rani recommends:

recommendation: k-cups!

2012-11-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

Are you a K-Cupper? I got my hubby a Keurig for Christmas last year thinking it was the silliest thing ever - we have a coffee pot, why do we need another one? But that's what Christmas is about - WANT gifts not NEED gifts, right? And 1 year later, I don't think I could live without it. I'm addicted!

Since we have a coffee pot downstairs in the kitchen - we put it in our bedroom as a treat (read: since I hate walking downstairs at 6:30am to make coffee and am a little lazy and want to pretend that I live in a hotel). Now he can make a cup when he's getting ready and I can make a cup when I get up. If I have the time, I like to sit in bed and slowly wake up with a cup of coffee. The other nice thing is, I really like flavored coffee and he does not, so we can each make our own flavors with no extra work! Its such an awesome treat having it up in our bedroom, despite the fact that the 2nd floor almost always smells like coffee.

It makes a great gift so if you have been thinking about it, I would recommend getting one! We have the Elite 40 which I purchased from Kohls because they always have 15-30% off coupons and if you buy during a Kohls cash time, you get free money for other gifts (or yourself!).

In terms of the actual coffee - no, this is not the exact same as a freshly brewed cup, and if you are super picky, I would suggest trying a cup from a Keurig before buying it. That said, there are all kinds of coffees out there - Folgers, Starbucks, Caribou, Dunkin Donuts, Green Mountain, etc. And each brand makes tons of flavors. Our favorites are:

- Starbucks House Blend
- Starbucks Blonde Blend
- Caribou Medium
- Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut

Right now, Dunkin Donuts has a seasonal k-cup - Peppermint Mocha. If you add a little milk and a spoon of sugar, it taste like the real deal! Note: Dunkin Donuts K-Cups are sold at Dunkin Donuts locations only, not at stores or online (except for sketchy websites). They had a pumpkin spice one in the fall that was nice too. Keurig's website has 250 different types of beverages for the Keurig machines - coffee (regular & decaf and half-caf!), teas, apple cider, hot cocoa, even iced beverages that are meant to be brewed straight into a cup of ice.

In terms of cost, it comes out to under $1 per cup (between $.65 - $.95 depending where you buy, which brand, etc). Now brewing coffee from a bag of grounds or beans is definitely cheaper. But if you don't want all that effort, but want to save money from stopping at a coffee shop every day, then this seems worth it. Caribou is less expensive than Starbucks, and in my opinion, just as good. They also sell k-cup packs at Bed Bath & Beyond where you can use 20% off coupons, but they are often on sale at my local grocery store.

Happy brewing!

recommendation: fun halloween decor

2012-10-31T11:17:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

I had so much fun with my Halloween decorations last year (here and here), I wanted to do something again this year. I decided to try two projects - a glitter pumpkin and some fun letters for my plants.

I earned the nickname Miss Sparkle at my summer job in college at Urban Outfitters, but don't be fooled... I am not a fan of glitter. I do love all thinks sparkly, I just don't want to touch them. Don't you hate when you touch something glittery and hours later, look in the mirror and realize you have little sparkles all over your face?! That said, I am not completely opposed to it. I was in the clearance aisle at Michaels and found a GIANT bottle of orange glitter for .75 cents... I cannot pass up a bargain, so decided to try my hand at a glitter pumpkin.

I think glitter spray paint would have worked much better but I had glitter, so I started by using mod podge on the pumpkin. I'm sure spray glue would have worked just as well. I did it in sections and sprinkled the glitter on. Waited about 20 minutes for it to try and then sprayed the whole thing with a spray paint clear gloss, that sealed the glitter so I would not have to deal with it coming off!

I'm happy with the result, but not thrilled so decided to only glitter one pumpkin. The other, I just tied a bow on, and all seemed well until I found a giant chunk missing from the pumpkin... I blame Mr. Toffee.

P.S. Yes, that hay is from last year, it was $5 and kept fine in the garage for a full year!

My next project was to add something to my boxwood plants to make it a little more festive. I needed 2 short words, so decided on B-O-O and E-E-K. I got wooden letters from Michaels and spray painted them orange. I then glued together two wooden kabob skewers, spray painted them black, and hot glued them to the letters. It was an easy and inexpensive project and I'm super excited about how it turned out!

P.P.S. I do CUTE halloween - not sexy or scary! SO BOO! HAPPY 31ST!

recommendation: recipe repeat - must try tomato soup

2012-10-26T11:37:00.000-04:00

I originally posted about this recipe a little over a year ago and I can't tell you how many times I've made it since. I'm posting again about it because its just such an awesome soup recipe. And soup is not always satisfying. But when you eat this along with a grilled cheese, its a good meal. Since you roast the tomatoes, its ok if they aren't completely ripe and perfect, especially since its a little after tomato season. Roasting them gives them great flavor. We like the soup spicy so I add double the amount of red pepper flakes but if you like mild spice or are making this for kids, just keep the amount as is (or leave it out).

Here are my tips:
- don't skip the garlic, it adds a lot of flavor
- don't blend the tomatoes too much. food processor or blender both work, but pulse so its a chunky puree
- the recipe calls for chicken stock, which I think is best (why? see here), but I used chicken broth the other night and it was just as good. Veggie stock can be substituted as well
- garnishes are nice - freshly torn basil, oyster crackers or shredded cheddar are all great!

Original Recipe from Bon Appetit
I found it at Smitten Kitchen
My Original Post

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar

Serves 4 (though closer to 6 if served in mugs)
3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (apx 9-12 tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large or 4 small cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried crushed red pepper (I use 1/2 tsp)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap garlic cloves in a tight foil packet. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (I used 1 full teaspoon of Kosher salt). Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil. Add foil packet of garlic to tray. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender (garlic will be very tender), about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Unwrap garlic packet and peel cloves. Transfer cloves, tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a blender or food processor and pulse machine on and off until tomatoes are a chunky puree.

Transfer tomatoes to medium pot and add thyme, crushed red pepper and stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Make ahead: Soup can be prepared one day ahead, and kept covered in the fridge. Rewarm before serving.

recommendation: easy and inexpensive fall decoration

2012-10-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

I wanted to find some fall decorations for September and the beginning of October before I pulled out my Halloween decorations. I saw a version of this on Pinterest and thought it would be easy to make!

