched up the bottom of the pillows by hand.

once their bunkbeds are finished, i'll post the

coordinating bedding with the designer pillows.

can't wait!

no bake cookies with chocolate chips

2011-07-27T15:52:00.005-05:00

these are one of our favorites!

since it's so humid here, they take a
little longer to cook- so they don't come out gooey.

here's the recipe. notice the { } for changes based on how i made them.

No Bake Cookies with Chocolate Chips

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup butter {i used real butter}

• 1/2 cup milk

• 4 Tbsp cocoa

• 1 tsp vanilla {i didn't have any, so i left it out.
can't taste a difference.}

• 3 cups quick oats (also called rolled oats)

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips {i used mini chocolate chips
because that's all i had & i didn't measure}

combine the first four ingredients in a pan and boil 1 minute {i boiled it for a few minutes}.

remove from heat.

add vanilla, oatmeal and chocolate chips.

stir until combined.

drop onto wax paper {i only had aluminum foil. does it really matter?}.

let cool... and partake!

who doesn't like a little extra chocolate?
the chocolate chips, although optional,
make these cookies melt in your mouth.

i heart you wall art

2011-07-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

have you seen this at target? i loved it and thought it would be so perfect for our den- where we do homeschool. but it's like 20 bucks- kind of a lot of money. as much as i wanted it {i even put it in my buggy/shopping cart while i tried to justify the purchase} i knew i would have buyer's remorse before i left the parking lot. so i thought, "hey, i could make this!"

so i did. a less perfect version- full of love.

i bought this stencil from hobby lobby for $3.99:

and i bought a white 18"x18" canvas for $8.99, i think.

i already had acrylic paint.

i cut the stencils so i could line up the
letters to fit the i ♥ u.

i happened to have the perfect size heart!

there it is. the finished product.

total cost: $14.05, including sales tax. not bad.

chicken with creamy mustard sauce

2011-07-25T19:17:00.001-05:00

photo from ourfamilyeats.com

mmmm! i made this for supper tonight for the first time.

it's really quite similar to our favorite deviled chicken breasts recipe.

i subscribe to a lot of blogs on google reader. one of the blogs spotlighted a blog called Our Family Eats, who had a recipe for homemade marshmallows. i had no idea you could make marshmallows from scratch! of course i want to try it. can you imagine how many yummy and healthy-er things you could make? s'mores, popcorn balls, sweet potato dishes, rice crispy treats with brown puffed rice because they're healthier, the marshmallows could go on brownies or in-between cookies or you could just eat them! ahhh...the possibilities!

okay, sorry...where was i? oh yeah, while i was there, i stumbled upon this recipe for chicken with creamy mustard sauce and knew my family would love it. and i happened to have all the ingredients! well, just about.

you should definitely check out Our Family Eats and cook this:

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken stock {regular chicken stock was all i had on hand, so i omitted the salt & pepper- my husband thought it was flavorful w/o it! yay!}
1/2 cup heavy cream {i never have this. but i bought it so i could make cheesecake. never have made it before...wish me luck!}
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard {i used spicy brown mustard}
1 teaspoon oregano

Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste {remember i skipped this part}. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat {unless cooking on an electric stove. my pan got too hot and grease was popping everywhere! about a 2 or 3 is plenty hot}.
Add chicken to pan. Cook 10 -12 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
Reduce heat to low. Add chicken stock and cream to pan, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits from the chicken. Whisk in the mustard and oregano. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour mustard sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

pretty simple, huh?

my kids admitted that they thought they would hate it. it doesn't help my culinary self-esteem when my kids don't like what i cook. we're working on that.

they were pleasantly surprised- as was i! actually, i licked my plate clean.

bunk beds, quilts and designer pillows

2011-07-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

while house hunting, we were introduced to ana white. she is amazing! there are so many plans on her website that we want to build. we just finished the first set of these fantastic bunk beds. making them ourselves was the only way to go! the wood cost us about $80. the cheapest we've found bunk beds was walmart.com for $180.

this is ella and bryn's bunk with their adorable new bedding:

i love the pottery barn look, but not the pottery barn price. these quilts are so affordable! they are lightweight and perfect for the look i was going for. white sheets and white woven blankets from wal-mart finished it off.

each of the kids chose their quilts from target.com. here they are up close:

katherine chose this beautiful aqua quilt. i love the wavy design in it. it reminds me of the beach.

the boys each have this quilt. it's simple and perfect for their room.

this was olivia's second choice. she wanted red, but we couldn't find it at the time, so she settled for this yummy buttercream yellow. since she and katherine share a room, i think it was an excellent choice. the flower stitching is my favorite.

ella's favorite color is purple. i love this shade and how well it goes with bryn's bedding. notice the same flower stitching as olivia's quilt. ties it all together nicely.

bryn calls this "favorite color pink". although the heart-shaped stitching is my least favorite, it was perfect for her.

while the boys and katherine and olivia are waiting for their bunk beds, katherine decided to use her gift cards from hobby lobby and for fabric to make pillows for her and olivia's new beds.

don't you love the fabric she chose?

they turned out beautifully. we sewed a 3" border around them and used fiber-fill to make them the perfect size for their beds.

she also chose a pale yellow fabric and ruffle for a second set of pillows.

we're still working on them, as well as a third set in the same pale yellow fabric.

stay tuned for the finished products!

enter to win!!

2011-07-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

in case you haven't heard ~ my sister Melissa is doing a give-away on her blog!

isn't that a beautiful bookmark?! totally makes me want to read. so it's convenient that she's also giving away this book:

as much as i hope to win, i know it would totally make her day if you entered! so head on over to her blog and leave a comment. follow this link and tell her i sent you.

i'm still here.

2011-07-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

it's july 1st and this is my first post all year.

that's really sad. for those of you that still read this blog and check in from time to time to see if i've posted anything, thank you. i really do appreciate it. if you follow my family blog, you'll know what i've been doing with my time all these many months... getting through postpartum depression and moving to a new house/town. it's been great and soon i'll be back up and running. i hope. there are so many new things i'm working on...i'm homeschooling my kids this fall, painting new rooms, decorating, and i really want to get back to baking and trying new things.

until then, leave a comment so i'll know you're still there. because, i'm still here.

christmas advent calendar, stockings and tree skirt {aaaak!}

2010-12-13T14:55:00.001-06:00

okay, i'm finally ready to reveal my

"magnum opus" ~ or is it opuses? or opi?

nevermind.

isn't it beautiful?!

i thought long and hard about what to put in

each pocket. i decided to make cute

cards on picnik with activities for us to do as a family.

they're wallet-size, so the pockets won't get stretched out.

clever? i think so.

i know i've said this before ~ i adore the little plug on

the end! all the little details make this so perfect!

on the 22nd, we'll be watching "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer".

i had to make new stockings this year since we had

another baby. they turned out so precious! they're all

personalized with our names and the kids each

chose the picture on the front {to match the advent

calendar of course}.

also, i found a great tutorial to make these stocking

holders. they're pottery barn copies and super cheap & easy

to make. i love love love them!

i got this painting for my birthday in october. i love it so much

i think we'll keep it up all year long.

these styrofoam "trees" came from another tutorial. i can't find

the link ~ sorry! if you want to make it, let me know and i'll

either find it or tell you how to make it yourself.

while i was at it, i decided to make a matching treeskirt.

i'm not at all a seamstress, so it was much harder to make

than i thought it would be ~ but totally worth it!

merry christmas!

christmas advent calendar

2010-08-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

yes, i know it's august 1st, but i couldn't help myself!

last sunday afternoon, i decided it was time to start this

craft i've been planning for nearly a year.

abby over at a feathered nest shared

the tutorial for this advent calendar.
and let's be honest~ she is a genious!

