Mmmmashed potatoes you can't stop eating!

I apologize ahead of time for the amount of mashed potatoes you may consume after making this recipe.  I've made many, many mashed potatoes but have never loved them like I do this recipe. I found a great recipe online then my friend, Susan, told me about how she makes them.  I put the two together and now I have to put a padlock on my mashed potatoes until I'm ready to take them to my parent's house for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  You won't be disappointed...

Mashed Potato Recipe:
10 pound bag russet potatoes
3 sticks butter
2 packages (8oz. each) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 t. seasoning salt (or to taste)
1/2 t. pepper (or to taste)
1/2 t. garlic salt (or to taste, or fresh minced garlic if preferred)

Directions:
Peel all potatoes then cut into about 1" pieces. Boil mashed potatoes (5lbs at at time). Mash in large bowl then add 1/2 the amount of butter, 1/2 the amount of sour cream, 1/2 the amount of cream cheese and 1/2 the seasonings.  Mash until all mixed.  Scoop into large casserole dish.  Repeat with the other 1/2 of ingredients.  Scoop rest into casserole dish and mix around.  Refrigerate up to 2 days.  Take out of fridge 2-3hrs. before baking.  Top with pats of butter.  Bake @ 350 for 20-30min. Enjoy!  And only eat celery for the next two days.

Note: this recipe can be halved for a normal gathering.  We happen to have a lot of people getting together for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Also, if you want to add some 1/2 & 1/2 to change the consistency of the mashed potatoes you can.

Firefighter's Chili-that good!

Everyone knows firefighters make their own food and they learn how to cook some great things...one of their most popular things being chili! We have a friend who leaked a recipe similar to this one (I had to tweak it, of course) and everyone who has it raves about it.

Chili is one of those meals that varies so much between households and family recipes.  Feel free to add, subtract, do whatever you need to do to make it how you like it...

1 can kidney beans (you can also soak & season your own...but who has time for that?)
1lb. ground turkey (ground beef is fine too but ground turkey has much less fat & cholesterol)
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 lg. can (or 2 reg. cans) chili beans
1 can red enchilada sauce (you choose mild, med or hot)
1 can water
1/2 cup corn starch (mixed in with the water before added)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomatoe sauce
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
garlic salt (to taste)
onion powder (to taste)
s & p (to taste)
chili powder (to taste-start out with 1/2 t. and add until it's spicy enough for you)

Brown meat with onions then add to crock pot.  Add the rest of the items to the crock pot and cook for at least 4-6hrs. or on low all day.  I serve it with homemade cornbread, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.  We have some good friends that introduced the idea of eating it with Fritos and that's great too.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have you ever received a recipe from a friend, and when you've made it, and received a lot of compliments on it, wanted to own it?  I might have.  Except I don't.  I just can't.  I feel bad and I feel like I need to give the person credit.  About a year ago I realized that if I change something in a recipe it makes it mine.  However, with this recipe I must admit that I got the inspiration from my good friend, Annie.  She is an amazing cook/baker (check out her website @ http://www.sweetannieskitchenblog.wordpress.com/. Since then I've made a lot of different changes to it to where I feel like I can own it now and I don't feel so guilty.  Whenever I make this recipe I become the "friend who makes the best tortilla soup".  I make it for my family often, but it's also a default recipe for any time I bring a friend a meal.  It also freezes amazingly and you can just throw it in the crock pot to thaw it out.  So, here's the recipe (feel free to change it up and call it your own!)...

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

3 chicken breasts (boiled then shredded then add)

1/4 cup taco seasoning (Costco has it cheapest)

small can of diced mild green chiles (medium if you like more spice)

1 can of black olives (chopped)

1 can of corn or 1 cup of frozen corn (I prefer the later)

2+ cups of chicken broth (depends on how watery or thick you like it)

1 can of black, kidney or refried beans

1/2 cup of rice (any kind)
1 can diced tomatoes

*Tapatio hot sauce if you can handle it (I can't.  I actually feel like I'm on fire.)

