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.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey Music

Just finished the books that all my friends have been raving about and let me tell you, I'm exhausted!  Well at least my finger is, flipping through the endless accounts of their sexual escapades.  As an avid reader who loves deep heavy topics such as A New Earth and A Million Little Pieces, and books like The Help, the time I spent reading these books was pure entertainment. And since I am an adventurous kind of lady, I will definately be applying some techniques to my marriage and file the Fifty Shades of Grey in my Self Help and How To section of my library.
In the meantime, I have composed an Imix of the music from the 50 Shades of Grey.

DOWNLOAD THE IMIX on iTunes

Download the artwork and burn a CD for your friend for her birthday!


50 Shades of Grey CD COVER

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Kick your habits into A Million Little Pieces

I just finished reading A Million Little Pieces by James Frey and it has inspired me more than ever to kick my bad habits and follow through with resolutions.
A Million Little Pieces is a story of James and his life as a drug and alcohol addict. I was shocked to learn this topic would interest me as usually I've been judgmental with regard to people and their "weakness" to substance abuse. Especially if they came from a good loving family such as James.
I was praying he would get through and "hold on" (page 194)
I was hoping he wouldn't blame others for his mistakes and bad habits (page 291)
I was clenching my fist hoping he could fight the fury inside of him (page 303) every time it arose.
This book awakened me to accept that addiction is a disease and many people don't receive the support or tools to fight it. His story provides insight to the reasons addicts appear cold-hearted, and selfish. It confirms that every child needs food, shelter, and a sense of safety and comfort during the first three years of life. (Christian Grey didn't receive this either and look how he turned out.)
It also references one of my favorite prayers - The Serenity Prayer
GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE
THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
Even though we all feel alone (page 80) and throughout life feel depressed (page 148) all we can do is our best. Be smart, be strong, be proud, live honorably and with dignity, and just hold on.
If James can do it, then so can I.

What are some habits you want to break? Read this book and it will give you the power to overcome the bad habits you choose.

Tatata


Friday, April 13, 2012

30daysof...gift baskets

Feeling like a basket case because you were asked to put together a gift basket for a gift or fundraiser?  Well we know how you feel.  So here are 30 fabulous ideas to choose from and ease your mind. The secret to every basket's success is choosing a theme and collaborating with others so you minimize the cost and maximize the gift. The top five were our favorite baskets from the Wilson Charity Auction.

Spirits Around The World
Taste a sampling of world spirits without ever leaving your home. Fill a cooler with bottles of booze from each country. 
 
Tequila - Mexico
Vodka - Russia
Rum - Caribean
Whiskey - Ireland
Champagne - France
Saki - Japan
Jagermeister - Germany


 


Take Me Out To The Ball game


Tickets
Jerseys
Hats
Banners
Seat Cushions
License Plate Frames
Balls
Beach Towels


 

Serenity Package / Spa Basket

Gift Certificates to a local spa
Lotions
Massage Creams/ Oils
Fragranced Candles / Oils
Bathrobe
Slippers
Pillow
Potpourri
Nail Care Set

Spoil Your Teacher
Give your special teacher this wonderful basket

Manicure/Pedicure Gift Certificate
Starbucks Gift Card 
Glue Sticks
Wall Mounting Tabs
Clipboards
Cricut Cartridge
Various School Supplies
An Apple
Movie Tickets
 


An Evening in the Orient
Only good fortune can come from this basket!

Asian Cookbook
Cooking Oils
Chopsticks
Gift Cert to PF Changs & PickUp Sticks 
Assorted Teas
Sake Set
Fortune Cookies
Bed, Bath and Body works Japanese Blossom Hand Lotion.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Thin Mint© Ghiradelli© Brownies

If you like crunchy, chewy,  chocolate and mint...you will love these brownies.  I buy the big box of Triple Chocolate Ghiradelli Brownie Mix from Costco and keep on hand for last minute potlucks or dinner parties. 

INGREDIENTS
two packages of the brownie mix and prepare as directed on box (add oil, egg, water)
1 sleeve of thin mints cookies (crushed into bitesize pieces)

HOW TO MAKE
Lightly spray a 9x13 pan.  Pour mixed batter into pan.  Top with crushed thin mints.  Bake according to the box directions.  These usually take 50 minutes to bake.