{remember~ she is the one that shared the

recipe for this delicious strawberry stuffed french toast?!}

to tell you the truth, i had never worked with

embroidery thread before and had no

idea how on earth i would
ever manage all the detailed stitching.

the cute cutouts i knew i could do,

but the stitching... yeah, not so much.

i am eternally grateful for her. seriously,

she made it so easy! i could

go on and on. you really need to just hop over

there and see for yourself.

well, okay. here's a glimpse of hers:

is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

since she is my idol{!} i copied a lot of her ideas,

and some i made up on my own {shock!}.

let's get to it! i am proud to present

my 25 squares of christmas:

i decided to make the snowman's scarf multi-colored.

and his nose, incidentally, is on the large side {oops!}.

i thought rudolph turned out so perfectly!
{he was my own design!!}

abby's gingerbread man was adorable!
i decided to give him a scarf to change him up a little.

santa's sleigh is another one of my own designs
{and i think it's my favorite!!}

i love the christmas lights!!
did you notice the cute little plug on the end?! {gasp!}

not to brag or anything, but the snowflake is all mine!

what you see is the product of my

first attempt, free-handed!! i know!!!

if you look closely, you might see santa's round pink nose.

i wish my sheep's nose was a little smaller- that part was kinda tricky.

i love love love the music notes! they were so fun to make!!!

not thrilled with these two, but oh well.
they'll go just fine once they're all together on the "tree".

the stocking is hanging from a mantle!! how cute is that?!

i had to copy abby's baby jesus~ it's so perfect! :)

so there you go! doesn't look too hard, does it?

really. if i can do it, anyone can!
{and having my sister come and
help a little doesn't make any difference!!
right? btw, thanks monica!! ha!}

i'm waiting on the almighty dollar {and time of course}

to make a run for hobby lobby to buy the rest of

the supplies i need to finish this beautiful baby. it's a bit
of a drive from here, but totally worth it!

here is abby's finished tree to give you an idea of what it will look like:

it's so precious! i can't wait to finish mine!!

oh- and there's plenty of time to make one for your family!!

wouldn't your family love to countdown to christmas

with a treat or note in each pocket?!

♥

homemade puffy paint

2010-07-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

this is such a fun activity for kids ~

and you probably already have the ingredients!

you need ~

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

food coloring

first, mix salt, flour and water. the mixture should be the consistency of pudding.

next, add food coloring. you can make it as dark or light as you want.

or try mixing two colors to make a new color.

use a funnel to transfer the paint to a squeeze bottle (like the ketchup & mustard ones at a restaurant)

or a ziplock bag- snip one tiny corner (like an icing bag).

have fun painting!

once it dries you will have a puffy, glossy work of art

with a little sparkle, thanks to the salt!

our favorite kind of mess!

2010-07-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

we made this slime last summer

and loved it!

not for human consumption

it's fun for the whole family and a

great activity to cure summertime boredom!

you need ~

2 mixing bowls

8 oz Elmer's glue (yes, Elmer's, not generic)

food coloring (green & yellow would be fun for boys!)

spoon (for stirring)

1 tbsp Borax (it's in the laundry detergent aisle, if you don't have any)

resealable plastic bag, or plastic container with lid

first, mix one cup cold water with 8 oz glue in one mixing bowl.

next, mix 1 tbsp borax with 1/2 cup of very hot (not boiling) water. stir well until borax is dissolved.

third, add about 10 drops of each food coloring (or more for 1 color) to the borax/water mixture.

then, slowly add the not borax/water mixture to the glue/water mixture. stir with spoon for a few seconds.

using your hands, reach into the bowl and mix everything together.

don't worry- in less than a minute you'll have a gooey stretchy (non-sticky) mess!

once your all done playing, store it in a plastic resealable bag or covered plastic container.

it'll keep for several weeks as long as it's refrigerated when you're not playing with it.

have fun making a mess!

coconut cake balls

2010-07-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

tell me you've made them or

tried them...died from eating one...or at least heard of them...

if not...

it's time!

today i'm making

coconut cake balls

using a Duncan Hines Coconut Supreme cake mix

just follow the baking directions on the box.

once it's baked, let it cool for a bit~ you can fold that

load of laundry while you wait ;)

now comes the ~~fun~~ messy part ~

using your hands, mix the baked cake with a jar of icing. the

entire jar. i know, that's a lot... do it anyway.

i'm using Coconut Pecan. you can use cream cheese, white...

whatever you've got on hand. the combinations are endless!

it seems to never fail that while i'm mixing the two together that the phone rings.

so i like to wear some latex gloves- easy on, easy off... less mess!

now you can roll the "dough" into small cake balls. they'll make a lot.

you can share with your friends, neighbors, family, coworkers...

{great way to make friends!}

stick them in the freezer for a while- maybe an hour or so.

melt chocolate chips/chocolate bark {you can even use white chocolate} in the

microwave, according to package directions.

dip the cake balls into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper.

since they're frozen, they'll coat really well and dry really fast.

{little trick~ use 2 plastic forks and break out the middle two prongs. now you can dip the

cake balls and not waste the chocolate!}

you could make them extra fancy by adding coconut to the outside

before they dry, or nuts or cute sprinkles... you know, be creative!

i like to store them in the freezer or refrigerator.

we have to ration them around here...

time to go finish mine ~ i think the cake is cool!

2010-07-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

oh! the possibilities!!