Add all of the above ingredients to a crock pot and cook for at least 4 hours.  Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avacado.  Serve with chips.  Our favorite kind of chips are Juanitas.  They're actually the only kind we'll buy and serve.  You can find them at Safeway and Albertson's.  They're inexpensive too.  

Let me know what you think!  Any other ingredients you can think of that would make it better?  Any favorite meals you like to cook?  I love sharing recipes with my friends because it inspires me to try things I normally wouldn't.  

Decorating with plates and windows

I love vintage decor (or at least decor that looks vintage).  I also love decor that's inexpensive and unique.  A friend of mine owns an old home and had some of the original windows.  She gave me a couple as she saw no use for them.  I did!  In the past few homes I've lived in I've always had this same decor hanging on the wall.

In this particular window the glass had broken and fallen out.  I scraped off as much of the old paint as I could and repainted it because old windows mean old paint that can contain lead.  I hung it and then used plate hangers to hang each plate.  These are vintage looking dessert/salad sized plates but they are actually fairly new.  I love Anthropologie and Home Goods for these things. If you cannot get your hands on an old window try going to a Habitat For Humanity store or any kind of junk yard that has old doors and windows.  They will usually let you barter with them.  It's much cuter against a wall of a different color than the window.  Mine kind of blends in like this.  Another option is putting different colored paper or material behind each window section.  That can add a lot of color to a room.  Grab a window and share some pictures of what you make!

The world's best omelette!

My BFF of 30 years now (yeah, that was hard to type out because that means we are 30something....) is an amazing cook.  She is constantly on the up and up as to what the newest cooking trends are, cooking magazines and blogs, and she presents everything she makes so beautifully.  If you know my Mom I learned that presenting food beautifully and making things from scratch is jus t how you do it.  Or at least how you are suppose to do it.

After I got married I struggled with trying to find things to make quickly for dinner each night, and after I had gone to school full time than worked a full shift as a nanny, I was worn out, had no groceries and just didn't want to cook.  It wasn't until I had kids that I actually started planning my meals every Sunday and grocery shopping accordingly.  My best friend has encouraged me so much in that area and I can now say I'm not a bad cook.  I'm not the world's greatest cook either, but not too shabby.  So, when I come across a great recipe I make it a few (hundred) times so it will permanently stick in my brain folder entitled "recipes I will not forget" (sorry family).

I love breakfast.  But only on Saturdays.  The rest of the days we are short on time, tired and just trying to eat quickly.  However, Saturdays we get to sleep in and make a real breakfast.  And when I get the chance, I love to make my favorite omelette, the PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE OMELETTE!  My BFF gave his recipe to me a couple of years ago and I've made it ever since (on Saturdays anyways).  Here's how I make this omelette...
Put 4 eggs in a bowl and whip them with a fork until completely blended
Add a splash of milk (not too much)
Add a seasoning salt to the mixture (I like Johnny's from Costco-cheapest way to buy it)
Spray a small omelette/saute pan with Pam Butter Spray
Pour mixture in and heat on med heat (gas ovens are the best!)
Let it sit for about 5-10 min. (check underside-down when lightly browned and firm)
Flip onto other side and sit for up to 5 min.  Done when firmed completely
Slid out of pan onto large plate
Top with pesto (my favorite is from Costco-also cheapest way to buy pesto. Trader Joe's has a great one too!)
Then sprinkle with goat cheese (Trader Joe's has my favorite goat cheese and it's very affordable)
Voila!
This is the world's greatest omelette!  My daughter could eat a whole one all by herself (and she's only 5).

I realized after I took the picture it does not look as good as it sounds so I apologize for the disgusting picture.  It really is amazingly tasty though!  Give it a try! Thanks BFF! ;)

Mmm...homemade bread

Who doesn't love homemade bread? (Minus those of you who are gluten intollerant and if you are I am so very sorry gluten hates you.  I have a good friend with Celiac and it's so sad to see what it does to her body. For that reason I will post some gluten free recipes I have that I absolutely love at a later date).


