De-Solv-it

This little bottle is a life saver!! My sister let me borrow some after I told her about my new shirt that I had worn once then washed and dried it mysteriously came out and had 3 small grease spots on it that I hadn't seen before it went into the wash. I thought it was ruined for ever. WRONG- not when you spray some of this on it and let it soak then wash it again, it's like magic! Oh and I thought I'd finally try and get the crayon off the walls from Claire's artwork a few months ago, I sprayed it walked away for 3 minutes came back and just wiped it away, no scrubbing involved! I don't know what stores carry this, but I am going to go and find me a bottle for my own home. Thanks Deb!

Beef Stew

This really isn't an exact recipe but a while ago I made a roast for dinner and knew we weren't going to eat the leftovers before we left on vacation, so I froze the meat and gravy. When we got home I threw it into the crockpot with some potatoes, carrots, celery, corn and peas and it turned out delicious!! The meat was even better the 2nd time around. Now I know not to waste any leftovers.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

This recipe is in my infamous ward cookbook and it's actually from a good friend of mine, who I know is a great cook. So, tonight I gave it a try and it's my new FAV!
I'm all about a pizza without red sauce, so this was a perfect for me.

CRUST
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
3 tsp. yeast
3 tsp. sugar

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. (Sprinkle the 3 tsp. sugar on top of yeast to help activate.) Mix dry ingredients together. When the yeast has activated, stir in remaining 1 c. cold water, add yeast & dry ingredients together. Knead dough for 10-15 minutes until elastic. Roll out to fit a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.

TOPPINGS
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1/3 c. ranch dressing
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. cooked chicken, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

additional options:
1 med. onion, sliced
mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, diced

Mix garlic and olive oil together, brush over the entire pizza dough (even the crust). Spread ranch dressing over the dough (but not the edges). Sprinkle on 3/4 of the cheeses. Layer your toppings, then sprinkle the remaining cheese. Bake @ 425 degrees for 10-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

** I used the bag of 'Italian Blend' cheese, and it was delicious. I also used the crumbled fresh bacon from Costco, and reduced fat ranch dressing.

We all LOVED it... hope you do too!

Corned Beef

Hi Ladies....

In case any of you are into having a "St. Patrick's Day meal" I thought I'd pass on this recipe for corned beef. I sampled it at the grocery store today and I thought it was quite tasty. They sold me on it!

Glazed Corned Beef:
1 corned beef brisket (3-4 lbs.), trimmed
1 med. onion, sliced
1/4 C. butter, cubed
2/3 C. ketchup
2 T. prepared mustard
1 celery rib, sliced
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. white vinegar
2 tsp. prepared horseradish

Place corned beef & seasoning packet (do all corned beefs come with a seasoning packet???? The one I bought did) in large oven roaster; cover with water. Add onion and celery; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Drain and discard liquid and vegetables. Place beef on a greased rack in a shallow roasting pan; set aside. Melt butter over medium heat, stir in remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Brush over beef. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.


Anyway....thought I'd share in case you're interested.

Fondue night

We love fondue nights at our house, my favorite thing tonight was the asparagus! I don't have an exact recipe as mine changes everytime I make it with what I have on hand. Tonights consisted of swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, chicken broth, salt and pepper.

Designer lotion bottle

I made this for a quick birthday present I needed, who doesn't love Bath and Body Works products? All I did was found some coordinating scrapbook papers and ribbon, used a little mod podge to create a new label over the front and back of the bottle then added a cute matching tag and tied the ribbon around the top and tada a cute and easy birthday gift!
A great idea to decorate according to the style of your bathroom/kitchen.

ABC Book

I'm a big fan of Photoshop. This is my latest creation...
an ABC Book for my son. He loves it!
Here are a few pages from the book:

I had them printed as 4x6 photos (around $.09 each), laminated them, punched holes and used binder rings to hold them together. It holds up well, even by 2 year old boy standards!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This little packet has helped me create my kids "new" favorite meal.

