Speculoos Cookie Butter

We made a trip to Nashville last week, which was wonderful and a great city. Anyway, we stopped in at Trader Joe's on our way out and picked up many wonderful things including Speculoos cookie butter. Oh my, it is sooooo good. I had to share this with you, because if you ever get the chance to go to TJ's, you MUST buy a bottle of this goodness.

If you do not already know what Trader Joe's is , it is a specialty grocery store that sells everything for WAY less. 80% of the store is private labeled which I am sure helps with cost cuts. 

Oh and that goodness up there...have you ever had those cookies on a Delta airline flight?(I love those cookies.) Speculoos is the Biscoff cinnamon biscuit cookie. Biscoff took the speculoos and made it into a sugary cinnamon peanut butter consistency. (It does not have any nuts in it.) It can be eaten on anything really. Waffles, pancakes, pretzels, bread, ice cream, anything delicious. I have seen it made into a frosting and put on cake....oh man. Right now I am happy sneaking bits with a spoon.

Some other things to try at TJ. The tomato sauce, chocolate, cheese, pizza dough, curry sauces, marinated mushrooms, and soup. We just had the roasted red pepper and tomato soup for dinner. yum. 

TJ is coming to Knoxville! I hope everyone supports. I know I will.

.:Chewy Gooey Peanut Butter Bars:.

I cleaned out my pantry and found several cans of sweetened condensed milk. I had a little bit of peanut butter, some oatmeal, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Surely there is something delicious I can make out of this, right?

So, I started searching recipes with similar ingredients to get an idea of how long It needed to cook.This is what I came up with.

Stephanie's Chewy Gooey Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup of flour

1 cup of oatmeal

3/4 cups of brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup cold butter

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

1/3 chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and egg in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or you can do what I did and took a wire whisk and used that to mash up my butter. Reserve 1 cup of crump mix and press the rest into the bottom of a baking dish. I used a small dish that was around 8x8 you can also use 9x13 for a thinner bar. 

Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Beat sweet condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until well combined. Spread over partially baked crust.

Take the reserved crumbs and mix in salt, walnuts, and chocolate chips and crumble over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minuets until it is nicely brown on top and the mixture looks cooked through.( Does not have  the glossy unbaked look on top. 

Allow to cool for 10 minuets and then cut into bars. 

YUM!

Chewy on the outside, gooey in the middle.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Say hello to my new red best friend....

I got this baby for Christmas and I didn't even ask for her. My husband is awesome and knew what I wanted but wouldn't ask for.

My heart melts every time I walk into the kitchen and see her sitting there all shinny on the counter. If you were one of those people who said "psh, I don't need some fancy kitchen aid stand mixer". I got news for yah, You have no idea what you are missing out on. Just sayin....oh and just to put it out there that I am not cool enough to be one of those people who gets paid to advertise on their blog. I am not that advanced in blogging and kitchen aid has no idea who I am.

Lets get on to these cookies...

Chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Cream together butter and brown sugar until it starts to become light and fluffy. Then add an egg and whip until well combined. If you are using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment. Then add vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together  flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Switch to your paddle attachment and then slowly add the flour to the sugar. Mix only for a few seconds until well combined. Then add in oats and chocolate chips also mixing for a few seconds. 

Now, here is the hard part. To make these cookies fluffy and crisp they need to sit in the fridge for half an hour or the freezer for ten to fifteen min. I got my oven to start pre-heating and then stuck them in the freezer and went about cleaning up my mess. Trust me, they will taste better.

I made my cookies large and baked them for about 11 mins. Just until the outside was golden but the middle is still a little under-cooked looking on the top. Let cool for ten min. and then EAT!

YUM!

.:Rolled Pages Mirror:.

This weekend my goal was to start and finish a project. After a night of pinteresting I had a few Idea's of what I wanted to do. I got this idea here.

What you will need:
Hot glue gun
a few old books
small mirror
Card board
lots of time....
a good movie to watch


This will require at least a movie's worth of page rolling. It was worth it to me though because the finished project looks great on my wall.

I bought two books at goodwill. A thick 500 page book that I roughly used 150 pages from as well as a smaller paper back that was old and the pages had turned brown that I used roughly 150 pages from.

Here is an idea of the difference in size between the two. I did that so I could layer them.

