Baked Zucchini Sticks

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!

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




Lols for the week!

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Insensitive I suppose but funny none the less.

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


Things I want to make in the near future!

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

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Pizza rolls. But skinny. Yes please!

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Fried chicken. But not fried. Yummmmmm.

Okay, and this is amazing-

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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

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]

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!!!

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

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Source: hallelujahsbyholly.blogspot.com via J on Pinterest

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motivation :)

Source: None via Manda on Pinterest

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happy wednesday! is it friday yet? geeeeeze.

xoxo.
manda

classic peanut butter cookies

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.

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.

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



happy friday!

xoxo
manda

Super Easy Blueberry Muffins

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!!

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






these are cracking me up...

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Source: facebook.com via Melissa on Pinterest

ohhh, have a laugh! it's wednesday!

:)

I'M GOING TO SEE BRITNEY!

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

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

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

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!

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.

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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.

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