Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts

PINspired: Mostly Recipes

I decided to discontinue to link-up for my PINspired series, because the past few months I've only had Callie sign up.  (Thanks Callie for supporting me!)  

But I don't want to discontinue the series because I like it... Sooooo, here are the Pinterest Pins that I've tackled throughout the month of October.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Garlic Potatoes

These are sooooo good... and with sour cream, omg.  Definitely a keeper.

CrockPot Chicken and Stuffing

Tried this the other night and it was just bleh.  I really don't understand why it had to cook all day when I could make the same meal in 20 minutes.  It just wasn't good enough.  And really, I've realized that I don't like cream of chicken soup recipes... so I should stop trying to make them.  

Parmesan Crusted Asparagus

Yes!  Finally asparagus I can get down without forcing myself.  These were good good good.  Even Marco liked them!  He kept saying they were crackers... and we were like, yeeeeeeah, have more crackers! haha.  

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Yuuummmoooo... these were delish!  I added carrots to it also because it blended well and it was so tasty that everyone had seconds!

Spaghetti Squash

Can you believe that I had NEVER had Spaghetti Squash before?  Crazy, right?!  So I made it the other day in place of pasta... but I baked it for too long, so it didn't come out looking like spaghetti.  It looked more like risotto... or mush.  The taste was fine, but the consistency was wrong.  Now I know to bake it for only 45 minutes.  We'll be trying this again soon.  Gotta keep finding ways to sneak in those veggies.  

Sausage and Egg Casserole
Source: culinary.net via Nicole on Pinterest

I made this for my MOPS meeting last week and let me just tell you that it was easy-peasy and absolutely amazing.  Everyone ate it all up and there were no leftovers.  My only change was that I used 8 eggs instead of 6 to make it a little more fluffy.  This is a no brainer for holidays.

BEST App Ever

Every mom should download this app now... right now... do it.  It's called Red Stamp and it's free and it will simplify your life when it comes to sending cards... thank you's, invites, etc.  There is something for every occasion.  And they are wicked cute.  I have been able to snap a photo of my kids wearing or playing with their latest gift and directly email or text it to the gift giver with a "thank you card".  It's great.  Get it. 


Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired September Link-Up

It's that time again!  Time to show off all of your amazing Pinterest inspirations for the month of September.
I must say, I've been so busy with the move and getting adjusted that I have slacked a little on my PINspirations.  But hopefully you'll enjoy the few things I did anyway.

Here we go!

Knife Rack for Cars
Source: ohdeedoh.com via Nicole on Pinterest

I loved this idea!  Especially since I happen to have an extra knife rack from IKEA that I ended up not using.  But apparently, we're cheap and only buy PLASTIC cars for the boys, so it did't work out.  I had never thought about it before now.  But we decided to use the rack for our keys by the door instead.  I'll pin it later because it looks pretty rad.

Fun Ways to Use Straws

I did one of these activities with Marco this week as a side homeschooling thing.  He LOVED it.  I took 3 straws and let him cut it at different sizes.  This proved to be challenging for his little hands.  Then I had some pipe-cleaner (you know those fuzzy, colorful, bendable things) and we threaded the straw pieces onto it and make bracelets.  He really enjoyed it and it was just challenging enough.  Not so much that he got frustrated, but it kept him engaged the whole time.  That was awesome!

Personalized Coffee Mugs

We did this at MOPS instead of having name tags, everyone just personalized a cup.  It worked quite well.  But, when you wash it, you have to just wash the inside of the cup and try your best not to wet the design.  Some of the ink did start to come off.  But hey, how much can you expect from something that costs a dollar to make?!

Semi-Sliced Potatoes

These were delish!  They were a little involved to make, but worth it.  The slicing takes a little while and then you have to add a small piece of garlic between each slice.  If you don't do this, then the potato wont fan out like it does in the picture and it wont get all crunchy.  They were so good and fun to eat because you peel them and eat them like chips.  Yummo!