I purchase a picnic pork roast from Macey's. Put the pork roast in the crock pot. Put the seasoning packet, ketchup, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl and mix together (specific measurements are on the packet). Pour over the roast and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

When its done cooking, shred the meat and remix with sauce. Serve on a fresh roll or bun. It's very easy and super yummy!

Toffee Squares

This recipe came from a friend's blog. However, I can't find the original post. (I know it was there at some point in time!)

This recipe is so easy. It is a cross between toffee and cookies.... yummy!!

Toffee Squares

1 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
6 Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars

Beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla together until creamy. Slowly add flour and salt until well blended.

Bake at 325 for 13 minutes or until lightly browned. It will be soft, do not over bake.

Remove from oven and immediately place unwrapped chocolate bars on top of hot cookie base.
Let it stand a few minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chocolate evenly to cover entire cookie base. Cut into squares after chocolate has cooled and set.

ENJOY!

Yummy Apple Crisp

This recipe is from the good ole' Betty Crocker cookbook. It was very easy and super YUMMY!

Apple Crisp

4 medium tart cooking apples, SLICED (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I would probably do 1/4 tsp next time)

Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of 8x8 pan.

Spread apples in pan. Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with fork. Serve warm with ice cream.

Christmas Toffee

I found this yummy (and SUPER easy) recipe for Christmas Toffee. The original recipe can be found here.

Pamela's Christmas Toffee

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup of your favorite nuts (optional)
1/2 package of chocolate chips

On the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan, spread a light coat of butter (or non-stick spray) and 1/4 cup of your favorite nuts. Optional - have a small bowl of ice water ready to test your toffee.

This recipe needs constant attention and stirring for about 10 minutes. In a heavy sauce pan, add butter and sugars - melt on high heat. Once the butter and sugars have melted and started to boil, the toffee will go through 4 stages.

Stage 1 - butter and sugars are melted, but not mixed. Keep stirring.
Stage 2 - butter and sugars are mixed and start to cook. Keep stirring.
Stage 3 - butter and sugars are bubbling. Keep stirring.
Stage 4 - butter and sugars change color, slightly (from light tan to dark tan). Toffee almost looks like taffy, it becomes smooth and not bubbly. Keep stirring and start to test for hard crack.

Hard Crack: take a small piece of toffee and when it hits ice cold water, it sizzles. This is whe the toffee is done.


****I just stirred until the mixture was no longer bubbling. If you wait too long, you will burn the toffee.****

Pour toffee into buttered 9x13 pan, do not spread or stir, just pour directly from saucepan. Sprinkle with your favorite chocolate chips on top, the hot toffee will melt the chips in a few minutes. With a spatula, spread the melted chips over the toffee and sprinkle with your favorite nuts.

Allow toffee to cool completely, break apart with a knife and ENJOY!!

Christmas Potpourri

This makes a great neighbor gift! Just add 2 slices of each a lemon, a lime, an orange, add 4-5 cinnamon sticks and a palm full of whole cloves. Once you put it on your stove, add water and it will fill your house with wonderful Christmas scents!

Attach a card that has these instructions on it:

Christmas Potpourri

1. Place ingredients in pot.
2. Fill Pot with water, covering potpourri mix.
3. Bring to a boil and turn down to low.
4. Let simmer & continue to add water as needed.

* potpourri will last approx. one week.

(Original picture and instructions can be found here.)

Dump Truck Cake

Here's an easy birthday cake that the kids will love:

Bake a chocolate cake. While the cake is baking, mix up a large package of chocolate pudding and let set in the fridge.

While cake is still warm - crumble the cake. Set aside 1/2 c. of the crumbled cake to sprinkle on top when done. (Sorry picture wouldn't rotate for me)

Put golden Oreos and regular Oreos in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Mix Chocolate cake crumbs, pudding, crushed oreos, and gummy worms together to make "mud". Spoon into dump truck and onto "road". Sprinkle the top with remaining crumbs to make it look like fresh dirt.

