Blog Love: Simply Creative Insanity - Ice Cream Social

This year, I have volunteered to do room parties for my Hailey's class.  I found one of the cutest blogs to help me.  I love the blog Simply Creative Insanity.  She has so many adorable ideas...I am amazed at her creativity!  Her latest party, an Ice Cream Social, is so stinkin' cute, that I just had to share! 

Don't you just love the colors?  They are so bright and cheerful...perfect!

I love all the details...personalized water bottles, labeled tins...

There is so much more to see so you must show her the love and check out her blog!

{All photos by Simply Creative Insanity.}

Recipe: Bourbon Chicken

Who doesn't love bourbon chicken?  It is so yummy and tasty.  This is a fast recipe that is great for busy weeknights.  I served it with white rice, but a heathier alternative would be brown rice.  I would also serve with some stir fried veggies the next time I make this....which will be soon. 

Enjoy!

Bourbon Chicken

{print}

2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce


Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken and add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with rice.


Linked To:
  * Simply Sweet Home:  Friday Favorites
  * Designs by Gollum:  Foodie Friday
  * Don't Waste your Homemaking:  Unwasted Homemaking Party
  * Mommy's Kitchen:  Potluck Sunday
  * Mandy's Recipe Box:  Totally Tasty Tuesday
  * 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven:  Homemaker Monday
  * It's A Blog Party:  Delicious Dishes
  * Six Sister's Stuff:  Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Recipe Review: Boiled Potatoes with Parsley

Our family has never met a potato that we didn't like.  I mean really, who doesn't love a good potato dish?  The potatoes were a perfect addition to our sausage with apples, onions and sauerkraut meal.  I adapted the recipe from one that I saw on Mad Hungry.  This is a quick and easy throw together and would be great with any main dish.

Enjoy!

Boiled Potatoes with Parsley
(adapted from Mad Hungry/Lucinda Scala-Quinn)
{print}

6 red potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and halved
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons torn fresh curly leaf parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes)


Place potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, add butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss with parsley. (Potatoes can be made up to 1 day ahead; warm over low heat, tossing with parsley just before serving.)


Linked To:
 *From My Tiny Kitchen:  This Week's Cravings

Must Try Tuesday: February 15, 2011

I missed a couple of weeks of Must Try Tuesday and there have been some incredible recipes that I have seen on my favorite blogs.  Here are a few of them.

Enjoy!

Coleen's Recipes

Classic Apple Cake

~~~~

Monster Mama

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

~~~~

Jamie Cooks It Up!

