Everyday Heaven

Apple-Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

2011-02-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Little Eli and I whipped these up on Monday night, our family night activity you could say.
It was great to have muffins ready on Tuesday morning.

This recipe comes from a cooking blog I like called, Stephanie's Kitchen.
She had taken a little break from blogging and now seems to be back.

There wasn't an overwhelming apple taste,
so I think next time I will use Granny Smith apples, instead of the Fuji I had on hand.

Apple-Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
makes about 18

For the batter:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups whole milk
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups diced apples, cook them for a while on the stove with some cinnamon and brown sugar before adding them to the batter

For the streusel:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and lemon zest until smooth. Whisk in the milk until well combined. Add the apples and than pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix just until combined. Mix the streusel ingredients until well blended. Spray a muffin pan and put one scoop of batter into the muffin cups. On top of each scoop of batter, place 1 tablespoon of streusel and pat down a bit. Place another scoop of the batter on top of the streusel. Place one more tablespoon of streusel on top of that batter and pat down a bit more. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 or until lightly golden.

Time to quilt!

2011-01-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

My nesting is in full swing!
I feel the need to have ever single detail and unfinished project done by the time our
little prince arrives.

One thing that is high on my to do list is make a quilt.
I would love to wrap my sweet baby up in a beautiful quilt that I lovingly made for him.

Up until last night I was feeling really overwhelmed my that task.
If I didn't have a 2 year old and a husband who was gone until 8:00 pm every night it wouldn't be a problem, but I do.

My friend Suzi's friend, Vanessa, just started her own craft blog, and she is an amazing quilter!

Score for my team!
She is starting out by giving step by step instructions to wake this amazing quilt!

Yes Please!

She is going to break it down into a few weeks, so you have time to complete each step and not get over whelmed.

So who's in, who's going to join me in making this adorable quilt?
Head over to Vanessa's blog and check it out.

Lella Boutique

I will keep you posted on my progress!

Apple Pie

2011-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

There is nothing as simple and great as apple pie.
I am kicking off the new year on a great note with a yummy classic.
It has a flaky moist crust, flavorful and not runny filling and a sweet crumbly top!

This apple pie is the prefect combination of 3 different recipes.
It uses my Mom's pie crust recipe,
pie filling from Our Best Bites,
and topping from my Sister in Law.

My sweet Husband thinks we should have a tradition on apple pie every Sunday night,
I don't think that will happen, but we have been eating it a lot more since we found a recipe that we absolutely love!
Pie Crust-
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 1/2 cups Crisco
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vinegar

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together. Cut in Crisco, with a pastry blender or 2 forks. Mix together egg, water and vinegar; add to flour and Crisco mixture. Blend together until fully mixed. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Makes 2 pie crusts.

Roll out enough dough for one pie crust. Gently place into pie plate, pinch edges.

Apple Filling-
6 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour(I use 2 1/2 - 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter, chopped

Combine lemon juice and apples in a large bowl.. Combine 1/2 c. sugar and next four ingredients, mixing well. Spoon over apple mixture, tossing gently. Spoon filling evenly into pastry shell and dot with chopped butter.

Crumble Struesel Topping-
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, chilled
cinnamon and sugar

Mix flour, sugar and salt together, cut in chilled butter.

Pour over pie filling, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 50 minutes more. Definitely keep an eye on the pie; you may need to make a shield if it starts getting too brown. If you get worried, go ahead and make a square of foil, cut a center out of the foil, and place it on the pie so the foil covers the edge of the pie.

Enjoy with a BIG scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Candy Cane Kisses Cookie

2010-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas!
I especially love the food,
one perfect combination is mint and chocolate, yummy.

I found this wonderful recipe on Our Best Bites,
Candy Cane Kisses Cookies.
I love this site and it has never steered me wrong.
I did tweaked the recipe a little bit for my personal tastes.
Give it a try, I dare you to eat just one!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4c. milk chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Please Mom, can I have just one?

Oh yes yes yes, YUMMY!

How could I resist those blue eyes?

Etsy Sale

2010-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Time to kick off Cyber Monday here on Everyday Heaven!

I am having a sale in my Etsy Store!

Snicklefritz Shoppe

Custom applique t-shirts, and you can personalize them with your child's name!
SO FUN!

Now you can see what has been keeping me so busy,
besides my husband, 1 year old, being pregnant, church, and family.

Enter the code:
CHRISTMAS2010

and get 15% off!

If you don't see exactly what you are looking for drop me a line and I will whip it up for you.

Taco Soup

2010-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have found the time to once again grace you with my presence
and recipes!

The rainy season has started here in Seattle,
so that means I will be depressed and gloomy until May.

To help combat the winter blues I needed a little comfort food.
I tried a new recipe from my friend Margaret.
I have always planned on trying taco soup sometime, but never have before.

It was really yummy and even Eli loved it.I loved that we all got to top with with whatever we want.
I put everything in the crockpot and forgot about it, love it!
Give it a try, I know you will love it!

Taco Soup

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes-(I used (2) 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes)

1. Brown meat and add 1/2 taco seasoning to meat.
2. Add all ingredients into crockpot, including second half of taco seasoning.
3. Heat on high for 4 hours.
4. Top with sour cream, grated cheese, lime, avocado, green onions, cilantro, whatever!

Christ Tile

2010-09-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!
It has been a emotional and exhausting week our house.
I will get more into it next week, but today I want to celebrate
that we made it through the week.

Last Sunday I was in charge of teaching the lesson for the
12-18 year old girls at church.
My lesson was on the Last Supper and the Sacrament.

I wanted to do something really special, so they will always
remember how important the Sacrament is.

I got in touch with one of my favorite people ever,
Karen, and happens to have a wonderful business,
Karen's Vinyl Village

I emailed Karen about possibly getting a vinyl image of Christ.
After I typed the words in the email I wondered if it would even look like Christ.
When she emailed me back she showed me a picture, and it was perfect.

Karen did the Christ picture,
and I did the words with my Cricut.
The tile is 4 x 4.

I think it turned out really well,
and all the girls really appreciated it.

My latest Cricut obession- T-shirt vinyl

2010-08-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

You know I love anything that I can do with my Cricut.

Now there is something new and exciting to get my creative juices flowing.

It you haven't heard of t-shirt vinyl you are missing out.
You cut it out like regular vinyl,
but then you iron it on to your t-shirt,
amazing!

Check out this video from my favorite place to buy vinyl,
Expressions Vinyl

So much fun!!!!!

Dirt and Worm's cupcakes

2010-08-23T13:22:00.001-07:00

There has been a total lack of blogging around here,
and I am totally guilty.

Summer has taken a hold of me!
My husband was taking a summer chemistry class.
The semester was only 6 weeks, so it was 3 nights a week, and very intense.
Now that the class is over, I feel free!!!!

We are trying to cram as much fun into the few weeks of freedom that we have.

Here are the cupcakes that I made for Cupcake Sunday, for my girls at church.
I had some left over gummy worms from our weekend camp out.

I was inspired my the dirt and worms desert.
It is a chocolate cup cake, filled with vanilla cream.
Topped with chocolate buttercream frosting, crushed oreo's and gummy worms.

If you want instructions on how to fill your cupcake, head over to.
Our Best Bites for a little tutorial.

Craft Room part 1

2010-08-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone-
My name is Kami, and I have a problem

My problem started a little over a month ago,
and now it is completely out of control.
I have decided the best way to get it under of control is to talk about it and share it with the world.

So no judging,
I am going to share with you a deep, dark secret.

My craft room is a mess!

Prepare yourself, I am going to show you a picture.

I know, you can't even see the floor.
And isn't the color beautiful?
We have paint to paint it, but I can't even get in there to paint right now.

My biggest problem is that I have no storage and no table,
so everything is in boxes and on the floor.

Here is the closet, it doesn't look too bad right?
Until you look at the floor.

Oh wait, the floor is missing again.

I am going to tackle this room this week!
I am free of some extra responsibilities this week, and I am going to use this time wisely.

I don't want to be 6 months down the road and say,
oh I have a craft room, but I have never used it.

So this is the last time you are going to see this disaster!
Goodbye mess,
Hello floor!

Etsy

2010-08-09T08:51:00.001-07:00

We are all kinds of exciting around here.
We could just throw our hands up and
shout hooray!

Today I opened my own Etsy store!
It is something I have been thinking about for a while,
and I finally got brave and took the plunge.

I posted some onesies and t-shirts that I made, including the Elmo shirt Eli is wearing.
I will be posting more things through out the day.
Head on over and check it out...

Snicklefritz Shoppe

Now drop and give me 20!

Family Established Sign

2010-08-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here is another quick and easy vinyl project.

I had wanted one of these signs since we got married,
and since I can now cut vinyl I did it myself.

When I was looking online for tutorials about cutting vinyl I came across a great idea about how to make sure that the lines are straight.

Use the paper that comes in the frame, measure and draw the lines on that paper.
Then you put the paper back in the frame.
When you place the vinyl on the glass just put it on the line.
So easy, and then if you are like me and constantly worry about it being straight,
you know it is already perfect.

Swiffer Sweeper Vac

2010-08-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

Why didn't anyone tell me this would change my life?

When we moved we got hardwood floors!
I was so excited to not have carpet in the dinning room.
And now that we have hardwood and I see how much food ends up under our table,
I don't want to know what use to end up in our carpet.

But no one ever told me how hard it was to sweep hardwood, and so much of it.

So I have been eying this on the commercials and finally broke down and got one.
$40, and totally worth it!

No more dust pan!
Quick and easy.
I can sweep the kitchen in 30 seconds!

Why didn't anyone tell me that this would save me oodles of time.
And now I can sweep more often, and I wont have to worry about stuff stuck on the bottom of my feet!

Exhausted!

2010-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

We spent a quick weekend in Utah.
We were there less than 48 hours.
We have been home almost as long as we were there,
and I still can't get it together.

I promise I will be back to normal tomorrow,
I hope!

She hit the nail on the head!

2010-07-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Some day's are better than others.
Some day's I have ton's of patience, others not so much.
Some nights I prepare wonderful meals, some times we go to Taco Bell.
Some day's I am very productive, other day's I don't get out of my PJ's until after 2:00PM.

I love Beckie at Infarrantly Creative.
He blog was one of the first that I read.
Yesterday she had an amazing post.
No craft or furniture transformation, but some good honest truth.