I had checked a few places for the dried beans and lentils... my local grocery store had some but they were more than I wanted to spend ($3 for a bag). The Dollar Store had some but the red ones were ashy and faded and they didn't have white, green, or popcorn. Then I checked Walmart and ta-da, they had exactly what I needed! I purchased their Great Value brand and each bag was just over $1 each and I purchased two bags of each. I got split peas, kidney beans, small white beans and popcorn kernels.

The best prices I found for a large vase with lid or large hurricane vase were:
- HomeGoods - they had large hurricanes for $12.99 each
- Walmart - they had medium hurricane for $14.99 - $17.99

I lucked out and my mom had a leftover one from our wedding 4 years ago in her basement so I stole it. But the price tag on the bottom said TJMaxx, $14.99 so I think places like that are your best bet to find a nice sized vase. Or Thift stores of course!

From there I just chose an order, started pouring beans in, layering 2 colors then putting the candle in, and finishing the layering. I also added a twine ribbon around the outside.

I'm pretty happy with the outcome, its an easy and inexpensive project!

Speaking of fall, these Caramel Apple Cider Cookies are on the agenda for today. I made them last year, they are awesome...but NOTE: either eat them all out of the oven (ha! don't really! share them!)...or heat each cookie in the microwave for 5 seconds before eating. The caramel in the middle hardens up when the cookies are cooled and they are meant to be soft and gooey. Enjoy!

Original Pin:

Source: plumadorable.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

recommendation: easy DIY jewelry organizer

2012-09-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before how easily I get distracted, but often great things come of this - remember my spray paint project in the middle of cleaning the garage?

Well this morning one thing led to the next and before I knew it, I had set out to get dressed but ended up organizing all my accessories starting with my under garments, then shoes, belts and hats, and moved on to my jewelry drawer. To be honest, I don't know how long those things will stay in their new spots, but it looks pretty awesome now. While cleaning out my jewelry drawer, I realized I have a LOT of amazing jewelry, including some really neat 'statement' necklaces. I always forget about them stuffed away in my drawer so I got to thinking... I need some way to keep them out without it looking messy. And then from there, this is what my brain thought:

-> Oh! I saw a bulletin board organizer on pinterest once!
-> walk down to basement... do I have an extra bulletin board? YES!
-> Hmm...spray paint or cover in fabric?
-> up stairs to garage, don't like my spray paint color selection for this
-> do I have fabric? back downstairs.
-> This should work. I guess. Do I want to wait? Not really. So we'll make it work.
-> Look up bulletin boards on pinterest.
-> Iron Fabric
-> lay reverse side down on board and trace square to cover with pen
-> cut fabric and hot glue corners down to board
-> pull out old acrylic paint collection - select gold color, paint edges
-> wait 30 minutes
-> back downstairs to find T-PIN push pins
-> AND.....

VOILA! This was no more than a 45 minute project and that was all because of the stair walking and paint drying time. Sometimes my random tangent projects are totally worth it!!! the only two things I would do differently next time are: 1) select non-fraying fabric - like canvas or cotton. Mine was fraying as I was cutting the edges and got a little messy and uneven. 2) do not put hot glue down, then lay out fabric - glue will harden. lay fabric down, then peel up each corner and put glue down. I only glued corners since fabric was thin and I didn't want bumpy glue showing through.

P.S. Yeah... I know I have a lot of perfumes. And yes, I wear (almost) all of them. My favorites right now are Chloe, Ralph Lauren Blue (although this is a bit summery), and a Marc Jacobs rollerball that I don't think Sephora makes anymore.

recommendation: sneaky mashed potatoes

2012-08-31T09:55:00.001-04:00

I feel like I'm living on the edge... I did something sneaky... are you nervous? Ha! You all know me. I'm miss goody two-shoes. You will laugh when you find out what it actually is. Ready? I snuck....cauliflower into my mashed potatoes. HA! SNEAKY, right?

I found this recipe a while back and it was a hit. I didn't tell my husband what I did and asked him how the dinner was and if he liked the potatoes and barely able to contain myself, when he said yes, I basically yelled HA!I-TRICKED-YOU!THERE-IS-CAULIFLOWER-IN.THE.POTATOES!MUUUHAHHA!

This recipe may not be a substitute for thanksgiving day mashed potatoes, a sacred and traditional dish... but it sure does make you feel less guilty when you want some of that creamy starchy goodness on a weeknight.

Here's the problem. I lost the recipe. I checked my recipe binder, pinterest, both email accounts... nothing. I could look up a new recipe but there were too many variations, so... I made up a new one. This is called, 'winging it.'

Items you need: 4 small or 2 big potatoes, 1 head of cauliflower, butter/margarine, ff half and half, salt & pepper to taste.

Fill big pot with water
Cut a few peeled russet potatoes into thirds
Put potatoes in water
Bring water to a boil

After 10 minutes check potatoes. When potatoes are soft enough you can put a fork through them - but NOT soft enough that they are mashable - add chopped up cauliflower. One full head.

Boil until both are mashable (read: soft, mushy, whatever).

Drain water, mash potatoes and cauliflower. Add cheese (I always have cheddar on hand), a little butter or margarine, and some fat free half and half. I also add in garlic salt and pepper to taste. Obviously there is room for adjustments, personal preferences, do whatever tastes right. Next time I might try putting less potato and more cauliflower... you really can't tell much of a difference. Stir and enjoy!

recommendation: no-fry fries

2012-08-28T10:02:00.000-04:00

I am not great at making french fries from scratch. They always turn out mushy and I never knew why. I did discover that they need a higher heat at 425 or 450, when I used to cook them at 350 degrees. Well, I stopped making them and started buying them in the frozen section, that Alexia brand makes good fries, but they are always expensive!

Last week I found an article that included Gwyneth Paltrow's version. I love most things Gwyneth - her friendship with Beyonce and Jay-Z, her version of Betty Davis Eyes from Duets, her website GOOP, and the girl can cook. So I decided to try it the next day. I had no idea a simple bowl of cold water could change my fry world. Various sources say that soaking the potatoes in cold water before cooking will remove excess starch.

