Pretzel Garland!

What a cute idea to make pretzels, thread them and hang them, allowing guests to tear one off when they're hungry and eat!  This idea came from Rachael Ray's Everyday Magazine, and my favorite pretzel mix is Auntie Anne's!  A great backyard party idea!

20 minute meal

It was a long day...and this was an easy, delicious supper that only took about 20 minutes to prepare.

It included store bought frozen mini quesadillas, with homemade salsa, an avocado salad, and a zucchini side dish.

While the quesadillas are baking in the oven according to the box directions:

Slice a couple zucchini into thin pieces, and heat olive oil in a pan.  Add in the zucchini and some halved grape tomatoes, and minced garlic.  Add S&P and a little bit of Mexican seasonings as you wish.  Stir fry until the zucchini is tender and golden.  While it's cooking:

Mix in a bowl: 1/2 cup peeled chopped orange, 1/2 cup canned drained diced tomatoes, 1 T minced red onion, 1 T chopped cilantro, 2 tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1/2 tsp canola oil.

Slice an avocado and 1/4 red onion, squeeze half or whole lime juice over the top, sprinkle with salt and a little cumin, and toss.

Lay out the quesadillas and top with the salsa, and serve alongside the zucchini and avocado.

It's a super filling meal, and the flavors are awesome!

Vintage Charm Shelf

Pretty, cute shelf from Urban Outfitters - a great price and great reviews!  It's small, but adds extreme vintage charm to a bathroom or small room.

Book Bag

I'm a sucker for totes, bags, and purses.  And bookbags I love!  Barnes & Noble has some really nice ones! The one below has three inner pockets and two outer!  And be on the lookout as the holiday approach, as they have a new Christmas tote each year that's awesome.

Grate It!

The website All Modern is pretty cool.  Check out these two cheese graters and all  of the other goodies you might want to put on your Christmas list!

Pitcher of Color

Saw this in a magazine.  What a fun pitcher for your kitchen!  It's from Crate and Barrel and it's not a bad price! It is pretty for serving beverages or as a vase!

Fall Wrap (Bordeaux)

I found this scarf at Hallmark tonight, saw several ways to wear it, and it was only $19.99 so I got the orange one!  Can't wait to try it out for fall.  You can also find it on line here.

Sample Scents!

Saw this cute pouch of sample perfumes that's great for travel - it's from  Lucky Scent - and it holds 13 vials of fragrance.   What a fun gift for yourself or a friend!

Leftover Quesas

These quesadillas were just made from leftovers.  When you have tortillas and leftovers, you can make them!

Here's what I had: steak, black beans, queso fresca, tomatillo sauce, and fresh corn on the cob.

I cut the corn off the cob and grilled it with mexican seasonings in a pan, then added the beans and steak, and sauce, to warm it all.  In a large flour tortilla, I sprinkled half of it with cheese,  topped it with the mixture and folded it in half.

Next, I grilled the quesadilla in a bit of butter on both sides till golden and crisp. Tasty, fast, and easy!

Tank Top Hanger

I saw this on line and couldn't wait to try it.  It's taking shower hooks and using them to hang up tank tops!

I found magnetic shower hooks at Bed Beth & Beyond for $4.99 (set of 12) and I got two sets.  I had previously stored my tanks in a drawer, and I had often rolled them or folded them, but they still ended up a mess.

Hanging the tanks by the straps allows 24 tanks to fit on one hanger!  (Use a pretty stout plastic hanger so that it doesn't bow in the middle).

I love this idea!  It only takes up very little space on my clothes rod, and I can easily hang the tops and then choose one to wear!

Pottery Candles

Found these candles today - they smell divine - and look SO nice in their pottery holders!  by Swan Creek Candle Company....  they have a lot of great scents.

Weekender

Weekend trips are my favorite!  And I don't like lugging around big suitcases, so I'm always spotting cute "weekender bags" for those 2-3 day trips!

Check out this beauty from Target!

