Daily EO Uses

Hello blog world. It has been almost a year since I last wrote. :(  And along with that, it has been a year since I bought my essential oils that started everything!

It has been an awesome journey in learning to use the oils and sharing them along the way.
I have been trying to get my friends and acquaintances aware of essential oils and I wanted to share examples of how I use the oils in my everyday routines.

-OnGuard Toothpaste
-OnGuard is a protective blend that helps your body's immune system. I have this in a roller bottle diluted with almond oil to roll on the bottom of my feet every morning.
-OnGuard Spray: I have a couple drops of OnGuard mixed in water to clean my dogs teeth. I spray this on a cotton round and wipe down her gums and teeth every couple days.
-Produce Spray: I have a few drops of lemon oil (or OnGuard) in a spray bottle full of water. I use this to spray fresh fruits and vegetables. Spray and let it sit for a few minutes, then wash off as usual.
-Peppermint: I have a roller bottle with a peppermint/almond oil mixture. Mine is diluted about 1:2 ratio. I keep this in my purse for headaches or minor nausea.
-Solace: This is now sold as Clary Calm. It is a special blend of oils to help with balancing hormones and other issues centered menstruation.
-Frankincense: I have a roller bottle filled with almond oil and about 10-15 drops of Frankincense. I use this on minor cuts and scrapes. Frankincense helps prevent scarring, is an anti-inflammatory, and helps the body prevent infection among many other things.

-Wintergreen: I dilute a couple drops of wintergreen in a squirt of almond oil and rub on my muscles before a workout. Wintergreen helps to tone and develop muscles.
-Eucalyptus: I dilute this about 1:1 with a carrier oil and rub on sore/overworked muscles.
-Deep Blue is great before and after workouts. I have bad knees and I put on dilutes Deep Blue before my workouts. I have this in a roller bottle also for headaches.  Deep Blue Rub is a concentrated cream heaven on my sore muscles after a hard workout.
-Balance is a blend I use daily. I have it in a roller bottle at work and at home. At work I rub it on my wrists when I need to relax during a crazy day.  At home, I roll it on my spine at night before bed to relax.  This is also nice to diffuse. I love the smell :)
-Serenity: This blend is one I am still getting used to the scent of. It is great for insomnia, and relieving anxiety, tension, and stress, just to list a few. I have it diluted in a roller with FCO. I roll this on my feet every night before bed and massage it in for a minute. I have been sleeping much better since I started this routine.

Some of these oils I use everyday, some I use every couple days as needed. These roller bottles and oils are a staple in my household. If you are considering buying some essential oils, these are some simple ways they can benefit you and your family.

Wonderful Uses for Basic Oils

I hope that my past few posts have at least gotten you thinking about what essential oils can do for you and your family. In this post I want to share with you some everyday ways to use some basic and popular oils- Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint.

If you want to start using essential oils this is the place to start.

Lavender is extremely versatile from promoting calming sleep to disinfecting cuts and scrapes. Lavender has anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

Peppermint is popular not only because it is recognized from candies, but it has abilities to ease stomach discomfort and boost mood.

Lemon has anti-depressant, antiseptic, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. It also works great for a natural cleaning alternative. It can be used to ease scratchy throats or de-gunk sticky messes.

Attached is a document I made with a list of great uses for the three basic essential oils. doTERRA offers two packages based around these basic oils. The first is The Introductory Kit with 5ml of each oil and an Intro CD. The second is the Beginner's Trio which has each oil in a 15ml size.

I will be honest and I have only had my oil kit for about 6 weeks and I have already exhausted my 5ml Lemon oil and 5ml Lavender oil. These oils are so useful and I am excited to get my next order in the mail, containing my 15ml bottles! These will go a lot farther for our medicine cabinet!

