Happy Halloween

Friday Foto Fun with Kitty Cats

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun. Here is my youngest in all her Halloween glory:

Tell me she isn't the cutest kitty!!

Here she is getting into character:-)

She is all set for Trick or Treating!

Passing on Gardening for TV Again!!

Ok...I have no gardening today but...I am going to be on TV...AGAIN.

A local series called Wisconsin Foodie is doing a piece on Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee this Sunday before the pregame. So, if you are in the Milwaukee area, tune in to Channel 58 at 10:30. I will be the one with the Lemonade Cupcakes who is sweating a lot. (It was filmed in August and it was like 500 degrees in there!) And for you outside the area, I will post the video as soon as I have it:-)

I know, I know. I am a press whore but I can't help it! I swear this is the last thing I have in the hopper for a while:-)

FNCCC: Week 9

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-) and Mostly Wordless Wednesday over at Ordinary and Awesome.

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Kat Cora. I am doing her Keftedes: Greek Meatballs . I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:


The verdict: Everyone liked it...including my youngest! You could really taste the mint and nutmeg! My husband said that although the texture was different, they tasted just like gyros. I served it with a nice Greek salad. It made a perfect dinner. The only problem I had with the recipe is that there was too much milk. I could have used half of what it required.

Tackling Werewolf Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This week, I tackled Werewolf Cupcakes for a neighborhood Halloween party:

Happy Halloween:-)

Keftedes: Greek Meatballs

Check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Here, I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners .

This week is a little bit slower outside the house however, my youngest is home two days for teacher convention. So, it will be a little bit busier inside the house. You know I love Pick N Save! They have ground beef on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $2.93/lb.). I picked up a bunch because...

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Cat Cora. I am making her Keftedes: Greek Meatballs. The recipe was for 12 but I scaled it down for 6. Come back on Wednesday when I post a picture and our review. Check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Semi-Homemade Spaghetti

Tuesday: Keftedes: Greek Meatballs: check out a picture and my review on Wednesday

Wednesday: Leftovers (Fall Harvest Party at School)

Thursday: Fish and French Fries

Friday: Eat Out (Night Out at a Comedy Club)

Keftedes: Greek Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 1/2 slices white bread with crust
1/2 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 11/16 Tbs finely chopped oregano
1 finely chopped tablespoons mint
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 eggs beaten
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 cup olive oil
Flour, for dusting
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pita Bread
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup seeded and small-diced cucumber
1 1/2 cloves minced garlic
Salt

Directions:
1. Dunk bread quickly in milk and press the liquid out to dampen the bread.

2. Combine the beef, bread, onion, garlic, oregano, mint, vinegar, eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Take a large spoon of the mixture and roll into a ball until all the mixture has been rolled.

3. In a saute pan, add the olive oil and bring it to 360-degrees F for frying. Dust the balls in flour and add to the oil. Brown on all sides, leaving room in the pan to roll them around. Pull from the pan and drain on paper towels.

4. Serve with pita and cucumber yogurt sauce.

5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (7.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 3 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 517.81
Calories From Fat (49%) 253.18
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27.97g 43%
Saturated Fat 8.7g 44%
Cholesterol 96.03mg 32%
Sodium 303.47mg 13%
Potassium 689.8mg 20%
Total Carbohydrates 44.46g 15%
Fiber 4.58g 18%
Sugar 5.73g
Protein 24.57g 49%

Recipe Type: Beef, Main Course

Source
Author: Cat Cora
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cat-cora/keftedes-greek-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $6.94 ($6.00 on sale)
Serving Cost: $1.16 ($1.00 on sale)

And the Winner Is...

Heidi at Sacred and Profane trusted me with the Friday Freebie this week!

The Prize? Susie's Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.

The Winner?

Lisa @ Stop and Smell The Chocolates

How appropriate!!

Thanks to everyone who participated! I welcome all the new friends that I have made. I hope you all come back for me sugary fun over here:-)

Friday Foto Fun with a Giveaway

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun and Heidi over a Sacred and Profane bestowed me the honor of doing the Friday Freebie this week:-)

Now, I don't have much in value to giveaway but, I do still have my Cookie Dough Balls.

These are gorgeous little candies made from cookie dough (minus the egg so they are safe), rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. I used to sell them in my Chocolate Shop on Etsy but I have moved on to greener pastures. However, I still have a few tricks under my sleeve and they can be yours for a song...

Or a comment...or a follow...or a facebook...or a twitter...or however ever else you show your love:-)

And like all the other Friday Freebies , I will announce the winner on Sunday. Happy blogging:-)

Indoor Garden Clean Up

My indoor garden was getting a little out of hand:

What a mess!!

So, I did some housekeeping and this is what it looks like now:

AND...just in time for holiday cooking...the triumphant return of my herb garden:

I used my Thyme in a recipe earlier in the week:-)

FNCCC: Week 8

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-) and Mostly Wordless Wednesday over at Ordinary and Awesome.

