March Inspiration

Hi y'all!!! I have a fabulous "new to me" recipe! I just had to share it with y'all as it was such a hit at my kitchen table...and when you have seven peeps around that kitchen table every night, any hit is worth sharing. My BFF and I sat down a couple three weeks ago to work on organizing our recipe books. While we were at it we did a little recipe sharing and this recipe for Mexican Pizza is the first one of hers that I have tried. I am certainly putting the rest of her recipes on my TO-DO very soon list;).

It is rare {actually, quite possibly, never done before} that I scrap a first time recipe but I just knew as soon as this one hit the table. In fact, I wasn't even fast enough to get a photo before the scoopfest began.

The background paper from Cookbookin' is called Check Me Out and it is layered on a sheet of black cardstock. The line is called Gourmet Holiday and can be found here. Flower & leaves at top are fussy cut from Mia Cucina which is also the paper I used for the pennant flags on the banner. I pop dotted some punched cardstock flowers on top of the flags and added little Jenni Bowlin letters. The cool image in the lower right corner is cut from La Dolce Vita. The banner is strung with some Shabby Green Door floss and the ends are tied with some coordinating beads. 

Just in case your eyes are getting to be like mine, here is the recipe in, ahem, larger print;):

Ingredients:
8 oz. cooked spaghetti
1 lb. shredded cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1T chili powder
1-1/2C shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1C sour cream


Directions:
Layer cooked spaghetti into bottom of 9x13 dish. Add cooked chicken on top of spaghetti layer. Mix remaining ingredients together and add on top of chicken layer. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!


I'd love to hear from you if you try the recipe...and especially if you tweek it!!!

Beat the Brownies!

My banana bread beat the brownies!
Yesterday afternoon, I baked some delicious banana bread. I bake it quite often as it always seems that we have the dreaded brown-spotted bananas sneak up on us. You know what I mean, I know you do! So, yesterday morning I woke up to three "way past ripe" brown-spotted bananas just begging to be saved and baked into some delicious bread. To work I went. This is my favorite, tried and true recipe (straight from the Joy of Cooking):

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1-1/3           cup flour

2/3             cup sugar

3/4             tsp salt

1/2              tsp baking soda

1/4             tsp baking powder

5-1/2T        butter

2                eggs

2                bananas

1/2             cup walnuts

Directions

   1. combine dry ingredients

   2. blend butter and sugar

   3. blend dry ingredients into

      butter and sugar mix

   4. blend in eggs

   5. fold in bananas and walnuts

   6. bake 50-60 min at 350 degrees

       until done in center

And here is my layout based on the recipe!

I used the brand new "Salute" paper from Cookbookin's Gourmet Holiday line as my background and then I lined the bottom of the page with some "Check Me Out" and I backed my recipe with some "Fleur De Lis." I embellished my layout with some bits from the "La Dolce Vita" die cut sheet. I LOVE the tags on this sheet!!! This layout was such fun to put together! I so enjoy sewing on my layouts these days and I did a bit of that with the ric rack:) and then I added some fun hanging bead trim. I picked it up at Hobby Lobby on a SUPER sale. I think it is really meant for a lampshade but I just love it here!

So, back to those brownies...last evening dh whipped up some brownies (out of a box) and while they were enjoyed this morning everyone asked for more banana bread in their lunches instead of a brownie!!! Now, if that isn't a good morning I don't know what is~

Halloween Projects~~~

This "Halloween Goodies" line is just too cute. I must admit to an affinity for smiling ghosts...it goes with my love of happy snowmen;) So...here is a new layout using Cookbookin's "Halloween Goodies" papers:

I found this fabulous new recipe online for ABRACADABRA Hats! Is that just a fun name or what!?! They are super simple to make; just a can of Crescent rolls, some pizza sauce, a dash of herbs, a few pepperoni and YUM!

I also whipped up a quick treat can for the upcoming month of October where our neighborhood has the sweetest tradition of Boo-ing one another. You sneak a bag, box or can of Halloween treats onto your neighbor's porch at night, ring the doorbell and HIDE! The point is to NOT get caught. Then, that neighbor "boos" or "spooks" another neighbor. It goes round and round until everyone has been spooked! {The treats include a little ghost sign to hang on your door to let everyone know you have received a "BOO!"}
So...really hoping none of my neighbor are reading this post because here is my "Spooky Can" for this year.

I simple lined one of those plastic paint cans from Michael's with some of Cookbookin's super cute "Ghostly Night" paper {WHAT a PERFECT name}, then I cut a circle from "BOO-ti-ful Night" to cover the top of the lid and finally I tied lots of colorful ribbons onto the handle.
******
Design team member Joanne made these ADORABLE treat boxes with "BOO-ti-ful Night" paper!

These treat bags can be filled up with candy or money =) They can be given to the kids in school, handed out to friends and family, used as party favors...the ideas go on and on!

Joanne has kindly supplied directions on how to make these little cuties:

Supplies:
Black Cardstock
"BOO-ti-ful Night" paper
1 1/8" circle punch
1 1/2" scallop punch
White gel pen
Lace Trim
Fibers

Cut the designer paper to measure 4x6, add adhesive tape to all four sides (the side of the paper that will not be showing). Adhere the two short sides together and then pinch the bottom sides together, leaving the top open to put the candy in. Once you put the candy in, pinch the top to seal it, going the opposite direction of the bottom. Punch an image of the ghost from the designer paper with the circle punch and punch the black cardstock with the scallop punch. Adhere those two pieces together. Take the white gel pen and jot dots on each of the scallops to add interest. Using a foam dimensional pop dot adhere it to the front of the treat box. Glue the lace trim around the edge of the bottom. Punch a hole at the top point of the treat box and tie your fibers in a knot then you're done!

Hope this inspires you to get scrapping and don't forget to get your entry in for the sketch challenge, projects are due by the 30th.

Be back later this week with a couple Halloween cards:-)