manda a la carte

Ron Paul Cupcakes

2012-02-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Shannon’s husband is a HUGE Ron Paul supporter. His birthday was yesterday so Shannon and I were talking on Monday about what kind of cupcakes we could do for him. As you know, Shannon and I have been on a cupcake-making kick lately…see Call of Duty, Skating… (and there was a Taylor Swift cupcake cake that I realized I never blogged about! must do. it was adorbs!)

Shannon couldn’t help this go around due to her schedule but I was determined Ron Paul cupcakes would be had for Kevin’s birthday. I mean, seriously, Ron Paul is like the ONLY thing Kevin posts on facebook, he was him for Halloween, and I’ve pretty much only seen him wearing Ron Paul shirts. Oh, and they have a flag by their mailbox in their yard. Yep, BIG Ron Paul supporter! Ha :)

I cut up a pizza box, taped it, and painted it gray. I found all the pictures of Ron Paul on the Internet and proceeded to cut them and Modge Podge them onto the pizza box. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out even if it was a pizza box!

The cupcakes were strawberry with cream cheese icing and from what I hear they were a hit!!

happy birthday, kevin!

miscellany monday

2012-01-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

pinterest. a fail and a success.

and this was my first pinterest copy FAIL.

see how cute these rainbow pancakes are??

Source: google.com via Manda on Pinterest

so yeah...i was all like i can totally do that...

ummmm, FAIL.

well. that's basically it. my rainbow pancakes sucked. HA!

BUT i do have a success story.

i saw this jewelry holder when i first got on pinterest and asked b to make it. he said he would.

Source: tonyastaab.com via Manda on Pinterest

it seriously took him FOREVER to actually finish it. but he finally did and i LOVE it!!!!! he's making another one for my bff. such a sweet husband.

tell me your success stories! i like the failure ones, too :)

xoxo.
manda

best brownies

2012-01-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

i had mlk day off work but b didn't. so, i cleaned the house, got all the laundry done and put away, AND had brownies on the counter for him when he got home! can i get a manda wasn't meant to work?! ha. i kid, i kid. (sort of)

i've made these brownies before and LOVE them. i had some chocolate tub icing in the pantry (don't ask why...gross) so i used it instead of making the icing the recipe. bad idea but either way the brownies were still delicious!!

the best brownies.
source: hershey's

what you need-

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows)

what you do-

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2 Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

what you need-

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey (i've always used honey)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

what you do-

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

YUM!

xoxo.
manda

elmo cake

2012-01-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

I made this Elmo giant cupcake for my niece’s 2nd birthday. I was pretty nervous about it as I don’t think my decorating skills are that great yet but overall I was really happy with the way it turned out!!

I used the Pampered Chef New Design Easy Accent Cake/Cookie Decorator. I have had this tool for a while but had stuck it in a cabinet and not thought about it. I remembered it and pulled it out for this cake and I’m SO glad I did… it made making Elmo’s “fur” sooo much easier! I highly recommend it!

The birthday girl wore this super cute outfit made by a friend of mine. ADORBS!

Nothing exciting with the cake flavor…I just made ole chocolate…it’s always a crowd pleaser so I figured it was the best bet for little kids. :)

I've posted this recipe before but here it is again-

chocolate cake/cupcake
source: hersheys

what you need:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

what you do:

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake pans.

Baking a one-pan cake: bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350° F

Baking cupcakes: line with baking cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes at 350° F

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie

2012-01-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

my mom made this apple pie first...brad and i recently had the pleasure of tasting it. so, i said it had to be on our new year's menu. it's so awesome and so easy! make it. as soon as possible. and eat with lots of ice cream. thank me later.

Apple Pie
Source: Southern Living, September 2011

what you need-

2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 pounds Braeburn apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

what you do-

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

3. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream.

enjoy!

me, shannon, and karlie after our second bowl of apple pie and ice cream. karlie was good...she only had ice cream. (crazy, i know) but shannon and i were down with the pie AND ice cream. happy fatting new years day to us :)

xoxo.
manda

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

2012-01-02T17:28:00.001-05:00

growing up my mom always did a traditional new years lunch. you know- greens, black-eyed peas, rice, pork, etc. so now that i have my own family and house i have carried on the tradition. for the past few years brad and i have gotten together with friends to enjoy the awesome food! i may even be getting used to the greens...dare i say even starting to like them a little? hmmm. yep.

brad and i also eat pork tenderloins a lot. i was trilled when i saw this one on pinterest (who isn't thankful for pinterest?!) and since new year's was around the corner i thought i would give it a try. it was AMAZING and we loved it! super easy to make, too, so that's always a plus!

brown sugar and balsamic glazed pork loin
source: C+C Marriage Factory

what you need:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

what you do:
Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

enjoy!

xoxo.
manda

mod podge = LOVE

2011-11-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

i love hobby lobby. SO MUCH. that's one thing about about north carolina that is better...there is a hobby lobby!! i didn't realize how awesome mod podge was until i made a gift for a friend, a monogrammed pumpkin. i used my mother-in-laws cricket to cut out the letters. i NEED a cricket! even if i don't scrapbook. i would FIND a reason to cut out letters and shapes :)

so my first mod podge was these pumpkins...

for henry:

for brad and me:

for the pumpkins- using the cricket i cut out the letter i wanted. i used a foam brush and put a layer of mod podge on the pumpkin where i wanted the letter. i put the letter on the mod podge and then put a layer of mod podge over the paper on the pumpkin. i smoothed out the paper and let it dry. finished product was great!

NEXT the girls at work and i put together a basket for a baby shower. i thought we should get scrapbook paper, letters, and mod podge to make letters to go in the basket. they turned out so cute!!

for the wooden letters- i bought the letters at hobby lobby and got a few pieces of scrapbook paper. we tore the paper into small sections. put a layer of mod podge on the wood and wrapped pieces of paper around. then covered with more mod podge. we continued this process until the entire letter was covered. we glued to a solid piece of scrapbook paper and after the letters were completely dry we cut around the paper with a box cutter. so, the end result was the front of the letters as a collage and the back of the letters a solid pattern.

i was so happy with the result of the baby letters i decided i wanted something for our house! since christmas is around the corner i thought a christmas one would be awesome! brad and i did this one together.

we got the letters, burlap, and frame from hobby lobby of course! we were so excited. went home and got to work...a few hours (and drinks) later this was the finished product!!

for these it was the same process as with the other letters. difference is we actually used the mod podge to put the letters on the burlap after they were finished. mod podge is so strong- it held the letters on the burlap just fine!

i think i may be obsessed. :)

xoxo
manda

Layered Peppermint Cheesecake

2011-11-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

My mom saw this recipe in Southern Living and wanted us to make it while I was home. It felt like it took FOREVER to make due to the cooling and freezing of the cheesecake but it really didn't take too long to do the prep and baking. I really loved it but I think next time I will switch out the icing for a peppermint cream cheese frosting :) At the bottom of this I added the recipe for the peppermint cream cheese frosting in case that tickles your fancy!

Layered Peppermint Cheesecake
Source: Southern Living 2011

FIVE LAYERS!!

What you need-

Peppermint Cheesecake Layers:

3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candies

Sour Cream Cake Layers:

1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix
2 large eggs
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil

White Chocolate Mousse Frosting:

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate morsels
2 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnishes: White chocolate curls, peppermint candies

What you do-

1. Prepare Peppermint Cheesecake Layers: Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottom and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil. Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 Tbsp. butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy and smooth. Add 3 eggs, l at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add flour and next 3 ingredients, beating until blended. Fold in candies. Pour batter into prepared pans. Place cake pans in a large pan; add water to pan to depth of 1 inch.

2. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven to wire racks; cool completely in pans (about 1 hour). Cover cheesecakes (do not remove from pans), and freeze 4 to 6 hours or until frozen solid. Lift frozen cheesecakes from pans, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil from cheesecakes. Wrap in plastic wrap, and return to freezer until ready to assemble cake.

3. Prepare Sour Cream Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°. Beat cake mix, next 3 ingredients, and 1/2 cup water at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or just until moistened; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
4. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

5. Prepare White Chocolate Mousse Frosting: Cook 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add morsels; cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), whisking occasionally.

6. Beat cream and 2 tsp. vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Gradually fold white chocolate mixture into whipped cream mixture, folding until mixture reaches spreading consistency.

7. Assemble Cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top with 1 frozen cheesecake layer. Top with second cake layer and remaining cheesecake layer. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish, if desired.

ALT frosting-
Peppermint Cream Cheese

What you need-

8 oz of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp peppermint extract
about 2 cups of powdered sugar

What you do-

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla & peppermint extract until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting consistency! easy peasy!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

2011-11-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

No news here that I love pinterest. It's where I've been getting all my latest recipes. I saw this easy chicken and dumplings recipe...I didn't believe that dumplings would actually be easy as I have tried to make them before and ruined it. BUT this one is REALLY easy and really GOOD!! soo, YAY! chicken and dumplings! :)

This picture isn't the best but I just snapped quickly before serving to my niece!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Source: Eat at Home

what you need-

about 3 cups cooked chicken
6-8 cups chicken broth
2 cups flour
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. baking powder
salt to taste (just shake some in)
about a cup of milk, maybe a bit less

what you do-

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I used a sharp knive. Also good to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.
Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and that’s all!

