On the scale of impulsiveness, I'd consider myself to be way closer to the planner end of the spectrum rather than a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl. But, for some unknown reason, I decided to conduct an informal poll of my level of impulsiveness from my kids perspective. #carefulwhatyouaskfor 😂 The results are in. My kids ranked me between a 2 and a 4 on the impulsiveness scale. And my daughter-in-law gave me a 5 - with the disclaimer: "in a good way." 😅 I feel like that's fair. In general - I would agree that I don't make a lot of impulsive purchases or stray from my well thought out plans very often. I rank low on the impulsiveness scale but honestly, I'm not unhappy about that. I like being a planner and a list maker. I hardly ever enter a grocery store without a well thought out, categorized grocery list that's sorted by aisle and shelf. I'm an efficient shopper - what can I say? 😅 Hobby Lobby has actually labelled their bins near their checkout counters as "impulse buys." I kind of love that they call it what it is. They're filled with the kinds of things that you browse while you wait in line to pay for your purchases. The kinds of things that a non-impulse buyer, like myself, would never buy.🤣 Unless it's a skor bar. 😂🍫 Yup, you read that right - the girl who doesn't buy impulse groceries, cannot pass up a Skor bar in the checkout line.😬😅 I have absolutely zero will power to resist a delicious, chocolate covered, crispy, buttery toffee bar. I love them so much in fact, that I stock English toffee bits in my pantry which are basically a crumbled Scor bar. And I sneak them into as many desserts as I can. Cookies, cakes, brownies - they're all better with toffee. I feel like English toffee elevates the flavor of everything that I put them in. These toffee chip cookies are an amazing example of a chocolate chip cookie that's brought to a whole new level when I toss in a handful of toffee bits. Toffee Chip Cookies 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups toffee bits 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes at 350. Let cool on baking sheet slightly. There's nothing better than homemade chocolate chip cookies on a rainy day. I'm hoping these chocolate and toffee filled, treats bring a smile to your face today.😊
Ciao!
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I've got exciting news! We've called our Georgia house home for 17 1/2 years and we've finally decided to take the plunge and finish our basement. This project has been a long time coming. I'm pretty sure that we started dreaming about what the basement space could become, before we even moved into this house. 😅 An empty slate = endless possibilities and over the years, we've discussed them all of them from adding movie theater rooms to flight simulator closets. 🤣 So after years of bouncing crazy basement ideas off of each other, we decided it would be best if we brought in some professional help. Turns out, our interior designer had some clever ideas of her own - and hers were much more realistic. 😅
Do you think we have enough refrigeration space? 😂😂😂 I failed to mention that we also asked the designer to incorporate an industrial sized refrigerator and freezer into our basement design.😬 What I didn't document was the state of the basement before we cleared out 17 1/2 years of junk. 😅 Turns out, the more space that you have to store stuff - the more stuff you store. 🤷🏻♀️ And, surprise, we were storing a whole lot of stuff that we didn't really need.😅 A good basement clean out was long overdue. I actually really enjoy the purging and organizing process. Well, I like the end result - the process ... not always fun. I admit that I'm not so great at cleaning out closets regularly but I do a frig clean out on a fairly regular basis. Every once in a while, a frig clean out, turns into a delicious new soup, casserole or even a sandwich. A handful of spinach, a couple slices of cheese, a spoonful of hummus and a some veggies -all that needed to be eaten soon, proved to be exactly what I needed for a scrumptious meatless sandwich. 🥪 This was one of the most delicious frig clean out meals that I've ever made.😋 Veggie and Hummus Sandwich 4 slices hearty whole grain bread, toasted 1/3 cup hummus 2 slices gruyere cheese 1 cup spinach 1/2 cup peeled and grated carrots 8 peeled cucumber slices 6 avocado slices 4 tomato slices avocado slices Small handful sliced red onion, rinsed under water 1/2 cup broccoli or alfalfa sprouts Spread hummus over bread slices. Layer veggies on top. Top with a slice of cheese. Add remaining bread slice and cut in half.
