Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

This is the first recipe I've made from Eating Well.  I found the website from Pinterset and will definitely be spending more time on there.  Healthy and delicious, I'm there!  This side looked yummy, so I decided to make it.  There are only a few ingredients and very little time is spent making them.  I made the tomatoes with parmesan crusted tilapia.  I cooked the fish and tomatoes together at 450 for about 12 minutes.  All in all, it was a tasty and healthy dinner.  

 4 servings

Active Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

I'm on a tomato mozzarella kick this summer!  When I came across this Kraft recipe, it went directly on my weekly menu for the following week.  The recipe has over 1,000 reviews and received 5 stars.  I'm no grill master, so I have to give hubs the credit for preparing the recipe.  I probably couldn't have done it as well as him! We both really enjoyed this chicken recipe.  I added a dash of balsamic vinegar to mine, which sent it over the top for me.  This is definitely a 5 star dish! 

what you need

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup  KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

make it

HEAT grill to medium heat.

COVER half the grill grate with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

PLACE chicken on uncovered side of grill; cover with lid. Grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

TURN chicken over; place on foil. Top with tomato mixture. Grill, covered, grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I'm not a fan of Red Lobster, but I do love their biscuits. I mean, isn't that why most people go there anyway?  So, imagine being able to make them at home! When I came across a recipe online for their biscuits, I was giddy with joy.  I went to the store right then and made them immediately. They are perfect.  I ate way too many and have a feeling they will become a weekly staple in our household.  

Here is where you can find the recipe below.

Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, and cheddar cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Make 10-12 biscuits.

Diaper Clutch

I've seen many diaper clutch tutorials over the past year, many which I have bookmarked.  Recently, I wanted to make one for a special little baby that will be arriving shortly.  I went through all of my tutorials and decided to use this one over at A Lemon Squeezy Home.    She has an awesome downloadable template that I used for this project.  The entire thing took me less than an hour and I was thrilled with how it came out.  I was able to fit 3 diapers and a personalized wipes case in the clutch I made.  Head on over to A Lemon Squeezy Home and make one yourself! 

Binky Clips

Binky clips have been on my to do list for months now.  It's one of those things that I had never been able to get around to.  Usually, because another project came up.  But, the upcoming birth of Brittney's baby boy gave me the  motivation I needed.  I followed the tutorial over at Seven Sisters.  These were so so easy to make.  I'm kicking myself for not making them sooner.  I could have added them to many many baby shower gifts.  I especially love how the ribbons are interchangeable.  So, all you really need is one paci and one clip for each gift with a bunch of different ribbons.  One for every day of the week if you wish.  The options are endless.  

Supplies:

One Inch Ribbon

Iron on velcro 

Mitten clips 

Iron

Directions:

Measure and cut your Ribbon. I used heat to seal the ends.  

Place sticky side of velcro onto ribbon, turn ribbon over and iron on.

Make sure to leave enough room between the velcro for the binki and clip to fit. You'll end up with two pieced of velcro on each side of the ribbon.  

That's it, plain and simple! 

Felt Wine Bags

This was the second project from my crafternoon.  My friend emailed me this project and I wanted to make it RIGHT AWAY.  What a great idea and a perfect hostess gift! The tutorial for this project can be found here.  She provides step by step instructions with pictures, which I forgot to take.  Her tutorial is for a no sew wine bag.  I didn't have stitch witchery and did have my machine out, so I decided to sew mine.  I just did two straight stitches on each side, stopping an inch from the bottom.  It was simple, only taking me a few minutes.  I added some of my favorite felt flowers to doll them up! I am completely obsessed with these bags and will be making tons more over the holiday season.  

Here are the directions from Under the Table and Dreaming...

No-Sew Felt Wine Wrap

Materials Needed:Felt
Stitch Witchery
Pinking Shears {or regular scissors}
A Bottle of Wine, Champagne, etc.

Double over a single cut of felt {so the crease is at the bottom} and cut a piece measuring 6 inches wide by 24 inches tall {you may need to adjust the measurements as wine bottles do vary in size}. I used pinking shears to give the edges a little design.

