Cynfully Wonderful

3 Easy Steps to Help Stamp Out Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 10 May 2013 02:53:00 +0000

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I try to catch myself every time I start feeling sorry for myself. I don't want to go to work, I don't want to go the store and get groceries for next week. I try to remind myself that I'm lucky to have a job to go to that helps me pay all the bills and still put food on the table. In fact, 1 in every 6 Americans deal with hunger on a daily basis.

Now is your chance to help feed the hungry, and it is as easy as walking out to your mailbox. Every year postal carriers across the country take a day and pick up donations along their route, all the donations stay in the local area, so this is a great way to help out your neighbors in need.

This is all you need to do....

3 Easy Steps

1. Pick up a couple of extra canned goods at the store

2. Fill a bag, any kind of bag, paper, plastic, recycle

3. Set it out up your mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 11th, before your mail is delivered

Seriously, could it be easier? Yes. Shop your pantry. It is perfectly acceptable to do this. Just make sure to check the expiration dates, if it's expired, throw it out, not in your bag.

Couple of other things to remember -

1. All donations should be non-perishable, canned good work the best.

2. No glass jars, these will have to ride around in the truck.

What to do they need?

-Rice
-Beans
-Peanut Butter
-Pasta
-Pasta Sauce (Hunts makes a canned sauce)
-Soups
-Canned Fruits

If you have any other questions, you can tweet me at @cyndic88 or check out USPS official web-site for Stamp Out Hunger.

Later
~Cyn

Libraries...Not Just for Books...

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:50:00 +0000

About a month ago I finally broke down and bought a Kindle (which my explain why I haven't been able to post a blog in about a month), and I love it. I haven't completely given up on old school paper books, but it is so handy to just go online and download a book that you have wanted to read. But, I'm cheap, and this where the library comes in.

My library has a program that you can access a kindle lending library and download titles (for a limited time) right to your kindle. It's awesome. So I encourage you if you have a Kindle to check out your libraries home page and check out their electronic options.

This is just one of reasons that the library is one of my favorite frugal tips.

The library is also a great place to rent movies. Last summer (while it was ungodly hot) Hubby and I caught up on 6 seasons of Criminal Minds, one season at a time. It was so easy to go on-line and reserve them.

What else is there? Classes. There are classes from how to use your Kindle to how to use your computer. There are book clubs and discussions. Most libraries even let you reserve rooms for your meetings for free.

So, celebrate National Library Week by giving your local library another chance!

~Cyn

A Few Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:41:00 +0000

You may have noticed that I’ve been on alittle break the last couple of weeks. I was taking some time to think about the direction this blog was taking.

I started this blog as a creative outlet and stress reliever and honestly, over the past few months it created more stress than it relieved. So, I took alittle time, did alittle redesign and I’m happy to say that I’m thrilled with the direction that I’m moving in now.

Let me introduce you to the new Cynfully Wonderful…

Live

This is a pretty general category. This will be filled with everything from how to spring clean your house (by the way this weekend would be a great time) to tales of fun and adventure (trust me we have a FULL spring and summer of fun coming).

Cook

I promise there will not as many recipes as you have seen over the past few months, I’m retiring from the food blogger world, not because I don’t like, but it super competitive and I have a real job and can’t keep up. But, bottom line is, a girl (and her husband) still have to eat.

Craft

Yep, this is where I will keep all of my projects.

Plan

I’m a planner by nature (and DNA) this is where I’ll put all the party and wedding planning tips and tricks.

This is where you can find out about me and quiet little life in suburban Chicago. This also where you will find all my info to contact me (hint, hint, potential sponsors)

Over the next couple of weeks I will be rolling out some other sections.

Watch

I know that is not good to say that I love TV, but I do. I have always loved TV and I feel like I always will. I have a good balance because I also love to read. This is where I am going to play amateur TV reviewer and give you my thoughts on what you should and mostly importantly, should not be watching. Let me be clear that I will never, ever, review or discuss the “Real Housewives” of anything.

Shop

Soon, you will be able to order personalized cards, and wedding accessories.

So I hope that you the love the changes, and keep coming back for more!

~Cyn

2nd Annual Hoops Challenge -

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:50:00 +0000

Who is ready for alittle March Madness?

I know that I am, right now I'm sitting here watching alittle Big Ten Men's Tournament action as a warm up to next week.

