This Weeks 5 favorite --Kid--- thing's

Owl Cup Cakes

Skull and Cross Bones Hat

Cute Little Onesies

Vinyl Bathtub Markers

Aun Activity with items you already own!! [money saver]

This Weeks 5 favorite things:

William-Sonoma Sprinkles Cup Cake Mix
Ruffle Scarves
Anything Purple
Leather Jacket
Leopard print flats

This Weeks 5 favorite things:

Fun Fall Scarfs
H2O with cucumber & lemon
Big Sweaters @ Nordstrom
Gold Jewelry
Purple Shampoo(gives blonde hair new life)

Cancer Free!!

I finally got my test results back end of last week and everything looks "GREAT" said my Dr. I jumped up and down with joy just hearing the news I couldn't be more excited!! I now only have to see the Doctor once a year vs. every 3 months......Life is good!

I am now a walking billboard about how important is it to get your yearly pap! If I hadn't of gone who knows how long it would of taken me to find out that I had cervical cancer. I thank god I was only stage 2, and that my doctor knew what to look for. Most women put it off, I know it's not the funniest Dr. appointment but try going every 3 months...Now once a year doesn't seem so bad...does it?

If you know a friend/family who has been putting off going to the Doctor...Please pass along a good Dr. phone # or my story. Life is to short as it is, make it a point to put your health first.

Think Pink

Brest Cancer Awareness!!

I have been seeing a lot of great products that support Brest Cancer Awareness…Wanted to pass on some of my favorites!

All @ Redenvelop.com

Baked Chicken with Herb Skin and Roasted Garlic Cream Gravy

Ingredients
6 boiling onions or 8 cipollini onions
2 large heads garlic
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 roasting chicken
6 sprigs fresh tarragon
6 sprigs flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 fresh bay leaves
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 pound baby potatoes
1 cup purple carrots or baby carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream
4 cups baby spinach, packed, coarsely chopped

Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F.Cover the onions with water. Boil them for a few minutes, then drain and cool and wipe off the skins with paper towels. For boiling onions, halve lengthwise. Smaller cipollini onions may be left whole. Set aside.While the water comes to a boil, cut the heads of garlic to expose all of the cloves. Drizzle EVOO over the exposed garlic, then press into the rosemary to coat. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast in the oven until tender, 45 minutes.Loosen the skin of the chicken that covers the chest and thighs and legs. Arrange the tarragon and parsley sprigs, bay leaves and thyme leaves under the skin, distributing evenly around the bird. Rub 4 tablespoons of softened butter all over the bird skin, then season liberally with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes, onions and carrots in a roasting pan. Settle the bird over top of the potatoes and vegetables. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then switch on the broiler to crisp the skin, 5-8 minutes.When the garlic is done, let cool until it's cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skins and mash into a paste.In a saucepot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and whisk in the mashed garlic. Let thicken for 5 minutes, then add the cream and reduce the heat to low.Remove the chicken from oven and carve. Fold the spinach into the vegetables to wilt. Serve the vegetables and chicken with gravy on top.

Start a Recipe Chain Letter

Planning menus and getting the ingredients together for a quick meal after work can be time-consuming. That's where the recipe-exchange "chain letter" comes in. Have friends send you their favorite easy-to-make recipes, then you forward them on. In addition, keep a few cookbooks at the office and download recipes from the Internet to a folder on the computer. Photocopy or print out the ingredients list while at work and then buy groceries during lunch or on the way home.

Dinners shouldn't be stressful...have fun with it!!

Freaks come out @ Night!!

I must have been a full moon or just my lucky night!
Tuesday night Adam and I had some free time so we decided to go grocery shopping and pick up some of the essentials (milk, bread etc). As we were walking around I saw a strange old man with a cart full of bleach- were talking (8) one gallon jugs, cracker, and a BIG bottle of wine….I guess if I had that much laundry I would drink too! If that guy wasn’t enough….We then head out to our car and see another couple loading up their car nothing to strange about that right!! It was what happened next that socked both Adam and I. They lock up their car and look like they were both taking the cart back…but NO they pass the cart return and started heading out of the parking lot!! Yep….They were trying to see if they could steal the cart… (WTF) It was around that time Adam and I both looked at each other and said “we are NEVER going shopping at night again”…

This Weeks 5 favorite thing's (extra edition)

Knit Beanies

Fun Color Flats

Boots of ALL shape/size

Owls

Gourmet Rice crispy treats

Fall Book Club

Nothing I like better than a good book & hot tea on a Fall day!!
Time to get reading....

Compound Butters

Compound butter may sound a bit scary, but it is so easy that it can hardly be considered cooking. But it will add that extra zing that you're looking for. Check out some of my faves below to give a try over the weekend.

Basil Butter
(also great on grilled steak, chicken,white fish, and potatoes)
2 sticks room temp unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped basil
Kosher Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Garlic Butter
(also amazing on steak, grilled hamburger buns, potatoes)
1 stick room temp unsalted butter
4 cloves finely minced garlic
2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
1 T lemon juice
Kosher Salt (to taste)

Savory Chive Butter
(try on grilled poultry or fish and cooked veggies)
2 sticks of room temp unsalted butter
2 T fresh chives (or more if you like)
8 drops of Worcestershire
Kosher Salt (to taste)

Mexican Herb Butter
1 stick of room temp unsalted butter
2 T minced fresh cilantro
2 t ground cumin
1 t fresh lime juice
Kosher salt to taste
**kick this one up a notch by topping the hot buttered corn on the cob with grated Cotija cheese.

Directions:
For all of the above recipes, combine ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Serving:
Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until needed (you may want to bring it out about 10 - 20 mintues before to soften slightly).
or
Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log approximately 2 inch in diameter. Refrigerate until very firm (2 hours). Unwrap and cut slices for individual portions.
All butters can be frozen and saved up to 3 months in freezer safe plastic bags.

Fall Wedding Storyboard

Photo Art

This Weeks 5 Favorite Things:

Mead Honey wine
Saltwater Taffy
Custom made Calling Cards
Fall Colors
Sweater Dresses

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin
• 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins temperature should also be 325 degrees F., but bake for 30 minutes.