Sit the bottle right side up and place in the center of the felt; the top edge of the bottle resting on the guideline - trace around the bottom of the bottle.

Lift up the top layer of felt and proceed to cut out the traced circle. {this only needs to be done on the top layer} It is pretty easy if you fold the top layer of felt in half and cut small slit into the center of the circle.

The next step is to seam the sides. This can be done by sewing or simply using stitch witchery. [Stitch Witchery is a polyamide fusible web that permanently bonds two layers of fabric together - and yes it works on felt too!]

Cut two strips of the stitch witchery, one for each side. Place each strip in between the felt as close as you can to the outer edges of each side, leaving a one inch opening at the bottom crease. {as shown above} Lightly press with a steam iron set to the wool setting. Keep the iron moving at all times when placed on the felt, as if left in one spot it will melt the fibers. It only takes 30 seconds or so to fuse.

Once the sides are together, seam the top in the same fashion. Depending upon the size of your actual bottle you may need to trim the top just a bit.

Chocolate Cola Cake

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, but not a lot of baking.  I used to make D sweet treats to bring to work all the time and I haven't done so in months.  So, I decided that I was going to send it something to work with him on Monday.  I went to Pinterest to find a recipe from my sweet treats board.  I decided to go with this cola cake because we had some left over cola from a party and neither of us drink it.  I also didn't need to go to the store for any of the ingredients, which is always a plus.  The cake was as easy as it seems.  It was out of the oven for less than 10 minutes before I dove in. Hubs and I ended up eating the cake for dinner, it was that good.   The sweet smell of chocolate and cinnamon filled the house for hours afterward.  Loved it! 

Recipe from Confessions of a Chocoholic 

preheat oven to 350, and grease up (I like Crisco) a 9×13 (or so) pan.

mix:
2cups flour
2cups sugar
1/2tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp cinnamon

in a saucepan over medium high heat stir this up good until it boils:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coca-cola (from bottle is my preference!)
1/2 cup buttermilk

now take off heat and add that to the flour mix & whisk until combined.

Then add:
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract

mix, put in pan, bake it for about 30minutes. Yes, it’s a quick bake. Don’t over-bake it!

when cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in saucepan:
1/2cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup coca cola

once that boils, remove and slowly stir in 4cups of confectioners’ sugar until nice and smooth. Then add in about a cup of chopped pecans, and give it a stir.

once cake is done and out of oven (toothpick should come out clean), pour this warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!

wait.

let it set… let it cool for a few minutes at least…

enjoy warm or cold. (next day/etc. feel free to microwave for a few seconds to warm it up… so good)

Felt Wreath

I've seen felt wreaths popping up everywhere these days.  Especially on Pinterest, which of course, is where I found the tutorial I used for this project.  A friend of mine came over for a crafternoon and this was the first project we took on.  Now, I will say that this project was time consuming.  I cut 200 felt circles to make the wreath.  One thing I will say... good scissors are key to cutting felt!  It will make time pass much much quicker.  I cut 4 layers of felt at a time and was done within an hour.  I honestly thought it would take much longer.  Below you will find the instructions for the wreath that I used.  After cutting the circles, I kind of just winged it with the pinning on the wreath.  I found a way that worked for me and went with it. As the wreath became filled with the felt flowers, it became easier.  Once the entire wreath was filled, I was in love! 

 I changed up how I hung the wreath after realizing it needed more than a simple hook.  I made a bow and attached a ribbon loop to the back of the bow.  I'm glad I decided to go with the bow, it added the perfect touch.  This wreath will definitely make an appearance during Christmas and Valentine's Day.  

What you’ll need for the wreath:

- a 12 inch styrofoam wreath form
- approximately 2 1/2 yards of felt
- straight pins (enough to match the number of felt circles needed, plus two for attaching the hanger)
- scissors
- a 3 inch circle template
- a pencil
- ribbon for hanging

Making the Felt Rosettes

Using a pencil and your circle template, trace circles onto the felt. Cut the felt circles, and fold them in half twice to form rosettes. Insert a pin near the bottom corner of the rosette, about 1/8 inch from the corner.

