Neiman Marcus Dip

Here is another quick and easy party food that I have adopted recently from justaspoonfulof.com. All the making of a delicious dip as an added bonus no baking! Make the leftovers into sandwiches on crescent rolls- YUM!

Neiman Marcus Dip
3 green onions 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded* ()1 cups mayonnaise*1 jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits*1 cup of chopped pecans
Chop the green onions.Shred the cheddar cheese.
Mix the onions, cheese, mayo, bacon bits, and slivered almonds together.Chill for a couple hours.Serve with buttery crackers.
*my personal preferences & other substitutes: I like Sargento 4 state cheddar best, I like to use my homemade mayo or even greek yogurt, can substitute turkey bacon

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Caramel turtle cheesecake ball

This is a quick new recipe I got from ohnuts.com . It's really easy to make and really delicious. I have made this now for 3 different parties so I feel enough authority to brand this recipe virtually fool proof:

Caramel Turtle Cheesecake ball

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup caramel sauce, divided use

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup vanilla instant pudding mix (about half of a 5.1-oz package)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. Combine the room temperature cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix them with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, until they’re light and fluffy.

2. Add 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce, and try not to eat too much of it as you spoon it in. (The remaining 1/4 cup will be used for decoration on top.) Beat everything together until it’s nice and smooth.

3. Next add the powdered sugar and pudding mix. These both give the dip body, and the pudding mix, especially, gives it a little stability while maintaining a smooth, creamy texture. Add vanilla extract to the bowl as well. Mix everything together on medium speed. Once it’s all incorporated, your dip will be beautifully fluffy and creamy, and a lovely pale caramel color.

4. Add the miniature chocolate chips, and all but a handful of the chopped pecans. Stir everything together by hand until it’s well-mixed.

5. Scoop the Pecan-Caramel Cheesecake Dip into a bowl, and smooth the top and sides.

6. Take the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel sauce, and drizzle it on top and down the sides of the dip. Top with pecans and chocolate chips.

Your Pecan-Caramel Cheesecake Dip is now finished! You can enjoy it immediately, or refrigerate it for a firmer texture. If you wrap it well, this dip will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. Serve with cookies apples or just a spoon. You dont want people scooping it out with their hands (and they will!) to eat it plain.

Cookies? Spoon? What is the quickest way to eat it?

Nana's Famous Peach Cobbler

This is a favorite dessert of mine.... Several others are fond of it as well! This is my Nana's famous recipe, its the type of recipe that should be guarded w/ lasers in the Smithsonian but that's not how we roll. She gave it to me on the back of a Publishers Clearing House mailer (bottom torn off and sent in already b/c "you never know"). The lesson here is this: always pass on a good recipe its good karma at the very least people will really appreciate the kindness. So here goes:

Nana's Famous Peach Cobbler 

1 can of sliced peaches*

1 stick of butter or margarine

1 cup of bisquick

1 cup of milk*

1 cup of sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.

2. In a med sauce pan bring peaches to a boil.

3. Melt butter in casserole dish.

4. Combine milk, sugar, bisquick and whisk.

5. When butter is melted add bisquick mixture, then distribute peaches evenly w/ spoon.

6. Bake 30 mins.

7. Serve.

* Substitutions: 2 fresh peaches sliced, pitted, and w/o skin boil peaches until tender. Any kind of milk will work if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, I like to use coconut or almond when possible.

25 cents thrift store sign

Before

I found this little gem at NAM one of my favorite resale shops and yes it was a whopping 25 cents!!! Not sure who the Morfords are but thanks for the donation. The back side of this sign was plain wood and I used this tutorial from diddledumpling.blogspot.com to transfer my quote on to it. I didnt use paint just a trusty sharpie to darken the letters but I like the result- on to my foster baby "wall of fame" it will go! Below is my quick photo tutorial :

and after!

Sriracha chicken salad

This one came courtesy of pinterest and thymebombe.com (original post). Love chicken salad and sriracha couldnt pass up and opportunity to merge the two. Without bread this is a great option for low carb dieters. 

