recommendation: magical stain remover

fels naptha. huh? no, it is not a harry potter spell. and its not the Latin name for an extinct species found in an exotic part of the world. get this.... its soap. yup.

When brother in law's wife Christy told me about it, I made her repeat it 3 times. I didn't understand the words coming from her mouth. But she said that its tried and true for getting any stain out. My mother in law has used it for years so I decided to give it a try.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find it at a normal grocery store but they told me to look out for a bar of soap in vintage packaging. It was hiding on the bottom shelf in the cleaning supplies aisle but there it was. and oh goodness, its awesome. and cheap - under $2 for a bar! I've used it twice so far, once for a grease stain on jeans and then on a pen stain on a pair of khaki's. you wet the stain, scrub the soap on, and then stick it in the washer. It worked amazingly.

Just like the website says:

Fels-Naptha® is the golden bar that is excellent for pre-treating greasy, oily stains like perspiration stains and ring-around-the collar. Fels-Naptha® has stood the test of time for over 100 years so you know it really works.

Check it out!

recommendation: cheesecake dip

Ok, way overdue on posting this but better late than never because its worth posting. The great part is, even though I did a Thanksgiving version of this recipe, its easily adaptable! The original recipe came from my previous co-worker and fashionista friend Amy. Its one of the easiest recipes ever. Seriously.

Here are her instructions:
1 brick (8 oz) of cream cheese
1 tub of cool whip
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tspn of lemon juice

Beat on low and voila!

Notes:
- I served it as dip but Amy advises that it’s great in a graham cracker crust with strawberries on top too
- My friend Evie served as dip with shortbread cookies, strawberries, graham cracker sticks, garnished with chocolate chips
- You can use low fat cream cheese and low fat cool whip and splenda and it tastes exactly the same and weight watcher friendly!

Here is an official pumpkin pie version

I am not a fan of greek yogurt so I adapted the above version, here is my Pumpkin Pie version:
1 brick of low fat cream cheese
1 tub of low fat cool whip
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsn of lemon juice
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
Pumpkin pie spice (not sure how much of this I put in, just kept adding and tasting) - can also use cinnamon and nutmeg if you don't have this

Served with: gingerbread graham crackers, green and red apples. The cake in the picture is leftover slices of my pumpkin chocolate chip cake!

Think of all of the possibilities.... add caramel to dip apples in. Add peppermint extract and dip chocolate graham crackers, with white chocolate shavings on top. Add raspberry preserves. The list goes on. This dip is awesome for potlucks!!!

And hubby approved! :)

recommendation: mexican stuffed shells

I was intrigued by this fusion recipe I found on Blog Chef. Pasta + Mexican. Odd but I love both so how can it not be delicious? The whole time I was preparing the recipe I was perplexed on what the outcome would be... delicious or weird? Delicious won out.

The recipe was a bit of a fiasco in the beginning as I thought I had cream cheese in the house but it had gone bad so after cooking the meat and noodles I had to run to the store which 1. delayed dinner by 20 minutes and 2. made me a frantic mess. That said, once I got back on track, it was easy to assemble. Really, the noodles are just a vessel for the yummy Mexican filling. Hubby thinks that it would taste just as good if not better with corn tortillas but I can't help to think that the noodles are just so much easier (have you ever tried to make enchiladas and keep the tortillas rolled? sometimes its tricky!!).

Anyway, this recipe is easy and divine and you must try it. Plus there is so much room for interpretation - trying different salsas, hot vs mild taco sauce, different toppings - we followed the olives, green onions and sour cream, but what about fresh tomatoes, avocado, cilantro (i don't like, but it goes). I bet you could even add onions and peppers into the meat mix!

I wanted to keep sides light since the shells are pretty heavy so I made a corn & avocado salad on the side.

Recommended, try it soon!

Recipe, from blog chef:
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream

Step 1: In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While burger is cooking cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Step 2: Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Step 4: Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

recommendation: pan lining paper

Some days I run my dishwasher TWICE a day. Isn't that crazy? I mean, there are only two of us in this house. Its probably cheaper to keep the dishwasher running vs. stocking up on this lifesaver, but on days where I'm just not in the mood, or if you have a million dishes piling up, check this out... Reynolds Wrap Pan Liner. Its kind of awesome.

Its parchment paper on one side and foil on the other. The foil side goes down on the pan so that it can form to the pan and the parchment side stays up to put the food on.

I've noticed a lot of new recipes I'm trying lately, especially baking, call for parchment paper. Don't you just hate trying to get parchment paper to stay down on a pan? They should sell it in sheets instead of rolls! This new pan liner works out awesome for forming to the pan, coming out easy, and keeping the pan completely clean during the cooking process! I was able to put the pan away after cooking stuffed Mexican Shells (recipe coming soon, they were so different and delicious!). Yup, that's the paper on the left and the clean pan on the right. No dishes. Sweet!