2010-06-03T11:48:00.003-05:00

i never thought of myself as the "cooking" type.

it wasn't until i began looking on my computer for new recipes

that i even thought of starting this blog!

one of my biggest inspirations is bakerella.

for johnny's graduation party last year,
i found the most adorable graduation caps
on her website! they were such a hit at the party

that i wanted to do more and more!

needless to say, my computer and

i spend a lot of time together...

from creating this blog (which is always a work in progress),

to finding new and fun recipes for

my family and to share with you!

now that i've come out of the icky morning sickness phase

of pregnancy, i am finding myself wanting to be

in the kitchen or on my computer looking

for crafts, recipes and ways to be creative.

it is so amazing to me what incredible things

people can think up.
i am in awe when i find blogs

that make me swoon!

some of my favorite hot spots

on the computer that i love

are on my left and right scrolling blog lists.

feel free to check out any and all!

you won't be disappointed!

peach preserves

2010-06-03T11:18:00.002-05:00

while perusing my local grocer's ad this morning,

i noticed that two of my favorite fruits are on sale!!

peaches and strawberries! (gasp!)

my eyes were as big as saucers when i realized

all the yummy goodies i could make!

some of my fondest memories of growing up in central texas

involved picking fresh peaches straight from the tree.

some of them were so ripe i couldn't wait, and had to eat them.

the succulent juices poured
down my chin and made me

completely sticky! but it was so worth it.

my parents would carefully wash and prepare the peaches

and soon the delicious aroma
of peach preserves filled the house!

my favorite way to enjoy the goodness was to eat it on

my dad's homemade biscuits. talk about delish!!

unfortunately, there aren't any peach trees on our three acres.

so when peaches are on sale, even if they aren't quite ripe,

i buy them in bulk!

this is the recipe i used last year~ it's oh so good!

in fact, we ran out of peach preserves fairly quickly :(

peach preserves

12 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped

(use slightly under-ripe, firm peaches, since you'll be cooking them.)

4 1/2 cups white sugar

1 (2 oz) package of dry pectin

8 (8 oz) jars with lids

• crush 1 cup chopped peaches in the bottom

of a large saucepan.add remaining peaches, and set

pan over medium-low heat. bring to a low boil,

and cook for about 20 minutes or until peaches

become mostly liquid. (i like to leave chunks of peaches.)

• add sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

gradually stir in dry pectin, and boil for 1 minute.

• remove from heat after 1 minute and transfer to sterilized

jars. process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.

let cool and place on shelf.

enjoy!

strawberry-banana freezer jam

2010-06-02T18:23:00.003-05:00

it's so good!

it's so good that i refuse to share,

but since i'm feeling somewhat generous,

here's the recipe ~

strawberry-banana freezer jam

3 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 1/2 qts = 3 or 4 cartons fresh strawberries)

3 large bananas (you'll need 1 cup mashed)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 pouch freezer jam pectin

4 pint jars with lids

preheat oven to 400°.
cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place

the bananas on the cooking sheet- don't peel them.
bake for 15 minutes. i used 4 bananas, just because.

while the bananas bake, you can wash the strawberries and cut out the stems. place them in a bowl

and mash them with a fork or potato masher (that's what i used).

after 15 minutes of baking, the banana peels

turn nice and black and the banana is super soft :)

wait for them to cool and then peel them.

add the peeled bananas to the mashed strawberries

and mash away! it helps if you're a little
frustrated about something... you can't hurt the fruit ;)

add the sugar to the mashed strawberries & bananas.
let it sit for about 15 minutes.

gradually stir in the freezer jam pectin for 3 minutes. yes, 3.
then let it stand for 5 whole minutes.
don't ask what happens if you don't... just follow the recipe.

ahhhh... now it's time to put them in the jars.

if you have a canning funnel, this is way easy.

if not, be careful ~ you don't want to waste this stuff!

using a ladle, fill the jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

if you have a funnel, fill to the bottom of it.

screw on the lids and label.

it must be kept in the freezer, hence the name.
unless of course, you're ready to devour it,
then store in the fridge like a normal person would ;)

wasn't that super easy?!

i save this precious jam for biscuits,

english muffins, bagels...

i've even put it on top of ice cream. yum-o!

here's a tip, if you want to make a larger batch ~

6 containers of fresh strawberries = about 11 cups crushed strawberries

9 fresh bananas = 3 cups mashed

i made this last summer and used those measurements.

enjoy!

strawberry stuffed french toast

2010-05-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

this is a celebratory breakfast! this last saturday,

we were hosting some of our favorite people and our son

was going to be baptized ~ what better reason to celebrate?!

you can find the original recipe here.

i absolutely love her!

i chose to do it a little differently ~

we used slices of Texas toast for a couple of reasons:

first, because we live in Texas and it's the right thing to do!

second, it was the only thick bread available locally.

rather than make a "pocket" for the filling,

we spread the filling on a slice of bread, topped it with a second slice,

dipped the entire thing in the egg mixture,

and cooked it on each side on the griddle.

top with powdered sugar and some fresh strawberries...

it is the best!

i've already requested it for my first breakfast home after having the baby,

and for my birthday.

(which will be within weeks of each other - that shouldn't make it too hard to get back into shape, right?)

variation ~ we also made some with regularly sliced whole wheat bread.

it was just as delicious and more nutritious!

strawberry spinach salad dressing

2010-01-15T12:07:00.016-06:00

sometimes i'm in the mood for something light and fresh.

this always hits the spot~

{photo from Savory Sweet Life}

sliced strawberries and baby spinach = yum.

a little of this dressing goes a long way.
to keep the salad from getting soggy,

i like to pour the dressing on just before serving.

1/2 cup oil

{i like olive}

1/4 cup sugar

{the original recipe called for 1/2 cup. it was too much for me}

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

{fancy!}

1/4 tsp paprika

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

combine all ingredients. chill or serve immediately over

fresh sliced strawberries and fresh baby spinach.

in case you're wondering how healthy this dressing is,

a serving is a little over 1 Tbsp and has 88 calories.

click here for complete nutrition facts.

deviled chicken breasts

2010-01-04T11:26:00.002-06:00

i found this a couple of years ago on a recipe site, but only recently tried it out.
and let me tell you ~ this dish is de~lish!

it's easy. {seriously, i can make it!}

it's fancy. {would be great for a surprise dinner with your honey~ they'd be totally impressed!}

and my husband likes loves it! {so do i!}
i made it just last night!

1/8 cup italian-style dried bread crumbs
{or any seasoned bread crumbs}

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
{i use about a dozen tenderloins}

1 tbsp olive oil
{i never measure it...
i tend to double everything for our family
~ so i add what i need.}

1/2 cup dry white wine
{if you've never bought it, don't be afraid,
it's alcohol free and you won't be carded! :0}

1/2 tsp ground savory
{i still can't find savory at any of our itty-bitty grocery stores.
i read online that you can substitute ground thyme,
marjoram or sage. we love ground marjoram!}

1/4 tsp salt

1 can {4/5 oz} sliced mushrooms
{we love these, so i add 2 cans!}

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey mustard
{try Ken's Steak House- way good!}

☼ in a large, resealable bag,
shake chicken and breadcrumbs until coated.

☼ heat oil in large, nonstick skillet
over medium heat.

☼ add coated chicken, cook 3 minutes
on each side, or until browned.

☼ add wine, savory, salt
& mushrooms to chicken.

☼ cover and reduce heat. simmer 15 minutes
or until chicken is cooked through.

☼ remove chicken and mushrooms
with slotted spoon
and place on serving plate or dish.