Soft Corn Tacos

These tacos were a combo of two recipes and they were very, very tasty!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

8 corn tortillas - stack them and cover with foil.

Spray a baking pan with oil.

Rinse and drain a can of black beans, and mash with a fork the beans, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder and S &P.  Spread out the bean mixture onto the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil,  and bake about 18 minutes until the beans are a bit crispy. Place the tortilla foil packet in the oven the last five minutes.

Meanwhile, season 1 lb flank steak with salt and 2 tsp lemon zest, pressing into the steak.  Cook on grill pan about 6 minutes each side, then let it rest for 5 minutes, before slicing on the grain at a diagonal into thin slices.  Mix soy sauce with lemon juice and garlic, S&P and pour over the steak slices.

For the slaw, I used a packaged slaw and mixed in chopped jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and green onions.

For the cheese, I bought queso fresco already grated in a pouch.

Prepare your tacos with slaw, steak, bean mixture and cheese!  Delish.

Chicken Salad

This is my favorite chicken salad, my own recipe.

Boil one large chicken breast, let it cool, then toss in the food processor, and into a bowl.

Place 1/2 cup each of pecans, dill pickles, onion, and carrots in the processor and pulse.

Mix in with the chicken, season salt, and mayo to your own taste.

This tastes better after chilling in the fridge.  It's great with a wheat bollilo!

Great Deal

Rue 21 is a store mostly for teen girls, but oftentimes some items are great for women of any age there, because the prices are much less than those of a department store. You have to know what to look for.

These finds today were great, affordable, and comfortable.  Check them out online or in your city!

Purse on clearance, five bucks.  Great tote for taking in your own snacks to the movie!  Comfy plaid loafers for weekend wear with the new trendy "sweats" that aren't really sweats - they're called "joggers."  And these boots were super comfortable, which is a hard find!  We got 7 pieces for under $70, with Rue's bucks.

 

Tex Mex Cones

What a cute way to serve up a tex-mex dish!

Preheat oven to 350.

Take four large flour tortillas (10 inch) and fold in half, then make a cone, overlapping.  Fold up the bottom and place each one in a muffin tin (sprayed with oil).  Spray the cones with oil, as well.  Bake about 15 minutes until crispy and golden.

Dice 1 lb chicken breasts.  In a bowl, mix 3 T flour with 1/2 tsp each of cumin and chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Toss the diced chicken to coat.  Heat 2 T olive oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the chicken til lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.

Add half cup each of diced onion, red bell pepper, celery and carrots, and stir fry about 2 more minutes, until veggies start to soften.

Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, and simmer until the mixture thickens.  Stir in cilantro and S&P to taste.

Spoon the mixture into the cones, top with Monterrey Jack cheese and serve with avocado.

Tip:  Drain off most of the juice from the mixture, as it will make the bottom of the cone a bit soggy if you pour in the juice.

Apple Pie Tonight

It's time for apple pie, and this one is delicious and simple.  It's the All American Apple Pie from All Recipes.  I read great reviews and found one bit of advice to be true - make sure the topping is done - press on it to see if it gives - and cook a few minutes longer...

I loved the homemade crust and topping recipe rather than buying the store bought crust. This recipe is easy to follow and easy to do!  Super yummy warm, with vanilla ice cream...on a cool fall night!

Potato Bites

These little bites are easy to make and great for a side dish, or appetizer, and they can even be eaten at room temp and still taste great.

Cut in half a dozen or more small new potatoes and boil them in salted water until fork tender, about 15 minutes, and drain.  Cut a small slice of the skin side so that the potatoes will sit flat, and lay them out on a platter.  Sprinkle with sea salt, chopped fresh dill, and grated cheddar cheese.

You're done.

Fall Fragrance

I have ordered these on line before,  and recently found them in a store in my home town, called Serve Gourmet.  Milkhouse Creamery candles come in these cute crocks, and they smell divine.  Check out the fall scents of autumn pear, barn dance, apple strudel, pumpkin latte...

