Cauliflower Side

We made a side dish that is so easy...

Just slice cauliflower florets into 1/2 thick "steaks" and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.  Roast at 425 degrees until tender and a bit browned.

Toss in chopped green olives and you've got yourself a dish!

Fried Chicken

This fried chicken recipe is great hot..or cold...and so easy to make.

I used one package of chicken tenderloins, about 1.5 lbs.

In a large bowl, toss chicken with 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 pepper, 1/2 tsp each of  onion powder and garlic powder.  This can be covered and refrigerated overnight, if you want to make this step ahead.

Into a cast iron skillet, place one inch of oil and heat over medium until 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1 tsp each paprika and salt.

In another bowl, whisk 1/2 cup buttermilk with 1/2 tsp hot sauce.

Coat the chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour, turning to coat.  Fry in batches (don't overcrowd skillet), turning, til golden and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet.

Chill for a picnic tomorrow...or eat it now!

Besame Cosmetics

Just found these retro-reproductions of cake mascara and this cute lipstick sampler online at besamecosmetics.com. I want to try them!

Chorizo Dish & Salad

A great, easy dinner is this tasty Chorizo dish, alongside a Panzanella salad!  These are both taken from the Food Network Magazine.

Chorizo dish - In 1 T olive oil, saute 1 sliced onion til soft.  Add sliced chorizo (cooked) and warm through.  Add in two cans of drained chickpeas, a pint or two of cherry tomatoes halved, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and cook til tomatoes are juicy and soft (5-7 min).  Season with salt and pepper, then top with parsley. (I mistakenly bought chorizo uncooked, so I had to cook it through)

Panzanella salad - Toss crusty cubed bread (8 cups) with 2.5 pounds chopped tomatoes, 1/2 sliced red onion, 1 cup torn basil, 2/3 cup olive oil, and 1/4 cup each of capers and red wine vinegar (I halved this and it was still a lot!)

Chill it!

These chill bags are so cool for carrying your bottled drinks to a picnic or to a friend's house as a hostess gift with drinks inside!

Shoes!

Cute shoes ON SALE at Zara - I got the purple/black ones - but there were so many cute ones!

Two Salads

Two tasty chicken salads from  Rachel Ray Magazine I tried and liked! So easy!

I roasted a package of chicken breasts, then cubed and split into two bowls:

California Salad                                                                    BBQ Salad

chicken                                                                                chicken
baby arugula                                                                        chopped red bell pepper
cubed avocado                                                                     chopped red onion
chopped pistachios                                                               grilled corn kernels
olive oil mixed with orange juice                                            BBQ sauce mixed with mayo
served on grain bread                                                           serve on bun

Peachy Sweet

Summer peaches are super sweet this time of year! The recipe says to grill the cake and peaches, but I prepared the dessert in a cast iron skillet... I used a pound cake mix from a box (Baker's Scoop HEB) and fresh Texas peaches!

Mix melted butter, honey and a pinch of nutmeg/cinnamon.

Pour it on the peaches and pound cake, and grill until peaches are tender and juicy, and pound cake is charred...

It's really delicious!

Takeout Food Trays

Whath a cute idea!  Food trays/takeout boxes to use when you have your next party or movie night!  Just add a ribbon and label to go with your theme!

Layered Nachos

Take these ingredients, layer them, and bake - and you've got yourself a meal!

Two roasted chicken breasts, cubed (I made these ahead of time and kept in fridge)
Corn shaved off the cob and grilled in a pan with seasonings
A can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained.
Two jalapeno peppers, seeded, then roasted, and diced.
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated
Tortilla Chips ( these need to hold up to the toppings so use thicker chips)

Use a large roasting pan and start with the chips on the bottom, then layer the ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees about 7-10 minutes til the cheese melts.  Top with grated lime zest and chili powder, and sliced radishes. Spread with salsa verde (I had salsa already made so I used it).

Leaf Wreath

I saw this cute wreath on the pages of Woman's Day and then found it at Jane Joss' Etsy page on line.  There are several options, all including fabric leaves in a variety of seasons....so cute and so affordable...

Waffle Zoo

If you're going to make waffles, why not make them in these cool animal shapes? After all, they taste so much better when you bite off the head of a giraffe!  We used this cool waffle maker this weekend and the kids loved it!

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Veggie Burgers are one of my faves, even though many recipes don't include any way to keep the burger together.  This one is no exception.  However, the taste is delicious, even if it falls apart on the bun!

