Fixed Roman Shades

We've lived in our new house for about 3 months now and I am happy to say that the master bedroom is FINALLY finished. I had such a hard time finding what I wanted for the bedroom due to a framed picture we purchased for above the bed. It seemed difficult impossible to find the exact blue green that covered the majority of the picture. I was frequenting T.J Maxx, Marshall's, Home Goods, and every other home store with no luck each week. Finally (on week 4 of searching), I found my decorations for the room at Z Gallery, Crate and Barrel and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Since the decorations were taken care of, it was onto the windows. After searching for almost two weeks for window treatments without any luck, I called on my mom for help. She has a knack for sewing and I knew she would be happy to help me figure out what to do with the windows. I decided on the fixed roman shades as the style I wanted and we were off to Jo Ann's to find the fabric. I brought a candlestick with me as a guide and we found a fabric I am in love with. We were especially lucky the day we purchased the fabric because everything we bought was half off!!!
Here is what we used as a guide to make the shades. I am proud to say that I made almost the entire shade for each window, with a good deal of guidance from my mom of course. I would recommend ironing the fabric at each fold to make the sewing easier. We made mine to fit inside the window, instead of hanging over (not intentionally, learning experience =-)) The shades took about 3 hours to make and need lots of measuring and double checking. It was totally worth the time and the total cost of each shade was about $20.00, including the curtain rod. Here are a few photos of the making of the shades and the finished room. Enjoy!

Parmesan Tilapia with Zucchini & Squash

Happy July!!! I can't believe that this year is already more than half way over. It's gone by so fast. One thing July means to me is that football season is just around the corner. Not only do I like love football, but it provides many opportunities for baking and trying out new recipes!
On another note, one of my goals for July is to make recipes off of boxes or containers from items I buy from the store. I hope to post an "Hot off the Box" recipe at least once a week this month. With that said, this is a recipe I got many years ago off of the wrapping on my fish from Publix. Derek and I love this recipe, we usually make it once a week.
Parmesan Tilapia:
2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs **I used Panko
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg (lightly beaten) **I used Egg Beaters
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In shallow bowl, whisk egg. In a large zip-lock bag combine, bread crumbs, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper. Rinse/pat dry four 8 oz fillets of tilapia. Dip fish into egg mixture and then place in bag with crumb mixture. Shake off excess crumbs and place on baking sheet. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done.

Zucchini & Squash
Ingredients:
3 zucchini
3 squash
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (graded)
1-2 tbs. olive oil **I used extra light olive oil **I start with 1 and eyeball it to see if I need more
2 tsp. herb provence seasoning (any herb seasoning will work)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Wash veggies and cut into discs. Place all discs into a large ziplock bag. Pour olive oil, parmesan cheese, seasoning, salt and pepper into the bag. Coat veggie with mixture. Spread onto an already greased large baking sheet. Cook with the fish at 400 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Meatball Sub Casserole

I have to say, this photo doesn't do this recipe justice. I made this recipe for Father's Day dinner this past weekend. I wanted a casserole, but didn't want the traditional pasta that our family usually has. I thought this would be the perfect recipe. The recipe serves 6. I used a 9x13 casserole dish and it ended up being the perfect amount of food. I omitted the onions, and used garlic salt instead of garlic because my mom doesn't like garlic. I think next time, I would cut the bread into cubes to cover the entire casserole dish and make it easier for serving. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound lean ground beef ( I used ground turkey)
1 Loaf French bread baguette cut into 1 inch slices
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar spaghetti sauce (28 oz)
1 cup water (I used 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the onion, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink; drain.
Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper; spread over bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese.
In a bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, water and garlic; add meatballs. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 3 servings.

Strawberry Delight

If you're looking for a light, sweet, semi-healthy and delicious dessert...look no further! I made this deliciousness this past Sunday for my family and it came out great. I created the recipe myself and didn't do a good job writing things down as I went, so I apologize if it is a bit confusing. ENJOY!!!

Ingredients:
1 box of Angel Food Cake Mix
1 lg. tub of cool whip (16 oz) **I used Lite
1 jar of strawberry preserves (18 oz)
1 lg. container of fresh strawberries, cut in half and mixed in a large bowl with sugar (1 tbs)

Directions:
1. Prepare the Angel Food cake mix in two round cake pans according to directions on box.
2. Allow cake to cool completely.
3. Mix 1/2 of the cool whip with the jar of strawberry preserves.
4. Slice each round cake in half (horizontally), creating two layers.
5. Place one of the bottom layers on a serving dish.
6. Spread the cool whip strawberry mixture on top of the cake and top with fresh strawberries.
7. Place the next layer of cake and repeat #6. Do this for all of the layers of cake.
8. When all layers are placed on top of each other, spread the 2nd 1/2 of the cool whip over the entire cake.
9. Use leftover strawberries to decorate the cake.
10. Place in fridge for a few hours before serving.

