Chinese New Year: Homemade Fortune Cookies

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? We have since Man-Child was little, we used to watch Kung Fu Panda or Mulan and eat Chinese food, some years we would get take out and some years I make everything. The one thing I've never even attempted to make is Fortune Cookies. I love the idea of getting to customize the fortunes!

After attempting to make these I now know why I've never tried it before! They are tricky little buggers! I'm petty sure that not even one of them looks like a fortune cookie! But that's gonna have to be ok! If you go by taste alone they are AMAZING! The texture is pretty good too, trust me I ate all the ones that didn't turn out;) it's not quite as crispy as the restaurant kind but I'm ok with that!

Here's what you'll need:

1 Egg White

1/8 tsp Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

1/4cup Flour

1/4cup Sugar

2 TBSP Water

Here's how you make it:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on thin strips of paper. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. In a small bowl combine the Flour, Salt and Sugar. Then combine into the Egg Whites. Add in the water and mix, it should be similar to a thin pancake batter. Spoon teaspoonfuls of batter onto parchment, and spread into 3 inch circles. You want to just do a few, like only 2 to a sheet. Bake for about 5 -7 minutes until the cookies are slightly browned around the edges. Remove from the pan with a greased spatula, place onto a wood cutting board, then place the fortunes in the middle. Fold in half and then bend them in the middle so the points touch, place into a muffin tin so they hold their shape while they cool.

Enjoy

25 Screen Free Ideas for Teens

Another one of my New Years Resolutions was to have limited screen usage on Sundays. Which is also the day we have Sunday Family Dinners and Family Game night. In today's society we have have become so focused on all our screens, TVs, tablets, smart phones, computers etc. that we aren't interacting with each other as much. Often times you will find our family watching TV and yet all of us are also on our phones or tablets. Even if it's a show that we want to watch we are still doing something else. 

We've become so distracted as a society as a whole. I went out to dinner with a bunch of girl friends the other night and at some point in the evening at least one of us was looking at their phone. Have you heard the idea of everyone putting their phones in the middle of the table and the first one to grab their phone has to pay for dinner? I think it's a great idea, and you can bet if I was in that group I would be the last to grab my phone, cause you know this mama doesn't wanna pay everyone's bill!

We have a rule in our house that the phone/tablet has to be off an hour before bedtime. That's even becoming difficult with a lot of our books being ebooks now. Man-Child really likes reading on the tablet he prefers it actually and he reads an hour before he goes to bed. So we've made that an exception. 

On Sundays all of us are supposed to limit our usage. And well sometimes that is easier said than done, especially for Man-Child. So I made a list of 25 things he can do that don't require a screen. Some of them are things he enjoys doing and some of them are silly and I even threw in a few chores. Hey a Moms gotta do what a Moms gotta do!

Enjoy

Sunday Family Dinners: Lasagna

If you read my New Years Resolution post you might have noticed that one of them was to have dinner at the table as a family every Sunday! I just think it's so important for our families that we gather together at least once a week and check in with each other. Especially as Man-Child is getting so much older, and that means so much busier, between school, sports, youth group and his newly emerging social life (which by the way freaks me out?) it seems like we are always on the go for something. I wanted to make sure that once a week we were sitting down at the table having a good meal and talking with each other.

Then the Hubster surprises me and says he would like to have every meal or at least most of our meals at the table, which we've always been bad about just getting our plates and then sitting in front of the TV. It didn't start out that way when Man- Child was little we always ate at the table but somewhere along the way we started eating in front of the tv more and more. I love that we were both on the same page and were both really feeling like we needed that connection that comes from sitting down to a meal together.

Have we done it every meal? No, but we have done it more meals than not since the beginning of the year.

For our first Sunday Family Dinner I made Lasagna.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups Mozzarella, shredded

9 Lasagna Noodles (half a package)

SAUCE

1lb Ground Beef

3 cans Tomato Sauce

1-2TBSP Italian Seasoning

1tsp Garlic powder

1/2 Onion, diced

Pinch of Brown Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

FILLING

1 16oz container Ricotta

1 Egg

1tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Colby Jack, shredded

Here's how you make it:

In a large skillet cook your Ground Beef, season with Salt and Pepper, until it is browned, add in the Onions and cook until translucent. Then add in the Tomato Sauce, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, and the Brown Sugar,stir to combine then let simmer. Meanwhile fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil add in the Lasanga noodles, boil for 10min then drain the water. In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the Ricotta filling. In a 13x9 pan place a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of the pan, add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with half the Ricotta mixture, then cover with sauce. Add another layer of noodles, Ricotta, and Sauce. Then finally add the remaining noodles. And cover with the rest of the sauce. Then top with the Mozzarella and Colby Jack. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake another 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then slice and serve.

