PinsterSisters

Holiday PreK Class Gift - Hot Chocolate Cups

2016-12-26T11:40:00.003-05:00

So clearly I underestimated how much time I had available to blog. Between two kids, full time work, and the usual holiday craziness, I have very little free time. But now that Christmas is over and I have a little break from work, I wanted to share these super cute cups for JJ's classmates:

In the past, I have used inspiration from pins I have from here and here to make Snowman and Reindeer cups:

I considered making the Santa belt version this year but decided against it because A) I was trying to steer away from Santa/Christmas specific and B) there are 30 kids in his class and it just seemed like a lot of work. Instead, I remembered some versions of personalized Starbucks cups floating around Pinterest and a facebook group I was apart of when I first got my Silhouette Cameo a couple years ago. Knowing that I already had a ton of red cups left over from past Christmases, I had a new plan.

I followed these instructions and downloaded a blank jpeg file of the logo and added the white text on top of the green. Disclaimer: I used the logo for personal/parody use, not to make money or to be confused with the actual Starbucks brand. I downloaded the Santana Black font to get a close match to the old Starbucks logo (I read that you can use Gibson and Freight Sans too, but I was looking for something free).

The software that comes with the Silhouette makes it easy to curve the text. I created a whole sheet, then printed it on full sheet shipping labels which are really just a full sheet sticker. Once printed, I sent the sheet through my Silhouette which cut the circles out. JJ helped me put one on each cup and we filled them with a hot chocolate pack and some Hershey kisses. The most time consuming part was finding the right font. The rest was simple, but repetitive. Here's what 30 finished cups looks like!

In the end, they were simple and pretty inexpensive. Next year JJ will be in kindergarten (most likely in public school) and hopefully I can recycle this idea and use the same stickers. I hope the kids liked them and hope you all (if there are any readers left) had a great holiday!

From Placemat to Pillow

2016-10-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

Lilly and I were out shopping the other day and made a stop at World Market. While I didn't wind up getting many things (I think I always over-hype WM in my head and when I actually go its sort of a let down...same thing happens with Trader Joes), I saw some really cute placemats and immediately thought back to one of my earliest pins. I remember reading that Bower Power post back before Pinterest existed and I had to save bookmarks to my favorite blog posts. Kids today will never know what that was like!

DIY pillows from Bower Power

I've been wanting some new pillows for my living room for awhile (if you look closely you can see where our dog Mickey has scratched at the square pillows that came with the couch - there are loose threads everywhere), but considering we might be moving, I didn't want to spend a ton of money when we aren't sure what our next living room will look like. These placemats were $4.99 each, and I knew I could make 2 pillows for under $20. A quick stop at Michaels on the way home for some fiberfill and I had two new throw pillows that afternoon.

All you have to do is use a seam ripper or small scissors to open a hole between the two layers of fabric, stuff with fiberfill, and sew it closed.

I used an 8 oz bag of fiberfill for each but probably should have opened a third bag and stuffed them a little more. Also, my stitch work wasn't my best, but its at the bottom and you wouldn't notice unless you looked real close.

When I went to look on the WM website to link the placemats, I couldn't find them but I did see throw pillows in this pattern available for purchase. For $20 that would have been a lot easier, but I was able to make 2 pillows for about $15 ($10 for the mats and $5 for the fiberfill w/coupon).

I am thinking of ordering some new pillow covers for the square came-with-the-couch pillows from etsy, but they would need to be thick to cover the existing pattern. Anyone have any favorite shops for pillow covers? I am thinking of maybe some seasonal covers like this or this and switching them out for Christmas.

I actually have a couple more placemats I bought years ago for the same purpose. Since they were for the office couch (the old army green microfiber monster Joe and I first purchased together probably almost 10 years ago) I just never made it a priority. Now that I have some extra fiberfill maybe I will get those over with this weekend - stay tuned!

Slow Cooker Fall Off the Bone Ribs

2016-10-03T12:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! Today I am sharing a quick post on a recipe I have made a couple of times over the summer. Joe requested ribs a few times and after some initial hesitation (I don't like eating meat off a bone), I did some searching on Pinterest and found the perfect recipe. I mean if they fall off the bone I don't need to worry about biting into a bone, right? Enter Carlsbad Cravings' Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs!

Carlsbad Cravings Slow Cooker Ribs

It wasn't quite as easy as some other slow cooker recipes as it involved making a rub and sauce and searing the meat in the oven before putting in the cooker, but the effort was worth it. I actually prepared the meat and the sauce the night before, stored in the fridge, and popped it all into the cooker in the morning.

I don't have many photos because my photography skills are pretty poor especially when compared to Jen's.

Verdict: Although time consuming, the first time I made these ribs they were absolutely perfect. The meat was tender and fell off the bone as promised. I was afraid the preserves in the sauce would be too sweet, but it all came together deliciously. The second time, I may have left them in the oven a little too long (I had way to much going on in the kitchen and multitasking isn't my strong suit) and in the slow cooker a little too long and they did't come out quite so well. Still very good, just not as perfect as the first time. I am not sure how often I will make these once I am back at work, but they are perfect for a summer Sunday when you can enjoy the smell of them cooking all day.

Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
recipe from Carlsbad Cravings
(my notes in red)

Ingredients:
4 lbs baby back pork ribs

Spice Rub:

1 1/2 Tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for more heat)
Barbecue Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons reserved Spice Rub (from above)
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)* I didn't use this

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
Cut ribs into 6 sections then rinse and pat dry.
In a medium bowl, whisk together Spice Rub ingredients. Remove 1 tablespoon Spice Rub to use in your barbecue sauce. Rub all remaining Spice Rub evenly all over the meat then place ribs on prepared baking sheet. Bake ribs for 15 minutes ON EACH SIDE (30 minutes total) to sear meat.
Meanwhile, add all of the Barbecue Sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan and gently simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce and refrigerate to use after ribs are cooked. (I did all this the night before and stored the ribs in a pyrex dish in the fridge overnight).
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray (I use a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner - not as pretty but sooooo easy for cleanup) then add a thin layer of remaining barbecue sauce, followed by ribs. Layer sauce then ribs until complete, tossing to coat as needed to ensure ribs are evenly coated in barbecue sauce.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 7-9 hours OR cook until ribs are fall apart tender. Rotate ribs once during cooking so they cook evenly. Cooking time may vary between slow cookers.
When ribs are tender, remove from slow cooker and brush with some Reserved Barbecue Sauce if desired or use sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

