Trulie Unique Life

Marshmallow- fondant and Jelly Fish cake part 1!

2012-10-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Linda came to visit me after going to the Ices show

in Reno Nevada this year. Between her and my Grandma,

they have both been trying to get me interested in

applying my art skills to the craft of cake decorating.

After only 5 days of playing I AM HOOKED!

First, I am going to share the Marshmallow Fondant Recipe:

Ingredients:

3tbs water

1 pkg. Marshmallows (I prefer mini)

1pkg. Powdered Sugar

Step 1: dump marshmallow in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Sprinkle 3 tbs. of cold water over marshmallows

Step3: place in microwave for 3o seconds then stir with

wooded spoon. Continue to repeat this step until marshmallows

are smooth.

Step 4: slowly add powdered sugar, stirring it in as you go.

When the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl,

and feels like it is ready to kneed place ball on plastic or

silicone matt continue to kneed in the rest of your powdered sugar:

See progression pictures below:

Now, spread Shortening over some plastic wrap and

wrap fondant in plastic wrap sealing out all air and

place in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to cool.

(fondant can stay this way in the fridge for a week or more!)

Marshmallow Fondant tastes just like marshmallows. It is

way better eats than traditional fondant and is quite easy

to work with and very forgiving.

Stay tuned for part 2 explaining how we made

the Jelly fish and the coral it sits on!

Low/no sugar Banana muffins!

2012-10-02T11:46:00.001-07:00

Since being diagnosed as diabetic, … I miss cake the most.

It is by far the food I love the most on earth. If

I were on death row and was given a last meal, I would

ask for a huge cake with loads of frosting!

As a result I have turned my kitchen into a test

kitchen, and my family the guinea pigs!

I have found that muffins help with my cake cravings

and so far they have been the easiest to make low sugar

versions. One of my favorites is banana muffins.

My family LOVES these so I make them in bulk and

freeze them which saves me loads of time and keeps

my cravings at bay. Best part, they do not reek havoc

on my blood sugar!

Tip # 1 for super moist banana muffins (regardless of recipe):

Use previously frozen bananas, the uglier the better!

Tip# 2 for super moist banana muffins:

Use one more banana than the recipe calls for.

Tip# 3 for super moist banana muffins:

add 2-3 tbs. of maple syrup (I used sugar free of course)

Trust me and try the tips. I have been making banana bread for years

and tons of people ask me how I make it so moist and yummy!

Tip #4 for super moist banana muffins:

mix by hand and do not over mix your bananas

your bananas do not need to be creamed into oblivion.

Since I use a lower fat option too at times,

I spray my liners with a little oil so they don’t stick.

My go-to topping is chopped walnuts mixed with

2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar. LIGHTLY

sprinkle this topping over each muffin.

This gives me the idea that I am eating something

really naughty without the guilt and consequence!

Try this recipe and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Home cookbook

Banana Muffins:

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Splenda (or other sweetener of your choice)

2 tbs. sugar (this is needed to help the bread rise better)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3 medium RIPE bananas

1/3 cup butter or sub with applesauce for less fat

2 tbs. sugar free maple syrup

2 tbs. Milk

2 eggs

* topping: 1 cup chopped walnuts mixed with 2-3 tbs. brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 350

mash bananas and add all wet ingredients mix and set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients then fold in your wet ingredients.

spray muffin liners and pour batter to 3/4 of the way full.

sprinkle topping and bake 30-40 minutes or until

toothpick comes out clean.

Eating Healthier does not have

to mean dry and tasteless!

My Spin on baked Oatmeal muffins!

2012-09-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe nearly a year ago on Pinterest.

I am not a huge fan of the traditional bowl of oatmeal.. But I do

love a good oatmeal cookie! I was instantly intrigued so I set to work

with my own spin, of course.

I was thrilled to see that I could easily make these

low or no sugar!

and with the recipe primarily being made up of whole oats,

I knew they would stick to my ribs and not spike my sugar!

I also loved that I could make big

batches and freeze them for convenience.

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

*Recipe from Sugar-Free Mom

2 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 cups. applesauce, unsweetened

1 banana smashed

1/2 cup honey or agave nectar

5 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

3tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. salt

2 3/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana, honey, milk

3. add in oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and

mix well with wet ingredients.

4. I pour batter in cupcake liners only half way

5. sprinkle “toppings” of choice

6. Top fill with more batter to 1/4 from the top

7. Finally sprinkle topping of choice on the top

8. bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. eat them warm with butter, or cool and eat like a muffin

or freeze for later.

Topping ideas:

Fresh or frozen Blueberry

Cinnamon-Craisin

Chocolate-chip

Pineapple-coconut

I have also liked : raisins & brown sugar,

walnuts & brown sugar, apple & brown sugar

This is a must try recipe whether you are into healthy

eating or just plain love a great breakfast.

They are surprisingly cake-y and not heavy.

Yummmmmm

Sugar free disclaimer:

*as I have stated before, the tiny amount of brown sugar

per muffin is equal to about 1/2 tsp. which will give you

the satisfaction of having a regular sugar muffin

but does not affect my numbers adversely. This is

a trick you have to try yourself and see if you have

Remembrance Packet

2012-07-27T16:36:00.001-07:00

Our society and lifestyles have lead us to often times live even

hundreds of miles away from our families. Gratefully there are many ways

for us to keep the family updated and connected such a social media and

other types of amazing technology such as Skype. However, these tools

are not a complete replacement for missed family events or face to face contacts.

This past January my family suffered the great loss of my second born Son. Due

to the unexpected nature of this event and for other reasons, neither one of my

parents were able to attend his funeral.

Being a mother of a baby not known intimately by his extended family nor by

the world is an experience unlike any other. However, some things are the

same as giving birth to a surviving child. Just like with my first born, I wanted

desperately to share my son with the world. Share how very special he is. I

wanted my parents, and the rest of my family to know him as I do, LOVE him

as I do. So, I set to work on a “remembrance package”.

1) I took a 12x12 piece of card stock and folded it into an open end envelope

with the top overlapping the bottom by about an inch.

2) Out of contrasting card stock I punched two circular discs

for the enclosure piece.

3) I then lined up the circle to the bottom, middle portion of the

top flap of the envelope and hole punched though both pieces creating

a single hole. (as seen below)

4) I then paced an eyelet in the created hole. (found in

the scrapbooking/paper crafting supplies)

5) I Repeated the process for the bottom portion of the envelope,

taking care to leave at least a 1/4 in. gap between the top and

bottom circles .

6) I then tied/anchored one end of a long ribbon say about

8-10 in. to the top circle. ( The ribbon and knot behind the

circle and around the eyelet NOT through the eyelet)

This allowed me to close my envelope by winding the

ribbon in a figure eight pattern between the two discs,

closing the envelope in a very “Old English” kind of way.