Enjoy

Cinnamon Roll Lasagna

Have you made the Sopapilla Cheesecake recipe that's all over Pinterest? It was one of the very first recipes I ever made from there when I first started pinning! It's such a hit too whenever I've taken it to anything it gets completely devoured and I'm always left wishing I had made a little more for us at home. I've never actually made it just for us either, which honestly is probably a good thing cause I'm pretty sure I could eat the entire pan! And that my friends would not be a pretty site!!

I decided to change it up a little, not much because honestly why mess with a good thing right? But I've been playing around with this idea of Cinnamon Roll Lasagana for a few months. I was thinking of just doing it like a unrolled cinnamon roll? But I decided if it was going to be more like a "lasagna" it would need a filling so then I knew I had to do it with the Sopapilla recipe. I guess I could've called it Sopapilla Cheesecake Lasagna but I liked the way Cinnamon Roll Lasagna sounds. To me thats what it feels like too. And really if you like Cinnamon Rolls you'll like this, it's like a perfect bite of Cinnamon Roll in every bite, you know the middle piece that has all that cinnamon sugar goodness and you've managed to keep the frosting on it in that spot too? Yeah that's every bite of this dessert! Give it a try!

                                                   You can see how much I enjoyed it!

Here's what you'll need:

2 cans Crescent Roll Dough (I like the sheets)

2 pkgs Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1/2 cup Sugar

1 TBSP Cinnamon 

Here's how you make it:

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a 8in square pan place 2/3 of the crescent roll dough on the bottom. Meanwhile, In a mixing bowl combine the Cream Cheese, 1 cup of Sugar and the Vanilla, mix until combined. Then scoop half the mixture onto the dough, spread to cover. Top with another 2/3 of the dough, sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Then add the rest of the cream cheese mixture spreading to cover the dough. Top the cream cheese mixture with the remaining 2/3 of the crescent dough. Evenly pour the melted butter over the top of the dough. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle over top of the butter being use to cover completely. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is Golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes and the refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!

DIY: Sugar Hand Scrub

Years and years and years ago I used to sell Mary Kay, I love all their products and really only quit because I'm not great at approaching people! Like seriously I've tried so many different direct sales businesses and yeah it's just not my thing! So glad it's other people's thing though because I love to order from just about every one I've ever heard of! Seriously it's kind of a problem! I think the Hubster inwardly groans when I get invited to a party because he knows it's gonna cost him! And now with online parties forget it I can go to all my friends and families parties without even being there! How awesome is that?!

Ok back to Mary Kay, I still LOVE their products but I'm not always the best at ordering and you know sometimes it gets a little spendy! When I saw all the DIY pins for satin hands I knew I had to try it, I mean really a less expensive way to have one of my favorite hand scrubs? YES! 

So I had to get the stuff and try it!

TO MAKE:

1/4cup Dawn Hand Renewal (I used the purple lavender scent!)

1cup Sugar

Stir to combine then pour into a bottle or jar. I reused a different body wash bottle that I had! 

TO USE: 

Pour a small amount into your hands and scrub away! Rinse off and follow with a good hand cream, or try my Whipped Coconut Oil Lotion

Enjoy

Parmesan Crusted Grilled Ham and Cheese

I have a serious addiction to... CHEESE! I mean I'm pretty sure that I rarely go a day without eating some sort of cheese. I do try to limit it cause you know it's not totally super good for you! But I couldn't give it up, and I've tried trust me. A few years ago I did the Paleo diet, and there's no dairy allowed! Yeah it's pretty much the reason that diet didn't work for me! Cause there is no way you can tell me that almond "cheese" tastes anywhere near as delish as real cheese!

 Anywho since today is National Cheese Day! Did you know that? Nope me either until i was googling national food days! I thought what better way to celebrate that than to share my recipe for Parmesan Crusted Grilled Ham and Cheese.

