Deliciously Easy Recipes
This easy-to-make Sugar Skull Wreath is the perfect Halloween decoration to spruce up your front door for the holiday.
Okay – so I’m not a huge fan of Halloween. I really don’t decorate too much – except with a general fall theme that lasts from September through November.
If I didn’t worry about getting my house egged – I probably wouldn’t hand out candy. I would rather just enjoy it for myself – especially since my kids are too old for trick-or-treating or dressing up.
View postPumpkin Caramel Biscotti is a delicious fall recipe filled with warm spices and all the seasonal flavors you love to pair with your coffee.
WOW- it sure has been a long time since I made biscotti. But with the cooler air & the fall colors, I have really been feeling the need to make a little something to enjoy with some coffee in the morning & some warm tea in the afternoon.
So instead of making my usual biscotti recipe, I had to really jazz it up with some fall flavors. Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg & caramel all come together to make Pumpkin Caramel Biscotti. So lovely on a crisp fall day. I know you will love it!
View postAre you starting to think about menu planning now that fall has arrived? I definitely have. I like to serve something new each time we gather for the holidays along with the family recipes we have year after year. I think it’s fun to not always have the same exact thing all the time. When you add new things to the menu it gives an opportunity to see what people really enjoyed & decide if you want to make that dish into a new family favorite that will be passed down through the generations. I think I came up with one of those recipes this time. These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans are similar to bacon wrapped asparagus – only better. Why are they better? Because they are green beans & our family LOVES green beans.
It’s super simple to make these. I will definitely be doing this side dish for all my holiday gatherings.
My kids – absolutely loved these! My son was wanting to clear the platter for me.
Want more side dish ideas?
Ever since I made those Fig Crumble Bars the family has been begging me to make more. I hardly ever make the same treats unless it’s a true family favorite. So I decided to take their love for the crumble bars & change it up a bit. This girl needed some chocolate & caramel. So the perfect thing for that is a good ol’ candy bar. So I just combined the two & it was a match made in heaven. These Milky Way Crumble Bars are divine!!!
Look at all that gooey goodness!!! Oh my – these are SOOOO good!!!
You know you want one! Especially with how quick they come together.
In just 30 minutes you could be eating one yourself!
Want more bar recipes?
Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
I like to change things up a bit when it comes to dinner ideas. What you would normally have for dinner can get dull & I always like to surprise the kids with something different. So I decided to take your regular mashed potatoes & turn them into a kid-friendly dish we can make together during the week. These Deep Fried Mashed Potatoes are fun & simple. They make a great appetizer for game day or just a different take on the usual side dish. It’s easier than you think & I promise- your kids will love them.
My kids loved that they were different than your typical mashed potatoes & gravy. These made potatoes something to look forward to. Adding them to the skewer & turning them into a sort of “mashed potatoes on a stick” was something they really enjoyed.
Just roll, egg, panko & eggs – then fry. Yep – that simple.
Want easy kid-friendly week night recipes?
This homemade Apple Pie Spice is the perfect seasoning mix for all your fall recipes. Add it to pies, warm drinks and so much more.
Have you ever taken a whiff of something and been instantly transported to a world of warm sweaters, falling leaves, and the joy of the holiday season? Well, I’m about to introduce you to just the thing – Apple Pie Spice!
This aromatic blend of spices not only fills your kitchen with the coziest fall flavors but also elevates every apple dessert you whip up. It’s one of my favorite parts of fall.
View postSeveral months ago I was telling you about how I was crafting up a storm to create things for the new house. Well we moved in nearly 3 months ago & I’m just now getting to sharing some of those projects with you. You know how it goes. Time slips away. But this DIY Sisal Basket was so easy that I had to share it with you before any more time continued to pass. I absolutely love that with just a fraction of a $20 spool of sisal I was able to create my own basket for our hearth. Let me show you how you can make one too. (*apologies for the hands on images. They were taken in our last house- which means terrible lighting)
I started with a large spool of sisal & some Mod Podge Matte. I wrapped the outside of a large bowl with plastic wrap.
I started coiling the rope in a circle on the bottom of the bowl.
I brushed on a decent amount of Mod Podge to coat the rope heavily.
Then just repeated every so often as I wrapped.
Once completely wrapped around the bowl, I added another THICK coat of Mod Podge to all of the rope. I used a clamp to hold the end piece in place while it dried. Then I set it aside to be untouched for a couple days while it dried. Once dry I just pulled it off the bowl & discarded the plastic wrap. It was ready to be displayed.
I love that I made my own basket. Simple projects like this are my favorite.