Oatmeal Crème Pies

2011-11-05T15:58:00.000-04:00

I REALLY love pinterest now. SO many good recipes are to be found!! I saw this one last night and knew I had to make it! I love oatmeal cookies and with creme? YES PLEASE! plus, I've always loved the Little Debbie ones :)

This was actually a really easy recipe! And, Brad LOVED them!

Oatmeal Crème Pies
Source: Bloomingon Bainbridge Blog

Cookies

What you need-

1 ¼ c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. white sugar
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
3 c. oats
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ t. cinnamon

What you do-

Preheat the oven to 375.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. (flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon) Add oats to the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar (white then brown) until creamy. Add egg and vanilla-mix well.

Gradually add dry oat mixture to butter/sugar mixture.

Mix until combined.

Use small cookie scoop-to-scoop dough. Place dough balls 2 in. apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Keep on baking sheets for about 2-3 minutes to cool (and keep cooking) Remove from parchment paper to wire racks to completely cool.

Crème Filling

½ c. soft butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1-2 t. whipping cream
1 t. vanilla

What you do-

Combine all ingredients in an electric mixer. Beat on low until mixed well. Then, beat on high until light and fluffy.

Once cookies are completely cool add crème filling in between cookies to make the crème pies. It’s that easy!

Enjoy!

xoxo.
manda

stuffed sweet potatoes

2011-10-27T08:14:00.000-04:00

Like almost everyone else in the world, I am obsessed with pinterest. It takes up much of my time sitting on the couch. I believe I am an obsessive-pinner! HAHA.

Either way, I saw this picture of stuffed sweet potatoes and thought “HOLLA”! Seriously, I did. In fact, I may have even said it out loud. Don’t judge me.

I skipped over to the farmers market and got a few sweet potatoes and came home to recreate this awesomeness! It was good but my sweet potatoes were bigger so it took way more time than 45 minutes to get them soft enough. Next time I'll know and plan more time for them! We just had them after dinner. haha :) To be honest, I was more excited because they were pretty!!

Enjoy!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Source: Sweet Peas Kitchen

What you need-

6 large sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature marshmallows

What you do-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet and place in preheated oven 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Shake the baking sheet halfway through baking so the nuts will toast evenly. Remove nuts from oven and set aside to cool completely. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle but still very warm.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Scoop out flesh and place in medium bowl, being careful not to tear skin. Reserve skins.

In a large bowl, mix 3tablespoons butter and brown sugar together until it’s crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and half of the pecans. Divide mixture in half. Add half of the mixture to the sweet potato flesh and fold in completely. Add the filling back to the potato skins and place on baking sheet.

To the remaining brown sugar mixture, add 3 tablespoons butter and flour. Mix until crumbly looking. Top sweet potatoes generously with the brown sugar mixture and marshmallows and return to the oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the marshmallow topping is golden brown.

banana bread

2011-10-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

I know I have been absent lately from here…just been so overwhelmed and stressed! So, sorry for being slack!

I recently had a few bananas that were going bad so I thought I HAD to make banana bread with them! I hadn’t made banana bread before so I searched for a recipe that looked quick and easy. Thank the good Lord for the Internet because I found exactly what I was looking for!! The Fresh Loaf had a 10 minute banana bread that sounded super easy and obviously quick!

I thought that it might not turn out that great since it was so easy but I was very happy to see a fabulous looking loaf once baked and then when we ate it I was even more excited to find out that it was DELICIOUS!!

I have a few bananas that are ready to make this bread again. I am going to make a few loaves and freeze them…perfect for a quick breakfast when I’m running late (which is every day!)

Banana Bread
Makes 1 full-sized loaf or 2 small loaves

Preheat the oven to 350.

In one bowl, combine:

1/2 stick (4-5 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 eggs
2 or 3 very ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar

Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to squish the banana and mix the ingredients together. It is alright for there to be small (1 centimeter) chunks of banana in the batter, but you want most of the banana to be reduced to mush.

In another bowl, combine:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are blended together.

If you like, stir in additional ingredients here, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cherries or apricots, or chocolate chips. A handful (about a half a cup) is about right.

Pour the dough into greased baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Small loaves take around 30 minutes, a normal-sized loaf takes around 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven.

After cooled for 5 or 10 minutes the loaves can be removed from the pan to cool. Once they are cool they can be individually wrapped and frozen.

Great warm or cold! Whatever works for you :)

ENJOY!

xoxo.
manda

never forget.

2011-09-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

10 years ago I was a freshman in high school. I was sitting in algebra 1B and the principal came over the intercom and announced what happened. The TV was turned on and a bunch of freshman watched in silence. We watched the 2nd plane fly into the tower. We watched people jump to their death. We watched the towers crumble. It was tragic.

Honestly, being only 14 years old I didn’t understand...even if I thought I did. When I was 14, New York seems a million miles away from the small town in South Carolina where I grew up.

10 years. A lot changes in 10 years. I’m no longer a 14 year girl who is unaffected by the events from that day in New York. Bradley’s best friend is in the army and I am very close with this wife. He has been deployed 2 times now and even the first year of their marriage he was overseas at war. It’s heart breaking to hear the stories of the war.

Watching the footage of 911 is so different today than watching 10 years ago. A different perception I suppose considering I’m now an adult.

Today is a day to honor and remember all those who were affected that sad, sad day. I am thankful for our freedom and I am thankful for the men and women that protect our freedom.

Never Forget.

FUNNY FRiDAY!

2011-09-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

for fun friday shannon and i decided to play a little office prank on a coworker..nandi. usually shannon can execute such pranks with ease. but as you will see today shannon couldn't control her laughter. but in the end...nandi was still pranked! :)

happy friday!

xoxo
manda

skinny baby red potato salad

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-04:00

we make sliders often in our house. we have a small george foreman so it's just easy. plus, bradley makes a pretty fab burger. :)

so last night we had...you guessed it...sliders. we had some red potatoes that needed to be used and i saw this potato salad the other day on skinny taste (a website that i now LOVE!) i had everything needed expect the scallions. i figured i could leave out the scallions...i did and it was fine!

this potato salad is pretty delish! give it a try!

baby red potato salad
source: skinnytaste.com

4 cups baby red potatoes, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 scallions, diced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
salt and fresh pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, approx 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, green pepper, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let the flavors marinade while the potatoes cook.

Once the potatoes are done and cool, mix into the bowl and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

xoxo.
manda

food football stadium

2011-09-05T13:43:00.000-04:00

it's september! september means it's time for FOOTBALL!! i like football but i get more excited about making game day food...always a fun time!

our good friends, tim and spencer, were in town this past weekend. on saturday USC was playing ECU and spencer is a huge USC fan (bradley and i are clemson fans) so we had to watch the game! we decided for our dinner we were just going to have different apps since the game started at 7...and i remembered seeing a football stadium made of food once so that's what we did!

we also had chicken nuggets and pigs in a blanket but the snacks were all in the stadium!

rice krispy treats around the outside and lime chips and apple straws on the inside. the field was made of cheese dip, spicy guacamole, and salsa. the goal posts were a slim jim and an apple straw :)

we had so much fun making it!

xoxo
manda

latest creation! skating cupcake "cake"

2011-09-01T22:21:00.001-04:00

our boss asked shannon and i to make his daughters birthday cake. the party is a skating theme so we made the cupcake "cake" to match the invite :)

the cupcakes are chocolate. my go to chocolate cake/cupcake recipe if from hersheys. it's pretty fail proof! :)

what you need:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
what you do:

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake pans.

Baking a one-pan cake: bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350° F

Baking cupcakes: line with baking cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes at 350° F

Baked Zucchini Sticks

2011-08-30T09:00:00.003-04:00

these may be fatty. i really am not sure. i'm going to pretend like they are not because they are only baked and they are a vegetable. :) i saw this recipe a long time ago and have been meaning to make it but when i have zucchini i always forget! the other day i bought a zucchini especially for these sticks and i'm glad i did. they are so good!!

Baked Zucchini Sticks
source:hezzi-d's books and cooks

what you need-

½ c. flour
½ tbsp. salt
½ tbsp. garlic powder
½ tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. Italian breadcrumbs
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ tbsp. red pepper
1 large zucchini (or 2 small) cut into ½ inch sticks

what you do-

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.

In a second shallow dish beat 2 eggs.

In a third dish combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and red pepper.

dip each zucchini stick into the flour, shaking off the excess. dip into the egg mixture, letting excess egg run off. roll in the breadcrumb mixture, coating the entire stick.

arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. spray all the zucchini sticks with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

serve with a side of marinara sauce or ranch dressing. [i tasted with both. very good!]

enjoy!

xoxo.
manda

Oh, How Pinteresting!

