check out my scrappy blog this week!?
I've added a few new layouts...all created within the last few days!
so, what are you waiting for??
check them out: right here
and leave some looooove.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
etsy finds on friday!
so, i've been neglecting etsy for awhile now...i just haven't been there. haven't updated my store (or sold anything for that matter...) but, today, i'm going there, diving in, and finding some good household things to share with you. (click on photos to go to the site)
Here's a cute countertop catchall!
Love cute potholders! check out this fabric: little whisks!
dress up your fridge with these great pop culture magnets!
these would be great for coffee with friends! adorable!
and last this week is a fun mousepad, reminds me of a couple pieces of scrapbook paper i've seen :)
so, which pick this week is your fave?? have you found anything on etsy recently you'd like to share with me?!
Here's a cute countertop catchall!
Love cute potholders! check out this fabric: little whisks!
dress up your fridge with these great pop culture magnets!
these would be great for coffee with friends! adorable!
and last this week is a fun mousepad, reminds me of a couple pieces of scrapbook paper i've seen :)
so, which pick this week is your fave?? have you found anything on etsy recently you'd like to share with me?!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
biscuit topped beef hot dish
yup, hot dish. "comparable with entree. one-dish-complete meal system!" I purchased "the great minnesotan hot dish" book by theresa millang a while ago....but finally dug it out and have two on our menu this week!
first up, biscuit topped beef hotdish!
1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1x8oz can tomato paste
1x8oz can tomato sauce
1x9oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 c. divided mozzarella cheese, divided
1x10oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 t. dried oregano leaves, crushed
In large saucepan, stir and cook ground beef and onion until browned; drain. Return to pan. Add garlic; stir and cook 1 min. Stir in water, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and paste; bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in veg. and 1 1/2 c. cheese. Spoon mixture into a greased 2-qt glass baking dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Place biscuits near outer edge of meat mixture, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle remaining cheese in center and around edge. Gently brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with oregano. Bake about 25 min at 375 until golden brown.
___
besides using cheddar instead of mozzarella cheese on accident, it was goooooood. DH ate lots of veggies! score!
first up, biscuit topped beef hotdish!
1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1x8oz can tomato paste
1x8oz can tomato sauce
1x9oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 c. divided mozzarella cheese, divided
1x10oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 t. dried oregano leaves, crushed
In large saucepan, stir and cook ground beef and onion until browned; drain. Return to pan. Add garlic; stir and cook 1 min. Stir in water, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and paste; bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in veg. and 1 1/2 c. cheese. Spoon mixture into a greased 2-qt glass baking dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Place biscuits near outer edge of meat mixture, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle remaining cheese in center and around edge. Gently brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with oregano. Bake about 25 min at 375 until golden brown.
___
besides using cheddar instead of mozzarella cheese on accident, it was goooooood. DH ate lots of veggies! score!
Monday, September 14, 2009
new recipe
in case you don't get "kraft family foods," well, you should! i love this quarterly magazine with great recipes....so many have become tried and true stapes at our house!
tonight, we tried something from their newest issue: smothered chicken with brown rice
4 slices bacon (we used turkey bacon)
4 small, boneless-skinless chicken breast halves
4 large carrots, thinly sliced (didn't have these, so used baby carrots)
1 lg. onion, chopped (i used 1/2 of a small...)
1 c. fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
2 oz. less fat cream cheese
3 c. hot brown rice
1. cook and stir bacon in lg. non-stick skillet on med. heat, until crisp (about 5 min.). Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet (this is where turkey bacon is nice, hardly any drippings!)
2. add chicken to skillet; cook 5-6 min per side until done. transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. add vegetables and 1/2 c. broth to skillet; cover and simmer 10 min until tender.
3. stir in remaining broth and cream cheese; cook uncovered 2 min until melted and thick; stirring frequently. return chicken to skillet; cook 2 min to heat through. spoon rice onto plte, top with chicken, sauce, and bacon.
although my picture doesn't quite look like the magazines (my carrots are just tiny!) it is delicious. the saltiness of the bacon adds just enough to the savory vegetables; and the cream sauce was a snap to make! pretty healthy too with the low fat, reduced options given.
cook time: about an hour start to finish, which is a little longer than i like. but, i'm beginning to appreciate cooking and the time it does take to make something healthier and delicious!
tonight, we tried something from their newest issue: smothered chicken with brown rice
4 slices bacon (we used turkey bacon)
4 small, boneless-skinless chicken breast halves
4 large carrots, thinly sliced (didn't have these, so used baby carrots)
1 lg. onion, chopped (i used 1/2 of a small...)
1 c. fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
2 oz. less fat cream cheese
3 c. hot brown rice
1. cook and stir bacon in lg. non-stick skillet on med. heat, until crisp (about 5 min.). Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet (this is where turkey bacon is nice, hardly any drippings!)
2. add chicken to skillet; cook 5-6 min per side until done. transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. add vegetables and 1/2 c. broth to skillet; cover and simmer 10 min until tender.