Household Tips

From all these tips, I only did #2 when organizing my linen closet.  You put all the sheets of a set inside the pillowcase.  It's like DUH, why didn't I think of that on my own?!  But seriously... ingenious.  So organized, stacked and clean.  No more sheets tipping over!

Clean Your Dishwasher

So I did this the GE way.  What is GE?  Good Enough.  I did not get down on the floor, stick my whole body in this machine and stuff my hand in gross places to pull out who knows what.  When it comes to this, my ignorance is my bliss... I'd rather not know.  So, my half-ass way of doing this, was to run it with a cup of vinegar and then run it again with baking soda sprinkled all over.  It looks good to me.  Smells like nothing.  GE.

Well, now that I wrote it all out, it's actually a lot more than I had anticipated!  Yay me!  And now... it's YOUR turn.  Show me what has PINspired you this month.  What worked?  What was fabulous?  What was a huge waste of time?!  I want to know!!!

Link up and Grab a Button!

Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired August Link-Up

It's that time again!
Our monthly PINspired link-up is here!
Grab a button below, link up, and show me everything that's been PINspiring you throughout the month of August.  Recipes, cleaning, organizing, crafts, fashion... anything goes!

Here's what has PINspired me in August!

1. Melt In Your Mouth Chicken Breast
Source: food.com via Nicole on Pinterest

I made this the other day for dinner.  Yes it was good... everyone ate it up.  But of course it's good... you coat the chicken breasts in MAYONAISE!  How could it NOT be good?  That said, it's not healthy at all... so I wont be making it again.

2. Lasagna Cups

I loved this recipe.  First of all, it's not much more time consuming than making a regular lasagna.  Lasagna is always an involved process... unless you pick up a Stoffers one!  But I loved this most of all because it was ideal for left overs.  Super easy to just take out one lasagna cup, heat it up, and eat it up! Perfect portions!  And it was a little crunchy on top... mmmmm.  This is also a good one to make 2 recipes of and freeze one for a later day.  Note: I used cupcake liners instead of parchment paper.

3. Brownie Batter Dip

This was pretty good.  It tasted best with strawberries.  I'll definitely be saving this recipe for a girly party... probably wouldn't last long!

4. Plastic Bag Holder to Organize Wrapping Paper

On my last trip to IKEA, I picked up one of these little guys for less than $2.  I haven't put it up yet, but I have it ready to go in my storage closet!  I'm ready to make my new house organized!

5.  Make Your House Smell Delish

This did smell pretty good... but for MY nose, it wasn't strong enough.  I don't think I have a very strong sense of smell.

6. DIY Bracelet

This is going to be one of our MOPS crafts next month so I had to make a prototype so I'd know how to instruct the other ladies.  On the site, it says it takes 10 minutes.  Maybe it would if you're an expert crafter... for me it took more like half an hour.  It's hard to make the loops the same size throughout and you have to continuously scrunch as you go, but other than that, it's pretty easy. And once it's on, it looks really pretty!  I can't wait to show my MOPS moms!

Now it's YOUR turn!  Link up!


And don't forget to GRAB a BUTTON!

Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired July Link-Up!

Here we are again!  It's been a whole month since our last PINspired link up!  Have you been searching Pinterest for the latest inspiring ideas?  I'd love to know!  Grab a button and link up!

I've been a little slacking this month, but don't worry... now with the purchase of my new home, I'll be VERY PINspired!

This month it's been all mostly about recipes.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie


Doesn't this pie look amazing?!  Well, it's not.  It was so sweet, I took a bite and threw it out.  Sadly it was not a hit.

Nutella Banana Bread


Now this recipe... is AHHHHH-mazing! Like lick the bowl, eat every last crumb amazing.  Seriously, go make it and surprise all your friends by what a culinary genius you are.  Go now!

Garlic Lemon Chicken Dinner


This is another keeper.  It was so good and so easy!  Everyone loved it.  But be sure to read the comments if you're gonna make it yourself... I only used 1 lemon and didn't put it for all the time.  This is a yummy one!