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

~~~~

Fugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Yeast

Recipe Review: Sausage with Apples, Sauerkraut and Onions

As soon as I saw this on one of my favorite food shows, Mad Hungry, I knew that I was going to make it immediately.  We love sausage in this house.  I made this several months ago during the fall months and it was a perfect meal for the season.  But, I got to tell you this would be great year round because it is so tasty.  And, as I said before, my family loves sausage and could eat it everyday if possible.  I did make a few changes to the original recipe. I made it with smoked sausage and served with boiled potatoes.

Enjoy!

Sausage with Apples, Sauerkraut and Onions

(adapted from Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn)

{print}

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
2 crisp red apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup apple cider
1 pound sauerkraut
3 large sour pickles, quartered, for serving
1 Kirby cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise into eighths, for serving

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook sausage until browned and heated through. Transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet if necessary. Add onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add apples, stir, and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cider, and cook for 1 minute. Add sauerkraut, and heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer sauerkraut to a warm serving platter, and top with the sausages. Serve with pickles, cucumber, and mustard. (Sausages and sauerkraut can be kept warm, covered, in a 250-degree oven for up to an hour.)

Linked To:

  *LambAround:  Not "Baad" Sundays

  *11th Heaven's Homaking Haven:  Homemaker Monday

  *Blessed with Grace:  Tempy My Tummy Tuesday

  *It's A Blog Party:  Delicious Dishes

  *From Mess Hall to Bistro:  Made From Scratch Tuesday

  *A Southern Fairytale:  Mouthwatering Monday

  *Beyer Beware:  Hunk of Meat Monday

  *All the Small Stuff:  Tuesdays at the Table

  *Life as Mom:  Ultimate Recipe Swap

  *It's a Blog Party: Fall Fest 2011

Family: School Valentine parties

The girls celebrated Valentine's day with school parties today.  Hailey's class had a pizza party and ice cream floats.  Abby and Zoey's class had an ice cream sundae party.  They received lots of Valentines and lots of candy.  They came home on a big sugar rush that continued well into the night.  Oh, the joy of candy stuffing Valentine's day!

Took some time off, but now I am back....

It has been so crazy around here with school, sports and such!  I had to take some time off from blogging to catch up.  I have still been cooking and baking and will be sharing some new recipes soon!

Stylish Blogger Award

Wow!  I can't believe it...my first award.  Thanks so much to Little Kitchen on the Prairie for recognizing me.  I am so appreciative.  It is so nice to be awarded!

Here is how it works:

- Thank and link back to the person who awarded this to you.
- Share 7 (random) things about yourself.
- Pay it forward to 10 bloggers whom you feel are deserving.
- Contact those bloggers and let them know about their award.

OK, so here are 7 random things about myself:

• I worked at a ski resort for almost 10 years and never skied.  I don't even really like snow so I "suffered" through it with the beauty of the mountains.
• I didn't know that I was pregnant with twins until I was 22 weeks along.  I kept dreaming of twins and told my doctor and he just blew me off.  I guess I showed him.
• My happy color is apple green....it just makes me smile.
• Each of my daughters are named after a female relative.  My oldest daughter is Hailey Annabelle.  She is named after my great grandmother, Anna Belle.  Abigail Frances, the oldest twin is named after my grandmother Frances Pauline.  Zoey Jean, the youngest twin, is named after my mother Peggy Jean.
• When I worked for the ski resort, I met some celebrities.  I once rode on a gondola for an hour with comedian Paul Rodriquez.  I brought bottled water to Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's. I also hugged Ian Ziering from the original 90210.
• I didn't go to Disney World until I had kids.
• I love the Twilight series.  My sister and I act like giddy teenagers when we watch the movies or read the books.....Team Edward baby!

Here are 10 of my favorite blogs:

Glorious Treats
Simply Creative Insanity
Deals to Meals
Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
The Blackberry Vine
Cooking with K
Fresh from the Farm
Peppermint Plum
Susannah's {Kitchen}
Soap Mom's Kitchen


Thanks again Little Kitchen on the Prairie!

Recipe: Monkey Muffins

I have had this recipe in my "to make" file for a couple of months now.  And now that I have made them, I am sorry that I waited so long to make them.  They are so good that I have made them for my family several times.  I haven't made them with whole wheat flour as of yet, but I will be soon.  My girls love these for breakfast, in their lunch box or for an afternoon snack.  But, to be honest, they really love them whenever they can get their hands on them.  Hailey likes to have one for breakfast with homemade yogurt.  I am glad that my girls are eating more nutritious homemade food and less commercial food with preservatives

Enjoy!

Monkey Muffins

(recipe from And Baby Makes Five)

{print}

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 T skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I have used chocolate, white chocolate, etc)

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until combined and then beat in bananas, PB, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to wet, stirring until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups. Bake mini muffins for 14-16 minutes and larger ones for 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans.

Linked To:
  * Not So Homemade:  What's Cooking Wednesday
  * Simply Sweet Home:  Friday Favorites
  * Balancing Beauty and Bedlam:  Tasty Tuesday

Project Idea: Printable School Valentines

Photo by One Charming Party

So stinkin' cute!  I love these Valentine cards created by One Charming Party.  Better yet you can download them for free!