DIY Fall Wreath

2016-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy First Day of Fall! Its still in the 80s and humid here in NJ, but I have been holding off on fall decorating long enough. I pulled out all the fall decor boxes from the attic last week and realized I don't have anything to hang on my door that's not Halloween related. Like I mentioned in my last post, we are thinking of listing our house in the spring so I have been trying to use some of my maternity leave to spruce some things up to make it more appealing for buyers. I just finished up painting the front door (but sort of made it look worse so now Joe has to fix it - oops!) and the outside trim around the door and window. I also washed down the outside lights and got rid of all the scary spider webs. It all looks so nice - its just begging for a new wreath!

I have been pinning non-seasonal wreaths for a bit - like this one, and this one but ultimately decided to use this one as my model:

Everyday Wreath from jennyCmoon on Etsy

I went to Michaels and just sort of wandered around looking for a "V" that would work and then found a coordinating ribbon and flowers. I love how the ribbon, V, and oak leaves all had hints of red and gold. I spent a little over $20 for all of it (including the wire):

First I glued down the V (using some E6000 we already had) and starting laying out where I wanted the hydrangeas to go.

Next I used the wire and ribbon to make a bow, but hated it (way too big!) so started over.

This bow is way too big - time to redo!

Once I was happy with where I placed everything, I wired it to the wreath. It was easiest to start with the bow, then work my way out. In places where I couldn't get it very tight, I followed up with some glue to make sure it was really secure. The leaf steams tucked into the grapevine wreath really well so they were easy.

And here is the finished product (and you can clearly see where I messed up the door - I filled in a crack and could not get it sanded smooth. I figured the paint would hide the imperfections, but I was wrong!):

Once I get the rest of my pumpkins up and some mums on the porch, I will post on more fall decor. I am also itching to do some pumpkin baking - although if I have any chance of fitting into my work clothes in a few weeks perhaps that's a bad idea!

For now I am off to get my first PSL of the season and pray for some cooler less humid weather!

Is anyone still out there?

2016-09-19T15:32:00.001-04:00

So....its been a while. I don't think Shannon or I planned to give up blogging, it just sort of happened. We were both busy and happened to miss that our domain name expired. Neither of us is very computer/website savvy so we had no idea how to get it back (without paying a bunch of money) and honestly had little drive to do so.

But...its been a few years and I started to get the itch to share some projects again. I looked and saw the domain had expired once again and was able to snatch it up. It took me about 3 weeks to figure out how to link it back to our old content, but I think it is all back.

A lot has happened in the last few years: Shannon changed jobs, moved into a new apartment, and has taken up running. I had another baby (a girl - Lilly) almost 3 months ago, JJ is now 4 (almost 5) and just started PreK, my company's office moved, and we are considering trying to sell our house and move a little closer to family. All of this means we have a lot of things to write about.

So there's a quick recap on what happened and some updates on our lives. We're not putting any pressure on ourselves to have a blog post published every other day. We will post when we have the time and have something we want to share. Hopefully there are still some readers our there to follow along - and if not at least we have the ability to access our content as we need. Be on the lookout for a new post soon.

-Grace

Guess Who's Back (maybe?)!

2016-09-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

Testing 1, 2, 3.

Test

2014-03-01T21:49:00.001-05:00

Testing 123

Labor Day 2013 Recap

2013-09-11T07:30:00.000-04:00

I realize summer is over and everyone has moved on to pumpkin spice lattes and apple picking, but I have a couple posts still to go covering summery things, so please bear with me. Plus, it is supposed to by 90 degrees in NJ today so it definitely still feels like summer here!

The week before Labor Day Joe and I decided to throw a last minute, impromptu BBQ. We knew a lot of people would probably already have plans, but we wound up with a decent crowd. I decided to give a couple new recipes a spin.

First up was this Loaded Baked Potato Salad I have had pinned for over year:

Source: Dishing With Leslie

I attempted to double Leslie's recipe, but probably did a little more than double with the potatoes. As a result, I am not sure I had the right ratio of potato versus dressing.

Clearly Leslie is also a much better food photographer than me.

The Verdict: It was ok. I think I threw off the ratio since I only doubled the wet ingredients. I also undercooked the potatoes a little bit. I am just not that good at making a good potato salad. I would say I would try it again because I think its a great recipe, but I would probably be better off just buying it next time.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad
recipe by Dishing With Leslie
Ingredients:
4 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives, divided
8 strips of bacon (6 for the salad and 2 for topping) cooked and crumbled
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
Serves 4 - 6 (Simply double list of ingredients if you need a larger serving)

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together your mayonnaise, and sour cream. Make sure the two are completely combined and then add half of the chives, cheese, and pepper. Taste mixture to see if you prefer some salt. (I usually add a dash or two.) Let chill in fridge for a bit. Meanwhile, peel and cube your potatoes in to bite size pieces. Put in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until fork tender. About 20 minutes. *You need to keep an eye on them. If they cook too long you'll end up with more of a mashed potato consistency when you mix them with the sauce.

When potatoes are ready, drain and let cool just a bit. *Let them cool a lot if you plan to serve chilled. Put potatoes in a large bowl or dish and combine with sour cream mixture. Fold in most of your crumbled bacon. Top with remaining half of chives and remaining crumbled bacon.
*See Leslie's post for some helpful notes.

Next up was this delicious looking Caprese Pasta Salad:

Source: Simple Scratch

Laurie grows her own basil, but I just picked some up from the foodstore. I can barely keep my flowers alive - I would hate to see what I could do to herbs! I couldn't find orecchiette pasta, so I settled on small shells.

Again, my food photos are crap, but it was night so it was dark and this is the best I could do.

The Verdict: I thought it was delicious. I am a sucker for anything with balsamic vinegar though so I may be biased.