Ooey Gooey Cupcakes

If you like boston cream donuts, you will LOVE these cupcakes!

Ingredients;
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 tub of milk chocolate frosting
1 container of cool whip
1 box of vanilla pudding

Directions:
1. Prepare cupcakes as directed on the back of the cake box and allow ample time to cool.
2. Prepare vanilla pudding while cupcakes are cooling.
3. Mix vanilla pudding with 1/2 of the carton of cool whip.
4. Pour pudding/cool whip mixture into a pastry bag with a tip that has a round hole.
5. Place tip of pastry bag into the middle of the cupcake and fill with mixture. Fill it until it reaches the top of the cupcake. Do this to all of the cupcakes.
6. Frost cupcakes with frosting.
ENJOY!!

Artichoke Dip

This recipe was one that I received at my bridal shower from one of my bridesmaids, Keri. She made it for the shower and it was a hit. Everyone was gathered around it the whole time. I was thankful that this was the recipe she chose to give me for my bridal recipe book. I made this this past weekend at the beach house and it again was a favorite. My favorite part of the dip is the green olives!

Ingredients:
2 cans of quartered artichokes (drained and cut into bite sized pieces)
2 5 oz. packages of grated parmesan cheese
1 8 oz. package of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of mayo
12 sliced green olives (I used 16)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Pour into a casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes
4. Serve with crackers (I used Triscuits)

ENJOY!!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

This is the last dessert recipe from our weekend at the beach. I thought the recipe was very easy to create but I was not 100% happy with the results. I used all of the ingredients except for the bourbon and used chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate. The pie was very tasty but it was too soft for me. I'm not sure if I didn't give it enough time to cool or if it was the egg beaters vs. real eggs. Everyone "said" they enjoyed it. I will definitely attempt this recipe again! Enjoy!
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, bourbon and the chopped chocolate. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into the pie shell over the pecans and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Baked Brie

I had never tried brie until my mom brought this over for a family dinner. I was a little hesitant, but it was amazing. Even my picky brother loved it. This is another recipe I brought to the beach house and again, it was a hit. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 round brie
1 pkg crescent rolls (I used low fat)
1 tablespoon of jam if you want - I used apricot.
1/4 cup of maple syrup
little brown sugar

Directions:
1. Lay out the crescent rolls on a baking dish - push together the perforations with your fingers
2. Lay the brie in the middle (take off the paper but leave the white skin on) - will be folding the crescent rolls over the cheese
3. Put the jam on top of the cheese
4. Fold the dough of the top and sides of the cheese to cover completely. You can cut pieces off and move them around to cover if you have to
5. Drizzle the maple syrup over the top and sprinkle on some brown sugar

**bake 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the dough is lightly brown
let cool about 10 minutes, serve with apple slices and crackers

Enjoy!

Oreo Pie

Here is another recipe from our weekend getaway. I picked this recipe because it seemed like one I could make without a lot of tools (didn't know what the beach house would have) and it used simple ingredients. It wasn't a lot to pack and take on our 6 hour drive. The pie was delicious and I will definitely make it again. Next time, I will leave the mixes (pudding and mousse) in the fridge overnight and then freeze the pie for a few hours before serving. The pie was a little soft and it was left in the fridge overnight. This would be a fun recipe to try some different variations with!
Oreo Pie Ingredients

32 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
Directions

Finely crush 24 of the cookies; mix with butter. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.)
Spoon 1-1/2 cups of the pudding into crust. Gently stir 1/2 of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spread over pudding layer in crust. Chop remaining 8 cookies; stir into remaining whipped topping. Spread over pie.
Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.

Scrap Frames

I had tons of picture frames that lined my stairs in my old town house. When we moved, I took all of them and wanted to revamp them. I wanted to keep it simple, but wanted them to look like scrapbook pages. I love how scrapbook pages can tell a story, and who doesn't like a few cute stickers? I'm very happy with the way they came out. They will be a perfect addition to my craft room and each one has a little different touch. Hopefully the hubby will be able to put them up tomorrow! Enjoy!
Before

Black Bean Dip

This weekend my husband and I went to Islamorada with two other couples for a mini vacation (more about out mini vaca on Happily Herring). We had such a fabulous time with lots and lots of tasty food. I made all of the appetizers and desserts for the long weekend and can't wait to share all the recipes with my Simply Made friends. My goal is to get them all posted by the end of the week. To start it off...here is a recipe for black bean dip that was given to me at my bridal shower from my friend Christi (who was with us this weekend).
Black Bean Dip
2 15oz. cans of black beans
1 16 oz. can of pinto beans
1 package of taco seasoning
1/2 cup diced tomato (I used 1 whole fresh tomato)
1 cup chopped cilantro (I used 1/2)

**I added 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tbs. green chili salsa to this recipe. I would also recommend having a side of sour cream and salsa set out at the table.