I would recommend picking up a box for those days where the dishwasher is full and the thought of standing over a sink hand washing a pan and scrubbing at it just isn't how you want to spend your evening!

p.s. there have been lots of coupons in the paper lately for this but in case you've missed them, get a $1.00 off coupon HERE!

recommendation: delicious lasagna soup

I've been watching a lot of cooking shows lately and Paula Deen and her southern drawl have me drooling over chocolate layered cakes, cheesy potatoes, fried pickles and more. Her shows often include guests and her sons Jamie and Bobby make frequent appearances. I found a recipe from them online (ok. fine. pinterest), and knew I could trust it because anyone who cooks with Paula knows what they are doing. The Deen brothers took Paula's original recipe and lightened it up. The picture on the left is mine before the cheese, the one on the right is Paula's :)

Here are his instructions:
Bobby’s Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
*note 1 - I used 4 of the 5 sausages. Truth be told, I probably would have been fine with 3, and then I would have had 2 left over that I could have used for another dinner...
NOTE #2, updated 1/9/12 - we used Jennie O's Hot Italian Turkey Sausage and it adds good heat! *
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (i use preminced garlic from a jar)
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
*note - I couldn't find ww lasagna noodles that were decently priced. So i got regular noodles that gave me double the amount for half the price so I could make another meal out of the extra noodles.*
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (i used a 4 cheese reduced fat italian blend)
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional, i skipped)

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

I served this with bread rolls (take a french loaf, slice up, put butter, paprika, a sprinkle of parm cheese, cook in oven at 350 for 15 minutes). It made a large pot of soup but after 1 large bowl each, my hubby and I were full. Leftovers may need a little extra broth if any leftover added because it thickens in the fridge. This recipe is awesome for a cold day and definitely worth trying!

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 3 of 3

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. Here is the last of the 3 part Pinterest posts!

3. Kitchen Wall Art - inspiration:

reason:
thought it would be fun to have a little eye candy in the kitchen since I spend a lot of time in there

steps:
started poking around on etsy and found some amazing food inspired posters but then realized they came in 8 x 10 or bigger and that's unframed... I just don't have the wall space for that. not to be deterred, i decided to search for greeting cards instead which oddly enough were not difficult to find! 5 i got in San Fran, the others I ordered on etsy. all but 1 are actual greeting cards, the pancake pic is just a 5 x 7 print. frames came from ikea, i thought the metal would be more utilitarian for the kitchen work space

final product:
love this project and had so much fun putting it together. collecting anything is fun. its like a game, every time I saw a card rack, I had to go peek to see if I could find anything that would fit the wall. the best part is, since they are greeting cards and most were relatively inexpensive ($2.50 - $15.00), I can replace some of them if we ever get bored of them and need a change. so happy with the way this turned out and definitely recommend this pin!

side note:
etsy was the perfect way to make this collection happen. creative artists and great prices. here are the resources that were used to collect artwork for this collage:
- Pancake Art
- Kiss the Cook
- Your My All Thyme Favorite
- Be Grounded (this one didn't make it up on the wall but its on my fridge. always stay grounded!
- Peas and Carrots
- 1950's Kitchen

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 2 of 3

2. Antique Inspired Mason Jars - inspiration:

reason:
I had been looking for the blue tinted mason jars, which are antiques, so harder to find and more expensive per jar. Instead of buying the antique version, why not just make our own?

steps:
bought mason jars, followed directions as listed on Momtastics blog. I tried the project twice. Because the first time it didn't seem tinted enough so the second time I put more food coloring in. The second time I did it with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law's wife, so we all picked different colors.

final product:
sadly did not work either time. first time the jar looked the same color when it dried, even though I tinted it teal. the second time, i put more modge podge and food coloring, and it left a big ring at the bottom and was all splotchy. directions said to cook for 30 minutes or longer if there are streaks, i cooked it for like 2 hours and still, no change. deleted this pin from my 'to make' board. so yeah... this is actually an UN-recommendation

side note:
i did also try this with an empty martinelli's apple juice jar b/c the leave detail at the top is so pretty. since the project didn't turn out and I didn't want to waste the jar, I spray painted it gold (of course) and will put some branches of red bittersweet berries coming out of it for display at Christmas time. will probably spray paint the other mason jars for something so that i don't waste them!

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 1 of 3

ok here is the deal with pinterest. its an obsession and pretty much a dream world. you spend hours, floating around from pretty picture to pretty picture and there are ideas that seem so realistic and do-able, but you pin pin pin away and spend all this time in this dream world and waste time pining instead of DOING.

well i had three projects that I set out to actually DO. here's how they went:

1. Pantry Project - inspiration on right, original pantry on left

reason:
who doesn't want a pretty pantry? if you have to look at it on a daily basis, mind as well make it gorgeous. the previous owners took two half shelves to make 1 full shelf which resulted in it being uneven, two different shades of white, and pretty scratched up

steps:
we took out all shelves in the cabinet. we probably could of reused some of the wood but decided to start from scratch. at home depot, we found raw wood and had them slice it to our closet measurements. we got 3 full size shelves and 1 cut in half to make 2 half shelves. I don't remember the exact price but I want to say each sheet of raw wood was $8 and we went through 4, they cut it for free.

we had a painter over who was painting a bunch of small projects and touching up other spots in the house (including the damage the movers did! hmph!) so he primed and painted the boards an off white. after a few days of drying, my mom laid down contact paper that we got from Ace (buy a lot just in case and return leftovers... i didn't buy enough and had to call around to 3 different stores to find more of the same print). We got it in the funnest posh print - this is what makes the pantry. you can get contact paper in so many different patterns these days. i love how neutral it is. and ta-da! brand new closet!

final product:
love it! cute but functional. pin worth doing - yes, that means not all of them are. stay tuned for part 2 of 3, coming soon.