This year I'm sponsoring another tournament, I have it hosted over on Yahoo, and there are prizes!!

Ok, the prize is not a big screen tv or anything like that, but this is fun challenge so the prizes are fun.

Big Bag of M&M's
Nerf Rim and Foam Basketball set (theme)
The last box of Twinkies from my Hubby's stash

Here's What to Do:

1. Head over to Yahoo. Here is the link....http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1 (or head over to my FB site it will be there too..)

2. Fill out your bracket under the group, 2013 Hoops Challenge (group ID: 53039) password is bucks1

3. Send me an email with your bracket name to cynfullywonderful@gmail.com - so when you win I can contact you!

Brackets will be listed on Sunday 3/17 (I will send you a remember) and must be filled out by tip-off on 3/21

Head over today and get started, don't forget to invite you family and friends so you can play against them!

Good Luck!

~Cyn

Favorite Movies I Never Get Tired Of...

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 02:01:00 +0000

Day 5 - of the #31daymarch challenage and dispite a snow storm, I'm still going strong....

Since it is Day 5 - I am going to give you my top 5 favorite movies....

#5 - Pretty In Pink, oh I am a child of the 80's...

#4 - Shag .... lol ...great friends move... best line ever..."you want me to go up there to a Yankee school, just so I can practice free love with you"...awesome...

#3 - Twister...I have probably seen this movie 100 times...

#2 - Life As We Know It - Josh Duhamel (in his underpants), need I say more?

#1 - Bridget Jones' Diary - I loved them both both the original is still my favorite...

Enjoy!

~Cyn

Day 4: Childhood Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:28:00 +0000

I'm too lucky. I had the best childhood a kid could ask for.

I had a great family. Parents, Sisters, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Cousins...everyone in one town - the times were different then, we are all scattered now.

Weekends at the Lake, Pool in the backyard. Here are some of my favorite childhood memories

*Watching (on a little black and white TV) the Wheel (of Fortune) sitting on my stool in my Grandma's kitchen

*Helping my other Grandma pick and delivery her Avon orders

*Chasing my sisters and their friends around, being a baby sister and being in the way

*Riding home from the lake with my Dad in his old truck while pulling the boat, it was my job to watch and make sure it was still there. I would sit with my back on the dashboard (couldn't do that today)

*Everything my Mom would do for me, looking back she did alot of work, and got alittle credit.

She Made This!

*This guy..he let me drag him EVERYWHERE and dress him in baby clothes...it goes on and on...

How about that Carpet?

Hoped you enjoyed my trip down memory lane...

~Cyn

What Makes you Happy?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:54:00 +0000

This is today's topic. This is an easy one...

Cooking and Creating in my kitchen....

Being Crafy...

Hanging with my Boys....

And my family....

And about a million other things....

Have a Great Sunday Night...

~Cyn

Day One - 31 Day Blog Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 02:55:00 +0000

Okay, today is Day One of my 31 Day Blog Challenge. This is hosted by Fabulous Finds by Tiffany, and every day will be a new topic, which will allow our readers to learn more about us.

Today's Challenge: Self Portrait and 5 Random facts about myself.

This is me. I am TERRIBLE at self-portraits.

Here are my 5 Random Things:

1. When I was a kid thought the 4th of July fireworks were for my Birthday.

2. I spent one Thanksgiving Weekend recovering from an emergency appendectomy.

3. I met my Husband in a bar (gasp...I know...terrible)

4. I hand sew everything because I can't figure out my sewing machine.

5. I still have a teddy bear I got for Christmas when I was 5 years old.

Okay, that was kinda painful...until tomorrow...

~Cyn

March Madness...

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:56:00 +0000

March is going to get a whole lot of crazy up in here...not only is March the greatest month for college basketball, I am participating 2 blog challenges. Needless to say at the list of topics I challenged with tackling this month, you are all going to get to know ALOT about me over the next 31 days....

Some where in there I will also be planning for spring and kitchen and bathroom redecorating project. Which involves removing ALOT of wallpaper and painting....

Buckle Up....First #31daymarch post is going up tonight...

~Cyn

What to Make for Breakfast: Paula's Pumpkin Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:05:00 +0000

Don't you just love Paula Deen?

She makes so many wonderful things. But, I think her Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread is my favorite. I make this alot (especially in the winter) it makes 2 loafs, so usually I freeze one and we pick away at the other for breakfast during the week.

