Turkey Meatball Soup

This was a great soup to enjoy in this cold weather we've been having. I made extra meatballs so I have them for another nights dinner. I try and save time by making extra when I can so on days I'm working dinner is quick and easy to put together.

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 lb turkey sausage (remove casings)
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs (you may need more if your mixture isn't forming meatballs easily)
• minced garlic (2-4 cloves depending on your taste preferences)
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 lg egg
• salt and pepper to taste

Soup:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 diced carrots
• 12 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups small pasta
• 8 oz fresh spinach
• parmesan cheese (after putting in serving bowls, grate some on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all meatball ingredients and mix well together
3. Make small meatballs and place on baking sheet.
4. Bake 20-30 minutes (keep an eye on them, cooking time depends on size you made them)
5. Remove from oven and set aside
6. Heat olive oil in your soup pot on medium-high heat
7. Add carrots and saute till softened, about 5 minutes
8. Add chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil
9. Add pasta and cook according to package directions
10. Add meatballs and spinach, let cook about 2-3 minutes.
11. Pour in serving bowls and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top

Princess Scrapbook Pages

Princess is completely spoiled and we take a ton of pictures of her. So today I scrapped some pages with just some of the big pile of photos I have of her.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet are my favorite cupcakes so they are made often in my house. Each time I try to switch it up a little because I'm in pursuit of the perfect red velvet cupcake. My favorite was a williams sonoma mix and I'm trying to find a scratch recipe that matches it. Here is a really good red velvet recipe

Cupcake:

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup salted butter
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 lg eggs
• red food coloring
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 8oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 and  put cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and set aside
3. Measure out milk in measuring glass and add vinegar to it.
4. Mix butter and sugar together till combined and fluffy
5. Add eggs one at a time and mix till combined
6. Add vanilla and red food coloring (mix while adding food coloring till it's color your desire)
7. Add in flour mixture and milk which mixer is spinning.
8. Mix till combined
9. Fill cupcake liners with batter
10. Bake 18-20 minutes.
11. Let cool before frosting
12. To make frosting mix butter and cream cheese till combined and fluffy
13. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix till just combined.
14. Frost cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles or nothing.

Scrapbook Pages

I love when I get a day off work and have nothing that I have to get done that day.I love spending time in my craft room and just working on Scrapbook pages or whatever craft I'm trying to get done. Since the weather has been so cold I had the perfect opportunity to stay inside and scrap. Here are some of the layouts I did.

Scalloped Potatoes

• 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated cheese for top (I used a mixture of colby and muenster, use your favorite)

1. Melt butter and blend in flour
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Whisk in milk to flour mixture
4. Season with salt and cook on low till smooth and boiling, stir on and off with whisk
5. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese and take off heat once melted
6. Place half the potatoes on bottom of lightly greased baking dish
7. Pour half the cheese mixture on top
8. Cover with remaining potatoes
9. Top with remaining cheese
10. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese
11. Bake for 1 hour uncovered.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

This was an easy way to enhance your chicken when you make it.

• 8 skinless chicken breasts
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 8 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease casserole dish
2. Saute garlic in olive oil till tender
3. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar
4. Place chicken in casserole dish and cover with brown sugar mixture
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Bake 25-30 minutes

Rice Krispy Treats

I must be one of the few people who've never made Rice Krispy Treats before. We are having a birthday party at work and the birthday girl requested that I make them. I tried using a cupcake cookie cutter and you couldn't tell it was a cupcake so I switched to the heart cutter. These would be perfect for Valentines Day. I melted white chocolate and colored it pink and swirled on top.I'm glad to say them came out great and I will be making them again in the future.

• 3 tbsp butter
• 6 cups marshmallows
• pink food coloring
• white chocolate
• 9 cups rice krispy cereal
• cookie cutter

1. Prepare baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray
2. Melt the butter over low heat
3. Carefully stir in marshmallows, keep stirring till they melt.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cereal.
5. Spoon on the baking sheet and spread out so the mixture is even throughout the baking sheet
6. Cut into squares or use cookie cutter to cut out shapes
7. Melt white chocolate and add food coloring to desired color.
8. Swirl over rice krispy treats

Birthday Cards and Scrapbook Layouts

 

Made some simple birthday cards to add to my stash. I've been obsessed with subway art lettering and this stamp I've had for awhile and forgot about.

I had an amazing time at the San Diego Zoo when we went in July 2012 and I can't wait to go back this year. I've always loved animals, but fell in love with the Galapagos Tortoise while we were there. We found out from the zoo employee working that exhibit that they like when you pet them and they are drawn to bright colors, so my pink shirt was perfect. Used a mix of supplies I've had awhile and some new supplies.

