Working on Fake Cherries now... for decoden later ;)

It's true! SEE :D

While I hope to update this post in the future with a youtube how to video, I might be getting ahead of myself. ;) There are so many projects in queue and if I didn't already tell you I was recently promoted at work - yay me - but with the promotion comes training my replacement, fumbling through the new stuff and making that learning curve my you-know-what ;). Progress is being made everyday, but my schedule is a bit sporadic and lets suffice to say there's a lot to do. I've stayed late a few nights already in an effort to get ahead of things, but I've ironically been working on historical stuff. In the times when I get overwhelmed, and feel like I'm not moving I press on with Dori's reminder from Finding Nemo... to 

 ♪♫ Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming ♫♪ 

Pass, fail or otherwise, sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other is what is needed. 

In any case, I had time enough to work on a project tonight that involves faux cherries... I'll reveal this project in it's entirety once it's complete but I was so tickled pink having come up with this idea I *had* to share at least a photo.. I mean come on! ;) Knowing I needed fruit... fake fruit... tiny fake fruit. I was stuck on the idea of a strawberry until I saw the slim pickings that Michaels had for fake ones. Moving on I spotted a bag of pink glitter balls - and envisioned they just might work for pseudo cherries. It was the next best thing I'd seen to fake plastic fruit so I decided to bring those puppies home. 

That was Friday...

On my way home from work today a light bulb went on ;)... 

I had green piping that was equally sparkly... 

and so... I give you... 

Cherries 

^-^ 

Stay tuned for the finished project in the next week. Lord willing I'll be diving headfirst into the rest of the project this weekend ^-^.  Are you excited? I know I am! ;) 

Happy Creating everyone!

♥

I'll be back with an update soon!

Low Carb Spaghetti Recipe

This past weekend between working on the food for game day I still needed to whip something up for our regular eats! I knew I had an option of chicken or sausage and I was feeling indecisive... so I asked the mister if he had a preference and he said that he always likes sausage which helped give me some direction. ;) About 30 - 45 minutes later I had a Paleo Friendly & Low Carb version of spaghetti! I'm pretty excited about it. ;) I'd wanted to use the newly purchased bag of Broccoli Slaw but wasn't sure just how I'd incorporate it. And can I just say growing up spaghetti was a favorite dish of mine?! Oh yes, yes it was. This was pretty good! I had seconds! Shhh ;)

Low Carb Spaghetti

Pin it for later here.

What you'll need:

1 lb Ground Sausage
12 oz Bag of Broccoli Slaw
2 Tbspns Minced Onion
6 oz Tomato Paste
3 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
2 Tbspns Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
2 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Teaspoon garlic
Dash Cumin
Dash of Pepper
Salt to Taste

What you do:

1) In a large pan over medium heat brown the sausage, once it's mostly browned add all other ingredients.
2) Stir ingredients until all the tomato paste is evenly distributed and seasonings are well blended.
3) Cover dish and simmer on Medium stirring occasionally until the broccoli is cooked to a tenderness you like.
4) Serve warm and top with Parmesan cheese if so desired.

Granted you can use spaghetti squash in place of Broccoli Slaw - feel free to play around with the recipe. Or enjoy it as is it! :D

*****

I have to say I added the coconut oil at the end in order to use my coconut oil. I recently read that coconut oil benefits our bodies and helps ward off disease in so many ways. But please, don't take my word for it.. feel free to read more about how it helps our skin, digestion and ease symptoms of certain diseases here on WebMD. I plan to try and work the miracle oil more and more into our diets, especially since I know my husband's side of the family has a history of Alziehmer's which this oil works wonders on, again... feel free to read more about it here on healthfitnessinfomagazine. 

*****

Here's to your health! ;) Cheers! ♥ Dawn

Low Carb Game Day Recipe Eats

Last weekend my sister, my husband and I sat down to watch the Redskins game. I had every intention of making up a recipe I found on pinterest for cheddar jalapeno burgers with guacamole by sunnyslideup but about half time we realized our team wasn't doing so hot, and though everyone was down to eat burgers before the game started my husband said "I think I might need pizza just to make me feel better" ;). I love his humor ^-^. I realized my energy was low, really low... too low to dice, cut, slice, measure and then stand over the stove to cook them bad boys. So, pizza hut won... I caved... I was bummed about this choice, I wanted to feed us all something nutritious and not carb laden .. I normally eat that stuff way too fast, and of course regret it the next day and even that night because my stomach and guts are like, "What were you thinking?!" Try as I might to ignore their voices I really can't because they are painfully loud :/ . Whaa. Right? ;) lol Whaa indeed!  

