Taco Tuesday!

We LOVE Taco Tuesday!! Tacos are a favorite in my house and we just love the simplicity of them. I set up a Taco Bar and let everyone add whatever they want. My kiddo feels like such a big boy fixing his plate.

I happen to be the condiment queen... adding fun stuff to food is something that just makes me happy, happy!! Taco Toppers RoCK!!

I decided to make myself a Tostada... just the way I like it!!

And, our absolute FAVORITE Taco Topper... Pico de Gallo!! We just can't get enough!!

On a busy day of work, chores, homework & baseball games, there is nothing like Taco Tuesday!

What are some simple meals you prepare for your family?!

Our New Baby!

Meet Chili Palmer Jones... Our family pet.

(Chili Palmer is John Travolta's character in the movie "Be Cool"... LOVE this movie!! And this happens to be the perfect name for Chili Dog... one calm & chill pupster!!)

How could you not fall in love with this face?!



We adopted this sweet little boy this weekend from the Lone Star Boxer Rescue organization. He was abandoned and had been living with a volunteer. We brought him home Saturday and fell completely in love!! Chili is crate and house trained and great with kiddos and other animals... We were so lucky to find him!!

I am so grateful for organizations like Lone Star Boxer Rescue, the time and love they give to care for these abandoned and abused animals amazes me. It takes a special person to do what they do and they are definitely a group of incredible people!!

Thank you to all animal rescue volunteers!!

*Tiffany

Stay tuned tomorrow for a new recipe!! YuMMY!!!

Celebrating!

Typically my birthday is just another day. However, this year I am extremely grateful to not be spending it with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita or Ike!!

So...



Praying for an amazing year!!

Fall Forward Fashion Colors

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE me some MAC makeup and I am SO excited about the F/W line that they have introduced!!

I went this weekend and bought the new color pallette of deep eye colors and a nude lip and canNOT get enough of them!!

Check it out...

I start with the Spice Lipliner

Add lipstick in Viva Glam II (color not pictured)

And top it off with Viva Glam VI Lipglass (color not pictured)

This is the new eye color pallette that I am obsessed with!! It is called Tone: Gray and it's complete AWESOMENESS!! Don't let the name fool you... it is actually this season's hottest color... NAVY BLUE and it is GORGEOUS on!! I also add brown into the crease of my eyelid with the nave blue... it's SMASHING!!

And the best part... Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS!!

Buy yours today!!

Inspired by Ballard Designs

I've had an empty wall in the living room and I've been clueless on what I should do. I saw the artwork below in Ballard Designs catalog and then stumbled upon Thrifty Decor Chick's blog and she was inspired by the SAME artwork!!

That was my sign...

Ballard Designs beautiful artwork = $200

This project was incredibly easy, that even the not-so-crafty gals out there will be able to tackle this one with no problems!

Here is what you'll need:

9 - 12" x 12" pieces of MDF

9 - Sheets of Scrapbook paper - You can use and paper you like. Some of my pages were embellised with glitter.

1 can of matching spray paint - I used a chocolate brown to match my decor

1 can of spray adhesive

Nails for hanging

Spray all edges of the MDF with the spray paint of your choice.

Once dry, use the spray adhesive to completely cover the front of each board and the back of the scrapbook paper. Let set for about a minute.

Place the scrapbook paper on the front of each board - Adhesive side down.

Thrifty Decor Chick nailed her art directly into the wall, however, I decided to use brackets on the back of my boards to hang them. Either way will work perfectly!

Since the "Design Rule" is to work in odd numbers, I decided to use 9 squares as shown in the Ballard Designs catalog.

This project is SUPER Simple and I really like how it turned out.

I already and the MDF and spray paint on hand, so the total cost of my inspired project was $10.38!! FABULOUS!!

Cloudy with a Chance of Cheesballs

I mean... Meatballs!! ;-)

I took these sweet boys to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs today in 3-D and they absolutely LOVED it!!

What kiddo wouldn't enjoy a movie where cheeseburgers fall from the sky?! If you have younger kiddos, I definitely recommend taking them to see this movie. There was a ton of laughs and lots of smiles!!


My nephew Koda & Ashton


I just LOVE this cheeseball!!

BTW - I thing EVERY movie should be 3-D... SO FUN!!

Black Bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Black Bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

And yet another wonderful recipe from Jenny over at Picky-Palate.com. I have tried a number of her recipes and cannot say it enough, how creative and simple they are to make. Each recipe is delicious, but can be tweaked to match your specific taste.