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Brian Biotano. I am doing his Coq Au Vin-guine. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:

The verdict: You don't need all those fancy ingredients to have a really excellent dish. A lot of you commented that the recipe was too complicated however, I used: bacon instead of pancetta, regular onions instead of cipollini onions and I even used canned mushrooms instead of crimini and...it was still delicious!! I stand by my initial thought though...with the high price tag and high fat, I would stick with this being an entertaining dish:-)

Tackling Literary Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This week I tackled the Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Literary Challenge. We were suppose to interprete a book, or a character or a plot in cupcake form. I chose Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. May I present: Raven Cupcakes:

They are chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting decorated to with The Raven.

Coq Au Vin-guine

Check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Here, I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners .

Here we go again! I have another busy week planned. I've got an Iron Cupcake Challenge, a PTO meeting and more volunteering at school. So, it is going to be another long week. Good thing Pick N Save have chicken breasts on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.). I picked up a bunch because...

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Brian Boitano. I am making his Coq Au Vin-guine. It is really expensive and really high in fat but, there isn't much on the site to choose from. If it's tasty, it may be a good entertaining dish. We shall see on Wednesday when I post our review. For now, check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Semi-Homemade Spaghetti (Iron Cupcake Challenge Tonight)

Tuesday: Coq Au Vin-guine: check out a picture and my review on Wednesday (PTO Meeting)

Wednesday: Leftovers (Volunteer at School)

Thursday: Fish and French Fries

Friday: Eat Out (Costume Party at the School)

Coq Au Vin-guine
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped
1 lb cipollini onions, peeled and sliced in 1/2
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 bottle medium-bodied Italian red wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 lb linguine
Fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until brown and crispy about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel.

2. To the same skillet add the onions and cook until they just start to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a baking sheet. While the onions cook, add the flour to a glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

3. To the same skillet add 3 tablespoons olive oil, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the mushrooms until browned, about 8 minutes and remove to the baking sheet with the onions.

4. Shake off any excess flour from the chicken and put on a plate. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until browned, about 6 minutes and transfer to the baking sheet.

5. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes and deglaze the pan with 3/4 of the bottle of wine, making sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. While the wine comes to a simmer, add the thyme, chicken, mushrooms and onions and let simmer for 3 minutes. If sauce is too thick add remaining red wine. Add butter, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente about 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Drain the pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl and top with the chicken and wine sauce. Garnish with the parsley, pancetta and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil.

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (19.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 864.99
Calories From Fat (32%) 279.4
% Daily Value
Total Fat 31.44g 48%
Saturated Fat 7.04g 35%
Cholesterol 83.23mg 28%
Sodium 312.11mg 13%
Potassium 1325.8mg 38%
Total Carbohydrates 82.71g 28%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 5.99g
Protein 44.38g 89%

Recipe Type: Chicken, Main Course

Source
Author: Brian Botano
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/coq-au-vin-guine-recipe/index.html>

Recipe Cost: $20.93 ($16.71 on sale)
Serving Cost: $3.49 ($2.79 on sale)

Friday Foto Fun with Halloween Decorations

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun:-)

The triumphant return of my Mom's Halloween Kitties:-)
She has even been taking them to BINGO for good luck
(they haven't worked:-).

Harvested Lettuce

Today, some of the lettuce that I planted in my indoor garden on September 16th.

Not a bad haul, right?

FNCCC: Week 7

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-) and Mostly Wordless Wednesday over at Ordinary and Awesome.

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Bobby and Jamie Deen. I am doing their mama's Chicken Georgia. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:

The verdict: We liked it. The chicken had good texture and really good flavor. The shallots caramelize and the butter....well, everything is better with butter. My mom even described it as tangy!! I served it with stuffing and green beans which was a perfect accompaniment for this meal!! Yummo:-)

Tackling Antipasto Platter

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This weekend, I had training for leading my daughter's Daisy troop. So, my husband had to spear head the dinner party we were hosting. I had no idea what he is making until I got home. Since his menu was Italian, I thought that I should throw an antipasto platter together and this is what I came up with:

Two kinds of cheese, olives, pickles and grapes (can you believe I still had grapes on my vines?) Pretty good for just off the cuff right?

Chicken Georgia

Check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Here, I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners .

Here we go again! I have another busy week planned. My mom is starting water aerobics at the Y three times a week. Plus, she has got a ton of doctor's appointment. That along with all the volunteering that I am doing at school is going to make for a a long week. Good thing Pick N Save have chicken breasts on sale for $2.99/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.). I picked up a bunch because...