She is dead on.
Read it, it will make your day, and change how you feel about yourself.

Infarrantly Creative

Peach Cobbler

2010-07-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

I love fresh fruit dessert!
Oh Yum Yum Yum
When we were first married I wanted my Husband to know I really was a good cook,
and that I hadn't just tempted with my skills to get a ring.

That first summer we were married peaches were really cheap.
And what is the best thing you can do with peaches?
Peach Cobbler

I stumbled across this recipe and it was an instant hit.
We had my friend Julie over once so she could see how great it really was.
Her response was,
"I just want to jump in the pan and roll all over in it!"

Now every time I make it we joke about rolling all over in it.

I think my favorite part is that the peaches go on top of the cobbler,
so as it bakes the juices from the peaches coats the cobbler crust,
making it have a nice crisp and sweet crust.

Is anyone drooling yet?

Okay, I wont hold out any longer.
Here is the recipe, now run to the store and buy those peaches.

Peach Cobbler

4 large fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar, for peaches
1 1/2 cup sugar, for batter
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 dashes nutmeg, 1 for batter and 1 for peaches
2 dashes cinnamon, 1 for batter and 1 for peaches
1 1/2 cup milk

Mix peach slices with 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 dash cinnamon and 1 dash nutmeg, set aside.

Pour melted butter over bottom of 9 X 13 baking dish.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and sugar; stir in milk, until just combined.

Pour over mixture over butter.

Top with peaches.

Bake at 375* for 45 minutes. (In our new house with the gas oven, we have found that it is more like 60 minutes. You want to crust to me nicely browned and crunch, or the inside will be gooey.

Enjoy the amazing smell to fill your house, and try not to roll all over in it.

I made this last week and forgot and forgot the baking powder,
it was not good!

Don't forget the baking powder!

FAMILY wall hanging

2010-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

I actually started this project a few months ago, and like many projects I start,
I never quite finished it.

I am determined to be better at completing projects, not just doing projects.
So no better place to start than something I never finished!

It is hard to believe that this cute sign was once this....

A little too country for my taste, but great potential.
I got it at Goodwill for something like $2.00.

Let me tell you those red apples were a chore to cover up, but I am strong believer that spray paint can fix just about anything.

I painted the underside aqua, and then decided I wanted it red, so I painted over it.
Then I decided to try and see if I could gently sand off the red on the border, so the aqua would peek through.

Success!

Then I used my Cricut to cut out "Family" with different coordinating red and aqua papers.
Then I used turquoise vinyl for the saying at the bottom.

I was all done and ready to hang it up when I turned it over and ran into a problem.

Oops!
The hangers are on the bottom!

That is why I never finished this project.
So today I glued a ribbon to the back so I could finally hang it.

Project complete, finally!
A prefect home about the pantry door.
More aqua and red, I am addicted to that color combination

A special thanks to my cute assistant who was "helping" by turning the lights off and on when I was trying to take pictures.

The Red Hutch

2010-07-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Let me take you back to when my Husband and I were first married.
We were young college students, in love and completely broke!

One day I found this AMAZING store called Real Deal's on Home Decor, oh be still my heart!
I would go there and just drool over everything.

Enter the Red Hutch.
One day I was wandering around the store when my gaze came upon something so beautiful that I could not take my eyes off of it.
It was the red hutch.
It was a beautiful corner hutch, with shelves and lights.

I had to have it!I looked at the price, hoping for some miracle that maybe I could afford it.
It was not.
It was $350!
But it was 50% off, so it was a great deal, I can't turn down a deal.

I went home without the hutch, but determined to find a way to be able to afford it.
We could eat ramen every night for the rest of the semester.
I could sell my plasma twice a week.
I was desperate, I was willing to do anything.

I went back to the store the next day determined to buy my hutch and figure out how to pay for it later. When I went back, my hutch was gone.
It was for the best.My Husband would have killed me and I like ramen, but not that much.

Since that day I have been on a quest to have my own red hutch.
Since we moved into our new house, I now have a garage to work in.
I had been searching Craigslist for one that will do, and finally found it.

Here she is!
$75 dollars, and in need of a bit of a face lift.

First I sanded and primed.

Then I pained it red. This is when I knew something had gone wrong. It wasn't quite right, the red was off.

So I got some antiquing glazed and slathered it on.

It still wasn't right. Then as I went to get more paint. I realized I was using the wrong color paint.
Oh snap!

I decided that my hutch had to be just right, so I painted it again.
It turned out great with the antiquing poking through in spots.

Notice how the picture above is a lot more of an orange red, so glad I painted over.

A new set of knobs and it is prefect!

Still a little more decorating to go, but I am completely in love with my red hutch.
And now i have a home for my place mats and serving dishes.

I am going to be linking this post to-

Angel Food Cake

2010-07-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Natalie loves her Angel Food Cake.
I have heard a lot about it, and she promised once I tried it I would never go back to boxed,
she was right!

Super yummy, and delicious with some strawberries!
Check out Natalie's food blog, she has a ton of great recipes.

Angel Food Cake

Note-assemble all the ingredients before beginning, have all the flour and sugar measured and ready to be added before beginning

1 cup cake flour, sifted
¼ cup sugar

Sift flour and sugar together

1 ¾ cup egg whites, room temperature (about 13 eggs)
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond flavoring
¾ tsp salt

Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar one teaspoon at a time. Add vanilla, almond flavoring and salt, and continue beating.

1 ¼ cup sugar

Beat and add 2 Tbs sugar until 1 ¼ cup sugar has been added. Continue beating until stiff. It must hold a peak when beater is lifted.

Fold in flour and sugar mixture. Add half the flour and sugar, fold in. Then add the rest of the flour/sugar and fold in. (Continue to fold until there are no lumps-almost 100 folds, do by hand-no beaters)

Gently put into ungreased angel food cake pan. Put in half the batter and gently remove air bubbles by running a knife through batter. Put in rest of batter and again remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes on lowest rack of oven. Remove from oven and immediately turn pan upside down. Don’t remove cake from pan until cake is completely cool. It takes about an hour.

Loosen cake around inner and outer edges with a knife. Give cake one hard knock to remove from pan.

Vinyl Labeled Canisters

2010-07-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Completely unnecessary, but so completely adorable.
My husband joked that he often gets the flour and sugar mixed up,
thank goodness I labeled them for him.

I got these canisters when we were first married, and I L-O-V-E them.
But they were in need of a little face lift.
Our newest move gave me the opportunity to empty and wash them.

Once again I used my Cricut to cut the letters, and in 5 minutes my kitchen is
a whole lot cuter!

Decorating in 3's!

2010-07-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday like I wanted.

Our whole day was thrown out of whack,
and off schedule.

I love the grouping of three.
I am an extremely symmetrical kind of girl.
When I was a teenage I put up glow in the dark stars all over my room.
I was determined to be random and just throw caution to the wind and put them where ever.
I thought I had been successful, until it was time to go to bed and I turned off the lights.
All of my stars were in straight lines on a diagonal.
Symmetry is in my genetics, it is part of who I am.
My Dad was a draftsman, and he was exactly the same way.

This grouping works great for me.
It is an odd number of items, which I love.
And it doesn't look like a triangle, thank goodness.
Originally I was going to put the picture of my sweet boy directly on top of the "S",
but then it did look like a triangle.

Don't mind the empty apothecary jar,
I haven't figure out what to put in it for summer

The shelf is still in need of a little love, but I think it is a great start.

Framed Monogram

2010-07-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am quickly making our little townhouse a home.
I love the extra space, hardwood floors and extra bedroom.

I am starting a new series called
From House to Home

I will show you every step that I am taking to make this house our home.

I have started several things, but the first thing I have actually finished is this
framed monogram.
It was inspired by a post at Whats Allie's Making Now
She was talking about decorating in 3's, and I spotted this cute little number.
I decided to give it my own little spin, and this is what I ended up with.

First I painted the edges of the paper mache' letter I got at JoAnn's.
Traced my "S" onto the paper, cut it out them Mod Podged it to the "S".
Looped the ribbon around the frame and the "S" and hot glued it.
I was lucky enough to already have a frame that didn't have glass,
thanks to a husband or toddler who broke it.

I think it is so cute, and it totally reminds me of my friend Kristin,
who is moving to Iowa, today-tear tear!
She loves herself a good monogram!

Come back on Monday and see how I decorate in 3's, just like Allie suggested.

Memphis-Style Coleslaw

2010-07-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived here in Seattle, Hallelujah!
I am ready to slather on sunscreen and sit by our little pool.
Some foods just scream summer, and coleslaw is one of them.
This recipe from Our Best Bites for coleslaw is spot on.
It has just the right taste, I think it is the celery seed, perfect.

It even looks so pretty before you mix it together!

Memphis-Style Coleslaw
recipe from Ourbestbites.com

1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 heaping tsp. Kosher salt (or an even 1/2 tsp. of table salt)
1 Tbsp. grated onion
2-2 1/2 tsp. celery seed (absolutely essential for classic coleslaw flavor)
1 16-oz. bag shredded cabbage with carrots (stay away from the very fine shreds because they'll get too soggy)
1/2 minced green bell pepper
1 carrot, peeled and grated

Okay, peeps, this is rocket science. Combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, and celery seed. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and green pepper.

Toss with dressing and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to about 3 days (or when it's unjustifiably soggy).

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-07-06T14:05:00.001-07:00

Did everyone have a wonderful 4th?
We had a great time with good friends and amazing food.

Our menu came from one of my favorite food blogs ever, Our Best Bites
We had BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, holy yummy and super easy.

I went out on a limb and made coleslaw. We are not a coleslaw loving family, but Our Best Bites promised that it was the right thing to do, and they were right.

By the time we were eating the leftovers, my Coleslaw hating husband was piling it on top of his sandwich, just like they suggested.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika or liquid smoke

1-1 1/2 bottles BBQ Sauce

About 12 high-quality rolls
Memphis-style Coleslaw
Thick-cut dill pickle slices

Rinse pork roast well in cold water and trim of excess fat. This is important because sometimes, boneless pork shoulder (and bone-in pork shoulder, for that matter) can take on kind of an icky fishy odor and a lot of that smell is in the juices and the fat. Pat dry. Sprinkle roast with seasonings and place in your slow cooker. Add about 1/2 inch of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the roast has cooked, drain liquid and then return to the slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so it's well-incorporated but not soupy. Return the lid to the crockpot and heat through.