Order a couple for yourself and one to give away...

Two-Sided Earrings

I saw these in a magazine and I want them!  Double sided earrings - and the price is very affordable.

Especially love these two from My Jewel Candy

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Cornbread croutons

My genius daughter-in-law used "old" cornbread to make croutons, and they were great!

Just cut the cornbread into cubes, salt and pepper them, and drizzle and toss with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

These are oh, so good, on top of chili or a good bowl of tomato soup!

Chicken Salad

This recipe is from Clean Eating, and it is simple and tasty:

1 lb boneless chicken breast cooked and shredded in food processor - placed in bowl.  Stir in 1/2 c mustard, 1/2 c chopped scallions, 1 tsp fresh dill weed, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper.  Add in 1 T chopped tomato.

Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Grapefruit Dressing

This dressing is delicious, uses fresh ingredients and was easy to make.

Just combine in a bowl 3 T fresh grapefruit juice, 4 tsp canola mayonnaise, 2 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp honey, and 1/2 grated grapefruit rind in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Gradually add 2 T grapeseed oil (I only had canola), stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/2 tsp poppy seeds (I only had sesame seeds which I toasted and used), 1/8 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Drizzle over baby spinach!

Nutty App

This is a fun, delicious snack - easy to make.

Toss a handful each of three kinds of nuts ( I used pepitas, sunflower seeds, and pistachios), a few dried cranberries, a generous pat of butter, and a good drizzling of maple syrup into a saucepan. Heat over high heat and stir, until it thickens.

Place in little mounds on parchment paper and let completely cool, before transferring them to a serving tray.

YUM.

Veggie Sandwich - the BEST

I really think this is the BEST veggie sandwich I've ever eaten!  I ordered it at Ave B Grocery here in Austin, a cute little eatery in an old house, with picnic tables outside.

Here's what was on it - sprouts, black olives, jalapenos, dill pickle slices, red onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo - on healthy nut bread.  It was just the right combo of crunch, sour, heat, and flavor!

OH MY, was it good.

Butterfinger Pie

We just recently enjoyed this pie and I watched it being made - pretty simple!

The recipe calls for one 11.5 oz package of Butterfinger fun sizes, 8 oz cream cheese softened, 12 oz Cool Whip, and 1 pre-made graham cracker crust.  However...my daughter-in-law made her own substitution for the Cool Whip with homemade whipped cream!  She mixed 1 pint of heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla and 4 tsp sugar in her Kitchenaid mixer on low until mixed, then high until stiff peaks.

Chop up the candy pieces and mix with the cream and cream cheese, reserving a few of the candy pieces for the top of the pie after chilling. Pour it all into the graham cracker crust.

Chill for at least an hour, then sprinkle the candy pieces on top and enjoy...this tasty dessert!

Cheesy Crisps

An easy snack or appetizer just requires three ingredients: freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, dried thyme, and blackberry preserves. (recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

Just make small piles of the cheese mixed with the dried thyme, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, bake at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown, and let cool.  Serve with a dollop of the preserves.

That's it!

Metal Basket

Fall is a great time for family picnics, before it gets too cold.  We really like this metal one found at World Market.  It's vintage, it's colorful, and it's darn cute!  Check out our fall picnic tips in the magazine on the TIPS page!

St Louis Nachos

These nachos are SO delicious and easy! This is a recipe by Daphne Oz.

Mix one can of drained black beans with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and heat just til warm.

Spread out tortilla chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over top.

In a bowl mix one diced avocado, 1 peeled and diced mango, juice of two limes, 1 diced and seeded jalapeno, and 1/4 cup diced fresh mint.

Broil the chips just until the cheese melts (watch this - it only take a very short time - don't burn the chips!).

Finally, layer the chips, avocado mixture, and beans twice - and enjoy!

Candle Holders

Cute, inexpensive taper holders for your candles this fall - in silver or copper - check these out!  Simple and non-fussy!