Want more fun & easy projects for the home?
Corn Husk Fall Place Setting & free Printable
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
15-Minute Drop Biscuits are an easy homemade biscuit recipe that is perfect for every dinner. It brings Easy Family Dinner Ideas to a whole new level.
My hubs has this thing. He has to have 3 items on the plate come dinner time. I wasn’t really raised like that. For most of my life, it was just my mom & I.
We lived off things like toast for dinner followed by a bowl of cake & ice cream. Yeah – good thing I had a very fast metabolism at the time.
Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe
Banana Macadamia Nut Cookies are soft and chewy pudding cookies that twist on the classic white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Have you jumped on the pudding cookie craze? I had not ventured into the pudding cookie up until a couple of weekends ago. Boy – I think I am a total convert.
It truly changes everything about the cookie. These Banana Macadamia Nut Cookies were originally meant to be a standard white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. But the hubs picked up cook & serve pudding when he did the weekly shopping.
View postOh my. I told you yesterday that I was working on a simply divine dessert that I made that Hazelnut Caramel Sauce for. Well here it is…Poached Pears. They are so simple yet look so incredibly elegant dished with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream & a little drizzled caramel sauce over the top. Oh – yeah, I poached them with cinnamon so the whole house smelled AMAZING too. My son- the cinnamon feign – was in heaven from the start. It was all he could do to wait for me to photograph these before having some. Yes the poor children have all these wonderful smells floating through the house on a daily basis. I’m sure it can be quite distracting for them when they are trying to do school & all they want to do is come down to the kitchen & see what I’m making. Hehehe – seriously, these are that kind of dessert. Simply divine!
Oh my word – really, these are the perfect fall dessert.
I’m so in love with these poached pears. I could have a bowl just like this every single night.
Want more great pear recipes?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
If you are like me – this time of year is all about caramel. I love drizzling caramel on top of so many wonderful fall recipes. But if you are a regular reader here then you know that because I have given you a fairly healthy amount of recipes all oozing with caramel. I can’t help it. Something about seeing the dribble making it’s way down something decadent just makes me want to dive in. So it’s no surprise that I created this Hazelnut Caramel Sauce to share with you all today. You see, I was actually working on another AMAZING recipe that I will be sharing with you all tomorrow. I was ready to plate it & get it ready to photograph when I realized that it really needed a little somethin’somethin’ drizzled all over it. So I quickly whipped this up. I planned on just including it as part of the recipe tomorrow. But then I realized just how great this is as an ice cream topping or poured over a breakfast cake. It truly deserves it’s own post – it’s so GOOD!
You see – typically I would have grabbed the pecans first for a recipe like this. But then I saw this huge bag of hazelnuts staring at me from the pantry – just begging me to use them in something wonderful.
Want more great caramel recipes?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
This time of year is so treat heavy. I try to make better choices through the week. One thing I have really been trying to do is to take our family favorites & change them up a bit to make them in skinny versions. This way we can still enjoy the things we love- but have to spend far less time working it all off at the gym. Life is so crazy busy these days & so I really love products that make my life easier & are convenient without sacrifice. It seems most of the time if I want fast & easy it comes with a high calorie price. So I created this Skinny Caramel Popcorn for my family so we don’t have to feel like we are compromising. Let me tell you – it satisfies every craving & doesn’t taste skinny – which is why I love this Low Calorie Popcorn. Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas?
On my weekly shopping trip to Walmart I found this Skinnygirl Popcorn.
Any snacks that say skinny always grab my attention. So I had to buy it.
Here’s what we start with – Skinnygirl Popcorn in butter flavor. It also comes in Lime – which would be a tasty twist. Then we have raw honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract & yogurt covered raisins. I also added some trail mix – but it was last minute -so it didn’t make the shot.
We make our “caramel” first because it has to cool a bit & thicken up before pouring over the popcorn.
This only takes a minute or two to melt the honey & coconut oil together.
Pop your popcorn & add your mix ins while you are waiting for your caramel to cool.
I love making #SkinnygirlSnacks with the help of #CollectiveBias.
Mix it altogether – enjoy!! So simple- only takes a couple minutes.
My poor daughter – since she has braces she can’t enjoy this with the rest of us.
She is sure going to be happy when she can try this.
Skinnygirl popcorn offers great taste with just 25 calories per cup popped.
What makes the Skinnygirl products unique?