2011-08-24T10:29:00.000-04:00

happy wednesday!!! link up with michelle. it makes you cool.

Lols for the week!

Source: None via Eryn on Pinterest

Source: None via Claudia on Pinterest

Insensitive I suppose but funny none the less.

Source: loyalkng.com via Kathy on Pinterest

I hope I have a good sense of humor when I’m old.

Things I want to make in the near future!

Source: shine.yahoo.com via Manda on Pinterest

PB & J SUSHI…I have been eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. Making it like sushi should make it more fun!...maybe.

Source: dashingdish.com via Manda on Pinterest

Pizza rolls. But skinny. Yes please!

Source: myrecipes.com via Manda on Pinterest

Fried chicken. But not fried. Yummmmmm.

Okay, and this is amazing-

Source: littlenannygoat.blogspot.com via Manda on Pinterest

make a list of the top 30 or so recipes you use most often; create a spreadsheet with the recipes along the side and the ingredients along the top; plan a week ahead for the recipes you want to make; circle ingredients on the spreadsheet, and you've got your shopping planned!

happy wednesday! i'm going to see britney tomorrow!!!!!!!

xoxo.
manda

honey yeast rolls

2011-08-23T08:48:00.001-04:00

honey yeast rolls.
source: annie's eats
* as always, annie's looks so much better than mine...but hey, whatevs...i'm trying! :) *

does anyone remember quincy's? family steak house perhaps? well, i do. and quincy's had THE BEST yeast rolls ever. true story. they were the bomb.com to the extreme. so, these honey yeast rolls are close. sometimes i over knead and i'm working on it. soon i'm hoping they are just like the quincy's rolls i remember from my childhood :)

what you need.

2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115˚ F)
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp. canola oil
1¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
Vegetable cooking spray
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. honey

what you do.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Switch to the dough hook and, with the mixer on low speed, incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour. Continue kneading on low speed for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Punch the dough down and divide into 10-12 equal size pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place into a round, lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush the tops of the rolls with the mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are baked through. Let cool slightly before serving.

birthdays galore [with german chocolate cake]

2011-08-22T08:06:00.000-04:00

last week was FULL of birthdays!!

thursday was sweet little pepper's birthday! she turned 2 :)

her birthday dress.

birthday dress with a birthday toy! happy girl :)

another new dress! so cute!!

and then on friday it was my dad's birthday. on sunday husbands birthday :) my 2 favorite men!

for bradley's birthday he asked for a german chocolate cake. i used the baker's sweet german chocolate recipe. time consuming but very easy! 4 layers of yummmmmmmmy cake!

original bakers german's sweet chocolate cake.
baker's website

what you need.

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup water
4 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting

what you do.

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COVER bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with waxed paper; spray sides with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

BEAT egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

ADD egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

BAKE 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans. Cool cakes in pans 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

coconut-pecan filling and frosting.

what you need.

4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut (2-2/3 cups)
1-1/2 cups chopped PLANTERS Pecans

what you do.

BEAT egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

ADD coconut and nuts; mix well. Cool to desired spreading consistency.

so delish!

happy birthday to some of my favorites! :) love all 3 of you VERY much!

Oh, How Pinteresting!!!

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

today is just a bunch of randoms. i like random so i'm okay with that.

link up with michelle.

holler.

Source: marthastewart.com via Manda on Pinterest

making for b's birthday this weekend!

Source: frenchmademoiselle.blogspot.com via J on Pinterest

Source: blushingapples.tumblr.com via J on Pinterest

Source: hallelujahsbyholly.blogspot.com via J on Pinterest

Source: the17thman.typepad.com via Manda on Pinterest

motivation :)

Source: None via Manda on Pinterest

Source: 9gag.com via Manda on Pinterest

happy wednesday! is it friday yet? geeeeeze.

xoxo.
manda

classic peanut butter cookies

2011-08-16T08:50:00.000-04:00

i wanted a cookie. i didn't really have anything fun to make cookies with. you know, like chocolate chips or something. but i did have peanut butter. so, i emptied out the jar of peanut butter and made cookies! just simple, classic, fork though the center... peanut butter cookies!

classic peanut butter cookies.
source: allrecipes

what you need.

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

what you do.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press each ball once with fork tines.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned.

ohhhh i love peanut butter cookies.

xoxo.
manda

i'm feeling old today.

2011-08-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

my little sister starts highschool today! she is just a little girl!

but no. she isn't a little girl anymore!

shes's all grown up! and i just can't believe it!

have a great first day of highschool annabanana. your much older sister loves you huge amounts.

xoxo.
manda

FUNNY FRiDAY! storytelling time.

2011-08-12T18:47:00.001-04:00

and in case that's not enough of me and shannon...here's a little more! :)

happy friday!

xoxo
manda

Super Easy Blueberry Muffins

2011-08-11T16:26:00.000-04:00

Before I tell you about my muffin (hahaha) I must show you what Bradley woke me up for at 6:30 this morning. (He has to be at work at 7...I have to be at work at 9...I think I'm the lucky one in this situation.)

What a pretty sunrise!! It made me smile. I then I went back to sleep. :)

Okay, so about my muffin. A blueberry one. It's what I had for breakfast.

I love having muffins ready for breakfast on the go. They are quick and easy and since I like to sleep until the very last second of the morning- quick and easy is what I need! I don’t love blueberries BUT I do love blueberry muffins. Make sense? Not really. But I’m sure you get my drift.

This recipe was called “to die for blueberry muffins”. I wouldn’t say that they are TO DIE FOR but they are pretty delicious and moist and all that stuff you want when eating a muffin. Next time, though, I think I’ll add oats to the topping. :)

So, instead of calling them “to die for blueberry muffins” I’m going to go with super easy blueberry muffins!

Super Easy Blueberry Muffins
source: allrecipes

What you need.

For the muffins-
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the topping-
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

What you do.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or use muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping:

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

It's that easy! Enjoy!

Oh, How Pinteresting!!

2011-08-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

it's wednesday! and that means it is time to pin! link up with michelle and pin awayyyyy

these are cracking me up...

Source: you-can-fly.tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest

Source: damnyouautocorrect.com via Manda on Pinterest

Source: mallorylucille.tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest

Source: bohemiancyborg.tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest

Source: stumbleupon.com via Kailee on Pinterest

Source: facebook.com via Melissa on Pinterest

ohhh, have a laugh! it's wednesday!

:)

I'M GOING TO SEE BRITNEY!

2011-08-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

yet another reason why i love groupon. in fact, i love groupon even more now.

oh yesssssss that says $19!! i mean i love britney but even if i didn't...any concert is worth a mere $19!

i am going to see britney in 2 weeks! i can't wait!!

baby one more time was the single i ever bought. i still sing it from time to time and i am so okay with that.

i even loved britney when she was crazy.

via

so that's it. i am SO excited!!!!!!!!

Fiesta Lime Rice

2011-08-08T08:19:00.000-04:00

brad and i eat rice ALL.THE.TIME. i ran across this recipe the other day and thought it would be a fun twist on our normal rice and black beans boringness! :) it was super easy and really good! so, next time you are feeling boring with your rice and black beans...church them up like this!

Fiesta Lime Rice
source: skinnytaste

what you need:

1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and heated
3/4 cup cooked corn (I used Trader Joe's Fire Roasted frozen Corn), heated
1 large tomato, diced
1 large scallion, diced fine
2-4 tbsp chopped cilantro (to your liking)
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
salt to taste

what you do:

In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn, heated beans, tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice and salt if needed. Toss and serve.

enjoy!

xoxo.
manda

HAPPY FRiDAY! 8-5

2011-08-05T19:27:00.000-04:00

i'm not even going to lie- i'm currently obsessed with doing the wobble.

happy friday!!!! have a great weekend :)

xoxo.
manda

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

2011-08-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

the other day i had 2 girls from work over for lunch. lucky for them i made pesto chicken stuffed shells the night before :) i make these stuffed shells ALL THE TIME. they are so easy and SO delish! give them a try!! you will be SO glad you did :)

jen & shannon

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
source: what's cooking chicago?

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

*i add spag sauce to the shells while baking- i've found it keeps them from getting dry!

enjoy!!

xoxo.
manda

Oh, How Pinteresting!

2011-08-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

it's wednesday!! have you started pinning yet? you should. and then you should link with michelle. :)

i love this...

Source: weheartit.com via J on Pinterest

Source: None via J on Pinterest

amen.

Source: girlfromparis.tk via J on Pinterest

cutest veggie tray ever-

Source: tumblr.com via Chauncey on Pinterest

super fun!

Source: passionnailart.com via Kim on Pinterest

that's all for today! happy wednesday girls! :)

xoxo.
manda

lately.

