Frosty the Cheeseball

This is Frosty the Cheeseball. She was a hit, though some thought too cute.
I got this idea from Pinterest and brought it to life for my Holiday Party this year.

The cheeseball consists of:

• For each package of cream cheese
• a cup of diced deli ham
• a tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp worchestershire sauce
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (I use colby)
• a couple of squeezes of lemon juice

Now the way my family works, no recipe is quite exact and everything is done to taste. It is just how things are passed down around her.

And for the decorations:

• Green beans for the arms
• red cabbage for the scarf
• rosemary for the crown
• craisins for the crown's berries
• raisins for the eyes
• and orange sweet pepper for the mouth, you could obviously use a carrot instead

I will say that as cute as she started, people were hesitant to eat her, even with my insistence. Also, she did end up with some extra body parts by the end of the night. :) Fun stuff!

The presents are wrapped...

 in kraft paper and looking so cute! I have been a busy gal. This year I decided to use my Silhouette cutter and kraft paper to get the job done. Needed for the big job:

And this is what I came up with so far:

I am in love! I definitely think this will be my go to way of wrapping for a long time to come. So stinking cute! Also, just an fyi, Silhouette has a free Christmas download each day until Christmas! Fabulous!

Jazzing up Candles

Not too long ago, I came across an idea to use vinyl on candles. In our bedroom, we have two candle sticks next to our TV just to add a little something to take away from said TV. They looked like this: 

Pretty boring. Not much to them. I had them up there, but they never really did anything for me. Then I got the Silhouette. This machine is fantastic and I have turned into a little vinyl cutting machine. I found a flourish that I liked and cut two out. And this is what happened:

Not a bad addition. Still not a great look with the monster tv next to them, but at least it adds something ;)

*Test, Test* Is this thing on?

I could be self-important and think that people are just dying for my next blog post, or I could just carry on like I haven't been missing in action since March :) So here we go....

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Here is my happy little decor for a very green kind of day :)

 

The console table

Candle Before

And after Silhouette Vinyl

Close-up of Subway Print from Today's Fabulous Finds

 

Wreath with rolled fabric flowers

Our Front Door

Hope this post finds you well! I am off to enjoy some corned beef and veggies! 

February Decor .... just a bit late :)

This year I have been spending more time looking at home decor blogs and found myself inspired to decorate a bit more for the post-Christmas Holidays. This is what I came up with.

Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is what's for dinner tonight:

Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole | StarKist

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce on the Food Network

For Dinner tonight and I wanted to lick the bowl:

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce on the Food Network

These boots are made for walking...

Last weekend my Family came up to visit from Tennessee and brought me an early birthday present! Boots! Totally in love with these little bits of love. Sassy and fun. :) Thanks, Mom and Dad!

1 spice cake mix + 1 can of pumpkin = devine!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Sunday I made pumpkin spice cupcakes from a recipe I found online. They were a breeze to make. Take one spice cake box mix and add a can of pumpkin and mix in a bowl. Add about 3/4 cup water and bake as the cake box instructs. Ta-da! Add some cream cheese frosting and you have heaven. They were a hit at school today. Yum!

Lasagna...mmm!

Last week I set out to make my semi-famous Lasagna dish for a co-worker who lost her sister to cancer. I wanted to deliver her some comfort food to makes things just a bit easier. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 3 cans Hunts tomato sauce
2. 1 box lasagna
3. 1 tub of ricotta cheese
4. 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
5. 2 cloves garlic
6. 1 lb italian sausage
7. 1 lb hamburger
8. salt and pepper

For a 13x9 pan:

-Boil a box a lasagna until it is "just about" all the way cooked. You want it to still be a bit hard, but not too much.

-In the pot on the stove, simmer 3 cans of Hunts tomato sauce with 2 cloves of minced garlic. 

-Brown 1 lb of italian sausage and 1 lb of hamburger. Drain and then combine with tomato sauce.

-In the pan, cover bottom with the sauce mixture. Layer with 3-4 rows of lasagna noodles. Cover noodles with ricotta cheese. Put sauce on top of the cheese and then top with mozzarella cheese. 

-Continue to layer up until you reach the last inch of pan. Cover finals noodles with sauce and then pile on the mozzarella! The more cheese, the better :) I also sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. 

-Cook lasagna at 350 for about 45-60 minutes. Cheese will start to brown on top. Because everything is already cooked, the cook time is just about heating the lasagna all the way through. Enjoy!

Spiced Squash with Brown Butter Glaze Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

Tonight's side dish being made right now:
Spiced Squash with Brown Butter Glaze Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

Curry Chicken Fingers

Tonight we tried out the Curry Chicken Tenders from Trader Joe's. For $6, we have enough for two meals. I thawed the chicken in the sink in cold water and then fried it on the stove in some oil. It turned a nice brown and the flavor wasn't too overwhelming.

I also made some garlic naan and butter noodles to go with. Have to love good frozen food. :)

Bertolli Chicken Florentine & Farfalle

Tonight we had a frozen dinner for two. In many cases, these are just NOT good. You have to add spices or cheese... some extra kind of flavor. The Bertolli dinners seem to be above the grade. This particular flavor had a great taste and browned up very nice. Add some garlic toast and you have a quick meal with lots of flavor!

Mahi Burgers

Tonight we had Mahi Mahi Burgers from Trader Joe's. They were fantastic! We toasted the buns and served with warmed-up mango peach salsa from the grocery store. Light, fresh and yummy!

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House

For some reason, Tyler really does not want to have the Mahi Burgers. Every time they come up on the menu, we end up going out :) Tonight we went to one of our very favorite local joints, Black Dog Smoke & Ale House. This place has unreal BBQ. We have never been disappointed. 

Tonight, the special was the pastrami sandwich. Tyler had to try it and wasn't disappointed. I went with my favorite, the pulled pork sandwich with georgia peach sauce. We both went with the twice-baked potato casserole for our side (it is a must!) The place is small, so get there early and try to have the burnt tips at least once. They are heaven on a dish! Love me some Black Dog!!

Overall Grade: A+

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

From the Pioneer Woman Blog

Tonight I cooked a dish from one of my favorite sources, The Pioneer Woman. She has such fantastic recipes and I just adore her zest for life. The pasta turned out to be a sweet-ish, but very yummy red dish and fit perfect for a Meatless Monday. Yum!

Link to the Recipe: Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli

After being sick back and forth all week, I finally came down with what the big guy had. Friday, I came home from work and felt like absolute death. Food was not on my agenda in any way, shape, or form. My head felt like it would burst. After trying to help me out, making me some tea, Tyler decided to go with the Spinach Ricotta Ravioli from Trader Joe's. He added a nice marinara sauce and it turned out to be quite delicious. Thank heavens for good freezer food!

Chinese Chicken Wings

Tonight we are going to do some Chinese Chicken Wings on the grill. I am excited to see how these turn out. Right now, they are marinating in the fridge. Here is the recipe for the marinade:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 18 chicken wings
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together except wings. Place wings and marinade in a resealable bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat grill. Place on grill (a grill basket works great for this) and cook until done. Brush with remaining marinade about half way through the cooking process.

Yikes!

Sorry!! I have been a bad, bad blogger. My life gets flipped upside down when schools starts and needless to say, I have been a busy Gal! Trying to get back on the wagon here. Menu is done for the next few days. Looks like some good eats coming our way.