Things to Consider: I used a whole pound of pasta and just tried to balance out the right amount of everything else. I probably could have used a little more dressing, cut the mozzarella a little smaller and added more tomatoes (I used only one package). Next time I would try just using less pasta as we had more than enough. I will definitely be making this again though - it was so easy and delicious!

Caprese Pasta Salad
recipe by Simply Scratch

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups dried Orecchiette Pasta, cooked as directed on the package
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, quartered
1 container Fresh Mozzarella Pearls {or 1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed small}
1 cup Fresh Basil, sliced into ribbons
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
FOR THE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE:
2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, squeezed through a garlic press
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl squeeze two cloves of garlic through a garlic press. Pour in balsamic vinegar and whisk. Continue to whisk while slowly, pouring in the three tablespoons of olive oil in steady stream.

Cook orecchiette pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse with cold water. Add the cold pasta to a bowl along with the quartered tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls and basil ribbons.

Season with kosher salt and black pepper and drizzle with desired amount of the balsamic vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste preference before serving!

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend and is settling into their fall routines. JJ had his first day of "school" (which is really just mom's day out type program my aunt is taking him to twice a week) this week. He loved it and I am so excited for him to meet some new little friends and work on his social skills.
I promise I will get to some pumpkin recipes soon!

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

2013-09-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite recipes that I've ever came across on Pinterest was the Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake that I first tried in 2011. Since then I've made it several times. The recipe simply consisted of combining a can of pumpkin with a box of cake mix – that’s it! So when I came across this Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownie recipe from Cookies and Cups, I just knew I had to try it.

I gathered my 2 3 ingredients (Cookies and Cups said you can add pumpkin spice), and got to work.

All I did was mix up the pumpkin, brownie mix, and a teaspoon of pumpkin spice – then pour it into the lined pan.

I baked it for 35 minutes at 350.

And you’re done.

The Verdict: These were AWFUL! I actually ended up throwing them out. The consistency was sponge like and it tasted like baby food.

Things to Note/Consider: I’m not sure what went wrong – maybe I overcooked them? Perhaps I shouldn't have added the pumpkin spice? Maybe I over mixed? Who knows? At least they were super easy to make and I didn't waste too much time and energy on them.

Travel Keepsake Boxes - Part 2

2013-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Oh hey there- remember me? It’s been a few months but I’m back with a new post. Not sure why I took the hiatus. I guess I've just been busy enjoying the summer. As Grace mentioned in her last post, we took a week long trip to Duck, North Carolina. There were 17 of us in one house (14 adults & 3 kids) – I’m surprised we all made it out alive!

This post is a revisit to the Travel Keepsake Boxes I made a few months ago. I had linked up the original post to the Pinterest Challenge hosted by YHL & BowerPower.

I finally got around to fixing up the stencils. I tried a new approach at the suggestion of a comment from Julia. She suggested using a pencil or pen to outline the stencil and then fill it in with a fine brush.

I did something similar. I found this item at AC Moore that had a pen on one side and a brush on the other.

Using the blank side of the boxes - I tapped the stencils down and used the pen side to draw the outlines.

Then I took the stencils off and used the brush side to fill them in.

Much better right? I think so.

I wish I had thought of this option the first time around! Thanks Julia for the tip!

I did have one snafu. After I finished up the three boxes, I had the genius idea to paint over the original, messed up back side. I wasn't paying attention and on the “

Greece

” box, I painted over new side with the still wet ink. Whomp Whomp.

Oh well. Now that I know the easy way to stencil it, I can just purchase a new box and make another one.

Roadtripping with a Toddler

2013-08-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

It seems Shannon and I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. And no, its not because our family trip to North Carolina was disasterous, I think we've just both been busy catching up on life since we got back. Actually, I was only home in NJ for 20 hours before I had to hitch a ride with Shannon back to Boston to attend a work-related conference.

Anyway, I have a bunch of stuff to post about, but I am going to start with the actual travel to North Carolina. I was really nervous about how JJ was going to be strapped in the car seat for 7-8 hours. He is usually pretty good in the car, but he's almost two so he has been known to throw a tantrum here or there. I started pinning all sort of tips and tricks months ago in hopes that I could be well prepared. The two I found most helpful were this one from The Fun, Cheap, or Free Queen and this slideshow from Joslyn Gray at Babble. The biggest overall themes were to have his comfort items (lovie, blanket), plenty of snacks, and new toys/distractions. When all else fails, load up the iPad with some videos.

The weekend before we left, I hit the local Dollar Tree and Target to pick up some things to keep him busy. I got a little basket from the dollar store to hold everything. It was the perfect size to sit next to him on the arm rest but set back far enough that he couldn't see or reach it.

Tools to keep a toddler busy during the 7 11 hour car ride

I was hoping he would sleep for half the ride (we did leave at 4am), but he was wired and knew something was up so he didn't go back to sleep until about 6. He was content with his lovie and blanket though so it was an easy couple of hours. Once he woke up (after only an hour and half, maybe) a sippie of milk and some cereal filled him up and killed some time. After that, though, he started to get a little whiney so I broke into my arsenal. First up were a couple new books (all from the dollar store):

The "first words" one in particular was loaded with a bunch of pictures on each page so he spent awhile looking through each page, pointed at the photos and starting over.

After that was a mini magna doodle from Target. It helped that it was "Cars" themed, but this kept him busy for awhile. And as a bonus, it was really easy to bring along in my bag when we went out to dinner during the trip just in case the restaurant didn't have crayons.

Mini Magna Doodle, so much cleaner than dealing with crayons.

JJ is into transportation right now. Anything that moves - planes, buses, trucks, fire engines, and most of all trains. I found these adorable little wooden cars in the dollar spot at Target and knew he would love them.

One of the last things I broke out, and was the biggest hit of all, were magnets. I picked up a magnetic wipe off board (meant for college dorm rooms I guess?) from the dollar store and brought along a new set of Melissa and Doug animal magnets. He loved moving them around, taking them on and off, and making all kinds of sounds.

A magnetic wipe-off board from the dollar store and some new animal magnets kept JJ busy for a long time.

I also brought crayons and printed out blank coloring pages of his favorite things (Lightening McQueen, Thomas the Train, etc) but I never wound up using them in the car. I put the crayons in an old travel wipes case and tucked the coloring sheets in there as well. Also handy to throw in my bag and bring with us to keep him busy if we stopped somewhere to eat.