☼ add lemon juice and honey mustard
to skillet and heat through.
{this makes the yummy sauce}

now you're ready to serve.
you can either top the whole plate/dish of chicken with the sauce
or add it to each individual plate.

enjoy!

i recommend trying it with Lemon Herb Rice from
Yummy Fun.
{you should totally check out Jen's blog ~ it's way good!}

tea cakes

2009-12-22T13:03:00.002-06:00

maybe you call them sugar cookies,

either way,

they are the perfect Christmas cookie!

i had to get special permission to share this family recipe.

you'll LOVE it!

{and Santa will too ;)}

tea cakes

1 cup shortening
{yes, shortening. don't scrimp. use it. you'll be glad you did.}

2 cups sugar
{white}

2 eggs, lightly beaten
{crack 'em in a bowl and stir it with a fork or something.}

1/2 cup buttermilk
{i use a powder buttermilk blend & add water ~ it's in the baking aisle by the baking powder.}

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla
{be generous ~ it's the only way.}

5 cups flour
{all purpose white}

bake 350°F for about 10 minutes.

bring out the cookie cutters!

we made

Christmas trees

Santa & elf hats

snowmen

{the scarves are twizzlers}

stars

snowflakes

candy canes

{i tried different techniques. didn't turn out very well. any suggestions?}

presents

reindeer

{i tried to make rudolph ;) }

mittens & wreaths

i took a plate to my son's class Christmas party

& they were a hit!

Merry Christmas

from learning. living. giving!

dinner tonight

2009-12-21T11:56:00.000-06:00

cranberry pork roast

homemade wheat bread

♥ jill

Tomato Bisque

2009-12-16T13:39:00.000-06:00

Kraft sent me a magazine several years ago

with this recipe in it

and it's been a family favorite ever since.

seriously, i'm sipping a bowl of it as i type.

it's that good!

it makes 3 servings {3/4 cup each}

and only takes 10 minutes. love!

here's what you need:

1 can {10 3/4 oz} tomato soup

1 soup can of water

3 oz cream cheese {or neufchatel ~ less fat ;)}

heat the soup and water on the stove.

once heated, add the cream cheese

and whisk til it's melted and nice and creamy.

you can even sprinkle black pepper

or basil for more flavor.

we like to serve it with grilled cheese

{like in the picture}

Cranberry Pork Roast

2009-12-07T14:31:00.002-06:00

this recipe is perfect for the holidays.

you can pop it in your Crock-pot on cold days while listening

to Christmas music and let it fill your house with the most

festive aroma!

it's one of our family's favorites!
in fact, we eat it all year long ; )

here's what you're gonna need:

1-3 lbs boneless rolled pork loin roast

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 16oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp grated orange peel

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

cut the roast in half and place it in the slow-cooker.

sprinkle salt and pepper over it.

combine the other ingredients in a bowl.

doesn't it look delicious already?!

i fell in love with cranberries the first time i made this!

{i always skipped over them at Thanksgiving and Christmas}

pour the ingredients over the pork loin.

cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

voilà!

mmmm! we like to eat it with homemade bread and a salad.

bon appétit!

under the weather

2009-11-23T13:34:00.000-06:00

i'm not sure if it's a cold or allergies ~ but what's the difference?

either way, i haven't felt like myself for the last few days, not even enough to blog.

crazy i know!

but i came across a couple of suh-weet recipes!

i'm going to make some of these for my family's Thanksgiving.

aren't they adorable?!

the other recipe comes from the oh so fabulous Bakerella:

i really want to make it too!

it has all my favorite Thanksgiving-ish ingredients...

cream cheese

pumpkin

pecans

all in one yummy homemade pie.

i think it would look especially beautiful in my red and white pie plate.

"hand-made" turkey shirt tutorial

2009-11-17T10:21:00.003-06:00

my cousin made these for their family night recently.

i thought they were uh-dorable!

she was nice enough to share her idea with me and

gave me permission to show you! : )

thanks Caroline!

supplies:
white shirt or onesie
fabric paint for turkey (brown, red, yellow, orange)
fabric puff paint or fabric markers in black and red (for turkey face and name)
sponge paint brushes

cardboard or poster board

foot and hand turkey shirt:

pour brown, red, yellow, and orange paint onto a paper plate.

lay shirt down on flat surface and smooth it out.

place a piece of cardboard poster board between the shirt so the paint does not bleed through.

paint food brown and place the heel of the foot up towards the neck of the shirt.

remember to press firmly.

the heel will act as the turkey face and your toes as the turkey feet.

paint entire hand red and place on shirt in a fan pattern for turkey feathers.

repeat this step with orange and yellow.

finish by adding the turkey face and your name.

we chose to do this one~

single hand turkey shirt:

prepare the shirt with the poster or cardboard {just like before}.

for the body of the turkey paint the palm of your hand and thumb brown.

then paint each finger a different color for each of the feathers.

colors for the feathers are your choice.

place your hand down on the shirt and press down firmly.

lift your hand straight up while holding down the shirt.

draw the turkey's legs and face with fabric markers or paint.

allow shirt to dry for 24hrs before wearing.

{or overnight}

i added the "EAT HAM" under the turkey, but you could

write HAPPY THANKSGIVING or whatever you want ; )

is that not the cutest thanksgiving shirt ever?!

my kids are super excited to wear them on thursday

{we're going to go eat lunch with them that day too!}

happy turkey day!

adorable beanie from Studio 5

2009-11-10T13:21:00.002-06:00

how cute is this?!

Liberti van Gass is one of our missionaries {Elder Hoopes} sister!

so, it's like i know her. haha! {i wish}

the cake

2009-11-08T18:12:00.004-06:00

our baby turned 2!

she loves chocolate!

i decided to make her cake from scratch
~ cause i'm such a good mom ~ ha!

for the first time ever, i made the chocolate cake recipe from

the recipe said it made one 9" cake.
so i doubled the recipe. why do i always do that?
i made 24 miniature cupcakes, a loaf pan and a 9" round pan.
that's a lot of cake!

it really was delicious!

and guess what the secret ingredient is...

pureed beets : ) mmmm!

initially i wanted to make cupcakes like this:

aren't they adorable?!

then i found this:

so beautiful and delicate!

since i couldn't find regular cupcake liners at the grocery store,
i decided to make miniature cupcakes.

then as i perused the internet for the best icing,
i remembered i wanted to make ganache.
{rhymes with Osh Kosh. i love saying it. it's such a Fancy Nancy word}

now what i am about to tell you is for your own good.
i do not recommend making ganache or eating ganache.
in fact, it's better than you never repeat that word, ganache.

okay, you think i'm joking, so here's your chance to turn back now.

you're still here, okay... don't say i didn't warn you.