I did one with and one without raisins.

Let's not waste anytime, let's get down to business....

What you Need to Do It:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3/4 cup chopped pecans (I don't use them, but I'm sure they are super good)

3/4 cup raisins

Here's How to Do It:

Set out your butter and cream cheese so they come up to room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Grease and flour your pans, this recipe makes 2 loafs. I use 2 9-inch cake pans, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, measure out all of your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg) set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter, next add the sugar and mix that in. Eggs wil be added one at time, mixing them inas you go.

Next, add the dry ingredients, I add 1/2 at time, mixing it in well.

The final mixing step is to add them to the pans, equally adding half in each and levelling off the tops so that they bake evenly.

Bake for 60 minutes, and until the tester comes out clean.

Enjoy!
~Cyn

And the Winner Is.....

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:36:00 +0000

We all know that I love TV, but did you know that I kinda love movies to? Even more impressive is that this year I've actually seen some of the movies that are nominated for Academy Awards this year.

I will also be live-tweeting the event this year, so check out my Twitter, and follow me for my witty insights, fashion knowledge, Ben Affleck worshiping and crushing citricism when my picks don't win! Check out my picks below (and yes I only picked the categories I wanted to because honestly, I don't care who wins Best Sound Mixing) - if you are looking for a full listing of nominees check out Entertainment Weekly's List.

Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln ** This is my pick...LOVED IT **
Silver Linings PlaybookZero Dark Thirty

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln ** My pick..even though my heart says Joaquin **
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook ** My pick..she seems to be the new "It" Girl **
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln ** My pick...he was GREAT in this movie **
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables ** My pick, although my heart says Sally Field **
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln ** My pick, because it's Steven Spielberg **
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Original Song
“Before My Time” from Chasing Ice, music and lyric by J. Ralph
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from Ted, music by Walter Murphy; lyric by Seth MacFarlane
“Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi, music by Mychael Danna; lyric by Bombay Jayashri
“Skyfall” from Skyfall, music and lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth **My pick..because I LOVE her **
“Suddenly” from Les Misérables, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

I know I picked Lincoln alot, but I really like it and I'm abit of a history freak, so I think that's why. I would rather see that they a bunch of people singing in the streets.

So, tell who you are picking and why?

~Cyn

What to Make for Breakfast: Easy Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:20:00 +0000

Apparently, it is breakfast week here a Cynfully Wonderful, although I didn't plan it that way. Hubby and I only sit down to breakfast together one day a week, Sunday. I try to make a special breakfast on those mornings. These pancakes are one of our favorites, you can find the original recipe here on Rachel Ray's Website, they are called, Fluffy Pancakes with Syrup, catchy huh? Also check out, Pancakes 9 Ways, and they give you a ton of cool ways to dress up them up.

As we learned in my post Breakfast on the Go: Oatmeal Muffins I am not a morning person. It is important that if I am going to pull off something like pancakes from scratch on a Sunday morning, I am going to have to plan for it. So, I got crafty, I took the recipe an old (clean) mayo jar, and some wrapping paper, and I got this...

Here is How I did it:

I created a mix of the dry ingredients

1 1/2 cups of flour
3 TBSP of sugar
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt

On the label to my mix I wrote out the other ingredients and instructions:

Separate two eggs into separate bowls. In the bowl containing the yolks, combine 1 1/4 cups milk, and 3 TBSP of melted butter, whisk together, add the mix and whisk until well blended. Whisk the egg whites until the are bubbly, and they add to the mix and mix well. Add to preheated griddle.

In addition to adding the directions on the label I also included the dry ingredients, so as I'm cleaning up I can make another batch for the pantry.

Other uses besides breakfast would be dinner, or the mix itself would make a great hostess or neighbor gift.

Hubby is not a big pancake fun, but he has requested these twice over the last couple of months so they must be pretty good!

~Cyn

What to Make for Dinner: Simple Turkey Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:13:00 +0000

Confession time. Tonight's simply supper is easy because it is a make the night before dinner. I do not serve the chili the first night I make it. It is one of my simply rules, chili like potato salad needs a night in the frig to get everything working together in perfect harmony. I also think that chili is better when the weather is like this.

I make a SUPER simple, SUPER easy chili.

