::: Food Is Love Friday :::

Hello, my friends!

I hope you're all well and looking forward to the weekend ahead. It's going to be a busy one here. This week's recipe, much like this post, will be short and sweet -- and perfect for munching on should you find yourself watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. It's an old family favorite and it takes only minutes to prepare. You'll be all set to snack in seven minutes or less!

Enjoy the weekend! I hope to catch up with you all soon ...




::: Cream Cheese Salsa Dip:::

1 pkg. cream cheese, slightly softened
1 jar salsa
1 pkg. cheddar or taco cheese

Spread cream cheese on a microwave-safe pie plate. Pour salsa on top of the cream cheese. Top with shredded cheddar and microwave on medium power for about 7-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Happy Wintry Wednesday, my friends! We're in the midst of yet another massive snow storm here in Maine and, depending on which forecast you believe, we're in for a total of 12"-18" inches between now and midnight. Needless to say, everyone is home today... watching and waiting. I know that much of the country is weathering the same type of storm or worse, and I hope that you are all safe and sound ... wherever you are. At least every day is one day closer to spring, right?

And since we all need a little diversion on days like this, I thought I'd get back on Leslie's Whatcha Working On Wednesday bandwagon. I've had some small bursts of creativity here and there this week and I sure hope that they continue ... in between the usual day-to-day goings on around here.

Stop back by on Friday for another new recipe or two. And enjoy the rest of your week in the meantime...

The diaper cake is finally wrapped and ready for Saturday's Baby Shower ... along with a little basket of snack, crafting, and coloring goodies from the Dollar Store. After all, we can't forget the two (almost) big brothers.

Here's a peek at the "ingredients list" I included with Baby Musica's diaper cake. I usually type one up and tuck it in each time I make these cakes. That way, the moms know what goodies they have in store.

A couple of small stitcheries that are still waiting to be framed.

A slightly rearranged mantle with a few hearts tucked in for good measure. I decided to keep the greenery up a little longer as the punch of color is nice this time of year when everything seems so gray.

Another rearranged basket display ... one of many little things that I've futzed with this week ... never quite getting it to look just the way I want. It must be the weather... or the Winter Blahs.

And finally a pile of Valentine hearts that need to be completed ASAP so that I can put them to use before the big day.

I hope you kept busy with lots of little somethings this week too. Stay warm, my friends!

::: Food Is Love Friday :::

Happy Friday, my friends!

I hope you're all looking forward to a cozy family weekend ... wherever you may be. The weather here promises to be ever colder so I was thinking that some homemade soup and rolls might really hit the spot -- especially if you have a slow cooker and bread maker handy. I love recipes like these and I hope that you will, too ...

Have a wonderful wintertime weekend and stay warm!




::: Meatball Stone Soup :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

16 oz. bag frozen Italian style meatballs
2 (14 oz.) cans beef broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian style diced tomatoes with juice
1 med. potato, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper or garlic pepper seasoning
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 lb. Italian style frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg. cheese tortellini

Add frozen meatballs, broth, tomatoes, potato, onion, and pepper to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Stir in frozen veggies, tortellini, and minced garlic. Cook for an additional 60- 90 minutes, until vegetables are to your liking.

::: Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

1 cup warm water
2T warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2T butter or butter spread
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, room temperature
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsps. dry yeast

Add the above ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed. Start the dough cycle and check in about 5 minutes to see if any additional flour or water is needed to form a soft and supple dough. When dough cycle ends (in about an hour), transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 pieces. Shape dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet or pie plate. Cover and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size. Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Busted!

Guess who discovered the ginormous box of tissues behind our couch yesterday?

Certainly not this busy little fellow!

And such is life at our house this week, my friends. I'll be back on Friday with recipes that will surely bring a little warmth to this cold, cold winter landscape. How does some homemade soup sound?

See you then, every one! Stay warm!

Wintertime Weekend

Yesterday was one of those good news/bad news kind of days here in Midcoast Maine. The good news was that the below zero temperatures of late finally gave way to more temperate weather. The bad news was that it was warm enough to snow. And snow it did! The storm that was supposed to only bring about 6" of the white stuff our way ended up dumping 18" of powdery snow instead. It was storming when we awoke and it was still snowing when Todd and I went to bed late last night. Hello, winter! It's definitely here to stay.