We used a "shovel" to serve everyone.
Super easy and yummy!

Christmas Stockings...

... Or as I like to call them the 6 YEAR Christmas Stockings! My wonderfully talented, awesome, friend (and neighbor at the time), Sonya gave me the pattern to make these over 6 years ago, and they are finally done in time for Cristmas 2008! I am so excited

Sonya embroidered the names on them and I love the way they turnd out. It was so weird that she had to put Mom and Dad on them... that's us now!!

Thank you Sonya and thank you momma Crook for helping me make sure they turned out correctly. There was a few scary moments there (I still have a stocking to prove when it went wrong)

Festive Tossed Salad

This is a recipe that we make at work, for banquets.
It is surprisingly sweet and very addictive! Give it a try!

Festive Tossed Salad

10 cups torn Romaine
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 medium Apples, cored and cubed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 - 1 cup cashews

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup oil
2-3 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Banana Bread

I found this yummy (and easy) recipe for Banana Bread, here.
It was really easy to make... I recommend giving it a try!

Banana Bread

1/2 c butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~3 bananas)
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
*the original recipe said 1 hour 10 minutes but I overbaked mine so many times that I finally just changed it to 1 hour. It's better to check on it early than too late!

Baked Oatmeal and Fruit

(Sorry for the kind of un-appetizing picture, but I promise, it is really good.)

Whisk in a large bowl:
3/4 c. oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs

Add and stir well:
6 cups oatmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups milk

Stir in:
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup craisins
1/2-1 cup pecans (optional--of course I left them out because my husband doesn't like them:) )

Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with milk or cream.

You can see this is a pretty big recipe, but I think you could easily cut it in half. Also, you could replace the fruit with any kind of fruit you like. I think it would be really good with bluberries. Ryan and I ate it dry the night we baked it, but added milk the following days. We really liked it both ways!!

Soft Ginger Snaps

(From Girls Night Out)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (or 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened--but, I like the oil better)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
granulated sugar for coating

In large mixing bowl beat oil, sugar, eggs and molasses together well. Sift dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture until blended. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Form into balls (I think it works better to make them kind of small). roll each ball in granulated sugar and bake on ungreased baking sheet for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies will be puffy when removed from oven, but wil flatten as they cool. Tops will look cracked. Cool on rack.

YUMMY!!!!

Banana Nut Muffins w/ Oatmeal Streusel

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Streusel:
6 tablespoons regular oats
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare the muffins, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a bowl; stir well. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened; fold in walnuts. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups.
To prepare streusel, combine oats and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Blend with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle streusel over batter. Bake for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

*Original recipe can be found here

sour cream containers

Today is my daughters birthday and since the schools require you buy pre-packaged or store bought items for birthday treats (and I'm anti store bought cupcakes!), I wanted to do something fun for today's class treat. A good friend gave me the idea of making sour cream containers (which name sounds silly, but if you've ever been to Wendy's for instance, and ordered a baked potato... they usually come with a pouch of sour cream, hence the name of this cute party favor!)

So, I bought the supplies and my sister and I made these beauts for my daughters first grade class!

What you'll need:
*Paper, preferably card stock
*Tacky tape (or any durable double sided tape)
*Paper cutter
*Paper crimper (is that what it's called?!)



the official "directions" we were following from this site were a little different. They showed the smaller line of tape closer to the corner (almost meeting the vertical strip of tape), but we didn't like where the seam ended up, so... we moved it.
These were cut 5"x6", but you can make them any size you want, just as long as it fits in your paper crimper!


then they were filled with some of my daughters favorite treats


the bottom edges were crimped


The official instructions say to seal the top as well, but we're dealing with first graders and I was fearful they wouldn't know how to open them, so I crimped the top, punched a hole, added a tag and a ribbon and voila...

THEY'RE DONE! Cute, huh?

What's the irony of this??? I didn't notice the name until I was about 3 away from being totally done! Yay for Abby paper!

Even though I copied this project almost 100% and had lots of help, I love feeling crafty!