Easy Oil Uses

Lavender has antidepressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-toxic properties - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/101-uses-for-the-intro-kit-part-13-lavender#sthash.zrSuZms4.dpu

Lavender has antidepressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-toxic properties - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/101-uses-for-the-intro-kit-part-13-lavender#sthash.zrSuZms4.dpu

Lavender has antidepressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-toxic properties - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/101-uses-for-the-intro-kit-part-13-lavender#sthash.zrSuZms4.dpuf

Getting Started Essential Oils

I am working on getting more people introduced to using essential oils in their everyday lives. In the past few days I have given friends samples and my husband is actually asking me to fix him up with appropriate oils. I am making strides in the right direction, although still using friends and internet guidance. I am learning as I go though. Thinking about make a print-out or file with all the information I am gathering!

Well since I am getting you interested in the idea and letting you see how it works for yourself, I guess I should come out there and tell you I am a seller with doTERRA. I didn't want to lead with that and I am not into being pushy. That is the reason I have lasted not selling pampered chef, or avon etc. I feel awkward selling stuff to people.

But seeing is believing, and if you see how well the oils work for you, then they kind of sell themselves! That is how I got hooked anyway!

My husband is still trying to trust in these oils to help him, and I am honestly still the tiniest bit skeptical, but the more I use them, the more they help me. It is worth a try.

Check back with me for a list of websites to check out great uses for doTERRA essential oils.

Essential Oils pt. 2

I am hoping that with my first post on essential oils I got you to do some thinking. Now I want to share some of the ways the oils have helped me.

• Lavender: I use lavender almost every night before bed. I like to rub a little bit on my shoulders/back and on my pillow. The scent naturally helps you relax and I get better sleep when I use it. Lavender is also good for soothing bug bites, relaxing children before bed, to remove splinters and much more.
• Peppermint: The main thing I like this for is nausea. Hubby and I drove to Vegas when I first got oils to use. I get very carsick and that was happening. I took off the lid and just smelled the bottle a couples times as needed and it kept my upset tummy at bay. Peppermint is also good for a pick-me-up, calming headaches and keeping spiders away.
• OnGuard: This is the name for the blend by doTERRA but it is commonly known as Thieves. In the ages of the plague, thieves would use this blend of oils to keep from getting sick when robbing plague victims. I have a special love for this blend. I have been putting on my feet every morning (give or take a few) for over a month. Not a sniffle. And I work with children that are coughing, sneezing, runny nose machines. And I am usually always caught with a cold. I believe in this stuff.
• DigestZen: This is another doTERRA blend. It is made to help with any digestive issues. I have used this a few times with good results and also seen good results using it on a 5mo baby. 

 

Here are some of the blends I have put into roller bottles for easy access... OnGuard: to roll on bottom of feet every morning. Lavender and Peppermint to roll on feet to relax before bed. Eucalyptus and Spearmint because I like the scent. And Digestzen for easy access. All of these are also mixed with carrier oils to make it go farther. I have also made an allergy blend in a roller, a mixture of fractionated coconut oil, lemon, peppermint, and lavender. My friend is liking it so far. 

I want to keep you all updated on how the oils work for me and would love to hear your thoughts!

There is still a lot more to the whole EO thing, but I can't sum it all up in two posts. More coming.

 

Again is you want to try the oils or have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! :)

Essential Oils pt. 1

So I have been trying to get up the nerve to write this post for a few weeks now.  Living here in California is a whole new thing for Hubby and I, being from the midwest. A lot of things are done differently here being in CA and on a military base. Words like home birth, home-school, organic, and farmer's markets come to mind. I have enjoyed learning about all of these things in our time here.

Anyways...Here goes, I have started using Essential Oils. (Did I mention my husband lovingly refers to it as witch magic) I am sure you have heard of essential oils in some context, whether it be cooking, bath and body products, etc. I first got introduced to the idea when a friend was hosting a doTERRA party (a company specializing in essential oils). I couldn't make it to the party but started to wonder what was the deal with these EO's.  Next a friend and her husband had gotten pretty sick and the friend used some oils to clear her sickness right up. Way faster than the husband on "American" medicine. I was really intrigued. At this point, I sat down with some other friends who had been using EO's and got a little lesson about them. I got some samples a couple weeks later and here I am.