The recipe as listed on self.com does not list how long to soak the potatoes but I think I left them in more than 5 but less than 10, so lets go with 8 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow

INGREDIENTS
- 2 large russet potatoes (2/3 lb each), peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

PREPARATION
Heat oven to 450°. Cut potatoes in half horizontally; cut each half into 1/3-inch-thick fries and place in a bowl of cold water. Remove from water and dry thoroughly. Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place fries on a cookie sheet. Roast until browned and cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 minutes.

Nutrition: 175 calories per serving, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 27 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein

p.s. that's a veggie burger you see in the background. we've been enjoying this new brand, Lightlife. I don't know if they are better than MorningStar but its nice to have a change and they are less expensive. I buy the Farmer's Market Veggie Burgers.

recommendation: tips for hardboiling an egg

2012-08-22T10:24:00.000-04:00

I thought of Julia Child recently. Admittedly, I only know her though Julie & Julia (the movie)... I have none of her cookbooks and I cannot recall any of her TV episodes. But how must she have felt as she pioneered through and mastered basic and expert culinary skills and recipes?

Well that's a lot of thought for such a simple task. All I was doing was boiling my first egg. It was pretty exciting. Until it came to peeling it. I was scared of that, I have no idea why. The smell also got to me. It was for my husband (to put in salads for lunch at work) so he peeled it. I was also terrified that he would peel it open and the yolk would be runny. But overall, mission successful. It got me thinking, what else do I need to know about boiling an egg?

I found this great chart from What's Cooking America:

Egg Size / Degree of Doneness / Time Required:
- Medium / Soft-Cooked yolk / 3 minutes
- Medium / Medium-Cooked yolk / 5 minutes
- Medium / Hard-Cooked yolk / 12 minutes

- Large / Soft-Cooked yolk / 4 to 5 minutes
- Large / Medium-Cooked yolk / 6 minutes
- Large / Hard-Cooked yolk / 17 minutes

- Extra Large / Soft-Cooked yolk / 5 minutes
- Extra Large / Medium-Cooked yolk / 7 to 8 minutes
- Extra Large / Hard-Cooked yolk / 19 minutes

My mom also gave me a great tip - to use slightly older eggs. As this site says, "Extremely fresh eggs are not recommended when making hard-boiled eggs. They are very difficult to peel."

Here are some more tips:
- Bring eggs to room temperature before cooking
- Refrigeration is necessary for hard boiled eggs if they eggs are not to be consumed within a few hours
- Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week
- 1 large boiled egg has 75 calories and 6.29 g of protein (it says here that the average American needs between 50 to 65 g of protein per day)

I can't believe these things got a whole blog post, I don't know if I'll ever eat one and I hate the smell... but I figured if I learned something while trying this new cooking task, maybe you can too!

recommendation: homemade air freshener

2012-08-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

The electrician was due any minute this morning and I realized that something smelled funny in my kitchen... my fridge? My garbage disposal? My trash? I had to think quick and I the only spray I had was for a bathroom and I don't want that in the kitchen. Recently I tried a suggestion from Pinterest for air freshener and it worked out nicely so I did it again this morning and I think it was a great solution!!

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Take 2 caps of vanilla extract and put in coffee mug that is oven-safe. Put mug in oven for 1 hour. I put my mug on a tray so its easier to get out. After an hour, the extract hardens up in the mug so its kind of pointless to leave it in much longer. It takes about 15 minutes for the scent to start spreading.

Its a great quick fix, apparently realtors do this for open houses! My only other recommendation is to let your Other know you are doing this so they don't come home and think that you are baking a cake... that is disappointing!

Original Pin:

Source: budgetsavvydiva.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

recommendation: make your own taco seasoning

2012-08-14T08:31:00.000-04:00

Well geez, if I had known it was this easy, I probably would have been doing this a long time ago. I recently saw a recipe for making your own taco seasoning and my first thoughts were 1. its like a dollar or less for a packet of seasoning. and 2. I buy the low-sodium one, so we're good, right?

And then for dinner tonight, I forgot the store-bought seasoning. So I was forced to make my own. And like I said... if I had know it was this easy...Here you go (original recipe found here):

- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (I only had ground so used 1/8 tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper

They are all things most people have in their cupboard anyway! Mix it all together. That's it. Easy peasy, huh? I poached then shredded one chicken breast (.80 lbs) and then heated it with some oil, onions and about 1 TBSP of this mix and then added a little water while it simmered and we made tacos.

ENJOY!

recommendation: what's good at Trader Joe's

2012-08-09T09:38:00.000-04:00

Is it raining where you are? Its pouring here and is much needed, we've had a dry summer! Seems like the perfect day to catch up on reading emails & articles that you've been putting off for a rainy day! So I'm going to add one to your list. My grandma sent me this awesome article from Huffington Post, Sweet Finds And Major Disappointments At Trader Joe's. The article is about this couple, Nathan and Sonia and their friends Russ and Sandy, have decided to go through Trader Joe's inventory and rate the products on a 1 - 10 scale with complete reviews, and then blog about it.

Trader Joe's is sometimes similar to Pinterest, it sucks you in with the pretty packaging and prices, but its not always worth it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Trader Joe's fan and think this store is absolutely amazing. I would probably shop there way more often if there wasn't construction going on my route to get there. But one person cannot possibly like every single thing they have in the store so its nice to know in advance about how a product is so that you can decide if you personally will like it.

The site has categories on the lower right so you can check out products by type - Appetizer, Dinner, Condiment, etc. Check out their website, What's Good at Trader Joe's, I think it will prove to be helpful. Enjoy!

recommendation: pasta-less lasagna

2012-08-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

In this household, we are carb-friendly. Love them. So when my hubby said these words "lets try to eat less carbs", I was like, uhhhhh, whaaat?!? Whyyyy? How?

And then a day later, this recipe serendipitously popped up in my Pinterest feed: No Noodles About It – The Best Low Carb Lasagna!. So there it was.

