Tuesday, January 24, 2012

O.M.Delicious



First, if you are reading this and you are in the Dallas area-this is the perfect recipe to make on a night like this, with all of this rain! Second, I cannot tell you how ridiculously easy this was to make. I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour. She has the cutest blog and I have gotten the best ideas. Anyway, you need to make this super soon! I strayed from the recipe a bit, which I'll explain later. Only one pic this time. :)

Dorito Casserole
What You'll need:
-1/2 bag of Doritos (I used Baked, and you could also use tortilla chips)
-1/2 cup milk
-1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
-one can of Rotel (I used HOT)
-1 1/2-2 cups of Fiesta Blend shredded cheese
-Taco Seasoning packet
-whole Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
-can of cream of mushroom OR cream of chicken soup
What to do:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Crush your Doritos
-Mix together all ingredients, except Doritos
-Layer your crushed Doritos on a 9x13 casserole dish
-Layer the chicken mixture on top of Doritos
-Sprinkle cheese over entire dish
-Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes

It is SO GOOD!

Note: The original recipe called for a layer of Doritos, a layer of chicken mixture, another layer of doritos, and then another layer of chicken mix. I thought this would taste too crunchy and not meaty enough, so I omitted that step. I'm sure it tastes fine that way, but our way was just as delish too. We used Hot Rotel and it was...hot. I recommend mild unless you just really love hot food. The chicken was just one of the ones that are already cooked from the grocery store, and we just shredded ourselves. I'm all about taking shortcuts when it comes to cooking! Minus the doritos, this recipe would also be an awesome dip! Hope you love it like we did!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Cinnamon Syrup Biscuits

I have really been into baking and cooking lately, but I always seem to get stuck for good breakfast recipes, especially on the weekends. After looking on Pinterest (of course!), I found this yummy, SUPER easy recipe! It's very similar to "monkey bread". If you are on Weight Watchers like I am, this is a somewhat "ww friendly" recipe, if you use lighter versions of the ingredients. My husband made us a turkey sausage and egg scrambler and it went together nicely!

Here's what you'll need:
-one tube of Grands biscuits (I used reduced fat)
-1/2 cup of pancake syrup (I used light)
-1/3 cup of light packed brown sugar
-3 tablespoons of melted butter (I used Blue Bonnet Light margarine)
-1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
-1 fluted pan
And here's what you'll need to do:
-Preheat oven to 375
-Spray fluted pan with non-stick cooking spray; make sure you get coat the sides well because you will be inverting this
-Mix together syrup and butter, set aside
-Mix together cinnamon and brown sugar
-Pour half of the syrup mixture in the pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top
-Place biscuits in the pan, overlapping to form a ring
-Pour remaining syrup and brown sugar mixtures over biscuits
-Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (mine went for 25)
-Cool for one minute, then invert onto a plate
-Enjoy!

Notes: I read the recipe too quickly (as I tend to do) and combined all of the ingredients, instead of separating them out. I don't think it made much difference and they still tasted amazing. If you use the reduced fat biscuits, they may not be as golden brown as they would be the with regular version. Don't worry-these biscuits don't taste light! These are 7 weight watcher points per 1 serving.

Happy cooking!

Rachel

Friday, January 20, 2012

Two Years of Canine Bliss

Two years ago this weekend, we adopted a too-thin 32 pound "puppy" named Dixie with paws larger than life, from the Garland Animal Shelter through Garland Pawsibilities . Here we are two years, a new name and 45 pounds later, Roxy is is our crazy and sweet dog child.

In honor of her adoption anniversary, I decided to write about something that is very important to me: shelter pets! I believe with my whole heart, that when you are ready to add a furry friend in your life, that you should strongly consider rescuing a pet from a shelter or adopting from a rescue organization. There are many misconceptions about shelter and rescue pets, and hopefully after reading this post, your mind may have changed.

Myth: Shelter pets are obviously not good pets, or else their original owners wouldn't have gotten rid of them. I have heard this so many times and it drives me crazy! The number one reason that pets wind up in shelters is due to the fact that the original owners didn't think about the time and energy it takes to have a pet. To be perfectly frank, it's due to irresponsible pet owners. Us! The humans! The majority of shelter pets are loving, sweet animals who weren't given a chance. Roxy was found in a field and we have come to the conclusion that she was most likely dumped, as so many dogs and cats are, when their owners are tired of dealing with them.

Myth: You never know what you're getting with shelter pets.
While this may be true, it is certainly true with any dog you get, regardless if you are adopting from a rescue or buying from a pet store or breeder. Like humans, dogs and cats get sick! When we took Roxy to the vet shortly after we got her; she had worms and kennel cough. This was due to the fact that her previous owners did not give her monthly heartworm prevention and she was never given proper vaccinations to prevent kennel cough. Unless you have done your research, that cute dog you see in the window at the pet shop could have the same exact problems-if not worse. Does Roxy get the occasional ear infection? Sure! Just like any dogs with floppy ears do. Is it because she was a shelter pet? Of course not!

Myth:Purebreds are impossible to find at animal shelters. This is the myths of all myths in regards to shelter pets. As I am looking at my city's shelter website, more than half of the dogs and cats listed as available for adoption, are PUREBRED! I am talking miniature schnauzers, labrador retrievers, poodles, etc. Why is this such a huge misconception? In my opinion, I think people think of shelter pets as cast offs, bad pets, etc. But really, that's not it at all. In addition to shelters, there is a rescue organization for just about every single popular breed-and the not so popular ones as well. Word of advice? Do your research! You will be surprised at what you find.