ganache is made from heavy whipping cream and melted chocolate.
not the imitation chocolate either.
real semi-sweet chocolate bark or chips.
i used 2/3 cup cream to 8 oz of melted chocolate.
i should have used equal parts of both
to make it runny enough to cover the cake smoothly.
either way, it's delicious.
i love dark chocolate and
yes, i will be making ganache again. : O
maybe even for cake balls or homemade truffles!
haven't made those before! ; )

the birthday cupcakes were supposed to be
the pièce de résistance
{who knew birthday cakes for 2 year olds could be so French?}
but they didn't turn out as pretty as the picture. big surprise.
next time i'll make a buttercream frosting.

first, i think i cut too big of a hole in the bag of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.
my butterfly's wings were a little messy, but still delicious.
each wing was a "B"~ her name is Bryn and they're butterflys : )
second, the ganache was messy, which kept the butterfly wings from standing up.
really no biggie for me. we totally ate them anyway!

isn't the paper so pretty?

i wasn't sure what i wanted to do with the rest of the cake at first.

this is what i came up with:

i free-handed it, so it's not completely symmetrical. don't judge me.

and here's the finished product:

i had cherry flavored Twizzlers and mini M&Ms in the pantry.
to get the antennae to stay, i used a toothpick and dug a hole ~ it was just the right size.

by the end of the night,
we all had butterflys in our stomachs ; )

Skip to my Lou Gift Guide

2009-11-03T09:34:00.001-06:00

i'm so excited to start making gifts :)

rock around the clock

2009-11-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

check out these sharp threads!

she's jivin'!

we're so excited for 50s day :)

50s poodle skirt tutorial

2009-10-30T11:13:00.001-05:00

Monday is 50s Day at my kids school.

they will be celebrating the 50th day of school... in style!

earlier this year, my mother-in-law made my oldest daughter a poodle skirt

and i asked her to help me make one for my 5 year old :)

i wish i could tell you that it was super easy and you could make it

with one hand tied behind your back- depending how "experienced" you

are with sewing. it actually is easy, but had i not had the help and expertise of my

mother-in-law, it would have been a lot harder and taken a lot longer. {call me slow. i'm gifted that way ;)}

we spent less than 2 hours,start to

finish ~ including stopping to change a diaper, get a snack

and tell a story or two ;)

first, and probably most important: measure your daugher!

{somehow i missed this part and had to go off the measurements from her apron}

you're gonna need:

black felt

{i bought 1 5/8 yd for my 5 year old. it was too much, so go with 1 to 1 1/2 yds. also, it was 52" felt.}

black velcro

{i wanted easy and fast, you could do a zipper & button if you'd rather.}

a poodle applique

silvery sequined ribbon

sewing pins

needle

white, black and pink thread

sewing machine

& if you want to make cute socks, to complete the outfit:

white ankle socks

white pom poms

the felt should be folded in half first. now fold it over itself about the length you want it to be.

so now it's 4 layers thick. we're going to cut the waist first and then 1 big circle:
{cause in the 50s, Poodle Skirts didn't have seams, they were 1 circle.}

measure for the waist.

{say you want the waist to be 20", measure closer to 3 1/2 or 4.

you can always go back and enlarge it. i'll show you what to do if it's too big...}

measure the length. measure along the sides and from the middle of the waist out.

cut along the pins.

ta-da! it's a skirt! {almost}

the waist was too big. don't worry, we don't have to start over!

before we fix that, you need to make the opening.
the opening will be on the side, not the back.
cut down about 3 or 4 inches.

grab your black thread and needle.

make sure you thread enough through to go all the way around the waist.

we're going to "cinch" it.

go all the way around and pull
it to the right measurement before tying it off.

now we'll make the waistband. using the leftover felt, doubled, measure the full length of the waist.

then measure the width ~ about 2 inches. cut it out and let's sew!

using black thread, sew along the ends and 1 side.

cut a notch out of the very middle. the notch will help you keep it lined up.
this is the side of the waist opposite the opening.

now we want to attach the band to the skirt.
line up the side of the band with the edge of the waist, stitched side down.

sew it all the way around.

next, stand the waistband up, we're going to sew it again.

isn't it beautiful?!

i bought self-adhesive black velcro. we cut the length we needed
and attached it to the opening we cut earlier.

the skirt will overlap with the velcro just fine.

we're ready to decorate!
lay the skirt flat and position the poodle on the right side.
be careful not to put it too far to the side.

i do not recommend this ribbon. it was extremely hard to work with.
if you can find ribbon that is completely sequins, use it. you want something that is easy
to make loops with. {besides having to cinch the waist, this was the hardest part.}

i used pink thread and stitched around the poodle ~
just along the outside {with a sewing machine}. i used fabric glue to secure the
poodle's tail and nose ~ they were a little harder to stitch around.

then i used white thread, again with a sewing machine, and stitched the
ribbon around and up to the waist with a zig zag pattern.
the ribbon i had was only 1/2 yd ~ i would've like bigger loops.

i think it's presh!
~
although my girls don't have the authentic white and black tennis shoes,
i wanted to make them "bobby socks" with pom poms on them.

i bought ankle socks, but fold-down "bobby socks" are fine too.
just stitch the pom poms to the backs of the socks by hand.

voila!

we'll see if they wear them... they have black ballet flats.

i haven't had time to try the whole outfit on them yet... so stay tuned for pictures :)

spider costume

2009-10-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

do you remember on Friend Makin Monday a few weeks ago, when i said

my kids wouldn't dress as anything scary this year?

well, apparently i lied.

Pottery Barn Kids sends me emails from time to time. about a week ago i saw a cute spider costume and thought to myself, "hey, i could make that! well, not that, but something close enough." {i'm not even going to show you the PBK spider costume. 'cause, well... i'd rather not compare them! ;) }

in case you need a quick last-minute costume, here's what you'll need:

a solid black long-sleeved knit shirt/leotard

solid black knit pants

2 pair solid black knit knee-length socks

{women's knee socks were more economical for me, but you could use girls tights if you wanted.

i bought mine at Walmart for $2/pair. tights were over $4.}

craft batting {Polyfil or something like it}

safety pins

black yarn or ribbon

6 lb or more clear fishing line

sewing needle {don't worry, you're not really sewing}

i made 4 of these for my 4 daughters {ages 9, 5, 3 1/2, 1 1/2}. each one was different. i measured the socks with the arms of the shirt, making them a little longer, to make up for their hands.

once you know how long you want them to be, you can stuff them with the batting. i did mine in sections- filling the foot part with batting and then tying that off with the yarn.

