blog | home

a graphic designer with a flair for pretty nice creations

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

Oct 23, 2019

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

I'm in love with this recipe - it's perfect when I have some marshmallows left and they aren't fresh enough for s'mores. Typically I add in chocolate chips or pecans at the end (or both) and a bit of salt. 8 cups popcorn or 1 bag popcorn 1/2 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 20 large marshmallows Pop the popcorn and place it in a bowl - make sure that there are no un-popped kernels there. Melt the butter in a medium pot on the oven. Add brown sugar an

Summertime Pasta Salad

Jul 28, 2019

Summertime Pasta Salad

Sometimes it's just too hot to eat hot food. Here's a good base for some pasta salad that is super flexible. Adapted from THE Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1 teaspoon sugar 8 oz pasta (gnocchi, rotini, bow ties, tortellini or penne) 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil We went to a potluck recently and I found a recipe for b

Copycat Panera Bread Potato Soup

Jul 12, 2019

Copycat Panera Bread Potato Soup

I found this potato soup recipe on Pinterest via Ma Nouvelle Mode and had to try it out. If you enjoy creamy potato soup, this is the way to go. I use vegetable broth, cause I like my soup to be vegetarian, but the recipe called for chicken. Do what makes you happy. I started making this soup when it was so cold outside, but even in the summertime I am craving it. Because it's soup, season to taste. Add red pepper flakes if you need a touch of spice. Add onions if that's your

Product Review: Gardein Beefless Tips

Feb 10, 2019

Product Review: Gardein Beefless Tips

I have a new favorite meal. I bought these beefless tips and was enjoying them as fajita meat, but one day I didn't have tortillas, so I put them in some naan - and added hummus, then this great wrap was born. And devoured. Beefless Tips (about 6 cubes fit in a wrap) Onion Bell Pepper Naan (plain or garlic) Hummus Feta Lettuce Cook the "meat" per the instructions on the back, but add onion and bell pepper. While that cooks, warm up your naan in the toaster or microwave. Sprea

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Dec 14, 2018

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

The hubs was wanting a delicious meal that he could eat the leftovers of for a few days this fall, so he found this very easy recipe. It will definitely be something we make again - especially if family is in town. 3 lbs. beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat 1 tbsp olive oil 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 1 cup Coke 2 10.5 oz. cans beef consommé or beef broth 1/4 cup dry minced onions 1 tbsp beef bouillon 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2

7UP Biscuits

Oct 21, 2018

7UP Biscuits

I made some delicious soup the other day and needed some biscuits to go along with them. I love recipes that only have 4 ingredients and this one happened to finish off each of the 4 ingredients I had. Strange, special timing. This recipe was found on the 7UP website and I was skeptical at first, but am 100% sold now. I used a round pan (which was a terrible idea) and ended up with an extra biscuit which I put in a ramekin. Good call for sure. These would probably be a great

Beginner's Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

Apr 24, 2016

Beginner's Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

I made some cinnamon rolls from scratch today. I felt like I had earned them. I halved the recipe - cause who needs 12 huge cinnamon rolls?! Here's the full recipe which makes a dozen. Great if you are having guests - they will all be super-impressed. I got the recipe from Fleischmann's (that was the type of yeast I had on hand.) In the future, I will double the delicious cinnamon sugar filling inside the rolls - that is reflected here in the recipe. Somehow I ended up with w

Butternut Squash

Mar 14, 2016

Butternut Squash

I've never made a butternut squash before today! But I had great success. Because I was experimenting, I made two batches, one sweet and one savory. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Cut the squash in half, use a grapefruit spoon to get the seeds out then get a sturdy peeler and peel the outer skin. Dice into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Ready your aluminum foil with butter or olive oil. Savory: Use olive oil in this one. Put squash on foil, add salt, pepper and garlic salt. Sweet: Use butt

Pancake Cupcakes With Maple Bacon Buttercream Frosting

Mar 9, 2016

Pancake Cupcakes With Maple Bacon Buttercream Frosting

8 slices bacon 1/4 cup maple syrup Cupcakes 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1⁄2 cups whole milk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled Frosting 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 400° Farenheit. How do you cook your bacon? Use whatever method you like for the 8 slices of bacon. The one I used was in the original recip

Golden Grahams S’mores

Feb 29, 2016

Golden Grahams S’mores

My boss made these for our Christmas party. I'm obsessed with rice crispy treats, but today I may have a new favorite thing. That's saying a lot. 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 cup chocolate chips* 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1 bag miniature marshmallows (reserve a cup) 1 teaspoon vanilla 8 cups Golden Grahams cereal Butter 9x9 pan (or 13x9, whatever works for you!) I like to make my treats on the stove. Start by adding butter to a non-stick pan on medium heat. Once the but