When ready to serve, slice rolls and add meat. Top with coleslaw and a few slices of dill pickle.

Don't worry, I wont leave you hanging about that amazing Coleslaw, it's coming tomorrow!

4th of July T-Shirt

2010-07-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

Of course I had to make my little guy a T-shirt to sport for our Independence Day festivities.

I was inspired by the votives I made earlier.
I was planning on doing the aplique in blue, but my Husband thought red would look best, he was right.

I had a hard time getting my model to stand still, he wanted to play in the rain.

Here is a close up..

What else can I put that silhouette on???

Picking Paint

2010-06-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

We got moved into our new place,
and we are totally in love with this house.

It is perfect for us in every way.
There are still boxes everywhere, but we have gotten a lot done.

One thing on the top of my priority list is to paint.
My future craft room/office is now a lovely shade of hot pink.
It use to belong to an 8 year old girl, but since I am not 8, it kind of hurts my eyes.

So I picked out a ton of color chips that I liked and my fiend Kristin and I settled on 2 colors that we want to use in the house. To my surprise they were from the same collection.
I am itching to paint, but I am waiting until we get are apartment completely cleaned and turned the keys in.

So here are our color choices:

What do you think?
Quaking grass for the craft room
Alpine Valley for the living room

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think, good or bad!

Father's Day Salmon

2010-06-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of another move around here.
Sadly we have moved so much that I should be able to pack in my sleep.
So I will quickly share with you part of our wonderful Father's Day menu and then get back to all of those empty boxes that need to be filled.

For some reason I decided that Father's Day meant we needed to eat salmon.
I found this wonderful recipe for salmon on one of my favorite sites ever, Your Homebased Mom.
When I grow up I want to be LeighAnne.
If you haven't checked out her site, you need to, you will be glad you did.
On to the salmon...
It was a wonderful marinate and the finished product was perfect.

Marinaded Salmon and Sauce

2 lb salmon with skin on

6 Tablespoons brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tablespoon apple juice

¼ bunch fresh chopped dill –I didn't have any

1 tsp crushed juniper berries (optional) – left these out

Place salmon skin side down in baking dish. Mix ingredients in bowl and spread evenly over fish. Marinate minimum of 4 hrs. (I got a late start and only marinaded it for 30 minutes and it was divine but my salmon was very fresh. Maybe if it is not as fresh you might want to marinade it longer. Logan marinaded his the full 4 hours and the salmon did not have any skin on it and it still worked great)

Pour off excess juices and reserve for sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400 and bake 15-20 min maximum

Sauce:(Used as a side condiment)

2 T brown sugar

¼ c Dijon mustard

1 T juice from marinade

½ lemon (juice only)

¼ bunch fresh chopped dill-I didn't have any

¼ c Vegetable oil

Tabasco sauce to taste

5 T Whipped whipping cream

Mix brown sugar and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Slowly mix in veg. oil. Add remaining ingredients saving whipped cream for last.

S'more Cupcakes

2010-06-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today was what is lovingly known as Cupcake Sunday. Once a month I bring cupcakes to my girls at church to celebrate the birthday's for that month. I love how excited they get to see the cupcakes, and it is a great time for me to try out new recipes.

This month I was inspired by our weekend camping trip, where I happened to forget the makings for s'mores. What is camping without s'mores?

These cupcakes turned out great and they were super easy make. I think the best part was the marshmallow buttercream frosting. YUM. I tried a few different twists, and lets be clear, putting a marshmallow in the middle of the 2 layers does not make a marshmallow center, it just makes a gooey mess on the top, stick with just doing marshmallow frosting.

S'mores Cupcakes

1 yellow cake mix, prepared as directed
1 chocolate cake mix, prepared as directed
graham crackers

1. Scoop a large spoon full of the yellow cake mix, and 1/3 full.2. Break up graham cracker on top of yellow cake mix.
- You want the pieces to be fairly big. If they are too small they will just get mixed into the batter. You want them to be big enough to poke out the side.
3. Then finish topping with the chocolate cupcake batter.
4. Bake @ 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, softened
1 jar marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups of powdered sugar

1. Beat butter on high until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add sugar. Add sugar until you reach the right consistency.
3. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
4. Add marshmallow fluff and slowly mix in, do not over mix.
5. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with fine graham cracker crumbs.

Here's the Scoop!

2010-06-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am in charge of a Party celebrating the girls who are graduating this year.
I have tons of exciting things planned, including time capsuels and skits, hopefully it will all come together.
I will share all the exciting details with you tomorrow, but here are the invitations.

Cricut to the rescue once again.
Sweet Treat cartridge this time.

Well, off to Costco, again!

Father's Day Frame

2010-06-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last year at Michael's I saw these very cute Dad Picture frames.
By the time remembered my coupon they were all sold out.
I saw them yesterday and remembered how much I loved them last year.
Then I looked closer and noticed how cheap the frame was.
And they wanted $ 20 for it!

So I decided to make one myself, for way cheaper!
I bought mat board with my coupon, $2.50
It is near the poster board, in 20x30 sheets.
I had the frame, and so much cuter than the one at the store.

Want to make one yourself?
Come along, I'll show you how.

Here is the original frame.
Oh, when we were young and in love!

I took out the mat from the fame and traced it on my piece of mat board.

I cut out my letters with my Cricut and laid them on my mat.
If you don't have a Cricut you could print out the letters and cut them out yourself.

I laid the old mat down on top, since it happened to have 3 spaces, just to make sure the spacing was good.

Then I placed small pieces of painters tape on the back of the letters.

After I places the letters back on I used the ruler to makes sure the letters were straight.

Then trace around the letters with your Exacto/craft knife.
The mat board is fairly hard to cut so after I went around the letters in some places I had to go back and re-cut.
Be careful and go slow around the corners.

Also, you MUST use a craft mat or cardboard under while you cut.
I don't want to be responsible for ruining your kitchen table

Then pop out the pieces like a puzzle.

That's it! So easy.
Now add your favorite pictures.

Just think of all the wonderful words you could do.
And you can because that $2.50 bought you a huge piece of mat board!

Fudge Crinkle Cookies

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

My husband worked some crazy overtime this weekend,
8:00PM to about 4:00AM.
Since he was going to get to stay up all night and work while I
slept in the middle of the bed I figured the least I could do was make him a few cookies.

He first requested peanut butter cookies, but in my attempt to grocery shop as little as possible so we don't have to move our food to our new house, I ran out of butter.

I was a little shocked that I ran out of butter.
Butter is almost as important as oxygen to me!
Being a few ingredients short for most cookies, I knew that I had everything for this recipe.
Because it only takes 4 ingredients!
We have a winner.

1 box chocolate cake mix

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

Powdered sugar

Stir cake mix, oil and eggs until ball forms. Shape dough into balls. Let “dry” for a few minutes, then roll in powdered sugar. Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes, until just set and “cracked”. Remove from oven and let cookies set for about a minute before removing from pan.

Here are the boys sharing a cookie, for quality control of course!

Freezer Jam

2010-06-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love how easy freezer jam is!
We are moving in 2 weeks and I just don't have the time to commit to the real deal.

Aren't those little jars the cutest thing ever!
Way cuter than those plastic freezer jars!

Have a great weekend, and do something cute and Heavenly.
I will be packing, wish me luck!

Independence Day Votives

2010-06-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

Independence Day is just around the corner!
My friend Leslie loves to remind people that saying 4th of July is like referring
to Christmas as 25th of December.

Anyway, as I was packing for our current move, yes our 7th move in 4 years I found these lonely little votives. They are actually left over from our wedding reception. The ironic part is we had an outdoor reception in June. The reception was from 6-9, so it never got dark enough to see the candles, and I don't think they ever got lit.

So I took these sad and slightly pathetic looking votives and turned them into something wonderful.
Together with my Cricut and a little vinyl we took these votives from this....

To these....

They turned out sooo cute, and I couldn't be happier with them.
It seriously took me about 20 minutes.

I used A Child's Year cartridge, which is deffinetly my favorite cartridge.
Aren't those silhouettes so sweet!

Just be sure to clean off the glass with rubbing alcohol before you start.
You want to have a clean surface for the vinyl to stick to.

Can you see these all over the table of your Independence Day celebration?

Taco Skillet

2010-06-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sounds crazy, but taco's and pasta do go together.
This recipe actually comes from my Husbands Sister in Law, JayneAnne.

It is super easy and super thrifty.
Just top with anything that you would top your taco with.

1 lb. ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
1 packet taco seasoning
2 ½ cup water
2 cups raw macaroni

Brown meat with onion, when cooked drain hamburger. Add taco seasoning, water and raw hamburger. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2010-06-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Another week, another cupcake recipe.
I have been making a lot up cupcakes around here,
and I don't mind one bit.

My husband said these were his favorite ever cupcakes!
That must mean they were pretty amazing.
He can thank The Cake Mix Doctor for this recipe,
and you can thank me later!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)
1 package plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 package (1 pound) frozen cookie dough (see "the Cupcake Doctor says" below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Cut the frozen dough pieces in half to make 24 pieces. Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting. They may sink a bit in the center

5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

The Cupcake Doctor says...

If you use the 18-ounce logs of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (instead of the 1-pound packages of frozen dough), cut them into 24 equal pieces and freeze them before using them in this recipe. It's important to use frozen dough, because you don't want it to bake completely and become a cookie. You want the center to be gooey when you bite into it.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2010-05-21T12:50:00.001-07:00

Holy Yumminess!
These are some of the most amazing cupcakes I have ever had.
Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie, toss in a cupcake and tada!
These make 3 dozen cupcakes
We took them to a few families last night,
and now I am trying not to eat the rest.
Oh and did I mention the Cinnamon Butter cream Frosting?
Just stick my face in the bowl!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

3 cups cake flour

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp.baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 sticks butter, softened,

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 c buttermilk

cinnamon sugar: 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

Oven preheat to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients (except for cinnamon sugar). With paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 -3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour. Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sgar mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

My favorite buttercream frostng. You can leave the cinnamon out for a regular buttercream.

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

With the paddle attachment cream butter until smooth and creamy for 2-3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 3 cups sugar, milk and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary gradually add remaining cup of sugar to reach desired consistency.

Chicken Gyros

2010-05-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

I love me some Greek food.
Even the smell of this chicken marinating makes me crazy.