2011-08-02T17:33:00.000-04:00

i've been so busy lately. i have a lot of blog reading to catch up on :)

toby keith was a blast.

it was like 107* which is why i looked like a sweaty mess.

mr keith did play "should've been a cowboy" and i was one happy girl!

bradley and i went to the beach and hung out with family last week.

sister and mom!

and then to one of my really fabulous friends couples baby showers! i can't wait to meet chris and leah's bundle of joy!

on the note of babies...another fabulous friend is also preggo. it's so exciting!! you girls are going to make amazing mothers!

the sweet mama's to be...

and now i am back. i have so much blog reading to catch up on :)

xoxo.
manda

parmesan roasted potatoes

2011-08-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

i love finding new cooking blogs! when i saw these potatoes i knew i wanted to make them for dinner! i chose to make bite size pieces of potatoes but the original was potato wedges...i think that would be great too! it just happened i only had little red potatoes so i went with the bite size pieces.

they were SO good!

sorry i don't have a picture. i had one but bradley told me it made the potatoes look gross. HA. don't really want that... :)

parmesan roasted potatoes
adapted from how sweet it is

3 lbs of potatoes (i did less than this)

olive oil

salt

pepper

italian seasoning

parmesan cheese

cut the potatoes into chucks. toss with olive oil, seasoning, pepper, salt, and parmesan. spread on a baking sheet and bake at 450* for 40-45 minutes. Toss 3-4 times during baking.

ENJOY!!

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday! three.

2011-07-27T19:23:00.000-04:00

link up with michelle!

here is what i'm loving this week!

Source: thatkatgirl.tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest

love these shoes! wow!

Source: polyvore.com via Manda on Pinterest

love this outfit!

Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest

again with pretty shoes! dorothy with style!

Source: tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest

the best way to drink milk!

Source: terrasavvy.com via Manda on Pinterest

LOL!! what if you change your phone number?!

Source: melifaif.blogspot.com via Manda on Pinterest

so true.

i'm on the way to the beach in the morning! :D i can't wait to be in the lowcountry again!

happy wednesday!

xoxo
manda

happy sunday.

2011-07-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

via

:)

xoxo
manda

watermelon cupcakes

2011-07-21T08:38:00.000-04:00

these are so fun and cute! perfect for a summer cookout!

watermelon cupcakes
source: stephanie cooks

what you need:

1 batch of your favorite vanilla cupcake mix (this one is good)

1 batch of your favorite vanilla frosting (i love this one)

Mini chocolate chips

Red food coloring

Green food coloring

what you do:

Once your cupcake batter is made, add some red food dye and stir until it is the desired color.

Stir in some mini chocolate chips (I used probably about 1/2 cup) and fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.

Bake according to directions, allow to cool completely.

Stir some green food coloring into the frosting. Pipe it onto the cupcakes or frost with a knife.

enjoy! so cute and perfect for summer! :)

oh, how pinteresting... week two

2011-07-20T08:01:00.000-04:00

and this was my facebook status the other night..."from what i've heard about crack i'm pretty sure pinterest is equivalent." can i get an amen?

i'm linking up michelle at the vintage apple again. her blog is GREAT. check her out and link up!

here are a few of my favorite pins this week!

and we're pinning...and repinning...

Source: tonyastaab.com via Manda on Pinterest

brad is making this for me! i can't wait!

Source: fabulousfinishes.wordpress.com via Manda on Pinterest

i love this table!! it does remind me of a beer pong table i saw once in college though! ha

Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest

this shall be my next birthday hat!

Source: bhldn.com via Manda on Pinterest

LOVE this dress!

and my very favorite of the week...

Source: weheartit.com via Manda on Pinterest

story of my life.

happy wednesday!

xoxo. manda

a note to showtime.

2011-07-19T08:25:00.002-04:00

Dear Showtime,

I can’t handle the suspense. Please just tell us when Dexter comes back.

First I see this…

And then this...

And NOW this...

Seriously, I need to know. Like the other 9 million people that love Dexter (on FB at least) these teasers are JUST NOT ENOUGH!

I understand that my love for Dexter is ooc. I mean I really, really like many television shows. But I LOVE Dexter.

speaking of being ooc- i saw this on pinterest the other night. creepy or awesome? i'm not sure!

Source: cosmic-pt.tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest

miscellany monday

2011-07-18T16:56:00.000-04:00

today i'm linking up with carissa. because she is family and i adore her. and because i like random things.

One.
I think I may be slightly obsessed with jimmy john’s at the moment. All I want to eat is the beach club. In fact, I do believe I will have one for supper tonight.

via

Two.
When I googled to get my image for the beach club my picture from the avocado spread came up! OMG! I just got REALLY excited. It’s not even that good of a picture. Okay, I’m still REALLY excited! ha

Three.
Bradley is in Charleston right now. I’m really jealous. I want to go home. South Carolina is just the better of the Carolinas. I'm going home soon for a good friend's baby shower and I just CAN'T wait.

via

Four.
I think smartwater is just better. We had this convo during our staff meeting today. My coworkers don't believe me. But, it is better. Afterall, it is made from the clouds :D I found it on sale for $1 per bottle at Harris Teeter and my insides did a little happy dance.

via

Five.
Friday night I’m going to a Toby Keith concert. I’m not a huge fan but I’m always up for a country concert. As long as he plays his oldies I’ll be one happy girl! COME ON FRIDAY…I need a girls night! :)

that's all my miscellany for the day :) go visit carissa and link up!

happy birthday jacob!

2011-07-16T10:15:00.002-04:00

jacob is the son of my dear friend, shannon (who you have seen on funny friday's! :) jacob loves call of duty so shannon wanted his birthday cake to be an army scene. we made the cake out of cupcakes and were SO happy with the finished result!! we just kept looking at it! happy bithday to jacob!

and shannon, i am so thankful for our friendship! becoming such good friends with you has made the move to nc so much easier! :)

there will be lots more cupcakes cakes in our future!!!

HAPPY FRiDAY! 7-14

2011-07-15T18:22:00.000-04:00

the waterfall braid!!

love it!

coconut macaroons

2011-07-14T07:00:00.011-04:00

i had my first macaroon the other night. i had no idea bradley LOVED them...apparently, he does! i figured coconut macaroons couldn't be that hard to make so i googled it (of course) and found it takes only a few ingredients (that i just so happened to have in my cabinet)!

FYI. this recipe only makes 4 macaroons. i figured i should point this out because i got a big ole "THAT RECIPE ONLY MADE 4?!?! NO!" from my husband. :)

and, for the record, all 4 were GREAT and i will def make again!

so here we goooo....

coconut macaroons
source: epicurious

what you need:

Butter and flour for preparing baking sheet and foil
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

what you do:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a baking sheet, then line with foil and lightly butter and flour foil, knocking off excess flour.

Stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined, then stir in coconut. Divide coconut mixture into fourths, then drop in 4 mounds (about 2 inches apart) onto baking sheet.

Bake until tops are pale golden in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully lift foil with cookies from baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Peel macaroons from foil.

side note- i told my coworkers about these and one girl in my office, jen, got SO excited. i brought her one after lunch and she was really excited! exhibit A:

i was happy she was so happy :)

my first pinteresting wednesday!

2011-07-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

i'm linking up with michelle at the Vintage apple for pinteresting wednesday! i just signed up for pinterest last night and i spend forever on it! it's so fun!

pinterest is where you can catalog all things fabulous! have you joined?? if not, i'll be happy to send you an invite :)

and these are my favorite pins right now! (all random)

Source: weheartit.com via Manda on Pinterest

i need my hair to look like this! a girl at work is a master at braids so we are going to give it a try! yay!! i'll keep you posted, of course!

Source: tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest

gold nail polish?? YES PLEASE!

Source: creative-cake-decorating.com via Manda on Pinterest

how CUTE is this "cheesecake"?!?! ahhhh, love it.

Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest

i told brad i needed this necklace. not wanted, NEEDED. how cute would a m <3 b necklace be?!

happy wednesday!

cuteness.

2011-07-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

how cute are my husband and child???

adorable.

AND....i've been loving iMovie lately. here is my latest creation. please keep in mind i am completely lame while watching :)

the end.

Crepes!

2011-07-11T07:48:00.001-04:00

crepe: a very thin small pancake, often stuffed and rolled up.

so, i had never had a very thin, small pancake stuffed and rolled up. why you ask? good question- i had NO idea what i was missing out on! easy, quick, delish breakfast!

with all my blog surfing i saw this recipe for a basic crepes. i was excited to see that it doesn't take many ingredients to make and the combinations are endless!

what you need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

what you do:

in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. cook until other side is light brown. serve hot.

what to put on/in your crepes:

the one that brad and i made was what we like to call "a southwest crepe" we filled the inside with scrambled eggs, salsa, tomatoes, hot sauce, cilantro, and cheese. it was SO good!

you could go simple and just do cinnamon and sugar. sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the inside. roll the crepe up and sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar.

you could top with whipped cream and strawberries OR you could get really crazy and fill with whipped cream, roll it up, and top with more whipped cream and fresh strawberries...or any other fruit! peaches, bananas, apples, blueberries…whatever tickles your fancy!

the combinations are endless!