Chicken Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

The weather has gotten extremely cold here and I find myself making more soups and stews. This one was really good and the recipe makes a ton which is great for leftovers.

• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 8 oz chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cups cooked wild rice (white rice would also be great)
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1. In a large saucepan combine chicken broth, mushrooms, carrots, onion, parsley, garlic powder and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
2. Cover and simmer 30 minutes
3. In another pot melt butter and combine with flour. Stir till smooth and gradually whisk into broth mixture.
4. Bring to a boil and stir about 2 minutes till thickened
5. Whisk in soup and wine
6. Stir in rice and chicken
7. Cook about another 10-15 minutes and serve

Banana Bread

 

 

We love banana bread in our house and I try to change up the recipe a little each time I make it. This one was a big hit. This recipe makes 2 loaves. I made this with pecans, but you can also use walnuts.

 

• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 6 ripe bananas mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup pecans (depends on your preference)

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cream the butter and sugar till well combined.
3. Add egg yolks and blend well.
4. Add in bananas and vanilla and mix till combined
5. Mix in flour and baking soda, beat till just combined (don't overbeat)
6. Beat egg whites and fold into batter, add pecans to batter
7. Pour in 2 bread pans
8. Bake 50-60 minutes, until toothpick in center comes out clean.
9. Let cool slightly and remove from pans.

 

 

 



Oven Roasted Potatoes

 

 

Wanted something different to go with dinner tonight so made these potatoes, they were so easy to make and tasted awesome. Will definitely be making this recipe again soon. Here is the link so you can also try them

 

http://www.myadventuresinthecountry.com/2012/03/23/oven-roasted-potatoes/

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

 

Most mornings before work I don't have time to have a good breakfast and usually grab something quick. So when I saw this recipe on pinterest I knew I wanted to try them. I used dark chocolate chips in mine. They look so good even Kyle said he was going to take one in the morning. Here is the link to the recipe

 

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/03/skinny-strawberry-chocolate-chip-muffins/

 



Rosemary Chicken Lasagna

 

 

Here is another pinterest recipe I found, the only change I made was I used whole wheat lasagna noodles. Was really good and glad to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow at work. Here's the link to the recipe, I can't wait to try more of her recipes.

 

http://www.feastingathome.com/2013/01/rosemary-chicken-lasagna.html

Love and Christmas Layouts

I did this first layout for a sketch challenge online and I really like how it came out. This picture is from a few years ago, but one of my favorites.

I also have been trying to finish up pictures from Christmas 2011. I won't scrap my newest christmas pictures till I finish up all the old ones I have printed. Trying to get through the pile of photos I have to scrap that piled up when I stopped scrapping for a few years.

>

 



Handmade Cards

I love making cards and try to remember to send them out on time. So I try to make a few at a time when I'm scrapping. I've had this stamp for awhile and figured I'd use it for some cards. When I have a stamp out I like to use it for a few images. I just changed up the background colors.
 

I also needed to make valentine card for dh so I used the new chevron stamp I got and cut out the heart with my diecut machine. The love is a washi tape and had those little hearts for awhile and figured I should use them.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

 

 

• 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 16 hershey kisses (or you can use more chocolate chips)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup water

 

Cheesecake Filling:

• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 16 cupcake cups
2. Microwave 1/2 cup chocolate chips,stir on and off till melted and set aside
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside
4. Beat sugar, oil, egg and vanilla till combined
5. Beat in melted chocolate
6. Gradually beat in flour mixture and water
7. Beat cheesecake filling ingredients 
8. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips into cheesecake filling and set aside
9. Spoon chocolate batter into cupcake liners about 1/2 full
10. Scoop rounded tablespoon of cheesecake filling in each cup on top of chocolate
11. Cover cheesecake filling with more chocolate batter
12. Bake 20 minutes
13. While hot top with hershey kiss, once slightly melted spread over top with a small spatula or knife

Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles and enjoy



Mushroom Garlic Pasta

 

 

• 1 box angel hair or spaghetti
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cups mushroom stock (you can also use chicken stock, I used mushroom because that's what I had on hand)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and stir, cook about 2 minutes
2. Mix in butter till melted
3. Add pepper and mushroom stock
4. Raise heat to high and let come to a boil
5. Once it's at a rolling boil add pasta and cook according to box directions
6. Reduce heat to medium heat and mix in parmesan cheese, stir till melted
7. Turn off heat and stir in cream and parsley
8. Serve and enjoy



Scrapbook layouts

I wanted to share some of my recent layouts, trying to do more scrapping in the new year and get through the pile of photos I have printed. These are pictures taken the spring and summer of 2012. We love grilling in the summer and having people over. I wanted to share the before pics of my little decos and some foods I made that I found ideas on pinterest. The bottom two layouts are pictures I took of my backyard garden. I find working in the garden relaxing after a long day at work. Seems that daisies grow the best for me, which is great since they are one of my favorites. Be on the lookout for more scrapbook pages that I will be sharing this year.