This original recipe had a recipe for pitas and taziki.
They were pretty food, but not worth the work in my opinion.
The pitas and taziki that I get at Winco are great, and it saves me a lot of time.

Greek Chicken Marinate

4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Whisk all all ingredients together until smooth.
Add chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Grill up the chicken. Let rest for 5 minutes and then slice.
Wrap chicken in pita. Top with lettuce, diced tomato, cucumber, thinly sliced red onion and tzatziki sauce.

Homemade Cleaning Formulas

2010-05-05T14:44:00.001-07:00

Last night I went to a class at church about cleaning and organizing.
They shared some homemade cleaning formulas that are cheap and easy to make.
I haven't tried them yet, but as soon as I will soon.

-All Purpose Cleaner-
(Great for glass)
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup water
4 drops of essential oil(optional-for fragrance and antibacterial properties)
2 drops of liquid dish detergent

Mix together, use in a spray bottle

-Soft Scrub-
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
2 tsp vegetable glycerin(acts as a preservative)
2-4 drops of essential oil(optional)
Mix together and store in a sealed glass jar.
Has a shelf life of about 2 years

Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Fruit Pizza

2010-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am sure there are a million recipes out there for fruit pizza, but I think that mine is the yummiest.

It is super easy and delicious!

"Crust" is sugar cookie dough
"Sauce" is 1 jar marshmallow fluff and 1 container fruit cream cheese

Top with any fruit your heart desires!

Lost in the world of blogging!

2010-05-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? I have been lost, lost in the world of blogging.

I got overwhelmed with life and blogging, kind of forgot and then got a little discouraged.

But I am back, I need to be back.
I have been inspired by a cookbook that I am putting together.
I am making a cookbook to give as a graduation gift to young women that I work with at church.
I have realized that I have a lot to share, and I love sharing and receiving.

So I will be back to posting on a regular basis.
Hopefully there are still a few people out there.
And if you are out there, thank you!

First Giveaway!

2009-10-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

It is time to celebrate!!!! Here is my first giveaway. We are celebrating the start of something new, a new blog. Hip to be Tied is going to feature fashionable and sassy aprons.

To kick things off I am giving away one of my Hip to be Tied aprons.

This is the giveaway apron, isn't it super cute!

To be entered into the giveaway leave a comment telling me what you think about the aprons.
Blog about it or leave a comment on facebook and get another entry(Leave a separate comment)
Have a friend leave a comment, and if they mention that you sent them over, and you get another entry!

Giveaway ends Sunday November 1, 9:00 PM PST

I am having technical difficulties with Hip to be Tied, hopefully it will be up and running by this afternoon. So take a look at them -Here they are!!!

What's for dinner magnets

2009-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes we have a really hard time deciding what to have for dinner. Not really because we both want different things, but mostly because we forget what we like to make.

We go for a while making a few things pretty often, then we get tire of it, put it on the back burner of our menu's and forget about it.

To help solve that problem I came up with some What's for dinner magnets. I typed up all of the dinners that we like and printed them out on card stock. Them I cut them up into strips and attached small pieces of magnet strips to the back.

Now we can put what we are having for diner on it's respective night on our white board calendar. Now all of the dinners that we love are out in the open and easier to remember. Now I am on the hunt to make something cute to hold all of our dinner magnets.

Are you excited for my first giveaway? I am sooo excited and can hardly wait. Do you want a sneak peak, okay you talked me into it. Are you ready............ here it is!

Okay, I couldn't put just one, here is one more!

I'm all out of wisdom!

2009-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

I had my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday, and all I can say is YIKES! I honestly think that I would rather have a baby than have my teeth out again, it has been that bad.

I had these grand fantasies that I would be able to sit on the couch blogging and sewing while I recovered, not so much. Until this morning I have had an extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Even the hum of my sewing machine was too much for me. A switch in pain meds is making today much more bearable.

am so lucky that my husband has been able to stay home and help. I am thankful that he has a job that allows him to work from home.

So I will start fresh on Monday, with something very exciting, my first giveaway!!

I'll see you on Monday, I can't wait!

Grippy Socks

2009-10-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Eli is on the move! That means nothing in our house is safe, including him! To help keep him a little safer I made him some grippy socks. Call me crazy, but I love socks from the hospital. When I was 12 I had my appendix out. My first question when they told me I could go home was if I could keep the socks!

To make these super simple socks I whipped out some puff paint, do you remember that. I remember decorating t-shirts with puff paint way back in the day. I got the idea to do it on the socks from my Mom. She put my initial on the bottom of a bunch of new socks that I got when I was younger. That helped keep track of who's were who's and it made matting the socks a breeze.

On Eli's socks I tried to be a little more creative than just his initial. I have to admit I had ton's of fun. Hopefully this help at least a little with the slipping and sliding, but even if it doesn't, it is super cute to see the things on the bottom of his feet while he crawls around.

Philly Cheesesteaks

2009-10-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is what we are having for dinner tonight, jealous? You should be. These are amazing, and super easy. This picture is from when we had them for dinner last week, and we are having them again this week, they are that good. And so easy to prepare. These days how much work it takes has a lot to do with how good the meal is for me. There was a bit of chopping, but I did it during nap time and I was amazed how quickly it went without 100 interruptions.

I love a good Philly Cheesesteak. There is an amazing restaurant in Michigan where my sister lives. I actually had my first Cheesesteak there at Big Johns, and I was in love. Once my Mom was visiting my sister and she actually got one, got a cooler and brought it home with her all the way to Idaho. For years no other has compared to Big Johns, until this recipe.

Heres a shout out to Our Best Bites, where this recipe came from. Those girls are amazing, check them out.

This recipe calls for a food processor, and I don't have one, but honestly it wasn't bad at all. I froze my steak for about an hour and a half before I sliced it, easy as can be. Just remember to slice thin. That is what will make it tender no matter what cut of meat you do. So with out further ado here is the recipe for the picture you have been drulling over.

Philly Cheesesteaks

1 lb. steak (you really can use any cut; since you're going to cut it up and season it heavily, there's really no need to splurge on a fillet mignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
White cheese (mozzarella or Swiss or provolone)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Hot sauce -I didn't have hot sauce, and still super yummy!
4-6 Hoagie rolls

Slice bell peppers and onions . Set aside. Slice frozen meat . Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through. Season with hot sauce to taste. It's up to you, I didn't use any and I thought they were great. Slice buns and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler (I used my toaster oven) for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty. Enjoy

Skor Cookies

2009-10-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

It is national cookie month! Isn't that a wonderful idea? I am not sure if other desserts have their own months to be celebrated, but if they don't I am going to start.

To celebrate cookie month I am going to share on of my all time favorite cookie recipes. I love Skor Bars, they are just such a yummy candy. Well they use to sell the toffee from the Skor Bar as baking chips, I am not sure what happened, but they stopped. They sell Heath chips, but they just aren't the same.

Well a few months ago I was walking through Cash and Carry and what did I spy? Skor Bar Chips, like manna from Heaven. I have not seen the real Skor Bar Chips in years. So I ended up getting this.....

Yes, that is a 3 POUND bag of Skor Bar Chips. I may never see them again, I had to act.

My first recipe using these wonderful little bites of deliciousness was my good old Skor Cookie recipe. This was one of the very first recipes that I perfected back in my beginning years of baking.

My husband thought that these were going to be a bit strange, but he was quickly converted. Once baked in the cookies the Skor pieces become soft and chewy. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, perfect!

Skor Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 (10 ounce) package Skor English toffee bits (you can use any toffee chips, but if you find Skor Chips,use those)

1. Cream together butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla
2. Mix in pre-mixed dry ingredients
3. Stir in toffee chips
4. Drop rounded teaspoons full on lightly greased cookie sheet
5. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until lightly browned
6. Cool slightly on cookie sheet, remove from sheet and place on wire rack.
7. Try not to eat them all yourself!

I must have it!!!

2009-10-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, YUM!
As every good dinner at the Cheesecake Factory should end, we got some amazing cheesecake.

It is fall time, so they have wonderful seasonal cheesecake.
I picked the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
Very excellent choice

(Don't mind the bite out of it, I couldn't help myself!)

This isn't just Pumpkin Cheesecake with pecans in it, oh no.
This is a Pecan Pie with Pumpkin Cheesecake on top!!!
Oh My Goodness

How have I ever lived with out this?
Is there a recipe out there for this?
I must have it, I must have it!

Sassy Apron

2009-10-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

I have a new sewing machine! Actually I have had it since the end of July, and I haven't used it yet, until yesterday. To my defense, my new sewing machine came at a really bad time, right after my kidney stone surgery. I have had every intention of pulling it out, but life got the better of me.

Well yesterday morning my husband sent me an email from work. We had a very busy weekend with family in town, so he told me to take the day off. Just forget about the house today, he said, and do some fun things for yourself. So I did!

In between holding my sick baby and his short naps, I got out my new sewing machine and created something beautiful. I love my new sewing machine, I don't know how I ever sewed without it before.

I had these wonderful Halloween fabrics. So I grabbed them and headed over to Make it and Love it. This wonderful blog is full of amazing tutorials.

I decided to do the super cute apron. It took a little bit of time, because Eli kept trying to help me, but once he was napping it was super fast.

I love it! And I love that I have my new sewing machine out and I am creating beautiful things once again. You can bet that there will be lots more sewing projects coming soon.

Hawaiian Haystacks

2009-10-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning! Where did the weekend go? We had a very busy weekend with family in town. Having extra family around always means lots of cooking. Saturday night I departed from my original plan for dinner and threw together some Hawaiian Haystacks.

I have no idea where the name came from. I really doubt that they are truly Hawaiian, and they don't really look like haystacks.

I love making haystacks for groups of people. Because they are completely customizable. Everyone can add just what they want, so even the pickiest of eater can be satisfied.

My sister in law commented that she really like the sauce, because it wasn't super runny. I love this sauce too, it is a combination of a few recipes that I tweaked. It isn't just a watered down cream of chicken soup, it is a real sauce, and I love that.

Hawaiian Haystacks
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1.Melt butter in sauce pan
2. Add flour, salt and milk
3. Stir well, until smooth
4. Add can of soup and chicken
5. Simmer
6. Serve over rice, top as desired

Possible Toppings

celery
Pineapple tidbits
green onions
chopped bell peppers
water chestnuts
chow mein noodles
shredded cheese
coconut
almond slivers
diced tomatoes

Stay tuned for more great cooking this week as my in-laws come to town and I throw a fabulous baby shower!