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Bobby and Jamie Deen. I am doing their mama's Chicke Georgia. For Paula, it is actually, not that bad for ya:-) Check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Semi-Homemade Spaghetti (Mom starts Water Aerobics and her Doctor Appointment)
Tuesday: Chicken Georgia (check out a picture and my review on Wednesday:-)

Wednesday: Fish and French Fries (Doctor Appointment and Volunteer for the Run at School)

Thursday: Leftovers (Doctor Appointment)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteer at School)

Chicken Georgia
Ingredients:
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbs minced shallots
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 oz grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Cook and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (7.2 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 295.09
Calories From Fat (38%) 112.07
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.7g 20%
Saturated Fat 7.3g 37%
Cholesterol 123.7mg 41%
Sodium 318.27mg 13%
Potassium 481.84mg 14%
Total Carbohydrates 1.66g <1%>

Recipe Type: Chicken, Main Course

Source
Author: Paula Dean
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-georgia-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $12.40 ($ 8.41 on sale)
Serving Cost: $2.07 ($1.40 on sale)

Friday Foto Fun with the Pumpkin Fairy

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun:-) This was left on our doorstop.

What am I going to do with these?

Welcome Back to the Jungle

It's getting cold out there so, I had to bring all my plants inside. Every year, my husband sings along with Guns N' Roses to "Welcome to the Jungle".

You are welcome for putting that song in your head again this year:-)

FNCCC: Week 6

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-) and Mostly Wordless Wednesday over at Ordinary and Awesome.

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Bobby Flay and I chose his Hamburger with Double Cheddar Cheese Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:

The verdict: This is the best recipe we have had in the challenge yet! The flavors worked really well together and it was really easy to put together on a busy game night:-) Yummo!

And believe it or not, Life as Mom has beef as her Ultimate Recipe Swap ingredient. So, I am playing along over there too:-)

Tackling Daisy Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

My youngest expressed interest in scouting which, as a former girl scout, thrilled me to death. So much so, I found myself volunteering to co-lead her troop with another mom. I am very excited about this and so is my daughter. I ironed all of her thingies on to her vest and she is sharp and ready to go.

And of course, I volunteered to bring the first snack. What is more appropriate for our first meeting than Daisy Cupcakes? Check em out:

Not my best work but I think the girls will like them:-)

Hamburger with Double Cheddar Cheese Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard

Check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Here, I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners .

I am glad last week was slow because, I was totally sick there for a while! Now, I am geared up for another busy week. Lot's and lot's of volunteering (they really have my number don't they?). Good thing Pick N Save have ground chuck on sale for $1.98/lb. (normally $2.89/lb.). I picked up a bunch because...

I am playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Bobby Flay. I am doing his Hamburger with Double Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard. I know that these are pretty high in fat but, they will be perfect for the Packer/Viking game on Monday! And if you still feel bad, make them smaller and turn them into sliders! Check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Hamburger with Double Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard for the Packers vs. Vikings tonight!! (check out a picture and my review on Wednesday:-)

Tuesday: Classic Pot Roast (Our first Daisy meeting:-)

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken (Volunteer for the Run at School)

Thursday: Leftovers (Volunteer at School)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteer at School)

Hamburger with Double Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard
Ingredients:
2 lbs freshly ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices white Cheddar, sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 slices yellow Cheddar, sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 hamburger buns
Horseradish Mustard, recipe follows
8 leaves Romaine Lettuce
Grilled Vidalia Onions, recipe follows
Dill pickles, sliced
Ketchup
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbs prepared horseradish, drained
2 Vidalia onions, sliced crosswise, 1/4-inch thick slices
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat grill or a cast iron skillet to high.

2. Divide the beef into 8 (4-ounce) burgers. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill or cook in the skillet for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare doneness. During last minutes of cooking add 2 slices of cheese to each burger, cover grill and let melt, approximately 1 minute. Place burger on bun and top with Horseradish Mustard, lettuce, Grilled Vidalia Onions, pickles and ketchup.

3. Whisk mustard and horseradish together in a small bowl.

4. Brush olive oil on both sides of the onions and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onion slices for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (31.2 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 4 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 705.83
Calories From Fat (52%) 367.17
% Daily Value
Total Fat 40.68g 63%
Saturated Fat 16.6g 83%
Cholesterol 114.71mg 38%
Sodium 904.12mg 38%
Potassium 2036.54mg 58%
Total Carbohydrates 49.36g 16%
Fiber 15.28g 61%
Sugar 14.13g
Protein 40.11g 80%

Source
Author: Bobby Flay
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/hamburger-with-double-cheddar-cheese-grilled-vidalia-onion-and-horseradish-mustard-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $12.60 ($ 10.78 on sale)
Serving Cost: $1.57 ($1.35 on sale)

Friday Foto Fun with an Award

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun:-) Last week, Katie at My Net Finds gave me this award:

She is such a sweetie and is a very loyal blogger herself. I am so bad at passing this kind of stuff on and with my cold running ramped, I will pass this to all my loyal readers. (I know that is a bloggie cop out but, that's all I got today.)

Thank you to all my dedicated followers and welcome to new readers. I hope you will continue to stop by and see the silly things that I have going on here:-)

Digging Milwaukee Magazine

I am sick as a dog so, no gardening this week however...

I am totally digging this month's Milwaukee Magazine ! Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee is being featured and I am even quoted in the article!! Check it out:-)