Every Skinnygirl product offers at least a 20% calorie savings vs. it’s competitors
No artificial flavors – No artificial colors – No artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, sucralose) – No high fructose corn syrup
You know how I feel about all those things & how I have been working hard to eliminate those from our family’s diet as much as I can. So I was absolutely thrilled when I read this about Skinnygirl Popcorn.
The mix ins are great too. With regular caramel popcorn I would mix in some chocolate covered candy or marshmallows – or both. I have been known to mix in all sorts of things – but you know, this was just as good & I didn’t feel like I was missing out on any of that.
Want more great skinny versions of tasty favorites?
Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
Do you love easy crock pot meals? Yeah – me too. Easy Family Dinner Ideas are my favorite. I love those days when I can throw everything in there & let it go & dinner is done. As these days get shorter it seems like the hubs gets home & before I know it- it’s time for bed. So anything I can do to speed up the dinner process the better it is for my sanity. A long while ago I came up with this recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Soup that has turned into a family favorite. I’m sure it will be for you too!!
It’s not completely homemade- there is a little canned soup & chicken stock involved. But that’s part of the ease of it all. All these ingredients I keep on hand at all times – so when I am in a pinch for dinner it’s really nice to throw this together & not worry about it.
These cooler temps definitely call for a warm & hearty soup.
I am seriously obsessed with this one. I have a hard time not going back for seconds.
When we have company & need to make a lot – this recipe doubles quite well. Sometimes I do that even when we are not having company & then we have leftovers for a couple days. So one easy meal turns into 2-3…maybe that’s why I love it so much.
Want more great soups?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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A little bit ago I shared with you how I monogrammed my homemade butcher block with a promise that I would also eventually share how I built the block itself. Well today I am doing just that. You see – we started with just a salvaged scrap piece of a header from the pile outside our house during the construction process. I knew the moment I saw it that I wanted to make it into a butcher block. The hubs didn’t quite see my vision – but after months of talking about it, I finally had him on board to at least help me a little. I am happy to say that I was able to prove him wrong & he loves it. He was sure skeptical – but I think it gave him a sense of accomplishment to complete the project along with me. So let me show you How to Build a Butcher Block.
So here it is – the rough cut piece we salvaged. I actually think this was part of the piece from our mantle.
The hubs used a belt sander to get it as smooth as possible. Then I used the mouse sander to fine tune that sanding.
If you plan on monogramming your block – now is the time to do that.
It’s so much easier to do it before you add the legs so you can really move your block piece around.
For the tutorial – see How to Monogram a Butcher Block
We had bought these table legs for another project that I will share another time. They didn’t work for that one – so they sat there stained & ready for something else for months. I decided that I didn’t like the color after all – so I picked my favorite color paint & gave them a couple coats. It was just regular flat house paint. Then I used sealing wax – usually used on chalk paint over the flat paint once it was dry. This makes it really durable.
Now here is where the hubs ideas & mine differed. I wanted to attach the legs to one large board & then attach to the block. When he came home from the hardware store he had one long plank that we cut to the width of the block. As you can see – we used long wood screws from the top of the board to attach the legs to it. **Drill holes first – then screw in- otherwise you end up splitting the wood. While this particular part is not quite as I had originally planned – it works out fine. Also – adding this extra piece makes the block a bit taller – perfect for my 6’6″ hubs to use too.
Then we again- made our holes & then drilled our screws through them to attach the leg boards.
Now – oil, oil, oil!!!
You need to add oil to your block multiple times before it’s ready to use. The wood is thirsty!
We liberally oiled ours at least 4-5 times before bringing it into the house for use. Then re-oil once every few weeks to keep it looking great.
Here’s the finished piece!
I love how it turned out & I’m so happy I was able to add the monogram too.
Want more great projects for the home?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
Hi everyone!!! We are cruising right along through September. Wow – I already have Thanksgiving on the forefront of my thoughts. I can’t believe it. A couple weeks ago I shared this recipe for Plum Fruit Leather over at my dear friend Desiree’s. You see the hubs had done a produce stock up at Costco & things were going south faster than expected. I needed to whip up some recipes that called for some major quantities of fruit. So I started with the fruit leather. I just love it – what a great snack to grab on the go. Let me show you just how easy it is to make!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
You start out washing all your plums & cutting in half & removing the pits.
Place on a large baking sheet – insides up.
Then roast them for about 20 minutes. Remove & carefully transfer them to the food processor.
Be careful- there will be hot plum juice all over your tray.
Allow your oven to cool to about 170-200 degrees.
Process until smooth. Then transfer to a large bowl & add your sugar. Mix well so that all the sugar dissolves.
