For the Love of Housewares

I recently had a birthday. This will be my last year to live up my twenties and I've decided that it's going to be really great.

My Husband and some very sweet friends made my birthday very special. It was nothing extravagant (this is the way I like it), but they let me know I am loved.

My dear friend Amanda gave me this beautiful red pitcher, with an even more special note, because "she knows how much I like hoursewares." Don't you love it when friends just get you?

It's been sitting on my kitchen table for a week, unused, because I like staring at it. So I thought you might like to too.

Customized Valentine

I've never been very fond of the conversation hearts that line the aisles for Valentine's Day, but when I saw this over at realsimple.com I couldn't resist. Try taking a box, lightly sand off the message with a fine grater, and use a food coloring marker to write your own message. Maybe you have an inside joke together? or words that trigger a memory? or funny pet names? The ideas are limitless.

Side note: If you're a fan, I figured you would want to know that my friend Jessica mentioned that the sweetheart brand changed the flavor of their conversation hearts and they just aren't the same.

Another good reason to check out realsimple.com: they have a link to create a customized crossword puzzle. You can fill it with clues centered around your relationship.

Valentine's for kids

I'm loving this idea over at Martha Stewart.com for Valentine's Day treat packages. What a fun way to involve your kids in love day and a great craft to keep them busy for the afternoon.

All you need is to cut out a picture of your child, scan and print onto heavy cardstock. Let your child write a cute message and attach to bags of sweets. That easy, that cute.

Back To Basics

A new cookbook it just what I needed to get me out of the funk I'm in. I had this book in my hands for one day and had already tried 3 recipes, all with acclomades. In Ina Garten's Back to Basics she leaves us with great tips, menu 's and ideas of what to keep stocked in our pantries and refridgerators to prepare a good meal at a moments notice. Many of her recipes have items that I generally keep stocked up on and every recipe has a picture, which is a must for me. Trust me, get it and you'll love it.

FYI - It's currently at Coscto for $19.99
This would make a great Valentine's Day gift for those who love to cook.

Valentine's for Him or Her

Valentines can be such a fun holiday. Really the hardest part can be finding that perfect gift. As usual, my ideas center around great food. So I thought I'd share some gift ideas that anyone would love, male or female.

How fun would it be to sign up for couples cooking lessons? There are numerous places around the Salt Lake Valley that offer them. Try Les Madeleines (I hear great things about them), Sur La Table, or Caputo's Market & Deli, to name a few.

For a fun and creative gift, head on over to Color Me Mine and paint a pretty plate, then top it off with some homemade sugar cookies. Trust me, they'll notice all the effort that went into this gift. Or even better, make a date of it and do both projects together!

I love this idea I found over at Stephmodo - Print up a t-shirt declaring your love for your Valentine, but wait for a big reveal by keeping it under wraps (hide under your coat) until you go out to dinner (may I suggest Stoneground) and when you sit down take off your coat. I bet they get a kick out of it!

I know a box of chocolates is a bit cliche, but if you were to give me a box from Condies Chocolates it would be worth every calorie. They really are the best, and I happen to know the family that runs it. Trust them when they say that they really do hand dip every chocolate (they even taught me how).

If you want to keep it simple, cook a great dinner at home and avoid the long waiting lists at restaurants. I've been dying to try this simple french meal from Stephmodo (can you tell I love her blog?). Instead of spending a bunch of money on gifts, try giving your Valentine a thoughtful card and let them know how much you love them.

Valentine's Day Prep

Seriously so cute. What a great Valentines day gift for your friends/neighbors/loved ones. Cute heart shaped brownies found via Twig & Thistle.

Sweet as pie...

You all know my love of pie. In fact, I've been dying to make my mini pies just so I can use these cute boxes found via Twig & Thistle. I'm thinking I could find a fun reason to give these out, say......Valentines Day?

Jam Labels

I previously posed the question asking if anyone had ideas on a pretty way to package jam and I finally found the answer with this free download found on Creature Comforts Blog via A delightful blog. This would make a great hostess gift or favor at your next dinner party.

Baby Shower Ideas

My niece Kellie just had a baby girl and named her Alexis Mae (how cute is that name?!). Actually, I have a lot of family and friends having babies these days. So I thought maybe some of you do as well. Here's a couple of great things I found around the internet that might spark some ideas for a great baby shower:

How cute would these paper owls look spread out all over the tables? Found via A Delightful Blog

Then I'd grab all of my scrap fabric and make a banner like this one to hang above the table.

Image found via flicker

For the gift? I would make another one of these bird mobiles I made for my new nephew last January. For a free download go here. Or give me a call if you have questions about how to assembly it.











Now I kind of wish I was throwing a baby shower for someone!

Free Download

Just in time for Halloween. I found these free, printable Halloween tags. Download them here. If you use them, let me know what you did!

What?!

Pumpkin Butter! Nuff said.

Sunday Dinner

We had family over this Sunday for Travis and Nikki's birthdays. On the menu:

Chuck Roast

Season with Salt & Pepper, fresh rosemary, lemon zest from one

lemon, and 2 garlic cloves. Put it in a crock pot on top of carrots and onions

and pour 2 cans of beef broth over it. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Carrots

(placed on the bottom of the roast with onions)

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Homemade Raspberry & Peach Jam

Eclair Cake

The roast just fell apart, it was really good. Putting a roast in a crock pot is great because the only thing I had to do right before the guests arrive was the potatoes and gravy. The best part of the meal really was the rolls and jam. My friend Lauren gave me this recipe years ago and it's turned into a family favorite.

Lauren's Crescent Rolls:

2 Cups warm Water

2 Packages Quick Rising Yeast

1/4 Cup Oil

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Egg

5 1/2 Cups Flour

In a large bowl pour warm water over yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes in order to activate the yeast. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Let stand for 1-2 hours for the dough to rise. Divide dough in half, roll out in circles and cut into pie shapes. Roll into crescent. Place on lightly greased sheet. Cover. Let rise for 1-2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen, depending on the size you make the rolls. I like them big, so I usually only make 16 large rolls.

A great tip I've learned when it comes to cleaning up after serving a large group is to always make sure your dishwasher is empty. That way you can gaurantee you'll have room for all the dirty dishes after dinner. This means making sure you clean up as you cook.

Oh yeah, remember my restaurant recommendation? Well, gift certificates and BBQ sauce make a great gift for guys who like their meat (Travis). And, homemade jam makes for a great parting gift for your guests. My cute niece, Kellie, recommended tying raffia to the container for better presentation.

Enjoy!

Homemade Love

I had some friends move into a new home and figured a good housewarming gift would be some homemade jam.

I love homemade jam, but I've always thought it would be difficult / time consuming to make. I was completely wrong. I used the recipe off of the back of this fruit pectin packet and was done in 10 minutes flat! It calls for 4 cups of crushed fruit and 1 1/2 cups sugar. You mix everything together and don't even have to turn the stove on!

Since it was so easy to make, I figured I better make some homemade wheat bread to go with it.

Anyone know of a cute way to package freezer jam to give as a gift? Let me know.

BBQ for Summer's End

For me, Labor Day weekend represents the ending of Summer and the beginning of Fall. Yes, my pumpkin obsession should be starting soon. And what better way to see Summer come to an end with a great BBQ meal. So Husband and I made our way to Pat's BBQ for a little brisquet, ribs, meatloaf, and all the fixen's, that was all to die for! If you're looking for a great, hearty meal that serves you enough food to last a week, this is where you want to be. Check it out here.

Just in case you were wondering, they sell their awesome bbq sauce for $6 a bottle. This is serious stuff!