Saltine Toffee

Sep 21, 2015

Saltine Toffee

I just found this beautiful recipe on Pinterest by Shugary Sweets and had great success. I divided the recipe in half because it was an experiment and because I didn't want to be the size of a house by the end of the weekend. 20 saltine crackers 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans 6 ounces milk chocolate chips Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with the saltine crackers. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan over medium-high h

Maple Acorn Squash

Aug 26, 2015

Maple Acorn Squash

I'm not a huge fan of vegetables. These acorn squash were pretty good, though - something I would eat again. I found the recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. 1 medium acorn squash (about 1.25 pounds) 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (optional) 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Arrange the squash halves, cut sides

Mushroom and Wild Rice Wrap

Aug 10, 2015

Mushroom and Wild Rice Wrap

I found this recipe on the Kraft Foods website a long time ago and it as been one which I have enjoyed making for years. It's really easy, and sounds weird, but is really tasty. I add the chicken after, so mine can be vegetarian and his can have some protein. 2 chicken breasts (leftover from the night before, baked with salt and pepper) 1 box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice 1/2 cup ranch dressing 8 oz. fresh baby bella mushrooms 1/2 tablespoon butter 4 tortillas spinach

Blueberry Muffins

Aug 3, 2015

Blueberry Muffins

When we were growing up, my mom would make blueberry muffins to go with chili (Texas Chili). She used this same recipe, but instead of blueberries, she used blueberry pie filling. They a surprisingly great combination. Regrets: Should have made a loaf pan. I did that a few weeks ago and it was so good. Plus you could sneak the slices into the toaster for a fantastic snack. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 3/4

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Apr 6, 2015

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Here's another fantastic Pinterest find. It definitely tastes as good as it looks. It's originally from Martha Stewart. I ate it just as the recipe is (vegetarian), but added a baked sliced chicken breast at the end for hubby. 12 ounces spaghetti, linguini or fettuccine 1 onion, thinly sliced, about 2 cups 4 to 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 12 ounces or 3 cups grape tomatoes, halved 10 basil leaves, torn in half 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspo

Rice Crispy Treat S'mores

Feb 17, 2015

Rice Crispy Treat S'mores

Make these amazing rice crispy treats: 1 stick unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan 1 10-ounce bag marshmallows Heaping 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box) Filling: 1 7 oz jar Marshmallow Creme Dipping: 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/4 cup 2% milk 1 tbsp butter (optional) Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then

Crockpot Ribs

Jul 4, 2014

Crockpot Ribs

I made some crockpot ribs this weekend. As far as ribs go, they're relatively easy. Even quicker: buy some BBQ sauce instead of making your own. 3 tbsp butter 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup katsup 1 tbsp mustard 1/4 cup brown sugar lots of pepper 2 tsp cayenne pepper sauce 2 tsp Sriracha 1 can tomato soup dash paprika chili powder to taste Saute butter and onion. Add the rest and simmer on medium low while you assemble the rest. One

Pesto Pizza

Jul 3, 2014

Pesto Pizza

Super easy pesto pizza! I had some leftovers from my awesome bruschetta, so I decided to make some pizza. Store bought pizza dough (the kind in a can in the refrigerator section) Pesto (from a jar) Basil (from the garden) Tomatoes Mozzarella (the good stuff) Preheat the oven. Roll out your pizza dough. Spread pesto evenly across the top of the pizza. Add basil, then a layer of tomatoes. Top with mozzarella. Bake according to pizza dough directions. Remove when center is fully

Coffee Cake Muffins

Jun 16, 2014

Coffee Cake Muffins

My mom makes this coffee cake that is awesome. I wanted to bring it to a meeting, but thought cupcakes would transport easier. So I created these awesome treats. They are best when they are straight from the oven. I wouldn't make them ahead of time, but they could be eaten as leftovers if you reheated them. 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup shortening 1 egg 1/4 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cup flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla Cream together sugar and shortening. Add egg, blend.

OMG Nachos

Jun 9, 2014

OMG Nachos

I got on a nacho kick recently. So much so, that in this photo you can see that I ran out of chips and used tortillas. Preheat oven to 325. I always coat my pan in foil because I am lazy and hate dishes - wait, no, I'm practical and use my time wisely. Place chips (or torn up tortillas) on the foil. Cover in cheese. Place in oven. When golden brown, remove and add (vegetarian) chile, Spanish rice, corn, lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream. Enjoy. Nom #recipe