Here's what you'll need:

2TBSP Butter, softened

1TBSP  Parmesan Cheese (use the real stuff if you've got it! I didn't so I used the powdered stuff)

Bread, sliced

Cheese, sliced (I used Colby Jack)

Ham

Here's how you make it:

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Combine your Butter and Parmesan Cheese. Spread the Butter over your one side of each slice of bread. Place your Sliced Cheese and Ham on the side of the bread that is not buttered. Top with the other slice of bread buttered side up. Place the sandwich in your skillet and cook until both sides are a golden brown, and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy

Butter Tart Shells

Last week I shared how to make Lemon Curd. It was so good I could've eaten it by the spoonful! Which I totally might have done! I sometimes rationalize eating stuff Iike that by telling myself it's ok 'cause it's HOMEMADE, I mean if it's homemade it's totally good for you right? Ha! Not so much, but it is still good and of course I am a firm believer in all things in moderation! In order to not eat all of the lemon curd by the spoonful I decided to make up a few Butter Tart shells to fill with the lemon curd. I also filled them with  Blackberry Jam that I made this summer and of course some Nutella because the Hubster is not a fan of Lemon or Blackberry Jam, and really Nutella is awesome, I think I need to try to make some. But first here's the tart recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

6 TBSP Butter, softened

1 cup Flour

1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

2-3 TBSP Water

Here's how you make it:

Place Butter, Sugar, and Flour into a mixing bowl. Mix until combined, add in Water 1TBSP at a time, until dough forms into a ball. For a large tart spread the tart dough into a 9 in pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. For mini tarts use a mini muffin Tin and place small dough balls (about 1inch) into the muffin cups. Press the dough down to form a small cup in the middle. Bake 8-10minutes. Let cool then fill with the fillings of your choice.

Enjoy

Mid Week Pick Me Up

Last week I posted on Facebook that I was in need of a pick me up. It was Wednesday, the first week back to our routine after Christmas break and I was dragging! I asked if anyone had any tips, the only responses I got were that people were also wondering what tips everyone had! Unfortunatly no one shared tips so I decided to google mid week pick me ups. Here's what I came up with.

1. Google pictures of Chris Hemsworth with his baby! They will make you go aww... 

2. Check out some videos by Kid President! I really like this one!
Kid President Mothers Day!

3. Make a tropical drink, Mai Tai's anyone? Take a sip and pretend you're on a nice warm beach somewhere!

4. Meditate, yeah, I know, you're probably thinking whose got time for that? But take a just few minutes even, and BREATHE! Give it a try right now come on, close your eyes and inhale, hold it and exhale... Feel better?!

5. My go to when all else fails, CHOCOLATE! Not just any chocolate either eat something divine! Something that when you put it in your mouth your eyes roll back in your head cause it's so good! Keep some on hand, I like to keep it in the freezer! Shh don't tell! 

Hope these tips help, and if it's a really harsh week comin at ya then do all of them!

Do you have any tips or tricks for getting through a mid week slump? Share them in the comments!

Enjoy

Healthy Meals: Quinoa Fried Rice

Last week I shared a Healthy Dessert and this week I am going to share a Healthy Meal idea. Have you tried Quinoa yet? I had it for the first time a few years ago. It's a grain that provides many nutrients including protein. It's considered a superfood because of how nutrient dense it is.

Somehow I had never made it for the Hubster, probably because I tend to try new foods when he's away! I decided I wanted to see if it would stand in for rice in a traditional fried rice. I think it did perfectly. Did the Hubster like it? Ehh well he didn't hate it! Man-Child had seconds which means he liked it. 

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups Quinoa, cooked

2 eggs, scrambled

1 cup frozen Peas

1 Carrot, shredded

4 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 Onion, diced

1 TBSP Butter

Here's how you make it:

In a large frying pan melt Butter over medium heat. Add in the Quinoa, Peas, Carrotts and Onions. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add in the Soy Sauce, stir to combine. Make a well in the middle of the Quinoa and pour in the Eggs, stirring to cook. Stir the Eggs into the Quinoa. Let cook a few more minutes, remove from heat and it is ready to serve.

Enjoy 

Seasonal Eating: Lemons

I've been trying to learn more about Seasonal eating. If you aren't sure what this is, it's eating foods that are in season, instead of eating foods that have to be shipped from other parts of the world you eat what is local and in season. At least that's my understanding of. I'm doing this more from a health standpoint than any other reason. It stands to reason that a tomato eaten in January will not taste as good as one eaten in July.