recommendation: chocolate chip pumpkin cake

November 2004 - I had just met my now-hubby a few months earlier and his younger sister's birthday was approaching. I wanted to do something special for my amazing now-sis-in-law, so i went on the hunt for a lactose sensitive birthday cake recipe. I was trying to find something that was still yummy but that wouldn't upset her tummy. and I stumbled across this goldmine of a recipe. i have dairy issues too, i'm not a complete 'lactard' as my friend evie calls it, but this recipe works well for those who are at either end of the spectrum for IBS or lactose issues. since its so delicious, you don't miss the dairy and it pleases everyone!

i have found a reason to make this cake every year since - her birthday, thanksgiving, or just because its fall. the recipe is that good. i've made it in a bundt cake pan, a rectangular cake pan, and a loaf pan. Any and all works but bundt is best as its what the original recipe intended for.

(Hannah's) Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake
1 small can pumpkin
3 cups white flour
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs (or egg white equivalent - I use eggbeaters)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola or veggie oil (I use 3/4 cup)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I've never put in before)
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except chips and nuts in a large bowl. Then add chips and nuts. Spray/grease pan. Spoon into a large bundt pan (or rectangular cake pan). Bake from 30-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, invert onto serving plate (if using bundt pan. if regular pan, no need to invert). Sprinkle with powder sugar if desired.

*I know the cooking range is huge but totally depends on oven and pan. It really has taken me different bake times before!

Easy enough, right? Happy Pumpkin season!

recommendation: sparkling coconut water

i love finding new products but i hate when i find out they are only new to me and the rest of the world has already known about its awesomeness for months. It came out in June, but may i present... La Croix Coconut Sparkling Water. Its yum. I bought a single can at the grocery store - I only saw them in skinny cans, not normal size but I do believe they exist - rumor has it Target carries them. I was waiting for a special meal to try it but then my friend Evie sent me a pic that she found it too and I got jealous so decided to try mine right away. Mixed reviews at first (similar to my reaction with flavored coconut water) but by the end of the can, I was happy and thinking of all of its possibilities. Low-calorie Pina Colada's? Add to fruit punch for party punch? I think this drink is better suited for summer but as I love pretty much anything coconut (still on the hunt for the coconut twix but am starting to think maybe it was a seasonal promotion?), I couldn't resist recommending you to try it!

Note: don't confuse this with coconut water. its not sparkling coconut water, its coconut flavored sparkling water.

recommendation: top 10 sandwiches

here are my top 10 sandwiches. I know that's a big statement, so here's the small print:
not in order! not of all time ever (duh, I have lots more sandwich eating days ahead of me! not of my life! just the ones that I've tried, remember and crave on a regular basis:

1. Izzy’s Hogie Shop, Ann Arbor
Order: Grilled Cheese with Tomato on Rye with pickle on side OR the veggie no mushrooms OR cheesesteak hoagie (all of which are dipped in ranch!). They catered my high school graduation party and still remember my order - love this place!

2. Zingerman’s Deli, Ann Arbor
Order: Honestly anything there is amazing, but when I want to enjoy but not overindulge - Sheila's Viva Las Vegan - hummus, artichokes, roasted red peppers and baby spinach on grilled farm bread

3. Amer’s, Ann Arbor
Order: #44 Chix, Cuke, Ranch, White Vermont Cheddar. Messy but worth it.

4. Cosi, nationwide
Order: TBM Lite (that's tomato, basil, mozz, light balsamic vinaigrette), nice and simple, salty bread, easy craving to fill. Plus they have the most funnest soda machine ever - digital where you pick your flavor.

5. L’Appitito, Chicago
Order: Italian sub, hot giardinara. If you go to the Hancock Building location in nice weather, sit out on the steps while you eat, good people watching

6. Eataly, NYC
Order: Soprasetta Sandwich. Quite possibly one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Ever.

7. Cemitas Puebla, Chicago
Order: Carne Asada (sesame bread, avocado, adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese and papalo). Featured on diners drive-ins and dives!

8. Panozzo, Chicago
Order: American Sub, no mayo plus vinaigrette, American cheese, house banana peppers. This place was walking distance from our Chicago home so we went there like once a week. Worth it! But check hours, closed on Mondays. Daily specials!

9. Chick’Inn, Ypsilanti
Order: Cheese Steak Hoagie, plus peanut butter chocolate milkshake. Walking distance from in-laws, this place is greasy goodness.

10. Seva, Ann Arbor
Order: Grilled Pesto Pizza Sandwich and an Orange soda

Happy Eating!

recommendation: bake with leftover candy

well Halloween was a great success! 105 kids, 2 raves from little girls on my kitty ears, hubby called Pumpkin Man b/c of pumpkin face t-shirt ($0.85 at Value World), 2 mommy compliments on my polka dot pumpkin and lots of kid comments on my ghost milk jugs. yay! i have a bowl of whoppers left from Halloween and I am just too happy about that... because I hate whoppers. can you imagine if it was all reeses? that would be serious trouble. i hate to waste them, so I've been scouring the internet for ideas, and here are the top contenders:

whopper brownies from Blue Eyed Bakers

whopper pie from Mommys Kitchen

whopper cookies from Cast Sugar

whopper milkshake from Cafe Coco Creations

please vote and i will make the most popular item this week! :)

recommendation: more halloween decorations!