Pear Bread

2009-10-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

I love Fall! I love all of the wonderful things that come along with Fall, changing colors, cooler days, harvest, decorating for the holidays, I love it all.

One thing that I only get to bake in the Fall is Pear Bread. We have been making this for as long as I can remember. This recipe came from my Mom, but before that I have no idea. I have never heard of anyone else having Pear Bread, but trust me it is DELISH!

So run grab those wonderful Fall pears and make some yummy yummy bread!

Pear Bread
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
2 cups fresh pears, diced
2 Tablespoons vanilla

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs.
Mix dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk
Fold in pears and vanilla
Pour into 2 greased and flour bread pans

Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-09-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Once again it has been way too long since I posted. I thought our crazy schedule would end with summer, but it hasn't, I guess that is just our lives.

A few weeks ago I made some amazing cinnamon rolls. This recipe makes a ton, and they were devoured and loved by many lucky recipients. A few people asked for the recipe, so that definitely means it is a keeper. So I will let you in on the secret too.

This amazing recipe comes from a food blog that I adore, Sisters' Cafe. This blog is a go to for me. They always have a wealth of great recipes, and beautiful pictures. And since there are several sisters that contribute, you get several different styles of cooking. Give these wonderful rolls a try, and you will definitely be hooked on Sisters' Cafe too!

Cinnamon Rolls
submitted by Melanie Christensen

2 c. milk
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 pkg yeast (4 ½ tsp)
1/3 c. warm water
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
4 beaten eggs
8 c. flour
Filling: 1 square softened butter & cinnamon(lots) & sugar

Heat milk and 2 squares of butter together until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 c. flour and mix and gradually add 4 additional cups flour. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place, and raise 1 ½ to 2 hours. Dough should nearly be doubled in size. Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into rectangle, about ½ inch thick. To this half of dough, spread on ½ square of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then sprinkle a coating of sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon. Be generous with the cinnamon; this is what makes it tasty. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silpt or parchment paper. Do same thing to second half of dough. Cover with a clean dishtowel (or saran wrap sprayed with cooking spray) and put in warm place, free of drafts, for 2 to 5 hours to raise--just depends-but the should be double in size. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until barely browned. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Butter Cream Glaze:

1 cube softened butter (1/2 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

dash of cream of tarter

1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar

scalded milk or cream

Add all together...adding milk a little at a time, alternately with the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. For cinnamon rolls, it needs to be a little thinner than regular icing.

Bake it Pretty!

2009-08-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

I was waiting in a Dr. office a few weeks ago when I came across an article about this wonderful website. It only took me a few minutes to fall in love.

Look at these...

and these...

and these, these are edible!

Check out this amazing website.
So you can Bake it Pretty

I Heart IKEA!

2009-07-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our new place I was super excited about having a pantry. After the rush of moving in, our pantry turned into a bit of a black hole. Every time I opened the pantry I hated the mess that I saw. I decided that I had waited too long for a pantry, so I was going to make good use of it.

Armed with determination and the stroller Eli and I headed off to Ikea. Once again Ikea did not disappoint. I found exactly what I needed to take my pantry from a black hole to a ray of sunshine.

My favorite part is that the top of the lid has a half circle raised edge, to make stacking easier. Head to your nearest Ikea and check out the things that might make your day a little brighter.

Playing Nurse

2009-05-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Things have been so busy for me. My Mom had rotator cuff surgery last Monday, so I headed back home to play nurse. I feel like I have been running around without my head. We have been in our new apartment for almost a month, and I have been gone for 1/2 of it!

I am so excited to get back to crafting and cooking. I was able to practice some candy making skills while I was there, and I am very excited to share that with you soon. Also, my amazing husband got me a new sewing machine for Mother's Day. Creativity and crafting here I come!

5 Dollar Dinners

2009-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Who does not want to save money these days? We can't change the price of things at the store, but we can save money by shopping and cooking smarter.

I have visited this blog several times and enjoyed its frugal recipes and shopping tips. I was so excited to see her on Rachael Ray. Check out her website, and start cutting back on what you spend to feed your family.

Back for real this time

2009-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well moving, blogging and being a new Mommy was more than I could take. Now we are moved in and back to our normal lives.

I could not sleep last night, and as I was laying awake I was thinking how much I have missed creating. I have been on a bit of a cooking hiatus because everything was in boxes. I long to sew, but can't because my sewing machine eats fabric. When I scrapbook I like to lay things out everywhere, and we just didn't have the space. My heart has a need to create. I am coming to understand my need to make beautiful things better after I created my amazing baby Eli.

So I am recommitting myself to the things that make me feel complete and happy.

I made this salad a few weeks ago with leftover cabbage from St. Patrick's day. It is easy, super fast to throw together and yummy!

Oriental Chicken Salad
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1-2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
2 green onions, chopped fine
1 package Top Ramen noodles, broken
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons slivered almonds

(Dressing)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 packet Top Ramen seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine all salad ingredients, wisk together dressing, mix with salad and enjoy!

I am back, with Broccoli Special!

2009-03-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back. Eli is six weeks old now, and I figured it was time to get back to business. I have thought a lot about posting, but haven't actually gotten it done. But, I am now back by popular demand. Yes, a few people have actually asked when I was going to post again, and I was flattered.

Things have been a little crazy around here. We have had a lot of family visiting the last 2 weeks, and that takes all of your time. And I guess that we figured we were not busy enough with the new baby, we have decided to move. We are moving to a new apartment that we LOVE, and I cannot wait to decorate and make it our home.

So I will try my best between loads of endless laundry, packing boxes and feedings to keep current posts up.

One of my stand by go to side dishes is broccoli special. Broccoli Special is a dish that my Mom makes, and it is amazing. I love broccoli, and when it is on sale I will buy a ton, so I can have some with ever dinner.

Broccoli Special is super easy to make, and was originally a microwave recipe. When I moved out on my own, my first apartment did not have a microwave, so I made it on the stove top. If there is broccoli in the fridge there is usually a little Tupperware of the sauce so I can dollop it on steamed broccoli any time.

Broccoli Special

1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/3 cup cashews (optional)

1. Chop broccoli into bite sized pieces and steam. While broccoli is steaming, make sauce.
2. Cook onions in butter until soft.
3. Add sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Cook 2 minutes, until hot.
5. Serve over steamed broccoli, and top with cashews, if desired.

* I usually double the sauce, because I like it with a good helping of sauce.

Beautiful Baby Boy

2009-02-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

He is here! Here is our sweet little boy, Eli James.

Post's will be a little slow for the next few weeks, but don't worry, Eli and I will be back in no time!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-01-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

I feel like all I ever post these days are recipes. I am trying my hardest to finish up projects that I have had a hard time finishing, and I am actually enjoying it. So until they are finished, here is another recipe. It is delicious, so you have nothing to worry about.

Leigh Anne over at Your Homebased Mom is amazing, and I would sing her praises all day long if I could. Her blog was actually the first crafty blog that I visited, and since then I have been hooked. She is full of great advice, recipes, and craft ideas.

This tasty Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe comes from Leigh Anne. I have always been a Sweet and Sour Chicken fan. I have had my share of sweet and sour chicken, and some are much better than others. This recipe makes one of the better Sweet and Sour dishes that I have had.

Head over to Your Homebased Mom and check out Leigh Anne's other amazing recipes and projects!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

6 tablespoons flour seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar (I used a little bit less, to try to avoid pregnancy heartburn)

1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits (reserve juice)

1/2 cup pineapple juice (use reserved juice)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 red bell pepper, sliced (I used green, because that is what I had on hand)

1/4 cup onion, sliced

Coat chicken in flour and fry in olive oil until browned. Drain and set aside. In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, chicken broth and soy sauce. Cook and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken, peppers, onions, and pineapple. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Baby Thank You Cards

2009-01-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

With all of the things that need to be done before baby arrives, I have had a hard time finishing one of the most important, thank you cards. I start making some a few weeks ago, got frustrate and didn't go back to them. In an effort to finish more things that I start, I sat down this afternoon and got them done. They turned out so cute, and I feel so satisfied that they are done.

I got the small little rocking horses at one of my baby showers, and I have no idea where they came from. I am sure that you can find something similar at craft or dollar stores. I cut my card stock down into smaller card sized pieces and punched 2 holes in the top, threaded ribbon through the holes, put the horse on and tied a bow. Super easy, and amazingly cute. The hardest part was tying the bow. For some reason my fingers were having a hard time working together today.

These cute cards will surely show my appreciation for the time and gifts that were give on my behalf.

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-01-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today I had the pleasure to attend a very special event. I went to a tea party. Not just any tea party, I went to tea with some very special ladies. My 3 year old neighbor Jane invited me over to share a cup of tea with her and her Mom. Jane received a her beautiful new tea set for Christmas, from neighbors who love her to death, my husband and I.

I didn't want to come to the tea party empty handed, so I whipped up these fun cookies. They are super easy, and only use 3 ingredients. It doesn't get much easier than that. I topped them with pink frosting and sprinkles, perfect for a little princess tea party. Jane loved them, and I was happy to leave the left overs for my favorite little hostess.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 boxed cake mix- I used funfetti, so there were sprinkles inside too!
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly moistened. Scoop dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spatula.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes at 375. Edges should be a light golden brown. Cool cookies for one minute before removing from sheet.

Spread with your favorite frosting while still warm.

Pecan Pie

2009-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

My family loves pie, especially my Mom's pie. My memories of birthdays growing up are filled with more birthday pie than birthday cake.

My Mom makes an amazing pie, the base of which is her amazing pie crust. The crust makes the pie, it really does. If the crust of your pie is dry or tasteless, it makes the whole pie disappointing. I have actually eaten the inside of a pie and left a bad yucky crust. Really, why waste calories on something that tastes bad.

When I finally started making the pie crust on my own I was shocked at how easy it was. I wondered to myself why someone would ever buy a pre-made crust, when the delicious crust was so easy. I promise that the super easy yummy crust recipe is to come, but for now, you get a great pie recipe.... Pecan Pie!

Pecan Pie is near the top of my list of favorite desserts. It is so rich and delicious, and it has nuts so it is kind of healthy right?

I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, I am pregnant I can get away with that right?