{now that i think of it, you could use just the fishing string if you wanted.}

next, you fill the next section and tie it off too. leave enough to attach it to the shirt. for my girls, i folded the top of the sock into itself or even over the full length of the top section and tucked it into the yarn. does that make sense? so you're either folding the sock into itself a couple of times or folding it over itself till it blends in with the top section and isn't visible. you want to leave just enough to attach it to the shirt as closely as possible. do this for each sock.

lay the shirt on a flat surface. you'll want to measure under the arms to place the "legs". now, look for the bend of the heel in the sock and point the "leg" downward. space the sock under the arm of the shirt, so that each side will have 2 legs added to it. i pinned the shirt to the socks from the inside using 2 safety pins for each sock. place the shirt into the opening of the sock and pin on each side. do this for each leg.

now, you're going to want the legs to move with their arms. that's where the needle comes in. using the fishing line and needle, stitch through the sleeve {wherever you want- the wrist or elbow} and each leg. to make it extra strong, we doubled the line and fed it through twice {so we went through the sleeve, each leg and back up}. be sure to tie it off good, fishing line can slip out.

you're done!

super easy and the best part is that it's completely reusable! :)

feel free to embellish it however you want. black gloves would look cute, or adding a spider web or something. we tested the costumes out at our local Zoo Boo last Friday and the girls loved it! everyone knew what they were and they'll tell you- it was way more fun than wearing a store-bought costume! :)

we may spice 'em up before Halloween.

{2 of the girls used spider Trick-or-Treat bags I bought on clearance at GAP years ago. perfect! also, we bought them glow stick necklaces since it was dark and their costumes are not reflective. if you aren't planning on reusing the socks or clothing, you could have a lot of fun with reflective tape or paints!}

{our son wanted to be a mummy, but the cheesecloth fell apart pretty easily

- we'll have to do a better job for Halloween ;) }

FMM: which movie would you want to live in?

2009-10-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

it's already Monday? or should i say, it's finally Monday! ;)

the question of the day...

"if life were a movie,
which movie would you want to live in?"

hmmm....

i've thought of all the movies we like to watch over and over,
and i don't think i'd want to live in any of them! lol

seriously...

no way!

definitely not!

{gasp!}

so what movie would i want to live in?

i love Jimmy Stewart
and
i love Donna Reed.
i want to be her. ;)

obviously this movie is a classic, but i love how life was back then
and it's a Christmas movie- my favorite kind! :)

which movie would you live in?

homemade whole wheat bread

2009-10-21T21:06:00.002-05:00

i ♥ homemade bread :)

my beautiful, and very talented sister, Melissa

offered to show me how to make some! isn't that so nice?!

yeah, she pretty much knows everything...

she homeschools her four kids

and bakes bread

and people think we're twins.

so, yeah, pretty much i could go on and on about her...

but i'll save it for another post ;)

we're talking about bread, remember?

she was kind enough to invite us {when i say us, i mean me}

for an on location photo shoot tutorial!

she has a great wheat grinder. {i'm jealous.} i used hard red winter wheat.

she also let me use her KitchenAid mixer.

{i don't have one. so i was a little excited.}

look how nicely it rose!

we each made a loaf and some rolls.

didn't it come out beautifully?!

i can't get enough!

the crust is nice and thin; the bread is soft and light.

beautifully cut and ready to eat...

toasted with turkey and havarti cheese, some mustard and green leaf lettuce. mmmm!

wanna make some?

preheat your oven to 350°F. it won't be long and you'll have fresh, homemade bread :)

small batch large batch
{2 loaves} {4 loaves}

2 1/4 c. hot water 4 1/2 c. hot water

1/4 c. honey 3/4 c. honey
{try spraying the measuring cup first ~ the honey will come right out.}

stir together with whisk

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast 8 tsp. yeast

stir together with whisk

3 1/2 c. wheat flour 7 c. wheat flour

stir together with whisk

1/4 c. oil {i used vegetable oil.} 1/2 c. oil

2 tsp. salt {sea salt is fine too.} 4 tsp salt

whisk until sticky {about 7 min.}

change to hook.

keep adding flour until it pulls from the sides and bottom of the bowl.

{i added 3-4 cups more}

remove hook and bowl from mixer.

cover dough in bowl with towel and let it rise

{it will double in size- see photo above.}

you can either let it rise once and be done

punch it down once it's risen and let it rise a second time.

{i let mine rise once. it didn't take long either- you'll need to watch it closely.}

shape into loaves

{for thinner crust, roll the dough on oiled surface while shaping.}

and place in greased pans.

{if you're doing rolls, place dough on counter or cutting board and

use a 1/4 measuring cup ~ they'll be the perfect size}

bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!

Friend Makin Monday ~ what makes you happy?

2009-10-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

what makes you happy?

my family :)

fall :)

the Dallas Texas Temple {where we were married} :)

holidays, yummy food & great ideas :)

just to name a few...

what makes you happy??

Little Man Tie Tutorial

2009-10-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

check out this darling tie!

isn't it presh?!

my friend, Amber, has the easiest tutorial on her blog.

you'll notice she has different sized patterns ~ the perfect size for your little guy!

my little boy is 7 already...

i may just have to have another one

...just so i can make this ;)

The Original Breakfast Cone

2009-10-13T21:47:00.001-05:00

we love breakfast burritos! but our little kids

have little hands {go figure} and the eggs tend to fall out.

it really makes a mess and takes all the fun out

of it :( when they have to eat it with a fork.

so last week,

The Breakfast Cone

was invented! {kudos to my genius husband!}

lucky for you, he gave me permission to share his brilliant idea!

first, preheat the oven to 400°F. next, spray a baking sheet with

cooking spray. warm the flour tortillas in the microwave {this makes them

more pliable...so they don't rip.}

now you're ready to make the cone... pleat one side of the tortilla and fold into a cone-shape.

you'll want to secure it with a toothpick, as shown.

spray the cone-shaped tortillas with cooking spray.

if you want to, you can now line the inside of the cone

with turkey bacon {healthy!}

avoid collapsed cones ↑

by propping them open

with a toothpick ↓

bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and crispy

{you can decide how crisp you like it}

while it's getting good and crispy, scramble some eggs...

we used Deceptively Delicious Scrambled Eggs {using mostly egg whites}

~ they're oh so good!

if you prefer you can fill it with an omelet or however you like your eggs.

now that it's baked, remove both toothpicks and get ready to fill it...

add your favorite toppings...

we like sour cream {light is great!} and homemade salsa.

mmmmm!

like Martha Stewart always says...

it's a good thing!

Friend Makin Monday

2009-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

once again, Amber is hosting Friend Makin Monday!

this week's topic...

"what are you going to be for Halloween?"

i have to say, that even though i LOVE fall, i have NO IDEA what my

kids are going to be for Halloween, let alone myself. :(

today i plan on watching some Martha Halloween

on the DVR {hoping for creative ideas,

because i am NOT buying any costumes this year}.

oooh!!~ maybe i could be Bakerella! :)

that would be fun {though probably NO ONE in my

itty bitty town knows who she is}

most likely, my kids will use their costumes/dress-up that we already have...

a 50s girl,

Batman or a cheerleader,

Fancy Nancy {italics make everything fancy},

Cinderella, Davy Crockett,

or maybe a red crayon ;)

. . . n o t h i n g s c a r y.

what are you going to be?

