Food

Friday Flair Link Party // Features Edition no. 8

0 · Sep 6, 2013 · 32 Comments

Friday Flair Link Party // Well, life is getting back to normal finally. We are settling into our new home and having a ball coming up with all kinds of project plans. Who says you can't be house proud when renting? It can be done! I have a bunch of furniture makeovers in the works, plumbing and lighting up dates, even some fun renter friendly wall treatments that are going to be aaaaamazing!! Let's just say… I have my work cut out for me.

I'm also excited to get back into the kitchen and start working on some fun new fall recipes that are simple, yet scrumptious and budget friendly.

I see you guys have been up to some amazing stuff as well… I have felt bad that I haven't had the time to do a proper feature post in a few weeks. Well, don't you worry. I have a doozie of a feature list for you today. Twenty-one fun ideas and recipes that caught my eye during the last week's Friday Flair.

whole wheat blackberry cream cheese swirl bread – baking a moment // men's dress shirt apron – love grows wild // lemon curd – somewhat simple

nectarine galettes – one sweet appetite // diy orb chandelier – tatertots & jell-o // movie theater puppy chow – 30 handmade days

fig ice cream – wonky wonderful // football printable – my fabuless life // whole wheat pumpkin applesauce muffins – tried & tasty

vitamin c boost green smoothie – dancing carrots // back to school with duck tape – that's what che said // brazillian lemonade – today's creative blog

roasted strawberry quinoa with balsamic glaze – wonky wonderful // biscoff baked peaches – a pumpkin & a princess // pecan crusted french toast – love grows wild

burlap letters – architecture of a mom // stuffed french toast – dieters downfall // how to paint and interior door – the turquoise home

biscoff butter bars – annie's noms // lace trimmed blouse – it's always autumn // jack daniel's bacon mac & cheese – white lights on wednesday

Aren't they all so fun?! You guys have so much talent and I am always so grateful that you choose to share it with us every week. Now it's time for you to impress…

Let's Get the Party Started!!

Black & White Halloween Pumpkins for The Great Pumpkin Challenge

28 · Sep 4, 2013 · 15 Comments

The Great Pumpkin Challenge brought to you by Michaels Craft Stores // I CAN"T WAIT FOR FALL!! I've thoroughly enjoyed summer, ate it up really but, I'm over the heat and the bugs and I'm ready for those cool crisp fall days. More than anything I'm ready to start decorating for fall and all the fun holidays that come with the cool temperatures. Not too long ago, Michaels sent me some of their famous pumpkins and invited me to participate in The Great Pumpkin Challenge and this is what I came up with…

A classic black & white Halloween display. As much as I love color, there is just something stunning about black & white when it comes to Halloween. Here's a breakdown of each pumpkin…

This one is just a simple decorative ribbon that I found at Michaels and wrapped it using small t-pins to secure the ribbon at the top and bottom of the pumpkin. Super easy!!

Love, love, love this one that I stenciled using Black DecoArt Patio Paint and their Mixed Media Stencils. This one was a little more challenging. I pinned the stencil to the pumpkin and then carefully laid each section of the stencil down onto the pumpkin using my finger to press each section down. Going section by section, I used a makeup sponge as a pouncer and carefully went around the clock, making sure not to overload the pouncer and it turned out great. Slow & steady wins the race on this one.

I also painted an orange pumpkin black with the Patio Paint. This stuff is amazing!! This was ONE coat…

I'm going to be using that paint a whole lot more now that I know how amazing it is.

For my polka dot pumpkin I used the DecoArt Patio Paint again, on the inside of the pumpkin and then a Hot Knife from Micheals to cut out the polka dots. That tool is a must when it comes to working with this type of pumpkin. It cuts like butter!!

These two are just wrapped in ribbon with a couple of cute bows. For these I used t-pins and a couple of glue dots to secure the ribbon in place. Again, super easy.

What's your favorite way to dress up your pumpkins for Fall or for Halloween? Michaels is hosting a fun Great Pumpkin event on October 5th from 1:00-3:00. For $6 your kiddos can design their very own pumpkin and there will be a face painter on hand for even more festive fun.