Pecan Pie

1 cup corn syrup
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
3 whole eggs
1 heaping cup of pecans

1. Mix together corn syrup, salt, vanilla, brown sugar and melted butter.

2. Beat eggs, as if you were making scrambled eggs, add to the mixture above.

3. Pour mixture into un-baked pie crust.

4. Top with pecans

5. Bake @ 350 for 45-55 minutes.

6. Cool to room temperature.

Caramel-filled chocolate cookies

2009-01-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was whipping these up I realized that this is the first recipe that I have done for the blog that included chocolate and/or caramel. I was shocked, I love chocolate and caramel, I especially love them together.

My husband bought me a new cookbook for Christmas. My Mom laughed at that because it is like a man buying a woman lingerie. He says it's for you, but it is really for him. He gets to be the recipient of all of the wonderful fruits of the cookbook, without actually cooking. It is a win win situation for him.

These cookies come from that wonderful cookbook. Actually, they are featured on the cover. You know it is good looking food when it is on the cover of the cookbook. When I opened the book on Christmas the first thing my husband informed me was that he wanted those cookies. The he showed me a few more that he had picked out that he really wanted, he's so cute. So last night I made his dreams come true and made these cookies. I think they were everything he dreamed of and more. They were amazing cookies! And as is true with most cookies, they were the best warm, because the caramel was still warm and melted.

These are caramel-filled chocolate pieces of heaven!!! Paired with a gallon of milk, I probably could have eaten the who batch. As I was nibbling on my second cookie I would see the numbers on the scale at this weeks Doctors appointment going up, but it would totally be worth it. These cookies are great, and will become part of our regular cookie rotation. I find it hard to believe that I have lived this long without them.

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon sugar
48 round chewy caramels in milk chocolate

1. In small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Slowly beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of pecans. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes for easier handling.

2. Heat oven to 375. In small bowl, mix remaining sugar and pecans. Shape about 1 Tablespoon dough around each caramel, covering completely. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

* The original recipe then called for drizzling white chocolate over the top of the cookies. My husband insisted that they were perfect the way they were, so I did not touch them. I drizzled one with caramel for the picture. Also, my husband is not a huge fan of nuts, so I left them out of the sugar mixture that goes on top. I figured that inside the cookies would be enough for him.

Triple-Layered Lemon Bars

2009-01-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

I love citrus fruit! Oranges, lemons and limes are so refreshing. I love how it just dances over your tongue, I love it! My husband loves them too, which means that I never have to eat them alone. Yesterday so I determined that being very pregnant was not going to stand in the way of me feeling good. So I pretended all day that I felt great, and it worked. I also made these Lemon bars for my husband. They were kind of a little thank you gift for being so patient with the lack of food I have made lately and the lack of things around the house that I have done. He has been so great, he hasn't ever turned me down when I ask for a foot or neck rub, so that deserves something great. These lemon bars were perfect, and we both loved them. I was tempted to have one for breakfast, but settled on a healthier choice. I guess there is always tomorrow!

These are the best lemon bars I have ever had. They are just the right amount of tartness and sweetness. I especially love the shortbread crust. There a few steps and they are a little more time consuming than just throwing together a box of brownies, but it is completely worth it.

Crust
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour

Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Lemon Curd
4 large egg yolks
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Shortbread crust: Cream butter and sugar in mixer set on high speed. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until fully mixed. Press dough evenly into bottom of a 8x8 inch baking pan. Refrigerate until firm, approximately 30 minutes. Prick shortbread crust with fork and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until crust turns golden brown. Cool on rack to room temperature.

Cream Cheese filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth. Add egg and lemon extract and beat on medium speed until light and smooth. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate.

Lemon Curd: Blend the egg yolks with cornstarch and sugar in medium non-aluminum saucepan.
Place over low heat and slowly whisk in water and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add butter and lemon peel and cool for 10 minutes.

Assemble the Bars: Spread chilled cream cheese filling evenly over cooled cooled shortbread crust. Spread lemon curd evenly over cream cheese filling. Place pan in center of oven. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until edges begin to turn a light golden brown. Cool to room temperature on rack. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before before cutting into bars. Dust top with confectioners' sugar.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-01-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

I have found a love for pizza.

I have never been a big pizza eater, even when I was younger. There was always something that was left to be desired in pizza, as far as I was concerned. When I got pregnant, all of that changed for me. For some reason in my first trimester I craved pizza, constantly. It was a huge shock for me that I was longing for pizza, and that often it was the only thing that sounded good to me.

Now that I have moved on through this pregnancy, I no longer have a need for pizza. But there are a few types of pizza that I love anytime. One of our family favorites is BBQ Chicken Pizza. It is easy, tasty and I always have the ingredients on hand. Instead of pizza sauce you use BBQ sauce and for some reason I have always had a love affair with BBQ sauce.

I do make my own pizza crust on occasion, but I haven't lately. With only 2 of us it is a lot of work and we always have a ton of left overs. So we started using pitas as crust, and, more recently, focaccia bread. My husband loves the focaccia bread because of all the spices and herbs that are in it. And we love that they are small enough for personal sized pizzas.

We went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch on New Years Eve and my husband ordered a salad with a small BBQ Chicken pizza. The pizza there was amazing, but I was glad to know that we were making restaurant quality pizza just like it at home.

For some reason this pizza did not like getting photographed, but you get the idea.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Use BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce.
Top with Chicken, onions and mozzarella cheese.

New Years Resolutions

2008-12-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years Eve! I love the beginning of a new year, there is something so refreshing about a fresh start. I know that you can make resolutions and changes anytime of the year, but what better time then the beginning of a whole new year? I have never been very good at remembering or following through with my resolutions, and I am probably not the only one. This year I am trying to be easy on myself where my resolutions are concerned. I am having a baby in the next few weeks, so it is probably a good idea. This year I am trying to enhance my life by being more consistent with the things that I should do and enjoy doing. To help track my progress I am making a chart to go on the refrigerator. It has a striking resemblance to a chore chart, but really who likes chores, and these are things that I enjoy doing and make my life better. I find it easier to see exactly what I want to do, and have a way of tracking if I have accomplished it on a day to day basis. Just remember that if you slip up and fall of the resolution horse, tomorrow is a new day.

Feel free to print out my resolution chart and fill in your own goals on the left side.

One of my resolutions is to be better about keeping up my blog. The last few weeks have been crazy and I have fallen into a blogging blah. We got snow, and were house bound for a week or so, then Christmas and now New Years. But I love that this blog is a place for me to share the things that I love. So keep coming back, I promise to keep sharing the things that make my life extra special, and a little bit heavenly.

A Cup of Christmas Tea

2008-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is my all time favorite Christmas story, and one of my favorite stories ever! My Mom first read this in a magazine years ago. She ripped it out and we kept it. We were so excited when we found a book of this story on QVC. Sometimes QVC has amazing finds!

This is a great Christmas tradition in our family. My Mom and I always sit in front of the Christmas tree and read this story on Christmas Eve. We have read it so many times that I have it memorized. When ever I think of it, it evokes warm feelings of the true spirit of Christmas.

The story shares the experience of a man who receives a letter from his Great Aunt asking him to come visit and share some a cup of Christmas tea with her. He is reluctant to take time out of his schedule to spend time reminiscing with an old relative. When he finally gives in to visit her, he rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas that he has been missing in his life.

This a an amazing Christmas story. If you are looking for a great tradition to start with your family, this is it!

Somethings don't turn out the way you plan!

2008-12-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever made something knowing that it was going to great, followed the directions to a T and when you get the final product, DISASTER! I had one of those experiences this week and unfortunately it killed my confidence for the week. I don't have very many of scary cooking experiences, so when they happen I am always taken by surprise.

We have an "Iron Chef" type party with our neighbors every month. This month our secret ingredient was mint. I was so excited because I was going to make Candy Cane Pie. My mom had made this a few time years ago, and it was super yummy. I whipped it up late in the afternoon before the party, that is when disaster struck. Things just didn't seem to be going good from the start, but I kept pressing forward, hoping it would all come together in the end. Well, it didn't come together and by I got to the end I knew it was not going to work. I scooped my pie filling into the crust, set it aside to cool, and started to cry. Still now I don't know what happened. My fluffy yummy filling was more the consistency of snot, sorry there is no other way to describe it. There is no fixing or covering up something that bad.

My poor husband had to come home to my broken heart and disgusting pie. Soon enough he get me smiling again and he remedied the situation by whipping up some brownies and tossing in Andes mint's chips into it. Thanks Sweetie! Have you ever had a horrible cooking disaster? Did you know where you went wrong, or was it a complete surprise? Let me know. It is good to know that these things happen to the best of us.
The is my my beautiful "snot pie" in all it's glory!

Crock-pot Southwest Black Bean Chicken

2008-12-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning!

We had a very busy weekend and now I am ready to tackle another busy week full of Christmas activities and baby preparations. As things are getting busier and closer to the arrival of our little man I am searching for more ways to save time. One of the best ways I have found to free up time is to let the crock-pot do the cooking for me. I love the idea of tossing the food in and letting it cook all day, and not having to worry about it.

This is one of our favorite crock-pot recipes. We have tried several variations of this recipes, some involving cream cheese, some involving shredding the chicken and other things. After trying them all this is our favorite, it is the right combination of everything. It is so delicious and so easy, and we are always so excited about how yummy it is.

Picture courtesy of The Sister's cafe

Crock-pot Southwest Black Bean Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn or 1 can of corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of salsa-if you want spicier, add a hotter salsa
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado
diced tomatoes

If you are using frozen corn place it on the bottom of the crock-pot, then place chicken on top. If you are using canned corn place the chicken on the bottom of the crock-pot, and then the corn on top of the chicken. Then add drained black beans and salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks, mix back in with black bean mixture. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings. Eating with tortilla chips really gives it the best taste, it is the salt and the crunch.

We have a small crock-pot, so we down size the recipe for our needs. It is not an exact science, so we do several small chicken pieces that fit in the crock-pot and the regular amount of corn, black beans and salsa. The little crock-pots only have an on/off setting, usually about 4 hours is the perfect amount of time to cook.