boo! its halloween and now that I have a little time on my hands, I decided to get into it this year. you already saw my front door display, I also got some cheap leaf bags at big lots (3 for $1.99) that are decorated as a pumpkin, Frankenstein and a ghost. they are supposed to glow in the dark but as they were cheap, they won't work. but trick-or-treating in ann arbor is while its still fairly light out from 5pm - 7pm, so I think kids will get the point.

speaking of not working, i also tried two new recipes. obviously both are from pinterest, no surprise there. the thing i'm finding with pinterest is that it LOOKS pretty, but it doesn't always taste pretty. pinterest is eye candy - not tried and true recipes, not must try or tastes great, but if it looks pretty, it gets repinned. sometimes its ok, you can get away with that, but today I tried making cheesecake brownies - my first attempt at making anything cheesecake (I'm not a cream cheese fan. if you are thinking what do i put on my bagel, its butter). It was a total flop. Perhaps it was because I was following two recipes 1) the girl who ate everything's scream cheese brownies 2. Betty Crocker Scream Cheese Swirl Brownies instead of just one. But I followed instructions. I think I over baked it - edges were hard as a rock, middle was flaking apart as I cut it. I tried but in the end, it went to the trash bin. I think these recipes were user error though, not the recipe itself.

My second pinterest recipe was lemon sugar cookies in the shape of candy corn from Kathie Cooks. I hate candy corn but think it looks awfully cute. They were a little dry so I cooked the second and third sheets a little less and they are pretty decent. I mean, I secretly ate 3 in a row, so obviously they are edible and maybe even yummy. They turned out so much tinier than I thought, but it ended up being perfect because I stuck them in a mason jar and they look adorable! These are for my hubby to take to work - they are having a bake off. This recipe is no winner but the cuteness factor is there so I'm ok with not getting a prize. (now seems like a good time to mention that I won the cake contest in elementary school 1st - 5th grade. i'm not really bragging, i'm just stating cold hard facts here. this is also the reason why I'm ok not winning future bake offs, because I've already proved my awesomeness. here is also where i thank my mom because she pretty much did all the work, i just decorated the cakes.)

My victory of the night was my pumpkin carving session. We picked up a pumpkin at a pumpkin farm up north, as seen in my pumpkin display picture, its big and orange but what you may not be able to see is the detail around the handle of it, there are little curly cue wispy branches and they are cute and magical and I didn't want to cut the top open so I even thought about not carving it. But I really wanted to try out the Martha Stewart polka dot pumpkin, so I went to the tutorial and... she carves the bottom out - how perfect!!! It was actually quite easy, no different from taking the top off. So my top stayed intact, I used a power drill... because any excuse to get a tool in my hand makes me feel like a good homeowner. Same with the hubby, he practically walks around with a screw driver and hammer in his pocket. He's becoming quite handy! OK but anyway, I used a power drill, the 1/4 and 3/16 bits, drilled holes down the "seams" of the pumpkin, and ta-da! A beautiful polka dot pumpkin that I just l.o.v.e.

the other thing that turned out great, was my milk jug project inspired by blogger eighteen25. My mom and mother-in-law donated most of my jugs as we don't consume very much milk (apple cider jugs work too!). They were easy to make, I finished in less than an hour, and I think they are going to look adorable lined up against our garage door! the trick is using christmas lights instead of candles to light them up.

Can't wait to get trick-or-treaters tonight. Hope it stops raining. Happy Halloween!!!

recommendation: cooking for others

I came across this great blog post, Cooking for Others, A Guide to Giving Sympathy Meals, and loved it. whenever someone is under the weather or just out of the hospital with a new tiny family member, I think its really helpful to bring a meal or some kind of food gift to them during your first visit. When you are sick or recovering or have your hands full, cooking can be quite the task (as we all know it can be a lot of work even when you are feeling great and don't have your hands full!!!).

We just received the most delicious coffee cake from our neighbors to welcome us to the neighborhood. It was such a nice treat and I think really thoughtful of them. Baked goods work great for someone you don't know as well but want to give something to. It shows that you thought of them and baked goods are enjoyed by most people so its a good choice, just watch out for nuts in case of any allergies if you don't know the person as well.

When it comes to cooking a full meal, this works better if you know the person and their tastes and likes/dislikes. My go-to dishes for friends with babies are my mom's baked rigatoni recipe (non-veg) or Kraft's stuffed shells (veg) because they are both quick and inexpensive for me to make, easy to make a double batch so you get a meal out of it too, both freeze well, and everyone loves pasta!

stuffed shell recipe:
find it here

rigatoni recipe:
1 lb Ground Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy)
6 cups of spaghetti sauce (although I like to put more in, have 2 jars on hand just in case)
12 oz Rigatoni
3/4 c Parmesan Cheese
4 oz package (2 c) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook and drain the rigatoni. Brown the sausage, crumble, drain. In a 2 quart baking dish, combine sausage, sauce, noodles and parmesan cheese. Mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese. Freeze or bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Yields 4-6 servings
Notes:
* I've been doing half a pound of sausage lately because I don't like as much meat in the pasta and its cheaper but if you love sausage, follow the original recipe!
* Paul Newman Marinara works well for this recipe
* if freezing, leave mozz cheese out of dish, top with foil. add mozz when you are ready to cook!
* this is a great recipe, the shortcut version of it, is buy Mids Italian Sausage meat sauce, and mix that with cooked pasta, and top with mozz (so skip the parm, skip the browning of sausage) - pretty close in taste and super quick - baking it for 20 min to brown the cheese makes it seem like you put a lot more into the dish than you did!