To make a good lasagna, you have to put a little time and love into it. Since I don't like to waste resources on Pinterest recipes since they are so hit or miss, I decided to take a major shortcut and make a few changes. So here is my revised recipe. For the original directions, see the recipe from the blog Dashing Dish.

For the Noodles:
5 large Zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch strips (I used a cheese slicer) Put zucchini slices in colander and sprinkle with salt so that the vegetable can sweat out the water. Dab down the slices with a paper towel.

For the Meat Sauce:
This is where I cheated! I used a 32 oz jar of Mids Sausage Sauce (and a tiny bit of leftover meatless because I like my pasta with lots of sauce). The original recipe calls for you to make your own meat sauce.

For the Cheese Layer:
1 15oz container light ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
6-8 leaves of basil, minced

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, arranging dried out zucchini. Bake slices for 5 minutes, then remove from oven, flip, sprinkle with pepper, and bake 5 more minutes. I left the salt out of this step b/c I had salted the zucchini earlier to sweat out the water. Remove from oven and set slices aside. (Note: I baked 3 cookie sheets of zucchini for this, which made about 3 layers of lasagna). Lower oven to 375 degrees.

2. Insert directions for making your own sauce....or... Open Jar of Sauce.

3. Mix the ricotta, parmesan and minced basil.

4. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread some of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then put a layer of zucchini slices, followed by a layer of the cheese mixture. If this doesn't spread easily, just sprinkle it. Repeat layers until dish is full... sauce, zucchini, cheese. repeat.

5. Sprinkle mozzarella on top, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

6. Remove foil, bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is browned. Remove from oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. It may be tricky to slice, use a sharp knife and just jiggle it through. You can use a spatula... but the lasagna doesn't really serve in 'pieces'... its quite saucy, but its delicious. Worth trying!

Enjoy, and don't feel too guilty, its low-carb! :)

{Original Pin - No Noodles About It ~The Best Low Carb Lasagna Ever!}

Source: dashingdish.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

recommendation: re-use, up-cycle, spray paint!

2012-07-26T10:55:00.000-04:00

I have the attention span of a 2 year old. Seriously. We were in the middle of fixing up our garage - this is a big project. Everything peeled away from the walls and in the middle, painting the garage, sweeping. My sister-in-law is spray painting dresser drawers, it was a hot and sweaty day, motivation is not going to last all afternoon... I'm supposed to be painting, or moving things off the wall, or doing something, and then I spot my chalkboard spray paint. So obviously instead of staying on-project and putting it away, I think... what can I spray paint?!

I had saved the plastic containers our plants for the front yard came in (I swear I'm not a hoarder!), knowing that I would find some project with them. They are fairly flimsy as they are meant to be disposable, but here's what I did. I washed them out and let them dry in the sun. Taped down a rectangle on each one and spray painted them with chalkboard spray paint. Waited about 30-45 minutes to be sure, peeled off the tape, and whipped out my galaxy marker and traced the rectangle and polka dotted it up (the world is a happier place because of polka dots). What is a galaxy marker? If you are a crafter, you need this. Its like a paint marker, in that it writes on any dark surface. Its awesome. White is my favorite.

And... TA-DA!

So, I re-used and up-cycled these buckets, therefore justifying my pack-rat habits (in this one instance) and turned them into garage storage containers for all of the other crap I insist on saving...but at least they look pretty & organized! Now I just need to find chalk markers that erase easily... any suggestions? I'd like to purchase them at Michael's (b/c of coupons) or Amazon (because of their great prices). I almost bought some on amazon but reviews said they don't erase well so looking for word of mouth recommendations! On to the next spray paint project... a salvaged chair - will post soon!

recommendation: cake batter muddy buddies

2012-07-20T08:57:00.001-04:00

My friend's daughter was having her 3rd birthday party and I volunteered to make the puppy chow (aka muddy buddies) she planned on having (along with scooby snacks, which taste suspiciously like cookie butter....). So cute for a Clifford the big red dog themed party! She mentioned that she had cake batter puppy chow one time so I knew I had to find this recipe. It was just as easy to make as your normal chocolate/peanut butter version but a little more festive with sprinkles in it! I made 1.5 batch of the chocolate and 1 batch of the birthday cake version and 2 boxes of chex was the perfect amount with just enough left over for a bowl of cereal the next morning!

I got my recipe from Chef In Training:

CAKE BATTER MUDDY BUDDIES
recipe adapted from: So Very Blessed

Makes 5 cups

5 cups Chex cereal (I used half rice half corn)
10 oz (5 squares) vanilla flavored Almond Bark
1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
vegetable shortening, optional (I skipped)
sprinkles (LOTS OF THEM)

- Pour 5 cups of Chex Cereal into a large bowl.
- In a large bag, put cake mix and powdered sugar and shake to mix evenly. (*Note, I stirred my sprinkles in here so they would stick to the chex too but the recipe calls for them to come in 2 steps... your choice)
- Melt Almond Bark according to the package directions, adding vegetable shortening to thin if desired.
- Pour Almond Bark over cereal, stirring and folding until the cereal is completely covered. Stir in some sprinkles if you would like.
- Pour the Almond Bark covered cereal into the large bag containing cake mix and powdered sugar. Zip up the bag and shake until all the cereal is coated with the powdered mixture.

Sorry no picture of the actual product, they were eaten quickly. I still prefer the chocolate version but they were a hit at the party. Even Murphy the dog got into them...although he is excused, to be fair, we did call it puppy chow and Anne did display it in dog bowls (from the dollar store!). I can see in dog world how this would be confusing.

Pin of Original Recipe (don't you envy people who think up these things in their kitchen??)

Source: soveryblessed.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

recommendation: crockpot Indian dish

2012-07-17T09:04:00.000-04:00

Well my quest to make a new Indian dish every two weeks has failed but I'm still trying to fit Indian food in the rotation every now and then. Some Indian food is time consuming (unless you make it THIS way)!