Here is What you Need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/3 cup of white onion, diced
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 -20 oz of tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can of light kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can of dark kidney beans
lots of chili powder

Here is How to Do It:

In a stock pot, heat your oil, once that is hot brown your onions, and then add your turkey and brown it.

Now it is time for my secret. Once the turkey is browned, I smother the onions and the turkey in chili powder.

Next, add the remaining ingredients, stir add more chili powder, bring it to a boil.

Stir. Add more chili powder, stir, and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 2 hours. Let cool. Refrigerate overnight. Heat on the stove the next night.

I serve some shredded cheese, bread and butter. Other suggestions (from Hubby) crackers, or taco chips.

Do me a favor and head over to Hun What's For Dinner and check out lots of other simply suppers for some great ideas to make the weeknights go alitte easier.

Stay warm and Enjoy!

~Cyn

Breakfast on the Go: Oatmeal Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:47:00 +0000

How do mornings go at your house?

Mornings at our house are crazy, turns out I'm not much of a morning person. I consider the the morning a success if I manage to remember to make my coffee and I remember to close the garage door when I pull out of the driveway.

So breakfast isn't the first thing on my mind, consider I can't even think about food until I've been up for atleast 45 minutes. That makes a breakfast on the go kinda family. Below is my favorite muffin recipe - I make a couple of batches of these a month. I keep a few out and then freeze the rest. The nice part that you can grab one of these out of the freezer and they are ready to eat before you get work.

This is a Quaker Oatmeal recipe, and you can find the orginal, Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins here. I usually don't make the topping.

Here is What you Need:

1 1/2 cups of Quaker Oats, uncooked
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of fat free milk
1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Here is How to Do It:

Pre-heat the oven to 400.

Put everything into a large bowl. Prepare 12 muffin cups with liners.

Mix together just with a spoon.

If you like, stir in about 1/2 cup of raisins.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4s of the way. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until brown.

Can you tell I use this as a way to get rid of my odds and ends of cupcake liners?

Other great stir-in ideas include:

2 ripe smashed bananas and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips

1/2 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 cup of dried pineapple, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, and 3 tablespoons of coconut

Enjoy!

~Cyn

What to Make for Dinner: Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:28:00 +0000

Isn't it a complete bummer that Valentine's Day is on a weeknight?

Just because it is on a weeknight, doesn't mean that you can't do something special.

I got alittle tricky with some foil pans. I went to the dollar store and bought some of these 9 inch round foil pans.

Then I worked wit them alittle bit to get them in the shape of a heart.

Then I mixed up alittle meatloaf, please see below for recipe.

Then added to the pan. Make sure you push the meatloaf into all the nooks and crannies. You will want to put this on a cookie sheet, because once it comes out of the oven you will have cut the meatloaf out for it keep it's shape.

Once it comes out and you cut it out, it will probably be necessary for you to shape the hear alittle bit.

Cover with a ketchup design to hide the cracks.

Other Ideas for the heart shaped pan.

Pizza
Casseroles
Cinnamon Rolls

Here is What you need for the Meatloaf:

2 lbs of ground beef
1/4 cup of diced white onion
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
2 eggs
4 TBSP of ketchup

Here is How to do It:

Pre-heat your oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients, mix them together with your hands (yes, I know) and then add to the pan.

Cook for 35 to 45 mins.

Enjoy!

~Cyn

Blizzard 2013 - What to do?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:22:00 +0000

I am going to honest with you..I love getting snowed in. It is seriously one of the best parts of being a mid-westerner. If you are prepared, it can actually be fun. Really, no one expects you to be anywhere it is the perfect excuse to lay around the house and catch up on projects or missed episodes of 'Hoarders' which will promote you to clean your house (and take a long hot shower.)

Chicago hasn't seen a blizzard for a couple of years. But, the one we had in 2011 was kinda a good one.

Here is how we prepared....

What are you eating during the blizzard?

Here is how we got through it..

Blizzard 2011: The Wrap-Up

Stay in and stay warm my friends.

Find something good one TV, take a nap during the middle of the day.

Build a snowman.

Play a board game.

Finish that book, start a new one.

Be careful with the snow removal, take breaks, it's not like it all has to be done at one time.

Everything will still be there on Monday when you can get to it.

Good Luck!

~Cyn

Hubby's Birthday Week

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:30:00 +0000

It has been a very strange week at our house, ending with today being Hubby's birthday.