YAY for crepes! they take no time to make and they are yummmmmmy!

honey mustard vinaigrette

2011-07-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

this is a perfect summer salad dressing! it was a big hit the other night...a little spicy and a little sweet. very tasty! :)

honey mustard vinaigrette
source: the dainty vegetarian

what you need-

2 tbsp chopped shallots
2 tbsp stone ground mustard (any kind works!)
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

what you do-
whisk all ingredients together except evoo. as you whisk, drizzle in the olive oil.

the salad was mixed greens, chopped english cucumber, grape tomatoes, chopped peaches, small amount of red onion and parm cheese.

FUNNY FRiDAY! july 8 style

2011-07-08T17:05:00.001-04:00

my blog size sucks! you can't see shannon! :(

i'll work on this!

homemade breadsticks

2011-07-07T13:14:00.000-04:00

hmmm, CARBS! just want you need during bathing suit season :) i ran across these breadsticks last night while blog surfing. i knew i needed to make them asap.

i woke up at 6 this morning while brad was getting ready and couldn't fall back asleep. since i couldn't sleep i thought it would be the perfect day to start the morning yoga (on demand!) routine that i have been saying i would start. so, i had every intention of doing yoga... BUT for some reason my on-demand yoga wasn't working. boo, time warner. sometime you SUCK.

since i couldn't work on my gut and butt i instead turned on a crime show called captured (i loooove crime shows) and started baking these breadsticks that will certainly go straight to my butt and gut:)

these were supposed to taste like olive garden breadsticks. however, i strongly believe they are much more like little caesars crazy bread. in other words, they are TASTY!

breadsticks.
source: full bellies. happy kids.

what you need:

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt

in a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. mixture should be frothy.

in separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

add the flour and salt to yeast mixture. add melted butter. mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined.

knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. do not overknead!

grease a cookie sheet. pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. (i let my bread sit in the oven with only the oven light on. this was a tip from my grandmama- thanks gma!)

preheat your oven to 400 degrees (not with the breadsticks in there!) once the oven is preheated, start baking those breadsticks!!

in a microwave (or on the stove), combine the following:

1/2 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

*also need another 1/2 stick of melted butter for brushing after fully baked*

after 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.

then continue to bake for about 6 (give or take) minutes. bake a little longer if you want the outside more crispy. personally, i like the outside soft :)

as soon as you remove the breadsticks from the oven brush the other half of butter on the sticks.

let the breadsticks cool for a minute or so (i know it's hard to do!) and then enjoy!!

homemade ricotta cheese!

2011-07-05T08:21:00.000-04:00

last week i watched this video on how to make ricotta cheese on the dainty vegetarian's blog. as soon as i watched it i couldn't wait to give it a try! we had brad's brother, his wife, and their daughter coming into town on saturday so i decided to make lasagna for dinner so i would have the perfect reason to make ricotta cheese!

i started working on the cheese mid morning and by the time steven, sonia, and lainey got into the town (around lunchtime) the cheese was just about finished! i was very excited and the fam seemed impressed so it was a win/win :)

i'm never buying ricotta again. it does take some time to make the cheese but it is SO worth it!
homemade from now on for me!

ricotta cheese

what you need-

heavy pot
gallon of WHOLE milk
pinch of salt
1/3 cup plus a splash of white distilled vinegar
cheese cloth (can be found at any grocery store. i got my at harris teeter.)
candy thermometer

what you do-

pour the gallon of milk into the heavy pot. warm on medium to medium high until the milk reaches 180*. watch this closely because if the milk gets above 180* it will scold and the cheese will be gross. :)

once the milk has reached 180* turn the heat off. add a big pinch of salt to the milk. then add the vinegar...you will start to see it curdling. mix slightly with a whisk.

put the lid on the pot and let sit for 2 hours.

after 2 hours, put a strainer over a bowl. open the cheese cloth and lay over the strainer.

ladle the cheese mixture into the cheese cloth. let sit 20-30 minutes.

[please ignore how gross i look...friday night was a late one :D]

pick up the cheese cloth with cheese in it and dump into a bowl.

it's that easy to make homemade, beautiful, tasty ricotta cheese!

i made this lasagna but plan on making this spread- (also from the dainty vegetarian)

With the ricotta cheese add a pinch of salt. drizzle olive oil over the cheese. add a handful of shreaded parmasean cheese, some chopped flat leaf parsley and a few grinds of black pepper. stir together and serve with crackers! :)

ps- we had a great time with steven, sonia, and lainey. love!

jimmy johns avocado spread

2011-07-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

so, at first i didn't love jimmy john's. actually, i was quite confused as to why they didn't ask me what i wanted on my sub. i was annoyed. i told bradley i would never go back to eat at jimmy johns. EVER. BUT THEN i found the beach club. it has turkey. it has sprouts. it has cucumber. but the best thing it has is an avocado spread. okay, the avocado spread may just tie with the sprouts but you get my point....i love the avocados! i ~~wanted~~ needed this for my subs at home. lucky for me- everything is available on the internet. yayyy.

ps. this spread is also delish with lime chips! :)

jimmy johns avocado spread
source: copykat

1 sm chili pepper
1 med onion
1 sm garlic clove
1 sm tomato, peeled
2 med ripe, calavo avocados
1 tbl fresh lemon or lime juice
3/4 tsp salt
1 dsh seasoned salt
1 dsh dry mustard

chop chili pepper, onion, garlic, tomato & blend. cut avocado into halves, remove seed and skin. mash with chili mixture. blend in lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, seasoned salt & dry mustard.

* i put everything in my blender. it worked out perfect! :)

makes 1 1/2 cups dip.

enjoy!!

FUNNY FRiDAY w/ Shan!

2011-07-01T15:31:00.000-04:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

bowtie crunchies

2011-06-30T08:19:00.005-04:00

i saw these a while back on the dainty vegetarian and have had them on my mind since! while making pasta i decided to give them a try. they were really tasty...and a ~~little~~ addictive.

bowtie crunchies.

what you need-

bowtie pasta

vegetable oil

lemon juice

a handful of parmesan cheese

salt to taste

what you do-

Cook pasta with a handful of salt about halfway through. Drain.

Heat vegetable oil.

Working in batches, transfer some bowties in hot oil.

As bowties golden, flip. Once both sides are golden remove from pan and immediately toss with salt, lemon juice, and parmesan. Repeat process as needed. (Frying process doesn’t take long)

Eat right away! (or they can be stored in an air-tight container for a few days)

yummm! enjoy!!

turkey pesto sliders.

2011-06-29T19:17:00.002-04:00

these came from annie. and i thank her big time for these amazing little snacks. loooove them and make them all the time! :)

what you need:

6 slider buns
6 slices of turkey deli meat
6 slices of provolone cheese
3 tbsp. pesto
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. butter, melted

what you do:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Split the slider buns and lay a folded slice of turkey on the bottom half of each bun. Layer each with a slice of provolone. In a small bowl, combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended. Spread a thin layer of the pesto mayonnaise on the inner side of the top half of each bun. Replace the top bun over the cheese to assemble the sandwiches. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with melted butter. Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are warmed through.

i found that it was easy to stick a toothpick through the sandwich to keep them together while baking. remove toothpick after baking and enjoy!

yogurt coffee cake muffins

2011-06-28T08:37:00.000-04:00

We are lacking on good in the kitchen right now. I just don’t feel like going to the grocery store. Don’t judge :) Even though we really have nothing I was still looking for breakfast recipes and came across these coffee cake yogurt muffins. I was overly excited that I actually had everything needed to make them. I immediately went to the kitchen and started baking. They were so easy to make! I was a little nervous when I put them in the oven because they looked horrible but 25 minutes later they were beautiful, delicious muffins!! We had them for dessert last night and I brought one to work this morning. They tasted simply fabulous both times…it’s like dessert for breakfast! Give them a try…you will be happy you did!!

yogurt coffee cake muffins.
source: cooks.com

filling-

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Mix thoroughly ingredients for filling.

batter-

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

what you do-

Cream butter, sugar. Beat in eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add.
Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each greased or lined muffin cup. Sprinkle with one teaspoon filling. Top with batter and sprinkle each muffin with filling. Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Yields: 12 muffins.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

2011-06-09T08:20:00.000-04:00

I was with my good friend Leah last weekend and we were talking about our menus for the week. She told me about this chicken and peaches dish she makes that was her husband's favorite. She shared the recipe with me and I made it last night...now it may be my husband's favorite! :) The original recipe was a little different from the way I did it- on the original it says to grill the peaches...personally, I don't love grilled fruit so they way I did it is below :) ENJOY!

*as always, this picture was just snapped with my blackberry so please forgive me :)

Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

adapted from Bon Appétit.

what you need:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/3 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup peach nectar
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
3 large peaches, rinsed, fuzz wiped away, each cut into 8 wedges
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

what you do:

Coat grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Or, use George Foreman (I did)

Stir preserves, nectar, red wine vinegar, adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons evoo, and chopped cilantro in small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Peel peaches and cut into chunks.

Add dressing mixture and peaches to a skillet. Heat on medium to low for about 5 minutes.

Grill chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.

Place grilled chicken on the plate and top with the dressing/peach mixture.

enjoy!!