I decided to give this Chicken Tikka Masala crock-pot recipe from Real Simple a go, and it seemed pretty simple. I love crock pot meals on the days I go to visit my Grandma because I'm normally gone the whole day so when I come home, dinner is almost done, whoo hoo! The recipe was pretty good - a little more tomato-y than Indian-y but I think that 1. this is good for people who are new to trying Indian food and 2. It was just so easy that I would make this again based on that. Here are my comments:

Notes:
- I used minced garlic instead of chopped cloves. Remember - 1/2 TSP MINCED garlic = 1 TSP CHOPPED Garlic = 1 WHOLE Clove
- Garam Masala is hard to find, most normal grocery stores don't have it. You'll probably have to visit your local Indian or ethinic foods grocery store (A2 and Chicago, see my store suggestions here) or order it on Amazon (although it will be MUCH cheaper in a grocery store)
- I added "JEERA" which means Cumin to my cucumber salad. I only use ground roasted cumin as I'm not a huge fan of the whole seed. To make it, roast the seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat until they darken, watch carefully so they don't burn. Then grind them in a coffee grinder - I HIGHLY suggest you have a separate spice grinder as this spice has a strong smell and you don not want your coffee beans tasting like cumin!! The seeds should grind into a dark brown powder. I use this when recipes call for cumin but use a little less as its a stronger flavor.

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (I left this out, didn't want to spend the money and I don't like cilantro!)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice

Directions
- In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
- In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

- Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
- Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

We ate with a lot of veggies and had smaller servings of the actual chicken and rice. I had my beet salad (from Plum Market), a fresh mango, and some roasted cauliflower (chop up, toss with olive oil or spray with Pam, salt, pepper, curry powder and ground roasted cumin (recipe above), roast in oven on 425 for 30 min. p.s. if you are ever wondering how to pronounce this, its Chicken Tikka (TEE-KA) Masala (MAS-ALL-AH).

ENJOY!

Original Pinterest PIN:

Source: realsimple.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

recommendation: grocery store Plum Market

2012-07-13T08:35:00.000-04:00

In Chicago I had no strong allegiance to a grocery store - I would go wherever convenient, and rotate between Trader Joe's (best frozen meals, herb prices, pre-marinated meat, and jarred sauces), Jewel (cheapest overall, inexpensive flowers, good cheese section), Dominick's (good produce, bakery and salad bar), and Whole Foods (best produce, hot food & salad bar, ready to eat foods, etc.) and even Sky Grocer our neighborhood store (which prices are SKY HIGH but its a beautiful store and saved me in a few cooking binds).

Here in Michigan, I'm fiercely loyal to Busch's. They are the closest to me but really, it comes down to more. Their store is always clean and stocked, there are samples, everyone (literally everyone in every department) is friendly and helpful. Their prices might be more than Meijer or Kroger, but they are less than Whole Foods and I feel like they sell quality products that make it worth it.

OK but this post is not about my love for Busch's, ha! Its about another fantastic grocery store that is in Ann Arbor and that is coming to Chicago! PLUM MARKET! I'm so excited for my fellow Chicagoans to experience Plum.

They are a high-end grocery store, similar to Whole Foods but much smaller. I've been thinking for the past few days about what makes them different - they too source local products, are heavily organic, offer health options, have premade foods and a great salad & olive bar... and then I learned that they have a reason to be similar:

Matthew Jonna and Marc Jonna are third generation retailers who grew up working for their father’s store, Merchant of Vino Marketplace, a natural, organic, and specialty food and wine store with six locations across the Midwest. The chain attracted significant attention from competitors and in 1998 Whole Foods Market acquired the company. Both Jonna’s continued to work with the Whole Foods Market executive leadership team. Matt and Marc left Whole Foods Market to pursue developing a new grocery concept, later to become Plum Market....

Plum is opening in Chicago in Spring 2013, so sorry to get you prematurely excited, but I need you to all be aware so that when you start seeing signage and construction in Old Town, you know what's coming. It'll be located at 1233 North Wells, Chicago IL 60610.

Another reason I'm excited is because Plum is Zingerman's product-heavy, so I'm hoping this brings more Zingerman's to Chicago!

I debated whether this blog post should be about the store or my favorite dish from Plum, so I'm combining them. Let me tell you about my love for... their BEETS. Beets are a weird vegetable. My only experience of them were as a kid at Easter, seeing hard boiled eggs pickled in beet juice.

As an adult I tried them but didn't get it. They tasted kind of dirty, you know? I have a friend Brianna that loves beets, and since I adore her, it made me want to love beets more. And my friend Anne's 3 year old daughter was eating them when she was 2 so I figure, if she can eat them, why can't I? I tried them at a fancy restaurant and they weren't so bad. So when my mom brought home this beet salad from Plum Market, I was open to trying it. I can't explain to you how UN-BEET this salad is. They taste so...clean! And fresh and pure. They are oven-roasted red beets with thinly sliced red onions in red wine vinaigrette. Its awesome and addictive (and expensive - beets are kind of heavy and its from the salad bar that's charged by weight, so you have been warned). If you like beets or are willing to try, check this dish out.

recommendation: davanti enoteca

2012-07-11T09:43:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you about a place that sparkles, day and night. No matter what meal you go to Davanti Enoteca for, the restaurant just has this atmosphere that catches you - this place is a neighborhood gem. Located at 1359 W. Taylor in University Village in Chicago (that's South of West Loop and West of South Loop!), nothing draws you in from the outside, but once your in, the exposed brick, chandeliers and wine racks put out a good vibe.

Hubby and I went here in July of 2011 for Brunch. Ignore the sleepy eyes, their coffee and food woke me right up!

We ordered the special of the day which was a fresh asparagus and swiss fritatta that came with a big pile of lemony arugula on top. Delish!

Like I wasn't making your mouth water enough, we also got a sweet dish. (TIP: if you get this dish, order it first, even before ordering other dishes, it takes a while to make). This Red Eye reviewer wrote it best:

"the calzone di frutta ($10) is a crusty sugar-kissed pocket of dough with steamy cinnamon-y apples and plump cherries inside. A generous dish of mascarpone whipped cream for topping was so simultaneously light and rich that it took all my composure not to lick the leftovers from the bowl."