These are the perfect treat for Fall!! Enjoy!!

Jenny recommends the Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses in her recipe. I decided to mix it up a bit and use both Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses and Candy Corn Hershey Kisses!! ABSOLUTE AWESOMENESS!!

Black Bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:

8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor
1 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3 Litehouse Lowfat caramel dip (comes in a package of 6 20z little cups)
12 Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined. Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat. Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.

2. In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. Pour evenly into the 12 cups filling about 3/4 way full. Spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently.

Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through. Let cool completely.

3. Remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a spoonful of remaining caramel and a Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kiss.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves: 12 mini cheesecakes

The Painted Cookie

I LOVE creativity and getting creative with food is even better!

Angie over at http://paintedcookie.blogspot.com/ has done an AMAZING job jazzing up your everyday sugar cookie. Check out her website for some of the most creative & fun cookies you will ever see!! Talk about CAAAAUTE (that would be cute)!!

The best part... They can be MAILED!


Ballerina Cookies

Inspired by Vera Bradley - LOVE these!

Wedding Cookies

Halloween Cookies

I will be placing an order VERY soon!!

Sparkling Margarita Floats

Sparkling Margarita Floats

Enough said...




Sparkling Margarita Floats

Recipe from: Erika Lenkart

Ingredients:
One 12-oz can frozen limeade concentrate
1 1/2 cups tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
2 quarts tonic, chilled
1 pint tangerine, lemon or lime sherbet

Directions:
Chill 8 glasses.
In a pitcher, stir together the limeade, tequila and triple sec.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Stir the tonic into the limeade mixture.
Place 1 scoop of sherbet into each of the glasses, and stir in the margarita mix.

I'll take 2 please!!

Super Silly

Is there anything more fun than Silly String?!

If so, we haven't found it yet... and I'm not sure we want to!!

Poppin’ Garlic Ranch Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

I've been under the weather for the last 4 days and nothing sounded better than this recipe from Jenny over at Picky Palate. Love, Love Jenny's creativity!

I just can't get enough of Jenny's recipes and unlike other blogs I've followed, her recipes are perfect for the everyday Mom!!

This is definitely a recipe everyone MUST try!!





Poppin’ Garlic Ranch Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (either bake, crockpot or pressure cook chicken for easy shredding)
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Mix, reserve 1/2 teaspoon for topping
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 fresh cracked black pepper
2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
10 oz can cheddar cheese soup
1 Cup chicken broth
1 Cup milk
2 15 oz cans Mixed Veggies, drained
3/4 Cup crumbled bacon pieces, already cooked
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 6 count can Pillsbury Homestyle Biscuits
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 teaspoon reserved dry Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Hot Sauce to top, if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place shredded chicken into a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle in ranch mix (reserve 1/2 teaspoon for later), salt and pepper.
Toss to combine seasonings.

2. In a large rimmed skillet or dutch oven, place soups, broth and milk over medium heat; whisk until combined.
Stir in mixed veggies then shredded chicken.
Transfer to a large 9×13 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle bacon and cheese over top.

3. Open biscuits and place onto wax paper.
Cut each biscuit into 10 little triangle pieces (cut biscuit in half then cut each half into fifths).
Place little pieces of biscuit over top of chicken mixture until it’s all covered.
Sprinkle biscuits with remaining ranch dressing mix, garlic salt and 1/2 Cup cheese.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are cooked through underneath.
Cover with foil the last 25 minutes of baking to prevent too much browning.
Let cool for 10 minutes then serve.
Serve with hot sauce if you like it spicy!

8 servings

Enjoy!!

What can $11 buy?

Well... if you are at Neimans, $11 will buy you a sock. No, not a pair... just ONE stupid sock.

If your like me and get your inspiration from Kara at Creations by Kara, $11 buys you this lamp from your local thrift store!! TOTAL AWESOMENESS!! <-- (Not a real word, but the only word to describe this insanely good deal!!)

OH!! And the best part about this lamp... It WORKS!!

This lamp doesn't need much, but I would love to fix it up a little bit to make it more "me".

Until then, this little light of mine has a home in our bar.

One last thing... see the candle holder on the bar?? It cost me $15!! See the lamp?? Yeah... it was only $11 with shades... TOTAL AWESOMENESS!!

Cookie Collide

When chocolate and peanut butter collide, you get another insanely AWESOME recipe from: Jenny at

www.Picky-Palate.com

These cookies were super easy to make & Oh-SO-Yummy!!



Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

Peanut Butter Cookie
1 Cup creamy peanut butter (I used honey peanut butter)
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
Set aside.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks softened butter (1 Cup)
1 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 Cups flour
1 1/4 Cups cocoa powder (I used Hersheys)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix with fork or sift. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

2. Take a Tablespoon of Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and a Tablespoon of Chocolate Cookie Dough and gently press together forming a “not so perfect” ball. Don’t press and roll too much, just stick them together and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through to your liking.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Spectacular Spaghetti Pie

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Pie

Recipe From: Jenny at Picky-Palate.com

*If your family enjoys spaghetti, they will absolutely love this new take on it!*

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti noodles
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lb ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce

10 fresh basil leaves stacked, rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)

1/4 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Bread Topping:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4-1/2 teaspoons Lawry’s garlic salt

1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes then add beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt to brown, about 7-9 minutes. Reduce heat to low then stir in sauce, basil leaves and cooked pasta.

3. Open French Bread and unroll it to rectangle. With a knife cut it in 2 equal parts. Take one piece and press into the bottom of a well greased springform pan pressing up the sides slightly. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.

Transfer approximately 3/4 of the spaghetti into the pan (or fill about 3/4 way to the top of pan) (save leftover spaghetti for later). Sprinkle top with parmesan and cheddar cheese. Take remaining piece of dough and place it over top of spaghetti trying to cover entire surface. Brush olive oil over top of dough then sprinkle with garlic salt.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bread is just golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

SPC - Day 19

I am still keeping up with the Self Portrait Challenge, but it's much harder than I thought! Lately, I have been taking photos of things I do throughout the day and not just photos of my face... Believe me, I can't stand looking at my face over & over & over again!!

SO... here is a photo of one of my daily routines... Book Time with Tidbit. We absolutely LOVE this time! I soak up every second of my one-on-one time with my Little Man, because in a blink of an eye he will be 16 and I know that Book Time will turn into Mom-can-I-borrow-some-money-so-I-can-go-to-the-movies-with-my-friends Time.

Being LAZY

I have been cooking & baking non-stop and I do LOVE it!! However, I had a house full of family and friends and a super crazy weekend and all I want to do is catch up on a little sleep. Is that to much to ask?!

My boys were starving and didn't want the slice of peanut butter toast that I would've been happy with. So what's an exhausted Momma to do?!?

"Thank you for calling Pizza Hut, will this be for delivery?!"

**Sigh**

The Cooking & Baking Gods are frowning upon me right now, but doesn't this pizza look Yummy? I am sure my hubby appreciated the insanely intense heartburn that came along with it and I bet next time HE will be the one happy with peanut butter toast!! **Sneaky Laugh**

SPC - Day 17 & 18

There is nothing better than having your toes in the sand... Even if it's just Galveston. Gotta Love it!!

Trampoline Time!

Always a kid at heart...

Perfect Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Recipe From: Jenny at http://www.picky-palate.com/



Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
(Minus the whole wheat... I didn't have any one hand!**)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (**I substituted self-rising flour)
1/4 cup Flax seed meal
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (**OMIT if using self-rising flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 Cup frozen blueberries, plus 1 Cup for garnish
1 Cup warm pure maple syrup

Directions:
Stir together the flour, flax seed meal, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir in the the egg, buttermilk and canola oil until just combined.
Stir in the blueberries.
Pour the batter onto a greased hot skillet and cook about 2 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through.
Serve with extra blueberries and pure maple syrup.

Makes 12 4-inch pancakes

The only thing better than these pancakes for breakfast, is sitting down as a family and enjoying them. This is my most favorite time!!

Enjoy!

COCOnut Macaroons

Since I've been laid off, I've been cooking & baking like a mad woman and LOVING every minute of it!! My boys are really enjoying it too!! Go Figure...

My Sister, Bro-in-Law & Nephew spent the weekend with us and my Bro-in-Law was BEGGING for coconut macaroons. I LOVE coconut macaroons, but have never attempted to make them. They were much easier to make than I was thinking and were OH-SO-GOOD!!

COCOnut Macaroons

Recipe From: Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

Coconut Macaroons
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted (I used self-rising flour, because it's what I had)
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

**This recipe does not call for chocolate, but I decided to drizzle a few macaroons with melted chocolate. Don't forget to cover the bottom of the macaroons in chocolate as well. DELICIOUS!!**

Directions:

In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt. When this mixture is warm to the touch, and nice and creamy, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, flour, and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place small mounds (about 1 tablespoon) of the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing several inches apart.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.