That was a week ago... fast forward to this week. I was determined to have fun food for our football watching time that I hand selected and approved of. 

32 Hard boiled Eggs, 30 jalapenos, 3 packs of bacon cooked up & 2 cucumbers later...  I ended up with a fun smorgasbord of foods! I'm sharing them with you because it was kind of hard to find a diverse grouping of what I myself consider "game day eats" and still keep it healthy and low carb, hopefully this post will help others find a group of recipes they want to make on their family's game day.

Here is the spread, though no, not all of it. I had lots of leftovers ;) :

Low Carb Game Day Spread ^-^

Michelob Ultra (not pictured) was drank by me ;). I added the beer bucket in the picture because though it was just us three I figured why wait to break out a fun beer bucket? Am I right? ;)

Here are the recipes I used:

Chicken Strips by Cleaneatsinthezoo

Note: Arrowroot is by no means low carb, feel free to use Parmesan cheese in place of arrowroot. Also, substituted 1 Tblspn Garlic Powder for Garlic salt because we're looking to keep down the salt intake where we can.

Baked Stuffed Jalapeno Bites by Simply Recipes

Note: I cut the tops of the jalapenos off :( I later realized I should not have done this. I grabbed bacon and wrapped it around the jalapenos and cooked them this way in an effort to hold the cheesy insides in. This mostly worked. ;) They were still yummy!

Cucumber Bites With Bacon Egg Salad

Note: I substituted spicy brown mustard for the honey dijon.

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs by RealHouseMoms

Note: I substituted splenda for the sugar they called for.

And now for a few photos of the spread in the making...

You also might be wondering how I managed to make 32 Hard boiled eggs... I'm glad you asked... this was another pinterest find... I use pinterest search over google search these days, so far I've not had any finds flop ;). I saw a pinterest post by creativehomemaking that had the eggs in the oven like the photo below.

I followed the instructions and thought the eggs came out quite nicely. Granted, 32 eggs take a while to peel, but once they were all done... I was sure I'd made more than enough! 

Filling them with the mix was *so* much fun!

Adding Paprika to make 'em pretty ;)

*****

As I was chopping cilantro for the Cucumber Mix I decided I'd be a smart consumer ;) and freeze the leftover cilantro in an ice cube tray for a later date.

 My mister and I both enjoy cilantro so I know I'll use them before long. 

The cup to the left is bacon grease from the 3 bags of bacon I cooked up! Since it was still in liquid form I drizzled some of it in each of the cubes with cilantro as well and then filled then to the top with water.

 I think this will be a good mix when I go to pop one out and use it! :) 

*****

The Deviled eggs called for jalapenos so these are the ones I had left to work with when making the jalapeno bites.. and yes, I used disposable gloves when working with them and recommend it! ;)

Lastly, the chicken tenders went over well. I found that as they cooked they smelled as if they had bbq sauce on them. My husband did detect a sweet flavor, which was there from the coconut oil - we'll probably make these again using bacon grease. They don't take terribly long to make either which is a bonus! :) 

Well folks, that was the line up for game day eats! I hope you enjoy the recipes and photos, though I have to admit I'm wondering just how stellar my camera is these days as the photos seem slightly blurry/grainy... hmm... I hope it's not causing any headaches to look at them! ;) 

Though if they cause you to drool a little I'd say this is normal. Tee hee ;)

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to share if these recipes were a hit with your family too! 

Be safe out there friends! ;) ♥ Dawn 

Feeling like Fall...

If you aren't ready for fall yet, maybe these photos will help get you in the mood... 

If the fall hues aren't inviting enough... 

♥♥♥♥♥

Maybe the chill will have you feeling the nostalgia of previous falls... 

out comes the sweater...

♥♥♥♥♥

Might a warming cup of apple cider or spiced tea persuade you?

Perhaps by the fire? 

