Chicken Foil Packets

The weather is warming up and the light of day is lasting a little longer.  I love this time of year.  Its such a nice feeling to get off work at the end of the day and not have it be pitch black by the time I walk out the door.  Sometimes on these beautiful spring evenings I'd rather not spend a ton of time in the kitchen at the end of a long day.  So it's great when I can make a tasty weeknight dinner with minimal effort.  This quick and simple dinner certainly hit the spot for everyone at my table.  I love the ease of cooking an entire meal in an individual packet.  Not to mention how great it makes for clean up time!

I was inspired to try this combination somewhere on the vast land of Pinterest.  Not sure where the original pin came from but it was pretty great as written.  Next time I'll omit the ranch dressing, as I feel it would have been perfectly tasty without it.  Why add extra junk if you don't need to, right.  I look forward to trying different variations of flavors in the future.  Enjoy!

Chicken Foil Packets
1 package of stuffing mix (I used low sodium chicken flavor)
1 1/4 c warm water
4 thin sliced chicken breast halves, seasoned to taste
1-2 cups of fresh, uncooked broccoli
2-4 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tbls =/- of ranch dressing (optional)

4 large squares of foil (you may want to double line if your foil is on the thinner side)

Preheat oven to 400.

Lay 4 large qquares of foil on the counter and spray with non stick cooking spray.  In a bowl, mix together stuffing mix and water.  Spoon 1/4 of stuffing into the center of each foil square.  Top with chicken breast, then broccoli florets, bacon, and cheese.  Drizzle with ranch if desired.

Fold foil into individual packets, leaving enough room for steam.

Place in oven for approx 35 min.  Careful when opening packets, as steam will be hot.

Leftover Reincarnation

I rarely get away with serving leftovers for dinner since Mr. B is not a big fan of them.  However, I have found success with taking a component of yesterday's meal and creating something new.  Since I had a good amount of Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken left over from the weekend, I decided to put it to a rather tasty use.  Thus the birth of the BBQ Chicken Baked Potato!  And let me tell you, it was fantastic!  These were so quick and easy to make, they would be a great option to serve a crowd.  I would serve this to company any day.  After a few bites Mr. B said, "Where did you get this chicken, it's delicious!"

BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
As many baked potatoes as people you are serving
Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
Sliced green onions
Sour cream
Hot Sauce (I like Franks Red Hot)
BBQ sauce

Prepare baked potatoes.  For my quick weeknight potato recipe click HERE.

While potatoes are cooking, heat your leftover chicken.  Once potatoes are cooled through, split them open and top with a generous helping of bbq chicken.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced onion.  I chose to add a small dollop of sour cream, several shakes of hot sauce, and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.  You can alter the toppings to suit your tastes, but I can't think of anything I'd do different.  Enjoy!

Quick Weeknight Baked Potatoes

How can baked potatoes = quick you might ask?  The baking process alone takes an hour.  And a microwaved potato?  Not delicious.  That's when it hit me!

Pre heat your oven to 425. Prep the potatoes like you usually would. i.e. Wash 'em, poke 'em full of holes, rub them with some EVOO and sea salt.  While your oven is heating, start them cooking in the microwave for about 5-7 min depending on the size of your potatoes. Flip them over once during cooking.  Then transfer to the oven to finish off the job while you prep the rest of your meal.  This way you'll get that nice crispy skin of oven baking.  Plus they can just hang out in the oven until you are ready for them.  Enjoy!

What's your favorite way to top a potato?

Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

I spent this past weekend in Tahoe celebrating a bachelorette party for a dear friend.  Since I had a pretty busy weekend scheduled and 7 girls to feed, I planned a no fuss dinner for Friday night.  Pulled Chicken Sliders with Blue Cheese Cole Slaw.  You can find the recipe HERE.  This is really beyond simple and such a crowd pleaser!  I tossed a few items in the crock pot in the morning and in a few hours dinner was practically done.

As for the cole slaw, this recipe has become a staple in my house!  I was never a fan of cole slaw until I met this one.  Thanks to my Bestie for introducing me to it.  About half of the girls claimed to not like cole slaw before dinner.  Like me, after tasting it, me everyone was won over.  We almost finished a large double batch & I had serveral requests for the recipe.

Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

Adapted from Casa de Soria

1 bag shredded cabbage

1 green apple, diced

1 green onion, finely chopped
1/3 - 1/2 a Jar of Bob's Blue Cheese Dressing (you can make your own if you prefer.  I typically don't care for store bought dressings but this one is delish!)
1/4 cup of vinegar (white wine, red wine, or apple cider all work nicely)
1 - 2 Tbls of sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness
1 tsp of black pepper

Mix together all ingredients.  Adjust to taste preference.  Cover and refrigerate for 15 min.  Serve cold.  Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Salad

Nothing says summer like a fresh salad for dinner.  Well it's not exactly summertime yet, but this beautiful weather makes me a little over excited.  I saw a version of this on Pinterest and knew it would be just right for our table.  With the help of a rotisserie chicken, dinner was on the table in no time at all!  My favorite part of this salad was the fresh corn.  YUM!  Cut right off the cob and added to all the other goodies, it's just too good!  This is one simple salad that will be a repeat in our house. Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Salad
Recipe from recipegirl.com

SALAD:
8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup corn (I LOVE corn cut right off the cob, but if it's out of season, you can use frozen or canned)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

DRESSING:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste



Directions:
Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Add remaining salad ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss (a little at a time... as much dressing as you desire).

Creamy Tortelini Soup

Keep this recipe on stand by for the next chilly night.  I made this a couple of months ago and was really impressed with how great it was.  No one has to know that you used canned soup as a base.  This is a tasty and filling soup.  The best part is it's on the table in no time!

Creamy Tortelini Soup

2 whole Large Cloves Of Garlic Minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cans 10 3/4 Oz Cans Of Condensed Tomato Soup (I used the traditional Campbell's Soup in the can)
½ cups Sun Dried Tomatoes, Chopped Or Two Tablespoons Of Sun Dried Tomato Paste
1-½ cup Milk
2 cups Half-and-half
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Pepper
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 whole 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini
½ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown.
When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, milk, half and half, chicken stock and spices. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, prepare tortellini as directed.  When done, drain and add to soup.  Ladle soup into bowls, top with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!!!

The BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup

I could seriously eat soup everyday regardless of the weather!  And I LOVE a good chicken tortilla soup!  This recipe is as good if not better than any I've had before and when you factor in how easy it is to make you can't go wrong!  I saw this recipe on a fantastic blog I follow Live.to.the.point.of.tears.  I pretty much made it as written (just added cumin cause I'm a big fan of the stuff) and can't wait to make it again.  Seriously, even if you are a beginner in the kitchen, you can't go wrong with this fool proof recipe.  Trust me on this one!  Enjoy!

BBlove's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• Cooked & Shredded Chicken (1/2 of the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken is perfect for this or you can prepare your own chicken)
• 1 tomato, seeded & cut up
• 1 medium onion, in eighths
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, or 1/2 tsp coriander, dried
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup green chile salsa
• 1 tsp olive oil (+ more for making tortilla strips)
• 6 cups chicken broth (makes about 5 servings)
• salt & pepper to taste (I go heavy on the pepper & light on the salt)
• a few slices of jalapeno if you want to add spice

Suggestions for topping:
• grated cheddar cheese
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 avocado
• Shredded cabbage, uncooked
• fresh cilantro
• sour cream
• small corn tortillas, cut in thin strips (1-2 tortillas per person)

Combine chicken broth and cooked chicken in a large soup pot and heat.

Meanwhile, blend tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapenos and salsa in blender or food processor. While blending, drizzle in the 1 tsp olive oil.  Add mixture from blender to your soup pot.  Bring to boil and then simmer for at least 30 min. Soup can simmer for 2 to 3 hours if you like. Or you can let it cool and reheat later.
To make tortilla strips (optional - you use store bought chips), coat a frying pan with olive oil, heat on medium heat. Add tortillas cut into strips and lightly fry until crispy, turning constantly to avoid burning. Blot oil on a paper towel and salt lightly.

Serve soup topped with desired toppings.  I put bowls of all the toppings on the table for everyone to add their custom toppings.  If you haven't tried uncooked shredded cabbage in soup, give it a try with this one.  It's one of my favorite additions!  Enjoy!

**UPDATE:  I have made this recipe 3 times now in the last few weeks.  Once for a welcome baby dinner for a new mommy & daddy and once for a book club dinner at my house.  (The first time was just for Mr. B & I)  Every time it has met RAVE reviews!  I can't tell you how much I LOVE this simple & delicious recipe.

Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix

When I saw this recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff I may have drooled all over my keyboard.  Since I had some girlfriends coming over for a little holiday gathering I figured it would make a great gift for share.  Um, they weren't kidding, this stuff IS super addicting!  Luckily I remembered to keep some for myself.  It was super easy to prepare and I was able to get 7 good sized containers out of this recipe.  (and even had enough to snack on in the process!)  If you're looking for something outside of the standard Chex mix treats we're used to, give this one a try.  It's FAB!!

Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix

1 (14 oz-17 oz) box of Rice OR Corn Chex cereal
1 (7 oz) bag of sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cup +/- of almonds (about 1 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) margarine or butter
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
1/2 bag +/- of mini marshmallows
Christmas sprinkles (optional)
Dash of salt

Spray a LARGE (the biggest you can find!) bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the Chex cereal, coconut, and almonds. Gently mix together.

Mix together the sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and dash of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a full boil, turn heat down to medium, and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the cereal mixture in the big bowl and stir evenly.  Gently mix in the mini marshmallows.  (If you add them before, they will melt too much.)


Spread cereal evenly on parchment, shake desired amount of sprinkles on top, and let cool.
Once it cools, you can package it up as you'd like.  I filled containers of holiday Gladware and tied a pretty bow on them to five to friends.  It was a HUGE hit!  Don't forget to keep some for yourself!  Enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Oh my YUM!  These Mexican style stuffed shells were DELISH!  A little odd in concept you may think, but oh so perfect in taste.  I've seen a few similar versions of this dish floating around Pinterest, but I'll credit the site that I first Pinned over a year ago from BlogChef.net.  I served these tasty stuffed shells on a bed of shredded cabbage, dressed very lightly with a bit of oil, vinegar, salt & pepper.  On the side I made some homemade Spanish rice & smashed black beans.  Also for topping I had sour cream and avocado.  I loved this meal and had leftovers for the next 2 days.  Even Mr. B who is typically anti leftovers was happy to have them for dinner a second night.

So, if you're in the mood for something a little different from the regular, but with very familiar flavors, give this one a try.  You won't be disappointed.  Enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Adapted from BlogChef.net

lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 package taco seasoning
1 8 once package cream cheese
12 +/- large pasta shells
1 lg can of red enchilada sauce*
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
small can of sliced black olives (optional)

Cook the pasta shells according to directions.  Once done, drain and toss well with butter.  Meanwhile...

While pasta is cooking, prepare ground turkey.  Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Remove from heat and add cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to cool.
Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with remaining enchilada sauce.

Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover, and top with shredded cheese and black olives. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, salsa, green onions or whatever you think goes good with tacos!



*In my opinion most canned enchilada sauce tastes like crap.  The only brand of canned sauce I've found that I like is Old El Paso.  If you don't want to use canned, you can of course make your own!

Ebates

Hi friends!  Have you been getting cash back for your online purchases?  If not, what the heck is wrong with you???  I just did some of my Christmas shopping and added some more money to my next check in the mail!

If you aren't familiar with Ebates, you should be.  You get cash back on almost EVERY online purchase.  This is stores you already shop at!  Macy's, Target, Nordstrom, Best Buy, you name it.  It's free, I've yet to find a single downfall for signing up since I've joined in July.  And I recently received my 2nd check in the mail!

Click here to sign up:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=IFJSCXe11I%2FT8cU78QXInw%3D%3D

*Note: Ebates does not pay me to say this.  All opinions expressed are my own :)

Loaded Potato Soup

It's that time of year when I could eat soup for lunch every day & dinner every night!  I love a good bowl of hot soup!  Mr. B's favorite is a good potato soup.  I've been playing with a few recipes since I haven't mastered my mom's yet.  I saw this recipe by the Neely's on Food Network and decided to give it a try.  It was delish.  I completely pureed the soup to give it a nice silky consistency and then topped it with sour cream, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and hot sauce.  Everyone was looking for seconds!  Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Soup

Serves 4-6

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 8 ounces)
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire
Sour cream, for topping
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, for topping
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for topping

Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute in butter until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and continue to stir for 2 minutes to toast the flour. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the stock, then the milk and the beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potato is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Season the soup, to taste, with hot sauce, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with sour cream, crisp bacon and chopped chives.

French Dip Rollups

These little guys were SO easy to make and SUPER yummy!  You can customize them so many ways.  I wanted to go french dip style so I chose to do deli sliced roast beef and shredded cheddar.  I can think of so many different combinations that would be great too.  Pepperoni & mozzarella, turkey and Swiss, the possibilities are endless.

To make the french dip style here's what I did:

French Dip Rollups

1 can crescent rolls

sliced roast beef

shredded cheddar cheese

au jus

Roll out your crescent roll dough and lay triangles flat.  Top each triangle section with some of your meat and cheese.

Roll up and place on a baking sheet.  and place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  While in the oven, heat or mix your au jus.  (Note: you are not seeing things, in the picture I thickened my au jus to make it more like brown gravy.  You can do what ever suits your mood.)  Enjoy!

