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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Breakfast Deliciousness

I know, this looks pretty gross.
I made overnight oats the other night, and then in the morning realized I didn't have anything to put in them. I added a tablespoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of Nutella, and they were wonderful.

Now if I can only remember to make them every night.

Rain, Rain.

If you're looking for the cutest rain boots around, check out the Tractor Supply Store. I know Target and Wal-Mart sell rain boots, but these are serious ones. They actually work and are cheaper. I got this pair on clearance. Love it.

Banana Bread

This is the first time I've ever made banana bread. I have always loved to eat it, but never kept bananas around long enough to make it. Joshua, Megan, and I all really enjoyed this recipe.

Courtesy: Food Network

Ingredients

* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 large eggs
* 3 ripe bananas
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Spread slices with honey or serve with ice cream.


The banana mixture before flour was added. I couldn't get over how funny it looked.
Ready for the pan.
Right out of the oven.
Cooling on the rack.
Yum!

Saturday Exploring

Joshua and I went to the Alzheimer's Memory Walk yesterday downtown. He wanted to work out after since the gym was close by, and I didn't. I dropped him off at the gym and decided to go to the downtown library to browse. I love using the library, but all I do is go on the website and place holds. Then I go in, check the hold shelf, and get my books and leave. I never look around. I tried to look for a book one time and it was incredibly hard.

While I was browsing yesterday I decided to check out the gallery. I've previously looked at the gallery once and it was full of artwork from students of the University of Saint Francis. Pretty cool. Right now it is full of photographs. They made me want to go take photography classes.

I love pictures of vibrant flowers. I've always wanted to be a food photographer, but Joshua and I watched a show once that followed a food photography competition and it showed that a lot of the food wasn't even real.

So don't be disappointed when your Big Mac doesn't look exactly like the picture. It isn't real.

Crock Pot Lasagna

I love this recipe. I love it more than any soup, stew, or chili recipe. I mean it. I love pasta, and I love my crock pot. It is soooo easy to use.

I was given this recipe by a coworker a few years ago, and all I know is that she got it from Recipe 4 Living. I actually just did a little digging and found the link.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. of lean ground turkey
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 12 oz. carton of fat-free cottage cheese
  • 1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
  • 12 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked
  • 12 oz. shredded non-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Brown ground turkey and onions in a skillet. Add garlic powder, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and oregano. Cook long enough to get it warm. In a bowl mix the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the crockpot. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodle (break to fit) and top with cheese mixture (you may have to use a knife to spread it). Repeat layers two more times. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I made a few changes to this. I don't care for ground turkey. I've tried and I just don't love it. I use ground beef (97/3 or 93/7, can't ever remember which it is...the leanest I can find) and I use two lbs instead of one. I have a 6 quart crock pot, and never just make dinner for me and Josh, so I make a ton of it. I increase the meat to two pounds, the tomato sauce to 45 ounces and kind of eyeball everything else. I made an extra big meal last night and used 24 oz of cottage cheese. This is one of those super easy meals to make your own. This is another reason why I'm not a food blogger...I just kind of do whatever I feel like.

Now for the pictures:

This is the cheese mixture. Mozzarella, Parmesan, and cottage.

I'm sure you serious people out there absolutely cringe when you see that I cook everything with my wok. I'm not kidding, if I need a big pan, it is my go to. Seriously. It holds everything, and works wonderfully. I don't care about the rules, I care about how easy I can make it.
Let the layering begin!

First layer: sauce.
Second layer: uncooked noodles
Third layer: cheese.
Repeat!

Ready to cook.
The finished (and delicious) product.
Megan made an amazing Olive Garden salad last night. If she happens to post it on her blog I'll put the link up here. It was awesome.

Friday, September 24, 2010

This Is Me Being Jealous

Vanessa got these awesome flowers at work the other day.
Aren't they pretty?

A Math Problem:

Solve.