Directions:
Drain and rinse beans well. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy with tortilla chips!

Citrus Tilapia Almondine

This recipe comes from The Food Network Magazine. The original recipe calls for trout, but I had tilapia at home so that is what I used. I included the original recipe from the magazine below. Here are my changes: I used tilapia instead of trout and I cooked only one piece in the foil (not a sandwich of 2). That is about it as far as changes go. Now, when I make it again I will use an additional orange and squeeze it over the fish. I will also use some zest from the orange over the almonds. This recipe is very light, fresh and sweet. I could definitely taste the orange in it and would recommend eating the orange with the fish (minus the peel). I served this fish with Jasmine rice. The hubby gave it an 8 out of 10. Enjoy!

Directions
Drizzle 2 sheets of foil with olive oil; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3/4 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds. Brush four 6-ounce trout fillets with more olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place each fillet, skin-side down, on top of the nuts. Top with a few orange slices (leave the peel on), then add another fillet, skin-side up, to form a trout sandwich. Sprinkle with more almonds and coriander seeds. Fold up the foil sheets and grill over high heat until the fish is just cooked through and the almonds are toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully loosen the almond crust from the bottom of the foil with a spatula.

Chicken with Cucumber Melon Salsa

It's summertime! One of the great things about being a teacher is that I am off for the summer!! That means more time to spend on searching for recipes and cooking them up in my kitchen. This is my first summer recipe. I omitted the onions and jalapeno pepper. I substituted the agave nectar with a touch of honey. The original recipe is for grilled chicken, but I am not a grill master so I baked the chicken. Next time, I will make the salsa before and use some of the extra juices as a marinade for the chicken. Two words to describe the recipe was light and fresh. This recipe received a 7 out of 10 from my hubby (he's not a big mint fan). ENJOY!
Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Melon Salsa
Ingredients
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed honeydew melon
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed cantaloupe
1/2 cup diced peeled English cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
Mint sprigs (optional)
Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 10 ingredients; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tossing well to combine.

3. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with salsa; garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Baby Cards

Planning My Meals

I have to admit that I really enjoy sitting down on Sunday morning and planning my meals for the week. I have a little routine that involves the Sunday paper, coupons, coffee and breakfast. I've tried many many different methods when it comes to planning meals and making the grocery list that goes along with it. A few months ago I came across this notepad for $1.00 at Michael's. For me, it's just what I needed to plan meals and groceries for the week. Look for them in the dollar bins!!

Pizza on the grill

My husband has been making pizza on the grill for a few years now and I would take it over a regular pizza any day. Here is a step by step of how to make pizza on the grill. I want to note, I did not take part in this dinner creation, this is all him! Enjoy!
Ingredients:

Italian Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Turkey Pepperoni
Parmesan Cheese
Seasoning
Flour
Olive Oil
Step 1: On a wood cutting board or a counter sprinkle flower on the surface and cover the dough with a good amount of flour.
Step 2: Get fist sized balls of dough and roll them into small pizza circles.
Step 3: Gather all ingredients and move out to the grill.
Step 4: Brush olive oil on the grill. Also, coat one side of the pizza dough with olive oil.
Step 5: Place oiled side of dough onto grill.
Step 6: Brush oil on the side that is up and season with seasoning. (We used parmesan cheese, fresh basil, italian seasoning, garlic salt, and a salt/ pepper mixture.
Step 7: Flip dough once there are obvious grill marks on the opposite side.
Step 8: Add tomato sauce and remainder of seasoning to the dough. Then add cheese and desired toppings. CLose lid and let cook for 2 minutes or until the chese is melted and bubbly.
Step 9: Remove from grill and ENJOY!!
**This is what was keeping me busy while he was cooking! =-)

Root Beer Cupcakes

Summer is just a few days away and I cannot wait! But with the start of summer comes the end of another fabulous school year. For the end of the year party I decided to make root beer floats for my class. I found this recipe in a recent magazine that I thought would go perfectly with the floats. I used margarine, egg beaters, and doubled all the spices. I thought all changes worked out perfectly. I also didn't have the root beer candies, so I used used sprinkles. They tasted like a spice cake with a root beer aftertaste. I would make these again but would do a cream cheese frosting instead of vanilla.
Root Beer Cupcakes
12 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup root beer
1-1/2 cups whipped topping
12 root beer barrel candies, crushed

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with root beer, beating well after each addition.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Just before serving, combine whipped topping and crushed candies; frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 1 dozen.