Here are some more great tips from the article:

Ideally, sympathy meals are:
- easy to transport
- easy to eat
- hold well
- freeze well

Ideas that meet this criteria are:
- Soups & Stews: chili of all types, hot nourishing soups, hearty stews, chowders
- Crockpot/Slowcooker meals: Spaghetti sauce, Pulled pork/chicken (accompanied with slaw, and buns), chicken cacciatore, chicken curry
- Casseroles: Lasagna, Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Devon
- Sauced Meals: Chicken Parmesan, Meatballs & Sauce, Ribs, Meatloaf

Don't Forget:
- Always include heating instructions
- Try to use disposable containers that are oven friendly so that the receiver doesn't have to worry about getting the dish back to you
- Make it something easy for them to make so that they don't have to spend a lot of time prepping the meal, that defeats the whole purpose of giving it
- Make it a complete meal - I normally send a bag of salad along with my pastas. Side dishes are great and don't have to be anything fancy - a tub of pasta from the deli section at your grocery store, a can of baked beans, a bag of salad, frozen garlic bread, a steamer bag of veggies, etc.

Happy Meal Giving!

recommendation: art class in chicago

i have to tell you about one of the funnest things I did in Chicago - or really, ever. my sister asked me twice to go to this class and I'm lazy especially after 6pm in the evenings, so I declined. And then she told me we MUST go before I leave chicago and she had a groupon so I decided ok, fine, I'll do it. And now I don't know why she had to twist my arm so much and I'm glad she did because it was so completely awesome. p.s. we went to dinner before the class at nearby Harvest Moon Cafe in Wicker Park, a vegan restaurant my sis wanted to try...not a fan, we do not recommend! read why HERE.

So this place is called Arts N Spirits and basically its a BYOB class that you can sign up for with your friends, there are limited seats per class, and each class has a picture theme so look at the calendar to pick out which one you want to do, you can do your own but its best to follow along with the teacher as she walks you through each step of the layered painting. The class takes about 2.5 - 3 hours (they say 2 but it took longer) and they blast fun music and you drink wine and paint your heart out. The class costs $25-$40 depending on which one you do, and when you sign up, make sure to let them know if you are with other people b/c they semi-assign seats. You get to pick out a cute apron and they give you a canvas, easel, paint and paintbrushes (and bins of ice to keep your vino chilled). We met our friend Lindsey there and there was ample time in between painting and breaks to chit chat. It was a fun girls activity! (there was one boy in the class and I was under the impression his girlfriend made him go but he was a good sport about being there in a room of giggling girls).

Our class did peacocks and in the end I may have done the picture a little different (I think my bird needs feet and definitive wings so he doesn't look like a bowling pin sitting in the middle of beautiful feathers), but it was so cool to walk out of the class with a canvas painting that I made! that looks decent! my sister decided to revise hers a little at the very end into a vase with hydrangeas (after we took the picture). the cool part is, the teacher tells you what to do step by step, but all paint colors are out so you can do your own colors to match a space, some drunk girls at the end decided to put bow ties on their peacocks.

it was an awesome night, and awesome painting, and definitely on my must do in chicago list. check it out!

recommendation: when you find something you like, buy it

i can't emphasize how important this phrase is - repeat it, and memorize it. when you find something you like - BUY IT. ok, now let me give you the rules (you didn't think I was giving you permission to buy any and every-thing you wanted?!?)

1. this does not mean buy everything you see that you like
2. this does not mean be stupid with your wallet. spend smart!
3. this DOES mean, when you see something that is hard to find, unique, or memorable, buy it

examples:
a souvenir on a trip. there is nothing worse than seeing something great, but deciding its too early in the trip to get it, and you figure you will see them everywhere, and then you never see one just like it again. and you regret not buying it the rest of the trip. this literally happens to me every.single.time. i go to india. just buy it when you see it.

if it is a hot summer day and you wander in to nordstroms and they are having their huge annual summer sale and you find this fantastic pair of tall brown boots with the perfect heel that are comfortable and 50% off but meant for fall which is months away, but you know you will wear them and need them and love them.... buy it. (true story, and they are well worn)

you find something that just makes you happy. we were in san francisco on a girls trip and popped into St. Helena Olive Oil Co. to browse while we were waiting for our lunch reso at Rutherford Grill (same restaurant group that owns Bandara in Chicago! at either, i recommend to try the cold queso dip, the veggie platter, the a la carte enchilada, or the hacked chicken salad). St. Helena Olive Oil has little bowls set out at every single table so you can taste every single product, its pretty awesome, especially when you are hungry and have been wine sampling all morning. I'm happily dipping away when I strike - the Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. It is not at all what it looks like. I mean when I think of butternut squash i think yum, but when I think of butternut squash as a pasta sauce, it just doesn't seem like it would translate well, but this one does. i almost walked away from it - how to transport a glass jar of sauce back in my suitcase? $12 for pasta sauce? i don't really need it. am i just buying because i'm hungry? but after circling around it like a hawk for the next 10 minutes, i decided to go with it - because when you find something you like and it just makes you happy (and refer back to rule #3 - its unique, not easy to find, and it will remind me of my trip to SF) - you BUY IT.

shop smart, no regrets!

p.s. and it was worth it. it brought me supreme happiness. we ate the sauce with gnocchi and some freshly shaved pecorino and sauteed garlic spinach on the side. delish! and dinner literally took 5 minutes to make (boil water, add gnocchi, cook until floats to top, 2-3 minutes; warm sauce - 3-5 minutes; sautee spinach in olive oil & minced garlic 2 minutes. done!)