7) I printed simple/respectful sticker labels for the front

of each envelope.

“In Remembrance of Brennan James McCarroll”

8) I enclosed the following:

*one copy of each of the talks given at the funeral

*one copy of the program used at the funeral

*one small, inexpensive photo book which included

photos of the flowers, his hands and his feet (taken by

professionals in the hospital) the location of the cemetery,

and copies of several quotes and poems that I found

comforting.

This was not only helpful for them to help make up for not

being able to attend the funeral, but it was also therapeutic

for me as well.

This idea does not have to be associated with such a sad occasion.

There are graduations, weddings, births and reunions missed by

family members all the time! This is a simple and inexpensive way

to include those who are unable to travel or miss out for any reason,

a family event.

What ideas do you have that you could place in such a memento?

A Handful of Money Saving Tips.

2012-07-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes we simply spend money that we don’t need to spend.

I do it and I know others do it too. When we have the “extra” money

we tend to be blinded by the convenience of buying new and we miss

the saving opportunities that are nearly always there.

Whether things are tight or not I get a thrill from saving my family

money. I have a few ideas for you today that can help stretch the budget

and get your creative juices going.

First up: “Old Fashioned Mending”

My son has grown tall but still stays slim. So, this spring I started to

go though his clothing to see what I had and to make preparations

for his summer wardrobe. I found several pairs of pants that had

worn knees and frayed hems. I decided to crop and hem them into

new shorts for the summer.

This can be done in a matter of 30minutes to an hour and for each pair

of converted pants to shorts, I saved my family anywhere from 5 –10

dollars! This is a total savings of $20-$40 for 4 pairs of shorts!

Second on the list: Iron-on $avings!

Never underestimate the power of a strategically placed iron-on

embellishment. Iron-ons come in every shape and size. They are

fast and require no sewing. They can dress-up an inexpensive, and

otherwise drab item and make it something fabulous! They can also

be used to hide a multitude of problems that would cause one to

throw an otherwise good garment away. I have two perfect examples

for you today.

I found this plain blue cotton-t on clearance for next to nothing. My

son was shopping the iron-on isle with me and found a race car patch

that he simply went crazy for!

I could have stopped with just the race car but I had some letters left

from another project so I decided to embellish this sleep-shirt with a

very “punny-saying”.

Total cost for a new custom sleep shirt: $5.00 (about a 50% savings)

My 3 almost 4 year old is very loving but he is equally rambunctious!

I was doing laundry this winter when he ran full speed around the

corner and rammed into me as I was pouring bleach in the wash.

Needless to say, once you see the next pic, his favorite winter

hoody was ruined…or so I thought….

Iron on a soccer ball patch and…. you have

a $aved Fave!

Cost of new Hoody $10 – $12 vs. cost of iron on patch: $2.50!

Thirdly: “$craps of $avings!”

If you are a sewer at all, more than likely you have scraps of

fabric from other projects piled in a closet or stacked in a box.

Aiden needed new jammies desperately. Between myself and my

mother-in-law we found an old pajama pattern and three flannel

scraps of material that we were able to turn into three fabulous

pairs of pajama pants!

Three pair of pajama pants. Total Cost: $3.00 (for elastic) A total

savings of about $15.00 or more!

When sewing from scraps remember a few things:

1) Look through all your material to see what you have.

2) Ask your fellow sewers/crafters what they have as well.

(we sewers are always happy to use up our scraps)

3) Don’t disregard old patterns. Some things really never change.

Boys pajama bottoms are exactly the same as they were 30 years

ago. Don’t let the dated image on the pattern envelope discourage you.

Look through your stash or ask around before buying a pattern.

Pillows!

There is a running joke in my family about always “buying plenty”

and if you have too much “you can always make a pillow with the extra.”

This philosophy has resulted in a LOT of extra. So, before buying new fabric

for pillows look through your scraps first or in this case your wardrobe!

I had a new, awesome, white sweater until I spilled hot cocoa down the front

of it. I tried everything to get rid of the stain to no avail and the stain was

in such a place that I could not craftily place embellishments to hide it and

still look cute so…. I made my sister a sweater pillow for her house warming.

To embellish the pillow I made three different flowers with one from the

sleeve. The other two I took strips of the sweater, ran a running or

gathering stitch along one side and an decorative stich along the other

with contrasting thread. I used scraps of matching bias tape to make leaves

and before I knew it, I had a lovely decorative pillow gift for only $3.50! (for the stuffing)

These are just a few tips and ideas on ways I have recently saved money

for my family. If you stop and take a minute before throwing out the old or

running to buy new, often times you can find ways to reuse, repurpose and renew

items you already have and make them into things you really want to keep.

How do you save money for your family? Write to me, I would really love to know!

Roast Beef Panini

2012-07-01T00:07:00.001-07:00

I can barely put this sandwich down to type up this post.

It is simply that good. My Husband loves good sandwiches

and this is one of our go-to sandwich dinners that is not

only very satisfying, but is very simple too.

You will need:

1/2- 3/4 lb. Roast Beef thinly sliced (I get mine from the deli)

1 can beef broth (or I use beef bouillon powder)

2 slices American cheese

2 slices Swiss Cheese (I used processed… Don’t Judge!)

4 thin slices tomato

2 tbs. Mayo

4 slices sourdough bread

Butter

*yields 2 sandwiches

First butter your bread like you do for grilled cheese.

Now, bring your beef broth to a boil.

You will place your roast beef in the boiling water for

just a few minutes, just enough time eliminate any pink

and heat your meat all the way through.

Place first slice of bread, butter side down on pre-heated

pan or Panini Grill. Spread mayo on top, then place tomato

slices followed by your cheese slices.

Now pile your juicy beef slices on top of your cheese and

top of with the other slice of bread. Now either close your

press or if cooking in a pan you can use an additional pan or a

foil covered brick to help press the sandwich down.

Your Panini is done when the bread is golden and crisp and your

cheese is oozing out the sides!

-This sandwich was inspired by my brother-in-law Renee Cano

Enjoy!

All American Salisbury Steaks

2012-06-29T02:31:00.001-07:00

My mom is an amazing cook, but not in a traditional sense.

Yes her food is, most importantly, yummy to eat however, her

talents lay in the way she can feed an army a filling meal with

little to nothing in the pantry. We grew up with our tummies

full, never going to bed hungry but this was no easy task for my

parents. They worked very hard and there were in fact times when

we barely scraped by. My Mother’s knack for peering into a nearly

bare cupboard and in 45 minutes or less presenting a delicious

filling meal ensured our family’s survival. One of the meals she used

to cook on a fairly regular basis was what she called “glorified

hamburgers.” These burgers were made with hamburger mixed

with chopped onion, a little ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.