I have some dear friends that I don't get to see often enough so a few months ago we decided we would start a dinner club, assuring dates we'd be able to see each other's faces and catch up.  Once a month we get together at someone's house and have a big dinner, something homemade.  The person who hosts makes the entree then the rest of us sign up for sides, salads, bread and dessert.  When it was at my house my friend Becky brought some amazing homemade artisan bread.  I still can't stop drooling every time I think about it.  I grew up with homemade bread every week and have always wanted to try it but have been intimidated by it for some reason.  I bought a bread maker a few years back and it helped initiate me into the world of yeast and doughs and since, we have made many pizza doughs in it.  When I saw the beautiful bread my sweet friend made and heard about how easy it was I knew I had to try it!  So I did...and it's a.m.a.z.i.n.g! And now I get to be the one to bring homemade bread to people's houses and hear about how impressed they are with my bread-making skills (thanks Becky!).  What's even better is when I tell them it's 4 simple ingredients and is really easy.


This recipe makes 4 loaves and they keep great, as long as you seal them in a large ziplock bag.  Here is the best recipe I've found so far...
http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-artisan-bread-325571


If you have made any variations of this (putting other herbs in it, etc) I'd love to hear.

My not-so-Etsy store

I started making hair accessories about 6 months ago and since have been asked by many people if I sell them.  I did sell quite a few at a couple of Christmas bazaars and really need to open an Etsy store but just haven't had time to do that yet.  So, for the many people who have asked me to post them so they can buy them here they are ! I apologize for the pictures not being so great.  Here are my tulle, lace and fabric flowers...these can be posted to either the large, flat, heavy duty bobby pins or the metal clips that you pinch and they come apart.  Either way they make great bows for packages as well and then it's one more gift! They are $5.50 each.  I can do special orders too.

Ribbon flowers (the ones in red) and big bows come in virtually any color and are $3.50 each.   

The hand crocheted scarves with ribbon flowers attached are $15.50 each. The ribbon flowers are either made with clips behind them or on black pony tail holders.  With the pony tail holders they make adorable napkin ring holders as well...  

Fabric wreath ($30.50)...

Felt clips...the animal clips are $4.50 each and are approx. 2" at longest point.  They have the snap clips in them.  The felt flowers are about 3"+ wide and have the large, heavy duty bobby pins (not really bobby pins-stay in my little girl's hair and mine with no problem). They are $6.50 each (and again, they'd make great napkin ring holders or flowers for gifts)...

Felt clip holders which include hand embroidered name but do not include any clips (more to come) are $15.50 each...

Shipping is included.  I can do custom designs and colors so just ask if you have questions.  I'm working on getting my Etsy store up and running and will let you know once I do! 

"Put a bird on it!"

If you've ever seen Portlandia (the TV show) you're probably familiar with the "Put a bird on it" episode.  So funny!  I grew up in Vancouver, WA, across the bridge from Portland, OR, or as we call it now "PTown" so the show hits close to home (or what used to be home).

I started crocheting quite a few months ago, after I saw it done on another blog (can't remember which one).  I had some embroidery thread that was my Grandma's and got some inexpensive reusable bags from Michael's (again, gotta use the 40% off coupon).  The dish towels are cheaper at Walmart.  I penciled ideas onto the bags and just started embroidering by freehand (sounds hard, but it's really not if you do small stitches).  I've done napkins, kitchen towels, bags, etc.  Here are just a few I did as Christmas presents...

These make awesome gifts because they're inexpensive and hand made.  Just Google images to come up with designs, or cruise other blogs for ideas. You can buy embroidery kits @ craft stores (like Michaels) for fairlyinexpensive and they come 

with templates so you can just copy some of their designs to get started.   I love using buttons as accents too.  They're cheap and add a lot of color and three dimension to designs.  Fabric or ribbon flowers are super cute as additions too (my next blog will be about those!).  And don't forget to put      a bird on it!  It really does make everything cuter.   

Happy embroidering!

