Sunday, June 8, 2014

TUTU Themed Baby Shower-

YAY!!  My sister in law is having a girl, and I got to throw a GIRLY baby shower!  I decided to go all out -- TUTU style!!!

I started with the invites...


Table Centerpieces

Banners :)

Drink and Food

AND the CAKE!!  Linda made this bad boy -- how AWESOME is that?!  

Tulle Pom Poms

YAY!!  I love myself some tissue balls - but TULLE Pom Poms complete the TuTu themed baby shower idea  :)

Supplies
Cardboard
Tulle
Scissors
Twine / Rope

Depending on the size of the pom pom you want - cut your circle into your cardboard.  Put a piece of twine/ribbon around the inner circle (make sure to be able to see the twine/ribbon).








Then start to wrap tulle around the circle until you have your "thickness" you are looking for.  Make sure to leave your twine hanging out - so you don't cut it.  Then cut the tulle around the circle.

Then tie the twine into a knot - pull the cardboard off - and POM POMS!

Tulle TuTu

How cutie is this TuTu Island skirt?!  Perfect for the TuTu themed baby shower :)

Supplies
Tulle (I got like 20 yards)
Scissors
Ribbon

I followed this tutorial here: http://www.mommyblessings.com/2009/06/no-sew-tutu-tutorial.html

Pink Lemonade


Ingredients:
Can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
Bottle club soda/Bottle Sprite (2 liter bottle)

Empty pink lemonade into tall glass pitcher...add in bottle of club soda or sprite...and yummy!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Cookbook tonight...I can't say I was excited about our theme tonight...because we made freezer meals for my family since my mom was diagnosed with leukemia last week :(  How is that even a normal sentence for me to say...UGH!  This was really easy to make up...I'll have to update once my parents taste it!!!

Ingredients:
about 4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken
about 1 jar of marinara sauce
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
about 1 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh, chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc)
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Layer the chicken in the bottom. Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with cheese until all the chicken is covered.
In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs and a dash of salt and pepper together.  Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs on top.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.
Freezer Meal Directions: Put casserole together and freeze it before baking. When you're ready to cook it, let it thaw in the fridge over night. If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, you'll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Steak & Mango Stir-Fry

This was really good!!!  I like flank steak cause it can actually get cooked "well done" really easily -- hehe!
Serves 4 - OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce (if this needs to be gluten-free, check the soy sauce label)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced (if it’s semi-frozen, it’s easier to slice)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil (olive, coconut, or canola), divided
1 small red onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup cubed, ripe (but not too ripe) mango
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Whisk together the water, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.

Toss together the basil, cilantro, and mint and set aside.

Sprinkle the steak with crushed red pepper and black pepper and toss to combine. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the steak and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the garlic, steak, mango and stir-fry until the steak is cooked through. Add the sauce and cook until thickened slightly. Serve immediately over rice and sprinkle with herb mixture.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Honey Balsamic Drumsticks

Ross is obsessed with chicken drummies, and I don't really like to eat stuff that has "tendons", BUT this was really good!!  I didn't even mind biting my meat off -- haha! 

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
2 – 2 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks (10-12 drumsticks)
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons water

Rinse chicken, pat dry.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, toss to coat.  Add seasoning mixture and use hands to massage into all pieces.  Heat large dutch oven (or heavy oven-proof skillet with an oven proof lid) to medium heat.  When hot add 2 teaspoons olive oil and use a brush to make sure it’s distributed over the entire surface of pan.  Brown chicken 2 minutes per side (in batches if necessary.)

While chicken is searing, whisk sauce ingredients together and add to pan.  Gently toss chicken to coat.  Cover pan and bake for 20 minutes, flip chicken pieces and baste with sauce and return to oven for 20 minutes more.  Remove chicken from pot and cover to keep warm.  Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thick and glazy.  Return chicken to pan and gently toss in glaze.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Glaze will thicken and chicken won’t burn your mouth