Crock pot Chicken Tacos


The easiest dinner EVER.  Seriously just dump it and walk away.  Loved this one.  This is going to be a new regular!

Popcorn in a Brown Bag


Not only does this work, but it's also FABULOUS!  I will never go back to buying microwave popcorn again.  This is healthier and fresh.  You just have to be careful not to put too many kernles in the bag or you'll have a microwave filled with popcorn!  1/4 of a cup should be sufficient!  This is my new favorite snack.

DiY Criss Cross Headband 


I did this with an old T-shirt.  Mine doesn't look as cute hers.  I look like a maid... but it works for those days. And it was free, so I'll keep it!

That's it!  Next month I expect to have more recipes but also some Home DiY's and crafts to share!
Now it's YOUR turn!
Grab a button, link up below!
 
 

Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired June Link-up

Welcome to the first ever PINspired link-up!  I'm so excited you're joining us.  I can't wait to read up on all the things you've been pinning and doing... and how it's going!  I could really use some practical PINspiration.  

Here are 4 things that have PINspired me lately:

Crispy Chicken & Creamy Italian Sauce with Bow-tie Pasta


Can the name of this recipe BE any longer?  Whew.  The recipe calls for the chicken to be fried, but I chose to bake it instead.  That said, it was a little bland, so if I try to bake it again, I'll definitely add more seasoning.  The cream sauce was a little too "chickeny" so I would probably cut back on the cream of chicken soup.  Other than that, it was really good and pretty easy... the kids ate it up!


Cooking Hot Dogs in the Slow Cooker


I decided to give this a try on Marco's birthday party.  We had a lot of plans for the grill already and didn't want to add more work to my husband, so I set this up about 4 hours before the party and prayed that they'd be ok.  Well, they were MORE than ok... they cooked really well.  They were firm and juicy on the inside.  We also served them right in the slow cooker pot.  It was a no brianer... set it and forget it.  Definitely keeping this one for ALL future parties!


"I Love you THIS much" Cards


I love these little cards because Mauricio and the boys always do this... "how much do I love you?" "THIS much" (open arms wide and tickle attack begins). So I made this for Father's Day.  Since we have TWO boys, we made TWO cards... they don't look exactly like this, but Mauricio loved them anyway.  You can see pics of my finished result on my Father's Day post.


Fruit Skewer Platter


I wanted to show off a pin that I recently uploaded from Marco's party.  I'm very proud.  We wanted to do the fruit skewers we've seen all around pinterest, as a healthy option of party food, but we didn't just want to leave it on a platter.  My mother-in-law had the brilliant idea of taking a pineapple and wrapping it in foil, then piercing the skewers into it!  It looked beautiful and was a perfect focal point for our food table.  Not to mention, it was much more sanitary, because it is easy to grab just one and not put your dirty hands all over other people's food!  It took a little work, but it was well worth it!

Now, it's YOUR turn.  Grab a button and link-up.  The post will be opened for entries for FIVE days, so if you forgot today, don't worry, get it together and come back.  If not, we'll be doing it again next month!

Next link-up: JULY 26



Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired Link-Up Coming SOON





When I open up my computer, I automatically open up 5 tabs at once... Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and now... PINTEREST.  This Pinterest obsession has hit us all hard, has it not?  But a while ago, I started actually trying some of the things I've pinned... and so was born my PINspired series.

If you follow here, you have seen my PINspired series every so often (here, here, and here to name a few).  And after having some interest in doing a link-up, I whipped up this button (ok, really I worked on it for hours of frustration) and decided to give it a go. 

For those of you newbies, the PINspired series is not just about showing us your favorite pins, but ALSO about showing us which ones you've tackled yourself.  Show off your accomplishments.  Help us weed out what's really good and what just looks good.  

So, regardless of whether you've been inspired by recipes, styles, redesigns, organization or parenting tips, we want to know how it turned out.  Inspire us with your pins!  Tell us if those recipes are a must try or a not-so-good.  Tell us if that craft is ridiculously difficult or easy peasy.  Tell us if that cleaning tip really worked or if it's a pass.  We want to know!  We want to be PINspired!