The patties were then pressed into saltine cracker crumbs and then

fried in this impressive, black, cast-iron skillet. Sounds simple and

maybe even a little odd but they were very tasty and a welcomed

change from what sometimes was the third or fourth night of

some version of a hamburger based meal. (Hamburger was by

far the cheapest of meats at times and went the furthest)

I took this idea and combined it with a similar recipe that I got

from a nephew of mine.

You will need about 1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger

1 cup minced onion

1/4 –1/2 cup oatmeal

2 eggs

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup milk

1 can Golden Mushroom soup

1 sleeve crushed butter crackers (I used Ritz)

TBS. Oil for frying

*Mix all ingredients except crackers and

soup in a bowl.

Form into patties and then press patties into crushed

butter crackers.

Then, fry in olive oil until golden brown. Burgers do not have

to be cooked through. They will finish cooking in the oven.

Now, place burgers in a baking dish and

cover the burgers with the soup. {This meal

is also one of my bulk cooking meals I make 12’ish

burgers at a time and then place them in foil

baking trays. I cover them in the soup, then in plastic wrap.

I cover the entire thing with foil and freeze. This way in

same amount of time it takes me to make one nights meal,

I have prepared two more in advance!}

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the burger is cooked

all the way through.

The soup makes a delicious gravy which reminds me of the old T.V. dinners

back in the day. (of which I would never eat now, but loved as a kid)

My mom is an All-American cook at heart who reminds me to be humble

and remember where I came from. I am grateful for her talent to make

great things out of very little. It was humility, and the hard work of the

working class that built this nation. It was the sacrifice of Mother’s and

Father’s alike that paved a better life for their children and their children’s

children. That is what makes this country grand. I am thankful for my roots

and I am proud to be an American.

Thus the re-name of this re-mix dish to All-American Salisbury Steaks and

why I chose this recipe above all others as my 4th of July post this year!

I love you Mom and all that you have done for me. You are an inspiration.

Happy Independence Day!

Simple trash to treasure

2012-06-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

I LOVE taking what appears to be junk and turning

it into something fabulous! My husband loves the

results but hates to participate in the “finding” of

such treasures! We drove past this beauty nearly

twenty times over a span of two weeks and every

time we passed it I drooled, and every time my

hubby stepped on the gas. Well, I finally found

myself driving on my own one day and I scored!

I felt triumphant! Then it sat on the back porch all

winter long. See, here in Flag I am restricted by

season as to when I can paint.

{ Insert your imagination Here}

This is where I was supposed to but the glorious pre-

picture of my “trash” It was great! A dirty white wicker

frame with a splash of blue stain across one side.

Can you picture it? Pretty trashy right. Okay, I will

explain. I have been going through a lot of emotional

turmoil the last six months and well, I have somehow

lost my picture along with my mind. So use your imagination

and enjoy the following post-pics. they are good too.

It just looses it’s “wow” factor without the before photo. Sorry folks.

The phrase is from one of my favorite songs I sing to my son.

It makes a big statement on a very blank wall of our home.

With it’s size I think I may add more fabric flowers to it so that

it balances out more.

I made the two roses by rolling old rick-rack around itself, and

the larger flower was from the sleeves of an old sweater!

The frame was from what looked like an old vanity. Between

paint and the thin fiber board for the back this project

cost me around 6 bucks! Can’t beat that!

Oh BTW, the flowers are removable! I attached wire to the

back of the flowers and then wedged the “stem” in the frame.

This way I have the option of changing the accents by the season.

Penne Rustica

2012-06-17T01:47:00.001-07:00

Macaroni Grill is my husband’s absolute favorite place to eat and when

we get the chance to go, we always split the the Penne Rustica!

I found this recipe some time ago on Your Home Based Mom.

I made a few customizations of my own to make it a little closer to the original

and I tell you what, there is no other copycat recipe as close as this one is

to the original flavor!

Ingredients:

12 oz. grilled chicken breast
1/4 lbs. Pancetta

1/4 lbs. Prosciutto
2 boxes penne pasta
1 1/2large red bell peppers- diced and sautéed till soft
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika for sauce and some to sprinkle on top!

3 cups Mozzarella cheese

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tbs. butter
3 large cloves chopped garlic
1/3 apple juice + 2 tbs. red wine vinegar + 1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary and several sprigs for garnish
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cups heavy cream + 3/4 cup milk

Directions:
Sauté garlic and peppers in butter in large pan.

Add apple juice mixture, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper,

and heavy cream and milk.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Chop pancetta and prosciutto into small pieces and then fry

in a skillet. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.

(***Tip, when grilling chicken at any time be sure to add a couple extra

breasts on the grill. Then slice up and throw in the freezer for future meals

like this one. This Saved me a good hours worth of time! )

Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, pancetta, prosciutto,

bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly.

Spread in pans, and top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Garnish with 3 rosemary sprigs in each pan.

When I set out to make this recipe I did not realize how large the recipe

was, but I was incredibly grateful that it did!

In one prep I made four dinners at once. Considering the amount of work

involved up front it was very beneficial to get three future dinners done

at the same time.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of.

Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields 4
Preparation Time: More than an hour

Future suggestions… As we started to eat we realized that the ONLY thing that

was missing was the shrimp! So next time I will add lightly sautéed Shrimp.

I chose to serve this with a simple salad and sourdough bread,

baked and buttered with garlic-butter.

Taking the time to set a simple table Scape sets the mood

and some how makes the food taste that much better!

Making dinner at home special also makes it easier to make

the choice to eat at home.

We even played some Italian music as we ate!

This is a great meal for date night, Valentines Day,

Italian themed movie night, Birthday Celebration,

or Father’s day. Here is a fantastic dessert to

accompany any Italian meal!

This is now a permanent recipe in my rotation of

bulk meals. Since we are in Flagstaff now, and there

is not a Macaroni Grill here, this helps to satisfy

my husbands withdrawals!

Kitchen Aide Accident!

2012-06-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

It was late, and I was working under a heavy cloud of sleep deprivation.

I was up very late two nights in a row trying to prepare a lesson to be

observed by my new boss. The lesson went extraordinarily well, and as

always, I had promised my students a great reward for their extra effort.

After a long stressful day at work, a grocery store run for supplies,

and a fully cooked meal for the family, I set to work on the cupcakes

of my dreams. The first mistake I made, (which looking back,

should have tipped me off on how this project was going to go) was

purchasing a generic brand of cake mix. It had an odd texture,

and did not seem to mix well by hand. So, I dug out the handmaiden of all

handmaidens my precious Kitchen Aide!

