All the Small Things...

A Cute Gift for a Teacher...

 

 

I thought Scarlet's teacher deserved a little treat, so I baked my favorite apple bread for her today and wrapped it up in a plastic lunch sack and added a paper topper and a paper pieced girlie.

Scarlet is SO excited to give it to her tomorrow!

 

Most Delicious Apple Bread EVER!!!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups apples - peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup broken walnuts (optional)

In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples. Stir into flour mixture. Add walnuts and mix. Divided mixture between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bread test done. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

 

Summer Days 2011 #10...

Today was Dan's 41st birthday!!!

41!  How is that possible?  We started dating when he was 21!  CRAZY!!!

 

So Dan's big day started off watching his boy take swim lessons.

 

Later that night we went out to dinner at

My crab was SO GOOD!!!

Then we saw

Loved it!  Took me right back to my childhood.

A VERY Dan date.  Give him some seafood and a movie and he's a happy boy.  Not too hard to please, huh?!?!?  :)

 

Now for the creative portion of the blog--

Instead of a cake, Scarlet, KK and I baked Dan some yummy lime pie.  This recipe is unbelievably yummy and unbelievably easy!  Yes, EASY!!!

 

If you don't want to make the tartlets, just use a 10 inch pie crust and bake it for 5 minutes more.  YUM!!!

The Show You Need To Start Watching...

Now, maybe you already are, but if you're not, you need to start watching

OMG- I LOVE it!

It's on the OWN network and it runs about 3 years worth of reruns almost everyday.

It's a show where two of the cutest and funniest and most REAL girls take a cookbook, cook from it and rate the book on many levels.  For example, how user friendly is the book, how tasty are the recipes, how good of a cook do you need to be to use the book, and how nice are the photos and layout of the actual cookbook.  

What I love the most about the show is that it is so REAL.  These are average cooks who screw up in the kitchen just like we do.  They burn food, forget to buy ingredients, start an occasional fire and sometimes end up just dumping what they've made in the trash.  They also make some AMAZING looking food that inspires me to try new things.

 

At the end of the show they decide whether or not to give the cookbook their stamp of approval and it is very surprising what famous books they won't endorse.  In case you don't want to watch the show, they also have a website where you can just see what they put their stamp of approval on and what they have passed on.

Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag

 

So today I got this in the mail:

 

Anna and Kristina LOVED it!  I can't wait to try it out...

 

 

Summer Days 2011 #7...

I feel bad--  

 

I have no amazing crafts to or sewing projects to blog about.  

 

I haven't made any fantastical summer desserts.

 

I haven't sewn the girls any fab clothes.

 

I haven't celebrated any quirky holidays.

 

You see, I've needed a little break.

 

I've needed to get my house in order.  I've needed to spend more time with Dan.  I've needed to clean out my garage.  I've needed to stay up late and sleep in.  I've needed to rearrange my bedroom furniture.  I've needed to celebrate Father's Day and Dan's birthday.  I've needed to be a little lazy.

And with that being said----

I now NEED to get creative.  I need to craft, sew, bake and celebrate.

I hope you check back to see what I have in store! :)

 

Until then, here are a few bits and pieces... 

Tonight for dinner Dan barbequed some yummy steaks and I made some DELISH oven fries.  You NEED to try this recipe next time you serve up some hot dogs, hamburgers or steaks.  Don't forget to make the sauce that goes with them-- super tasty!!!

Don't forget the sauce!!!

 

Summer Days 2011 #4...

So Dan and the "Bigs" have been gone in Arizona for a couple of days, but they return today and I am SO excited!  I've missed them tons, but Keiran has missed them beyond belief.  Today he was walking down the hallway, with a sad stoop in his walk, talking to himself saying, "I'm not having any fun today.  Same ol' basket (looking at a laundry basket).  Same ol' walls..."    lolololol!!! He's 3!  Same ol' basket, same ol' walls!?!??!?!!!?!  The kid kills me!

 

Now onto the FUN part of our day!

My friend, Julie, and I threw a Daddy/Daughter

Father's Day Picnic and Kickball Game

This was SO MUCH FUN and a great way to spend an evening with just the Activity Day girls and their dads (and a few Greding kids thrown into the mix!)

 

Now for food.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom's potato salad.  BEST potato salad I've ever tasted.  LOVE it.  Problem is-- she doesn't really have a recipe for it.  She just starts adding all these ingredients together and--- MAGIC!  It turns out incredible for her every time, but when I try to make it-- not so much.

SOOOOOOO- I now have MY potato salad recipe that I die for.  I didn't make it up or anything (let's not go crazy!), but it is now my go to potato salad recipe and it is AMAZING!  I made it for this picnic and was SO happy there was enough to bring home, so I could continue the eating fest into the wee small hours of the night.  

 

I also made a Greek Couscous Salad and it was a little piece of heaven too!  I have never even made couscous before and I have been missing out!  It's my new fav food!  LOVE IT!  Where have I been!?!?!  It's sooooooo easy and so much more flavorful than rice.  Again-- I love it!

 

Irish Cookie Pops...

 

I had these waiting for the kids when they got home from school today.  

Add a stick to a cookie and you've got a-- well quite frankly you've got a cookie with a stick in it.  BUT- the kids think they're pretty fantastic! 

Here's how I make them-

1. Roll your favorite cookie dough into a 1 1/2 inch ball and add a stick to it.

2. Using a piece of wax paper and a glass, smash down the ball of dough until it's about a 1/4" thick.

3. Place cookie pops 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake.

4. Let cookies cool.

5. Frost.

Now eat!!!

Oh Yum!...

I made these last week and I'm not allowed to make them any more- I'm trying to avoid diabetic shock, y'all!!!

They are SOOOOOOOOOOO good!  So, so good!

Oh, why do I have NO willpower?  WHY???

WHY???  

Lazy Blueberry Muffins...

I wanted to make a yummy treat for the kids today, but I was too lazy to invest any time in it.  SO... I took a box of FIBER ONE muffin mix and prepared it as instructed, but added my own blueberries and and a cup of sour cream to the mix and topped them with brown sugar and a big plump blueberry.  Easy AND delicious!

 

Breakfast...

 

• INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• STREUSEL:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
• confectioners' sugar
• 
  
• 
  
• DIRECTIONS:
• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture just until moistened. Gently fold in raspberries. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Dust win confectioners' sugar.

Dinner Tonight...