A couple boxes of dollar store crayons fit nicely into a travel wipe case. Throw in a couple small sheets of paper and you have a super easy portable coloring case.

A couple other things I learned along the way:

I have read that snacks, especially new and fun ones would keep kids happy. Unfortunately, JJ isn't adventurous when it comes to food. He likes what he likes. He had no interest in the fruit snacks I bought, just stuck with cereal, goldfish, and cheese.
"Pencil pouches" from the dollar store are great for storing the little things. I kept the animal magnet set in one, some foam puzzle pieces (see the top row, middle pic at the top of the post) in another, and some first aid supplies in a third.
In the first aid pouch, which I kept in the glove compartment, I had pain reliever for JJ, all kinds of pain relievers, antacids, and migraine pills for Joe and I, some alcohol swabs, bandaids, mini sun screen, and anything else I might need along the way. I had more of everything packed away in our suitcases, but I wanted to have this stuff handy in case we needed it and I wouldn't need to dig around to find anything.
I saved a couple books and bought a few more things than shown above and tucked them away under a seat. This way, I was sure I had something new and exciting for the way home.
I really didn't need to spend a lot of money. I think I spent less than $15 for this stuff (with the exception of maybe the magnets) and it all came from the dollar store or Target. The Dollar Tree was a gold mine of little treats/treasures and there are even more possibilities if your toddler is a little older and you're not as worried about choking risks. A lot of the items worked well in the rental house as well. All the kids had fun playing with the magnets, moving them back and forth between the board, the fridge, and the 2 (!) dishwashers.

Overall, JJ did great. He didn't sleep as much as I would have liked on the way down, but he was 50 times better than I expected. We didn't even turn on a movie until about hour 9. So had we not hit any traffic, I don't think he would have needed it at all. The vacation must have worn him out though, he slept a lot more on the way home!

So we survived our first big family trip as parents. It was a lot of fun, but more exhausting than the last time we went 2 years ago. I have another vacation related post to share, but right now I am onto researching tips for flying with a toddler. Its a whole new ballgame for us and both Joe and I are nervous. Anyone have any tips for us? We leave in a little over a month!!

Disney Dreaming

2013-07-30T15:54:00.000-04:00

This week, our extended family is (hopefully) enjoying some beach days and seafood nights in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. By the time you are reading this, Joe and I will have already braved the 8 hour car trip with our 20 month old. I have been doing a lot of googling and prep work for some tips on traveling with toddlers (using mainly this post and this one as inspiration) so I will be sure to do a post on how well (or disastrously) it went once we get back.

Anyway, although I am on vacation right now, that doesn't stop me from dreaming about and planning my next one! I love to travel and we sort of took a hiatus when JJ came so I am so excited over the idea of taking two vacations in one year. Even more so that the next one will be to the Happiest Place on Earth! This October we will be taking JJ on his first visit to Walt Disney World in Florida. It will be his first time on a plane and our first time going to "the world" with a kid.

Getting back to the point of my post. Joe has a tendency to leave his pocket change all over the house. Usually it ends up on his nightstand or the kitchen counter, but it pops up in the laundry and sometimes on the bathroom sink as well. It drives me crazy, so a long time ago we designated an old pretzel bin as our change collector:

Definitely not cute, but we tucked it away in a closet so it didn't really bother me:

Once we decided (meaning I finally conned Joe into being on board with) taking JJ in October, I was inspired by this pin to jazz up the jar:

source: Wilbur Road

Of course none of the cabinets or closets in my house are that neat or organized, but I thought the "Disney Fund" jar was adorable and could definitely help my tired looking pretzel jug look a little nicer. I took some Disney scrapbook paper I already had and cut a band to fit around that ugly half-removed label. Then I downloaded the waltograph font and printed out the label. I thought Jay's mouse-ears were cute, so I just cut out a couple from construction paper and backed them with some cardstock to give them some stability.

Much cuter, right? Before we leave, will bring the bucket to the bank and cash it in and have some extra money for food, snacks, and souvenirs. I am considering getting tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party so I might use the cash towards that.

Anyone have any tips for travelling to Disney with toddlers? I realize its going to be a much different trip than we were used to (no more drinking around the world in Epcot or multiple trips on the Tower of Terror), but I know being able to see it all through my son's eyes gives it new meaning.

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

2013-07-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

This is another one of those pins that's been around for awhile, I am sure you have seen some version of the Mini Chicken Pot Pie:

Source: Sunny Side Up

I tasted these way back in December at Santa on the Firetruck hosted by my brother and sister in law. They were delicious and I figured it was about time I give them a try.

Once again I used a rotisserie chicken to save myself a step in the preparation.

Mixing up the filling.

The "crust" - just a Pillsbury biscuit smooshed down.

Spoon in some of the filling and bake!

Here they are fresh out of the oven:

The Verdict: Easy and delicious. Joe seemed a little upset there was no "top" crust when he saw me making them, but he was a huge fan. They were really easy to make (much less time consuming than biscuit topped chicken pot pie) so they are great for mid week.

Things to Consider: I read through some of the comments before I started and decided to cut the spices in half based on some of the recommendations I am glad I did, they would have definitely been too spicy with them in there. I also added a little bit more vegetables in the mix as well. Although I tried to smoosh the biscuits down as much as I could, they still sort of poofed up so the ratio of filling to bread was a little off. Still tasty though!

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes
from Sunny Side up and adapted from Tablespoon

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked chicken breasts diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme (I used 1/4)
1/2 tablespoon of dried basil (I used 1/4)
1 teaspoon onion powder (I used 1/2)
1 teaspoon garlic salt (I used 1/2)
2 (10 oz) cans Pillsbury biscuits

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. (I got 16 cupcakes so I had to use a second tray for the extra 4).
Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check at the 12 minute mark.
Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

2013-07-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

If you are in the middle of this ridiculous heat wave like we are in the northeast - stay cool! The air conditioning in the area where I sit at work is broken, and while not unbearable, its pretty uncomfortable. Hopefully the repairman will show today as promised. According to Bill Evans, it should be a stormy break on Saturday (you know I love some local news!). Anyway, onto the real post...