I have a little leftover sauce so I'm going to try their white beans and sausage recipe this weekend!

recommendation: roast some seeds

Speaking of gourds, mind as well use all of the parts of the pumpkin - roasting pumpkin seeds is a popular practice but did you know you can roast seeds out of pretty much any gourd? spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, butternut squash... the list goes on. next time you crack one of those bad boys open to roast in the oven, scoop the seeds out and follow this quick recipe:

- scoop seeds out of gourd, pick out stringy parts and clean seeds (this is the most time consuming part)
- wash and pat dry with paper towel
- mix with olive oil (eyeball it, but just to coat, does not need a lot) and salt to taste

put on baking sheet in oven at 275 degrees and cook for 20 minutes or until first seed pops. they are a delicious, healthy and fiberful snack!

notes
* use sea salt, the chunky salt tastes awesome
* my mom used PAM spray instead of olive oil and said it worked just fine

(recipe adapted from here)

recommendation: easy halloween decorations

Now that we are in the house, I am thrilled to have the space to actually decorate for the holidays. before in a condo, it just didn't seem worth it as we were the only two that could see everything. But now I have a front yard, a porch, a big bay window to display a tree, and lots more people passing through. too exciting!

first off, halloween. since its approaching quickly and we don't have any kids, I figured I shouldn't go bananas on decorating indoors, I just wanted something fun for the front porch. i've been dying to spray paint pumpkins gold thanks to that Martha Stewart and also this blog that has a fabulous display of metallic gourds. I settled on two pumpkin pie pumpkins for the spray paint project which I picked out because they are tiny - so cheaper for the pumpkin and less spray paint. I used that blue painters tape to cover most of the stem but left a little showing because its hard to wrap completely! With the pumpkins placed on a tarp, spray away!! Quick and super easy!

On a spray paint high (from the fun, not the fumes - I wore a mask!) - I wanted to find more to spray paint. I was planning on using a silver sharpie to draw vampire faces on two empty wine bottles but decided to use them for a different project instead. Inspired by a post by Pure & Noble - I used a hot glue gun to write words on the bottles. I think elmers glue may have been easier but the hot glue dried super quick. I wrote JOY on one and PEACE on the other, vertically down the bottle. Waited a minute although the glue really dries quicker, and took them out to spray paint! I think they will be fun on my fire mantle with some decorative twigs coming out of them at Christmas time!

To set up my porch, I found some more great 'fun' pumpkins at a little fruit/vegetable stand on my trip Up North Michigan to Higgins Lake (family trip, SO much fun!). The green one is the Jarrahdale pumpkin. The peach one is called the Long Island Cheese pumpkin and both are edible although the Long Island pumpkin is supposed to be best for cooking/baking. I was also hoping to find some white pumpkins to put along with the gold ones but they are hard to find!!! The bale of hay I got from Meijer, a local grocery store for $4.99. Lastly the crate I got at a garage sale for $1. I've been using it to store things in my garage but worked out perfect for this look. I'm still on the hunt for a cornstalk which I will put in the corner and I think it OK to keep out until Thanksgiving so I will get good use out of it!

Happy spray painting! Here are some other helpful tips from blogger Becky Higgins if you decide to try it!

recommendation: an apple a day

'tis the season to go apple crazy. i was looking at the website of a company that i bought jam from at the ferry building in san francisco - happy girl kitchen, and there was a post about an apple fair last month and it said, 'enjoy all things apple'. my mind immediately thought of three mouth watering recipes I saw on pinterest recently that I put on my list to try this season.

1. apple nachos recipe from shugary sweets

2. apple caramel cake recipe - originally from Paula Deen but adapted by The Charm of Home

3. apple cider cocktail recipe - so easy!

indulge... in all things apple! as they say...an apple a day keeps the doctor away... these are creative ways to get that apple in!!!

recommendation: dry your own herbs

remember that fabulous balcony garden i had this summer? well i was super bummed when I was packing up our house for our big move back to michigan and it dawned on me... what will become of my beloved plants? a few I was able to transport back home in the back of a car... my tomatoes, mint, eggplant and bell peppers. verrrry carefully. as for the herbs that were growing out of control in my planters - it just didn't seem worth the effort to replant them in pots to bring home. i couldn't bring myself to completely trash them so I decided to research the easiest ways to preserve them - freezing, infusing in oil, making pesto and freezing were all popular but I decided on drying since I had already packed up half my kitchen.