Valentine Wreath

Fell in love with this wreath idea when I found it on pinterest. I already had the styrofoam wreath, just picked up the yarn and hearts. I actually found heart felt stickers at Michaels so I didn't have to cut out the shapes like the link showed. Here is the link from where I found the idea with some helpful directions to make one.

http://mineforthemaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/heart-argyle-valentines-wreath-tutorial.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

• Box brownie mix
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup + 6tbsp butter, divided and softened
• 8oz creamy peanut butter
• 6oz milk chocolate chips

1. Prepare brownies according to package directions.
2. Let cool
3. Combine powdered sugar and 1/2 cup butter with peanut butter.
4. Mix well and spread over cooled brownies
5. Refrigerate 1 hour
6. Melt chocolate chips and 6tbsp butter over low heat, stirring occasionally.
7. Spread over brownies, let cool and cut into squares
8. I sprinkled snowflake chips on top, but those are optional.

Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I had to make a birthday cake for someone I work with and didn't want to use a box mix. So I looked through my pinterest saved list and found this gem. Was so good, will be saving it for the future
http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/starlight-yellow-birthday-cake-with-chocolate-buttercream/

Lobster Mac and Cheese

When I asked Kyle what he wanted to eat for his birthday he came up with Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. I adjusted an Ina Garten recipe I found on food network

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 4 cups milk
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• grated garlic (to taste)
• 4 cups gruyere cheese (grated)
• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 lbs lobster meat, cooked and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cook elbow macaroni to al dente according to pasta directions, drain and set aside
3. Heat milk, but don't allow to boil and set aside
4. Melt butter and add flour. Whisking constantly cook about 2 minutes over low heat.
5. Slowly whisk in milk, cook about 2 minutes till thickened and smooth
6. Stir in cheeses, pepper, nutmeg and garlic. Stir till cheese melts
7. Stir in pasta and lobster
8. Pour mixture in baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs
9. Bake about 30 minutes
10. Let cool slightly and enjoy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cut out Cookies

This is a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs and works for all kinds of holidays depending on the cookie cutter you use.

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2012/11/chocolate-peanut-butter-cut-out-cookies.html

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tbsp red food coloring
• 3 oz white chocolate
• 1 1/2 tsp shortening

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
3. Add butter and red food coloring, mix till mixture just forms a ball
4. Knead dough on lightly floured surface
5. Roll to 1/2" thickness
6. Cut out dough with cookie cutters
7. Place on cookie sheet 1" apart
8. Bake 20-25 minutes or until centers are set
9. Cool completely
10. Melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly
11. Dip half on top of cookie into melted chocolate
12. Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

This one is a Paula Deen recipe and was a good addition to my Christmas cookie baskets

• 1 tsp vanilla
• confectioners sugar for dusting
• 18 oz box moist chocolate cake mix
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 stick butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and butter
3. Add in egg and vanilla.
4. Beat in the cake mix
5. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours until firm.
6. Roll into tablespoon size balls
7. Roll in confectioners sugar and place on cookie sheet 2" apart
8. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners sugar if desired.

Vanilla Latte Cookies

Found this recipe on pinterest and was really good so I wanted to share

http://sugarcrafter.net/2011/11/03/vanilla-latte-cookies/

Snickerdoodles

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Beat butter till creamy
3. Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy
4. Add eggs and flour, beat till combined.
5. Combine topping ingredients.
6. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls, roll in cinnamon sugar
7. Flatten balls into 1/2" discs
8. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup quick cook oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
•  1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini m&m's
• 1/2 cup craisins

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter until fluffy, add sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined
4. Add eggs and vanilla, beat till combined.
5. Slowly add in flour mixture, mix till combined
6. Stir in the chips, craisins and m&m's.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart onto cookie sheets
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies are golden
9. Let cool and enjoy

Chocolate Chip Roll Out Cookies

 

 

For these I used edible kitsI got at work and chocolate icing, but have also used this recipe for all kinds of shaped cookies and was great.

 

http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2011/01/in-the-mood-for-chocolate-chip/