My friend, Mary Claire, started a blog chronicling her dinner adventures with her newlywed husband KK. She been blogging since the beginning of the year, but for some reason I haven't gotten around to trying out any of her recipes until recently. The first one I tried: Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Source: 3D Dinners

They are pretty simple to make so they work well for a weeknight meal. Just mix up the ingredients, pop in the fridge for a bit, then grill them up. Top with some sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese and enjoy!

All the ingredients ready to be mixed.

It was a little wet once everything was mixed, but firmed up well after being in the fridge.

It makes 4 patties, I just didn't want them to stick together so I added a piece of wax paper on top of these before I put the last one in there.

I actually did all the mixing the night before so after work all I would need to do is cook them. Of course mother nature ruining my plans to have Joe grill them outside....

It is hard to tell, but it was pouring.

...and I don't have a nice grill pan, so I had to settle for just cooking them in a regular frying pan.

I served them up with a salad and some penne with more sauce (and cheese!).

The Verdict: Pretty tasty. They were a little greasy but I think that just comes from frying them the way I did. They were also a little dense so I would probably make them a little thinner next time. We really enjoyed them though so I am sure they will make it into the regular rotation (especially during grilling season - I can't wait to try them that way!).

Things to Consider: I think they worked well making them a day in advance...since they have to chill anyway, whats a few (or maybe 23 more hours in the fridge), right? My patties were really really wet when I first formed them and I was afraid I was missing something, but they really firmed up once they were cold.

I have another 3D Dinners recipe to type up - and it was a great one! If you follow us on Instagram (@pinstersisters) - you can get a delicious preview from a couple weeks ago.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers:
Adapted from 3D Dinners who adapted from Sweet Tooth Sweet LifeServes 4

Ingredients1lb. ground chicken1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese1/4 cup breadcrumbs1/4 cup marinara sauce1/4 cup chopped onion2 cloves garlic2 tablespoons dried parsley2 teaspoons Italian seasoning1 teaspoon dried basilMozzarella cheeseHamburger bunsButter spread or margarineGarlic powderExtra marinara sauce

Directions1. Combine first nine ingredients (through dried basil) and mix well. Form into four patties, creating a slight dent in the center of the patty; refrigerate about 30 minutes.
2. Grill over medium-high heat, 6-8 minutes on each side. Top cooked chicken burgers with mozzarella cheese.
3. Coat insides of hamburger buns with a little butter and a sprinkle of garlic powder and place on the grill 1-2 minutes (or in the toaster oven), until lightly toasted. Spread marinara sauce on toasted buns and top with cooked chicken burgers.

4th of July 2013 Recap

2013-07-11T07:30:00.000-04:00

It seems like I took a short, unanticipated vacation from the blog. Nothing really happened, I just haven't had time to sit down and type something up. Its been a busy summer! Anyway, here's a quick recap of our 4th of July weekend:

We started off the holiday with a trip to the pool Thursday morning. After an afternoon nap (for JJ) we headed to my parents for dinner and then to the high school for their local fireworks show. JJ did much better than I anticipated considering how late it was and how delayed the actual show was. He seemed to enjoy them, but lost interest after 10 minutes.

Friday Joe had to work so JJ and I just hung out: played, did some coloring, tried to go outside but it was 1000 degrees. After he went to bed, I took the opportunity to make something to bring to Joe's parents' annual 4th of July BBQ the next day. If you remember last year, I made the infamous Flag Cake:

2012's Flag Cake

and while it came out cute, I was looking for something a little easier and less time consuming this time around. I originally wanted to make these bacon ranch deviled eggs but didn't realize I was out of ranch mix until it was late. Plan B: Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs:

Source: All Recipes

Joe is a bit of a deviled egg purist, so I made half regular and half "bacon cheddar". There's really not much to post - its sort of like just making egg salad but only using the yolks and then putting it back into the whites. Here is the filling ready to be mixed:

And here is the finished product (the paprika topped ones are "regular" and the bacon topped ones are the Bacon Cheddar):

Anyone know what is supposed to go in that middle spot? Just filling? Some sort of garnish??

As always, the recipe is at the bottom of the post.

I also made some of my chocolate chip cookies (a favorite of my father in law) to bring for dessert.

Before we ate, we took JJ down to the lake for the first time. While I am not fan, I prefer cement ponds myself, he loved it. I think he liked the fact that he was in control and could just walk in and out and always have his feet on the ground.

Back at the house, we dried off, tried to stay cool, and enjoyed the food. The eggs were a hit - but to be honest, they sort of just tasted like a regular deviled egg with some bacon. Next year I will have to try the ranch version - they sound delicious!

Things to Note: I sort of skipped #1 and just made hard boiled eggs my usual way (put eggs in room temp water just about covering eggs and bring to boil, boil for 10-12 minutes then place in ice-water bath). I also cheated and used precooked bacon. So basically I only followed Step 3.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs
from USEREMILY3260 on All Recipes

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoon finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mustard

Directions:
1. Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.

3. Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.

I have a bunch of things in my backlog to post about - hopefully I get some more computer time soon. I have tried a bunch of yummy dinner recipes recently - so stay tuned!

Red, White, & Blue Cupcakes

2013-07-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4^th! I spent the day at a friend’s house for a little BBQ. It was oppressively hot, but I had a great time.

My contribution to the gathering was of course dessert. I brought some red, white, & blue cupcakes.

Why I thought baking in the middle of a heat wave was a good idea, is beyond me! The original inspiration came from something Grace had pinned.

Source

I thought the bundt cake (originally from Betty Crocker) was super cute. I don’t have a bundt cake pan, so I decided to try it in cupcake form.

I gathered up my supplies - not much needed for this recipe!

I whipped up the cake batter and separated it into three bowls. In one bowl I added blue food coloring. In the second bowl I added (a lot) of red food coloring and the third bowl I left as is.

Next it was time to layer the batter. Red went in first. I put about 1 ½ tablespoons in each cupcake liner.

I did the same with the white batter.

I finished up with the blue batter.

As you can see not every cupcake was perfect, but that’s okay!