We are not very good at giving each other presents. We are more like "hey, I want that I'm going to go get" couple. Needless to say, I didn't have any ideas on what to get him.

I just got alittle creative...I tend to do this with his birthday, a couple of years ago, I made a list of the 40 things I loved about him the best, and he still says that is the best gift he has ever received.

Starting on Sunday, everyday I made one of his favorite meals. I gave him a break from being my taste tester, well sort, Sunday was a bit of an experiment.

Sunday - Breakfast Skillet

This is his favorite 'order-out' breakfast, so I decided to make it at home.

Monday - Chicken and Broccoli

Tuesday - Cyndi Spaghetti

Wednesday - Taco Salad

My secret is fresh snipped cilantro.

Thursday was a bummer because Hubby ending up working until 4 am. So, I left him alittle surprise for when he came home.

Tonight we are headed out for his FAVORITE dinner. Steak.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

~Cyn

Crafty Cat: Easy, Fun Valentine's Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 01:47:00 +0000

Easy, Affordable and Cute.

My 3 favorite things when it comes to crafts.

These boxes are great. They can be used for gift boxes, treat boxes or even decorations.

I found all the supplies while I was 'treasure hunting' at the Dollar Store last weekend.

So, with alittle tacky glue I had on hand. It was easy to put together. Please note that the table scatter has alot of glitter on it, and it goes EVERYWHERE.

Glue them on and let them dry. Boom..your are done.

Bake some cookies and you have a great teachers gift or neighbor present.

~Cyn

What to Make for Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:20:00 +0000

Need a quick weeknight dinner...

This is so quick and so good.

This is a recipe that I found on Kraft Recipes. It is such an easy skillet recipe, literally less than 30 minutes. I also have a casserole version of this that you can make up the day before and pop in the oven after a long day.

Here is What you Need:

1 lb of diced chicken

3 cups of frozen broccoli (I use fresh in the spring/summer)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of water

2 cups of uncooked rice

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Here is How to Do It:

Cook your chicken, to me the easy way to dice the chicken is to use your kitchen scissors.

Once that is cooked, add your soup, water, rice and broccoli - cover and bring to a boil.

Add the cheese and cover again until it melts.

Done. Seriously. Done.

Looking for a some other quick weekend night meals, including a fab looking Crock Pot Moose Stew? Check out Hun, What's for Dinner? and her fab Simple Supper Tuesday's! Lots of great ideas!!

Enjoy!
~Cyn

What to Make for Breakfast : Skillets

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:17:00 +0000

Hubby and I love to out to breakfast, in the summer. This time of year, it is no fun to get out of a nice warm bed, get dressed and climb into a cold car to go stand in line for a table. It is some much better to just head down stairs in your PJ's and stay warm while making breakfast.

That being said I try to mix it up every now and then.

We are big fans of the skillet. Well, Hubby is a big fan of the skillet and I am a big fan of picking potatoes off of his plate.

Here is What you Need:

hash browns (I used frozen, but fresh would probably be the best way to go)
one green pepper, sliced and diced
1/2 of a white onion, sliced and diced
smoked sausage (please note you can substitute Italian sausage, ham, bacon, steak, etc..)
cheddar cheese
eggs, we went sunny side up, you can do your favorite kind

How to Do It:

All of you who know me understand that making a big breakfast at home on the weekends sounds like a good idea, but you also know that I am not so much of a morning person. So, I did alot of the prep the night before.

In the morning, coffee in hand, I started the onions and the potatoes. Do not forget the salt and pepper. Cover and stir around until cooked.

Add the green pepper and sausage.

Cover again, get another cup of coffee, cook until the potatoes are brown and the meat is hot and juicy.

Remove, cover in cheese and place in the oven to stay warm while you cook the eggs.

I used the same pan, because I hate to do dishes.

Add eggs to the casserole in the oven and serve.

That will warm you up..

Enjoy!
~Cyn

Last Minute Super Bowl Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Are you ready for today? It's Game Day!

Still looking for snacks? Here are some quick last minute snacks.

Pepperoni Bread (just click on the picture to get the link to the recipe)...

Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels, you will notice that their picture looks better than mine.

Bruschetta Appetizer Tart, so good.....

And for something sweet....

Buckeye Brownie Bits....

Enjoy...Go Niners!!