Sriracha chicken salad

Slow cooker shredded chicken
Homemade mayo
Sriracha sauce
Green onions

Combine ingredients adding mayo and sriracha to desired consistency and temperature (subject to change depending on amount of chicken and green onions available for your batch). Serve with or without bread.

spicy and spectacular!!! 

Homemade mayo

I found this easy recipe while looking up recipes for the paleo diet. While my attempt at the paleo diet was failed after a few days I have been faithful to this recipe from thehealthyfoodie.com.

homemade mayo

1 cup extra light olive oil

1 egg

juice from one lime

salt and cayenne pepper

place all ingredients in a jar and blend with a submersion blender for 20 seconds holding jar in place.

Just a few simple ingredients

Just 20 seconds and magic!

Slow cooker shredded chicken

I always need shredded chicken for recipes...The usual way I went about making it was to boil on the stove top then painstakingly cut and trim chicken that was usually over cooked and tough (also no good in the intended recipe). I recently attempted to make shredded chicken breast with the slow cooker. This method took longer but the chicken fell apart with just a touch of the fork much much easier and much better results.

Slow cooker shredded chicken

Chicken breast
Water
Chicken broth

Place chicken in slow cooker, cover chicken with water and just a sprinkle of chicken broth for flavor. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove and shred chicken with fork.

Notice the knives off to the side, being neglected

Awesome breakfast casserole

This one is another Pinterest treasure from mrmrsbeeze.blogspot.com (click here for original link)... I made a few changes but it is now a weekend breakfast mainstay.
Breakfast casserole

1/2 can of breakfast biscuits
1/2 lb of sausage cooked
1/2 c non fat Greek yogurt
5 eggs
1 c shredded cheese
Cayenne pepper,  sea salt and chives to taste

Please biscuit in the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour on top Bsaving some of the cheese for topping. Bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes.

The idea is to have some for the rest of the week, that usually never happens

I

Refrigerator Oatmeal

 I got this recipe Pinterest (click here for original recipe) and had to try it. When I was a kid I always longed for oatmeal the consistency of Bert's on Sesame Street or that you would see in commercials. Try as I might I never seem to get it was always too thick or too thin. This recipe I gave me just the right mix when used with vanilla Greek yogurt it has a sweet and creamy consistency that would our a sound up from the toughest critics- Bert surely would approve!

Refrigerator oatmeal

Quick oats oatmeal
Nonfat Greek yogurt vanilla
Milk (any kind of milk will do)

Chia seeds

Mix ingredients to your desired consistency refrigerate overnight and enjoy!

the finished product, the original post prepares it in adorable jelly jars but I make mine in bulk!

" REFRIDGERATOR OATMEAL! Sounds amazing!!!!"

Bar stool make over

My friend Ashley is a good and bad influence...good in the sense that she is extremely talented in all things artistic and creative, bad in the sense that when we team up we fall down this rabbit hole of endless possibilities for projects. So far our projects have all been winners, this is our 1st completed project. We converted her distressed barstools w/ rattan seats into a different color distresses barstools w/ a much more fanny friendly fabric seat w/ reinforced cushioning. Here's the quick tutorial:
Step 1- prep work:
Remove molding, old cushions, and nails from seats. Sand lightly just enough to scuff it up, then wipe down.

Step 2- prime:
Paint w one coat of oil based primer in this case we used Zinger, one pint was enough to do all three stools

Step 3- paint:
Paint 2 coats of selected color in this case green.

Step 4- antique and seal
Using a rag, go over stool paying special attention to corners and edges w/ a dark wood stain to achieve desire effect. Once dry apply w/ a polyurethane top coat.

Step 5- seat cushions:
Measure and cut material and cushion for seats in this case we used a delux egg carton mattress pad for cushion it is my cheaper and comfortable than your basic appolstery cushioning. Attach padding w/ a hot glue gun and secure fabric over it w/ a staple gun.

Step 6- molding:
Ashley did this part all by herself but the process when a little something like this... She painted this with an accent color then cut it with a miter saw and attached with a nail gun. Finished off by touching up nail holes.

And there you have it!

Sesame st extravaganza!!!