I placed the contents in the bowl and set her to work…..

And then… well, I got a bit side tracked and ….. let’s just say

the consistency was no longer chunky but very very smooth

and very very aerated. “oh well, they will still taste good right?”

and away I proceed. I then fill 24 cups to the top, (against the cupcake instructions)

because of course I want huge, impressive, high top cupcakes like you find at Costco!

But, no, that is NOT what I got. What I got was a cupcake disaster that

resembled Pangaea, complete with all the tops connecting perfectly

to form a nearly solid flat surface.

Well, scratch those, and start again,

After scrubbing the muffin tin clean for 20 minutes,

the rest of them baked oaky with little mishap.

But wait there’s more!

As my barely-tolerable cupcakes cooled I began my butter-cream

frosting. Hope renewed, I start with my butter and whip it in my

mixer till smooth and begin to add the first cup of powdered sugar.

{The rest of this story happened in a matter of seconds but in my

fatigued mind it was in very slow motion} As I am dumping the powdered

sugar I feel my grip on the cup loosen and I watch it as it falls into the bowl

of speedily whipping butter. Like a bomb going off there is a truly

magnificent explosion of butter and sugar in a perfect spray pattern

across my kitchen, across me and across the face of my three-year-olds

angelically, surprised face. The grinding of the motor and the off-beat scraping

sounds of my priceless Kitchen Aide wakes me from a trance of shock. I here

myself saying turn… it… off… stupid!

and I gradually feel my arm catching up with my slow reacting mind as

I see my arm reach out to turn the abused mixer off. The clanging stops

and my eyes scan and assess the damage. My Son stands affixed,

wide-eyed in wonderment covered in icing! I see what can only be described

as a beautifully powdered wall, black table and dark tile indicating all too

perfectly the location and direction of the detonation. My husband emerges

cautiously from the office located at the furthest end of the kitchen and does

a quick assessment of the incident and then he, with some hesitation in his

voice asks,…what the heck happened? It was at that moment that

I l-o-s-t, lost it! I gave in to hysterical laughter! How could I not?

I mean, I have been cooking and baking since I was seven, what a completely

amateur move!

These pictures could never give it justice!

Fortunately, my engineer of a husband was able to

bend my whip back into a usable shape and there was no

permanent damage to my favorite kitchen helper!

The show must go on, so I proceeded to finish my cupcakes.

I was up till midnight but I got them done. In my opinion, they

were the worst tasting but most adorable looking cupcakes.

I thought that it would be fitting to take at least one photo

with the splattered table as the backdrop.

I did sweep the floor that night but the table and walls did not

get cleaned until the next day!

In the words of my students. “WOW Those are awesome!”

They loved the story about the exploding cupcakes and

the epic story spread through the school hallways that day.

Carrot-Raisin Spice Muffins

2012-04-01T15:07:00.001-07:00

Spring is the season for Carrot Cake! But what to do?

I am not supposed to have sugar and you can’t have carrot

cake without cream cheese frosting.

Well I came up with this fabulous recipe to satisfy my craving in

a safe and healthy way. Now, those who love their sugar…

DO NOT turn away yet, I have included a very sweet option

for you too!

Ingredients

2cups flour (I used 1 white and 1 wheat)

1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tbs. Honey

2/3 cup milk

3/4 cup apple sauce

3 eggs

2 cups shredded carrots

1/4 cup raisins

4oz. cream cheese (cubed in sm. chunks and

inserted into the center of the muffin)

Topping- cup walnuts chopped

mixed loosely with 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients except for

the carrots and rains, leaving them for last. When your

batter is evenly mixed, add carrots and raisins then

fill well sprayed muffin cups half way full. Place a cube of

cream cheese in the center. Now, cover the

cream cheese with another layer of batter.

Sprinkle topping over muffins and

bake for 20 minutes.

I chose to put a cream cheese center in replacement of

frosting, like a traditional carrot cake. It would still satisfy

the cream cheese element without the need to add sugar.

However, you could always use your favorite cream cheese frosting

in replace of the nut and brown sugar topping.

Now, you may be wondering … “Why would you use brown

sugar in the topping of your sugar free muffins?”

“Why thanks for asking such a great question! I have found that by

adding a small element like brown sugar and nuts to the top

of a muffin or even a 1/2 tablespoon of chocolate chips,

you get the sensation of a full sugar version when you

bite into the muffin with only a 1/4 teaspoons worth of sugar.

No harm no foul, I get my cake and I eat it too!

My carrot-raisin spice muffins are dense, moist and very satisfying.

Whether you make it sugar free or sugar-ful I am sure

you will be very pleased with the results!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2012-03-26T22:16:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite meals at Chili’s is their chicken enchilada soup.

Now I must say, that I am not a huge soup fan. I guess living in

110 degree weather for so many years kills the appetite for

steaming bowls of soup, however, this is one I will

make the exception for. It was inspired by Chili’s on

one of those rare winter-like days in Phoenix.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 chicken breasts worth of cooked chicken with juices

(I can my own, you can use canned or boil fresh)

1 Can Rotel Tomato’s and peppers Original

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can golden Mushroom soup

1 can corn with juices

1 can green chili’s

1 chopped Jalapeno

1 half onion chopped, and sautéed in butter

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 tsp. Cumin

3 –5 shakes of dried Cilantro

*Optional garnish Shredded cheese, sour-cream, or

fried tortilla strips,

One thing I forgot to mention; this was also created during my

“Sandra Lee Semi-homemade obsession.” So I categorize this

as a “dump-soup,” the directions are just that…

dump ingredients in a crock pot set it on low for 4 hours

or on high for two!

Very hearty, Very satisfying,

very Semi-homemade-esque!

Who is your favorite food-star?

Peña-Colada Cake

2012-03-22T20:24:00.001-07:00

When my mother-in-law told me of a cocoanut cake she came up with,

it instantly got my mind reeling on how I could add to it and make a

no-sugar added version for my Birthday!

This cake is light, super moist and oh-so easy.

First you will need:

1 yellow cake mix or your favorite yellow cake recipe.

(I used the Pillsbury No-sugar added yellow cake mix)

1 can of cocoanut milk

2 tbs. Splenda or 1/4th cup sugar

1 small box of vanilla pudding (I used sugar free)

3/4 –1 cup milk

1 small can of crushed pineapple

1/2 cup shredded cocoanut (toasted)

1/2-1 container of Cool-whip

Start with baking your cake according to directions.

Once it has cooled, poke holes in the cake with a small

instrument. (I use chop sticks)

Stir in sugar or Splenda with the cocoanut milk and spread evenly

over cake.

Place cake in refrigerator while you mix the pudding for the

next layer.