Here's to me making it through another home renovation project without threatening to kill my poor husband. 🤣 Ciao! Just to be clear, I'm aware that the recipes on my blog can be a source of temptation for some. My followers have let me know that food pictures that pop up on their Facebook or Instagram feeds after ten o'clock are "torturous." 🤣 I get it. I actually make an effort to post recipes early in the day so as not to tempt anyone trying to avoid late night eating temptations. I also try and post a good variety of recipes. Believe it or not, what may seem like random recipe posts are actually somewhat calculated. A chicken recipe, followed by a butterscotch cookie recipe and then a potato salad - yup, that's exactly the way I intended it. 🤣 A little something for everyone - all in the same week. This Apple Pie Fruit Bar recipe is for anyone looking for a sweet treat without refined sugar or processed ingredients. The ingredients are simple and the recipe straightforward but the flavor --- intense! I don't know about you, but I feel like I overindulged on sugary snacks over the holidays and even though I'm still craving all the sweet thinks - I'm trying to cut back on my sugar intake. These Apple Pie Fruit Bars help to satisfy my sweet tooth while limiting my processed sugar. Apple Pie Fruit Bar ½ cup dates (about 5) ¼ cup raisins 1 cup dried apples ¼ cup almonds ¼ cup walnuts ½ tsp cinnamon Soak raisins and dates in hot water for 30 minutes. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Shape into an 8" square. Place on a cutting board and freeze 30 minutes. Cut into squares.
You can store these bars in your refrigerator for up to a week but if I'm being honest - my Apple Pie Fruit Bars have never lasted that long.🤣 Ciao! The phrase "stubborn as a mule" took on a whole new meeting these determined and headstrong animals at the Grand Canyon.🤣 These beautiful animals were tenacious and unshakable and all kinds of stubborn. 🐴 But, it turns out - stubborn mules are the perfect mode of transportation for anyone who wants a great view of the Grand canyon.🌄 Safe to say we were all beginners to the world of mule riding. It's a good thing that the animals knew what they were doing and where they were going. 😂 It didn't take us long to realize that we'd all get along much better if we just trusted the mules to take the lead and do what they are trained to do. We all have our strengths. My power move is cooking chicken. 🐓😅 I never set out to be a master of chicken --- I think it just happened out of necessity. I like to eat chicken and don't want to prepare it in the same way all the time, so I taught myself how to cook it in as many different ways that I could. If you're a fan of pan seared chicken with a super tasty pan sauce - you need to try this Chicken with Pearl Couscous recipe. The list of ingredients is long but this chicken is big on flavor. It just doesn't get any better than chicken with lemon, spinach, carrots, mint and pistachios. Chicken with Pearl Couscous 2 shallots 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons fresh mint 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon pepper 8 bone in chicken thighs 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous 1 3/4 cups water 2 cups baby spinach, chopped coarse 1 cup torn mint leaves 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
Fold in spinach, mint and pistachios. Transfer to serving platter with chicken. This is warm, winter comfort food at its finest. Flavorful chicken on a bed of creamy couscous and vegetables - I'm all in.😅 And I think you're going to love it too.
Ciao! I't's been 21 years since I've lived in a cold weather climate but I still crave a little dose of cold weather and snow at Christmas.❄️ There's just something about bundling up and breathing in cool, crisp December air that puts me in the spirit of the holidays.🧣 And last month, the South rim of the Grand Canyon delivered my annual dose of snow! Snow, cold weather and all the incredible views of the canyon! I don't know if I love the cold for the cold or if I love it because it's a great excuse to eat and drink all the warm comfort foods. I think maybe the latter is true and I tolerate the cold so that I can justify drinking a giant cup of whipped cream topped hot chocolate. I've managed to convince myself that I can actually shiver so much that I burn off all the calories in my drink. 🍫 Hot chocolate is my guilty pleasure in cold climates but I also really love to warm up with bowls of warm and hearty soup. Soup is one of my comfort foods, maybe because I can remember my mom making homemade soup when I was a kid. If you've ever spent time in Ohio, you know that soup is crucial to surviving the long Northeast Ohio winters. This Creamy Tortilla Soup is inspired by the Chick Fil A tortilla soup recipe. It's creamy and rich but it contains no dairy. The secret is to puree the beans and use them as a thickener for this yummy, protein rich soup. If you're a fan of the famous fast food chain's tortilla soup - you need to try this copy cat recipe. And you don't have to be in a cold climate to enjoy it. Creamy Tortilla Soup 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 onion, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic, minced 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp oregano 1 tsp salt 3 cans Cannellini Beans, 15 oz each 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, 10 oz each 1 can cream style corn 15 oz 1 can whole kernel corn 15 oz 1 can black beans 15 oz 1 lb cooked chicken, shredded 1 lime, juiced
Simmer 15-20 minutes. Squeeze in lime juice. Today's a chilly day in Georgia so a bowl of warm, creamy tortilla soup sounds just about perfect right now. 😋
Ciao! |
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