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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Though I am beyond delighted that this week's storms have not included snow (at least in our neck of the woods), the heavy soaking rains haven't exactly been fun. Being cold and soaked is never good, but this tasty little treat sure was.

{Incidentally, if the Pumpkin-Cranberry biscotti pictured below is striking your fancy, you can find that recipe here. And if you'd like to make your own Chai Tea Mix to have on hand, click here.}

Chai Tea Latte

(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

2 tea bags regular tea (Lipton, Red Rose, etc. -- not flavored --)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice or ground cloves
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T refrigerated french vanilla non-dairy coffee creamer

optional:
whipped topping
ground nutmeg


Place the tea bags, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in the coffee filter of a drip coffeemaker. Add water; brew according to manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar and creamer. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through and sugar is dissolved. Pour milk mixture into mugs; stir in tea. Dollop with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Makes 2 servings.

(click here for printable recipe)

Stay warm and dry if you can this weekend! Thanks, as always, for joining in the recipe-related fun. It's always lovely to have you here. Happy Weekending, friends ...

• You may want to check out the Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipe swapping goodness •

::: make way for bunnies :::

Though I've always been a sucker for snowmen, I am so over them right now. I'm itching for springtime! Or even its messy predecessor: mud season. (Yes, in Maine we like to joke that we have five seasons: winter, mud season, spring, summer, and fall. Is it like that where you live too?)







And so I baked up a bunch of these cinnamon salt dough sweeties yesterday. The house smelled divine and now that they're dipped, they look just like chocolate bunnies. Without the guilt. You can't beat that.






If you'd like to make some too, just click here for the recipe. Spring will arrive eventually, right? And it's best to be ready. Maybe after this next round of storms ...

Enjoy the rest of your day, my friends! And think spring! Thanks, as always, for stopping by...

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

It's back to the routine for us this week! After a fun, restful, productive and busy February vacation, I'm really looking forward to the usual. How about you? Here's the plan:


Breakfast Staples:

• Bagels and cream cheese with fruit
• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, cinnamon toast, and fruit
• Pumpkin-Butterscotch Muffins
• Yogurt Parfaits


Dinnertime:

• Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup with Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
• Homemade Spinach & Prosciutto Ravioli (freezer), salad, and garlic bread
• Crock Pot Creamy Chicken, whole wheat noodles, and veggies
• Breakfast Dinner: Golden Delight Pancakes and fruit salad
• Hot dogs with homemade buns (new recipe!), baked beans, and cranberry salad
• No Fuss Night
• Chicken Potato Bake and Squash-Apple Bake


Baking:

• Homemade Granola Bars
• Granola
• PB Oatmeal Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Bread (new recipe!)

::: Click here for more menu-planning inspiration :::

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!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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

Our Valentine's Day was all about celebrating and enjoying the little things this year. The little things and just a little bit of dessert time fondue fun. The kids got the biggest kick out of this old favorite and I hope you will too. Especially if you're feeding a crowd ... because this simple indulgence goes a long, long way...

Chocolate Fondue

32 oz. semisweet and/or milk chocolate
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 T instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup hot water

Mix coffee, vanilla, sugar, and water. Set aside. Melt chocolate with cream over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once chocolate is melted, stir in coffee mixture until well combined and smooth. Remove from heat and pour into prepared fondue pot or serving bowl.

{**Note: Unless you're hosting a crowd, you may want to halve the above recipe**}

Enjoy with a variety of your favorite dippables:

• pound cake
• strawberries
• bananas
• animal crackers
• marshmallows
• apples
• graham crackers

(click here for printable recipe)

Thanks, as always for joining in the fun. Have a wonderful weekend!

It's still a work-in-progress ...

As I mentioned here, we are in the middle of a little upstairs bathroom fix-up. And though it's still very much a work-in-progress, we are definitely starting to get somewhere. Which is always fun. It may not look like much now, but it's beginning to come together. Just the way I envisioned...

Our home is a garrison style and was built in 1969 ... when spacious bathrooms were not the in thing. So we're making the most of what we have, at least for now:

Here's the view as you come up the stairs




We'll be painting the vanity cabinet and changing out the hardware
The floor will be getting a much-needed face lift too




Here's a close-up of the new beadboard and trim
The door and the beadboard wall will have hooks where two old towel bars used to be




Our lone window and more beadboard
We have a bowed shower curtain rod to install as well




A new faucet, more beadboard, and a mirror/medicine cabinet that needs to be painted




The door on the left leads to the master bedroom ... the other leads out to the hallway




The light fixture has to stay and will be painted



Are there other more attractive bulbs that will work in place of these globes???

And that's the state of things so far, my friends. I'll keep you posted as we make progress. Thanks, as always, for stopping by. I'll be back on Friday for more recipe swapping fun...

Hope to see you then!

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

February vacation is upon us ... which means that this week's menu could change in a heartbeat, depending on our plans. Which is fine with me as the freezer and cupboards are well-stocked with some good go-to-in-a-pinch items. Just in case. There are also a few carry-over items from last week's menu. Which is always a bonus. Here's the plan:



Breakfast Staples:

• Krusteaz Cranberry-Orange muffins
• Pink Pancakes (freezer)
• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, fruit, and yogurt with homemade granola
• English muffins with Nutella or blueberry preserves
• Breakfast Pizza (new recipe!) and fruit



Lunchtime:

• Paninis, fruit, and pretzels
• Grilled cheese and noodle soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup and rolls (freezer)
• Quesadillas with veggies and dip



Dinnertime:

• Steelhead Trout, couscous, and ginger green beans
• Hot dogs with homemade buns (new recipe!), baked beans, and cranberry salad
• Homemade Pizza Night
• Shredded Chicken Taco Night
• Broccoli Ham Ring
• Breakfast Dinner
• No Fuss Night/Leftovers



Baking: {Depending on our schedule, I hope to make enough to get ahead/freeze before school resumes. Especially with the kids home to "help."}

• Pumpkin-Cranberry Biscotti
• Homemade Granola Bars
• Assorted muffins/quick breads
• Mint Chocolate Chip cookies
• Snickerdoodle Blondies



Thanks for visiting! Have a lovely week and don't forget to check here for more menu planning inspiration. I hope you've found something new to enjoy at your house ...

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!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••


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




The Best Apple Pie Muffins Ever
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

Topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon


Muffins:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil or applesauce
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk or skim milk soured with 1 tsp. vinegar
2 cups diced peeled tart apples


Topping: In a small bowl toss together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Set aside.

Muffins: In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples, mixing just until combined. Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle topping over evenly. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back.

(click here for printable recipe)

Have a good weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day too!!!

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).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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...