Non-Edible Creation

So I've been cooking up something lately... It just isn't something to eat. Shocker, I know. We are in the process of moving into our first home and I am looking for ways to cut corners, save some money, do it myself, and still have my house look great.

I saw a pin on Pinterest where she made her clear plastic drawers look more classy and was able to match it to her bathroom decor (it was a small drawer)... So the wheels in my head started turning. I have 4 sets of those drawers split between my kids rooms. Lets face it, they hold a lot and are cheaper than a dresser. But they are clear and show everything that is in the drawers... So I took a little trip to good ol' Walmart.

I bought some craft paint ($.57 each):

And a pack of foam paint brushes:

And then I got to work. The trick to this project was painting the inside of the drawer. When I first started painting it looked streaky and I was thinking, great, these are going to look terrible. But the trick is to move from one side to the other, using the same stroke pattern (long horizontal strokes were what I did) and to use a lot of paint (and keep your brush coated with paint). I let the first coat dry and then added another coat. Once dry and placed back into the proper drawer cubby you would never be able to tell that it didn't come that way. Yes, if you hold the drawer up toward the light you will see some streaks, but that wasn't my plan for the drawers. 

 
The drawers in their drying process.


Eventually, I may add a top coat so the paint doesn't scratch off. But most of my drawers are being used for clothing, so the scratching should be minimal. The picture below is the first set of drawers I did. I will add more once they are dry.

Good luck with your project.

More pictures:

The drawers while they were still drying ^

Finished product for my sons room.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with a "Hot Chocolate" Frosting

So I got a craving yesterday evening... (No, I'm not pregnant) I just NEED something sometimes. Yesterday, it was chocolate cupcakes... I thought about taking a drive to Gigi's Cupcakes or Just Baked... But I didn't see exactly what I wanted, and they were going to charge me $3 a cupcake.. Sorry, but that is outrageous, especially when I can make lots of cupcakes and a small round cake for under $5.

This is what I came up with. (I should mention I like things to be easy, especially at 7:45pm, so this recipe is from a box, the best kind in my opinion).

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
1 Box of Chocolate Fudge Pudding (4 1/2 servings size) (I didn't realize I had grabbed the Cook N Serve, it                                
                                                                                                                                          worked though)
1 Stick of Butter, melted
4 Eggs
1 Cup of Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Milk (I had used 1 cup, but I think it needs to be reduced)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or Spray a muffin tin (I lined). If you want cupcakes and a cake, spray a small round spring form pan as well as the muffin tin.

There isn't really an order for the mixing of ingredients. So put it all in a large bowl and mix it up. I used my stand mixer, but you could use an electric mixer too. I let it mix for a couple minutes until it was voluminous (lol, odd use of wording there, but I am keeping it).

I like to use a an ice cream scoop or a measuring cup when distributing the batter into the cupcake liners  so all of my cupcakes will be the same size. Do whatever suits you best :) Once batter was in it's liners and cake pan I popped them into the oven. 

Cupcakes baked for about 15 minutes (give or take), insert a toothpick to check their doneness. The cake was in for about 30 minutes. 

Cool before frosting.

"Hot Chocolate" Frosting

Ingredients:

2 Packets of Hot Chocolate Mix (No Marshmallows)
2-3 Tablespoons Half & Half (Milk could work too)
Small handful of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (I used Semi Sweet)
1 Stick of Butter (Softened)
6-8 Ounces Cream Cheese (Yeah... I don't know exactly how much I used)
About 3 cups of Powdered Sugar
Splash of Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Place Half & Half, Hot Chocolate Mix, and Chocolate Chips into a small saucepan and heat over low heat  until the hot chocolate mix is dissolved and the chips are melting (they don't have to be melted all of the way).  Don't boil this mixture. Turn off the heat and let it sit ( it will cool a bit, and that's good).

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter and cream cheese until it's smooth and looks like it's getting fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, beating in between. (Once the sugar is mixed in enough, I turn the speed to high so the frosting can get a good beating/whipping).

Slowly add in the melted chocolate (again, mixing in between additions).

At this point I tasted the frosting to see if I needed to add anything, and decided to add a little more sugar, but that is up to your taste.

Frost away and enjoy.

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Bacon

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!

I adapted this recipe from the beautiful Pinterest, but more specifically from this website:

http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/2012/03/creamy-avocado-pasta.html

THANK YOU for the idea!! I was so excited to try out this pasta because I'm not always a fan of super creamy thick sauced pastas. This recipe had no butter (which doesn't happen often when you enter my kitchen) and it was supposed to be vegetarian, but I couldn't help myself, bacon and avacado together sounded like the perfect pairing.

So HERE is what you need:

• 1 box of fettucine pasta (12-16 ounces, mine was 12oz)
• 1/2 pint of Grape tomatoes (any tomato would basically work here, I just liked the way these looked when I went to the store)
• 2 ripe avocados, skinned and seeded
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (I didn't have an EXACT measurement here, I was using a regular spoon)
• 5 slices of bacon (or more, or less lol)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
• Grated Parmeasan or Romano cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

LET'S MAKE IT!