I started by cutting a large doughnut out of cardboard. Actually, I cheated by buying the round cardboard pieces that you put cake on, found in the craft section at wal-mart. I cut a whole in the middle that my mirror would fit snugly into. Then I reinforced the mirror by putting a gluing strips of cardboard behind and gluing it to the doughnut. Hope that makes sense :/

Then I cut my pages out.

Then I rotated between rolling and gluing pages around the mirror. This took a few hours. Start with big rolls all the way around to give it volume and then layer with skinny and short pages.

Make sure you lay them thick and evenly or you will have to do like me and go in and add more after you are done to make it look symmetrical all the way around.


I wish I took more pictures as I was layering and gluing. However, my glue gun broke and I had to post pone the project till I used my mother-in-law's glue gun.

It worked out though because I had wonderful company and help as I finished my project. We were really good at rolling pages by the end of the project.

Starting to get to the finish line. At this point, we hung it on the wall and looked to see where we needed to add more. Then, we flipped it over and glued them in. You can see here where I took the small yellow/brown page book and layered it on the top to make the wreath two toned.

I took some pictures after the fact of things I would of liked to know while doing this project:

I understand that rolling pages might be easy. It took me awhile to get it down and I wished that I had had a step-by-step to give me an idea. So I have made one.

                                                                     

                                                                                            

                                                                                                             glue the end .

to make a tighter cone ^

oh, when I went to walmart to get some supplies....I found this goody in the baking section:

That says SNACK SIZE. Perfect for my house hold where I am the only one who eats brownies. Also, perfect for some of you single ladies who want brownies but don't want to eat a whole pan. .92$ by the way. I used a small dish...around 9x6 it suggests an 8x8. whatever...they were delicious.

happy rolling!!!!!

.:my famous beans and rice:.

How does something earn the title "famous"?

In my book I  would say...when lots of people like it and ask you for the recipe. Well, this is a super easy thing to make. It doesn't taste like your typical beans and rice, so people are always shocked when they try it. Its tangy and savory and delicious and makes great left overs and freezes well and and and and and.....

The credit for this goes to my mom. She adapted it off the back of a can of beans. I adapted it from what I

saw her make. I love it.

The amount of ingredients depends on how much you want to make. I love the leftovers and usually make enough for 10 + servings.

Start with some bacon. You can use bacon bits, a few slices, or none at all. Sometimes I use it most of the time I don't because I rarely have bacon on hand. The rest of the ingredients however I keep stocked in my pantry because this meal can be whipped up on a whim.

Some bacon

1 onion chopped

5 garlic cloves chopped

24 oz jar of pace salsa

4 cans of beans ( I mix black and pinto)

half a lime give or take

cilantro( dried or fresh)

Tabasco sauce

salt 

pepper

Rice

butter

chicken stock

water

Before you start the beans....get the rice going. I picked up some tips on how to cook delicious rice from a "Julia's Kitchen Tips" book and adapted it a little bit. Start by sauteing the rice in a little bit of butter to get some flavor in it. I usually make 2 cups of rice for my husband and I( 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of liquid) and will make more rice as we eat more left overs. 

After the rice takes on a bit of color and a nutty smell add your liquid. I use half water and half chicken stock  PLUS two extra tablespoons of water so that my rice is not dry. It will make it nice and fluffy with that little boost of water. Get it boiling with the lid on and let it boil for 7-10 mins(you will see the rice start to absorb the water but at this point there is still about an inch of water on top of the rice). Then turn the heat to low and leave it alone until your meal is finished. Do not open the lid during this point. It will let the steam out. I usually leave mine for ten to fifteen extra mins. Once you are ready to serve up the rice take off the lid and fluff your rice with a fork. YUM. 

If you want to add chicken to your meal then cook up some chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper and set it aside to add it to your beans after they get started. I like to use left overs from a rotisserie chicken.

If you are going to use bacon cook that up real quick, drain the fat leaving just a little in the frying pan  and set the bacon aside. Saute your onions in the same pan you fried your bacon in until they are fragrant and translucent. If you are not using bacon then add a little vegetable oil to a frying pan. When it smokes, throw in your onions and start sauteing.

Add your garlic and cook for 1-2 mins until you start to smell it!

drain the beans and add it to the pan mixture along with the salsa, chopped or dried cilantro, lime juice,chicken, bacon, and salt and pepper. Allow it to cook on medium bubbling nicely, for about 20 mins or more. Your mouth will start to water at this point. When it smells ready or you just can't take it any more throw in a few dashes of Tabasco sauce and dish yourself up some rice and beans.