The basic run-down on EO's is as follows:

• There are not official grades of EO"s but here is a general outline:
• Perfume: such as in bath and body products
• Food: what you might buy at local store
• Therapeutic: The oils I use, safe for body
• Because of the different grades, be cautious when buying oils to use on your body. I use doTERRA and their oils are tested to be used aromatically, topically, and internally.
• Essential Oil's absorb quickly into the skin, especially the skin on the bottoms of your feet. You can also use a carrier oil for strong oils or with oils on younger/sensitive skin. I use coconut oil and sweet almond oil as my carriers. Olive oil also works well.
• Most essential oils are high in antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
• Essential Oils work in your body at the cellular level

If you are interested in trying some essential oils or more information please message me and I will help you the best I can or find someone who can!

Grilled Breakfast Sandwich

In our house we are huge fans of grilled cheese and cheese tortillas (or what normal people call quesadillas). Super easy, but still tasty enough for us! Well this recipe is pinterest inspired, but only by a photo I winged the recipe.

You will need:
-Bread
-Butter
-Cream cheese
-Honey (optional)
-Fruit
-Jam or Jelly

I would recommend cream cheese spread like for bagels, but we had a block of cream cheese and Hubby likes it anyways, so no big deal. I added a little honey for sweetness with the C.C.

Spread on the jam and the fruit. I used homemade strawberry jam and blueberries.

Cook as you would the regular grilled cheese. I finished ours in the toaster oven for 30 sec-1 minute to make sure the cream cheese was melted along with the bread being toasted.

Now doesn't that look delicious?

Whole Wheat Apple Pie!

This pie was super easy to make! Back in September, we went to Julian apple picking with some friends. We brought home lots of apples and were not in the mood to eat them all. I did some googling and found a recipe to make apple pie filling to freeze.

The recipe is pretty straight forward. I am sure you could sub out some of the sugar for honey and use less water. I definitely halved or quartered this recipe because I didn't have 6-7 lbs of apples, but you get the idea.  The author also says this recipe will last up to a year in the freezer! I have also made Apple Crisp Pizza with my frozen pie filling and it was delicious!

So we were celebrating one of our friends birthdays and I decided an apple pie would be a perfect 'birthday cake'.  I pulled out one of my frozen apple pie fillings that morning and let in thaw on the counter/fridge until about 3pm when I starting baking.

Adapted from:
Whole Wheat Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 c Coconut Oil
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 tbs)
• ~1/4 c vodka
• ~1/4 c water

Don't let the vodka scare you. I did a little research and it is legitimate and makes for a flakey crust.

Mix together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter and coconut oil. I don't have a pastry cutter, so I just used my hands. Mix it in well. I will be slightly crumbly. Now add the vodka and water and stir with a spatula. I used just under 1/4 cup of each. The dough will be wet! I promise it all turns out okay. Split in half and refrigerate in baggies or container for at least a half an hour.

After it has chilled, use two pieces of plastic wrap and roll out the dough between it. You want it just bigger than the pie pan.  Press into a greased pie pan. Pour the filling into the pie. Mine was still cold. Roll out the second ball into the same shape and cut into slices for the lattice top. Weave it on top and you are ready for the oven. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream and caramel if you are feeling adventurous!

I want to make the blueberry pie on the crust website. Has anyone ever had or made a blueberry pie? What did you think?

Enjoy!

A Healthier Me

I debated whether to put this post up more privately on my other Blogger, but I think since it is about food and health, it can fit in just fine here.

So anyone who knows me well, knows I don't usually watch what foods I eat and don't work out. Since my husband and I have moved to CA both of these things have been challenged a lot more than I expected. There is a huge availability of fresh fruits and vegetables here, not to mention the big introduction (to me anyways) of organic foods.

In my house, growing up, I think we had a balanced enough diet, especially being that I was growing up and it was okay to gain weight as I went. We usually had a vegetable with dinner and shoved some fruits in. I ran throughout high school and that was a savior in the way my body looked and felt. However in college the typical happened. We ran to quick and easy foods and that was definitely not what we should have been eating.