DIY Napkin Rings

These adorable napkin rings were SO easy to make.  I needed to make 31 of them for a bridal shower, so they did end up taking a LONG time to complete, but I feel like the finished product was well worth the time.  They did not go unnoticed.  A few people even asked if they could take a set home.  Seeing as I have no need for 31 napkin rings I was more than happy to let them go, as long as I got to keep a set for myself!!! :)

You only need three things to make these little cuties:

1.) Rope/Jute

2.) Toilet paper or paper towel rolls

3.) A loaded hot glue gun and plenty of ammo

They ended up costing me about $5 which was the price of the rope/jute material.  I had been saving toilet paper rolls for a while with visions of a completely different, unrelated craft in mind.

Cut your cardboard rolls in to desired width rings.  (I made the first one pretty wide & while it looked fine, it took too much time.  I quickly realised that smaller rings ended up looking just as nice.)

Begin gluing & wrapping around your ring. 

Once you reach the end, just spiral it down to the next row.

And tada!  You've got hand made adorable napkin rings that end up costing pennies!  How adorable would these look on your Thanksgiving table!!

Don't Forget the Cranberry Sauce!

My favorite holiday recipes wouldn't do you much good this year if i waited until after T-day to post them right??  So here's another blast from my holiday past...
I've been making homemade cranberry sauce for our holiday meals for as long as I can remember.  I was given a traditional family recipe to make when I was around 10.  Over the years I've switched it up a little here and there.  In the past I would add fresh raspberries (which I still think is great) but last year I tried adding some fresh chopped pear.  The fresh pears complement the cranberries so well!  I absolutly enjoyed the different texture.  I was so pleased that I will be doing it again this year.

If you've never had homemade cranberry sauce you should give it a try.  It doesn't take long to make and it is so much better than the stuff from the can! You can even make it a few days in advance.  (Dontcha just love make in advance recipes!)  Give it a try, you're family will be so impressed by your fancy skills!  Enjoy!

Pear Honey Cranberry Sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup +/- water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a medium saucepan, add together OJ, sugar, pears, cranberries and enough water to just come to the top of the fruit. Cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes, add honey and cinnamon. Continue to cook until cranberries pop and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Cool to room temperature, then store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Holiday Mashed Potatoes

The countdown to turkey day is on!  Are you ready to get your aprons on?  I don't know about you, but in my holiday meal experience those final minutes in the kitchen tend to be a bit on the hectic side.  Chances are you've got ten thousand people in the kitchen, there's a giant bird to be carved, gravy to be made, rolls to be burned warmed... you know all those last minute things that can't be done in advance.  One of the things we scratched of the list years ago in our family was mashing the potatoes.  This recipe is SUPER basic, and WAY too delicious!  The greatest part, all the time consuming stuff can be done the day before.  All you have to do the day of the big meal is throw it in the oven and enjoy!  Do this, you'll thank me!

Holiday Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs Potatoes, peeled & cut
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Half & Half
½ Cup Butter, + more for top
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Season Salt
1 tsp Regular Salt
1 tsp White Pepper

Boil & drain potatoes.

Mix Cream Cheese and half & half until creamy, add hot potatoes & beat. Add melted butter & seasonings; beat well.

Spread in 9” x 13” baking dish. (Can be done the night before up to this point.)
Top with melted butter & paprika. Bake 35 - 45 min @ 350 degrees.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

These little buggers were so tasty, we had them two nights in a row.  Typically it is near impossible for me to get Mr. B to agree to leftovers.  He'd usually rather have a PB & Pickle Sandwich (ick) than what ever tasty dish we ate the night before.  This time however, I told him I was in the mood to reheat & eat & he said, "sounds good."  - What??? did I hear that correctly?  Sure did, so two nights in a row it was!

First of all, this pulled pork style BBQ Chicken couldn't get much easier.  I threw a few ingredients in the crockpot in the am, 8 hours on low, left for work, and came home to dinner practically done.  I had some tasty dinner rolls to make them "sliders" and I threw together a quick batch of the bestie's delicious recipe for Bleu Cheese Coleslaw & dinner was on the table.

BBQ Chicken Sliders
The recipe made enough chicken for at least 12 sliders, you can change amount to suit your needs

4-6 Chicken Breasts

1/2 chopped onion (Update: I made this again without the onion and I actually preferred it.  It was a bit too sweet with the onion added.)

1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce

1 beer

a few shakes of hot sauce +/-

ground pepper

dinner rolls or buns

cheese (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in your crockpot.  Set on low for 8 hours.

Remove chicken from crockpot & shred.  See THIS post for my easy chicken shredding method.  Once shredded, you can add back in as much or as little of the sauce as you desire.