M&M sugar cookie bars

2011-05-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

a couple of weekends ago i wanted to make something easy. i didn't have a ton of ingredients so i wanted something simple. i was looking on thenest and saw this blog. i have looked at and got ideas off of stephanie cooks before and i was really happy to see these easy m&m sugar cookie bars! they were the perfect fix for my sweet tooth! :)

what you need-
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
M&Ms

what you do-
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.
3- Once it's slightly cooled (about 3 minutes) beat in the egg and vanilla.
4- In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet mixture.
5- Pour into a greased 8x5 baking dish (or similar size). Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
6- Pull out of the oven and top with M&Ms, gently pressing them into the dough.
7- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the top is set and the cookies don't wiggle when you shake the pan. They should still be white with barely golden edges.
8- Cool completely in the pan before slicing. Yields 8 cookie bars.

light brioche buns

2011-05-10T08:36:00.000-04:00

i want to be able to make bread. SO bad. i have made honey yeast rolls a few times with no luck. i saw these buns on annie's eats (where i also got the honey yeast rolls) a while back and have had them on my mind since but just hadn't gotten up the guts to attempt bread again. so, i attempted sunday and FAILED. bad! i guess my water was too hot and i killed the yeast. i was so bummed when they didn't rise. so, last night i tried again. at first, i didn't think they were going to rise but then...they did! i did a happy dance in my kitchen. they aren't the prettiest buns but they taste AMAZING! so, here you go...light brioche buns! :) i will def make again and go for the look of annie's...round and beautiful!!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. warm milk (around 110*)
1 cup warm water (around 110*)
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds (i left this out only because i didn't have any!)

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the butter. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*note- when putting the wrap over for the 2nd rise make sure to just lay it over...otherwise the wrap will stick to the buns. just trust me! :) haha

strawberry pineapple crumble!

2011-04-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

strawberry pineapple crumble.
source: joythebaker

i get joythebaker updates via email. i love them. i love her baking and i love the way she writes. i pretty much always love everything i make that comes from her website. as for this strawberry pineapple crumble- when i saw it come up in my email i was like oh my, i must make this. i'm glad i made it because i will share it with others but i wish i would have remembered i don't really like cooked strawberries!! fail. so, it was really good minus the cooked strawberry taste, for me! if you like the taste of cooked strawberries...you should totally make this!!! :) either way- i was happy to use strawberries and pineapples together. i love both very very much!!!!

what you need:

1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 pound peeled and diced fresh pineapple
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar

what you do:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350*.

Toss diced fruit together in an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a small dish, whisk together 3 tablespoons white sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 cup of flour and pinch of salt. Toss the mixture with the diced fruit. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes. Use your fingers to break up the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture. Add the oats and toss together until the butter bits are about the size of the oat flakes.

Pour the oat mixture over the prepared fruit. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until juices from the fruit bubble up around the sides of the pan.

Remove the crumble from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2011-04-11T10:39:00.001-04:00

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
source: Rachel Ray

my husband loves all things spicy. every time he has to go out of town for work i end up making pesto mozz and tomato pizza. so, i had some dough left over the other night when he got back in town and decided to try to do a buffalo chicken pizza. i hadn't made it before and was a little worried about the taste. i just googled buffalo chicken pizza and this one from rachel ray came up! i thought it looked good and i love blue cheese so i decided to give it a go. SO glad i did- it was delish and bradley was in heaven. we will def make this one again soon!! :)

What you need:

Chicken
Extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of grill seasonings
Pizza dough & flour to handle
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce
1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
½ cup of blue cheese crumbles
tomato sauce

What you do:

Drizzle chicken with evoo and grill seasoning. Grill chicken. (I used George Foreman and it was fabulous!)

In a medium skillet on medium heat, melt butter. Once butter is melted, stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.

Form pizza dough using AP flour to handle. Roll out and have ready.

Add chicken to hot sauce mixture and fully coat.

Cover pizza dough with chicken mixture and cheeses.

Bake 18 minutes on 425* or until crisp (we baked about 25 minutes)

strawberry swirl cream cheese pound cake!!

2011-04-10T14:04:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Source: Southern Living, March 2011

that is the picture from southern living because i for some reason forgot to take a picture of this fabulous cake. i plan on making it again soon so let's pray i remember to take a picture! haha. :)

as i have said before, i love getting my southern living magazine each month! in march they had this pound cake and i knew i had to make it since it was strawberry and cream cheese. it took a while to make but it was SO good when finished. bradley and i had some. i took some to work. i took some to my parents when we visited for the weekend. all the places i took it everyone LOVED it!! you should make it :)

what you need:

1 ½ cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup strawberry glaze
1 wooden skewer

what you do:

preheat oven to 350*. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese, beating until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Gradually add flour to butter mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour 1/3 of batter into a greased and floured 10 in tube pan. Dollop 8 rounded teaspoonfuls strawberry glaze over batter, and swirl with wooden skewer. Repeat procedure once, and top with remaining third of batter.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely (about 1 hour) .

Rave reviews on this one!! ☺

stuffed shells with spinach, cheese, & sundried tomatoes

2011-02-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

since brad has been gone during the weekdays one of my best friends, ashley, has been coming over a lot. we have been making dinner and just spending some quality time together before the move. we have been friends for a really long time (we grew up in the same town) so it's awesome to live in the same town, now, as adults. she is amazing friend and i'm going to miss her so much when we move to north carolina. loves you ashley!!

ashley has recently given up on meat (GASP! i know! but she is still eating seafood...thank goodness!) so when she comes over we tend to make vegetarian meals. like one of our favorites, pesto/mozz/tomato pizza. spinach and cheese stuffed shells were a new one for us! we actually cut the recipe in half so there were 3 servings instead of 6. the changes in math are at the bottom. the recipe didn't call for sun dried tomatoes but we thought it would add a nice flavor to the shells. it did!! :) so good! we served this with our favorite ceasar salad (from a bag! haha) and bread.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS
adapted from cooks.com
(Fennel seeds add a flavorful new twist to this vegetarian main course.)

6 servings.

1 lb fresh or 1 10oz pkg frozen spinach (thawed)
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 c. (about 4 oz.) grated Parmesan
2 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried, crumbled
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
3 1/2 c. marinara or spaghetti sauce
32 jumbo pasta shells, freshly cooked
Additional grated Parmesan
sundried tomatoes

If using frozen spinach, squeeze dry. If using fresh, cook, covered, for 2-3 minutes in 1/4 cup boiling water; drain.

Transfer spinach to large bowl. Add Ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, fennel, basil, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes to bowl. Season mixture with salt and pepper; blend.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over bottom of 9"x13"x2" baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with spinach mixture. Place shells, filling side up, in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

here is the ingredients cut in half to make 3 serving. (which is MORE than enough for 2 people...we had a lot of left overs)

½ lb fresh or ½ of a 10oz package of frozen spinach (thawed)
7.5 oz. Ricotta cheese (½ of container)
½ c. (about 2 oz.) grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried, crumbled
1.5 garlic cloves, minced (I used a scoop of the garlic from a jar)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ¾ c. marinara or spaghetti sauce
16 jumbo pasta shells, freshly cooked
Additional grated Parmesan

lasagna roll ups

2011-02-16T13:53:00.003-05:00

lasagna roll ups are delish. way better than regular lasagna!! i made these the other night when my friend britton was over. it took some time but it was sooo worth it!

i got this from a blogger off of the nest. sadly, i didn't write down who it was so if it was YOU let me know! and thank you :)

lasagna roll ups

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
12 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (or 3 cups homemade)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 eggs
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles according to directions on package. Once cooked, lay them out in a single layer on wax paper.

In a skillet over medium heat season ground beef with the salt and pepper. Brown the meat and drain. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions soften, about 5-8 min. Then add the Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, oregano and basil. Lower the heat to med-low and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan and ricotta cheeses in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, then mix until all ingredients are combined.

Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan with 1 cup of the meat sauce or just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay out a lasagna noodle and spoon about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture down the noodle.

Top with 1/4 cup of meat sauce.

Roll the lasagna noodle and place it seem side down in the pan.

Continue with the rest of the rolls. Finish by topping with remaining meat sauce and sprinkle reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ale-Braised Sausage and Peppers

2011-02-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

i love reading annie's eats. and that's where i got this ale-braised sausage and peppers recipe! we served it over couscous.

one of brad and my favorite things to do at night (besides watching dexter!) is cook supper together. it's nice to just hang out in the kitchen and make something delish. so, that's what we did with these sausages and peppers...we stayed in the kitchen creating this amazing meal! ...and we may have drank the left over newcastle :)

Ale-Braised Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2 large red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
3 tbsp. flour, divided
1 ½ cups ale (we used newcastle)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausages and cook, stirring and turning often, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and cook, stirring, until golden, 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in the ale until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add the thyme and the chicken broth, whisking to blend. Bring to a simmer. Return the sausages to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors are blended, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sausage, peppers and onions to a serving dish. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of flour, whisking constantly until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Pour thickened sauce over the sausages and serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

current obsessions.

