$1 Bedtime Stories

Sometimes I love to stop by the Dollar Section at Target to find little treats or fun party goods for weekend activities...

Today I found these books of virtue for good bedtime reading for the little ones - $1 each - that's a deal for a book!

Peach Cobbler in June

Found this easy peach cobbler recipe on line and made it.  The only time consuming part is peeling the peaches and slicing them.  And we were able to find fresh sweet peaches at a farmer's market!

Try this recipe - it is super delicious - in fact maybe the best peach cobbler recipe I've ever made!

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup milk
4 cups peeled, pitted and thinly sliced fresh peaches (5 to 6 medium peaches)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Several dashes ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour the melted butter into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking powder, and the salt and mix well. Stir in the milk, mixing until just combined. Pour this batter over the butter but do not stir them together.

In a small saucepan, combine the peaches, lemon juice, and remaining cup of sugar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour the peaches over the batter but do not stir them together. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden-brown. Serve warm or cold.

Recipe courtesy of Dori Sanders

Egg Basket Light

We visited a coffee shop this weekend and saw the super cute light fixtures made from egg baskets.  How cute this would be in your own house?

Here's a how-to on making one.  And here's a link of where to get the baskets!  Or you might check your local vintage stores or craft stores.

Rustic Decor

We visited Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas today - the store that's made famous by the show Fixer Upper - where a husband/wife team flips houses and turns out amazing displays of decor and skill!

There were so many people in the store it was hard to even shop - but we found these awesome goodies - and bought the vases.

These are cute ideas, even if you can't stop by and shop or shop their online store...

pieces of wood with tin nailed on, and twine to hang.

a wire basket hanging on the wall with a small metal basket filled with tall reeds

our favorite, an elegant vase inside a metal cube!

Pizza Box Oven

What a super cute idea for your college kids who are moving away, or for your own home for a fun weekend oven for parties!  It's a pizza box oven that really bakes pizzas!

You can buy it on line at Amazon or even at Target!

Chicken for Later

This is a good recipe to cook up and then use the chicken for whatever you like during the week:

In a large Ziplock place 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 4 sprigs thyme, 2 T fresh lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves sliced, 1/2 each salt and pepper with 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts.  Marinate 4-8 hours in the fridge, then remove chicken and pat dry.

On a grill pan with oil, cook til golden 4-5 minutes on each side.  Slice, then top with chives.

Now, serve it alongside haricot verts and rice, chopped atop a green salad, or sliced as is in a wrap with almonds and clementine segments.

Enjoy!

Brisket Nachos!

I saw Cowboy Nachos on the Pioneer Woman and made my own version, in a super quick - convenience food - way.

You'll need:

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinshed
pico de gallo (store bought or homemade)
tortilla chips
grated cheddar and pepper jack cheese
sliced avocado
brisket (i bought seasoned brisket already cooked in the meat section)
BBQ sauce

My son came home for lunch one day and I put this meal together super quick - and it is now one of my favorite dishes!  I set out the ingredients for us to make our nachos as we liked.

I heated the brisket according to directions, then stirred in a bit of BBQ sauce for more flavor, and also heated the pinto beans.

The rest of the ingredients were set out in bowls, and we piled and assembled!

Banana/Peach/Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe for Mel's Banana Muffins in the Food Network Magazine but I only had one banana, so I used a peach (peeled and mashed) as a substitute for the second one, and the muffins taste great!

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup 2 percent milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the milk and vanilla. With the mixer on low, alternately add one-third of the flour mixture and half of the banana mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean

2 for 10

Charming Charlie is having a sale, and their clearance necklaces (there is a wall full) are 2 for $10.

Not only that, their clearance clothes are buy one/get one free!

I found these two fun necklaces...and I'm pretty sure the sale is just in-store...

Second Time's a Charm

A few months ago I posted a cool idea to hang shower hooks on hangers for organizing all of those tank tops we own!

However, I tried it, and the shower hooks slid to one side or the other, and it was maddening!

I recently found these scarf hangers, only I hung my hooks in the open circles, and now the idea really works!  I love it!  The hooks stay put and so do my tanks!

Three Neck Pretties

Pretty darn cute necklaces from H&M for summer....at pretty darn good prices...

Delicious Party Dip!

My wonderful friend Sherrye made this delicious cheesy dip for a party we attended, and I asked her to give me the recipe!  It was definitely a hit, and sounds easy to make!

In a bowl, place 2 cups grated cheese (four cheese blend), 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 bunch chopped green onions, and a dash of garlic powder.  Mix together, then add in 1 cup mayonnaise (she used the mayo with olive oil).

Line a pie plate with saran wrap and place the mix inside the plate and press to mold.  Refrigerate for several hours and then turn upside down onto a large platter.  (She placed a lovely liner underneath for decoration.)

Next, pour Fischer & Wieser roasted blueberry chipotle sauce over the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.

Finally, place Wheat Thins around the edge, and serve!

Manchego Cheese Pita Crisps

I love Manchego cheese and I love pita chips!  This recipe combines the two, with other spices, as well.  So tonight I grated and sprinkled and baked - and honestly these smelled so good while they were cooking - and tasted even better when they came out warm and crisp!  (Use the wedges thick, don't splice to make thin ones).

Summer Sneakers

Cute whimsical sneakers are great for skirts and bermuda shorts this summer - check out these fun ones from gojane.com!

Flamingo Palms

Star Studded

Checked Mate

Summer Fun Kits

Found these cute paint sets, sticker books, glimmer art and posters for summertime fun for the kiddos all less than a dollar or two at Michaels - on sale!  There was a whole section of cute things to stock up for rainy days, hot days, or just fun nights with the kids - when you have to stay indoors!