I baked them according to the directions. Here’s how they looked out of the oven:

Once they were cooled, I placed them on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

Aren't they so cute?

I scooped a little bit of icing into a bowl and microwaved it for about 10 seconds. That allowed me to just drizzle the icing onto the cupcakes.

Then I scooped a bit more icing out, microwaved it, added some blue food coloring, and drizzled that as well. I finished up by doing the same thing again, this time with red food coloring.

Unfortunately, my red icing was more on the pink side, but you get the idea.

I think they are adorable!

The Verdict: These were a hit! The cake itself was fluffy and light. They made a big impression but were pretty easy to make. I would definitely make these again.

Things to Note/Consider: I wouldn't really change a thing with this recipe. Honestly it was very easy to do. I did use many bowls –making clean up a pain in the rear. Also, prepare to use A LOT of red food coloring. I must have put at least 15-20 drops in the white icing and it still came out pink.

I'm glad I used plain white cupcake liners. I would suggest doing the same. It was nice to be able to see the layers through the liners.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2013-06-28T07:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! We made it through another week! If you checked out my "Day in the Life" post over at The Domestic Wannabe on Wednesday, you saw that I made Slow Cooker Pulled Pork for dinner. I had my first taste of this version at my friend Michelle's and asked her for the recipe before JJ's 1st birthday party (I will post on that before he's in college, I swear). I was surprised that it was actually a Spark People recipe! I pinned it a couple weeks ago to make sure I never lose it:

Source: SLCOLEMAN on Spark People

It's a great option for weeknights - I just prepare the sauce the night before and throw everything in the pot in the morning before work. When I get home, all I need to do (most of the time, see below) is shred the pork and make some sides.

It looks gross, but I swear its delicious!

When I got home from work, I took a look in the cooker and saw that the sauce was really really watery, which is unusual. I double checked the recipe and realized I forgot to add the brown sugar. To try and save it, I added a couple teaspoons of brown sugar and some cornstarch to thicken it back up. I set it on high and stirred it every once in awhile while the rice was cooking. After I shredded the pork, I threw it back in the sauce to soak up a little more flavor.

Overall, my save was pretty successful. It definitely tastes a little better when prepared right from the beginning, but it was still really good.

The Verdict: I've made this a bunch of times so its obvious I like it. It's sweet and juicy and makes great leftovers.

Things to Consider: Double check you included all the necessary ingredients! Also, the recipe makes a lot and is freezer friendly - so you can make it once and have it multiple times!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

by SLCOLEMAN posted on Spark People

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup ketchup

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 cup water
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 lbs boneless pork roast

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except roast in the slow cooker.
When well mixed, add roast.
Cover, cook on high for 6-7 hours.
Remove roast.
Shred the meat and return it to the sauce.
Note - You may want to thicken the sauce some.
Great for making sandwiches or using in other recipes. The sauce is good on rice too.

A Day in My Life

2013-06-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

Good Morning everyone! If you have ever had any desire to see what a typical day in my life looks like, check out The Domestic Wannabe today. I joined Ashley's "Day in the Life" series and my post is scheduled for today!

I featured a fairly typical work day, but as I told Shannon, I didn't realize how boring my life is until I typed it all out, haha. Spoiler alert: my day starts at 4:58am:

Check out scenes from my day at The Domestic Wannabe Blog

If you are interested in the dinner I posted about, check back here Friday for the recipe.

Have a great day!

Shannon’s 2013 Goals- 2nd Quarter Update

2013-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

With June quickly coming to a close, I figured it was a good time to do a quick check-in with my 2013 goals. Click here to see my original goals. Click here to see how I did in the 1^st Quarter.

Personal Goals

Exercise More: This was a complete fail in the 2^nd quarter. In the beginning of the year I did really well and then it just fell to the wayside. My elliptical has become just a dust collector. I started using it again last week so hopefully I’ll do better the rest of the year.

Eat Well: Still continuing to be a fail. Whomp whomp

Read More: Success! I started working in the city a few days a week so I have some extra time on the train to read. Since April I’ve read: The Great Gatsby (I read it in high school but couldn’t remember any of it. Now I know why- I thought it was so boring), The Lady of the Rivers (I love Philippa Gregory! I liked this book but it wasn’t my favorite from her), The Fault in Our Stars (loved it but do not read it in public – you will weep), and I’m currently 85% done with A Dance of Dragons (I love it but it's taking me forever). I've a long list of books that I want to read next so I'll keep you posted on how they are.

The Fault in Our Stars

Blog Goals

Post Once a Week: So far, so good. I think I’ve only missed one week which isn’t bad- especially since many weeks I have two posts.

Remember to Take Finished Product Pictures: Most of my posts the past few months were projects I did last year so I wasn’t able to really improve in this area. Hopefully I’ll get better going forward.

Home (Apartment) Related

Work on Décor: I haven’t done too much in the category except get my new rug.

Get Organized: Fail!

All in all, this wasn’t my best quarter but hopefully I’ll be able to improve the rest of the year. Either way, I’ll be sure to keep you updated! How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? Any one still going strong?

Father's Day 2013

2013-06-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Belated Father's Day to any dad-readers out there! I hope you had a wonderful day full of time with your kids, barbecue, and beer (isn't that what all Dads want?). We spent the afternoon at my brother and sister-in-law's house enjoying family, food, and some gorgeous weather.

One night last week before Joe got home from work I took some updated pics for his "DAD" frame. Look how big my baby has gotten!

7 Months in 2012 and 19 months in 2013

Not my best photography work but I was on borrowed time and it is much harder getting decent shots of a very active 19 month old than it was with a not-yet-crawling 7 month old.

I also put together a little beer-themed gift to give to the boys at my brothers. I found "Beer Cheese Dip Mix" from the Beer Bread Company at a local store and ran with the idea. While picking up the ingredients for the dip I brought (see below), I also found "Backyard Brew" marinade mix from McCormick Grill Mates and "Cheddar and Ale" pretzel nuggets by Pretzel Pete.

I packaged them together and gifted them with a 6-pack of some seasonal summer beer. I have no pic with the actual beer because (as usual) I neglected to be prepared and pick the beer up ahead of time, but you get the idea.

