Drab to Fab!

I wanted to give my friend Travis some toffee covered almonds as a "just because" present but didn't want to just throw them in a Ziploc bag. Instead, I filled an old salsa jar with the almonds and added a few simple touches that really made it unique!


You can give away old jars filled with just about anything! *nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, soup mix, candy, peanut butter pretzels, spices, flavored popcorn, marinades, and homemade relishes, jams, or  sauces.*


I started with an old jar, the almonds, a square piece of material about two inches larger than the lid of the jar, and a matching hair band.

Fill the jar with whatever you want, screw on the lid, then cover with the material and secure with the hairband. I added a personalized tag with double sided tape.

5 Ingredient Dinner!

BBQ Turkey Cups:
These cups are simple to make and are full of flavor. All you need are these five ingredients: ground turkey, Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar.

Spray a cupcake pan with non-stick spray. Carefully stretch the biscuit dough with your hands and form them to the cupcake pan.  

                                       

Cook the package of ground turkey and drain out any fat/liquid. Mix the cooked turkey with one cup of BBQ sauce, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and a handful of shredded cheese. Scoop the mixture into the cups and top with more cheese. You might have a couple scoops of mixture left over depending on how full you pack your cups (I stuff mine :)  Bake for about 20 minutes until the dough puffs up and the cheese is melted.

Easy Caprese

This is a super easy side that pairs perfectly with just about anything. We hosted dinner the other night for our good friends and I wanted to serve a salad but forgot that we had no lettuce. Instead, I sliced two tomatoes, topped them with fresh mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled them with dried basil. (Dried basil is a great substitute for fresh basil in a pinch!) I drizzled some balsamic vinaigrette on top and finished the salad with some green onions. It was so pretty and very delicious!

Stamp Tags

Whenever I receive a letter, I tear off the corner where the stamp is and use them as tags for presents. I'm really starting to add to my collection now that the holidays are coming up. These look great if you thread twine through a tiny slit in the tag before wrapping around your present, or you can just tuck them under ribbon. Just write your "to" and "from" and a holiday message underneath the stamped area. These tags add character to your gift and really make it unique! 

Pretty Pumpkins!

These decorations can last from before Halloween through Thanksgiving! Start with three clear pumpkin-shaped glass jars and fill them with orange tissue paper. Place a flameless tealight candle in the bottom of the jar. Make sure that there is not too much tissue paper in front of the candle because the light can get lost. Keep the candle close to the front with one piece of the paper in front. During the day you can keep the lights off, then switch them on as soon as it gets dark. These are great for outdoor decorating as well. 

Chocolate Pockets

-Puff Pastry
-Chocolate Chips (I like semi-sweet)

-1 egg

-Powdered Sugar

Defrost the puff pastry sheet and cut into four squares. Spray foil sheet with Pam and place onto baking sheet. Carefully stretch out the piece of puff pastry just a little bit. Fill each Puff Pastry square with a scoop of chocolate chips. Whip the egg in a bowl and use a basting brush to brush the edges of the dough with the egg. The egg acts as a glue when you fold over the dough. Brush the tops of the dough squares with egg and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry dough is golden and has risen. Using a sifter, sprinkle with powdered sugar and ENJOY! (Believe me, you will!)
                             

Kids snacks

I just read a fantastic idea in Goodhousekeeping:

**Use coffee filters for your child's dry
snacks instead of paper plates**

Paper plates are way more expensive and small coffee filters are the perfect size for thier tiny hands.

Brie + Bread

So I'm planning on my husband bringing a big hunk of brie and a foot-long baguette to the hospital when we have Rachel so I can scarf it the second she comes out.

Prep Bowls

I've spent the past four years as a Pampered Chef consultant and am in love with all of the products that The Pampered Chef provides. Our kitchen is full of amazing gadgets and each one helps us prepare and complete our meals efficiently.

The 1-cup Prep Bowls are the one product that I could not live without! They are perfect for storing leftovers or measuring ingredients. Each bowl comes with a lid which helps for storage in the fridge (stacking works great!) I also use them for eating my "Cheesecake in a Cup" :)

Cheesecake in a Cup

Happy June! My first recipe is a delicious dessert that has less than half the calories of a slice of ordinary cheesecake.

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese

*1 tsp Vanilla Extract

*1 Packet Stevia Sweetner (any sweetner will work! :)

*A Sprinkle of Mini Chocolate Chips**


Combine Ricotta Cheese, Vanilla Extract and Sweetner in a small bowl. Add chocolate chips and enjoy! <3

**Instead of Chocolate Chips, you can add Coconut Flakes, Nuts, Sprinkles, M&M's, Cherries or other fruit; make it your own! :)