A little intimidated to carve you own pumpkin? Not to worry, Michaels is also offering professional carving services at their store. You can choose from 25 designs and then personalize them as well. Prices start at $19.99 and if you want it by Halloween, you need to place your order by October 13th.

So… What are you going to create for The Great Pumpkin challenge this year? Take some photos and tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see what you create!

New Silhouette Stamping Kit Promotion + GIVEAWAY

2 · Sep 4, 2013 · 238 Comments

Silhouette Affiliate Post // You aren't going to believe this… Seriously, this is super cool! Silhouette now has a cool new way to create your very own stamps with the Silhouette Stamping Kit!!

How cool is that? They have this fabulous new cutting mat made just for the clear stamp material that you can use to create any kind of custom stamp. I made a quick stamp to dress-up Emily's lunch sack each day.

It turned out so cute, and I love that I can keep it and use it all year long. No more boring old brown bags for little Miss Em!

I would have to admit I was a little skeptical with this new product. I thought for sure there was no way that the stamp material would cut well with my Silhouette Portrait. I had visions of gummed up parts and hours of frustration on my part. Oh ye of little faith… I couldn't believe how well the clear stamp material cut with my Portrait! It was like butter! The lines were clean and I didn't have one single problem cutting out my design. The clear stamp material is just like any clear stamp that you would find at any craft store. It clings directly to the clear blocks that come with the Stamp Kit and can be used over an over. I LOVE that I can create stamps for my projects that have personality to them now.

I'm telling ya, this stamp kit is a keeper!! Here is what comes with the starter kit…

Pretty much everything you need to create your own custom stamps. Three sheets of stamp material, the clear stamp blocks in three sizes, ink, images from a download card, the new cutting mat and so much more! All you need is a Silhouette CAMEO or Portrait to get started. No worries if you don't have one of those yet… Silhouette is running a fabulous promotion this month for you to be able to stock-up on everything!!

Um, hello… That's a smokin' deal!!

To visit the Silhouette Shop to have access to this amazing deal, CLICK HERE!

If you're feeling lucky, you can enter to WIN a Silhouette Portrait of your very own!!

All you have to do is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below…

This giveaway is open to anyone with a shipping address within the United States.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer // I am a Silhouette Affiliate and I did receive free product to review for this post. However, all thoughts ideas and opinions are my very own!

Hamburger Soup // Easy Weeknight Dinners

2 · Sep 3, 2013 · 19 Comments

Easy Weeknight Dinners // Well Whipperberry friends, it's September and I think it's safe to say that almost all of us are back to the school routine, no? We are here, and I have to say that I really love this time of year!

I love it even though for so many of us this means weeknights filled with activities, sports and rushed evenings. And this can also mean that dinners can be a challenge, but they don't have to be! With a little planning and some healthy ingredients, you can have hearty and delicious meals on your table in no time!

I actually think I love meals the most! Hearty. Fall. Meals. Yes, please! So today, it's all about fall. Fall and great dinners!

This Hamburger Soup is the perfect weeknight meal. It's chock full of yummy seasonal vegetables and meat. This recipe is also great because it makes a big batch, which means that you can serve half now, and freeze half for later! ~ happy dance ~ Or use the leftovers in thermoses for the kids lunches. Now we're talkin!

Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of ground beef 1 onion, chopped finely 1 – 28 oz can of diced tomatoes 2 cups water 3 – 10 oz cans of consomme 1 – 5 oz can of tomato paste 5 carrots, chopped finely 4 celery sticks, chopped finely 1 bay leaf 1 tsp thyme salt & pepper to taste Instructions:

In skillet, brown the ground beef and onions. Then drain.
In a soup pot, combine all of the ingredients, including the cooked ground beef.
Simmer in a covered pot for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours, making sure to stir it occasionally.

Deeeeelish!

Serve with crusty bread or crackers and cheese! Now tummies are full and everyone is happy! 🙂

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For more delicious fall meal ideas, come on over!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs | Creamy Chicken Stew | Classic Meatloaf

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Have a delicious day!

Skinny Cow WoCavé Mission no. 3 // Tranquility

0 · Aug 30, 2013 · Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Skinny Cow // Ahhhhh TRANQUILITY… We all seem to be on the never ending search for tranquility.