"The World's Best Peanut Butter Cookies"

I love making cookies for my kids.  They used to make them with me until they realized how much work it is.  They love chocolate chip cookies so I try to keep chocolate chips on hand.  However, the other day it was rainy and we were low on groceries. I didn't want to run to the store so I searched my cupboards and found a few things of peanut butter (my favorite-Skippy Natural creamy, my husband's favorite-Peter Pan creamy, and the best ever to dip apples in-Trader Joe's Almond butter creamy with sea salt...mmm).  I'd like to say I threw a few things in a bowl and came up with the world's best peanut butter cookies, but I don't have the ability to do that (ask my husband!) like some people do.  So, I searched the internet for a new recipe (I like to try things out) and here's what I found on Cooks.com....

THE WORLD'S BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
2 sticks butter                                              1 cup brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract Mix butter, sugar and peanut butter together. Add eggs, flour, baking soda and vanilla extract.Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

A special thanks to "William III" for submitting this recipe (although that's my incredibly good picture of them).  And for being right.  These are the world's best peanut butter cookies!  I sealed them in a large ziplock bag (a cookie jar would do the trick too as long as it's air tight) with the ends of a loaf of bread (we don't eat the ends).  The bread keeps the cookies soft.  Every day you can put in a new piece of bread (throw away the old one) and the cookies will stay fresh and soft for about 4 days. You can also freeze the cookies.  Enjoy!

My favorite blogs

I'm new at blogging so I've been exporing other people's blogs lately.  I love a really good blog.  I just wish I had more time to just read all my friend's blogs and my favorite blogs every day but I don't.  So I use them as resources, for recipes, home decor ideas, to catch up, etc.  We live in an incredible time where a lot of resources are just a click away.  So, here are some of my favorite blogs (there's not very many...yet):


www.thepioneerwoman.com (this picture is of Ree, who is the author of this blog, and my BFF on the right with her at a book signing in LA-jealous!)


www.littlebirdiesecrets.com


www.simplelifejourney.com (a good friend of mine)


www.shabbyblogs.com


What are some of your favorite blogs?

A necklace I'd buy

I love making things.  I love making things that are cheap to make but look expensive to buy.  Well, maybe not expensive but definitely not cheap.  So, when I saw these on another blog (Little Birdie Secrets) I was completely inspired.  I'd like to take credit for the things I make and decorations people think I come up with but I must admit I rarely have an original idea.  It's more like an original steal.  And so I take credit.  I do.  And I don't feel bad about it.  Except when I share it online.  Cuz I really like Little Birdie Secrets.  Since I live on the West Coast and in a small town in Central Oregon I will mention stores that we have here but we are limited since there are only about 80,000 people in this little town.  I had a few birthday presents to make one weekend and knew I needed to go inexpensive.  Giving presents is one of the things that makes me happiest.  I'm not one to just grab anything I see on my way to a party.  I love searching for things people will love and absolutely love to see them open it and love it (of course I'm sure there are some that fake it just fine).  I saw these necklaces and quickly took a trip to Michael's (every craft lovers dream, as long as you have in tow their 40% off coupon).  I went straight to the jewelry section and saw the beautiful glass/crystal pendants (they're really plastic but look nicer, huh?).  I bought one with the coupon then went straight to the clearance section and bought some more there.  I bought some strands of metal (that looked the most like sterling silver but cost much less) and measured what I thought would be enough for the 3 pendants I had bought.  Note: I always keep a mini tape measure in my purse since I'm an event planner and they come in very handy.  I bought some glue that said it works on metal and plastic and dries clear (and was cheap) and then went home and went to work on my necklaces.  The pattern behind the pendant is just paper I had left in my scrapbooking materials.  I traced the pendants with a pencil, cut them out, glued the paper onto the back of the pendants, strung the necklaces through them and voila I had 3 necklaces for about $5 each.  No one knows they're that cheap when you wrap them in a jewelry box with a cute ribbon (real, always use real) and tie a precious bow on top (unless you're one of the 3 people I gave them to and you're reading this:). So, there you go.  I've had people say they want to buy one from me so if you're interested they're $15 for those of you who simply don't want to fight your way through Michael's and try to learn to make a necklace on youtube.