In a mixing bowl, pour dry pudding, and pineapple with

the juice. Mix. Now add the milk a little at a time to

ensure normal pudding consistency. Allow pudding to set up;

then spread evenly over the cake.

Now spread a layer of cool whip evenly over the pudding layer.

and sprinkle the top with your toasted cocoanut.

For best results, allow the cake to set over night in the fridge.

This was so satisfying! My husband said that he could not

tell any difference between the sugar version and the

no sugar-added version. So give it a try even if

you do not “have to” have sugar-free. With the cool and moist

effect of the cocoanut milk, pudding, and Cool-whip it is a

perfect dessert for for the hot days of summer ahead.

I had a few more ideas that you could try with this same recipe:

Add sliced bananas to the pudding layer.

Use a large can of crushed pineapple and add 1/2 of it to the cake mix.

Pour some of the pineapple juice over the cake along with

the cocoanut milk.

Linked up with:

Refried Beans

2012-03-21T18:40:00.001-07:00

STOP BUYING CANNED REFRIED BEANS

Okay I will tone it down a bit, but seriously,

Hear me out… I have a list of reasons why…

1. It is WAY cheaper to buy dried beans in bulk.

What not swayed by money? okay…

2. You can control the fat, salt and the preservatives

Not swayed by health? okay…

3.Refried Beans are ridiculously easy to make at home!

Not swayed by ease of work? Fine then do it for this reason:

4. The taste is supremely better than any brand in a can.

Allow me to prove my point:

First and foremost, regardless of the quality/brand of beans you must

sift through them. Pull out any beans that are extra dirty, or moldy looking.

Keep an eye out for small pebbles and other debris. Yep that is a corn

kernel in picture number two… I have no explanation… all I can say is, this is a

crucial step. Now, rinse with fresh water several times over.

Dried beans more than double in size and soak up a ton of water.

I fill my crock with 1/3 dried beans and the rest of the way with

water. This will result in a full crock pot of beans .

Place the crock pot on high and let beans cook until tender.

Tip1: keep an eye on your beans and do not allow them to run low on water.

Also note: the older your beans are the longer they will take to

cook and the more water you will go through.

Tip2: do not add salt to your water, this causes more of the skins to peal,

which stick in your teeth later… eeew!

You will know when your beans are done, when you smash a single bean

and they smash with little resistance, the consistency is smooth

and there is no graininess to it’s texture.

It does take several hours for your beans to cook up. The time

varies depending on the age of your beans, your crockpot, and

how large the batch is that you are cooking.

Tip 3: if you plan on serving your beans the day of cooking be sure to start them

in the morning.

Tip 4: I strongly dislike the smell of beans as they cook. If you place a glass of vinegar

out on the counter near your beans it reduces the smell. (I do not know why this

works but it really does. … I know … Weird!)

My beans are cooked … NOW WHAT?

This is my favorite part, as I have developed a very easy and very

healthy way of mashing my beans with no added oil

and very little effort…… It’s quick,

it’s effortless it’s…..

….the MIXER method!

That’s right I put my slightly cooled beans directly from the

crock pot to the mixer and tah-dah! Perfectly smashed beans!

At this point they are ready to store or re-heat in a skillet to eat.

If you are eating them right away, now is the time to season with salt.

If they seem too thick or on the dry side simply add a little water

to them. If they are a little runny, allow them to cook longer

uncovered and the extra water will evaporate.

Tip 5: you do NOT have to “fry” your beans. Simply heat them up and

season with salt to your liking. No oil/lard needed. Which is way healthier!

If you are freezing some or all the beans, you can place them in your

favorite freezer-ware or…

Tip 6: place your freshly mashed beans in freezer bags. Freezing the

beans in this flat way speeds up the thawing process.

Or,

If you are like me and do not always remember to pull stuff from the freezer

before work, I simply slice the bag open and pop my “bean brick” in a skillet add

a little sprinkle of water and this flat package thaws and cooks up in no time!

(Keeping the convenience of the dreaded “canned beans.”)

So have I pled my case well?

Let me add just a couple more facts.

Myth: I have to soak my beans overnight before cooking.

Your beans will cook just fine without this old school step. I have not

tasted or noted ANY benefit to soaking.

Myth: I have to add lard to the beans as they cook to make them soft.

This is a traditional way to make beans, and it does help make them

soft faster. However, your beans will be just as soft without the lard

with a little more time on the fire. Also, your heart and family will thank you later

for not adding this heart disease causing agent.

Myth: I have to fry them with oil when I mash my beans.

You can still call them refried beans without actually frying them.

It is simply an unnecessary, unhealthy step.

Myth: I need to add a lot of salt to make them taste good.

As I have stated in several of my posts, the way I keep the

salt content down in my cooking is by allowing the diner to

“salt to taste” which generally results in less salt in-take.

Try making your own tortillas to go with your beans by reading this!

Linked up with: Lil’Luna,

Dollar Store gift basket

2012-03-16T13:03:00.001-07:00

Chili- Cook Off Prize

My husband was assigned to spend no more than

ten dollars for a prize for the Hottest Chili at

our church chili cook-off. Well…

he asked for help and I jumped on it!

Nearly all contents from the dollar store.

*buffalo wing flavored chips

* Red chili pepper flakes

*Jar of sliced Jalpenos

*Tapatio taco sauce

* Dried, whole red peppers

*Strike anywhere matches

*Red slotted spoon

*red and white dish cloth

all composed in a red bucket and

nestled in red and yellow tissue-flames!

To top it off, I made a paper crafted wheel

labeled of course : HOT!

All for $10.00

Never underestimate the power

of the dollar store!

Memory Lane…Can I revive this?

2012-03-10T15:33:00.001-08:00

In speaking with a new acquaintance and local photographer,

I found that something old and familiar is starting to sir within me.

I used to spend hours drawing and painting. I have not done such

artistic work since I was in high school. Why? well for a few reasons.

I found that many things I do such as cooking, home décor, crafts, sewing

and other housewife/mommy type activities stimulate similar feelings in

me as drawing and painting does. More so, I find that it is very

difficult to find the space and time to sit down and do such involved

projects. This particular painting is my “one minute of fame”

it hung in many places throughout Arizona including the

airport. It is a combination of watercolor and Prisma color-pencil.

It was also the only painting I ever sold. I have often

regretted doing so. This picture simply does not give it justice.

The colors are much more vivid and her eyes were far less forgettable.

It was purchased by a local sculpture artist in downtown Phoenix.

I was extremely flattered by his interest and $250.00

seemed like thousands at the time. I did not keep his information

and I have often wondered if he still has it and if it is on display.

I have dreamt of finding it and buying it back.