Lemony Chicken over Salad

This was super delicious and easy to put together.

Cut up chicken breasts into cubes and marinate in 2 T lemon juice, 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper, and 2 tsp garlic, and 1 T olive oil.

Skewer if you wish, or just grill chicken until done, turning often.

For the salad, mix 1 T lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper in a bowl, add in 2 cups chopped parsley and 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes.  Toss to coat.

Serve the chicken on top of the salad.

Lollia Parfum

This perfume smells divine.  It's a little pricey if you buy the larger bottle, but Luxe Apothecary has small tiny purse-sized bottles for $10.00.  There's nothing else like it!

Capers, Potatoes & Radishes!

We made the potatoes from a recipe found in Real Simple  Magazine and loved them!

Toss 1 lb baby potatoes with 1 bunch halved radishes with olive oil, salt and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees about 25 minutes til tender.  Top with capers, chopped chives and serve with lemon wedges!

Delish!

Arugula Pesto Pizza with Zucchini

This arugula pesto pizza with zucchini was one of my favorite pizzas I've ever eaten!  It's from Food Network Magazine and it was so fresh and delicious!

Check out the recipe here.

Jalapeno Cheese Poppers!

These jalapeno poppers only include three ingredients and were super tasty!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice jalapenos lengthwise keeping stems, and take out the seeds.

Slice smoked cheddar cheese in sticks that will fit in each half of the peppers.

Slice bacon slices in half lengthwise.  Wrap each slice tightly around the jalapeno stuffed with cheese.

Place these on a rack atop a baking sheet, cheese side up.

Bake 25 minutes or until bacon is cooked.

Enjoy!

Unique Toys

Did you know that World Market has cool toys for kids?  These are just a couple, but they have a whole section, and they are not your norm toys - so they're fun to buy - especially when they once in a while have their 50% off toy sale!

I got these two nesting dolls that pull apart with smaller dolls inside - great fun for little ones.

I also found these small kites for kids age 5 and under - just their small size!

Bacon Pistachio Chicken Salad

This bacon pistachio chicken salad recipe was printed in my local newspaper and so I tried it, and we loved it. (Austin American Statesman)

You'll need:
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and chopped (or you can roast your own)
1/2 cup pistachios, pulsed to small size
1 diced celery stalk
1/2 red onion diced
1 green apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup diced cooked bacon
1/2 cup halved grapes
1 cup mayo
1 tsp each S&P

mix all ingredients except the chicken.  mix til fully combined, and then place the chicken into the mixture and mix.  refrigerate an hour before serving.

we enjoyed it with multigrain chips.

Rhubread

I saw the recipe in Taste of Home Magazine and decided to try it - only I couldn't find rhubarb this time of year in my local store.  So I opted for frozen rhubarb and just made sure it was thawed out and chopped before using in the recipe.

The bread tastes great and is easy to make.  I halved the recipe since I just wanted one loaf.

Check out the recipe on line.

Two Good Reads

My niece just recommended a couple of books that she said are awesome, so I'm interested, and I'm sharing here:

The first is Scary Close by Donald Miller and the second is Truly Free by Robert Morris.

Pretty Set

I love World Market for household decor and fun home ideas, but their jewelry is awesome, too! Especially when I look at the clearance area - where I found these this week!  Check them out in the store, as I don't see these deals on line.  These two items were under $12 together!

From the Fridge Pulled Tacos

I had these ingredients in my fridge, and needed to make dinner:

Corn tortillas
Leftover chopped chicken
brussel sprouts
carrots
mixed greens
cucumbers
red onion
and a few fresh tomatoes from our vines
frozen prepared pulled pork

I heated the pulled pork according to directions.

I grated all of the veggies into a bowl, added lemon juice, S&P, and some sugar - to taste - to make a slaw

In a bit of canola oil I fried the tortillas, using tongs to shape them into a taco shell, drained them on paper towels and sprinkled a bit of kosher salt on each.

We then prepared pulled pork tacos, and they were really, really good! And oh, so fresh!

And now the fridge is cleaned out, ready for groceries, whenever I get to the store...

The Great Plate

Found these cute plates that fly, serve, and float - and hold a drink in the center - with food around the circle - so cute for picnics!  And they were at CVS!  These are called The Great Plate, and there's even a Facebook page for them!

Plump Potion

I was looking for a new lipgloss and found this Plump Potion that also hydrates the lips - by Physician's Formula - the makeup I use.  I tried it, and it feels great - like it has something tingly in it!  And it supposedly makes your lips fuller and younger - looking...I'll let you be the judge of that :)  Found it at CVS.  Who knew being "plump" could feel so good?

Jar & Sign

At Sur La Table they have these oh so cute beverage jars and little chalkboard signs to hang, labeling the beverages in the jars!

Super cute idea for summer parties!

Poblano Quesas

I had some leftover chicken, and saw this recipe in a magazine (Real Simple) and decided to add my chicken to it - and it turned out great!

You'll need:

four 10 in flour tortillas
4-5 large poblano peppers, seeds out, sliced
1 large white onion sliced
salt and pepper
1 can rinsed black beans
8 oz sharp cheddar grated
shredded or chopped cooked chicken

preheat oven to 425 degrees

in a large skillet, place 3 T canola oil and heat.  add the peppers and onions, with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper - cook and stir about 15 minutes til tender, over medium heat.

add in the beans and cheese, and combine.

meanwhile in a cast iron skillet, just heat over medium heat  each tortilla on both sides about 20 seconds til browned in spots.

spoon 1/4 of the mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over, placing all four on a rimmed baking sheet.

cook about 10 minutes.  serve with pico or salsa!