2011-02-08T10:53:00.001-05:00

~this cheese. my friend britton brought it over the other night. remember how i told you i was eating cheese for supper? well, this is why! it's amazing. yumm. i had it for breakfast this morning. truth. you must taste it now.

~dexter. thank you netflix. a show that both bradley and i enjoy!! i mean, wow. we are on season 4. we watch it a lot all the time. i'm going to be sad when we catch up to real time!

~thanks to michabella i found this website for kate spade e- valentines day cards. i love valentines day. cheesy or not. :) my vday message to you:

~sex and the city on E! i mean, i have always been obsessed with sex and the city and with E! so now my these loves of mine are together and it makes me happy.happy.happy! although, i do hate how much of sexgets cut out.ha. boo.

still here.

2011-02-07T08:43:00.001-05:00

i haven't been doing menu mondays because brad is out of town every week.
:( we are moving to north carolina soon and he is there during the week and home only on the weekends. i move at the end of the month. either way, i haven't really been cooking. in fact, to be honest-i sometimes just eat cheese for supper. that's bad, right? the other night i added chips to my cheese. it was like college nachos. chips covered with cheese and microwaved. blahhhh.

speaking of chips and cheese... this was my favvvvv commerical from last night. gross but delightful.

cucumber boats!

2011-01-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

i found these and thought were so cute. i have made them a few times and have loved them everytime!! perfect app for a party!

source: leslie sarna

cucumber boats filled with hummus.

what you need:

2 English cucumbers (English have a more dense center and won't fall apart)

1 container of hummus

1 red bell pepper

what you do:

Cut the cucumber into approximately 1 inch pieces. Using a melon baller scoop out the inside to make a little cup.

Next, fill up the cup with a teaspoon of hummus.

top with bell pepper

so cute and so yum!

menu monday!

2011-01-17T13:30:00.001-05:00

trying to switch it up a little this week. no chicken! haha... we will see how that goes :)

monday. pork chops with blue cheese sauce served with potatoes of some sort.

tuesday. movie night! we are going to cinnebar and eating there :)

wednesday. sloppy joes. this will be my first attempt!

thursday. enchiladas & yellow rice. (i froze the sauce a while back! it's going to be an easy dinner!! yayy!)

friday. burgers with homemade oven fries.

Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2011-01-12T12:21:00.000-05:00

Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken

source: rachel ray! this chicken is SO good!! you need to make it! you need to taste it!! :)

what you need:

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Black pepper
4-5 ounces blue cheese crumbles
A handful arugula leaves from bulk bins, chopped
A handful baby spinach leaves from bulk bins, chopped
4 slices bacon

what you do:

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Using a small sharp knife cut into the thick end of the chicken and make an incision reaching 2/3 the way down the breast. Loosen up the incision with your fingers to make a hole. Season the chicken with pepper. Combine the cheese with arugula and baby spinach and stuff the breasts. Spiral-wrap the breasts with the bacon tightly to cover the meat evenly. Place chicken on a nonstick baking sheet and roast 20-22 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is firm.

step by step.

cut the chicken and stuff.

wrap with bacon.

bake.

enjoy.

menu monday

2011-01-10T12:08:00.002-05:00

we have been so out of wack since christmas! this week i think we are back to normal:) yay!! im excited to try beer sausage tonight...i'll let you know how it goes!

monday. ale-braised sausage and peppers

tuesday. crock-pot rotisserie chicken w/ veggies.

wednesday. venison steak w/ potatoes and veggies.

thursday. general tso chicken w/ rice.

friday. crab cake sandwiches w/ sweet potato fries.

menu monday

2010-12-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

monday. left overs from weekend.

tuesday. tacos bowls.

wednesday. omelette's. grits. bacon.

thursday. christmas at my gmas! tapas style. i'm making: cucumber boats with hummas, turkey pesto sliders, pimento cheese, and guac with wonton chips :)

friday. christmas eve babyyyy.

just a few random things.

2010-12-14T11:01:00.006-05:00

1. bradley has been obsessed lately with hunting and all things manly/country-ish. he even likes to say "hey bo" when we are camping or in the woods and such. yeah, i thought i moved away from upstate sc, too?? hmm. so, the other day bradley sends me this in a email.

nice.

2. last saturday was full of love. seriously, hearts everywhere.

on an egg:

and on my sock:

spread the love, people.

3. have i mentioned lately how much we love pepper and how she is totally human?

4. and now, i want to inform you of my very favorite animal. like favorite ever. (besides pepper....who obviously doesn't count....bc she is a HUMAN)

eat more chicken. i have always loved dairy cows. i think they are so cute. once, i was in a pageant and during the interview they asked me why a cow was my fav animal. so i said... i love their utters. they are just so pink and cute. needless to say, i didn't win. :D

that's all. :)

chocolate candy cane cookies

2010-12-13T15:06:00.003-05:00

i made these for a cookie exchange and they were delightful! the filling is so good. i rushed to make these so they weren't as pretty as they should have been sooo i'm making them again tonight for a christmas party tomorrow night! make these. you won't be sorry:)

source: bonappetit

Ingredients

Cookies
•1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 cup sugar
•3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
•1 large egg

Filling
•1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
•3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
•3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
•2 drops (or more) red food coloring
•1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

For cookies:
•Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.
•Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
•Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
•Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). DO AHEAD Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

menu monday

2010-12-06T13:14:00.002-05:00

this week i'm trying to make sure we have leftovers for lunches everyday. i realize this is a lot of chicken...i guess we will really like chicken this week! ha.

monday. chicken fried rice.

tuesday. baked spaghetti.

wednesday. chicken fiesta casserole.

thursday. chicken crescent pockets.

friday. black bean & corn quesadillas.

i do love christmas cards!

2010-12-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

our christmas card for 2010 :)

we ordered it from snapfish.com and are VERY pleased!

yay for christmas!!

sweet potato soufflé

2010-11-30T11:13:00.003-05:00

fact: i made 3 sweet potato soufflé's this thanksgiving holiday.

fact: i didn't take a picture of any of them.

fact: these were the best sweet potato soufflé's that i have ever made.

fact: i love pecans.

fact: someone gave me this recipe last year but you can find it all over the internet. like, all recipes and such.

what you need-

sweet potato mixture-

4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

topping-

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

what you do-

Preheat oven to 325*. Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.

In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown

menu monday!

2010-11-29T11:20:00.001-05:00

i'm cooking easy things this week due to all the food at thanksgiving:)

monday. pork chops, sweet potatoes, salad.

tuesday. chicken pot pie.

wednesday. taco soup.

thursday. buffalo mac & cheese.

friday. pizza.

chicken & rice burritos

2010-11-24T15:26:00.002-05:00

a PERFECT freezer meal to have for lunch!

see-

and then-

seriously, so easy. here's what you do:

place frozen chicken breasts in your crockpot.

pour a jar of salsa over the chicken breasts.

generously add taco seasoning

cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4 hours.

the chicken will be shreaded after cooked.

mix the chicken salsa with cooked white rice.

place in a tortilla shell. wrap like a burrito.

cover with saran wrap. cover with tin foil. place in freezer.

to prepare later: microwave high 2 minutes, flipping the burrito once.

seriously, easy and great for lunches!! i filled our freezer with them!

get your booty on the floooor toniiiiiight[make my day]

2010-11-18T13:34:00.002-05:00

basically...i can't get this song out of my head. i even danced around to it in the living room this morning with pepper.

ohhh whoaaa yeah yeah.
:)

a wedding!

2010-11-17T09:19:00.000-05:00

our dear friends, meghan and robert, got married! we are so happy for them! congrat to you both! we love you!!

night before.

brad and i with the bride!

we love weddings!

menu monday.

2010-11-15T15:06:00.001-05:00

monday. brad has a work dinner so i'm totes making salmon stew. you know, that stuff he doesn't like?! :)

tuesday. chicken pesto stuffed shells.

wednesday. breakfast for dinner! omelettes. grits. [maybe] biscuits.

thursday. pork chops. pinto beans. cornbread. (to be honest...i don't care about the pork chops. i just want to eat pinto beans and cornbread- a favorite from when i was little!)

friday. we will be camping. so whatever we decide to throw on the grill :) im thinking a turkey burger!

funny friday!

2010-11-12T08:04:00.001-05:00

wonton chips & wasabi guacamole

2010-11-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

my new favorite snack. my friend, tobey, brought these to a girls night last week and i could not get enough of them! i made a batch the next day...and have had some around since! yum.

wonton chips.

what you need-

-wonton wrappers.
-sesame seed oil.
-salt
-pepper

what you do
take the wonton wrappers and cut in half.

brush with sesame seed oil.

add salt and pepper. (i used crushed pepper...adds a better taste)

bake at 400* for 5 minutes.

tobey served these with wasabi guacamole. i haven't made this yet but it's seriously delish!

wasabi guacamole.

what you need-

-1 tsp lemon zest
-1 tbsp of lemon juice
-2 tbsp of reduced fat sour cream
-2 tsp of wasabi paste
-2 avocados

what you do-

Mix in blender until smooth.