With the raw grief I find myself facing currently, I feel a gentle push to

explore what used to be an escape from reality. My life

right now feels grey and lacks the color of hope, confidence,

and direction that I am accustomed. Maybe, just maybe

this dormant talent still resides within me. Maybe by

attempting to “awaken it” I will find the peace and

understanding I so hope is in store for me and my future.

Time will tell.

Trulie-unique layered lemon pie

2012-03-07T11:30:00.001-08:00

This one is my own idea and therefore trulie-unique!

…or at least I think/ hope so.

Trying to limit the carbs and white sugar in our home is no easy task.

So with this in mind I started brainstorming ideas for a dessert that would

satisfy my craving for sugar and not be bland and forgettable.

I thought of lemon because it packs a powerful punch with little effort.

Here was what I came up with!

Ingredients:

*you will need 1 graham cracker piecrust

(I used a pre-made one this time – homemade is always better)

1st layer

1/2 package cream cheese softened

1 container light lemon yogurt

1/2 cup Splenda (white sugar or your choice of sugar substitute)

1/2 container of Coolwhip

2nd layer

(adapted from all recipes)

1/4 cup white sugar (or 1/2 C. if not using sugar substitute too)

1/4 cup Splenda or sugar substitute of your choice

2 eggs

1/2 fresh lemon juice

1-2 lemons, zested

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1st layer:

In mixer, blend cream cheese, yogurt and sugar until smooth.

Fold in Coolwhip, and spread evenly into a graham-cracker crust

and place in the fridge.

2nd layer:

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth.

Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter.

Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute

until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the microwave, and let cool to room temperature.

Now, spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Cover and place back in the fridge to chill.

( leave over-night for best results)

This pie is full of flavor and sweet enough to satisfy any craving.

All taste testers were pleased with the result and no one missed

the fully-loaded sugar version.

Totally EASY tortilla’s! Who Knew?

2012-03-06T18:06:00.001-08:00

Oh my gosh I am so excited!

I just got through making homemade tortillas and they are fab-u-lous!

Having grown up in Arizona, and having really good in-law chefs

that cook truly authentic Mexican food , I am a known tortilla snob!

I absolutely HATE those store brand waxy things they pawn off as

tortillas in the grocery store. If the tortilla is shiny, there is

something wrong with it! Okay off my box !

I used the following recipe from A Sweet Chef with a few

changes typed in blue

Homemade (Flour) Tortillas

Makes 14-16 large flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup lard (or vegetable shortening I used this! ) plus 1-2 tbsp., as needed
1 cup hot water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine both types of flour, baking powder.

Drop 1/2 cup lard into flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter, or two butter knives,

cut lard until it crumbles and is evenly dispersed in the flour.

I added my salt to the hot water to dissolve first ( as seen in many other recipes)

Slowly add the hot water and stir together until mixture sticks to itself.

If not quite moist, add 1-2 more tbsp. lard, as needed. Knead,

in the mixing bowl, for 3-5 minutes or until dough forms a ball and becomes less sticky.

Cover bowl with tea towel and let rest for 1 hour.

Break the dough into 14-16 smaller pieces and roll the pieces into balls.

Cover balls of dough for an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a well-floured rolling pin,

roll one dough ball at a time into a thin, round tortilla.

Make sure the ball is rolled out to be very, very thin. Carefully place onto the hot skillet and

cook until bubbly and golden, about 30-40 seconds. Flip the tortilla over and continue

cooking until golden on the other side.Wrap the cooked tortilla in a clean tea towel until ready to eat.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Serve immediately or, once completely cool, store in an air-tight bag or container.

To warm, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds or wrap in foil and warm in oven.

Why have I not tried this before? Well, I have heard two things that discouraged me;

One: “they are really hard to shape”

Two: “they come out too thick”

While I can admit that it will take me a bit of practice to perfect the

shape of my tortillas, I had NO trouble getting them to the right thickness.

I was shocked at how easy and quick these came together. Now, I need to plan a weekend

where I make several dozen and freeze them to make good use of my time.

I found that they taste wonderful, and are healthier with the use of vegetable shortening

and no preservatives. Not to mention they are a fraction of the cost when you

consider a dozen in the store is running about $3.50 a dozen! If

I did the math, I can bet that this dozen was less than a dollar!

Best of all, my Hubs was super impressed!

Cinnamon Rolls -Pudding in the Mix!

2012-02-17T18:24:00.001-08:00

My Husband is a Danish Man..

No, I am not Danish!… He loves pastries of all kinds.

Well, I nearly fainted at the price of the “cheap,”

danishes at the store the other day. I refused to buy and went

straight home to make some really GOOD cinnamon rolls.

Not only was it rewarding it turned out to be a family activity!

Adapted from the recipe found on a million things I love

ROLLS

1/2 cup warm water

7 teaspoons dry yeast

1 1/2-2 tablespoons sugar

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding (and 2 cups milk)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6 cups flour

1 1/2 – 2cups butter, softened

3 cups brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved; set aside.
In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions.
Next, add butter, eggs and salt; mix well, then add yeast mixture; blend.

Gradually add flour; knead until smooth.

Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap until doubled.

Punch down dough and let rise again.

Next, roll out on floured board to 34 x 21-inch size.

Take softened butter and spread over surface.

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over top.

Roll up very tightly - Cut into 20 rolls

*Tip : use dental floss to cut the dough! it ensures evenly cut slices that stay round!

(we like minty fresh!)

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart; lightly press down on each roll.

Be sure to roll tight. Cover and let rise until double again.

Bake rolls in a preheated 350F oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they just start to turn golden.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and milk until smooth and fluffy.
Frost warm rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Now, tear it up!

Since this truly made 20 rolls we flash froze 15 of them and then

individually wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in a large freezer bag.

You can leave one on the counter to thaw the night before

or throw one in the microwave in the morning.

Either way… So delish!

Hawaiian Vacation… a Feast away!

2012-02-11T23:16:00.001-08:00

An Attempt to Escape for the Evening

to a Happier Time...

My family has recently experienced a tragedy and we are

finding it hard to find reasons to smile each day.

While browsing Pinterest, I found an easy recipe for Kalua Pork,

or Hawaiian pork BBQ. I felt inspired to bring a bit of our

Hawaiian vacations of the past, to our winter home, in order to

help warm up our thoughts and bring some excitement

to our 3 year old son.

Kalua pork.

I did not use the recommended pork shoulder for the Kalua pork.

I tend to buy as lean of meat as possible for health, and

all I had around in the freezer was pork loin roast.

I was only feeding 3, so a small roast worked for us.

However, it came out very dry due to the lack of marbling in the

meat. Next time, I will splurge and buy the pork shoulder since it is

not a meal we would make often!