+



=





Woo hoo. Peanut butter blossom cookies. These got me so excited for Christmas!

Josh came home last Monday and casually let me know that his class was having a carry in and he signed up for cookies....and would like me to make these for him. Isn't he sweet?

I used this Betty Crocker recipe:

It makes 7 dozen cookies. I don't play.

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Additional granulated sugar (about 2 tablespoons)
About 7 dozen Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates

  • Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder.

  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Personally I think they turned out well. Josh said his class liked them as well. Go Betty Crocker.

Friday Favorites

I am basically obsessed with Panera right now. They have an Asian Chicken Salad that I want to eat for dinner every night. They also have a rewards card now (think Kroger Plus Card) and they give you free stuff. Well, they give it to you after you buy other stuff.
Dove Burst Shampoo rocks. Love it.
Completely obsessed with Coke Zero. It's bad.
Matthew West is awesome. Check out the songs Safe and Sound and The Moment of Truth.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Hobby Lobby Love

I was shopping at Hobby Lobby the other day to get the supplies for the project I posted about last. I was walking around there and never realized how much awesome stuff they have. My feet were killing me so I was trying to hurry but these are the quick photos I snatched.

I am a sucker for coffee mugs. I love them.


Also a sucker for pretty ribbon, especially green.
 

Which is your favorite craft store?

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Easy DIY Project

My friend Vanessa gave me the idea for this project. Our house is painted, but seriously lacking in wall decor. Vanessa told me about this project and I decided I wanted it too.

Start with three blank canvases. I bought these at Hobby Lobby for around $8 each, regular price. Hobby Lobby puts everything 50% off about every other week, so just wait for them to go on sale. It will happen.
I started with this brown color and decided I didn't like it.
I ran to Lowe's and bought this dark brown color.
All painted.
I went into Word and wrote out what I wanted to put on there. I had to make the letters gigantic, and picked out my font. Printed and then cut to put in the place where I wanted them.
For the next step, I channeled my inner third grader. I remember in third grade we traced pictures of Martin Luther King Jr.'s face and this is how we did it. Take whatever you're wanting on the paper, turn it over and shade it in with pencil.
Turn it over and then trace the letters and the pencil will transfer onto the canvas. I have never needed to use that particular piece of art expertise until yesterday, but I'm glad I stored it away in my brain. It came in super handy.
I went to Meijer and got an Elmer's Paint Marker. I originally wanted to do a cozy neutral color to match our bedroom paint, but they didn't have anything like that in the paint markers, so I got gold.

I filled in my lines, and ta da. It's done.


This was so easy. I love it.

Save Face

A few months ago, I asked for help with a face cleanser. I bought this one, but wanted to know what everyone else used. I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm shallow enough to by this one because I like purple. And, it says it's relaxing. What is better? Anyway, I finally ran out of it, and while it was intensely relaxing (no) and cleared my face up like magic (no, no, no) I'm going to give something else a try.

Megan sent me this the other night to let me know she likes it. Anyone else used this one?
My only recommendation was for this. I bought it but haven't tried it yet. I'm excited to. Thanks for the suggestion, Amy!

My friend who is an eyebrow magician, and overall skin expert told me about Aubrey Organics. Has anyone ever heard of them? I would rather find their products in a local store to see if I like them first. Looks like I might take a trip to the natural food store.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Someone Is Going To Be Very Upset....

Once I put the curtains up....

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My Version Of:

A sushi salad. I know there is such a thing as a sushi salad, but I have a feeling that this is not it.

I call it a sushi salad because it has everything that was left over from last night in it. And it is delicious.

  • Spinach
  • Cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Shrimp
  • Imitation Crab Meat
  • Green Onion
  • Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Deliciousness. Try it today.

Panera

After church this morning, Josh had a hankerin' (learned that one from my southern Nan) for lunch from Panera. I simply couldn't argue since it sounded delicious to me as well. It was a perfect day to eat outside and the food rocked.




Perfect day.

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