Cute and Simple Gift Idea

It seems like I am often needing a little gift for one thing or another and then I find myself scrambling for something at the last minute.  The last time I was in this predicament I just happened to be at Trader Joe's grabbing some grocery items.  My plan was to get what I needed there, and then probably go from place to place to place trying to figure out what to get for a gift (but who wants to do that when it's 110 degrees outside)???  Then I came across their bar soaps...I had seen them several times before but never thought to use them as gifts.  So I grabbed one of each 'flavor' (Lavender, Lemon Verbena and Green Tea) and hit the check out line!

All I had to do was stack them up (I added a piece of double stick tape between each bar to prevent them from slipping), wrap them with some coordinating ribbon...

...and print out a little tag on my computer.  Super easy!

The soaps are just over 3 bucks each and they smell so good!  Mine was for a birthday but it would make a great little hostess gift too...without breaking the bank!

Oreo Peanut Butter Pies

So my friend invited us over for a dinner party, then unfortunately her daughter became ill so we had to postpone...she told me though that she made these Oreo Peanut Butter Pies for dessert...I was literally salivating thinking about them. I had to put a plan in action and make my own now because there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks I was going to miss out on this treat. 


My friend got a recipe from The Picky Palate, so I decided to go for it...mine aren't as  pretty..BUT in my defense I have "slight" A.D.D. so I can only handle the project for so long and then I get bored...but all the combos still taste the same right???? Maybe next time I'll slow down a bit...I was just completely interested in getting these puppies done and shoved in my mouth at warp speed. 

Here's all my ingredients...literally that was it...I hate that the Smart Balance lid is backwards...
there is my tiny bit of O.C.D. coming out...

Just cut out 4in circles, press into the muffin pan....THEN....

Layer these puppies...Oh my...I love peanut butter and chocolate!

 Then place in the muffin shell

Cut little strips with leftover pie dough and do a lattice pattern...yes I was sloppy but as I explained above I was in a mad hurry :) Brush with melted butter and sprinkle sugar on top

Bake at 350 for 24-27mts 

and here they are.........

and the inside of them....so yummy!

So thanks "you know who" for teasing me with this dessert because it got me to try making them and I will definitely be making these in the future, they were super easy!

Night Stand Makeover (Part 1)

Thought I would ease back into the blogging world now that we are back from vacation and pretty much done with the kids' summer activities :).  I haven't been doing a whole lot of crafting, but I have a growing list of projects that have been on my "TO DO" list that I'm trying to tackle.  Last year my daughter wanted a nightstand  next to her bed so instead of buying one, I had an old one from before my husband and I were married (I know...not very stylish but we were on a budget, and besides, it matched our lodge pole bed).

Anyway, I sanded and painted it...the knobs too, and transformed it into this...

I loved the way it turned out and so did my daughter BUT because the drawers aren't on rollers, they stick and are difficult to pull open :(.  She has lived with it for over a year now without too much complaining, so I hadn't made it a huge priority to find another option.  Well, earlier this year we had a community garage sale and I took this little beat up nightstand off my neighbor's hands for 5 bucks!  

This is the perfect size and the drawer and cabinet open easily.  Soooooo...I got this back in February, bought the paint for it in March and sadly, it is still sitting in the corner waiting to be made over.  I hope to have this one done within the next month so stay tuned...

Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts

Lauren here...spent 4th of July with my brother in Huntington Beach....he made these amazing Bacon Wrapped Artichoke hearts on the grill for an appetizer...they were sooooooo good. What a great summer recipe when you are having a backyard BBQ. 

Photo from Zula's Cafe

I found a recipe for them at Zula's Cafe. My brother used Apple smoked bacon and a very thick cut. 

So yummy, if you love artichokes you will love these!

On Vacation

Michele and I are both on summer vacations, she is chillin' out in the mountains and I'm going to soak up the sun at the beach. We will return in a couple of weeks and be refreshed and ready to roll again. 

Happy Summer everyone! 

Cowboy Ciao Stetson Chopped Salad

There's a restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale called Cowboy Ciao that serves the yummiest chopped salad.  I've had it several times, but it never dawned on me (until just recently) to look up the recipe online so I can make it at home...and I'm glad I did because it is sooooooooo good!  Although the salad itself contains some unique ingredients, it is pretty easy to put together.  It's the dressing that takes a little bit more work, but in my opinion it's worth it!  

It even looks pretty :).  This is how they serve it at the restaurant...and then they pour the dressing over it and toss it at your table.  Their original chopped salad is served with smoked salmon, but it can be ordered with chicken.  I like both, but I chose to make it with chicken.

I found several recipes online and they were all similar, but I pretty much followed this one on Flickr that is a printout from the actual restaurant!  The dressing recipe makes a lot so I halved it...was plenty to serve 2 and have some leftover.  

So here is the recipe for the salad (serves 2):

2/3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (or smoked salmon)

1/2 cup Israeli 'pearl' Cous Cous, cooked according to package

1/2 cup arugula, chopped

1/4 cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)**

1/4 cup black currants**

1/4 cup Asiago cheese, crumbled**

1/2 cup super sweet dried corn

1/2 cup Roma tomato, diced

**combine these 3 items and use as 1 row of the salad.

Arrange the above ingredients into 6 rows on 2 plates or large shallow bowls.

Recipe for the Pesto Buttermilk Dressing:

1/4 cup basil pesto*

1/2 shallot, roughly chopped

1/2 cup aioli*

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp coarse pepper

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

*I actually made my own basil pesto and aioli, which is probably why the dressing seemed so time consuming.  Next time I will use prepared basil pesto, which I found at Trader Joe's.  You can make your own simple aioli by mixing 1/4 cup mayo, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic in a food processor.

For the dressing, combine basil pesto, shallot and aioli in a food processor and blend.  With the motor running, add buttermilk and the rest of the ingredients...mix well.  It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.


Serve dressing on the side...when you are ready to feast, pour it over the salad and toss.  DELICIOUS!!!

We're back....

Happy Summer everyone!!!

We've been on a hiatus while school was getting out and we are back and ready to share again. So stay posted to check out some of our projects!!

Enjoy your summer!