Pour onto another baking sheet lined with parchment – make sure your parchment is larger than your sheet. You want all of the liquid to be contained in the parchment.
Once your oven has cooled to the right temperature – place your baking sheet back in & bake for 6-8 hours. I made the mistake of turning off my convection after the roasting & didn’t realize it until most of the drying process was done. If you have a convection oven – definitely use it & expect your fruit leather to be ready earlier. Keep an eye on it for timing. It will depend on your oven & the thickness of your liquid based on the size baking sheet/sheets you use. I was able to fit mine all on one 3/4 sheet.
You know it’s done when it’s no longer sticky & has a smooth surface. Mine dried around the edges first & sort of pulled the parchment in as it shrank up a bit. That’s okay if it does that. If it’s too dry on the edges when the center is finally done- just trim those parts off when cutting into your strips. Be sure to store in an airtight container.
The whole family loves these. So great for grabbing as we are running out the door to the gym or just need a little snack mid-morning. So I’m sure I will be making more soon.
Want more fall recipes?
Apple Pie ~ Easiest Homemade Recipe
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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This blog has been compensated by it’s advertisers for this post- all opinions are my own.
Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas? This time in my life is quite bittersweet. My kids are getting older & I am really, truly loving who they are becoming. Spending time with my kids is a wonderful experience. They are not just my children but great people too. Now that my oldest is half way through his 16th year I am all too aware that my days of having them here with me are passing by way too quickly. I have always cherished my moments with them & tried to savor my days that I get. With my mom gone now- I have grown to appreciate just how special the everyday moments can be. So the hubs & I have been bringing the kids into the kitchen more & more to have them help with meal prep. The boy has become my right hand when the hubs is working late & I need help in the kitchen. This is what happened the other night. The hubs had a Board of Commissioners meeting late into the evening. Normally I would make a crock pot meal- but I had other things going in it that day & it wasn’t available. So since I like quick & easy dishes – I decided to take a tried & true UNCLE BEN’S® Crockpot Chicken & Rice Supreme recipe (from Mars Uncle Ben’s) & turn it into a 30 minute meal. Let me show you how easy it was to make this Popcorn Pork & Rice Supreme.
I started with these UNCLE BEN’S® ready rice packets. Cheesy & good!!
Here’s the boy stirring the rice – he’s such a great helper. Look how tall he is now!!
Look at that! Just place a few pieces of popcorn pork over the top of the rice.
The crunch of the pork with the great cheesy flavor – so good.
Have you heard about UNCLE BEN’S® Beginners™ Cooking Program?
Cook as a Family for a Chance to Win Big Prizes!
UNCLE BEN’S® is giving away $225,000 in prizes!
Entering is as easy as making a short cooking video with your child.
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This is really a great recipe when cooking with your kids! Simple & quick & there is so much they can do to help in preparation.
See- I told you it was simple!
I love that this comes together so quickly – no excuse to not have a home cooked meal that tastes great!
This Post Brought To You By The UNCLE BEN’S® Brand.
Want more 30 minutes or less dinner ideas?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
Do you like comics? How about your kids? I love the nostalgia that comes with comics – especially ones like Captain America. So today I’m sharing these Captain America M&M’s™ Cookies. As you know – I love all things patriotic & what character is more patriotic than Captain America? I am so LOVING these cookies.
Aren’t these just the cutest patriotic cookies? I love that they are adorned with M&M’s! Not only do they look great but they are so yummy too. My kids were so excited. They were commenting the whole time they were baking about just how wonderful the house smelled. I love that.
Want more great M&M’s recipes?
Patriotic Cookie Dough Brownie Bars
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
WOW – I can’t believe how fast this year is going by. It’s fall & I am so excited. For me September means lots of baked recipes, lots of caramel flavored things & figs, apples & pears. I know many are already into pumpkin. But I really feel that with all the attention pumpkin gets through October & November – I really want to hold off as much as I can on the pumpkin flavored things until then. So I am focused on all my other favorite flavors right now. I love the flavors of fall & that wonderful smell drifting through my house. Since I have not made a crumble bar recipe in a really long time, I decided to take a jar of that wonderful fig butter I shared a little bit ago & pair it with some buttery crumble bars. Then I topped the Fig Crumble Bars with a drizzle of glaze. But not just any ol’ glaze. I made this salted caramel mocha glaze that was absolutely perfect with the fig butter. Oh my – the family is sure loving the tastes of fall coming out of the kitchen right now. I love Yummy Bar Recipes!