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out bacon on 1 tray (I line a cookie sheet with foil to make for easy clean up). Cut the tomatoes in half and lay out (flesh side up) on another tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and a little pepper.

2) I love baking my bacon, I feel like there is less hassle, less shrinkage, and I don't find myself getting burned by bacon grease. I stick my tray of bacon in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, I then flip the bacon and bake for another 4-6 minutes (At this point you could flip it again and bake for another minute or two depending on how crispy you like your bacon). The tomatoes can be in the oven during this process, I think I roasted them for about 30 minutes, you want them to burst and get soft (mine even charred a little bit).

3) Boil a big pot of water, salt it, and add Fettucine, I also added a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook as directed on package.

4) While the pasta is cooking, add avocados, lemon juice, garlic, a sprinkle of salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a food processor. Blend to creamy consistency. If your mixture is looking a bit stiff, add some more olive oil (I had to).

5) Drain pasta and rinse, add pasta to avocado mixture in a large bowl. Add pepper (and more salt if you desire). Crumble bacon and mix into pasta, stir in some or all of roasted tomatoes as well.

6) Serve pasta topped with pine nuts and cheese (if desired).

ENJOY! My family and I surely did :)

Scrumptious Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting

These AMAZING cupcakes are my new favorite treat! The cupcakes on their own were simply delicious and then you add on the frosting and it becomes difficult to eat just one. I hope you can enjoy these as much as I did.

What you will need:

• 1 box Pillsbury White Cake Mix
• 1  pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1 cup water
• 1 whole egg
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or concentrate)

How to Make them:


1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites, whole egg, and melted butter in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until combined (batter will be on the thicker side). Beat on medium speed for another minute or two. Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to equally distribute the batter amongst 12 muffin cups (paper lined OR a muffin tin sprayed well with bakers spray).

 2) Bake 22-27 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire rack and cool completely.

3) While the cupcakes are cooling, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and lemon juice until well blended. Frost cupcakes. Enjoy!

Sirloin and Barley Soup

I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! I am a person that LOVES cooked carrots, so I was heavy handed with them, but whenever you see an ingredient that you want more or less of, by all means, do so.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 pound of sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into small chunks
6 carrots, peeled and medium sliced
2 ribs of celery, trimmed and sliced
3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 box (32 oz.) beef broth/stock
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups quick cook barley
1/2 teaspoon celery salt, divided
1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
1/2-1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2-1 teaspoon pepper, divided

This is how to make it:

1. Sprinkle meat with some salt, pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Heat some olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in pan with high sides and that has a lid over medium high heat. Add steak and brown for a minute on each side. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup beef broth to pan cover with lid and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

2. Heat remaining oil and butter in a pot over medium high heat. Add carrot, onion, celery, parsnips, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add remaining broth, 2 cups of water, and seasonings (herbs de provence, italian seasoning, garlic salt, celery salt, salt, and pepper). Bring to a boil, if the pot looks like it could use more water, add some.

3. Add barley and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10-12 minutes or as package instructions suggest. Add the steak with the liquid contents from its pan to the soup. Cook about 2 minutes more, let soup rest for a couple of minutes and serve. ENJOY!

BBQ Turkey Chili

I tried this one out just last night. I REALLY liked it, it was different from any chili that I have had or made before. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper
2 packages (20.8 ounce each) ground turkey
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons molasses
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite cut diced tomatoes, slightly drained
2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans/navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno chile, finely diced OR 1/2 of an anaheim chile plus 1/2 serrano chile (both finely diced)
(REMOVE SOME RIBS AND SEEDS FOR LESS HEAT ^)
White or brown rice (cooked)

Directions

1. Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, sprinkle with a dash of salt, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Pour the slightly cooked items into a bowl while browning meat.

2. Increase heat to medium high and add turkey, breaking apart as it cooks. Cook for 5 minutes or until meat is cooked almost all the way through. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt; cook 1 minute.

3. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, molasses, sugar, and cayenne. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and jalapeno/other chile peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Serve with rice.

Orzo, Ham, and Green Bean Salad

I tried this out tonight. It's tasty and can be eaten warm or cold. It's also considered to be diet friendly, so yay!

What you will Need:

• 10 teaspoons of Rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 4 teaspoons of olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of honey
• 4 1/2 teaspoons of spicy brown mustard
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 can of green beans drained
• 1 roasted red bell pepper diced
• 5-8 grape tomatoes chopped
• 1/3 cup diced ham

How to Make it:

1. Whisk first 5 ingredients together. Set aside.
2. Cook orzo and shallots about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and green beans, cook for about a minute or 2.
3. Drain orzo mixture and rinse well. Add to a medium bowl. salt and pepper to taste. Add bell pepper and ham to orzo mixture.
4. Whisk small bowl of dressing and add to orzo mixture, toss to coat.
5. Enjoy!