Serve with wonton chips.

menu monday

2010-11-08T10:09:00.005-05:00

it's my last week of having these *boring* property management classes! yayy. so, other than tonight and thursday i can cook again! it makes me happy. it really does:) i am very excited to give the tuesday meal a try! i'll let you know how it goes:)

monday. left overs from the weekend. i kinda cooked a lot.

tuesday. bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed chicken. green beans. potatoes.

wednesday. corn topped chili casserole...which i failed to make last week!

thursday. leftovers.

friday. rehersal dinner for meghan and robert! they are getting married on saturday!!

ps- did you notice my super cute new banner? yeah, sweet michele did that. and i loooove it :)

FUNNY FRIDAY!

2010-11-05T18:45:00.001-04:00

took me a while to get it on here.... but here it is! hopefully, i'm back FULL time for funny fridays! more jokes to come!!

happpppy friday!

except for the part where you can not see bradley...at all. this used to be so easy. why will blogger not work with me?! ugh.

dog treats.

2010-11-04T12:57:00.001-04:00

pepper loved them! cheap and easy:)

got this from allrecipes!

what you need:
•2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
•2 eggs
•1/2 cup canned pumpkin
•2 tablespoons peanut butter
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

what you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

pumpkin cheesecake

2010-11-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

amazing. simply amazing. i made this for my dear friend, spencer. it was her birthay a few weeks ago but we didnt see her then so while she was in town this past weekend i wanted her to have a special treat. it was delish. and super easy!

from branny.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

for the pumpkin filling
1 15oz can packed pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs

for the cheesecake (you will have a lot leftover)
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar

chocolate cookie crust (9″)

To make the pumpkin filling, beat eggs with sugar. Add spices, pureed pumpkin, and evaporated milk. Whisk to combine.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese until softened. Add sugar and incorporate beaten egg. Add vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

To assemble pie: pour pumpkin filling into cookie crust. Pour cheesecake filling into a zip top bag and snip off end. To make spider web design, lightly pipe concentric circles of cheesecake into the pumpkin filling. Using a clean knife, drag the blade of a knife from the outside of the pie towards the center, wiping the knife between drags.

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 60 minutes.

halloween.

2010-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

we went to a halloween party on saturday. here are a few shots...

pirate & a goddess.

best friends.

good group:)

love her!

we had a blast. my costume was a totally diy. the headband was from the halloween store. the toga was made out of 2 yards of fabric from a fabric store and the belt was a rope also from the fabric store. thank goodness for spencer and safety pins...otherwise i would have had NO costume! :)

menu monday

2010-11-01T10:24:00.004-04:00

i still have class all this week but i'm making a better attempt at eating real food [this week] :) all of this can be made before and frozen or waiting in the fridge to pop in the oven!

monday. pick up food. left overs at the house. something like that...ha

tuesday.corn topped chili casserole. ummm, yummm!

wednesday. chicken & rice wraps.

thursday. pizza stuffed pretzels. side salad.

friday. crockpot roast. potatoes & gravy.

nachos.

2010-10-28T13:38:00.004-04:00

YUM.

i got this from singforyoursupper :)

what you need:

chips
refried beans
cheese
japs
shreaded chicken
guac
sour cream
salsa

what you need to do:

toss the shreaded chicken with tequilla and salt/pepper.

spread out the chips. generously put refried beans over chips then layer with cheese and japs and chicken. Bake for 5-8 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. generously add guac, sour cream, salsa, more japs, or anything else you want!

i love this homemade guac.

i also did homemade salsa. basically, chopped tomatoes,onion,cilantro.

these would be perfect for game day! :)

current obession.

2010-10-27T16:44:00.003-04:00

big hair, fancy clothes... rockstars in the spotlight. tell me do you wanna?..can you really take the drama of a jerseylicious girl like me? i am crazylicious. i am superlicious. im the jerseylicious girl you need. tell me can you take it? do you really wanna make with a jerseylicious girl like me?... im what you need...

oliva is my fav.

like i can handle anymore tv. geeze. i was just watching it every now and then. now- i can't miss it. im obsessed.

ghosts.

2010-10-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

ghosts. diy ghosts. these cute little decorations hang from the tree in our front yard every october. i love them.

it's so easy to do it.

just take a white bed sheet and stuff the head with toilet paper. tie around the neck. i used thick string. sometimes i use thin rubberbands. ya know, whatever is around. then use needle and thread to go through the top to make them hang. place on a tree.

cheap, easy, adorable. :)

note:
you will have to make them every year though...they don't exactly hold up year after year. but they will last all october!

real meals are taking a backseat

2010-10-25T12:04:00.003-04:00

so i am already a realtor. have been for a long while now.

but now i work for a property management company. and i have to get that license. (really annoying that i can't just use my real estate license)

so for the next 2 weeks after work i will be in property management classes until 10pm. yeah, 10pm everynight. kill me now.

what i'm getting at here is...i will not be making any real meals considering i will have no time to eat. no menu this week. i guess i will be on a liquid diet for the next 2 weeks. but hey, that might do my body good:) skinny jeans, here i come.

my sweet husband would like to eat, though, so maybe i'll make some casseroles for him. something like...fiesta chicken casserole

halloween makes you scream!

2010-10-21T10:29:00.005-04:00

halloween. michael myers. yayyyy! i love scary movies. love love love them. sadly, my husband and my friends (in seems) do not love scary movies like i do. here is my favorite..

photo source.

andddd i have always and i do mean ALWAYS loved the movie SCREAM! i remember watching the original over and over and over. i mean, billy and stu?! how could they possibly be the killers? and scream 2...billy's mom? whhhhat? and scream 3...roman, sidney's half brother? what? who knew she had a half brother?! i didnt..... ohhh and dewey and gale...engaged?! yay. wes craven, you make me proud.

okay... all of this was leading up to me telling you about something i am SERIOUSLY looking forward to..... SCREAM 4 people! whooohooo! the trailer just came out...take a peek!!!!! yippee:)

i will be counting down these days to this movie! will you?

chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream.

2010-10-20T11:41:00.004-04:00

one time i used my go to choc cake and go to vanilla buttercream recipes...

this was for my friend's birthday. she is obsessed with all things nautical. seriously. so, this is chocolate cupcakes. vanilla buttercream with blue food coloring mixed to look like the ocean. powered sugar doughnuts with fruit roll ups to look like life preservers. :) i thought they were cute and they were a big hit!

my go to chocolate cake/cupcake recipe if from hersheys.

what you need:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
what you do:

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake pans.

Baking a one-pan cake: bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350° F

Baking cupcakes: line with baking cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes at 350° F

my go to vanilla buttercream is from, of course, joythebaker

vanilla buttercream

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the powdered sugar and butter together in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment on medium low speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer speed to low. Combine the milk and the vanilla extract and slowly stream it into the butter and sugar mixture. Once incorporated, turn the mixer to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes. If you find that your frosting is getting to warm in the summer months, stop beating and set in the fridge for a few minutes. Once chilled, hook the frosting back up the the mixer and beat once more until you reach the desired consistency.

menu monday!

2010-10-18T10:35:00.002-04:00

monday. general tso chicken and rice

tuesday. crockpot chicken and dumplings…because i didn’t really make it last week

wednesday. shepard pie – my friend gave me a recipe i’m wanting to try…only because i know bradley will love it.

thursday. left overs.

friday. taco soup. and hopefully, we will finally eat the gator bradley killed!

misc.

2010-10-14T10:32:00.003-04:00

thankful thursday. i am thankful for sweet bradley and pepper. look how cute they are...

what are you thankful for?!

sneak peek for meghan's bach weekend...

today is my friday and tomorrow we will be off celebrating meghan! my friend nicole and i have been busy putting things together all week(and last week) can't wait to share all the fun games, decorations, and food with you next week! :)

throwback.

2010-10-13T14:38:00.000-04:00

i was playing hand games with my little sister the other week, you know...miss mary mack mack mack all dressed in black black black...etc. well, i was RACKING my trying to remember miss suzie. i refused to google it. i needed to remember. then the other night after a cocktail (go figure) i remembered! and i was so happy. the next night i told all my friends. apparently, not all girls learned this little song the same. there is even a version of miss lucy! weird, i know.

this is how i remember it...

Miss Suzie had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell. TOOT TOOT!
Miss Suzie went to heaven
The steamboat went to
Hell-o operator connect me number 9
and if you disconnect me I’ll kick you in
Behind the refrigerator there was a piece of glass,
Miss Suzie stepped upon it almost broke her
Ask me no more questions, tell me no more lies
That’s what Miss Suzie said the day before she died!

here are some other ways to sing it. :)

how did you learn it?!

menu monday

2010-10-11T09:24:00.000-04:00

monday. orange chicken and rice

tuesday. crockpot chicken and dumplings (very excited to try this!)

wednesday. baked spaghetti

thursday. quesadillas of some sort

friday. i'll be at a girl's weekend celebrating meghan's bachelorette party!!

FUNNY FRiDAY!! hannah's house!

2010-10-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

happy friday!!