♥♥♥♥♥ 

Still struggling to embrace Autumn? It's okay... she's patient. ;)

♪♫ Homemade Salsa & Chicken sittin in a Crock Pot C-O-O-K-I-N-G! ♫♪

♪♫ First comes tomatoes, then comes onions, then comes chopped jalapenos with the garlic powder! ♫♪

♪♫ That's not all! That's not all! They've been marinating for hours! ♪♫

Yes indeedy! And for good reason! I put them there. There in that crock pot, with those ingredients! I bet by the time you get through all the pictures and make this recipe for yourself, you'll be glad I did!...just sayin :) ;). Last night my sister and I were in the kitchen for a while mixing up some cheddar jalapeno burgers with guacamole with sunnyslideup's recipe (which was amazing!). As we chopped, minced, measured and poured ingredients I decided to put together a crock pot recipe for today using some of the same ingredients. I knew I wouldn't have a whole lot of time to cook tonight seeing as I'd only have about 20 minutes after work to get something thrown together, this is when I look to my crock pot to lend me hand. Can I just say when it comes to chicken in a crock pot, it's delicious and tender?! I'm glad fall is nearly upon us, I have a feeling I'll be getting more acquainted with the crock pot very soon...and chicken... more chicken!

Homemade Salsa & Chicken

Pin it for later here.

What you'll need:

5-6 chicken breasts
2 - 10 oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
2 Chopped Jalapenos
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 Yellow Onion Chopped
A handful of cilantro sprigs

What to do:
1) In a medium size bowl mix all ingredients except the chicken & cilantro. Once mixture is thoroughly blended set aside.
2) Place chicken breasts in the crock pot.
3) Add mixture to the top of the chicken, make sure to push the mixture in between the chicken breasts as well. Top with cilantro sprigs.
4) Set crock pot to KEEP WARM if you think you'll be gone more than 6 hours. If you are making this during the day and you're around the house setting your crock pot to LOW for 4 hours should do the trick.
5) Serve chicken warm with some of the salsa mix on top. Recommended additions are guacamole, sour cream, cheese or all three! ;)

NOTE: The chicken and veggies cooked down a bit leaving a spicy soup after all the chicken and salsa was eaten. I saved this "spicy chicken stock" by freezing it and plan to use it for a chili later on... just some food for thought. ;)

The chicken breasts are under the homemade salsa spread! 

8 Hours later the cilantro has wilted and added to the flavor, see how the veggies cooked down too! 

My husband wanted me to take a picture of him giving a thumbs up to the plate of chicken breast here - but we decided to omit his hand because it made the chicken look small lol and we couldn't have you thinking these were tiny chicken breasts because they weren't! ;)

I hope you enjoyed the recipe! Please let me know how your family enjoyed this! I always appreciate comments and love hearing from you guys! 

Happy Cooking! Be safe out there! ~Dawn

*****

Looking for more Low Carb soups or crock pot recipes? 

Since posting this recipe I've started a foodie blog! 

Find more low carb SOUPS HERE. 

Find more low carb CROCK POT RECIPES HERE. 

*****

More HomeGoods Finds

I know.. I've put up a few posts about my HomeGoods finds in the past... apparently I'm a creature of habit and since I've found a few fun finds here in the past... I've. been. back. ;) 

This weekend I went to HomeGoods because they are conveniently located next to an out of town craft store. I went with the intention of browsing and should I find something I liked I would of course get it. This time around I think I hit the jackpot. I found items for the walls. 

Three shelves, a candle holder and a candle. All with different personalities of their own! :)

My favorite part about this shelf is the filigree and the brushed brass look. 

I have an idea of where I'll put it in the bedroom. 

We have a large mirror with a golden frame and some filigree as well I'm sure it'll work well with. 

A close up shot of the shelf details... SO pretty! ^-^

This is the 1st piece I saw when I was browsing. This thing is HEAVY! It reminds me of a twist between barn wood and scrolly castle candle holders.

As we were standing in the checkout line I spotted this candle. I loved the detail in the label and when I smelled the aged apple cider I was sold. Though if I decide to light it, that means I will need to find a home for this label! ^-^  

Did you know that in Snow White, the Wicked witch's name was Queen GrimHilde?

I think it's safe to say she helped make this candle ;) 

I really liked the worn look and the hardware on these.  ...and since I'd never seen anything like them before and since there were two I grabbed them both. 

Wooden topside and details.

Thanks for looking at my finds! What kind of styles do you like and what do you decorate your home with? 

Spicy Low Carb Goulash

In an effort to feed my family one of the staple dishes of my childhood, I came up with this low carb / Paleo friendly version of goulash. This is also a low sodium version since I know my husband has been trying to watch his salt intake. I wasn't sure how the can of no salt added tomatoes would fair but the dish turned out very tasty! 