 But the point is I am trying to make a change in the way I eat and live my life. I know it will be slowly and I am not looking to jump into this all at once. I have a feeling I won't ever be able to cut sugars or carbs completely out of my diet. I am from a good ole' midwest family and I am Italian. You mess with my pasta, I mess with you ;). I am not looking (yet anyways) to change the whole way I cook, bake and eat, but I want to make a start by adding in veggies, fruits and healthier recipes overall!

So I went to the grocery store yesterday and came home with lots of fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, almond milk, chicken, good snacks and yes, a bag of sugar. (I just can't do it people!)  I spent a good amount of time prepping the food and will spend some more time today. I don't want any excuses for not being able to eat healthy on a time crunch!

 So I gathered my fruits and veggies for smoothies. I love my green smoothie (spinach, pineapple, banana and apple or pineapple juice).
I wouldn't usually get frozen fruit, but the commissary didn't have good prices on fresh strawberries so I opted out. The frozen packs are nice though because they have a variety of fruit and also a 'smoothie' powder pack, which I wasn't going to use but it made my green smoothie so good!  But yeah, I chopped up the pineapple, banana and spinach and let it individually freeze before bagging it.

I think I made 6-8 smoothies bags. I like my fruit frozen and add either juice or milk to mix it, because I hate a 'warm' or thin smoothie. I like it thick and cold!

 

I also pre-chopped and mixed up a salad. I bought 3 bundles of fresh spinach and a bundle of lettuce greens. This salad bowl is only a small portion. The photo is actually what I still have left of greens. In the salad I have greens, some broccoli, green pepper, and shredded carrot.

I also made some healthy, sweet snack for breakfast or anytime. Mocha Chocolate Bites and Chocolate Chip PB Bites. Both are no back. I really love the PB ones but I love that the mocha ones have coconut oil. I bought some dates and pistachios to throw in and I think I am going to make up my own version. Since they are no bake, you just need the right consistency to hold them together and taste good :)

One last new thing I am doing is starting to train for a 5k. And you can laugh, I do a little bit. I did a 5k in November and did run most of it, but I was dying! I signed up for one at the end of March with a friend and we are both trying to actually train up to it and be prepared. Plus, what a better excuse to start getting into shape and working out again. This is the basic plan I am following. And we have more than 8-9 weeks til the race, so I am taking it slow and tweaking it to my fitness level. (Which I don't think is fresh from the couch.) The 'training program' is 3 days a week, so I am starting every other day. Thursday=Check!, today= Check! However, I would like to eventually be running everyday.

So thanks for hanging out through that whole post (if you did read it all). I just had a lot to say and share and I want a way to hold myself accountable and share my story! :)

Freezing Cupcake Batter

Yes. Genius for us. Only 2 people in our household makes it pretty tough to make a full recipe of any kind, especially sweets. And I can only take so much to work before my coworkers think I am trying t fatten them up. :)

So I did a little research on the internet and found a good page about freezing cupcake batter. I did two of the ways they suggested with this yummy chocolate cupcake recipe.

Mix up your recipe as usual. I actually make 12 of them for last night and froze the rest. But I would also see myself in the near future making yellow cupcakes just for the purpose of freezing. I have become a big fan of freezing lately. I mean who doesn't like a simple thaw and cook meal, snack, etc? I have gotten better about putting stuff in the fridge the night before. That generally helps ;) .

 Anyways, mix your recipe as usual and the first way to freeze them is to scoop them into your cupcake liners as you would normally bake them.

 

Cover and seal with plastic wrap. I used the sticky cling wrap that seals better than regular. Freeze the cupcakes until solid. I just did overnight.

 

Now they are ready to come out of the pan and into a freezer bag. I popped the ones out of the silicone and let them freeze a little longer individually before placing them in a bag. They can go back into a silicone or a regular tin for baking. I just didn't want my silicone tied up in the freezer.

 You can let them defrost in the fridge (in a cupcake tin!) or just set on the counter for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven. I baked the pink one above in the liner 5 minutes from the freezer and it turned out great. Maybe 1-2 minutes added to cooking time.