Florentine Stuffed Chicken & Basic Baked Spaghetti

2009-10-09T13:55:00.013-05:00

sometimes i get tired of cooking the same things for supper. {shocking. i know.}

from time-to-time i peruse the popular recipe sites. i came across these recipes and {surprise}

they're delicious!

bake them at the same time ~ it only takes about 30-35 minutes in the oven.

Florentine Stuffed Chicken Basic Baked Spaghetti

10 oz pkg chopped spinach 1 pkg {16 oz} spaghetti sauce

{thawed/drained} 1 lb spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup chopped onion 3/4 lb lean ground beef

4 bone-in chicken breast halves {optional. i chose not to add

2 cups spaghetti sauce it since i was making chicken.}

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

preheat oven to 350°F.

begin cooking pasta, according to package directions {about 8-10 minutes}. {if using ground beef, begin browning in large skillet. once cooked, add spaghetti sauce. reduce heat and simmer.}

in medium bowl, combine spinach, Parmesan cheese and onion.

place chicken breast halves in 9x13" baking dish.
using a knife, slit the breast to form a cavity.

stuff each breast with 1/4 of spinach mixture. cover with sauce.

by now the spaghetti should be done.
add spaghetti sauce {combined with cooked beef, if using} and
pasta and place in a baking dish. top with cheese.

bake both dishes 30-35 minutes
{until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly.}

sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of chicken dish and
bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

there ya go... a deliciously colorful dish!

serve it with your favorite salad or even breadsticks.
buon appetito!

Banana-Blueberry Muffins {Sneaky}

2009-10-07T09:34:00.001-05:00

my mom shared this recipe with me a few years ago

it's delicious!

but, i've made it {sneaky}!

i'll share both versions with you, and you can decide...

ingredients

2 eggs OR {1/2 cup firm tofu, mashed}

1/4 oil OR {1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce}

1/2 cup brown sugar

{1/2 cooked, pureed sweet potatoes, or carrots, or both...

or you can substitute carrots or sweet potatoes baby food!}

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups flour OR

{blend equal parts of white flour, whole wheat flour and wheat germ and measure 1 1/2 cups}

2 bananas, mashed or sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

preheat oven to 350°. use liners or spray the muffin pan.

in a bowl, mash bananas, whisk eggs {or tofu}, oil {or applesauce},

brown sugar {and pureed carrots/sweet potatoes/baby food}.

in separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

stir dry ingredients with wet ingredients, except blueberries, until moist.

slowly add blueberries. fill muffin pans 1/2 full.

bake 12-15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

i had to snap this picture while they were still in the pan,

because once they come out ~ they're gone!

Pumpkin Pie Bites- i made some!

2009-10-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

i was so excited to make

Bakerella's Pumpkin Pie Bites this weekend!

& so was my family!

{here's a tip ~ go easy on the vegetable oil when you melt the chocolate chips.

i think i used too much and it was a little too runny.

i ended up using a toothpick to make the faces and they're a little messier than i would've liked.}

but they were delicious!

Butterscotch Cake Balls

2009-10-05T11:33:00.002-05:00

this weekend, i made Devil's Food cake balls with Chocolate Fudge icing. {normal.}

THEN i had a brilliant idea to become Bakerella and make them look like cute pumpkins. {clever.}

{photo from Bakerella}

SO, i melt my Vanilla Candy Coating...and add some Wilton Orange Food Coloring. yes. i did. guess what happens when you do that...? the Candy Coating turns into hard, caramelized icing. {if you read the fine print on the Candy Coating package- you'll see that it clearly states that adding liquid or heating for too long will cause the Candy Coating to caramelize. :( didn't read the fine print.}

no worries... i've heard that melting morsels works just as well. i decided to experiment with Butterscotch Morsels. y e s. i d i d . {throughout my experimenting, the cake balls were chilling happily in the freezer.}

the Butterscotch Morsels melted okay, so i proceeded to dip the frozen cake balls. they coated...okay. But as they dried, they were prickly. that's when i remembered that adding a little vegetable oil to the morsels will make them melt thinner. after a few seconds in the microwave, the Butterscotch Morsels were much easier to work with. the cake balls coated beautifully...but still did NOT look like cute little pumpkins. {by-the-way, i'm not Bakerella.} i realized i didn't have enough Butterscotch Morsels to coat each and every cake ball. not wanting to waste, i experimented a little with the now stiff icing-like Vanilla Candy Coating by adding a little vegetable oil. it worked! the Vanilla Candy Coating was now pliable enough to coat the remaining delectable chocolate cake balls. though extremely sugary, the cake balls were delicious :)

{we've already eaten the Orange, Vanilla Candy Coated cake balls,
so i had to eat a Butterscotch one for the picture. it was hard to do, but i did it.}

next time, i'll be sure to buy colored Candy Melts.

ahh, i love happy endings :)

{Thanks for subscribing!}

Friend Makin Monday

2009-10-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

it's already Monday! you know what that means...

what are your hobbies?

what do you wish that you knew how to do?

* my hobbies...*

* i love sewing {but don't do it often, cause i'm out of fabric :O}

* making homemade jam

{strawberry-banana freezer jam}

* blogging

* dating him ↓

& catching more fish than him ↑

* cooking

{Deviled Chicken}

* baking

{mint cake balls}

* & sometimes, remodeling

i wish i could make cute crafts more often & go to Hobby Lobby everyday :)

oh, and i wish i could play the piano

{sigh...someday...}

what are your hobbies and what do you wish you knew how to do?

disinfecting wipes

2009-10-01T13:29:00.001-05:00

every bathroom and kitchen should have

disinfecting wipes ~ but they don't have to be expensive!

i made this the other day, to try it out and it is blog-worthy!

gather up:

a measuring cup

knife

cutting board

paper-towels

{the strongest, most affordable ~

i bought Great Value so see how well it compares to Bounty. it's pretty good, but next time i may try Viva.}

multi-purpose cleaner

{i'm using Lysol because it smells clean and it was pretty cheap.}

Clorox or Lysol container

{or even recycle a baby wipes container}

cut the paper towel in half.

remove the cardboard middle.

put the paper towels into the container and pull the middle up slightly.

{this part was tricky because the paper towels were too wide to fit

~ so i had to manually re-wrap it to tighten it up... a little time, but worth it.}

pour 1 1/2 cups of water

1/2 cup multi-purpose cleaner

onto the paper towel.

replace the lid and let it soak up the cleaner.

{it only takes a sec}

there ya go!

you can clean and disinfect

without breaking the bank :)

thanks for FOLLOWing us!

remember to leave a comment and let us know what you think :)

Oops!

2009-09-29T09:32:00.001-05:00

as part of Friend Makin Monday, i forgot to list some of the things i cannot live without, oops!

so here goes...{mostly out of order}

1. my husband and kids {for obvious reasons}

2. Turbo Jam {love, Love, LOVE}

3. holidays {the decorating, the cooking, the company}

4. blogging = internet = computer

{guess which one i have... guess which one i want}

5. my Bowflex weights

6. my faith

7. air conditioning

8. chocolate

9. my washing machine/dryer/dishwasher

{someday i'll have a Bosch}

10. my food processor and The Sneaky Chef

{i use this cookbook almost every day! this morning i made Fortified French Toast...YU-UM!}

leave a comment with your list!