I know I say this a lot- but it’s true, this recipe is SO EASY. If you can mix a couple ingredients in a bowl & then bake – then you can do these. Really- that’s all there is to it. Don’t you love quick & simple recipes? When I whipped these up I also had 3 other recipes to make in that same slot of time in the kitchen. When I have that much to do- quick is key. I love that clean up is easy too.
You know- you could use whatever flavor spread you want in these. I just happened to have all this fig butter on hand. Maybe next time I will make some with my pumpkin butter.
Such buttery goodness paired with that wonderful salted caramel mocha drizzle. Oh so YUMMY!
I’m telling you – these are the perfect way to kick off the fall baking season. I LOVE this Salted Caramel Mocha creamer. It’s great for starting my day in my coffee. But I also love that I can use it in so many other ways to bring that flavor I love into other recipes too. Salted caramel mocha tops my list for all time favorite fall flavors.
Be sure to connect with International Delight for more great fall flavors.
Facebook & Pick up some great new ideas on Pinterest!
Want more great fall recipes?
Caramel Pear Turnovers
Caramel Pear Cobbler Bars
Caramel Pear Breakfast Cake
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.
Did you know that September is Better Breakfast Month? How cool is that?! Most of you regular readers know that for over a year now I have been committed to homemade breakfasts for my kids. That doesn’t mean giving up things we love. It just means that I make my own versions of them. One thing the kids really love is this Peanut Butter Granola Cereal. I love that it is packed full of great protein from peanut butter to kick off their mornings right. I love peanut butter in most things & adding to to breakfast (beyond spreading it on my toast) is so much fun. It’s so simple to make too.
Mornings can be hectic, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on flavor or nutrition. Making time for breakfast and choosing to incorporate ingredients like peanut butter which is high in fiber, protein and good fats can play a role in maintaining your diet.
We also like to spread peanut butter on a bagel, stir it in a smoothie or top off your waffles for a quick and easy serving of protein. Peanut butter is not only nutritious but it’s very versatile!
Did you know that 90 percent of American pantries contain one or more jars of peanut butter, making it an easy go-to ingredient to help make breakfast quick and convenient?! I know we have 8 different jars in our pantry right now- all different flavors & varieties. Yep- we love peanut butter.
Want more great ways to use peanut butter?
Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream
Do you have certain pieces of furniture around the house that really need some attention & yet you have been putting it off for years? I have several. Now that we are finally in our house AND I have a nice climate controlled studio space where I can comfortably work on such projects – things are actually getting done around here. It’s all a long time in coming but I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to finally do it. It’s helping me fine tune each room of our house & I am just so happy about it. This latest project is my Antique Sewing Table Makeover. It was really begging for some attention & it only took an afternoon to do it. I used Vintage Decor Paint from Martha Stewart Crafts® & I just LOVE how it turned out.
Let me show you how easy it was.
Here is what I started out with. My grandmother’s vintage sewing machine & cabinet. As you can see – it’s pretty thrashed. This is the original finish & after 60+ years – it’s definitely in need of some TLC. We are currently using it as a side table for the cat’s food & water in the laundry room. It was just sad & I was so happy to finally give it a makeover.
First thing- tape off the top from the bottom since I am working with 2 colors.
The color I chose for the bottom portion is Antique Sky – Martha Stewart Vintage Decor paint. It gives a great Matte Chalk Finish. I gave the bottom half of the table 2 good thick coats of this. I loved that there is no prep & the paint is self priming. Hurray for time saving products that take extra steps out & still turn out fabulous.
I knew I wanted a little extra flourish to keep it feeling vintage – so I added the bottom flower pattern using this Martha Stewart Stencil
Next I used the same paint – color… Wedding Cake on the top of the table. This matches the stenciled pattern.
Once it was all dry, I added this Clear Wax with this gorgeous brush. I have a thing for paint brushes -so I was really loving this one. The clear wax is great because it adds an extra tough layer over the paint to help guard against nicks & scratches. This table is used in my laundry room & my cats are jumping on it all day long. I am happy to have something over the paint to help keep all my hard work beautiful & looking perfect.
I had completely forgotten the color of the machine when I picked the colors of the paint. It works well I think. The room had a lot of warm light coming in during the time I was photographing this project. The color of the bottom half is really close to the color of the sewing machine. It’s just not showing up with the light.
I also gave a new coat of metallic paint in brushed nickel to the little piece of hardware to spruce it up.
Here’s a better look at the stencil.
Here is the table closed. This is usually how I use it. I wish the machine still worked. Then I would have set this up in my studio. How cute it would be in here. Maybe one day I will get it running. But for now- this is one antique in the house that’s looking great.