I will be featuring one Seasonal Fruit or Vegetable every month. This Month I'm featuring Lemons. They come into Season in January and stay in season until February. 

I decided to make Lemon Curd. I LOVE a good Lemon Curd! 

Here's what you'll need:

3/4 cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

1TBSP grated Lemon Zest

3 Eggs

3/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Butter

Here's how you make it:

In a mixer cream together your butter and sugar, then add in your eggs, juice and zest. Mix until combined. Pour the lemon mixture into a sauce pan and cook over medium low heat until it thickens and begins to bubble. Let cool and you are ready to use it in tarts, on scones, however your heart desires! 

Enjoy!

DIY Floating Mantle

Fireplaces are one of my favorite things in a home, and if was so glad when we moved in here that we had a fireplace! Unfortunatly it doesn't put out enough heat, in fact it kind of let's in a draft, so we never turn it on. The one thing I was really bummed about was that it didn't have a mantle. For the last two Christmas's I've bugged the Hubster for a mantle and finally this year he came through for me! It helped that he was on block leave and had LOTS of free time! Now this mantle is HUGE! And I LOVE IT!

It was perfect for Christmas and now I have the fun job of decorating it the rest of the year! Oh the possibilities! As you can see from the first picture it's a little bare right now I'm still trying to decide exactly what I want on there! 

Here's what you'll need:

2 boards 1ftx6ft.

1 piece of Moulding

2 8ftx2 1/2 in boards

Nails

Glue 

And L brackets

Here's how you make it:

Mantle:

Cut your molding to length (in this case 1- 6ft piece and 2- 1 ft pieces). Then cut each end of the molding at a 45 degree angle. Then dry fit (match up) the Molding and the 6 ft Boards making sure they are the same length. Then glue and clamp the top board to the front Molding. Let dry for the required time on the Glue directions. Then nail front piece on. Repeat for both sides, and then the bottom.  Sand and then Paint, or Stain. 

Support Frame:

Cut one of the 8ft x 2 1/2 in boards into a 5ft 11 3/4 in long piece for the back plate. Out of the 2nd 8 ft x 2 /12 in board cut 7-11 3/4in pieces for supports. Attach the support pieces to the back plate using the L brackets every foot on center. Mount the back plate to the wall using dry wall screws. (Try to secure to a stud) 

Slide the Mantle Piece onto the Support Frame. Now your Mantle is ready to decorate.

Enjoy

Breakfast Biscuit Bake

Easy breakfasts are my favorite kind of breakfasts especially during the week! When I can serve a hearty meal that doesn't take a lot of effort on my part, it's a win in our house. That's exactly what this breakfast is!

Here's what you'll need:

1 can of Biscuits (I used crescent Rolls it's what I had on hand)

1lb of Sausage, crumbled and cooked

2 cups shredded Cheese (I used Colby Jack)

6 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's how you make it:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease an 8in baking Pan and place the Biscuits in the bottom of the pan, pressing the seems together. Then place the Sausage on top. Whisk together the eggs and milk adding in the salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over top of the sausage. Top with the cheese. Cover with Foil and Bake for 20-30 min or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes then serve.

Enjoy

Healthy Desserts: Black Bean Brownies

Part of my New Years Resolution is to continue eating healthier, so I thought I would include a healthy dessert recipe and a healthy meal recipe once a month on the blog. I decided to go with Dessert first as this is my biggest weakness! Nothing ruins a day of eating well like a 3 pm Chocolate craving, for me anyway!

I chose Black Bean Brownies as my first healthy dessert recipe! There are a lot of different recipes out there but they are all petty similar so I compiled my recipe based on them.

I really really REALLY wanted this recipe to work and it did sort of. The brownies are moist, they look great, BUT they still taste like BEANS! Yech! I think I will keep this idea and work on it a little. I've included the recipe so you can try it for yourself but just know IMO they still need work! If you do make it and make adjustments let me know how it turns out! I think basically they need 2 things MORE CHOCOLATE and the beans need to be smoother!

Here's what you'll need:

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

3 TBSP Coconut Oil

3 Eggs

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Here's how you make it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray and 8 in baking pan with Cooking Spray. Put the Beans into a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add in the remaining ingredients except for the Chocolate Chips. Process again and combined. Then stir in 1/4 cup of the Chocolate Chips. Spread the Brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Place remaining Chocolate Chips on top of the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy (or not😉)