Can't make brunch? You don't find a lot of places that have breakfast - dinner (and a bar) and each time of day is equally great. Well their dinner is just as amazing. My sister and her boyfriend took my mom and I here while we were visiting. They recommended 8-10 dishes for 4 people but as we had 2 larger items we went with 6. We started off with ricotta cheese presented in a mini mason jar with fresh honeycomb and toast crips to spread it on ($6).

Next up was Craig's recommended dish which we all absolutely loved. Focaccia di Recco ($15) is a baked focaccia bread with fresh soft cow cheese. The focaccia bread was thinner than a traditional one, I think because it was stuffed, but was still filling. This is a must get! The cheese has a strong taste but in a good way.

The pasta we ordered was called Cacio e Pepe ($9), its spaghetti noodles with pecorino and black pepper. This dish was nice and simple which was nice since a lot of our dishes had strong flavors.

I think if the salad we got had a lot more of the dressing (lemon and chili oil) on it, it would have been a bit better. It was beautiful but the shaved hearts of palm ($10) were a bit bland on their own.

Our grilled hanger steak ($17) was delicious but almost didn't taste Italian! It was a nice addition to the meal though. Served on a bed with oyster mushrooms and rhubarb with a salsa verde.

Ok, last but not least we got a pizza! We got the Pizza con Prosciutto e Rucola ($14) minus the Prosciutto for my veggiehead sister. We love arugula and it tasted great on the pizza. Points for cute presentation on a tomato can!

Like its not obvious enough, if you are in the Chicago area, this is a restaurant worth trying! The owner, Scott Harris, is the genius behind the Mia Francesca restaurants AND purple pig! And if you go at night and need a sweet treat after, stop by Mario's Lemonade Stand to get a frozen lemonade (comes in many flavors). ENJOY!

recommendation: actually DO the things you pin, 4th of July wreath

2012-07-01T11:03:00.000-04:00

where have I been since my last post on June 12? I have no idea! I have been crafting, cooking, gardening, recommending and traveling but somehow forgot to keep blogging. Oops! Sorry all!

well we're hitting the road again for the holiday but I want to share my fun project before we take off. i love actually DOING the things I pin.

inspiration:since we're going to be out of town, I can't decorate the house too much or have fun party decorations...but a wreath can stay up on the door for all passerbyers to see! I saw the project on Pinterest from Nap Time Crafts and days later found a 50 cent straw wreath at a garage sale so knew I had to move forward with this project. My total cost was $7.27 (not counting glue sticks). Whoo hoo!!

steps:
- find a wreath (foam, straw, anything that is rounded will work): I got mine at a garage sale for 50 cents
- red, white and blue yarn, string, ribbon or fabric strips: I used yarn
- something to use as stars: I used buttons but I saw variations in tutorials as felt stars (hand cut), stickers, buttons or one big star

Since my wreath was straw, I had some interface I got for free at a garage sale and wrapped that around the wreath first to make it easier to wrap with yarn. I'm happy I did this because the straw still poked through a little and the yarn would of really stuck funny if I wrapped it straight. I just cut the interface in strips and hot glued them on. I suppose you could use other fabric or even maybe toilet paper for this? If your wreath is foam, skip this step!

I chose to wrap my wreath in yarn because I love to crochet! I do think something thicker like ribbon may take less time, it took me about an hour and a half total to wrap this. I got all of my ribbon in the sale bin at Michael's for 1.99, .79, and 2.99. I even had leftover to make these cool braided ropes to hang the wreath with and I also made one to wear as a headband or belt on Wednesday!

I eyeballed it and divided the wreath up into sections, doing 3 white, 3 red, and one blue. Doesn't have to be perfect. I have a lot of gaps but didn't have the patience to make it perfect. I hot glued the ends to the wreath and then wrapped each section round and round. It felt so good to finally get to the blue, I was tired of wrapping even though the project was relatively quick and easy. I got buttons at Michael's in the dollar section a while back so glued the white ones on as stars. This would be a great way to use up those buttons that come as extra's on shirts that you save but never really need!

This step is the COOLEST. A pop-top as a hanger. I would never have thought of this myself but the wreath I bought at the garage sale had this on it already. I had to cut theirs off but reattached a new pop-top to hang the wreath on a nail. Just hot glue it on. This is to hang the wreath on a nail. I ended up wrapping mine in a braided rope to hang it from a hook instead.

Last but not least, hang it outside for all to see!

final product: I am happy with the finished product. Its a festive and inexpensive decoration that will only go up for a few days a year, worth doing!

p.s. ONE year I will try these cookies again with Royal Icing.

recommendation: favorite pickles

2012-06-12T08:28:00.001-04:00

All things pickle are not created equal. It really depends on your personal pickle preference - dill, sweet, spicy, etc. I am a pickle lover and while I don't like all pickles (McClure's are just too tart for me, I want to love them but I can't!), I do love a good spear. Here are a few that I just can't get enough of lately!

Wickles Pickles - there are a few products we love. The first is their Hoagie & Sub Relish. Its got a slight kick to it and tastes awesome spread over a deli sandwich. We've even mixed it in with things like ketchup to take things to the next level. They make a relish that we haven't tried yet. We did try their pickles, which are classified as sweet. Bread and butter pickles I'm not a fan of but these things still have the Wickles kick to them (spiced but not too spicy). The recipes are 78 years old from an Alabama family that used to give them away as gifts and now sell them. Worth trying, found at my local grocery store, Buschs,or you can buy off their website.

Speaking of sweet pickles, the best ones I've ever had, hands down, are from Chicago Q BBQ in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. They bring them to the table as snacks after you order your meal and they are absolutely out of this world. As I mentioned, I'm not a sweet pickle fan but I think these just have sugar added to the pickling juice. They are thin chips and have pickled onions with them. They are just great. And you can buy them! I love when restaurants sell their goods to take home with you. Online or at the bar for $7 a jar.

Really pickle crazy? My friend Anne introduced me to Pickle flavored Pringles. You have to really love dills for this but if you do, you'll like them. I don't like salt & vinegar chips that much but it almost has that vinegar kick to it, the tang that makes your cheeks pucker a little bit, they are quite sour. But it definitely tastes like a pickle. Weird and awesome.