Enjoy. Great snack for St. Patricks Day.  Follow our pinterest for more GREEN inspiration and GIRL SCOUT COOKIE inspiration.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Creamy Garlic Chicken, Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomatoe Lasagna

See picture on Pinterest.
It looks much prettier.
 

Inspired by Tasty Tidbits blogpost, I had to pin this on my Casserole Board on Pinterest with a little modification to suit my families taste.  What did I do different? I added GARLIC of course.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 small jar  drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup milk
6 cloves of garlic ( I use the frozen cubes from Trader Joe's)
12 lasagna noodles, cooked or use the no BAKE. For a Gluten Free recipe, use GF Lasagna Noodles
1/4 cup of Freshly Chopped Basil (leave some for garnish)

Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.
COMBINE chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, garlic, parmesan and tomatoes in one bowl. In another bowl, mix cream cheese and milk with mixer until well blended; stir in 1/2 of the basil.
Mix half of the cream cheese mixture with the chicken bowl and leave the remaining to coat layers.

Layer 1 - SPREAD half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish;
cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice.  

Layer 4 - Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Garnish with fresh basil after removing from the oven.

Get in the habit of making a casserole every Monday Night for your family.  Need some inspiration and a great recipe....Check out this list - 30daysof...casseroles.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

CONTEST inspired by A Christmas Card Tradition

My holiday season begins when the first Christmas cards arrive in the mail.  I place them in the center of our dinner table and we enjoy opening them together and seeing how our family and friends have grown in the past year. Some friends get creative with photoshop tricks while others still send the "annual" letter sharing ALL the highlights of their year.  Overall we receive the traditional photo cards from Snapfish.com, Kodak Gallery and Costco.com (the most popular this year).  The highest quality cards always come from Tiny Prints which is where I bought custom made embossers for a few new homeowners.

When the season ends, I can't bear to throw the cards away so I file them in a Flip-its© Photo Frame (pictured above). After 10 years of filing, you can pull out a sleeve and see how the family has grown and the lives have changed.  It is a great way to reflect upon the people who mean the most to you in your life.  

As I was inserting 2011 pictures above the past years, I was inspired to have a photo contest. UPLOAD your Christmas Card to the 30daysof...fanpage and the card with the most votes will win a DIGITAL PICTURE FRAME. 

CONTEST DATES
Begins: January 1st, 2012
Last day to enter: January 15th, 2012 at midnight
First Day to vote: January 16th - (like only count on 30daysof...fanpage)
Ends: January 31st at midnight




Be sure to follow my Captured Moments Board on Pinterest.
There is some amazing inspiration for your cards for 2012!




Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Pear, Brie and Pecan Bites

See the love shaped like a pear...see all the other ways I found love.
This recipe was begging me to make it.  First I purchased a box of pilsbury crescent rolls from Costco thinking I would be using them to bake over the holidays.  Instead I made Bacon Wrapped Dates - delish. Then I purchased a block of the Rondele double créme Baby Brie but I ate that as my snack for the entire week with some crackers and raspberries. So I had to get another one.  I am always trying to do something with pecans, so when I found this recipe on the back of the Pilsbury Crescent Roll box, it was an absolute necessity that I bake them. All I needed were the pears.  Luckily we received a box of Harry and David Pears on Christmas Day. 

*If you are trying to save calories and don't want to use the crescent rolls, place the pear filling in a bowl and serve with Karr's Crackers.

INGREDIENTS
1 can of crescent dinner rolls rolled out then cut into squares
1 pear peeled or 1 1/2 cups diced small (Harry and David preferably)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
8 oz of Brie Cheese (Rondele is a great brand to try)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Separate the dough into two long rows and cut into squares. Gently press i square into a muffin cup (it will not completely cover the inside of cup)
Cube the cheese and Place one cube of the brie cheese on the bottom of each cup
Mix the pear, brown sugar, honey, and cayenne pepper and spoon 1 teaspoon on top of the brie cube.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the pear mixture.


Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Looking for other BITE SIZE GOODIES?
Follow the 30days of Blog on Facebook for free printables, inspiration and contest news.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This year my favorite expression is, "that is BANANAS." So why not make the moistest banana bread for my neighbors and friends?  The recipe I used is on the back of the Chiquita Banana Box. 
You will need 2 super ripe bananas, 1 egg, water, and small tins to bake them in.  One box will fill three of the small tins. Cook for 30 minutes and let cool before wrapping.  Tie this FREE PRINTABLE (below) to each package and have fun sharing this delicious treat.  

Totally bananas, right? 


The image below was inspired by this istockphoto image  
For more great last minute and creative gift giving ideas, follow my board on pinterest.
Banana Bread Labels

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramal SeaSalt Buttercream Frosting

Thanksgiving Bunko is an annual tradition of ours.  Instead of playing Bunko, we give the winnings to a longtime friend to help her with her kids disease. The hostess places numbered index cards with questions under each plate as we eat the following dinner.  This year the hostess sent us home with homemade table runners.  (A true blessing since mine was ruined last year from a gravy boat spill.) Each lady prepares her recipe from the list below. The hostess makes the turkey and gravy as well as providing the drinks for the evening.

1. Casserole Green (Bean Casserole or Macaroni and Cheese)
2. Summit House Cream Corn
3. Salad (Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad or a cranberry spinach salad)
4. Cranberry Sauce
5. Rolls
6. Creamed Spinach
7. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
8. Sweet Potatoes
9. 2 appetizers (Pumkin dip, Bacon wrapped Stuffed Dates, Stuffed Mushrooms)
10. Turkey
11. Fruit Dessert (Ambrosia Salad or Fresh Fruit)
12. A Pumpkin Dessert

This year I brought the pumpkin dessert in the form of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramal SeaSalt Buttercream Frosting and toasted pecans.  They were delicious.  Here is how I made them.

Pumpkin Cupcakes 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (costplus world market)
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, set aside.
 
Combine the  brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.

Fill cupcake liners. Bake until the center comes out clean - 20 to 25 minutes.

Salted Caramel Buttercream
1/2 cup of your favorite Caramel Sauce
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups powdered sugar

Warm the caramel sauce to loosen but let cool before adding to the following mixture. 
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  

Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups pecans
1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon mixture
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spray the wax paper with cooking spray.
Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Mix in pecans and stir until coated. Pour the nuts onto the prepared cookie sheet.
 
Bake until browned, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  Toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Dice into small pieces and let cool before sprinkling over the frosting.










         

Friday, October 21, 2011

Duct Tape Zebra Party Theme

Last month we redecorated a room from toddler to tween. The look was inspired by a zebra blanket. So when the birthday party approached the decor was easy: turquoise and zebra and a little Duct Tape.
Next we had to find a place for over 60 people to be entertained (translation - not get bored if the party didn't go as planned.) The answer - A roller skate rink (THE RINKS) would be the perfect place.

FOOD 
(must be easy, black, white, blue, or silver)
-Pizza
-Oreos
-Birthday girls favorite candy to match color scheme - Hershey kisses, cookies and cream kisses, almond joys and York peppermint patties
-Zebra cupcakes (very time consuming but well worth the end result - See tutorial below)

DECOR
Since my 12 year old is into making everything with duct tape these days, why not decorate a birthday party with duct tape? We made the words on the banner with duct tape, the flowers on the manzanita branch out of duct tape and even gave rolls of duct tape to the winners of the games. The duct tape came in most handy when the birthdays girls grandpa broke his ankle from skating. Of course only the pink polka dot pattern was left. 

The birthday girl donated a portion of her gifts to a charity of her choice - Christian Arts Theatre.
All in all it was a fun party she will remember forever. 

Want to host a turquoise zebra duct tape party theme of your own? Download these free printables to get started. (coming soon)

1. To make zebra cupcakes it is best to have a helping hand.  Otherwise give yourself alot of time and stock up on extra patience. 
2. Prepare white cake mix according to box
3. Split batter in half - add black Wilton Food Coloring to half the batter.
4. Dollop one white spoonful of batter in bottom
5. Dollop one black spoonful of batter directly on top of white dollop
6. Repeat the dolloping until the cupcake tin in half-way full.
7. Do NOT spread the batter out. When you continue to dollop the batter in the top circle the batter will continue to spread.  
8. Bake according to box directions and serve.