This link-up will be held on the LAST Thursday of every MONTH.  It's best if you prepare the post as you go, adding to it throughout the month and then publishing it for the link-up, that way it's not overwhelming.  Are you in?!

Grab a Button
Spread the Word
PINspire us!!

First link-up
THIS THURSDAY
JUNE 28! 


Dates till the end of the year:
July 26
August 30
September 27
October 25
November 29
December 27


Posted by Nicole at 9:48 AM

PINspired

Here are a few things that have PINspired me lately...

1.  Cookies in a Jar

Source: bakerella.com via Marta on Pinterest


I made 4 of these for the childcare workers at the Bible Study I attended this year.  They were so sweet and loving towards my boys all year long, I had to do something sweet for them as a thank you!  Mine didn't come out as cute as the Pinterest version, but I loved them anyway.  They were a little hard to make, and I was sweating that it wouldn't all fit.  By the time I had put in all the chocolate, there was barely any room left.  But thank goodness for brown sugar!  I was able to pound it down real good and make room for the rest.  It's a sweet and inexpensive way to surprise someone special... and from what I heard, the cookies are delish!






















2.  Ranch Chicken

Source: google.com via Nicole on Pinterest


I made these this week for dinner.  It was good, although not as "ranchy" as I would have liked.  I also used the pre-crushed corn flakes instead of crushing them myself.  Since I made a large portion, maybe I should have doubled the ranch.  I will definitely be doing this again.  Quick and easy!


3.  Toilet Cleaner



One known thing about me?  I'm a horrible housewife.  I never clean.  I desperately need a house maid and I've begged Mauricio for one countless times.  (I'm still fighting the good fight).  So, when I saw this post, I decided I had to try it.  Ummm, just dump some baking soda in a toilet, leave it for an hour and flush?!  No wiping?  No scrubbing?  No toilet water all over you?  I had to see if it was true.  And... it didn't work.  I mean, it looked a little cleaner, but not a lot.  Maybe my toilet was beyond the point of no scrubbing... maybe this is a good trick for maintaining cleanliness between scrubbing.  Maybe I need to get to work... maybe.
_________________
I'm thinking about making my PINspired series into a monthly link-up.  You would post about all the Pinterest ideas that you have accomplished in that month... whether one or ten, you can link up!  Hopefully it will inspire you to actually DO some of the things you pin... then you can show them off here!  If you LIKE this idea and would be interested in linking up, PLEASE comment here.  I'll only do it if I have some people to join me!  We could do it on the last day of the month, to recap that said month.  Yes?  No?  Maybe?  Feedback please!!!
Posted by Nicole at 9:00 AM

PINspired

One of my bloggy friends told me she's really enjoying this series... that makes me so happy and encourages me to do more and branch out, which is exactly what I did this week!  Get excited!

1. Popcorn Gift Baggies

We had our last day of music class this past Friday.  I wanted to bring a little something for all the kiddos in the class to just be a extra special.  I decided to do this idea because they could open it up and enjoy it right there and it wasn't candy or cookies... although there are a few m&m's in there!  This was really easy.  Each bag of popped corn made 3 gift baggies... so I made 9 gifts with 3 bags of popcorn, 1 bag of m&m's, some ribbon, 2 pieces of card stock and clear bags. Easy and cheap!  



2.  Paper Clip Earrings

Source: evie-s.com via Nicole on Pinterest


We did these at my MOPS group yesterday.  They are so cheap and sooooo cute!  Basically, you need earring hooks, a paperclip and embroidery thread.  It's also a good idea to have liquid stitch glue on hand.  Assuming you already have the earring hooks (recycled) and the paper clips, this will cost you $1.50 for the thread and $5 for the glue!  Best part is that it only takes about a half hour to make so you can whip these up to match your outfit just hours before you walk out the door!