What you need:

- 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage (I used Mild Poultry Italian which is a mix of chicken, and turkey. Sausage or beef would go well with this recipe too!)
- 1 Cup Onion Chopped
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- 1 can 14.5 oz  Diced Tomatoes No Salt Added
- 1/2 Cup water
- 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Tspn Garlic Powder
- 1 Tspn Ground Mustard
- 1/8 Tspn Ground Sage
- 1/2 Tspn Black Pepper
- 1/4 Tspn Tabasco Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease
- 1/2 Tspn Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy

What to do:

Put the meat, onions and all the spices in a large pan and let cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally..

Meanwhile, cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise. Pull out all the seeds and fibers, I use a large spoon to do this. Once both sides are clean fill one half with water and place it in a microwave safe bowl setting the other half right on top. If the squash seems to want to wobble slice a very thin piece from the bottom of the squash to make it stay in place. Microwave for about 10 minutes. Use oven mitts to pull the dish from the microwave it will be really hot!

Once the meat is browned and the spaghetti squash is done, add the tomatoes, the spaghetti squash and water to the pan. Simmer over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes to allow the flavors to really blend.

Serve warm and top with Parmesan cheese! :) 

I hope your family enjoys the recipe! It tasted subtly sweet (I'm guessing that's from the tomatoes ;)) but is definitely spicy at the same time! My sister and I both enjoyed the crunch of the spaghetti squash. We think it'd be good with cottage cheese too! :) 

Happy cooking! ♥ Dawn

Dried Flowers, Wooden Crochet Hooks & Fall Blanket Progress...

Yesterday my husband and I helped our neighbors move. The house they were moving from was a little bigger than ours and they moved into an even bigger house. After the move I realized two things, 1) our house is not all that big and 2) we don't really have that much stuff, we just have almost zero storage space. 

I was doing laundry yesterday and ended up in our white room sorting through dried flowers and the desk (someday I will have all my craft stuff organized ;) someday). I tossed a few of the dried flowers and then organized the rest to keep for potential photo props later :). I snapped a few pics of the flowers before putting them away because I wanted to share them with you!

Yesterday I received my first ever Furls Crochet hook! 

Furls was sweet to send me some complimentary thread with the package! 

Today I'm hoping to get back to my Fall Blanket. I've just about finished the body of the blanket. I might work one more row of squares if I find a color I like to add to one of the ends. Otherwise, the yarn pictured next to the blanket are the ones I plan to use for the edging. Can you believe this blanket is 45 inches wide by 60 inches long? I'm so pleased with how its turned out so far. 

I'm sure to do a post later with lots of photos. I really like this blanket! 

What else am I working on at the moment? I'm glad you asked! :) I'm also working on 2 Jayne Hat's and hope to have at least one done before the end of today but we'll see ;) So many projects, so little time! :) 

Low Carb Chicken Alfredo

9/14/13 UPDATE:

 I made this bad boy recipe again today and took a more colorful photo than the first one. What can I say, when I know I'm going to blog about something I get a little excited! That and the zucchini skin didn't stay on the first time I cooked this... but the SECOND time it did! ^-^ Yeah baby get your greens! :) ;)

*****

This recipe is super easy and great for feeding 2 - 3 people. I know my mister enjoys Alfredo so I wanted to make a version without the flour noodles and sauce packets. With a little imagination I threw together this dish and I felt good about serving it to the family too since there weren't any artificial ingredients and stuff. ;)

 I wish I had a better picture to share of this dish because the flavor was great! Personally I really enjoyed the texture of the ground chicken. I have another recipe I conjured up and hope to share with you soon! :) So... stay tuned! ^-^

Low Carb Chicken Alfredo

Pin it for later here.

Ingredients:.

1 lb ground chicken
1 onion chopped
1 medium grated zucchini,
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1/8 Tsp garlic powder
1/4 Tsp pepper
dash of poultry seasoning
salt to taste

Add more ingredients to suit whatever army you are feeding ;)

Add all ingredients to a medium size pan and cook. Simmer on medium stirring occasionally until chicken is brown and the zucchini is cooked to the consistency you like. Then dish up and lets eat! :D

If you make the recipe - please feel free to share your variations in the comments and how you liked it! :)

*****

Looking for more Low Carb chicken or baking pot recipes? 

Since posting this recipe I've started a foodie blog! 

Find more low carb CHICKEN RECIPES HERE. 

Find more low carb COOKING RECIPES HERE. 

*****