To make the pork: rub 1 tbs. sea salt (I used coarse kosher instead)

on a 3lb. pork shoulder. Then add 1 tbs. of Liquid mesquite smoke

and rub that evenly over the meat.(I also added about 1/2 cup

water to the bottom since my meat had very little fat)

place in crockpot for 16 hours.

(mine took about 10hrs due to the size)

“Fried Salad”

To go with the pork I made a cabbage side dish that

our family likes to call “Fried Salad.”

It is simple and goes very well with pork!

Start with a head of cabbage and shred it finely.

I also add thinly sliced carrots.

(sometimes I add onions and mushrooms too, but not in this case)

In a fry pan heat up a 1-2 tablespoon of oil (olive or canola).

Add your cabbage and carrots.

Then sprinkle approximately 3/4 tbs. coarse salt

and 3/4 - 1 tbs. Sugar. (Yes sugar, it is a necessary step. I have

tried it w/out the sugar and it does not work well. The sugar

and salt brings out the moisture and the sugar cuts the

bitterness of the cabbage.)

I also grind fresh pepper on top, mostly for looks.

Mix/stir gently and then cover with a lid.

The steam will soften the cabbage, continue to stir/turn over

occasionally as it cooks.

You know it is done when you see that the cabbage is starting to

caramelize on the edges and the cabbage is slightly translucent.

Fruity Drink

What is a Hawaiian meal with out a fruity drink?

I simply took a package of Crystal Light Strawberry,

Orange, Banana mixed according to directions and then

added a little fizz with a can of Ginger Ale!

Delightful Island Dessert!

One thing that is bound to come up when we reminisce about

our Hawaiian vacations is the amazing fruit we

experienced day in and day out. Unfortunately for this

particular dinner fresh summer fruits were not

an option at this time of year so. I did the next best

thing…

1 small can tropical fruit w/ juices

1 small can mandarin oranges w/ juices

*(I try to buy fruit in their own juices as opposed to syrup

as they contain much less sugar)

1 small box vanilla pudding (I used sugar free)

1 container Cool-whip

In a large bowl dump both cans of fruit with their

juices and mix in dry pudding mix until well blended.

Let it set for 3-5 minutes until slightly thicker,

Finally, fold Cool-whip in until well mixed.

Place in fridge for 30 minutes or until

ready to serve.

*I would have liked to have added toasted cocoanut

flakes to the top for an even more authentic flavor!

or serve it with cocoanut macaroons!

Setting the Mood…

On one of our visit's we saw a theatrical play about the

history of the Hawaiian people, where I purchased

one of these CD’s. However, I found the other CD at the

Dollar store of all places. I used it in my classroom and many

others I bought at the Dollar Store to inspire great writing

out of my students.

Mood setting, such as setting a themed table-scape

and music are a great way to make an evening special and

memorable. It really is worth the time and effort. I gathered

the few collectables I had around the house that is not

still in storage to set the table. Two sarongs, two hand-made

banana-leaf baskets and a wooden carved fish. As you

can see, this did the trick!

As much as we would like to escape to the islands

it is not possible right now, but it was sure

nice to have dinner there, even if only in our

imaginations!

Tips to consider:

*This would be a great party idea that would be easy to do for a

large crowd, like a pool party/luau.

* This is also a great idea for a romantic valentines meal

* If your honeymoon was in Hawaii, this would be a good

anniversary meal too!

*You could have this as a FHE dinner and then discuss

missionary work ( a lot has been done in the islands,)

BYU Hawaii and the visitors center, or temples around the world.

Either way, whether you have been or dream of going, it is never

a bad day to have a Hawaiian dinner! Aloha!

Linked to: Sundae Scoop six sisters stuff Be different Act Normal

six sisters stuff

As good as Pop Biscuits!

2012-02-05T13:55:00.001-08:00

Fresh or Freezer Biscuits

I have always known that biscuits are really not that

difficult to make from scratch and that they are quite fast and

cheap too. Therefore, I am ashamed to admit that I have

relied on what my family calls “pop” biscuits for the

past 16 years of my marriage. They too are fast,

have multi-uses and in the past, were cheap.

In the most recent, they have climbed in price and as I

try to cut the preservatives, and pre-prepared foods out

of my family’s diet, my pop biscuit habit needed to be addressed.

I was attracted to this recipe due to the fact that it was freezable!

Ahh the convenience of of the pop biscuit but even better

because I can make as many or as little as I would like.

Freezer Biscuits

4 C flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 C butter
16oz sour cream
3-5 tsp water

Melted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl or your food processor.

If using food processor, pulse until butter is small and well blended pieces or

cut in butter by hand using a pastry cutter.

Add in the sour cream and water and mix well.

Pulse again until well mixed. Add more water if it is too dry (just a little at a time.)

Knead a few times on the counter and roll out to 1 inch thick

Use a biscuit cutter to cut or dip a drinking glass into flour and cut.

*** See below for some fun ideas other than traditional round biscuits***

Freeze individually on a cookie sheet.

After they are frozen, place in a freezer bag to store.

Use as needed. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes or until top is golden.

Twice during the baking process baste the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

I found this recipe on Your Homebased Mom and on The Sisters Café

I love baking with my three year old Son. He is really learning a lot and

I am finding there are very few meals he can not help me in some way.

The following idea came directly from one of his suggestions.

*Valentines Day Tip: Biscuits and gravy make a great breakfast in bed idea!

My son and I were making up some biscuits and he asked if we could make

stars like we did at Christmas time with our sugar cookies. Then

the thought occurred to me ! Hearts! Hearts for a Valentines day

breakfast. You can try blueberries, strawberries and cream on top

of the stars instead of gravy for the 4th of July!

I think they turned out great and my son loved them too!

MMMM Scrambled eggs fresh fruit and some fun biscuits and gravy!

Now, where is my Bed?

**** Opinion on Freezer version. I did not find that I got the same beautiful

results from my frozen biscuits as I did when they were fresh.

The taste was there, but not the fluffiness. So what I suggest is

letting your biscuits thaw first before baking!

Linked up: * Sundae Scoop Tuesday Talent Show

Pizza Dip It’s what’s for dinner!

2012-01-10T19:11:00.001-08:00

My Husband LOVES Pizza, so much so, that I get burnt out on it.

This past New Year’s Eve we went to a friends home and had a

version of this Pizza dip and I was amazed at how good it was!

I jumped onto Pinterest the very next day to see if

I could find a similar version to make right away, as I was too

impatient to wait for the hostess to pass along the recipe she used.

I started my recipe from this one at : Closet Cooking

I made some small changes and added my own pizza sauce,

as you can read below:

You will need:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella, grated
pizza sauce (see below)

For the topping:

1/2 – 1 cup mozzarella, shredded/grated
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
2 ounces pepperoni, sliced (I cubed it)

Directions

1.Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella

and spread it across the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

2.Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheeses, and pepperoni.