Friend Making Monday!!

2009-09-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

wow! 3 posts in 1 day!

i discovered friend makin monday today!!

and i've made a lot of friends already :)

if you're interested in participating in FMM, you can click here.

one of my new friends, Brandy, introduced me to this incredible fundraiser...

Baby Makin{g} Machine is hosting a fundraiser for the March of Dimes.

what a great way to begin the season of giving!

visit Future Mama's blog ~ she is truly inspiring!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2009-09-28T09:51:00.001-05:00

i am a HUGE FAN of Bakerella!

she has inspiring ideas that always look too good to eat ;)

you HAVE to see these:

aren't they adorable?!

i can't wait to make them!

Pumpkin Pie Swirled Brownie Tart

2009-09-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

in case you haven't heard of Picky Palate, allow me to introduce you...

she is gorgeous, and she knows how to cook!

(and she knows Bakerella!!)

← click on her button in my scroll bar

and find out how to make this ↑.

you won't regret it!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

2009-09-24T07:27:00.001-05:00

i've been using homemade dishwasher detergent since before the homemade laundry detergent.

{mainly because i ran out of it first.}

it works great!

i use the liquid detergent, but i'll give you the powder recipe too.

you're gonna flip out when you find out how easy this is!

grab a pen and a piece of paper. ok, ready?

if you made the homemade laundry detergent, then you already have the ingredients for this!

Powder Dishwasher Detergent

mix together:

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda OR Baking Soda

1 cup Borax

store in plastic container. use about 2 Tbsp per load.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent:

1 cup Baking Soda

1 cup Borax

1 cup water

1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent

mix thoroughly. {you'll need to mix it each time before you use it. ~it's a small price to pay considering how much money you save!} use 2-3 Tbsp per load.

fill the rinse compartment with vinegar and 2-3 drops of essential oil and you'll have sparkling clean dishes :)

i haven't figured the cost/savings, but if you do, leave a comment and let us know!

coming soon... Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

2009-09-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

it's easy. it's cheap. it works!

homemade chicken noodle soup

2009-09-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

it's fall! this is my favorite season.

i love the colors and the crisp ~~cool~~ cool-er air. {this is Texas.}

to commemorate the occasion {and because yesterday was a busy day} i decided to make soup.

this recipe is a family favorite!

if you're short on time, or feeling a little blah ~

this is the perfect dish.

{it's excellent to take over to a sick friend or

someone who just had a baby; or if you forgot you signed up to feed the missionaries. haha}

seriously, you are 15 minutes away from the best bowl of soup. ever.

8 cups water

8 chicken bouillon cubes {1 cube = 1 tsp.}

1 large package of wide egg noodles

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

3 cups cooked chicken, diced or chopped

1 cup sour cream

bring water to boil. add bouillon cubes, let dissolve.

add noodles; cook about 10 minutes or until done. {follow package instructions for best cook time.}

DO NOT DRAIN! {hey, somebody might...}

add cream soups and cooked chicken. heat through.

remove from heat. stir in sour cream.

a pot of this soup will feed our family of 7 {including 5 kids: ages 8 and under} for 2 meals.

and oh! let me tell you ~ it's way good leftover!

we like to eat it with Club, Ritz or even Saltine crackers.

how do you eat it?

the CUTEST little apron

2009-09-19T11:31:00.007-05:00

if you liked my earlier post about the CUTEST apron, you'll LOVE it in miniature!

for my daughter, Ella's 3rd birthday last December, I made her an apron out of a halter-style shirt that would've fit my 8 year old daughter. the fabric was precious! i cut out the back and used that fabric to make ties. it's a full apron since the halter already tied around the neck. she loved it!

i thought it would be fun to make Ella's older sisters aprons too! hobby lobby had such great choices. Katherine {8 yrs old} chose 2 prints and Olivia{5 yrs old} only wanted 1 print.

ok, so following the same steps, these are the measurements i used:

8 yr old:

{i bought 1 yd of each print and had a LOT leftover.}

front panel/liner ~ 20"L x 14"W
{i used the same print to line it as i did for the front- making it completely reversible. so cut these measurements 2x, one for the front and one for the liner. you can use different prints, it just depends on if you want it reversible or not.}

waist band ~ 6"L x 14"W
{remember this is going to be folded in half and needs to be as wide as the front panel.}

bottom band ~ 3"L x 14"W
{again, just like the waistband- folded in half; as wide as panel.}

ties ~ 28"L x 3"W
{i just measured around her waist as if to tie in the front and estimated the added length for it to hang down. remember, you need 2 ties, so cut twice.}

love! it!

5 yr old:

{i made a mistake and only bought 1/2 yard of 1 print- i barely had enough to make it}:

front panel/liner ~ 16"L x 13"W
{cut twice}

waist band ~ 6"L x 13"W
{will be folded in half}

bottom band ~ 3"L x 13"W
{again, will be folded in half}

ties ~ 26"L x 3"W
{i goofed on this part and my ties ended up being super thin. it stilled turned out cute.
maybe you'd like it better thin... you decide.}

C-U-T-E!

we liked these so much that i made another one for my 5 yr old niece :)
this would make a great gift idea ~ or even a fun party favor for a little girls party.

pumpkin crumble

2009-09-18T12:23:00.000-05:00

with fall knocking on our door, this recipe is definitely festive!

here's what you need:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, melted

1 can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, sliced

cream butter and cheese thoroughly.
add pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. mix completely.

pour into greased 9 x 13" pan.

top with dry cake mix and sliced butter.

bake 350°F for 45 minutes.

delish!
wouldn't it taste great with some homemade vanilla ice cream? mm..mm..mmmm!

a huge thanks to my sister Monica for sharing this recipe with us!
{and for taking such fab pictures!!}

thanks Monica- you're the best :)

egg in the middle

2009-09-16T06:00:00.006-05:00

you've heard of egg in the middle haven't you? maybe you call it hole in one...??

well, if you've never heard of it, or even if you have, you'll love it! it's easy-peasy! {as my kids say}

set your electric griddle between 325-350°F.

butter both sides of the bread.

using any shape cookie cutter {i chose a ♥}, cut out the middle of the bread.

place the bread slice on the griddle, put a dab of butter in the middle.

crack an egg and carefully put it in the ♥ cutout. salt and pepper if you want.

cook as many as you want/need- electric griddles are a must for a large family :)

cook the ♥ cutouts too- they're great dipped in syrup!

flip them over, as you would a slice of toast or fried egg.

that's it! easy-peasy egg in the middle!

cut it up, serve it with syrup or plain or with powdered sugar- however you like it!

happy breakfast!