Recipes

Appetizers, casseroles, and delicious desserts all your guests will enjoy.

Party Themes

Looking to invite your friends over for a night of fun, these themed parties will entertain them till the party is over.

Traditions

Creative ideas for instilling your children with memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Design

Looking to redecorate or need some inspiration. These are my favorite looks.

Gifts from the heart

Nothing is more personal than when you make a gift and share it with your loved ones. Here are some creative ideas.

Look for love

My thoughts on love and why you should always look for it. You never know when or where it will show up.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Tequila Chicken Fettucine

One of the best recipes at California Pizza Kitchen is their Tequila Chicken Fettucine.
It is requested in our home every month.

Here is how we make it:
-1 (16 ounce) package fettuccine pasta
-1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-2 tablespoons minced garlic
-2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers
-3 tablespoons butter
-1/2 cup chicken stock
-3 tablespoons tequila
-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
-3 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
-1/4 red onion, sliced
-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, saute the cilantro, garlic and jalapeno pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste-like consistency. Set aside.
Pour soy sauce over the chicken and set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, In a medium sized skillet, saute the onion and the red, green and yellow bell peppers with the remaining tablespoon of butter or margarine, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccini according to package directions.
When the peppers have wilted, add the chicken and soy sauce. Toss and add the reserved tequila/lime paste and cream. Bring to a boil. Gently simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick. Toss with well drained fettuccini and garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Sprinkles cupcakes made by TLC - That's Me


My mom knows how much I love Sprinkles Cupcakes so she bought me a canister of the cupcake mix for Christmas. At first I was disappointed because it is the experience and the tradition that I love the most.

Traditionally, Every year before the beach, we drive an hour to our nearest Sprinkles Cupcake Store. We wait in line for at least 15 minutes and we pay almost $4 for one cupcake. That is not the hardest part though. The hardest part is choosing which flavor to get. Besides their signature red velvet (which now comes Gluten Free and Vegan) they have other flavors such as Peanut Butter Chocolate, Coconut, and Chocolate Marshmellow to choose from. A box of 4 will run you $12.

So in honor of March's 30daysof...favorite famous recipes, I made mini red velvet cupcakes out of the cupcake mix to bring to an evening group meeting. The kit comes with 12 of their dots and a package of dry mix. The recipe for their frosting and the cupcakes are inside. Do they taste the same? Yes. They are fabulous!!!!
The cupcake mix makes 12 cupcakes and costs $14. Flavors are red velvet, dark chocolate, vanilla, lemon, banana, pumpkin, spice and chocolate peppermint.
And as they always say, mother knows best! So thanks mom. Sorry I seemed so disappointed at first!

Big Belly Banks - A great gift for kids

Traditionally when a niece or nephew turns 1 or 2 in my life, they get one of these adorable BIG BELLY BANKS.
It makes saving money fun. And, instead of putting coins in their mouth, they put the coin in the bank and watch it travel down to its belly. When it's full, simply unscrew it and count the savings.
My daughter's bank gets emptied every birthday. It has been a great tool in teaching her how to count money.
Big belly banks have over 20 designs and sizes to choose from to match the decor.
Flowers, race cars, dogs, dinosaurs, football stand, baseball bat, cat, and more.
Visit their website for more details.
http://www.bigbellybanks.com/home.php?cat=1