3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling

and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

My personal Pizza sauce:

two small cans of tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2 tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic (to taste)
2 tsp. onion powder (to taste)

Directions:

Dump all ingredients into a small sauce pan and place it on medium heat.

Stir until blended and allow to get warm. Spread onto your pizza or in this case

your layer of cheeses! YUM!

I served this with a fresh salad and with a soft baguette-type

bread. (you can also use your favorite bread sticks)

I for one, love to order appetizers as my main meal

so it was not a stretch for me to take this appetizer and

make it a complete dinner by adding a salad on the side.

This was a quick fix meal that was fun for my 3 year old

to help out with. He loves to sprinkle and snitch the

cheese and pepperoni! My husband loved it and got his pizza

fix for the week. Thinking out side box can turn a fun

appetizer into an enjoyable and unique dinner!

Race Car Themed Room!

2011-12-31T11:21:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Part of my New Years Resolutions is to work more diligently on my blog. As some of you

may have noticed, I have not been posting for several months. I found a teaching position

in the nick of time and shortly after I found out I was expecting! Although they are both

huge blessings these two things put me in a state of high anxiety and consumed the

majority of my time the last few months. (My pregnancy is High Risk and my class has

been extremely challenging to say the least.)However, I am excited to find a new rhythm

and a stock pile of great posts to launch 2012 with! So I figured, why not start with a

big project first!

With the baby coming, and discovering that we would need to switch out the rooms to

accommodate a nursery I went to work on making the room transition exciting and

remarkable for Aiden. This way he would feel special and not feel pushed out.

It has not been a secret that my son has been almost obsessed with cars/vehicles of

ANY kind so, I had my theme, that was easy… Cars! The two challenges were budget

and the fact that we are in a rental.The color of the room was white, and very dingy…

luckily our landlords offered to pay for paint if they pre-approved the colors. Naturally,

we had to go with neutrals. However, this is not too much of a compromise since neutrals

work with many color pallets.

The pennant banner material was purchased and started for his Birthday in September

but I just finished them this week. I had extra material left over and made the Checker-

flag Valance. He got the Stop-light bank for Christmas. (Knowing our budget was

tight, we picked things that would work for Christmas and his room transition.) He

LOVES it! His Aunt made the red and blue afghan to match and the car blanket

at the foot was from his room before. The bedding and bed was already red and blue so

to save money we kept the same color scheme.

Aiden was extremely excited to use his “letters” in his new room. These were previously

used in his nursery and had yellow and green ribbon around the edges. I removed the

ribbon and found this old elastic belt in my odds and ends craft box that worked perfectly

as a backdrop to glue the letters to! the colors and design worked perfectly I think, as it

looks like a road! He has been fascinated with clocks since he was 18 mo. or so. Getting a

Cars themed clock was a no-brainer when it came to Christmas this year! The wall

clings came with the clock so homerun on a free and removable room décor helper!

The picture you see was colored by Aiden’s cousin as a gift. It added a great personal

touch to the room.

The red and blue wall plaque was a very inexpensive project made over the summer.

I considered re-painting the lamp and the orange book case but I felt it added a bit

of “umph” and went quite well with the cars theme. Not to mention it kept the budget

pretty low. I had left over fabric from the pennant banner to recover the lamp shade

that helped to tie it all in. He loved the “new lamp” so much he literally squealed in

delight! I used his own toy cars to help drive the theme such as the remote control race

car on top of the bookcase and I reused the wall pictures that I had in his old room

to complete this room. They were cheaply made from a combination of cork tiles,

scrapbook paper, and pre-painted wooden vehicles. Several months ago I also picked up

the cars coat hanger on clearance for less than 5 bucks!

Tips to consider when on a budget…

*Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose.. ALL that you can.

*Choose a theme that you love!

*Go with solids on sheet sets so that in does not interfere with theme. (it is easier and

less expensive to recover throw pillows and throw blankets than it is to change an

entire bedding set!)

*Pick colors that can be used again as they grow or are easily added to, to make different.

* Check your scraps before shopping for new, you never know what can suddenly be a

great inspiration!

* mix it up, do not commit to a brand (such as Disney only) when committing to a brand

you limit your options on budget and in my opinion is too confining in style. For example,

I sprinkled Disney Pixar Cars throughout, but as he grows and his taste changes, I could

switch those items with Chevy, for example, with little added cost to me.

Things I would like to add:

*recover pillows with scrap material from pennant banner.

My Momma’s mini-meatloaves with a unique twist!

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This was a huge favorite of our

entire family growing up!

My mom liked making them because they were

faster than traditional meatloaves. I like them because

I can mix them ahead of time, freeze them and then

have individual servings already made up!

Mini-meatloaves

There is not an exact recipe to follow so I

will list the ingredients and try to describe

the texture and look you are going for.

Hamburger meat

minced onions (I prefer fresh)

squirt of Ketchup

squirt of mustard

handful or more of crushed saltine crackers

(or butter crackers are good too)

pepper to taste

garlic powder

onion powder

1-2 eggs (for binding)

(I do not add salt before cooking)

1 can crushed tomatoes (for tops)

Optional add in’s (not traditional for my mom):

grated carrots, bell peppers, real bacon bits,

breakfast sausage,

large hunks of cheddar cheese (for the inside)

Mix ingredients in a bowl, I do not like using my hands

for this part but if you do more power to you! The mixture

should be semi firm and yet very moist and holds its shape.

For my twist add cheddar inserts;

press indentation in bottom long ways.

Then place cheddar hunk in center and wrap sides back

around to completely cover cheese.

If preparing for a later day, place on wax paper lined

cookie sheet for a flash freeze. Then place entire tray

in freezer until frozen.

Then place in freezer type bag for future use!

When you are ready to bake:

Pour 1 can of stewed tomatoes over the tops.

( this is a crucial step even if you do not like cooked

tomatoes. We usually picked the tomatoes off when

eating, but we have found that making them

with out results in much less flavor and moisture)

Place in a 350 degree oven for about on hour

or until center is cooked through.

On Day two, (my Dad’s favorite): the cold meatloaf

sandwich! Which I love too! I like to place mayo on toasted wheat

bread and add a slice of American cheese. YUM!

Baby girl baby gifts

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Simple but cute!

One of my oldest and dearest friends

recently had a beautiful baby girl and

I wanted to make something very pink and

unique!

The green headband was made from extra

bias tape I had. and the pink poka-dot flowers

were made from scrap fabric too!

The flowers are all removable for easy washing too!

Happy Birthday Mindy!