I hope this works for you. I change it all the time adding things or NOT adding things when I am out of stuff. Really what makes this good is the tanginess that the salsa and lime bring to it as well as the earthiness of the cilantro.

Happy Cooking!

p.s. K-Dat, call me if you have any questions. Besides I would love to hear your voice.

POST UPDATE:

Made this dish the other night and added a fried egg and avacado.... DELICIOUS.

.:news paper mache birds wall art:.& .:rosemary lemon chicken:.

.:hello:. friends... today was a rainy day and I did some crafts AND made a delicious dinner. Two of my most favorite things to do. First off I am going to show you how to make some pretty wall art. Very easy to do, just takes a little patients, wal-mart, and a printer! Here we go.

Supplies:
two canvas's of what ever size you would like
newspaper
mod podge
water
brushes
permanent marker
black piant
scissors
spray paint

Start by....

Prepping your canvas.

I just sprayed half hazardously all over. no direction. just a few squirts. you will cover most of it up anyway. You could just splatter or paint if you do not have spray paint. However, spray paint is CHEAP and fun to work with. Keep that in mind(: I ended up spray painting our patio. Because, I am an air head and really didn't think about what I was doing...oops.

Next...let it dry and in the mean time start ripping up your paper. The original project used an old book. I do not have an old book to rip up. I did however have newspaper. It also did not use ANY color. I love color so came up with this idea.

now its time for MOD PODGE.If you have never used this, then you are seriously missing out.

water, sponge brush,mod podge,newspaper, birds(we will get to that)

Put some mod on your sponge brush and brush it onto your paper. 

Then dip your brush in water and brush it over the paper on the canvas.

I have not perfected the method of application. You can also put Mod onto the canvas and then stick wet paper onto and brush it smooth. Mod podge is water based...so it works well with water for sticking to things.

All done. Now it needs to dry. In the mean time this is what I did.

"googled" small birds and found the ones I liked. I wanted a side few and a front few. Then I opened then in paint shop and either shrunk them or enlarged them so they would be the right size. Then I printed them in "grey scale" so I wouldn't waste color. Cut them out carefully and WAIT!

Put up and decorated my tree. That little monster is under the tree waiting for me to leave so he can eat the balls hanging from it.

Then I made dinner. This was DELICIOUS.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken. Recipe is at the end.

Then we ATE it and watched X-Factor.

All dry!

Now I took the spray paint and squirted a little over the canvas to make everything really pop.

Take a pencil and out line your tree, then go over it with a black marker.

trace your birds on.

I love this black paint because it has a sparkly finish.

now paint in the rest of it black and let it dry!

FINISHED!

These are the first ones I made. They hang in my mother-in-laws house above the piano. I am honored.

.:well I hope this was helpful and inspiring. I hope you all try this because it was worth it! The rosemary lemon chicken recipe is below. I picked it up from a cooking class so I hope the instructions will be helpful if you try and make it on your own:.

Rosemary lemon chicken:

Ingredients:

5 slices of bacon

1/4 cup of flour

6 medium chicken thighs/4 large

6 medium cloves of garlic thinly sliced or chopped

1 tbl. Rosemary

1/8 tsp. red pepper

1 C chicken broth

1/2 C white wine(or red)

2 Tbl. lemon juice and zest

4 pats of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large skillet over med-high heat until crisp but not over done. move bacon to a plate to drain. 

Remove all but 2 tbl. of bacon fat.

Place flour, salt and pepper in shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Brown chicken on both sides. You MUST be patient during the browning because a lot of flavor will come from this. You want them to be a nice golden brown on both sides. Depending on the size of the chicken may take 10 mins on first side 7-10 on the opposite side.

GOLDEN!

When your chicken is brown reduce heat and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes.

Cook until garlic is aromatic-2 mins

Add wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add bacon and chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil and then add lemon juice and zest(also added mushrooms at this point but not necessary if you don't like them). cook 12-15 mins simmering, turning chicken often, until sauce is thick and glossy.

Chicken must be 165F/75C

adjust seasonings and serve.

I served with wild rice and asparagus! oh and I added mushrooms.

Cheers!

.:stephanie:.

What have we been doing all this time?

Well, it has been awhile. I realize that I made a commitment to share my crafts and kitchen with the world wide web but...life caught up to me.