Heat 1 T oil in skillet over med heat - Add 1 med red onion chopped and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped, 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.  Cook and stir for one minute.

Add 1 cup grated carrots and cook for two more minutes.  Remove from heat and transfer to bowl, fold in 1 can rinsed black beans, and 1/2 cup prepared couscous.

With wet hands, form mixture into four patties, heat 1 T oil in skillet and cook till heated through, about 3 min per side.

Serve on toasted English muffins with avocado, onions and tomato.  Super good.

Boy-sized Wallet

I haven't been able to find a little boy-sized wallet, so I Googled the popular duct-tape making sites and found one for wallets - it only took about 15 minutes to make this and Gideon (2 1/2 years old) loves it.  It fits right in his shorts pocket!

I found this cute checkered duct tape on clearance at Target and just tore off strips about 20 of the squares long, and overlapped about five times, to make it kid-sized.  It was so fun to make!

A Great Combo!

This was one of the easiest, tastiest, healthiest dinner's I've ever made!

Purchase a package of thin chicken cutlets.  In a bowl, beat two eggs with salt and pepper.  In another bowl, place 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs.  Dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then coat on both sides with crumbs.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, in 5 Tbsp of olive oil, brown the chicken on both side - about 4 minutes per side.

For the salad:

Peel a zucchini, then using your peeler, peel the rest of it into slices. In a bowl, add the zucchini, 1/4 of a red onion sliced, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, and 1 T each of apple cider vinegar and olive oil, then salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken atop the salad - the combo will set your mouth to singing...seriously.

Fairy Gardens

My niece just created this fairy garden in her backyard with her daughter.  She used tiny plants, sand, rocks, wood and miniature fairy buildings that you can purchase on line or your local nurseries.  They used broken things from their yard to add height and depth, as well as broken pots on top of old cinder blocks and bricks.  They made a gnome house by layering plain rocks, using a glue gun.  The table and chairs for the tea party are made out of cut and stained pieces of wood!  All created on a Saturday afternoon!

You can start with purchasing this book on line!

Chicken Salad Delish!

Try roasting a few chicken breasts at 375 degrees, just sprinkled with salt, pepper, and olive oil, then cube them for your recipes this week!

We used the cubed chicken in a Middle Eastern chicken salad, served in pita bread - and it was delightful!

Mix the cubed chicken with a can of chickpeas (I was out, so I used a can of white beans, rinsed and drained), chopped cucumber, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, ground cumin, and olive oil mixed with lemon juice.  Just combine ingredients and taste as you go....

House Numbers

Just adding these cool pottery numbers on the front of your house can give you a whole new look, an updated modern welcome!  Find them here!  They are made to order...

Weekend Family Trip!

Family weekend in Granbury, Glen Rose, Texas - for anyone in the Central Texas area - or any readers planning a trip to Texas.  This was a great trip from start to finish!

Granbury is about 3 hours west of Austin, and Glen Rose is just a few minutes from Granbury.  We planned a weekend for the eight of us, including two toddlers.

We stopped to eat at Babe's Chicken House upon arrival in Granbury - a great choice - in fact the favorite restaurant of our whole trip for all of us!  The food is served family style and it's all delicious - fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn and biscuits - all homemade stuff!  We walked the square a bit and found some cute stores, then headed to our cabin - an awesome place that accommodated all of us - Dinosaur Trail & Cabins.

Our cabin was right off a main highway nestled among a lovely trees and landscaping, and included a dino trail behind it, as well as a kids' playground.  This was an added bonus that the kids loved!  The owners left us treats on the table, as well as drinks in the fridge.  It was a perfect weekend stay.

We acclimated ourselves to the cabin and relaxed, then headed to the Brazos Drivein - at one of the few drivein theaters left around the country!  We parked and opened the back of the car, set out our chairs and blanket, set up with popcorn and drinks and watched Malificent under the moonlit sky, with breezes that were just enough on a summer night . We all loved the experience and fun.

All of the above were Friday's activities.

Saturday, we had breakfast in the dining room across the gravel path, a gourmet affair of stuffed French toast, fruit, and Scottish eggs, all part of our package.  We left for  Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and drove through for two hours of immense fun as exotic animals approached our car, stuck their heads in our windows, and ate out of our hands.  This was by far one of the best of its kind.  The memories we made and the photos we took were definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.