Fabulous Find- Peppermint Ice Cream

2008-12-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts about any holiday is the food associated with it. One of my favorite Christmas time foods is Peppermint Ice Cream. Creamy ice cream and crushed candy cane pieces are the perfect combination. This ice cream is great paired with brownies, sundaes or right out of the carton. I always get so excited when I see this holiday favorite waiting in the frozen food aisle. It is so yummy. Give it a try, I know you will love it!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinna-Bun Pull-Aparts

2008-12-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

I made these months ago, and never posted the recipe. These are so yummy. I brought them to ladies get together, and everyone raved about them. Everything about these are perfect. I placed a piece of aluminum foil under the pan to catch any drips, but be sure not to use a cookie sheet. Also, make sure you cover the top as instructed. Mine took closer to 45 minutes to cook so keep an eye on them. Invite people over to help eat these, they are so addicting that you might want to eat them all.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinna-Bun Pull-Aparts

20 Rhodes Bake and Serve Rolls, thawed
1 lb. light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)

In a bowl, combine cream cheese with ¼ cup brown sugar and combine well with spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator.
Lightly coat bottom of bundt pan with cooking spray.
Melt butter, then add remaining brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a light boil to caramelize then pour 1/3 of the butter/brown sugar mix across bottom of bundt pan.
Remove cream cheese mix from refrigerator. Take one roll at a time into your hands and pull outward on sides to increase size slightly. Place approximately 1 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into middle of roll. Fold dough around the mixture, pinch closed, then roll into a tight ball.

Evenly place 8 balls across bottom of bundt pan. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of sugar/cinnamon. Pour second 1/3 of the brown sugar/butter mixture over 8 buns. Repeat process with remaining 12 dough balls for second layer. First the dough balls, 2 Tbsp. sugar/cinnamon and finally the remaining butter/brown sugar mix.

Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour then bake for 45-60 minutes at 350°. You will need to lay a piece of foil over top of pan after about 40 minutes when the buns start looking browned.
Remove from oven then immediately turn over onto large plate. Remove bundt pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

2008-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I love Black Friday, I am no sure why, I just do. There is just something electric in the air. The beginning of everything Christmas, the excitement of a killer deal, gets me excited just thinking about it. Don't get me wrong though there are some things I don't love about Black Friday too. By the end of the morning I feel so over stimulated that I can barely function. So many people, usually women, means way too much estrogen. Some women take this shopping day way too seriously and if you get in their way, watch out sister, she'll take you out.

So if you have weighed the pros and cons of Black Friday and decided that you are going to brave the insanity, don't go ill prepared. This crazy shopping day can go from bad to worse very quickly, so be prepared. Here are some of my tried and true tips to make it out of the Black Friday rush alive, only a little battered, and most importantly a trunk full of Christmas goodies!

1. Dress in layers- It usually starts out pretty cold early in the morning, but as the hours progress you will get warmer, especially driving a cart like a race car driver. You will want to be able to easily remove layers as you go, for optimal comfort. If you are going to a super crazy store like Wal-Mart(which I have never have and never will enter on Black Friday), try to leave your coat in the car. With so many people the last thing you want to worry about is carrying your coat around.

2. Wear comfy shoes- You would think that this would be obvious, but it is not. This is definitely a time to put comfort over fashion. I have seen women hobbling around a store and feel so sorry for her knowing that she has a morning of pain and suffering ahead of her.

3. Bring a list & the add- Organization is key in a successful shop. You don't want to wander around the store going through the same aisle 5 times getting things you forgot you wanted. For each individual store have a list of exactly what you want to purchase, including sizes that you need. For that store bring along the add. You want to have the add in case you need to double check a price or see exactly it was that you wanted. Mark the item that you want boldly with a sharpie and or highlighter, so you can find it easily filling through the add.

4. Bring a Buddie- If at all possible bring a friend of family member with you. Good company always seems to lighten the stress. It is also great to have an extra shopping team mate with you. You can break up the shopping list and divide and concur the store. It is also a great way to speed through the line. One person stands in the inevitably long line, while the other person finishes the shopping. With 2 people there is no need wait until you are completely done shopping if there are long lines.

5. Bring snacks- Shopping takes a lot of energy! Come prepared for the morning dip in blood sugar with snacks. You will regret it if you don't when your tummy starts to growl and all you have is a credit card. I love to go to Fred Meyer because they provide the snacks. They always has hot chocolate, cider, doughnuts and fruit.

6. Listen to Christmas music- Nothing makes me feel Holly and Jolly like Christmas music. Enjoy the spirit of the season by cranking up the tunes. If you dare you can even sing along. Sing- a-longs always lighten the mood, right?

Well I hope that your Black Friday shopping experience is a success and you come home happy and satisfied with your amazing bargains!

Creamy Chicken Potato Soup

2008-11-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello- I am glad to get back into the swing of crafting and cooking.

As part of the new and more organized meal planning that I am doing, I am adding more soups to my cooking rotation. I guess it is technically still fall, but it feels like winter, and that cool winter air makes me long for a pot of soup simmering on the stove.

This recipe originally came from The Sisters' Cafe Blog, but I made a few changes to make the recipe my own. This recipe was very easy, just a lot of chopping and simmering. My husband loved it, and said that it ranked right up with the other soups that I make.

Creamy Chicken Potato Soup

lb chicken (breasts or combination)

1 onion, diced

6 slices of bacon

2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)

4-5 potatoes, diced small

1 c milk

1/4 c flour

8 oz package cream cheese

1. Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.

2. Fry bacon in the pot you will be using for the soup. Fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and saute' onions in bacon drippings. Add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.

3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Add chicken and cream cheese into the soup mixture. Slightly soften cream cheese in microwave, then add to soup in little pieces.Simmer until melted and well combined. Add in crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

2008-11-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

I am sure that you thought that I had fallen off the face of the earth, nope I've just been sick. The only thing I think that is worse than being sick, is being pregnant and sick. It seems that as soon as I start thinking I'm better, the next day I am feeling horrible again. So feeling better or worse I was determined to get something posted this week.

This recipe comes from a site that I love. Leigh Ann at Your Homebased Mom is amazing! She has yummy recipes that I love and tons of fun decorating and holiday ideas.

There are 2 reasons that I wanted to try this recipe. First, I have heard great things about the Chicken Chile Salad from Bajios. Sadly I have never had it, but my friend and favorite neighbor from Rexburg loves it. The second reason, it is a crock-pot recipe. With our baby coming soon and the weather cooling off, nothing seems easier and nicer than dinner making its self on the counter. This recipe was so easy that I actually gave it to my husband and he put it together while I finished getting ready for church.

This Chicken Chile was so wonderful. Having never tried the real Chicken Chile I have nothing to compare it to, but Leigh Ann says it's right on with the real thing. And as far as I am concerned, even if it doesn't taste like the original, it tastes so good, why would it matter? Leigh Ann used the chicken as a topping on a salad, like at the restaurant. I found that my lettuce was looking a little sad, so we made burritos for dinner and quesadillas the next day with the leftovers. I am pretty convinced that you could put it on just about anything and it would be great.

So without further ado, here is the recipe. Try it out, and let me know what you think.

This is out burrito. Sorry it's not as beautiful as Leigh Ann's picture.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

5 chicken breasts (I only used 4 large ones)

1/2 cup salsa

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.

If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Thankful Banner

2008-11-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

This beautiful banner is perfect for fall time. The "Thankful" letters are textured and raised. Banner comes fully assembled and ready to hang. Banner is $25.00, plus $5.00 shipping

Fabulous Find- Stephen's Candycane Cocoa

2008-11-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hot chocolate is one of my favorite things, not matter what time of year. I always enjoy grabbing a mug filled with yummy warm hot chocolate. Last week I found something wonderful that satisfied my need for hot chocolate beyond expectations.

Stephen's is one of the best hot chocolate makers as far as I am concerned, and this could possibly be there best cocoa. Candycane Cocoa is so yummy, and yes it actually has candycane's in it! Who ever came up with that should get a big raise. When I was younger Santa would always put packets of specialty hot chocolate in our stocks, and my favorite was always mint chocolate. I am not sure what it is, but I think that mint and chocolate go together better than peanut butter and jelly.

Last night my husband and I flipped on the fireplace and enjoyed some amazing Candycane Cocoa. With a dollop of homemade whipped cream, nothing could be better.

Find some Stephen's Candy cane Cocoa and give it a try. You will be hooked, I promise! If you can't find it at your local store, check out there website- www.stephensgourmet.com

Cookie Monster

2008-11-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

Me want cookies! I really love these cookies. This is one of the things that I miss most about Rexburg. One of our favorite places to eat was Craigo's. Craigo's specialty is pizza, which they do amazingly well, but there desserts are out of this world. I am sure that most dates that share a Cookie Monster end in eternal bliss. Well maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is almost that good.

The Cookie Monster is simple, yet profound. It is a giant cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel and hot fudge. We had a craving for some Cookie Monsters, so we invited some friends over that also went to BYU-Idaho.

I was able to find the perfect dish for our Monsters at Michael's. They are ceramic pie dishes that are about 9 inches across. One dish was the perfect portion for 2 people. I whipped up some of my Mom's wonderful chocolate chip cookie dough, recipe to come another time, and patted it down in the bottom of the pan.

The "giant cookie" baked for about 15 minutes, until it was just browned on the edges and cooked in the middle.

After the cookie came out of the oven I let it set for about 10 minutes. It is really important to let the cookie cool enough so your ice cream doesn't melt, but at the same time you want the cookie to be warm when you eat it. I was a little excited and added the ice cream too soon and it melted a little too much.

Top your cookie and ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate and caramel. Sorry there is no chocolate or caramel in the picture. I was too excited to start eating that I didn't bother taking a picture, so you will just have to imagine it there.

Molasses Gingersnaps

2008-11-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

It is another cold, rainy day here in Seattle. I am ready to start hibernating. To warm things up a little bit I decided to make a batch of some of my favorite cookies.

I got this recipe from Family Fun magazine, and it has been a winner. I was searching for a good combination of a molasses cookie and a gingersnap, something smooth from the molasses and spicy from the ginger, and this is it. It is soft and chewy, yet crunchy on the edges. Aside from the great cookies, now my house smells like warm gingerbread. YUM

The woman who submitted this recipe told a the great story about how she got the recipe. It was her Great Aunt Erma's, and they would always make them together. Her Aunt Erma passed away several years ago, but when she pulls out the recipe card and looks at the recipe, lovingly written by Aunt Erma, she feels like she is right back in her kitchen. I love how cooking brings people together and creates such amazing memories.