First of all, we moved. my house is finally finished and I believe that pictures are in store off our second home! I am waiting to finish painting and hanging pictures.

Second, we started a cleanse. Therefore our food options have been extremely limited. However, I would be happy to share with you the healthy dishes we have enjoyed. Hey, it's working....I have dropped 5 lbs and Michael 8!

Third, I have been job hunting. I had started to lose all hope and finally decided to promote myself on craigslist and put out an add since responding to the majority of the jobs either never panned out OR where ridiculous scams to score your "credit information". no joke. Well, I actually received a reply from a WONDERFUL women looking for a personal assistant. It is basically the perfect fit but only 10 hours a week and not enough to pay our bills. After emailing back and forth, we met for an interview and it WAS a perfect fit. So I am suppose to start Tuesday! YAY! I figured, well, this takes the pressure off.At least I have a part time job that I will enjoy even if I have to get a job at Target to help pay the bills.except then....

I got into a dilemma that most people right now wish they had.

Today, I set out to run errands while Michael went to the shooting rang with a friend. He had a watch that needed to be repaired, so I thought I would surprise him and hunt down a watch repair shop.(never run errands the day before thanksgiving because EVERYONE is running errands the day before thanksgiving).

Anyway...

I went into Jared. I asked the nice lady about repairs and she told me...yah...but I know a better place(ssshhh its in the mall.I took it there afterwards, and ya, it was better. The guy did it for free! WHAT?!?!) anyway, I'm looking for jobs. So I mustered up some courage and asked if the nice lady in Jared if they were hiring. Turns out, THEY ARE!

Side note, I have an extensive background in Jewelry. I have taken dozens of classes, gotten certified in fixing and repairing as well as diamond setting AND, completed a year long apprenticeship working in a jewelry store. SO, I filled out the application and really didn't know what to except.

Went home. Took the puppy to the tennis courts to play a few rounds of fetch. Got a phone call from Jared asking for an interview A.S.A.P.

"oh yes, I am available to come in RIGHT NOW. I will be there in 5 minuets. Yes, I am interested in a full time job with possible advancements and promotions."

Turns out, that today was my day.

I should of taken my uncle Chris's advice a month ago. He told me that the best way to get a job is to walk into the corporation you would like to work in, drop of your resume, and speak to the manager. Even if they aren't hiring, you put yourself out there.

well well. I start Saturday!

I will be working full time for 3 months, after the trial period, if I "fit in" they will keep me(: I hope I "fit in". WOOT WOOT. I love working with jewelry. Jared is a big corporation which will allow me to move up!

now back to my dilemma....I absolutely do not want to give up this other job opportunity. I love working as an assistant, organizing, planning, dealing with people, working in marketing. This job will also give me a plethora of useful experience for my young future.

My hope is to do both jobs. To work out a schedule so that I do not jeopardize my full time job and I can still schedule in this wonderful part time job opportunity.

And honestly, at this point in my life, when money is of the  utmost importance with student loans, rent, bills, food. Working TOO MUCH is not a bad thing.

So, here we go. Cross my fingers.

Sorry for the absences of pictures in this post. It was mostly a vent session.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Steph

.puff paint on canvas.

Saw this idea on pintrest. Thought it would be easy....nay nay

I made the mistake of just reading the comment that someone put underneath as there "describe pin". So it wasn't from the actual source. The comment read..." Elmer's glue on canvas then paint all one color." Im thinking...sweet...super easy.

So I go buy my supplies at our local craft store...walmart(: and get to it!

I printed off a sweet design.

Cut it out and then glued it onto the canvas. I figured if I was painting over it you wouldn't see that I glued paper onto the canvas.

Lookin' cool, im getting excited...little do I know.

So i start tracing it with Elmers glue. First I realize how long it is going to take to dry. So im blow drying it, and retracing it with glue to build it up.

and I am thinking to myself...gee this is not working...so I decide to try and track down the original source.

Pinterest lesson learned.

ALWAYS look up the original source.

The girl who original did it uses puff paint. Makes so much more sense.

So...I went back to the craft store, and bought some puff paint.

(yah the lighting sucks, you get the idea)

A little better...however I also read on her blog that she transfers the design onto the canvas. Well well.

Anyway, I let it dry. Then I worked on painting it. I decided against painting it just one color because I wanted it to pop. So I played around with it until I came up with this.

Its gold, purple, and grey. Hard to see the purple but hey.

Not to bad. Try it! I am going to do another one.