Anyway, on to the food...back in December I had the opportunity to snack on a delicious Loaded Baked Potato Dip at a Christmas party my friend Michelle hosted. It was delicious and I have been thinking about it ever since. I knew this would be the perfect chance to attempt it. I googled around, found one that seemed simple, and pinned it last week:

Source: Comfy in the Kitchen, credited to Hormel

It was super easy to make - just gather your ingredients, mix, and bake!

I saved a little bit of the cheese, bacon, and onions to garnish the top.

The Verdict: Delicious! I don't think it was quite the same version as what I had last year, but still tasty. It can definitely be addicting (especially when paired with salty chips) and its not healthy so you might want to avoid this if you are trying to watch what you eat.

Things to Consider: Not much to say - just that it takes about 45 minutes in the oven so give yourself time for that. And its best served a couple minutes out of the oven.

Loaded Baked Potato Chip Dip

Source: Comfy in the Kitchen

Author: Hormel

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (3 oz) jar Hormel REAL Bacon bits
2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup chopped green onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all ingredients well with mixer.
Place in an oven safe casserole dish.
Bake for 30 mins covered, then an additional 15 mins uncovered.
Serve with potato chips!

Notes

Make sure to use REAL bacon bits/crumbles, or you may also make your own bacon bits. Do not use imitation.

Dreamy Oreo Brownies

2013-06-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

You guys, I think we need to have an intervention. I have an addiction .... and it’s to the combination of Oreos and brownies. It seems that’s all I ever bake up these days. I've made: OreoTruffle Brownies, Brownie Hearts, Brownie Cookie Candy Goodness, and BrownieCovered Oreos. I guess I won’t stop until I've tried all the combinations possible!

Last week, my friend was having a bunch of us over for snacks and wine. I decided to try out these Dreamy Oreo Brownies from Cookies & Cups. They are very similar to the Oreo Truffle Brownies, just with the addition of cool whip and powdered sugar.

Cookies & Cups

Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. I made them the night prior and wasn't able to start making them until 8:30pm. I was exhausted so I apologize for the lack of quality in the photos.

I started by whipping up my boxed brownies with some chopped Oreos mixed in.

While the brownies were cooling, I put the cream cheese/cool whip layer together. It’s basically powdered sugar, cream cheese, & cool whip mixed together. Then I spread it over the brownies.

Here’s where I ran into some issues. I thought I had plenty of chocolate chips at home, but I only had less then half a bag. I measured it out and I had exactly what the recipe suggests (1 & ½ cups). Unfortunately that was not enough chocolate to cover the entire pan. I just spread it out as much as I could and topped it with my remaining crushed Oreos.

The final step is to let the brownies cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Since it was already 10 pm, I let them cool overnight. The next morning I tried one for breakfast –it was delish! Sadly, all my end product photos came out blurry- probably because it was 6am when I was taking them.

The Verdict: These were tasty but very rich. Honestly, I think I like the Oreo Truffle Brownies just a tad better but I would still make these again.

Things to Note/Consider: One and ½ cups of chocolate was not enough to cover my 9x13 pan -so definitely plan ahead for that. Other then that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Dreamy Oreo Brownies

adapted from Cookies & Cups

1 box of brownie mix with ingredients to prepare them

1 package of coarsely chopped Oreos divided equally into thirds

1 (8oz) tub of Cool Whip thawed in the fridge

1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Prepare brownie batter according to package direction, folding in 1/3 of the chopped Oreos.
Bake according to package directions
Allow brownies to cool completely
Beat cream cheese & powdered sugar until combined and smooth
Fold in Cool Whip and another 1/3 of the chopped Oreos
Spread the mixture on top of the cooled brownies
Melt the chocolate and vegetable oil in the microwave
Spread melted chocolate evenly over cream cheese layer.
Sprinkle the remaining Oreos on top.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Creamy Ranch Chicken Pockets

2013-06-12T07:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know why its taken me so long to post about these - they are a favorite in this house. I am always looking for an easy-to-put-together but tasty dinner recipe for during the week - and even more so now. Joe started a new job that has him commuting to the city. This means that I am now on pick up and drop off duty for JJ and we are getting home later. I am able to prep the filling for these ahead of time, and just stuff them and pop them in the oven when I get home. I am getting ahead of myself though - the inspiration for these Chicken Pockets came from this pin:

Source: Jenna Blogs

I must have repinned it during a random Pinterest browsing session because of the caption, "Chicken Rollups - chicken, cheese, cream cheese, and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch powder - Amazing!" And who doesn't love those things? Unfortunately, when I went to make it the first time and clicked through, the recipe didn't match the caption. While Jenna's rollups did sound tasty, I really wanted the ranch version so I sort of just adapted her recipe and made some stuff up (and added bacon - yum!). I have made these multiple times now, so I am pretty comfortable with the recipe at this point.

Just like with the chicken and cheese lasagna rollups and biscuit topped chicken pot pie, I used rotisserie chicken to make life a little easier on myself. After my weekly grocery shopping one Sunday, I mixed up the filling and popped it into the fridge:

When I got home from work the next day, while the oven was preheating, I pulled out the crescent roll dough and started filling them. I make them big - so I use two crescent "triangles" to make a rectangle. Just sort of pinch the seam together. Once filled, I wrap up the corners together.

Then I melt a little butter, brush it on top, and sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top, because we are fancy over here when we eat crescents.

Pop them into the oven for a little longer than the crescent directions instruct (I think I had them in there 20 minutes, maybe 25). And here they are - all browned up.

The Verdict: These are a favorite in this house. An easy and tasty weeknight meal that I can prep ahead of time. Even easier when you use rotisserie chicken and pre-cooked bacon. They are sort of the dinner version of crack dip.

Things to Consider: There is a lot of bad for you stuff in this recipe (cream cheese, bacon, etc) so if you are looking for healthy, clean, paleo, vegan, etc - this isn't the recipe for you. That being said, the recipe makes 8 pockets, and they are pretty filling. Thursday nights are leftover nights so we usually finish most of them. If you are looking to stretch the recipe, however, I think the assembled but uncooked pockets would freeze well.