as for my beautiful basil - my sister plucked off bunches of it, rinsed, dried and transported it home so she could make pesto (see her recipe here)

my cilantro got pitched, it was really dried out from a hot summer

and...the thyme and oregano got dried! while I was taping up boxes, my sister cut bunches of each plant, tied them with knitting yarn and hung the bunches on hangers (p.s. the hanger is the most practical but how adorable is THIS?!). we let them hang for about 5 weeks (the original instructions I found online said 8-12 weeks but other websites said 5 days, 12 days, 2 weeks, etc., so I took them down when I noticed they were dry). This past week, I stripped

the dried leaves from the bunches and put them into labeled bags. the thyme gave about a 1/3 cup, the oregano gave about 1/2 cup. i'm so excited to use my dried herbs! its such a great feeling to have watched a plant grow right in front of you and to be able to use it for your meals, it made me feel very resourceful. i used my dried thyme (only 1/4 tsp) in my Smitten Kitchen tomato soup this week and it was delicious.

next summer i think i will try to plant a lot more herbs, now that I know I can actually do something with them at the end of the summer so that nothing gets wasted!

recommendation: tomato soup must-try recipe

now that we are in our new house, i'm back to being a domestic goddess-in-training (i'm working on adding ironing to my resume but haven't mastered it yet. when do you stop? i do the back and then the front and then want to do the back all over from creases that appeared from doing the front. i am not a fan of the iron but hope to master it one day). my old dinner rule in chicago was to cook at home 4-5 days per week using easy tried and true standby recipes with 1 new recipe per week.

this week i had leftover mozz, tomatoes and basil from a salad over the weekend so I decided to make our standby caprese sandwiches on ciabatta (mix italian spice mix with olive oil, brush onto two slices of bread, put in oven with mozz slices until it melts, add tomato and basil. done!). my new recipe adventure

was to make HOMEMADE tomato soup since its one of my hubs favorites and the fall weather is just calling for it (despite the unusual 70 degree temps). i had saved an email from Smitten Kitchen for a recipe she had for Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese all in one dish (think variation of french onion soup). I just made the soup portion (her version, not the original version she borrowed it from) but want to try the whole recipe sometime. it was amazing. her pictures are prettier but here's what i did:

sliced up tomatoes to roast them (that little v in them is because i cut out the stems)

roasted tomatoes & garlic

put in food processor

added chicken stock, thyme, and crushed red pepper (i added a little more than called for and it added a great kick to the soup!) boil then simmer

how easy was that? i added some fresh basil on top

another easy & delicious recipe to add to my new standby pile!

recommendation: tortilla pie

I always have mixed emotions about trying a new recipe. Excited at trying something new, the possibility of finding a new staple recipe to add to the rotation, looking forward to making a successful dish (and receiving compliments, haha). And then also nervous, that after going through all of the steps, spending money on all of the ingredients, that the recipe will be a flop and we'll still be hungry after forcing down something that just wasn't great.

I found a recipe for tortilla pie through Martha Stewart. It was a tiny bit time consuming but it was a success! Hurray! The dish turned out very pretty so would be good to serve to guests and was delicious - I also liked that it seems adaptable, like you can add different beans, different cheese, and it will still turn out just as great. I served it with a salad that had corn (I had a leftover grilled cob that I sliced the kernels off of), avocado and tomatoes in it, nice and simple.

p.s. I also like that the recipe is coded in Martha's cookbook as a 'meat-less comfort meal' - makes me want to add a tab to my recipe binder with that category! Sometimes when I need a good veggie recipe (lent fridays, dinner with sister, etc.), my mind goes blank and all I can think of is lasagna...without meat, pasta...with meatless sauce, veggie burger, etc. Blah! Now i know what to make!!

Original Recipe
Notes: I didn't have a spring form pan so just used a pie dish, which takes away from its looks but not its taste!
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch spring form pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add beans and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of spring form pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Add a good salsa - I used verde. Enjoy!!

recommendation: pottery barn design studio

I was furniture shopping (for our new house!!) online recently and stumbled upon this great resource that I wanted to share - Pottery Barn Design Studio. Besides having great inspirations for room designs, they have a whole section on their site that outlines the steps to planning a great party and includes templates for invites, favor ideas, and even playlists! There are such great ideas on this site on how to set up the table, what things to include and even themes - great for supper clubs! I want to be invited to a Comfort Food Party, sounds kinda amazingly delicious.

I absolutely love pottery barn and the style of the store. I do not adore their prices but think buying SOME key pieces from there are worth it. I've been constantly referring to Pottery Barn & Crate and Barrel for style and decorating ideas and then have been on the hunt to find my own! My mother-in-law and I went to a complimentary

one-hour class this past weekend at Pottery Barn called "How to Decorate your Home for Autumn." They used different decorating pieces - mercury glass candle sticks, flameless candles, wooden pumpkins, terra cotta vases, wooden trays, faux leaves, acorns, branches, etc., to show how you can dress up a sofa table or sideboard in different ways. We got some great ideas! I've always enjoyed window shopping there, it was fun to get inside the store before they opened and get ideas on how to do it myself! Here is where I'm going to look to recreate some of their looks: Home Goods, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Target, Walmart, Michaels, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kmart. Let me know if I'm forgetting any others.

I'll let you know how my fall decorations turn out!!

recommendation: hot ham & cheese sandwiches

In preparation for a big game two weekends ago (University of Michigan's first night game!), my mom was menu planning for a pre-game lunch/dinner at my parents house. She needed to find a main course that would accommodate people eating at different time intervals as we all had different afternoon plans but all needed to fuel up before tailgating and drinking. She decided on her trusty ham & cheese sandwiches. These sandwiches have been a staple in my childhood and I now make them as an adult when I need any easy make-ahead dinner. I didn't think much of the recipe until I saw a blog post about them being used for a baby shower lunch and got jealous and wanted to lay claim to them too! I have this recipe too! I eat these too! Why is that we always feel so territorial about great ideas when it wasn't even us who invented them? But I guess that is why I have this blog - to recommend the good ideas I find myself or through others.