-The next way to freeze the batter is to just pour it straight into a freezer bag or freezer safe container. It would be wise to measure out a certain number of cupcakes into a bag, but I had already filled about 20 cupcake liners (paper and silicone) You would just defrost this in the fridge and bake as normal.

 

Hot Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling

This recipe isn't mine, at all, but I combined a couple different recipes into this yummy, rich cupcake! I have been on a huge hot chocolate kick lately so this recipe is perfect!

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder (you can also use regular cocoa powder)
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Love these square silicon liners David's mom got me.

Mix (or sift) the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. It did fit in my kitchen aid, but it was close. Add the eggs one at a time and then the rest of the wet ingredients, slowly! Make sure you scrape down the bowl. Mix for two minutes on medium/low. The batter will be really thin. I was worried I messed up the recipe, but they turned out perfectly.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.



Marshmallow Filling

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 7.5 oz Marshmallow Cream
• 3 Tablespoons heavy/whipping cream
• 2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  

I whipped this up while the cupcakes were baking. Cream the butter and add the marshmallow creme and whipping cream. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Finally add in the vanilla.


After the cupcakes have cooled (some if you are impatient like me), its time to core them for the filling. I have an actual cupcake corer that my mom got me. You push in the serrated edge and twist a bit until you can pull out the core. You can also use a knife and cut out a small bit. Hubby had fun eating the core pieces.  Next pipe in the filling. You can spoon it in, but a piping bag/tip would be much easier and less messy.




Hot Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dry hot chocolate mix (without mini marshmallows)
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp heavy cream 
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Start by heating the heavy whipping cream and the hot chocolate mix on the stove over medium-high heat. Whisk it together. It needs to be steaming hot but not boiling. The whole point of heating it is to make a thick hot chocolate and have the sugars dissolve.

While it is heating, cream the butter. Add in the chocolate mix and combine. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar and whip until fluffy. Be sure the scrape down the sides before calling it good.

Now, I did try to use a piping bag and tip to ice these, but I let the frosting cool in the fridge and it was too thick, where as my icing tip was too small. I squeezed out what I could onto the cakes and spread it with a knife so that I didn't mess up the filling in the process.

 Next time I will use a 1M Star Tip or my favorite a 1M Round Tip.

Dip the tops in sprinkles or Mallow Bits and serve!

And I actually tried one today (2nd day) and they were still delicious. The cupcakes were super moist because of the filling!

Enjoy!


 

Cooking Through Pinterest: 11.19.12

Sure enough I did cook today too!

Hubby informed me he needed a side dish and dessert for a work luncheon tomorrow. Of course I would love to whip a couple things up!

The first one is something I threw together.

 

I wanted to do Mexican rollups.  I combined 8oz cream cheese and about 3/4 cup sour cream (can be adjusted to taste). Chop fresh cilantro, pickled jalepenos and fresh tomatoes.  Add to mixture. Add an overflowing TBSP of taco seasoning. I used a can of refried beans and about 2 cups of shredded cheese.

Combine all the ingredients together and adjust the taste to your liking. Spread onto tortillas and cut. I used a bread knife and cut back and forth so I didn't squash the rolls. I think this would be perfect with black beans or shredded chicken to make it not so soft.  Feel free to tweak these rollups and make them your own!

Secondly I made Sugar Cookie Bars. I have had these pinned for awhile and finally tried them. I used an 11x17 jelly roll pan to make them and it was a great size. Don't overcook them! You want them to stay soft. I want to try these again with the cream cheese sugar cookie recipe I found ;)

 All boxed up and ready to go to work with my hubby.  Don't those look delicious? (I couldn't resist the sprinkles, even if they are for Marines)
 Baked Ziti: Lastly, we reheated an extra 8x8 pan of this Baked Ziti from last week and it was better reheated than the first time! I added about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on top to keep it moist but I don't even think I needed too. The inside was even cheesier than the first time. Next time I make this I will be freezing a pan for a second meal! :)

Cooking Through Pinterest: 11.18.12

So I have given up on numbering the days. I have made a few recipes over the weekend.