Want more projects for the home?
How to Monogram a Butcher Block
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
Last week I shared with you this recipe for General Tso’s Chicken Salad as an easy homegating recipe along with a whole bunch of other info. Because we enjoy it so much & it’s sooo good, I really wanted to give it it’s own post. I think it really deserves that. Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas? Sometimes when I include recipes along with other content it tends to get overshadowed. That makes me sad, especially when it’s a recipe that we enjoy so much. It’s such an easy way to have a nutritious side dish or make it your main meal. The kids like to have leftovers for lunch too. Personally – I like my food to be visually interesting. So all these colors & then that pop of flavor make me happy.
Like most salads – just throw it all in there- give it a toss & it’s good to go.
I think that is why we are making this one so often – the ease & it’s soooo good
Want more great salads?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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Wow – it’s been a really long time since I baked some cookies. I had yet to break in the new oven with a cookie recipe & we moved in 2 months ago. It was sure time. The hubs has been begging me for some oatmeal cookies but I am just so over my regular recipe. I wanted something different. I was sent some samples of Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Co. & of course the first one I wanted to test was the White Chocolate flavor. No one had any objections & I was truly craving a really good cookie. I was not disappointed. These Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies turned out SO soft & chewy. YUM!
The kids LOVED these. We love soft & chewy cookies. Just like you get at the bakery.
The flavors of the peanut butter & white chocolate are fabulous.
The oatmeal just gives it a little more body & fullness that I often crave in a cookie.
*Disclosure: I was sent product from Peanut Butter & Co. to try in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are truthful & my own.
Want more cookie recipes?
Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Nutella Salted Sandwich Cookies
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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Now that we are settled in our house we are getting back into our routine of making family dinner each night. I can’t tell you just how nice it is to be in the kitchen together as a family & creating wonderful dishes that we all enjoy. Family time is so precious & I am enjoying each & every moment I can. Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas? One thing we do often is make enough one night so that we have enough leftovers to last us another night or two. This makes it easy when coming home late from the gym to still have a delicious meal when we aren’t here to prepare it. Our latest creation is this Caprese Pasta Salad. It’s perfect for those evenings when we don’t have a lot of time – which seems to be more often than not these days.
I love that it has everything in there that we need. Veggies, beans for protein, olives, homemade croutons for grains & mozzarella for dairy.
It’s practically a meal in itself. An 6 ounce serving left me quite satisfied.
If you plan to make this full quantity & have some leftover for the next day, I recommend holding out the croutons & adding them when serving so that they stay crunchy when refrigerated. When ready to serve – give a drizzle of Kraft House Italian Lite Dressing for that perfect zest every time. I like it because it adds just the right amount of flavor & still keeps it light.
I’m adding the recipe here which is great for a large family with a second night of leftovers. There are 5 of us & this was enough for a second night AND lunch on the 3rd day. This portion is also great for parties & potlucks. If you are making this for a small family, or a single night – you can easily half the recipe. For personal size, 1/8 recipe is perfect.
For more recipes using Kraft House Italian Lite Dressing connect with Kraft!
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Want another great side dish? How about this…
Black Bean & Corn Salad
Need a beverage to pair with this?
Coconut Lime Tea
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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Change up your dinner routine with Kraft. Visit KraftRecipes.com for great recipes and meal ideas, featuring Kraft. Because food deserves delicious.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kraft. The opinions and text are all mine.
Do you ever have those projects that you say you will do “someday” & then sort of get put off? That is until you find new inspiration to jump right in with both feet. That’s what happened to me with this project. You see – when we were in the beginning stages of building this house, I found this piece of header laying in the scrap pile. I squealed & then asked the hubs to save it for me. So we took it back to our rental & it sat in our garage while we waited for our home. He kept asking me, “what are you going to do with this thing?” I kept telling him that I was going to make it into a butcher block. Well – we just hit our 2 month mark here in our home & the project is complete. I will be sharing how I actually built the butcher block in another post here soon. You see, the thing that sparked my desire to finally get it done was the addition of the Dremel Micro 8050 to my arsenal of tools. So today I am going to share How to Monogram a Butcher Block. It was so FUN & easy – even for this beginner diy-er.
Here it is! Check it out!! It comes with a great little kit of starting bits & tools.
I love the variety that came in the starter accessory kit.
Light and easy to handle in tight spaces, the Dremel® Micro™8050 is packed with features that have crafters, hobbyists and DIYers in mind: soft grip, LED front-end lighting to illuminate projects, a docking station that continually charges, and an 8V Max Lithium-ion battery.