3. stir in remaining broth and cream cheese; cook uncovered 2 min until melted and thick; stirring frequently. return chicken to skillet; cook 2 min to heat through. spoon rice onto plte, top with chicken, sauce, and bacon.
although my picture doesn't quite look like the magazines (my carrots are just tiny!) it is delicious. the saltiness of the bacon adds just enough to the savory vegetables; and the cream sauce was a snap to make! pretty healthy too with the low fat, reduced options given.
cook time: about an hour start to finish, which is a little longer than i like. but, i'm beginning to appreciate cooking and the time it does take to make something healthier and delicious!
his mom called him a geek.
but i love him. he grilled out for us last night in the dark, while the osu usc game was on....
ooh, and he picked this headlight out after returning a gift i gave him to EddieBauer. goooooo me!
Friday, September 4, 2009
chicken ranch jack
so, who doesn't looooove chicken, bacon, ranch, cheese. how about it all put together!?!
here's a little dish i found, oooh who knows where....but we love it. I don't make it too often but when I do, it makes us very happy.
2T. Butter
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks/strips
1/4 c. ranch salad dressing
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat;
saute chicken until cooked through.
Arrange chicken in lightly greased 2-qt. casserole dish. Pour ranch dressing over chicken; stir well to coat. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted and golden.
here's a little dish i found, oooh who knows where....but we love it. I don't make it too often but when I do, it makes us very happy.
2T. Butter
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks/strips
1/4 c. ranch salad dressing
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat;
saute chicken until cooked through.
Arrange chicken in lightly greased 2-qt. casserole dish. Pour ranch dressing over chicken; stir well to coat. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted and golden.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ode to apples
especially from the Univ. of Minnesota! They developed my favorite (and my FILs too!) the HONEYCRISP. Seriously folks, if you have never tried this, you are truly missing out. They are crisp, juicy, sweet. absolutely delicious. Their new apple, the SweeTango is appearing this weekend, here's an article from the AP:
"LAKE CITY, Minn. – Tim Byrne picked an apple from the spindly tree, sliced it and popped a chunk into his mouth. He couldn't have been more pleased as he chomped and got a juicy blast of sweet-tart flavor.
"This is what's got us excited," Byrne said as he shared samples from a perfectly ripe SweeTango apple, which he and other growers are about to introduce as the successor to the incredibly successful Honeycrisp.
Honeycrisp was a phenomenon in the apple industry because its taste and texture were so good it sold for about $1 more per pound than other varieties. Those investing in SweeTango are banking on it commanding the same premium price, and they've formed a cooperative to grow and sell it nationwide.
SweeTango will start showing up in some Minnesota farmers markets Labor Day weekend and arrive in selected grocery stores around the Twin Cities, Seattle and Rochester, N.Y., a few days later. If all goes according to plan, the apple should be available nationwide in 2011 or 2012, said Byrne, who's president of the cooperative and vice president of sales and marketing for Pepin Heights Orchards in southeastern Minnesota.
SweeTango and Honeycrisp were developed at the University of Minnesota. The new apple has Honeycrisp's crispness and juice but kicks up the flavor and adds an intriguing note of fall spice. It was made by crossing Honeycrisp with Zestar!, another University of Minnesota variety.
"It inherited Honeycrisp's texture, and that's a rare commodity, and it actually has more flavor than Honeycrisp," said David Bedford, the university apple breeder who helped develop Honeycrisp and SweeTango.
Another asset is SweeTango is ready in early September. "Woefully few" premium apples come out then, when produce managers are eager for something new to start the fall season, Byrne said." "
You betcha: DH and I will be snagging some of these varieties at the Farmer's Market in St. Paul this weekend!
and btw, i can't wait to make apple crisp this fall with honeycrisp and of course, these new SweeTango's!!!
"LAKE CITY, Minn. – Tim Byrne picked an apple from the spindly tree, sliced it and popped a chunk into his mouth. He couldn't have been more pleased as he chomped and got a juicy blast of sweet-tart flavor.
"This is what's got us excited," Byrne said as he shared samples from a perfectly ripe SweeTango apple, which he and other growers are about to introduce as the successor to the incredibly successful Honeycrisp.
Honeycrisp was a phenomenon in the apple industry because its taste and texture were so good it sold for about $1 more per pound than other varieties. Those investing in SweeTango are banking on it commanding the same premium price, and they've formed a cooperative to grow and sell it nationwide.
SweeTango will start showing up in some Minnesota farmers markets Labor Day weekend and arrive in selected grocery stores around the Twin Cities, Seattle and Rochester, N.Y., a few days later. If all goes according to plan, the apple should be available nationwide in 2011 or 2012, said Byrne, who's president of the cooperative and vice president of sales and marketing for Pepin Heights Orchards in southeastern Minnesota.
SweeTango and Honeycrisp were developed at the University of Minnesota. The new apple has Honeycrisp's crispness and juice but kicks up the flavor and adds an intriguing note of fall spice. It was made by crossing Honeycrisp with Zestar!, another University of Minnesota variety.
"It inherited Honeycrisp's texture, and that's a rare commodity, and it actually has more flavor than Honeycrisp," said David Bedford, the university apple breeder who helped develop Honeycrisp and SweeTango.
Another asset is SweeTango is ready in early September. "Woefully few" premium apples come out then, when produce managers are eager for something new to start the fall season, Byrne said." "
You betcha: DH and I will be snagging some of these varieties at the Farmer's Market in St. Paul this weekend!
and btw, i can't wait to make apple crisp this fall with honeycrisp and of course, these new SweeTango's!!!