So here are some perks of these sandwiches
- they are super easy to make, quick recipe
- individually wrapped so you can throw a few in the oven as needed
- easy to change up - when I was little my mom made a mustard-less version for me. This weekend she made a meat-less version for my sister (instead of ham, we put tri-color pepper rings so it was similar to a cheesesteak hogie, minus the steak). You can also swap the swiss for something more adventurous - gouda? brie?

This blog post uses mayo (i think that part is unnecessary) and served them at a baby shower. I think her buns look great (I normally use plain hamburger buns). They are great for a sporting event or birthday party and are also pretty inexpensive!

Here is my mom/grandma's recipe:
Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
1/4 # butter (# = pound!)
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 TBSP prepared yellow mustard
1 small onion, chopped
1 # shaved ham
3/4 # shaved swiss cheese

Soften butter, mix in worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, onion. Spread this mixture onto hamburger buns. Add ham & Cheese. Wrap in foil, bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 8-12 buns depending on size of bun and how much ham & cheese you pile on.

*I use I can't believe its not butter b/c its already soft. Also I Don't measure, just eyeball everything. Lastly, I use reduced fat swiss and have them shave the swiss & ham verrrrry thin, so its falling apart (yes, the cheese too).

Enjoy!

recommendation: THE BEST planner in the world

I know I haven't been blogging a lot lately and I should really be getting ready for bed tonight but I was just adding an appointment to my planner/calendar and realized I only have 3 weeks left in my 2010-2011 august to august calendar and then its time for my 2011-2012 one!

a few things. yes, i am excited about a brand new fresh planner (that same weird excitement the first week of school after you get over all of the awkward figuring out who you know in class and who will be your friend and where to eat lunch and can then concentrate on going through your syllubus and writing your name on all of your folders and getting everything organized and labeled)(wait)(is that not fun for anyone else?). and yes - I still use a planner designed for someone in school. lastly, yes, I still use a paper planner vs something online or through google (i use this too) or my iphone - there are some things that just need to remain untouched by technology and for me, my planner is one (as well as all books. my sister and her bf swear by the kindle but I just can't do it. it feels wrong.).

I also think it is a fun fact that I have been using this planner since 1999!!! They are my favorite and I always think its fun to pick out a color (they have a fun selection of about 5 that vary every year). Sometimes my sister and I accidentally pick the same color, which duh, is because of our sister ESP.

So anyways, lets get to the details. Made by Mixed Role Productions, this calendar is $16.95 plus tax and shipping. You can get it at some book stores - I get mine at Nicola's in Ann Arbor. I keep track of everything because of my headaches (diet, sleep, etc.) so I like that there is a lot of room for notes during the week, a folder with pockets, sections in the back for notes, graphs, contact information, etc. This planner has gotten me through 12 years which definitely warrants a blog post and a solid recommendation!

recommendation: selecting your bridal party

Well, I got a little caught up in – I’m home alone and have the remote to myself and can watch any show (aka trash) that my heart possibly desires – time, so the other night I ended up watching an episode of Tia & Tamara (really?!). It was an episode about Tamara’s upcoming wedding and how she was debating about her selection of maid-of-honor – her sister Tia, who was pregnant and therefore not doing anything, and her best friend who was a bridesmaid and picking up all the slack planning the party. I got curious after the episode was over about how her wedding turned out so I found a picture and was shocked and how beautiful her soft pink bridesmaids dresses turned out and everything looked amazing.

Made me reminisce a little about our wedding – my sister was my maid of honor and did such a fantastic job of planning my bridal shower and bachelorette party. Every detail was perfect – at my bridal shower, my sister & mom found antique tea cups and saucers, each one different, and put one at each setting with a little flower arrangement in it. My favorite drinks, my favorite beverages, my favorite people – my pre-wedding events were perfect. On the day-of, our photographer captured a picture of us, giving each other a look of complete love and support. This is what a maid of honor is!

I hope that you find the perfect people to be in your wedding. They make the cutest cards these days so that you can send or give to your friend/relative to ask them to be a part of your special day. I love these I Still Need My Girls one and Will you be my bridesmaid, both from Etsy.

Another popular idea is sending a small flower arrangement to each girl and in the card asking if they will be a part of your special day.

Most importantly is – as a bride, don’t assume they will want to or can, understand that you are asking them a huge favor – time, money, friendship and tolerance of you being a crazy b*tch during the last few weeks (thank you to my girls for loving me still!). And girls who are accepting – understand what you are accepting to – time, money, friendship, and tolerance of your friend being crazy. If you aren’t able to do this, think about accepting before you do it. Did anyone see the movie Bridesmaid’s? What a crazy collection of girls but it really shows that you have to be there for the bride – this is not about you, this is about her.

Here are some helpful articles and tips for selecting your bridal attendants:
- The Knot's, 9 Tips for Who to Pick
- Real Simple, Choosing your Wedding Party
- Bridesmaid 101, everything bridesmaids and MOH's need to know - duties, tips, resources
- Wedding Bee, bridesmaid board