Once my block was ready, I created my monogram design in photoshop & printed on just regular paper. Then I used image transfer carbon paper between my image & the block. Then I traced the image.
I traced over my image transfer with pencil so it was easier to see.
Then I started with my cutter accessory & started cutting away at my design.
**I should tell you that I used a small scrap piece of wood to practice on first. I wanted to be sure I knew the feel of the Dremel & was comfortable with it before starting on my actual project. I was so happy I did because it took a little getting used to so I knew exactly what the tool would do & the pressure that was needed to work the project like I needed to. Things like the lines in the wood from the tree rings – it’s harder than the rest of the wood & that took some practice to work with.
Here is what it looked like after cutting. This did take some time because I wanted it pretty deep. Because it’s cordless – I ran it out of battery several times. Which gave me time to stretch my legs & work on some other projects I had in the works that weekend too. I did get over 1-2 hours of non-stop cutting with each round.
So in my trial piece I used wood stain & a cotton swab to darken the area. That didn’t work so well & the cotton swab was too big. There was a bunch of bleed over & the color wasn’t quite right. So my son suggested that I use those furniture scuff fix markers. While I thought that was a great idea – I decided that a regular fine tip Sharpie in brown was the right tool. It did bleed out a little bit in some areas – but I like that it gives it a burned & rugged look.
That’s it for the monogram. I told you it was easy for a beginner diy-er. Here is the finished block.
I really can’t wait to start working on my next project with the Dremel Micro.
The Micro 8050 can cut, carve, engrave, sand, grind, sharpen, clean and polish—helping you bring just about any brilliant project to life.
You can purchase the Micro 8050 nationwide at Home Depot and Lowe’s and online at Amazon.com for $89 USD.
I love how it turned out & that it’s a sentimental piece from our house – that is now being used in our house.
I actually sent the hubs back to the hardware store to pick me up the mega pack of accessories for future projects.
My head is swirling with ideas now. The possibilities are endless.
Dremel wants to celebrate its fans’ brilliant projects, work and ideas! Now through October 3, share, tweet or post photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that depict your brilliant ideas using the hashtag #MyBrilliantIdeaSweeps for the chance to win weekly prizes, including free tools, gift cards and handmade gifts, or the grand prize: a custom-engraved Honda scooter and a Micro 8050. Visit www.facebook.com/dremel for rules and to learn more.
For more information on Dremel products, project ideas and problem-solving tips, visit www.dremel.com.
Connect with Dremel on Twitter & Pinterest
Want more projects for the home?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
The other day we were making salad as a side dish. There is this joke in the house that I like to have a little salad added to my bowl of croutons. If you know me – then you know I’m not a huge fan of salad in general. But I will on occasion have a garden salad with the family – as long as I have plenty of croutons. But this particular day we didn’t have any. So I finally did what I have been saying I would do for a very long time. I made these Garlic & Herb Croutons & I can’t believe I have been paying for them for all these years. Really – it was so simple- they tasted fabulous & I didn’t have to worry about having bread go to waste. The best part is that I was able to have my bowl of croutons garnished with a little salad along with the family. Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas?
Okay – so I said it was easy. When I say easy, I mean crazy easy!!!
Cut, toss with your addins & bake. Done! Literally! There is no reason why you should be buying croutons – EVER!
I think I may now take them & crunch them up to use as topping for other things too. YUM!
Now I’m hungry as I type this. I may need to go find a snack. Just looking at these makes me want some!
So what to have with your croutons & salad???
This French Onion Cheese Sauce is great on some grilled chicken – with a little salad on the side.
How about a little pasta? This Chipotle Spinach Fettuccini is FABULOUS!
Do you like a soup/salad combo? You could use the croutons in this Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup too.
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
John Wayne Casserole is a hearty casserole with ground beef, veggies, biscuit crust, creamy gravy, and cheesy topping to feed a whole family.
It is a biscuit casserole dish that has been around since the 70s, and you’ve probably heard about it at least once.
A classic family dinner casserole, that feeds a crowd and is an easy meal to make even on weekdays. Many recipes have the same name now but all share the same hearty rich flavor and simple ingredients.
View postSince I am talking more & more about our home, I have here today Tali Wee of Zillow to share with you all 3 Tips to Mixing Modern and Rustic Styles in the Home. I think eclectic styles are the easiest for most people to put together in their homes because most people collect pieces from all sorts of places when they are putting their homes together. But there is a way to do it right so that it all comes together nicely. It doesn’t have to be all matching to work well together & Tali is here today to show you how.