Homemade Vanilla Extract: This recipe is actually from a friend's blog. She is talented and you should check her blog out!

I ordered my Vanilla Beans from the one and only Amazon.  I got two packs of 7 beans.  I used a small bottle of Smirnoff and the little bit that was left of this absolut. I just poured the 2 1/4 cups of vodka into this Absolut bottle and used 7 beans. This photo is after about 3 days. I am storing mine in a dark closet.




Krispy Kreme Glaze: Yesterday morning I was craving donuts. I didn't make the actual donut recipe from this page, I just made the glaze. I reluctantly made the standby: refrigerated bisuit dough fried in oil. Even just typing that sounds horrible. They aren't the best, but hot and in the glaze, they were good.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls: I made these for a Murder Mystery party last night. They were gone before the end of the night, so I guess everyone liked them. I did have issues with the recipe though. I made it the way she says, with cilantro instead of spinach. Then I split it in half and did half veggie with no dairy, and the other half with cheese, a little sour cream and shredded chicken. The 'veggie' version was too moist and the rolls got soggy. The cooked, but fell apart. The chicken/cheese mixture browned and crisped perfectly. So just be careful to keep the regular mixture more on the dry side.

Update: Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits: Hubby wanted breakfast food for dinner and I volunteered to find a recipe and make some biscuits. Oh these were so good. Scroll down and use the 'fluffy buttermilk biscuit' recipe. I used all all-purpose flour.  With butter and honey..OH YES!

Cooking Through Pinterest: Day 4

So technically this is day 5, but I am going by the days that I actually do conquer some recipes! Today was a two recipe day for me.

 

The first was a delicious No-Bake Pretzel PB Granola Bar and they were so good.  I did some of my own substitutions though. I used coconut oil for butter, old-fashioned oats instead of quick, and honey bunches oats instead of rice Krispies.


Next, I have actually made this recipe before and it was really good. However, this time I tweaked it a bit and it is equally as good. Baked Potato Soup.  The first time I made it correctly with bacon and all.

This time I used about 4lbs of potatoes (peeled) and about a pound of cauliflower I had one hand. I used a blender to puree it and added the cream cheese, along with sour cream and a small amount of velvetta. I didn't have bacon or green onions today, but it was still a good creamy soup! And I think kids would like it if they like mashed potatoes. The cauliflower is easy to sneak it!

The full recipe makes a large pot of soup. I plan on freezing my extra soup and will have it with good ole baked potato way when we reheat it!

Well until tomorrow, have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Cooking Through Pinterest: Day 3

Okay folks, I am back! And I am proud to say I made 5 new recipes today from my Pinterest boards! 
I was pleasantly happy with all of the recipes today!

  First I want to share a photo of last nights meal, Bandito Chili Dogs.  They were pretty good. Kind of a chili frito pie, with hot dog. Next time I want to slow cook it with homemade chili.

My after-work snack: Pineapple Spinach Smoothie. Now, before I lose you, HEAR ME OUT! Give this one try. If you are a neighbor of mine, I would be happy to make you one to try! David and I make smoothie at home all the time and I get halfway through and don't want anymore. They just aren't THAT good.  But this smoothie... the pineapple juice, frozen pineapple and frozen banana make for a thick smoothie and covers the spinach taste!!!  I've had a few Jamba Juice smoothies and that's what this tastes like!



Next up, I made two batches of cookie dough so I could freeze them in ready-to-bake form! I usually freeze my dough a bit before baking anyways, so I don't know why I hadn't done this before. Not one, but 2 flavors.  Red Velvet White Chocolate Chunk  &  Vanilla Pudding Choc. Chip  Cookies

 

Mix as usual, scoop the whole batch onto greased pans. Freeze on the pans alone. When almost solid (1-2 hours) then they can be placed into a freezer bag. I kept them from touching and will keep them on a pan so they can freeze solid overnight then I will lose the pan.  They can 'thaw' while the oven is preheating then should be good to bake.