I have to brag on myself for the only 3 things I actually did for this party short of buying and setting things out. Of course I must thank Pinterest for a majority of these projects that some how went incredibly right- love it when a plan comes together!

First project the cake, this is really the only thing I can claim solo credit for. I designed it and created all the characters by had- self pat on the back. It was red velvet on the inside, vanilla butter cream on the outside icing homemade by me cake by Duncan Hines, cheating I know but in the words of the wise Sweet Brown "ain't nobody got tine fo dat!" It turned out fab in my opinion and I am typically my worst critic:

Birthday balloon wreath:
This was a Pinterest project I followed the tutorial for the most part except for wrapping it in ribbon since it will only come out once a year also insert Sweet brown again. Click here for original tutorial

Cookie mom-ster costume
This was all Pinterest saw the awesome photo of the original ( click here) and designed my replica around it. All of the embellishments were hand cut out of felt then glued on not real hard. The tutu (which was kind of a blast for me to make) was made by an instructional posts on Pinterest click here for actual instructions. The top was an altered brand new men's under shirt which I happen to have a stash of on hand ( hoarding coming in handy again, gate way I tell ya...buried alive here I come!) I cut the top and sewed casings on the front and back for the ribbon to make it a little tank. i topped it all of with a fascinator which is simply one of the felt cookies I made embellished w/ a make shift tulle ruffle and hot glued to a ribbon long enough to tie attractively around my head. Put it all together and voila the cookie mom-ster cometh!

Flub it up

I found this recipe for flubber on pinterest  and had to try it out for the wee pocket devil. The only modification I made was I used an elmers glue that was already blue w glitter. It lasted about an hour but fortunately it was really simple to make. 

Flubber glamour shot

                                   

Initial evaluation

                                    

Flubber destruction action shot

Peanut butter-polooza!

If you have any sort of nut allergies keep movin this post is not for you. If you do not and you are like the remainder of the population you probably love peanut butter. Here are some of my favorite peanut butter recipes they've always been crowd favorites so it's only logical to share the recipes with the world!

The first was passed down from my Aunt Billie 1 of the original culinary queens in my family. Just to put it in perspective she is probably partially responsible for laying some of the foundation for my aunt Susie's abilities ( see hot stuff she's obviously a genius).  I make them for my mother in law and load them with chocolate chips, the dough is also pliable enough to use with a cookie press. This recipe is insanely simple and virtually full proof:

1 cup peanut butter cookies

1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Beat ingredients together with a mixer. Spoon on to a cookie sheet either greased or lined with parchment paper
, I use a melon baller for this process it is easier, less messy, and provides consistency. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, add time in 2 minute intervals if needed.

I recently made this recipe I found on Pinterest. It was a huge success at my neighbors birthday I I received the platter back for it by the following afternoon along with a half eaten bag of the shortbread cookies I served it with.

Here is the link to the original post:
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/08/peanut-butter-cheese-ball.html

Beet salad

So technically I guess this would be a knockoff recipe. However I am NOT going to call it that because my version turned out to be much much better. Instead I can call it an inspired recipe. The inspiration for this salad came from brix at the vintage. I actually had never had a salad with beets, but the melody of flavors was so good that I had to try this 1 at home.

Disclaimer: the following recipe is given in country measurements which is another way of saying do as you please. Some people will like more of other ingredients some people will not so proceed at your own leisure.

Beet salad

Spinach
cherry tomatoes
fruit (either mandarin orange or green apple slices work best)
feta cheese
marinated beets (see below)

Add ingredients together in a bowl and toss, rocket science! I dress a salad in my goto dressing (see below)

Marinated beets
1 can of sliced beets
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Slice beets julienne style and coat in olive oil salt and pepper.

Jazz's goto salad dressing
Spicy mustard
hot sauce
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Lemon juice
Honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cloves of garlic pressed/minced
Olive oil

Add ingredients at your discretion to suit your taste. Then whisk together.

* side note- different flavors of olive oil work wonderfully in this salad I have personally tried this with both truffle oil and Meyer lemon olive oil and both have worked great so be adventurous!