Last but not least in the pickle world are the pickles from Zingerman's Deli. I've had some other immitation pickles recently from restaurants that want to serve a pickle two ways, but no one holds a candle to their beloved NEW (more like a cucumber, fresher and crunchier) or OLD (garlicky, more pickled) whole pickles that you get when you order a sandwich.

Honorable Mentions:
- Claussen Kosher Dill Spears: best crunchy spears
- Milwaukee's Midget Dill Pickle: best baby pickles
- Jimmy Johns Whole Pickle: best on-the-run pickle
- Trader Joes Dill Pickle: have not had but have heard good things!

recommendation: cheap & cute placemats

2012-06-04T14:54:00.002-04:00

Kmart is not my first choice of stores (target, meijer, walmart all rank above it in my book) but every once in a while when I'm near one, I pop in to get something specific. They have a good spray paint selection too.

I normally don't mosey down each aisle to check out new inventory like I do in Target but last time I was there I did a quick walk through and it paid off. I snagged these awesome placemats - they are lace look alike (kind of ikat, mendhi, native inspired too) PLASTIC mats for $2.99 each!

If you go look for them, they are the Country Living Classic Vintage Crochet Plastic Placemat. Plastic placemats in our house are important because hubby always manages to spill on my fabric ones. I love these for summer and they look so pretty on the table.

note: do NOT use goo gone to take the price tag off, this took some of the design off with it. Just run under warm water and can use a little soap on a sponge.

recommendation: only pin the good

2012-06-01T10:12:00.003-04:00

I'm starting something new on pinterest. You all know from my previous posts about 'actually doing the things you pin' that not everything on pinterest is yummy, fun, easy, achievable. I hate when people post a pretty picture but no link so you have no idea where the product is from or how to do it. I also hate when you try a recipe and its a complete disappointment. If I've tried something, and it didn't go well, I delete the pin. Why promote people to re-pin and try themselves? I want to link my rani recommends with pinterest so here's the deal:

if there is a pin on ANY of my boards and I've tried it and liked it (even if room for improvement or personal interpretation), I will leave it and put a RR next to it so you know that RANI RECOMMENDS it!

if there is a pin on ANY of my boards and there is no RR, that means I have not yet tried it

if you once saw something on my board and didn't repin it because you figured you'd just find it again on my board (I say this because I do this for other people), and its not there - I deleted it. SO always re-pin something you like to your own board. It is literally a 4 click activity (repin, select a board to pin it to, edit or leave comments, click repin).

Obviously this won't work for all pins. There are some I will never try or be able to achieve (aka many in the 'to live in' board, my inspire board, etc.). But there are a lot of crafts, DIY, recipes, etc. that I have tried or plan on trying. And a lot of the good ones you'll hear about on here! Also, I have a 'to blog' board of pins that lead to posts here on rani recommends. Just want to make sure we're all on the same page here :)

Happy (re)pinning!

p.s. Its the weekend, and since its rainy, that means its project time. Here is what I'm trying within the next week so be on the lookout for blog posts, RR's on Pinterest (or maybe disappearing pins if they don't go well!):

- Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- Alton Brown's Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Braided T-Shirt Bracelets
- No-Bake Energy Bites
- Stairway Picture project, combination of this and this

recommendation: risotto leftovers for breakfast

2012-05-30T07:46:00.000-04:00

I got a little crazy with my breakfast the other day. After a straight week of my pina colada oatmeal, hubby needed a break so we switched to scrambled eggs. The problem with eggs is, I normally eat my breakfast an hour later. Don't get me wrong, reheating eggs is fine and I do it often (sometimes making scrambled eggs the night before and reheating on the go is such a time saver!) but for some reason at 6am, my brain cannot function to make more than his 3 egg portion and so when my breakfast time finally rolls around, I normally just eat cereal or toast instead of making myself eggs.

Well. NOT THIS TIME! Here's how it went. Open the fridge, decide to make myself a quick fried egg - this is my favorite for mornings because it takes like 3 minutes. Trying to decide what I should eat it with... on toast? With cheese? Plain? My eye caught leftovers from dinner the night before...parmesan and pea risotto (my shiitake and sweet pea recipe minus the mushrooms).

And then I thought about an email I got from Smitten Kitchen a few days prior for bacon, egg, and leek risotto. Now my dish is in no way even close to how amazing hers looks. But I wouldn't have even considered putting an egg with risotto had Smitten Kitchen not shared this genius recipe.

End result? It was awesome. The creamy risotto was the perfect bed for an egg (I like mine over hard, I can imagine this would be quite nice if it was over easy). If you have risotto leftovers, this is a definite recommendation on how to use them up! Enjoy!

p.s. And if you are ever curious how to order your eggs, here's a cheat sheet from Wikipedia:

North Americans use many different terms to describe fried eggs, including:

A style known simply as 'fried' — eggs are fried on both sides with the yolks broken until set or hard.
'Sunny side up' — cooked only on one side; yolk is liquid; the egg white is often still a bit runny as well. This is often known simply as 'eggs up'. Gently splashing the hot cooking oil or fat on the sunny side uncooked white, i.e., basting, may be done to thoroughly cook the white. Covering the frying pan with a lid during cooking (optionally adding a cover and half-teaspoon of water just before finishing) allows for a less "runny" egg, and is an alternative method to flipping for cooking an egg over easy (this is occasionally called 'sunny side down').
'Over easy' or 'over light', cooked on both sides; the yolk is a light runny and the egg white is not fully cooked. "Over easy" fried eggs are also commonly referred to as dippy eggs or dip eggs by Marylanders, by Pennsylvania Dutch persons living in central Pennsylvania and those living around them, mainly due to the practice of dipping toast into the yolk while eating.
'Over medium' — cooked on both sides; the yolk is of medium consistency and the egg white is thoroughly cooked.
'Over well' — cooked on both sides until the yolk has solidified.
'Over hard' or 'hard' — cooked on both sides with the yolk broken until hard.
'Overcook' — cooked on both sides until the egg white and yolk have hardened and started to brown.

recommendation: container garden, part 4 of 4 - where to plant

2012-05-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

Part 4: Where to plant?
(Find Part 1, What to plant, here)
(Find Part 2, How to plant, here)
(Find Part 3, How to pretty up the pots, here)

This past weekend I finished up my project and boy oh boy am I happy with the result! After all the planning, potting, painting and pondering, I realized I had to do something more with my pots than just let them sit in a pile on the deck. It looked a little messy. Hubby and I were at Meijer getting a trellis for the side of the house and he pointed out the store's genius way of displaying their flowers on sale. And so simple! Wood planks and cinder blocks. That was IT. Some displays had a built rack for hanging plants too but the only extra requirement was 3 planks and some nails.