My Skinny Cow WoCavé mission for this month was to find tranquility. (Here are Mission 1 & Mission 2.) Of all the months this year, I needed this mission this month more than anything! Just because I needed it, didn't mean that it was going to miraculously going to happen for me. You see, this month our world was turned upside down once again. We were moving again! That would be two moves in 10 months. Again, we didn't really know we were moving until 2 weeks before the move was to happen. It was also a week before school started and all the kiddos would have to move to new schools. And… my little guy Gage decided he was finally ready to start potty training. Guh! Yes, let's go find tranquility!

I nearly laughed out loud when the mission information arrived on my door step right about the time the move was on the horizon. I nearly called my contact at Skinny Cow to say, the WhipperBerry WoCavé is closed! There was no way I was going to even find the time to TRY and figure out what tranquility means to me. Let alone find that ever elusive state of true relaxed bliss. Then I stopped… What better time than this to try and figure out what tranquility means to me. Can you only find tranquility when your life is in perfect order, your children have morphed into little cherubs, your husband is waiting on you hand and foot and you have a regularly scheduled spa appointment each week? Truly, how many of us EVER achieve this state? I would venture to say only about 1% of the population and that is one very lucky percent at that.

We have lives, families, homes, jobs, school… And, all of these things pull and tug at us throughout each and every day. However, that's doesn't mean that we can't find happiness or have a tranquil life. As part of this mission Skinny Cow sent a friend and I to relax during a facial at a spa here in Lincoln called Bella Body Works here in Lincoln.

I took a break from packing and Natalie and I headed off to the spa. The spa was this cute kind of bohemian spa in this beautiful old house in an historic part of town and I just fell in love from the very 1st minute I walked in. My poor aching body climbed onto the treatment bed and I laid there for a minute thinking to my self… This is not possible. This lovely lady is going to give me a facial and it's going to be a total waste because I have a list about a mile long running through my head of things that I need to be doing. My house is a total wreck, my kiddos are a mess at the moment worried about the move and my body just aches right now. How on earth am I going to find tranquility? Then it HAPPENED!

Ann, one of the owners of Bella Body Works, skillfully lifted up my legs just a bit and gently pulled and just like that, my body slowly started to relax. I just melted into that table. More than anything I needed someone else to tell me, or physically show me that it was alright to relax, to step back, and take a few minutes to rest and find some peace and calm within the storm of my life. My list disappeared, my worries melted away and for a few hours that night I let myself slow down and take some time to find some peace. The facial was nice, but my epiphany was even better. Natalie and I both enjoyed our treatments and then went and grabbed a bite to eat together and discussed what it means to have some quite tranquil moments in life.

(yea, no make-up and spa hair… but, happy!!)

More than anything I learned that it's alright to give yourself permission to find peace even when your world is in chaos. It's actually a very good thing to step back from a stressful situation and find a few tranquil moments to re-adjust, right the sails and find the best way to attack your challenge. Each and every one of us will have a different way to find our tranquil moments. I must say I LOVE a trip to the spa, but sometimes that just isn't in the cards. I can also find tranquility by taking a few quiet moments to read a good book, watch a favorite program on TV, just lay in bed for an extra 20 minutes and think of nothing! We ALL need these moments and we don't need to feel bad for taking them!!! I am so grateful to Skinny Cow and the WoCavé program for providing the vehicle to help me figure this out. See, we ALL need our WoCavé!!

So… A few days after the move, even in the chaos of the new house, I decided I wanted to share a little of my experience with a few friends. The lovely folks at Skinny Cow sent over a spa party kit and we had fun just hanging out with the girls, eating some of Skinny Cow's Limited Edition Pink Velvet Truffle Bars and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cones and making some of our own spa goodies.

It was so great to share my little tranquility epiphany with my friends and then also realize that friends play a HUGE part in finding peace in my life as well.

So, Skinny Cow… Thank you for this challenge. All of them really. They have all helped me stop and reflect on my talents, my surroundings and the much needed tranquility that we all need in our life. Truly that is what a WoCavé is all about. A WoCavé is more than a physical space… It is a state of mind. It is constantly challenging yourself to find your true self and then to share that with those you love… That is WoCavé.

Disclaimer // This is a sponsored series created by Skinny Cow. I have received product and compensation for these posts however, all thoughts, ideas & opinions are my very own!

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