After the safari ride, we headed to Storiebook Cafe, a bookstore, cafe, and playroom for kids, with some of the best cuisine in town.  We had wraps, soup, and an amazing berry pie, all of which was filling AND satisfying.

After heading back to the cabin to rest and pack up for the beach, we went to Lake Granbury's sandy beach, lined with little Tiki huts for shade.  It was late afternoon and all huts were taken, so we spread our blankets down on the sand and got in the water. There we took turns playing family volleyball in the water and wiggling our toes  in the sand with the kiddos.  It was a blast!

For the evening, we picked up BBQ at Spring Creek BBQ and headed back to the cabin where we had decorated the table for Christmas in July. Before the trip, we purchased to-go boxes from the Dollar Store and World Market, and filled tiny ones with shortbread cookies, and the larger ones with ribs and fries.  We had a little gift for each person to open, and we played a new game we brought - American Trivia.  That game lasted until very late!

I forgot to mention that each year for the past few years, our family has picked some song to harmonize and sing together for fun, and record. This year, because we drove through a safari, we picked "The Lion Sleeps Tonight!"

Sunday, we found another scrumptious breakfast awaiting us int he dining room - hash brown casserole, fruit and muffins - again so tasty it was insane!  From there, we headed to Dinosaur World for a walk through a park of about 150 life-size dinosaurs, labeled and set along a paved path and in water.  I personally think this place wasn't worth the money, but it ended up being Gideon's favorite thing - so I guess it was great for him!  It was very hot outside, so I recommend going to this place during a cooler season!

It was time to head home, and we stopped at a restaurant to watch the final World Cup game and make our final stop a drive-thru at Starbucks. We arrived home and said our goodbyes and gave our tight hugs.

My favorite part?  Planning the trip, and seeing my kids have fun, while enjoying my husband and the family and gifts we've been given....

A couple things we didn't have time to do that looked cool - Big Rocks Park - definitely for older kids - and Creation Evidence Museum - which is open odd times so check it out before you go!  It's a super interesting place!

Hit the Trail

We're going on another road trip this weekend, and tried another super easy trail mix:

per serving:
1 cup multigrain Cheerios
1 T nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts or other combo)
1 T dried fruit (cranberries, raisins)
1 T semisweet chocolate chips

Of course for our crowd, we quadrupled this recipe!  It looks nice and tastes even better!  And...it's a pretty healthy snack!

The Veggie Bin

We needed to use up all our fridge veggies, so we took out the following:

zucchini
onions
yellow squash
radishes
new potatoes
tomatoes
parsley

We chopped them up and stir-fried in olive oil, with lots of seasoning, until tender, and sprinkled with parsley.

Meanwhile, we made brown rice and fried it (seasoned with soy sauce) in another skillet, and we fried a few eggs.  We also made mozzarella cheese toast!

Fried rice with eggs/veggies for him...

Veggies over toast for me...(I hate eggs)

Book Shelf Book!

I saw this in HGTV Magazine and thought I'd pass it along - repurposing books as shelves!

• You'll need painter's tape to tape off the sides of the book, but not the spine.
• You'll need to paint the front, back, and spine of each book and let dry, then open and use a small brush to paint inside edges and let dry.
• You'll need screws to place brackets on the wall, then glue to adhere the book on top with a construction adhesive like Liquid Nails.

And you'll get this!

Luggage Tags

Luggage tags - they're great for traveling - when you're flying.  Your bag comes down the carousel and this tag makes it an easy spot for you - and for others - so that the wrong person doesn't pick up your bag!  These make great gifts...too!  After all, it IS time for Christmas in July...

Pupusas for Dinner!

Tonite we had dinner from a taqueria in California called La Bamba, and my favorite thing was the pupusa - and here's how to make them!  They were served with a slaw, and together they tasted great!

our pupusa we had tonite

the pupusa recipe photo

Sweet Potato Taquitos!

These sweet potato taquitos were really tasty - had them tonite in California at a place called Aqui - a Cal-Mex restaurant.  I found this recipe on line that looks similar,and I plan to try them when I return home!

Drinking Glasses

These glasses are so cute and so affordable, and they're found at IKEA.  When's the last time you stocked up on new drinking glasses?

Hats On!

Found this cute Fedora (second one purchased this summer!) at Rue 21 for just under 10 bucks!  It's neutral, has a cute multi-colored stripe around it, and will go with just about any outfit!

Small Cooler Bags!

LOVE these coated-linen cooler bags with such cute artwork on the front...and....a shoulder strap!  Super affordable here!