Zillow Digs: The Corcoran Group
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Okay – last summertime post I swear! After today I’m jumping into fall. But I just loved this Blackberry & Banana Ice Cream so much that I couldn’t let the last little but of summer slip away without sharing it with you. It’s simple, quick to make & HEALTHY too. You have got to love that.
Just look at that color!! I just swoon. I had no problem letting the kids eat this for breakfast on our last couple hot days we had. Bananas & blackberries – just because it looks & tastes like ice cream doesn’t mean it’s not good for you. They absolutely loved it.
With this one I decided to freeze it overnight before serving. I had a few other things that needed to be eaten first. But I think next time I will eat immediately & enjoy it soft serve style.
I originally shared this Blackberry & Banana Ice Cream post on Or So She Says.
Want more easy treats?
Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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Today is all about MERINGUE!!! You see – meringue was a favorite for my mom. She baked A LOT & meringue was her “go-to” thing. I originally planned on sharing her Meringue Buttercream frosting. But then I decided to make her favorite cookie – meringues instead. But that’s not all! Since one of our favorite things to do while baking together was lick the bowl while we waited for cakes to bake – I decided to make these little gems cake batter flavored. She would have loved these Cake Batter Meringues.
These are definitely a tribute to my wonderful mom. It was however rough for me while making them. I can touch just about anything of hers – except her baking stuff. Baking was so much a part of who she was & so many of my memories are of us together in the kitchen. It’s really hard to even touch her tools without breaking down. But in honor of her – I did it & she would love these.
Light & airy – with a subtle hint of cake batter flavor. YUM!
This made several dozen cookies. They are about 1-1.5 inches in diameter & they filled my 3/4 sheet. I probably should have used my full sheet for these – but I was already committed once I figured that out. 🙂
Want more great cookies?
Peanut Butter Nutella Salted Sandwich Cookies
Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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Looking for a quick and easy weekend project to spruce up a small space? This DIY Pallet Console Table can be made in just a couple hours and is the perfect addition to an entryway, hall or any tight space that needs a little extra something.
Are you ready for fall or are you still hanging on for summer??? Well I’m sort of in-between. I love fall- it’s my favorite season. However, with the whole move & not getting to really jump in to summer posts here with both feet, I’m sort of wanting to cling on to summer for just a bit longer. The temps here this time of year are so up & down anyway – but I’m not complaining because if we were still back in Vegas, I would still be talking about 100’s. But with all that said – I just had to throw in this super tasty summertime Pineapple Sparkler that I know you will love.
This probably won’t be my last summer post of the season- but am feeling the need to wrap it up & start sharing with you all the fall ideas I have swirling around. I have to say- I started thinking about fall as soon as we got settled here back in July.
I love how easy it is to whip this up. I almost always keep a fresh pineapple on hand. So when I’m cutting one up to have with lunch – I just take a little & pop it in the blender with the other ingredients & there you go. Tropical drink in about 90 seconds – start to finish.
Want more refreshing beverages to cool you down?
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
If you remember when we were first moving into our house, I mentioned that I was putting unpacking on hold while I worked on getting some final projects painted so they could finally be put into their permanent space. Well one of those little (& more fun) projects was this Glitter Wave Table Makeover. I had been dragging around this really inexpensive accent table since I bought it for my very first apartment when I was 18. Jump ahead all these years & I still have it. It’s traditionally used under a table skirt – which is how I had been using it or storing it for all these years. Until I saw someone paint a similar table a few months ago. The light bulb went off – duh! I love transforming things with a little paint. So I pulled out some colors to match the powder room & got to work. Check out how easy it was to complete.
Here it is – in all it’s sadness. You can still buy them at places like Walmart. I don’t even think Walmart had made it to the west coast yet when I bought mine. You can see a similar one here.
So I started with the pale pink shade all over the whole table – Valspar Cape Sands. Then I used the Martha Stewart Champagne for the waves. I was so excited to find actual glitter paint while shopping one weekend.
Once the paint was dry I used some leftover shape tape that I had from another project.
I purposely made the waves progressively larger from one side to the other.
Just a couple coats – pulled off the tape & let it dry overnight.
Then I added the glass piece for the top when I finally placed it in the powder room.
It was so easy. I wish all furniture makeover projects were this simple. I like it so much better than draping a table skirt over it.
I have a couple more projects I did for this room – so stay tuned for those in the coming weeks.
Want to see more from our new home?
Master Bath 2nd Vanity
Coastal Decor {Living Room Reveal}
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE
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