After days of researching folding plant stands that were turning up beautiful but $100 (pretty, no?), I knew I HAD to do this project. I lucked out because I was able to save on wood costs because my parents had a bunch of old flooring in the basement. If you were to do this on your own, decide how big you want it to be and Home Depot or Lowes will cut the wood for you so its the perfect size for your space. Wood will be about $2-5 each plank so up to $50 for the project but I'm positive you can find cheaper wood somewhere - lumber yard? Yard sale? Side of the road? Look around. Cinder blocks were $1 each, so for me, the project cost $12. How?!?!

I feel like the project was pretty self explanatory - stack 4 cinder blocks on each side, put the planks across, stack 2 cinder blocks on each side in front, put planks across. Done. You can paint it, stain it, or just let it be as is. I took the three extra pieces of wood and stood two up in the cinder block slots and nailed one (with 3 nails on each side) across to hang lights or hanging plants. (And I did this whole project while hubby was taking a nap, GO ME!)

Here are my before, inspiration, and after pics! Enjoy!

BEFORE:

INSPIRATION:

AFTER:

Hope you enjoyed this series! I can't wait for things to start growing, its so satisfying knowing that you did it yourself! Happy Spring/Summer and have a fun Memorial Day weekend!

recommendation: container garden, part 3 of 4 - how to pretty up the pots

2012-05-24T09:32:00.002-04:00

Part 3: How to pretty up the pots?
(Find Part 1, What to plant, here)
(Find Part 2, How to plant, here)

I've been on the hunt for cheap containers! This was a project I was excited about but I wanted to keep it inexpensive. I had a lot of leftover pots from last year but needed even more this year. I found two GIANT faux wooden pots (they are metal) at Salvation Army for $8 each. A steal considering pots of that size at Home Depot were $25+. I bought three lime green plastic pots at Home Depot. Other places I saw pots at great prices were: Meijer and The Dollar Store (not sure how good they actually are, but price may be worth it). I originally bought some at Kmart but later returned as I realized their prices actually weren't great and Meijer was less expensive.

My plan was originally to get tons of pots and spray paint them lime green but honestly, sometimes its just not worth the effort.

The price to buy them already green at Home Depot was worth it (they are plastic) vs the price of buying terra cotta pots and spray painting them - the terra cotta color plastic is the same price as the green. And also I was a little nervous about committing to lime green for ALL of my pots. The brown pots are fine, why paint over them? I did however buy some glossy white spray paint just in case I change my mind as white is a little easier to stick with.

Boring or classic? I used it on two terra cotta pots from my grandma's collection and some old izzy bottles (vases for outdoor space). No picture of this (yes, I am too lazy to walk outside right now) but the pics in the linked tutorial are close, mine just didn't come out as milky because I used gloss paint vs satin. As always, spray paint rules: don't spray paint in a windy spot, always put down a tarp or newspaper, wear a mask or bandana, gloves and spray paint comfort grip are helpful!

Spray painting done, plants planted, what's next? Plant markers!

I found colored popsicle sticks at a garage sale, 100 for 50 cents. Spray painted with some chalkboard paint, used Galaxy Markers (markers that write on dark paper or surfaces, they are like paint markers) to write the plant and poof, instant (and adorable) markers! I had so much fun making them I have a ton extra now (I might have been a little spray paint crazy that day), so I'm thinking about posting some on Etsy next week!! Why not?

Here are some other pictures from the spray paint and garden marker project, enjoy!

I know the question you are all dying to ask... what are those wood planks under the pots? Well... Next up - where to put the pots...stay tuned!

recommendation: container garden, part 2 of 4 - how to plant

2012-05-22T08:07:00.000-04:00

Part 2: How to plant?
(Find Part 1, What to Plant, here)

Well - this part was new for me. LAST YEAR when I got tomatoes, green peppers, eggplant, hot peppers and radishes in seed form, I put everything straight into potting soil in the pots and it grew from there. Well that project last year was in June and I wanted to start sooner this year!

Like I said in the last post, here is what I planned on planting:

- In Seed form: hot peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, green onions, onions, lavender
- Starter Plant: mint, basil, cilantro, chives, thyme, sage

A lot of the seeds I bought said if you are starting in May, to start inside because frost could still come. When I was at Home Depot I saw this pellet pack by Jiffy. Super easy to use - I got the 36 pack for $4.29, instructions are on the back. Basically you carefully rip open the pellet's netting, move around a little soil, put the seed in and recover it, add water, pop the top back on and wait for sprouts. Seeds ranged from $1.00 - $1.50 per packet. I'm still waiting to plant all of my pellets, some of the sprouts seem to frail to put out into the real world, so I'm babying them by slowly taking them outside in the afternoons and back in at night. Once they get a little thicker/taller I will plant them in their proper pots.

The starter herbs I did not purchase until about a week ago and those I stuck straight into the potting soil in individual pots. Water right away! Some plants like basil and mint are never ending, so give them their own pot so they can have their space.

The herbs I got were $3 for 10 at Whole Foods, and all from a local vendor here in Michigan. How great is that? Look around, you don't have to get everything from the same place. I liked their selection much better than the ones at Home Depot & Meijer.

So what you need for any veggies & herbs that are starter pots, are full size pots (make sure to get appropriate sizes for what you are planting so you don't crowd the roots), potting soil, and water. That easy. Don't these projects always seem bigger than they actually are?

Next up - how to pretty up my pots (the fun part)...stay tuned!