Creamy Ranch Chicken Pockets
adapted from this pin and this recipe

Ingredients:
1.5 cups cooked and chopped/shredded chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup precooked and crumbled bacon
8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup chopped onions or chives
2 cans Crescent rolls
1 tbsp melted butter
breadcrumbs

Directions:
Mix together chicken, cheese, bacon, cream cheese, dressing mix, and onions. Unroll crescent rolls and create rectangles out of two triangles each (see above). Gently press seams together to form the rectangles (each can will give you 4 rectangles). Scoop 1/8th of filling mixture into the center of each rectangle. Press corners together to close up pocket. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake following crescent roll directions adding more time as needed so crescents are brown on top and no longer "doughy" (totaling about 20-25 minutes). Enjoy!

Olive Oil as Stainless Steel Cleaner

2013-06-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I tried another quick cleaning tip I found on Pinterest. I decided to try out olive oil as a stainless steel cleaner on my very dirty looking toaster. The idea originally comes from Real Simple.

Real Simple

Here’s some before shots of my toaster:

All I did was pour some olive oil on a rag and rubbed the toaster. Then I took a paper towel to wipe it down. So simple!

Here’s some afters:

And some side by side comparisons:

I will definitely continue to use this trick. It was so easy!

Pretzel Crusted Brownies

2013-06-05T07:30:00.000-04:00

Way back in March, my mom invited my cousins, sister-in-law, aunts, a couple of her friends, and me to a Tricky Tray fundraiser a coworker of hers was involved with. While it was a fun night, not one of us won a single thing. We made up for the losses by enjoying some wine and lots of bad-for-you snacks. I decided to give these Pretzel Crusted Brownies a try for the event:

Source: The Avid Appetite

I love the combination of salty and sweet and the added crunch of the pretzels intrigued me. I have never made brownies from scratch before and Shannon warned me that she has never had any luck with them so I was a little nervous about how they would taste.

I started by making the pretzel crust: crushing up a bunch of pretzels (I used the plastic bag/meat tenderizer method), mixing with melted butter and sugar and baking it in a foil lined pan.

After about 10 minutes in the oven, I was left with this delicious looking (and smelling!) crust:

As per Rachel's instructions, I put it in the fridge to cool (resting on a towel). Then I mixed up the brownies using the same recipe she used (adapted from BAKERS One Bowl Brownies:

I have never been good at melting chocolate in the microwave. That's why my cake pops always come out horribly and anything I try to dip looks awful. I followed the instructions and let the butter melt using 10 second intervals, but it never really got the chocolate to melt completely. I kept mixing and mixing but eventually gave up and just completed the recipe.

You can't really tell, but there's chunks of unmelted chocolate in there.

Right before they went in the oven.

Once I had the all the ingredients in though, the batter seemed to set up nicely. Here they are fresh out of the oven:

And after I let them cool and started cutting them up:

See that delicious layer of pretzels?

I halved the butter cream recipe knowing that I always wind up with extra frosting in my fridge and because I wanted to leave some un-iced in case anyone wanted them plain.

The Verdict: They were alright. The crust was delicious and I slightly under-cooked them (which is how I prefer brownies) but they almost didn't seem chocolatey enough. I am not sure if that was my fault for not getting the chocolate to melt completely, or if I am just not a fan of homemade brownies. Now, that's not to say I didn't eat them. I did. They didn't really get touched at the Tricky Tray because there were so many other goodies there so I brought them home. And proceeded to eat the majority of them over the weekend until I finally had to throw them out so I wouldn't gain 100 lbs.

Things to Consider: I would probably get the food processor out to crunch up the pretzels next time. Doing it by hand took forever and I think it would have been a little nicer if I got them a little smaller. I also would like to give this idea another try using a box mix and seeing if I like it any better. As I said above, they weren't bad, just not "worth" the calories to me - I would rather a nice thick, gooey, chocolatey brownie. I did love the foil method though - it made getting the brownies out really easy and cleanup was much easier too.

Anyone have a better brownie recipe for me to try? I have read that once you master making brownies from scratch you can't go back to eating them from a box-mix, but so far Shannon and I haven't found the right recipe!

Pretzel Crusted Brownies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
from The Avid Appetitefor the crust:
4 C pretzels
¾ C unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
½ C sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 13x9” baking pan with foil, letting some hang over the edges. Spray with cooking spray or grease with butter and flour.
Process pretzels in a food processor until chopped small, but not too finely. Meanwhile melt the butter in the microwave.
Transfer the pretzels to a mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar.
Mix in the melted butter. Press into a the baking pan and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust has set.
Cool in the refrigerator while you make the batter (note: I put the pan on a towel in the fridge so as not to break any glass shelves).

for the brownies:
*Adapted from BAKER’S One Bowl Brownies
4 oz BAKER’S unsweetened chocolate (4 squares)
¾ C unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C all purpose flour

Change oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Combine the butter and chocolate squares in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 10 second intervals until the butter is melted.
Transfer the butter/chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl in your stand mixer.
With a rubber spatula, mix the chocolate pieces in the butter until they are completely melted.
Mix in the sugar (I used the paddle attachment on my mixer, but by hand will probably work too!)
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Mix in the flour.
Pour over the cooled pretzel crust and carefully smooth the edges so as not to pick up any pretzels.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out almost clean, but with a few fudgy crumbs. BUT, make sure that the middle has set!
Once the bars have completely (!) cooled, remove from the pan by carefully lifting out the bars from the pan using the foil overhang.

for the frosting:
½ C unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3 C confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk

In the stand of an electric mixer fitted w/paddle (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, one cup at a time until completely combined.
Mix in the vanilla and milk (if the frosting is too thick, add more).
Once completely combined, carefully spread over the cooled brownies.

Erasing Hard Water Stains

2013-06-03T08:30:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to trying out the lemon try to erase hard water stains from the fixtures in my bath tub.

I found this idea from the36thavenue.com. They have a whole list of great cleaning tips and I’ll be trying a few more in the coming weeks.

Source

Here’s some before pictures:

All I did was cut a lemon in half and rubbed it on the fixtures. It took about 2 minutes.

I definitely saw a difference in the handle.

But I don’t think it worked so well on the faucet.

Next I’m going to try the baby oil as Chrome Polish.