Assemble your sliders, serve with this yummy coleslaw, and ENJOY!

Smothered Chile Colorado Burritos

When I saw this recipe from Chef-in-Training on Pinterest I may have drooled all over my keyboard.  It looked SO good, I knew I had to taste it.  When I made it yesterday & got to actually taste it, I couldn't have been more pleased!  It was probably one of the best things I've ever made.  Yeah I really just said that.  ONE OF THE BEST THINGS... and I've made A LOT of things.  Maybe it was how simple they were to make that added to the their AMAZING taste to put them on my top ten list.  Maybe they were just so delicious that they caused me to forget every tasty thing I've ever made before.  Either way, they were DELISH!!!  I would love to eat these again and again and again!  No really, they were that good.  Honestly better than anything like this I've had from a restaurant.

Oh and can I take a minute to talk about how easy they were to make.  Hello, the crock pot!  I love crock pot cooking.  Toss it all in and come home after work & it smells like someone has been in your kitchen slaving away all day.  I've been using my crock pot quite a bit lately.  It may be my favorite kitchen gadget.

Do yourself a favor, make these.  Trust me, it's way to simple to be so darn good!

Smothered Chile Colorado Burritos

1 1/2 lbs stew meat
1lg can or 2 small cans red enchilada sauce (I used 1 of can of El Paso Mild)

2 beef bullion cubes, crushed
1 beer* (any kind will do, I used a bottle of Coors Light)
refried beans
burrito size tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese

Put beef into crock pot. Top with crushed bouillon cubes, enchilada sauce, & beer*. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender.


When beef is done it will start to break apart.  I wanted mine less chunky & more shredded so I used the handy dandy kitchen aid mixer method I use for chicken.  Beautifully shredded!  If you want more "chunks" to your meat, you can skip this step.
Heat the refried beans separately. You can use canned refried beans or homemade if you prefer.  Whole beans would be tasty too if that is what you are in the mood for.

Desired amount of beans on to the center of each tortilla. Add about 1/2 cup of beef (give or take) a little cheese, and roll into a burrito.  (Shout out to Mr. Casa de Soria for teaching me how to roll burrito perfection!)

Place burritos into a baking pan. Pour some of extra sauce over the top of the burritos to smother them and sprinkle with cheese on top.

Broil until cheese becomes bubbly, approx. 2-4 minutes.

This recipe makes about 5-7 burritos depending on how big you make them.
*They use of the beer is optional. I love the addition of beer to most marinades and crock pot dishes.  I highly suggest you give it a try.  Don't worry, the alcohol cooks off, so you wont get drunk! ;)

Pinterest Fail: Coke Toilet Cleaner

You may have seen the Pin claiming that a simple soak with Coke will take away all your toilet ring blues.  Well, I decided to give the beverage a shot and glug, glug, glug, into the bowl it went.  After a few hours of soaking, some scrubbing with a toilet brush, and a couple of flushes, I am sad to report that the ring (which was not too bad to begin with) got WORSE!  Argh!  The brown color of the soda seemed to make the ring darker. 

I wouldn't give this one a shot if I were you.  I'd consider this myth busted.  Back to bleach for my toilet cleaning needs.

Cute as a Button: How to Make Fondant Buttons

A friend of mine requested cupcakes for a baby shower with pink & black buttons.  Now i know you could go and purchase fondant molds that would turn out perfect little buttons, but why bother when you can make them with items you probably already have if you do any kind of cupcake decorating.  I went through my various piping tips and found 3 different sizes that would be perfect for my needs.

First I tinted my fondant to the desired colors (I did some pink & some black) and rolled it out to the desired thickness.  Then, using the wide ind of a piping tip, I cut out circles. 

Next, using a smaller sized tip gently press in the inner circle.  Be careful not to go all the way through. 

Finally, using the smallest tip you have make for small holes in the center.

Use them to decorate how ever you need and your cupcakes will be cute as a button.

*Please note:  I recommend making these at least one or more day(s) in advance, so that your fondant had time to dry. 

Go Giants!

Opening Weekend at AT&T Park

Little Sis & I at a game

The brick @ AT&T Park we got our Dad for Father's Day last year

HELLO SF HERE WE COME!

We're off to SF tonight to see the Giants/Padres game.  I'm super excited!  We haven't been to a game since opening weekend (gasp! whaaat???) do to what has seemed to be the busiest summer we've ever had.  Little sis from Reno shall be here shortly, then we'll scoop up Mr. B & his buddy and head to the city to see my favorite boys in Black & Orange.  Garlic fries here we come :)