3.  Squash Chips



I made these "chips" last night.  They were good, but by no means were they "chips"... they were not crispy at all.  I did not "trick my kids" into eating them, although Jonas did enjoy a few.  I'll probably make them again though!


Posted by Nicole at 2:08 PM

PINspired

Ever since I started this blog series, I've been on a mission to MAKE some of the things I pin.  It's fun.  Better than just dreaming about it.

Here are the 3 recipes found on Pinterest that I have accomplished:

1. Banana Banana Bread



This recipe I tried on a whim.  I had 3 disgustingly rotten bananas, so I figured, why not make lemonade out of lemons... or in this case, banana bread out of rotten bananas?!  The thing that I loved about this recipe is that it contains ALL the ingredients you ALREADY have in your pantry.  No need to run to the store for that hard to find item.  It's the PERFECT nap time accomplishment!  And it makes the house smell... OMG, a-mah-zing.

My Brazilian family is accustomed to having Banana CAKE, so I had to remind them that it WASN'T cake... it wasn't supposed to be THAT sweet.  But I think it was a hit!  My kids loved it.  And it was sooooo good with butter.  This one is a keeper!

2. Chocolate Pretzel Rings



I made these with a friend.  It is the perfect thing to do with kids at a playdate.  Not MY kids, of course, but maybe with yours. I think mine are still too young to want to do anything but EAT all the chocolate.  This is easy peasy and the kids LOVED it.  For my personal taste, it was a bit too sweet because the Kisses are so big compared to the pretzel.  But like I said, this is kid friendly and they will devour it!

3. Cucumber Sandwiches



At MOPS this week, we had a Tea & Testimony special event.  This is what I brought.  What kind of tea party doesn't have Cucumber Sandwiches, eh?  This was so delish.  It's a little involved, so you have to prepare everything the day ahead and then actually assemble right before the party... but it's worth it!  This adds a little class to any party... well, an adult party, of course.

So that's what I've been trying lately.  Don't you LOVE this post.  I gave you a family recipe, a kid recipe and a grown-up recipe.  It's pretty good, if I do say so myself.  haha!

Happy Pinning!
Posted by Nicole at 10:00 AM

PINspired

This is the second post in a new series I'll be occationally writing which shows all the Pinterest recipes/crafts/activities I've actually put into action.  Pinning is fun and doing is also fun... most of the time.

You can see my last post here.

I had to LOL when I saw this pin from a blogger... it is sooo me.



Anyway... here we go:

1. Butternut Mac-n-Cheese



I'm on a recent mission to trick my kids (and myself) into eating more veggies.  They love butternut squash, but if they SEE it the way it is, they wont eat it.  But if I HIDE it, it's all good.  This is sooooo yummy.  The kids ate it up... including all the leftovers.  They ate it for lunch almost the entire week!  The only thing I would change would be to cut down on the cheese to allow the butternut sweetness to come out more.  Did it look as good as the picture?  Yes!  This one is definitely a keeper in my house!

2. Cheese Stick Bites



I thought this would be a super easy and quick afternoon snack for Marco.  And ideally it is.  Only, it's not quite right.  Only after I began did I start reading all the comments in the blog post with ways to alter the recipe so that it's better.  For me, the breading didn't stick to the cheese... the milk isn't "adhesive" enough.  Maybe using an egg would be better?  Also, when they were in the oven, they flattened out like little disks.  But were they good?  Uhhh, is meltidy soft cheese ever NOT good?  Ok then.  Did it look like the picture? Not at all!  I think we can keep this one and just alter it to try and make it better.  It's really a great idea.

3.  Chicken and Spinach Flautas



I LOVED this recipe.  Of the three featured here, this one is the winner!  It's a little involved... has a few steps, so I definitely recommend making it for YOUR family only... not for too many people or you'll be rolling these puppies up all night!  Overall, it was EASY to make... just time consuming.  But oh, so worth it.  They were DELISH!  Did it look like the picture?  Exactly!

You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking HERE!
Till next time... Happy Pinning!
Posted by Nicole at 10:07 AM
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