Makes about 2 dozen macaroons.

From Trash to Treasure

I haven't been to thrift stores much (that WILL change), but decided to go yesterday and found this for $3!! I'm not positive what it should be used for, maybe a candle holder. I have a ton of candle holders around the house, so I wanted to think of another way to use it.

And...

This is what I came up with! Not to shabby for $3!! I am always trying to figure out how to set out flatware and napkins during buffet style showers, birthday celebrations, etc. and thought this was a perfect way to do it. A little black spray paint and a good clean up and Ta-Da... a flatware holder!!

Well... at least for now!!

Rockin' Roll 'Em Ups

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups

Recipe from: Jenny at www.Picky-Palate.com

**These were awesome & I would definitely recommend everyone try them out!! The adults & kiddos equally devoured them. I had a request today from my boys to make another batch. YuMMY!!**

Ingredients:

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)

1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing

2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ Chicken

1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Ranch Dressing for dipping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese.

Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape.

Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

SPC - Day 15 & 16

If I could add sarcasm to my caption, I would... Laundry is NOT Loads of Fun!!

At least not in my house!! ;-)

SPC - Day 15

SPC - Day 16

Just me... headed to Dawson High's performance of Beauty & the Beast. The kids did an AMAZING job... i'm just in awe of their talent!

Rockin' & Rollin'

I don't paint often, but I do have quite the crafty/creative side of me and I am always willing to try something new.

My most recent craft project was a painting for my baby brother, Joshua. He is in the process of changing his room from fishing to a more "growny" Rock & Roll room. What Rock & Roll room is complete without a guitar?!

I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but Joshua loved it and wants me to paint a few more. HaHa!!



Gotta love baby brothers!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies

Hot Little Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies
Recipe From: Jenny at www.Picky-Palate.com

**WARNING: These are highly addictive & should probably be considered illegal!** ;-)



1 roll Pillsbury Pie Crust, thawed and cut into 12 2 1/2 inch circles (I used a cup to press out all the circles)
1 batch of your favorite cookie dough (I used store bought cookie dough)
1 egg white plus 1 teaspoon water
3 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar or normal granulated sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting on top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place all 12 pie crust circles onto a baking sheet.
With a small cookie scoop, place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into the center of each pie round, pressing cookie dough down slightly without touching edges of pie crust.
*DO NOT overfill each pie, if too full the dough breaks through the pie.*
2. Dip your finger in water and brush bottom 1/2 of the pie crust edge with water and fold top crust over to seal.
Using fork tines, press to seal around edges. Continue until all crusts are sealed.
Poke each little pie on top once or twice for steam holes.
Lightly brush each pie with egg white whisked with a teaspoon of water then sprinkle with turbinado sugar (normal sugar is also fine). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until pie crust is just barely golden.

Note that some of the cookie will escape through the pie crust, if this happens, just cut them in half and no worries.

3. Just before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar and even ice cream if desired.

Because my cookies exploaded, I decided to top them with melted chocolate and powdered sugar. YuMM-O!!

**JENNY WAS AWESOME ENOUGH TO EMAIL ME THE TIP BELOW, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL!!** THANK YOU JENNY!

TIP: After you cut your pie dough into rounds, stick them in the freezer while making the cookie dough. The pie crust needs to be very cold until the second you put them into the oven.

Serve warm & Enjoy!!

Picky Palate... Where Have You Been?!

If you have not visited Jenny at www.picky-palate.com, you will NOT be disappointed!!

This recipe is from www.picky-palate.com my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE new website. Jenny is FABULOUSLY fun and has created some of the most insanely delicious, one-of-a-kind, simple recipes for REAL Moms (Not Martha Stewart Moms... Nothing against Martha, but you understand).

I have picked a few recipes from her site and will be making them this week. Today I made BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac and it was like nothing we have ever had... in an AWESOME way!!

My boys LOVE new recipes and will try anything. I think it's a HUGE compliment that they want to add this into the regular recipe rotation!!

You outdid yourself Jenny... Thank you for being an inspiration to real Moms and Thank You for sharing your creations!!

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac

From: www.picky-palate.com

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)
5 Tablespoons butter

5 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

4 Cups milk

5 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)
2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken HERE is the recipe

1 Cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta.

Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken.

Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

SPC - Day 14

Is there any other way to start a morning?!

I just wish coffee gave me the same "kick" it gave everyone else. I only drink it because I LOVE the way it taste... Go figure!