Molasses Gingersnaps
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup sugar(for rolling cookies in)

1. Cream shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg
2. Blend together dry ingredients
3. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, blending after each addition, until the dough is evenly mixed
4. Heat oven to 375
5.Roll scoops of dough in sugar, place on lightly greased cookie sheet
6. Give a slight pat with the spatula to flatten slightly
7. Bake 8-9 minutes.
8. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 2- 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Amazing Apples

2008-11-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

I have found a new love this fall. I am in love with Honeycrisp apples. I had never heard of these before we moved to Seattle, and now I can't believe that I have lived without them. Aside from the fact that these apples are beautiful, they are super tasty. These apples are sweet, but not too sweet and have a great crisp texture. They are a little more expensive then your regular run of the mill apples, but I just keep an eye out for a sale. If you have seen these and never tried them, give them a chance, you won't regret it!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

2008-10-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am very excited for Halloween today. Ever since I was little, Halloween has felt like just a "warm up" to a wonderful holiday season. My Mom has always embraced holidays 150%, and that is what has led to my love of them. At my Mom's house you can expect at least 100 trick-or-treaters, usually closer to 200 and sometimes 250. My Mom puts together little goodie bags full of candy and decorates her yard. When I was visiting her a few weeks ago I took some pictures of her yard decorations. I wish I could decorate like this, but I don't really have the room, since we live in an apartment. I am sad to say that we have been so busy that this year we didn't even get pumpkins carved.

Well off I go. Time to get ready for our annual Halloween costume party!

Bourbon Chicken

2008-10-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes. Back when my husband and I were poor newlywed college students, actually that was only 6 months ago, we made this all the time. This is quick and easy to make, and I always have the ingredients on hand.

I got this recipe on a great website called Recipezaar. If you haven't been, there check it out! It is full of great recipes that everyday people post and you can rate them after you try them. My 2 favorite features are that you can search for a recipe and then look at the results with the highest rating and you can change the portions you need and then it changes the measurements for you, what a help.

No there is no Bourbon in the recipe. When I first found it on Recipezaar someone had given it a lower rating because there was no Bourbon in the recipe and it was in the name, and that was misleading. Don't be fooled. No Bourbon, just yummy chicken!

Bourbon Chicken
1 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup juice(Orange, Apple or Pineapple work great)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
a few dashes of cayenne pepper

-Heat oil in large skillet, add chicken and cook until browned
-Remove chicken
-Add remaining ingredients, heat over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved
-Add chicken back in and bring to a Hard Boil(This is key, it needs to be a hard boil so it will thicken later)
-Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
-Serve over hot rice and enjoy!

Gratitude Journal

2008-10-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

What is it about the fall time that makes me feel so grateful for the abundance in my life? My extreme gratitude started a little early this year, somewhere around the beginning of September. I had spent the summer in the first trimester of my pregnancy, and was starting to feel really good. When one day I told my husband that honestly I had had a pretty easy pregnancy and that I felt very blessed to be pregnant, and in the end it would all be worth it. Much to my surprise when I finished, my husband repeated what I had said word for word to make sure that he had typed it right. What you wrote down what I said? He was using the laptop and decided to save what I had said, so I would remember that I said I enjoyed being pregnant. It was then that I realized that I had been complaining a little too much, and really I had nothing to complain about. I am so blessed!

It was then that I decided that I needed to be more grateful! Every single day there are things that I take for granted. I don't want to spend my life complaining and not realizing what I have. So to help my self remain more focused on the blessings in my life, I have decided to start a gratitude journal.

A gratitude journal is not just a regular journal, it is devoted strictly to things that you are grateful for. Spending time everyday focusing on what you have and how you are blessed helps to keep you centered and help you realize how much you really do have.

My beautiful gratitude journal has been embellished with ribbon and chipboard. On the inside there is a quote about gratitude. Reading it puts me in a better frame of mind to recognize how blessed I am. On the top of every page there is a reminder of why I am keeping a gratitude journal. I have stamped phrases like, Today I am grateful for..., I have been so blessed by....,and I have so many things in my life to be thankful for...

What a wonderful time to start a Gratitude Journal! I love the change that I see in myself when I am more grateful. Start a journal today, I promise that you will love it too. If you would like me to make you a very special Gratitude Journal, just let me know, I would love to!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2008-10-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Last night our friends had a little pumpkin themed get together. This gave me the opportunity to try out a new pumpkin recipe that I have been longing to try. I was also hoping to make some mini pumpkin pies, but I was out of eggs and my car battery was dead, so everything got postponed until later in the day, leaving time just for the cookies.

This is a Racheal Ray recipe, and it was a huge hit! I was really nervous throwing a new recipe together just minutes before we went to our friends, but this was quick, easy and very delicious.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. The recipe says it makes 12 pies, I got about 18, it just depends how big your scoop is. The dough was a little wetter then it seemed it would be, but I trusted Rachael, and they turned out perfect. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. We were in a bit of a time crunch, so we set them outside for a few minutes, and they cooled of very quickly.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the flat side of cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

A special thanks to my husband who snapped the pictures while I was busy baking and getting ready to go. Thanks sweetie!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Halloween Garland

2008-10-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I have seen these floating around on blogs and I decided to jump on the wagon too. It was super simple and I think that it looks great on our fireplace.

I cut the silver card stock and then decided to add paper on top of that to make it look a little more Halloweenish. I am really glad that I did, it made all the difference.

Then I added the letters on top of that.

I decided to tie each letter together individually. It added ribbon in between each letter, which I like, because if you string it together on one piece you run the risk of them sliding together when it's hung up.

This ended up taking a little more time than I thought it would, but I think it was worth the time. If you decide to give it a try, let me know how it turns out!

Pumpkin Tin (Jack-O-Bucket)

2008-10-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

I couldn't figure out a name that described this perfectly, so my husband named this Jack-o-bucket. I found these buckets with faces cut out of them at a thrift store. The paint job was pretty ugly, but the cut out part had potential. I played with a little Mod Podge and paper, and this is what I got. I am so glad that I gave this little tin a second chance at a better looking life.

This is the tin that I started off with, not much to look at is it?

I layed the paper over the tin, pressed down the edges to make an imprint. Then I cut along the imprinted edge. After I had the front section cut I held the paper over the front and traced the face from the inside. Then I cut out the face. To apply the paper just put a layer of Mod Podge on the tin, lay the paper on and smooth so there are no air bubbles. Then apply another layer of Mod Podge on top to seal. Easy as that!

I tossed a tea light in and I am happy that the tin is just as cute with the lights out as it is with them on.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Bars

2008-10-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

I made these bars a few weeks ago for a lunch get together, and they were amazing. I cut the recipe in half, because it yields 42 bars, and there is no way that we could eat that much. I got the recipe from www.therecipegirl.blogspot.com and she got it for Ms. Betty Crocker. They are a perfect fall treat.

BATTER:
1 ¾ cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole- wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup mini- chocolate chips

FROSTING:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs butter, softened
2 tsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup mini- chocolate chips (for topping)

1. Prepare batter: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10x15-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugars until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. Toss in mini chocolate chips and stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until moistened.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake until the center springs back when lightly pressed in the center- about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until smooth. Frost bars and sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips.
Yield: About 42 bars

Framed Polka Dot Witch Silhouette!

2008-10-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about posting my first project to sell! I am completely in love with this item. Just in time for Halloween, it is a fabric witch silhouette on canvas in a unique hand painted black frame. The canvas is painted a "pumpkin orange" and the witch is made from a black fabric with small white polka dots. The frame measures 14 inches by 11 1/2 inches, with the canvas being 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Ready to hang on any wall in your home. This is so simple, yet makes a stunning statement!

Framed Polka Dot Witch Silhouette is $15.00 plus $5.00 shipping.

Quilt Giveaway!

2008-10-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I came across something amazing this morning and I am so excited to share it with you. Believe it or not it is a quilt giveaway! I cannot imagine that someone could give away something like a homemade quilt. But the lady who made it is excited and I am excited too. The contest ends tonight, so hurry quick. All you need to do is leave a comment and you are entered, it is that easy!

http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.com/2008/10/quilt-giveaway.html

I hope one of you are lucky enough to win!!!

Halloween Invitation

2008-10-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Every year my husband and I have a Halloween party. Actually this is only our second Halloween being married, so the fact that we have had one BOTH years makes it every year. We love getting together with our friends in silly costumes and having a great time. Last years party was a bit of an after thought in the planning department, so this year I got started early because I wanted something very fun. After looking through magazines and online, this is my creation. I loved the idea for a 3D card, and the pom-pom spider with the google eyes looks so cute and friendly. They were super simple to make and seem to be a big hit. The invitations were accompanied by a little baggie of cookies, who can say "no" to a party invitation like that!

Fabulous Find: Butter Bell

2008-10-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

This fabulous find is something that I have loved for years. I have always wanted one, and I finally got one for my birthday this year. Now, I wonder how I ever lived without my Butter Bell!

A Butter Bell stores butter in a bell that goes in a beautiful dish with water in it, creating an air tight seal around the butter. It keeps butter fresh, delicious and perfectly spredable for up to 30 days without refrigeration. Aside from how practical the Butter Bell is, it is beautiful! My wonderful husband gave me a red Butter Bell to match my kitchen accessories. The Bell's come in all different colors, Christmas and holiday themed and even pink in support of Breast Cancer awareness month. This is a beautiful and extremly usefull gift, remember Christmas is right around the corner.

Butter Bells are a fabulous find, check them out at www.butterbell.com

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2008-10-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

On the cool crisp days of fall there is nothing like a great bowl of soup to warm you up. Broccoli Cheese Soup has always been a favorite soup of mine, and I finally found a soup to make at home that has everything that I need. This soup is cheesy and cream and perfect with a piece of French Bread. And to top it all off, it is super easy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli or 20 ounces frozen
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Cook broccoli in a small amount of salted water until tender
2. Melt butter in heavy sauce pan
3. Add onion and cook until clear
4. Stir in flour to make roux
5. Slowly add broth and cream. Stir and cook until thickened.
6. Add salt and cooked broccoli
7. Just before serving, stir in cheese

Makes 6 servings

Welcome Welcome Welcome

2008-10-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited about this new adventure. This blog was born out of my desire to create beautiful and wonderful things for my family and friends. I love to cook, scrapbook, sew, paint and do just about anything crafty. I hope to be able to share craft projects, recipes, scrapbook pages, sewing ideas, holiday inspirations and decorations and other projects for you to enjoy as well. I will also offer things that I had made that can be purchased. I hope that you enjoy visiting often and sharing in my passions.