Next, we had friends over for dinner and I made Baked Ziti & Basil Butter Garlic Bread.  The Baked Ziti has more steps than I realized, but now that I know I can plan accordingly for next time I make it. It is pretty good. A mix between lasagna and pasta bake. The bread looked a little sketchy, because it was green from the basil I ran through the Magic Bullet, but it tasted very good. I used less garlic than they called for, and used garlic powder. I also used shredded parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese on top.

So that's my wrap up for today. I don't expect 5 recipes tomorrow, but hopefully I can squeeze in one! Have a great night!

'Give Thanks' Pinterest Inspired Mantel

Two posts in one day! I am on a roll. I have been pouting for awhile about not having a mantel. I keep finding all these cool ideas from Pinterest of how to decorate for the holidays or anytime!

Well I decided to make my own 'mantel'. We have a small wall opposite of our dining room and between our living room and entry way.  I have a large photo over a bookshelf on that wall since we first moved in and never thought of moving it. Well after looking at the bookshelf and the perfect placement of the wall, I decided I could make the top of it my makeshift mantel!

Well the timing couldn't be better, so I am starting with a Thanksgiving/Fall theme! A Diamond in the Stuff has a whole post of themed mantel decorations. I was inspired by her Thanksgiving one and have wanted to make a word pennant for awhile!

I had some issues originally with this. I mocked up my own pennants with letters through a Word document, however my printer wasn't liking my thick paper.  So I ended up making them from templates and I liked these smaller sized ones (3in x 4in)

The cardstock I used was sticker paper, so I just stuck them on the green backing paper.

I printed letters on regular printer paper and used a pencil to trace them onto the cardstock. I filled in the imprint made from the pencil with perm. marker to write the letters.

I used brown yarn to attach the letters together.



Use hot glue to attach the pennants onto the yarn.



I simply taped the yarn to the back on the frame (where it wouldn't be seen) and that is how I hung the pennants to the empty frame.  I had been saving this frame for something and I like how it works here. It is rustic and faux-wood (sadly not real wood).



 

I cannot wait to dress up my mantel for the next holiday! Hope you enjoy A Diamond in the Stuff and get some inspiration to decorate your own wall or mantel!

Cooking My Way Through Pinterest: Days 1 & 2

So I recently posted to my FB page how I had pinned so many good things and I just wanted to make them all. Well without even realizing it I have been doing so. I decided to keep track of it and let you know if the recipe is worth trying!

A lot of these recipes have come from Two Peas & Their Pod. I recently pinned something from them and decided to explore the whole site. Needless to say, I came out with a LOT of recipes she either makes or links to on her site!

Fluffy Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar

I actually made 90% of this on Saturday night to take to a friends. Long story short I got sick and put the baking on hold. The bites are alright, but I had enough dough to actually shape one more pretzel. I buttered it out of the oven and rolled it in cinnamon sugar. Mmm! And if you think pretzels sound too challenging to make on your own, you are wrong! I have used this recipe and another and both are easy and yummy! (Especially with cheese sauce!

Strawberry Nutella Milkshake
This milkshake is pretty good! I wanted a quick treat after dinner last night. I would use less Nutella than she calls for. Maybe just a spoonful. But it was good!

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Woke up before Hubby this morning and wanted to make breakfast. Found this recipe for C.C. muffins yesterday and decided after reading the good reviews to put it to the test. It was really easy to make. The longest part for me was melting the butter (we have no microwave, yes honestly!) They could definitely make more than 12 though. Probably 16 muffins if you only filled them 3/4 full! I would definitely recommend these. I froze our leftovers for another morning.

Bandito Chili Dogs
I am about to put this in the Crock Pot for dinner tonight, but this is actually a recipe my mom has been making for years! I love hot dogs in any form, especially chili dogs! How can you go wrong with chili, green chilies, onions, and fritos on your dog?!  I am making a double batch tonight with some hot chili/chilies and am going to freeze half for another quick meal!


*Yesterday for dinner I also made homemade Tomato Soup from stewed tomatoes a friend and I canned in September. The recipe is from no other than Picky-Palate, but the recipe is only found in her cookbook, which I HIGHLY recommend!