Roasted Almond Treat

Toasted almonds with a sweet and spicy coating, oh yeah, give me a handful of that! And it's an easy one to do for a nice go to snack.

What you will need:

• 2 (6 oz) packages whole almonds
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sprinkles of cinnamon sugar

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees and spray a baking sheet lined with foil to prevent sticking.
2. Mix sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. Whisk egg white and water in a medium bowl until frothy, add almonds stirring them around to coat.
4. Strain the almonds (shaking excess egg mixture off).
5. Put almonds back into bowl and add spice mixture, stir to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir almonds around, decrease temperature to 250 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. (Almonds may be slightly sticky, but not wet) Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar and let cool for abut 20 minutes.

ENJOY! :)

Some Sugar and Spice, but what to do with it....?

I think it's very important to know what herbs and spices pair with meals that you can make. It's not going to come to you overnight, and sometimes a recipe calls for something that you know you don't like and you need to come up with an alternative.

I watch Food Network a lot. Like I said, it was my inspiration to get into the kitchen. But I listen to what they say. What they think something tastes like or how they prepare a certain meal. Believe it or not, I absorbed SOOO MANY facts about the ingredients I can cook with.

I do have my "circle" of flavors that I do like to use. But I know how to use them very well.

Cilantro, preferably fresh, is my FAVORITE herb. The smell of it alone is just magnificent. Try to stick with just the leafy parts of the cilantro (smaller stems are edible too though). Cilantro pairs well with tomato, corn, chicken, and in sauces. Mexican type of dishes are what I use cilantro the most for. I've made it into a cilantro sour cream sauce for my enchiladas, and this stuff tastes AMAZING.

I like using a touch of Cayenne Pepper every once in a while. But taster beware, this stuff has a kick. It can over power your dish, so a touch really goes a long way. It's best described as just hot. So you have to know what type of heat you are going for.

Thyme, I prefer dry in this case, it goes well with chicken and fish. It's fresh like lemon and pairs well with it in a sauce or marinade.

Cinnamon, not always used for sweet dishes. While cinnamon is mixed great with sugar and used as a topping for toast or sweet potato fries, it can also be used in savory dishes. Cinnamon is used a lot in Middle Eastern dishes, such as with chicken or lamb.

Brown Sugar, so sweet and good. I LOVE brown sugar. Brown sugar is just sugar with molasses, it feels almost damp to the touch and this yummy sugar can go in so many things. It pairs with sweet potatoes, in a BBQ sauce, in a caramel sauce, in cookies, and smells great when cooked together with butter. It's sweeter than white sugar but it is tasty.

White sugar, I hope this is known where it should be used. In coffee, tea, cookies, cakes, sauce, fresh fruit and so on... Sugar is a delectable treat, but can get the best of you.

There are a lot of spices you can buy that are a mix. Cajun seasoning, garlic pepper, Italian seasoning, and Jamaican blend (these are just a few that I personally have in the cupboard). I use them when flavoring meat and pasta, and sometimes french fries.

This is a small lesson in spices, but these are some of my more important ones. If you want to know more, just ask. I will give you my best answer :)

Until next time, have a sweet day!

Cheesy Enchilada Soup

This one is a random fix. I'm telling you I was making some wraps and decided that a nice soup would go well with it. This is soooo easy, and very tasty! My little girls loved it!


What you will need:


1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 can diced tomatos with green chiles (undrained)
1 can of cream corn
1/2 cup of sour cream, and additional sour cream for garnish
Sharp cheddar cheese (as little or as much as you'd like)
Crunched up tortillas for garnish
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste


Here's the Steps:


Step 1- Heat your pan over medium high heat with the butter. Once butter melts and starts to sizzle add the onion. Sprinkle onion with a little salt, a little pepper, and a little garlic powder. Cook onions for about 4 or 5 minutes until softened.


Step 2- Add your tomatos and creamed corn. Add more salt and pepper (to taste) and cook for about 3 minutes.


Step 3- Transfer mixture to a blender and puree. Once mixture is smooth add it back to the pan. Reduce heat to low.


Step 4- Add the sour cream, one spoonful at a time, mixing it well into the soup. Add shredded cheddar (I added between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup).


Step 5-Once cheese is melted in, turn off the heat. You are done.


Step 6- Serve yourself up a bowl, top with some more shredded chedder, a dollop of sour cream and some crunchy tortillas.




ENJOY!

Let's Make a Little Something

I wasn't always big on the cooking. I liked to dabble here and there... I made some great scrambled eggs ;) But nothing extravagant.

It wasn't until I became pregnant with my first baby, Lorelai, that I started watching Food Network. I became curious and inspired, and started trying new ingredients and recipes.

Sometimes when I get into the kitchen I really don't know what I'm making, I just know what I'm working with. So here is my advice to you, the cook. Try tasting different ingredients, and educating yourself about what flavors go well with others, or what spices go well on certain proteins or veggies. So if you ever have a question, regarding a meat, a veggie, an herb or whatever, ask me, I may have an answer for you.

So keep on reading, this momma knows what she is doing.