Myth:When picking out a pet, puppies and kittens are the way to go.
Not necessarily. If you want a puppy or kitten, great! Good for you! But, please educate yourself on the training, energy and time it takes to raise a puppy or kitten. When we first set out to adopt a dog, we wanted a mature dog with previous training. Well...that is not what we got. You know the saying, "you don't choose the dog (or cat), the dog chooses you?" For us, that was the case. We have had Roxy for 2 years, and let me tell you-it has been a long two years. We have had our patience and nerves tested. Raising a puppy is HARD. Those that have been there know what I am talking about. Is it worth it in the end? Most definitely! Is it tough? More than you will ever know-unless you have raised a puppy. :) So, my point is this: don't walk past those kennels with the older dogs or cats in it. They need homes just as much as those young pets do-and the reward in the end will be great.

This has sure been a long winded post. Do I think that if you don't adopt a pet from an shelter or rescue group that you aren't doing the right thing? Absolutely not! However, I encourage you to do your research. If you are getting a pet from a breeder, ask for references. How long have they been in business? What are the living situations for the current dogs they have like? You get the picture. If buying a dog from a pet store, do the same thing. Research to see if they have been associated with any puppy mills. If you don't know what puppy mills are, Google it. You definitely don't want to support anything like this.

And, if you read my post and it gets your mind churning about the types of pets at shelters and rescues-go check them out. You might find your furry friend. And they will be forever grateful.



Thursday, January 12, 2012

Oven Baked Burgers and Potato Wedges


Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I am personally glad that it is almost Friday. Yesterday I wanted to do something fun for dinner. Burgers sounded good so I searched the 'net for something yum. I found this great recipe for oven baked burgers. Sounded interesting enough! I paired the burgers with potato wedge fries, something my mom always made for us growing up. Hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I did. They are both very simple-just my style! I didn't take very many pictures but you'll get the idea. :)

Oven Baked Burgers-What You'll Need:
-1 lb ground beef or turkey
-1/4 cup of steak sauce (A1, Heinz)
- 2tbs Shake and Bake plus,
-1/3 cup of Shake and Bake, set aside
-Hamburger Buns

What to Do:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-mix together steak sauce and two tablespoons of Shake and Bake
-Crumble ground beef into mix and combine well
-Form beef into four patties
-Coat with set aside Shake and Bake
-Bake for 20-25 minutes

Potato Wedge Fries- What You'll Need
-3 baking potatoes
-2 tablespoons of olive oil (I used light)
-1 teaspoon of chili powder
-1 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 teaspoon of garlic powder

What to Do:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees
-slice potatoes into wedges or strips
-mix together olive oil and spices in a large bowl
-toss in sliced wedges and and coat well
-place slices on baking sheet
-bake for 45 min, flipping once

These were great and so easy! You could really use any type of spices that you wanted-more or less of what I used.

Enjoy!
Happy Cooking!
-Rachel


Sunday, January 8, 2012

DIY Coasters



This Christmas, my goal was to make a lot of DIY presents. Well, that didn't really work out like I had hoped, but with the help of my hubby, we did come up with one crafty present. Of course, I found this idea from Pinterest.



Homemade Coasters-What You'll Need:

-4x4 smooth or rough surfaced tile. We found these for .16 at Home Depot. Buy as many as you'll need for your project

-Waterbase sealer (I used Mod Podge-Gloss)

-Clear Acrylic Sealer (I used Mod Podge-Matte)

-Scissors

-Sponge Brush

-Felt, foam, or cork backing (I used foam)

-Scissors

-Cocktail napkins, scrapbook paper, or greeting cards (we used greeting cards)




What to Do

-take whatever design you are using and cut it to fit your tile. We used a Christmas greeting card from Dollar Tree. A 16 pack cost...you guessed it...$1!

-Mod Podge your surface. Quickly place your design on the tile. You only have just a bit to place it how you want it.

-Smooth it out to remove any bubbles

-Mod Podge over your design

-Let dry for 15-20 min

-Spray your acrylic spray over the dried tiles. We did two coats

-Mod podge or superglue your backing to the back of the tile.

-Enjoy for yourself or give as a gift!




We gave these as gifts to both of our parents and they were a hit! I think that greeting cards or scrapbook paper would work best. We first tried cocktail napkins, but found that they were too thin and we didn't care for the look of it. You could also use felt dots or cork for the backing. Next time, we will probably use felt dots.


You could do this for any season or holiday, not just Christmas! These would make terrific gifts or something to just have around your own house. I plan to do collegiate coasters soon.


Total Cost of Project: $19.48 (your cost may vary)
Total Cost Per Tile: $1.21
We found the greeting cards (pack of 16), foam backing (pack of 20), and foam brushes (pack of 4) all at Dollar Tree. The tiles were found at Home Depot for .16. The Mod Podge sealer and acrylic spray were found at Walmart for around $7. Your costs may vary depending on where you live.


Happy Crafting!


-Rachel

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog! I have been wanting to start a blog for several years now but didn't have the nerve or motivation until now. One of my friends and my sister.in.law recently started their blogs, so they are my inspiration!

This blog will be about my attempts to become a better (and more frequent) cook in the kitchen and dive into my inner crafty side that has recently made itself present! I also hope to share DIY ideas for around the home, bargains while shopping and other fun topics. I will also probably talk about my slight obsession with Pinterest. ;)

This won't be a personal blog-just something fun! I hope you enjoy and please be patient while I try and figure out blogging. :)

~Rachel