~Cyn

Clearance Aisle Crafts: Kitchen Star

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:53:00 +0000

I love clearance racks. I love to look for the hidden treasures. Seeing the possibility in the stuff that nobody else wanted.

Everyone knows about the legendary Target clearance sections, but my true favorites are at the craft stores.

This is the finished product.

This is what it started out as.

How awful is that color?

So, add to that $1.83 ($1.50 for brown spray paint and .33 for brown craft paint) and alittle elbow grease and I have a new focal point on a boring kitchen wall.

So easy...

First a little spray paint...

Next to add alittle texture I painted over that with some regular craft paint.

So happy how it turned out!

~Cyn

What to Make for the Super Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:51:00 +0000

Is everyone excited for Super Bowl? Who are we cheering for? We will be cheering for the 49er's at our house. Mostly, because I grew up a Brown's fan, and self-respecting Brown's fan would NEVER cheer for the Ravens. Also, there are zero former Buckeye's playing for the Ravens (thank goodness) and there are lots playing for San Francisco...

Now on to more important things. The snacks.

The plan is to make many things. This is the centerpiece.

Yes, they are as good as they look.

Below is my recipe for Irish Nachos.

What you Need:

1/2 bag of frozen waffle fries
1/2 lb of ground beef, browned
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
Sour Cream
chopped green onion

How to Do It:

Brown your ground beef. Following the directions on the package bake your fries, once they are done spread the beef and cheese over the fries and pop them back into the oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan, cover with sour cream, tomatoes and green onion.

* if you decide to make the whole bag (and really why not?) just double the ingredients.

Enjoy!

~Cyn

What to Make for Dinner: Stuffed Pepper Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:26:00 +0000

There is nothing better on a cold winter day than soup simmering away on the stove.

Stuffed Peppers are a family favorite at our house, growing up there were one of my favorite dinners and I have made them a staple in dinners at my own house. You know me always trying to find new, I ran across this recipe for a Stuffed Pepper Soup and while it looked yummy, there was something that I was just alittle off to me, and honestly like I'm going to follow a recipe.

I set off to make my own.

Here is What you Need:

2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of diced white onion
3/4 lb of ground beef
1 (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes
1 (28 oz) of tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 (heaping) cup of diced green peppers
1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning
1/2 lb of pasta, any kind, I used cavatappi

Here is How to Do It:

In a larger stock pot, heat up your olive oil. Brown your onions and then add the ground beef, cook until browned.

Add your whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, parsley, green peppers, and Italian seasoning, Bring it to a boil. Stirring occasionally to break up the whole tomatoes.

Once this is boiling, add your pasta. Bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a 1-2 hours. Serve.

This soup can stand on it's own for dinner, but I made some croutons to dress it up a bit. It could easily be paired with a salad and some french bread.

Enjoy!

~Cyn

Chunky Meat Sauce with Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi Cook Travis) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:11:00 +0000

I'm to excited to be joining Hunwhatsfordinner, linky party on quick and easy weeknight meals, I can not wait to check out her Crock Pot Bacon Wrapped Sour Cream Chicken, as you know anything wrapped in bacon is a winner in my book. As a FTEOTMB (full time employee other than my blog) for over 40 hours a week, it's important that dinner is quick, because there is always a laundry list (in addition to actual laundry) that needs to get down at night.

Below is my contribution. I named the recipe Chunky Meat Sauce with Pasta, but at home we just call it Cyndi Spaghetti. This makes a great weeknight dinner because once the meat is browned and the other ingredients are added, you can let in simmer for 15 minutes or an hour, during which housework can be done, and homework can be started.

What you Need:

1 lb of lean ground beef
1/2 cup of diced white onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 3 - but we really love garlic)
2 (15 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 (15oz) can of tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) jar of whole mushrooms, quartered
1/2 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 lb of pasta, cooked

Here is How to Do It:

Start by browning your ground beef and cooking your onions together in a large skillet.

Once they are browned, you will add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings.

Stir those in and then add your mushrooms.

Bring this to a boil (start the water for your pasta). Once this boils, bring the heat down to a level where this will simmer and put a lid on your pan. This can simmer now until your pasta is ready.
Other Possible Add-Ins:

I always thought that green pepper would go great in this sauce, thoughts?

What goes great with it:

Simply garden salad, french bread and butter.

Hope you like it, check out some of my other recipes on my Dinner page!

~Cyn