So it was a mostly indoor day for us. With a little bit of outside time thrown in for good measure. I finished another book. We played games. The slow cooker burbled away all day long. Todd shoveled countless times and, before the day really got started, ventured over to Lowe's to order our much anticipated stove and fridge. And then he returned home with donuts. What a fabulous guy, right? Our snowy day hero.

Here are some during/after the storm highlights. And fear not, Brendan was screaming because he had to come in. He was not traumatized one bit by all of the blowing snow and cold. It seems we have yet another hearty little Mainer on our hands. And, man, does that boy love his outdoor time.

I hope you all stayed warm and safe this weekend too! Thanks for stopping by for a little glimpse at wintertime in Maine... Come back soon, my friends.

::: Food Is Love Friday :::

The dishwasher is humming. The kids are tucked safely into bed. And I finally have a few minutes to wish you all a Happy Friday from the frozen tundra of Midcoast Maine. Though I exaggerate just a tad, we did make our trek to school and preschool today amid a mid-morning high of -15ºF. That's right, folks ... -15ºF. As we say here in Maine, it's wicked cold.

And so I hope you're all staying warm and snug at home tonight ... getting ready for a cozy weekend. Today's Food Is Love Friday offerings are simple, tasty, and perfect for a busy (or lazy) family weekend at home. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we have lately.

::: Bread Maker Garlic-Lovers Pizza Dough :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

6 oz. warm water
3 tsps. milk
2 T olive oil
1-2 T minced fresh garlic
2 cups flour (one cup white and one cup wheat works well)
2 tsps. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1-2 T oregano, rosemary or Italian seasoning (optional)
2 tsps. dry yeast

Add ingredients to your bread maker in the order listed. Press the dough cycle and start. After 4-5 minutes, check to see if you need to add more flour or water to make a soft semi-sticky dough. When the dough cycle ends (about an hour), remove dough and knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425º. Stretch your dough to fit your pizza pan, rub with a little olive oil, and prebake for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce, cheese, and the rest of your toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes.


Another easy crowd pleaser is this slow cooker standby that I stumbled upon (and tried out) last week:

::: Slow Simmered Spaghetti and Meatballs :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (any flavor)
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 tsps. Italian seasoning
24 oz. bag frozen meatballs
splash red wine

***This recipe doubles beautifully for a crowd***

Add ingredients to your slow cooker and stir well. Cook on low for 7-8 hours and serve with prepared pasta of your choice.

Have a wonderful winter weekend, my friends. Stay warm!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

It's time, once again, to share what I've been working on this week: a very pink diaper cake for a friend of mine here in town. She's expecting her first girl (after two boys) in late February and we're all getting ready to surprise her with a shower at the end of the month. She doesn't know about my blog, so I can safely share this little goody with you all today -- which is such fun. I can't wait to wrap it up and give it away!

Thanks for taking a peek and don't forget to pay Leslie a visit so that you can check out what's been keeping everyone else busy this week. And if you'd like to make your own diaper cake some time, check out my tutorial for the step-by-step instructions.

Stay warm, my friends! Winter, it seems, is here to stay! How many days until spring?

Or in my case, mud season?

::: Food Is Love Friday :::

Well, friends ... the holidays are over and fall is but a distant memory now, but it's Friday once again -- and that means it's time to share some recipes.

I don't know about you, but I seem to fall into a cooking rut right about now and I'm always looking for something new, easy, delicious, and different to put on the table. Winter lasts a long time in Maine and I need a variety of hearty meals to keep the winter blahs at bay. Today's offerings are but two new favorites (of many more to come!) and I hope you'll enjoy them, too. They were a HUGE hit with everyone here at our house this week!

So ... Welcome to "Food is Love Friday." I think this title will do just fine from here on out, and I hope that many of you will be back time and again to see what's cooking at my house. And then, with any luck, you can spread and share the (food) love too ...

::: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

3-4 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix (I used Zesty Italian)
8 oz. low fat cream cheese, cubed

Spray slow cooker with Pam. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. Mix together cream of chicken soup, dressing, and cream cheese. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

::: Brownie Cupcakes :::

(based on a recipe from Family Fun's Cooking with Kids)

1 boxed brownie mix, prepared according to directions

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar


Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare brownie mix as directed and set aside. Line 12-15 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium sized bowl, combine peanut butter, cream cheese, egg, and sugar. Beat on low until smooth. Set aside.