Attaching the Felt Rosettes

Attach the felt rosettes to the wreath form, making sure to group the rosettes tightly enough that no styrofoam is showing through the rosettes. After you’ve added a few, fluff and adjust the rosettes to your liking. Continue making, pinning, and attaching the rosettes until you’ve worked your way around the wreath form. If you have circles that are slightly misshapen or that have a little pencil or ink on them, place them toward the outside or inside edges, where they can’t be seen when the wreath is hanging.

Wreath Back

This is what my wreath looked like on the back when I was finished. As you can see, I started off with ball point straight pins, but I switched to flat head pins when the rosette count started to get up there and I had to run out and buy more pins. If you use flat head pins, then I suggest using a thimble to push them into the wreath form, or your thumb will take a beating. Ask me how I know.

Wreath Hanger

After you’ve finished adding the felt rosettes, cut a 5 inch length of ribbon, fold it in half, and attach it to the wreath form with two pins to form a hanger.

Wreath Finished

I love how organic the wreath looks when it’s finished. The ruffly felt rosettes, when grouped together like this, remind me a bit of a coral reef. While this is a rather ambitious project, I think it was completely worth the time spent. I’ll be using my wreath year ’round as part of my home décor!

This is the wreath that my friend made, I love it! 

Scrapbook Bow Holder Tutorial

Every little princess needs a place to hang all of her gorgeous bows and I've got just the creation.  There are so many different types of bow hangers out there, I've decided to share my scrapbook hangers with you today.  The scrapbook hangers are made with scrapbook paper and take less than an hour to make.  What I love about it, is that you can choose the perfect paper to match your little girls bedroom or bathroom.  

Materials: 

Wooden Letter

Acrylic Paint

Paint Brush

Mod Podge

Scrapbook Paper

Ribbon

Hot Glue 

Step 1: Start with a plain wooden letter. Paint the back a color of your choice.  

Step 2: Then, paint the edges and a bit of the front.  Just incase your paper doesn't match perfectly you won't see the plain wood. 

Step 3: Grab some coordinating scrapbook paper.  Trace the letter on the paper.  

Step 4: Cut out the letter.  

Step 4: Cover the painted wooden letter with Mod Podge.  Start with the back and move to the front.  The Mod Podge on the front will adhere the scrapbook letter.  

Step 5: Place the scrapbook paper onto the wooden letter.  Press it down on all sides to get rid of little air pockets.  Then, cover the front (scrapbook paper) with Mod Podge.  So, you would have painted Mod Podge on the back, then front of wood, then on top of the scrapbook paper.  

Step 6: Hot glue ribbon on the bottom in a loop.  I usually use 20 inches of thick grosgrain ribbon.  

Step 7: Glue a smaller piece of ribbon to the top in the shape of a hoop.  This is how your holder will hang on the wall.  Add ribbons or little accessories to dress it up a little more.   

Here are some of the finished products!  If you're interested in ordering one, visit Simply Made with Love. 

Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter

Okay, I know I've mentioned Pinterest a lot on this blog lately.  It's a fact that I spend way too much time on it.  But, I probably wouldn't have found some of my new- instantly favorite recipes without it.  This recipe comes from Gimme Some Oven.  I love balsamic, especially on tomatoes and mozzarella! So, why not try it on pasta?  I'm glad I did, because this is my new favorite pasta!  Delish!  

Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter Recipe(Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis)

Ingredients:

• 18 to 20 ounces store-bought tortellini or ravioli (pick your favorite flavor!)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup toasted, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pine nuts)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions (generally about 2-3 minutes until tender, but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally. Drain the tortellini.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown (and begins to give off a nutty aroma) turn off the heat and remove from the burner. Let cool for about 1 minute. Then gradually (and very carefully!) stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter and gently stir until combined. Sprinkle nuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.