We have a winner!

What fun it was to read through all of your sweet and enthusiastic comments! Wow!

I just asked the kids to randomly choose a number for me ... and they both agreed it had to be lucky 13.

Which means the winner is:




Tina/Mommy's Kitchen

A huge thank you to everyone for participating! Based on your enthusiastic responses, I'll have to do this again soon. Or perhaps finally get myself established over at Etsy. Hmmmm....

Have a lovely day everyone!

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

Oh my! It's going to be a busy week here in Midcoast Maine as we head toward Valentine's Day, classroom parties, the 100th Day of School, February Vacation, and two overnights with our sweet friends from Connecticut. My menu plan is full ... and so is my "to do" list.



Breakfast Staples:

• Autumn Oatmeal
• Healthy Pumpkin-Banana Muffins (freezer)
• Cereal and fruit
• Homemade Granola Bars
• Yogurt parfaits with homemade granola
• English Muffins with Strawberry Freezer Jam or Nutella



Dinnertime Fare:

• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bake (new recipe!)
• No Fuss Night/Leftovers
• Crock Pot Mac & Cheese (new recipe!), glazed carrots, Outback bread
• Steelhead Trout, couscous, and ginger green beans
• Homemade Ravioli (new recipe!), salad, and whole wheat bread sticks



Company Time:

• Saturday Dinner: Shredded Chicken Taco Night
• Sunday Breakfast: Golden Delight Pancakes (w/mini chocolate chips), fruit salad, sausage
• Valentine's Day Dinner Fun:
:: Kids: Mac & Cheese, apple sauce cups, veggies & dip
:: Adults: Buffalo Chicken Ranch Dip, Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Chocolate Fondue w/fruit and pound cake
• Monday Breakfast: Homemade bread and Strawberry Freezer Jam, yogurt and granola, cereal, fruit



Extra Baking:

• heart-shaped sugar cookies for kids' parties

::: If you'd like more menu planning inspiration, click here :::


Thanks, as always, for visiting!

Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap

Welcome friends, newbies, followers, and readers! It's time for more weekly recipe swapping fun. Feel free to share any and all family favorites here until 11 PM Sunday evening (EST).

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If you'd like to participate, simply write up your post and leave the link here with MckLinky. Please remember to mention my name and link to my blog within your posts as well. And feel free to grab the Colleen's Kitchen button above for your posts and/or sidebar. Thanks for joining in!

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If you're a fan of this dip, then you'll love my husband's new favorite: Buffalo Chicken Pizza. I gave this new-to-us recipe a go just the other day and it was a huge hit. Flavorful and spicy ... but not too spicy. Unless you want it to be. The kids had absolutely no interest in trying it, but Todd and I enjoyed this pizza very much. I hope you will too. Especially given that it's Super Bowl weekend. It seems like just the type of thing to enjoy while watching the game...

I've included our favorite go-to homemade pizza dough recipe as well. Just in case you're up for trying a homemade crust. It's easy to pull together and it makes enough for three large pizzas. I love that I can make a batch and have some in the freezer for another night. Anything that makes dinner prep easier in the long run is alright in my book. Though, in a pinch, we do love the Portland Pie Co. dough that's now available at our local grocery store. It's almost as good as being there.

::: Check out the Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipe swapping fun :::

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 tsp. butter, melted
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce
1 prepared pizza crust (see below for our favorite)
1/2 cup fat free bleu cheese dressing
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly and set a bit before slicing.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 (.25 oz.) pkg. dry yeast
! T sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 T olive oil
1 T salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups white flour

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until bubbly. Stir in remaining ingredients. When dough begins to form, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about eight minutes, forming a smooth ball.

Lightly oil a large bowl and allow dough to rise (covered and in a warm place) for about an hour. Deflate dough and divide into three equal pieces. Shape into rounds. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. *** Dough rounds can be placed in Ziploc bags and frozen for later use. Allow to thaw and reach room temperature before rolling out crust(s). ***

Roll out dough to make crust(s) and pre-bake at 425º for 5-7 minutes before adding toppings. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Brush crust with garlic butter, if desired, before serving.

(click here for printable recipes)

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you back here on Monday for some more menu planning. And if you'd like to enter my giveaway for some springtime bowl fillers, don't forget to leave me a comment here.

It's Giveaway Time!

Yes, my friends ... I think it's high time for a little salt dough-style giveaway fun, don't you? After all, winter is beginning to feel endless and spring (at least here in Maine) is still many, many moons away. I, for one, could use a little diversion. How 'bout you?

So in the spirit of springtime, here is what I've crafted for one lucky winner:

One set of "A Primitive Welcome" Bowl Fillers



and




One larger set of "Think Spring" Bowl Fillers

*** Both sets have been dipped in Cinnamon-Vanilla scented wax ***

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Just leave me a comment (for this post only) to be entered to win. If you do not have a blog, please remember to include your email address so I can get in touch with you if you win. I will choose a winner on Tuesday, February 9th. Good luck ... and thanks so much for joining in!

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A Little Bathroom Redo Inspiration

When wintertime looks like this, we shift our focus inward and indoors ... to those house projects that we seem to save for just such a season. And this winter is no different. With February vacation looming, we decided it was time to work a little interim magic on our eyesore of an upstairs bathroom. We have bigger plans for this space eventually, but sometimes a little band-aid makeover is in order -- especially when a little paint, creativity, and sprucing up is all that's required. At least for now. Making it pretty is enough for me.

This prim-inspired and slightly whimsical shower curtain is our inspiration. It's colorful, fun, and homey. Which is just what I want up there right now. Along with some beadboard, paint, and a few decorative touches.

I'll be sure to share some before and after photos when we're finished. I can't wait!

And I will reveal what this post was all about tomorrow. I promise! Stay tuned and have a lovely winter's day, my friends. Thanks, as always, for stopping by. I so enjoy having you all here...

Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap

Welcome friends, newbies, followers, and readers! It's time for more weekly recipe swapping fun. Feel free to share any and all family favorites here until 11 PM Sunday evening (EST).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

If you'd like to participate, simply write up your post and leave the link here with MckLinky. Please remember to mention my name and link to my blog within your posts as well. And feel free to grab the Colleen's Kitchen button above for your posts and/or sidebar. Thanks for joining in!

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We are most definitely a family of breakfast lovers. And so it seems that "Breakfast For Dinner" has become a once-a-week dinnertime staple here at our house. Everyone eats well, it's fun, and I have a wealth of breakfast-themed family favorites to draw from.

I actually added this one to the mix a few weeks ago when I was looking to use up some slightly tired apples, the last of the bread, and the dregs of apple cider. It was a huge and tasty hit. I hope your family will enjoy it too ...

Apple Cinnamon French Toast
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

French Toast:

4 eggs
1 cup milk
3 T sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
12 slices day-old bread


Sauce:

2 tsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 -1 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced


For the toast: Mix all ingredients except bread. Spray a skillet with Pam and heat to medium-high. Dip bread in batter to coat and place in skillet. Cook until browned, flip, and cook other side.

For the sauce: Melt butter and sugar in saucepan. Add water, cinnamon, and apples. Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Serve on top of toast.

(click here for printable recipe)



:: If you'd like to take a peek at more recipe links, click here ::

Have a wonderful weekend!

Something's Afoot ...

Any guesses?

Check back this weekend for the scoop...

In the meantime, I'll see you all back here on Friday for our weekly Recipe Swap. I hope you'll join in and share a favorite or two. Dinnertime is starting to feel very predictable around here and I'd love to have a few new wintertime favorites to try ...

Have a lovely day, my friends! I'll see you all back here soon.