Place a spoonful or two of the brownie batter into each muffin cup. Use enough to cover the bottom of the cup, but not too much. When that is done, spoon a generous amount of the peanut butter mixture on top and then top with enough brownie mix to cover the peanut butter. Smooth the edges with a spoon and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about a half hour before eating. (The cupcakes will crack and sink a bit as they cool.)

•••The original recipe yields about 18-20 cupcakes, but I made 12 good sized cupcakes using the boxed mix -- which was plenty for us.•••

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful winter weekend if you can!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Our new play room border and colors: Eddie Bauer Slice (on top) and Eddie Bauer Butternut (below). The colors photographed fairly true in this photo, but they are a bit off in some of the other photos to follow. The combination really warms up the space.

Well, folks ... so much for the routine. We awoke to snow, sleet and freezing rain this morning here in Midcoast Maine. No one was happy about that. School was canceled here in town, but not in Yarmouth. Enough said.

Driving conditions weren't good this morning and I suspect that they will be worse this afternoon. The sleet has really picked up since lunchtime and I know I'll feel much better once the five of us are all home together safe and sound. Snow is one thing. Ice and sleet are quite another...

But life surely goes on (especially here in New England) and I promised to share some play room photos with you today. Brendan is napping and the kids are watching a movie ... so it's now or never, my friends. Are you ready?

The play room is just off of the kitchen and it's a space that sees a lot of use. I love how accessible it is because, as you may suspect, I spend a considerable amount of time in the kitchen and it's nice to be able to keep an eye on the kids. (Oh, who am I kidding? It's nice to keep tabs on Brendan. The big kids are fine wherever they decide to play...)

We've painted and refreshed most of the spaces in our house since we bought it three years ago, but the play room has been in limbo for a while now because we never seemed to have the time (or energy) to move out the toys and furniture so that we could paint in there. It's quite the hub of activity after all and we didn't want to mess with the kids' space. But that room was starting to drive me nuts, folks!

So, of course, Christmas week wasn't quite busy enough for us -- what with holiday preparations and company coming -- and we decided to just get things done once and for all. Being snowed in during a nor'easter probably had something to do with this crazy plan. Why not? It was time for the blah beige walls to go.



These are a couple "before/during" shots -- complete with paisley border remnants and Todd's handiwork with faux wainscotting and trim boards:








And now on to our "new" playroom -- freshly painted and waiting for some suitable decorative touches ... which will be found or made in time:

Looking in from the kitchen

Brendan's corner

Our trusty toy storage unit and a wonderful "Welcome" sign from Kindra

The kids' table and art supply storage area ... and one very bare wall

The hard part is done and now the fun begins... And, yes, I picked up just before taking these photos yesterday. This room is well used and is usually pretty messy -- which is kind of the point. The kids and I pick up most every day during Brendan's naps and then again right before bed. It's a losing battle, I know, but there's only so much mess I can stand. And there's something to be said for starting the day with a clean slate...


I hope you're all staying warm, safe, and dry today. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check in again on Friday for two new recipes...

:: back to the routine ... and going bananas ::

Hello, my friends! It's Monday, January 5th ... and life is, at long last, back to "normal" at our house. There is still a bit of picking up and packing away to do, but we're gaining. Mostly. Hooray!

We had a wonderful, busy, festive, and memorable two weeks of vacation, but a return to the routine this morning was just what everyone needed. Though I'm sure Todd would've enjoyed a few more days off, the kids missed school and I was definitely ready to get back to the familiar rhythm of life with three. It was time. And the kids were just so excited today ... which is always a fabulous way to welcome any Monday -- especially our first Monday of the new year.




Of course, a new breakfast treat may have had a little bit to do with those hearty smiles this morning. We're not actually going bananas around here, but we are enjoying some delicious Banana Cranberry Bread. I bought the kids a new cookbook for Christmas (Family Fun's Cooking with Kids) and this tasty recipe was the first to be chosen -- after many hours of perusing, thinking, and checking to see what we had on hand in the pantry. There are many more "to try" items on the list and I really hope that they are all as scrumptious as this one was. It barely lasted 24 hours! That's right. Which means it's definitely a keeper at my house!

•••• The recipe is available on the Family Fun website. The only "extra" you may want to add is one cup of dried cranberries. (::Click here for the recipe::) ••••

Enjoy, my friends! I'll have some more recipes to share on Friday and I certainly hope to check in again on Wednesday for Whatcha Working on Wednesday. We finished painting the play room over vacation, and I have pictures to share...

Until then ....