I So Need To Give These A Try

You've probably all heard about Pinterest, RIGHT?  If not you can check our some of My Pinterest Boards and see what I have been interested in doing.

Here are just a few of the Sweet Treats that I find mouth watering GOOD and worth of a try!  It would, however, take me a month of Sunday to make it through all the great Sweats that I have pinned.


Homemade Snickers Bars from the Browned Baker

 Cookie Dough Dip - from Add a Pinch

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars - from Chef in Training

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies - from Baking Bites

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Roll - from Mel's Kitchen Cafe'

 Red Velvet Cheesecake - from Willow Bird Baking

So there you have just a few of my favorite sweet finds.  Now the hard part....which should I bake up first.
If you haven't found my Pinerest Boards yet you can find them all HERE.  Post me a comment when you've stopped by the boards, just so I know you came.

New Favorite Food - Idaho Falls Photography

This past week I met up with some photo friends for lunch, photo lessons and photography.  Her in Idaho the weather is just turn from winter to spring and then back again.  I wish that winter would make up it's mind and give in to spring.  Really, enough already.
Anyway the photo group was a great get away.  Lunch was amazing, we had the most amazing homemade spaghetti sauce, fresh fruit salad, green salad but the dessert was to die for.
The dessert is what I wish to share with you my blogger friends.
Butterscotch Brownies topped with caramel sauce and a side of french vanilla ice cream.  Are you licking the monitor yet?

Here's a photo, I know it's not great but I was so excited that my hands were just shaking and I forgot all about checking my aperture. LOL! Ü
The group host was gracious enough to email me the recipe for the brownies.  You just know when you have a recipe that is too good to keep to yourself so I am sharing it with you my blogger buds so that you to can enjoy this wonderful dish.

Butterscotch Brownies

       ~from Mormon Country Cooking
3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks of butter best not to use margarine in this
3 cups brown sugar packed
3 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups flour, sifted or stirred and measured
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (If not pure vanilla the real thing then double the amount)
1 cup grated or flaked coconut (optional but good to put in)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped ( can use pecans or omit)

Grease 9x13x2 baking pan.   Melt butter, remove from heat.  Blend in brown sugar.  Stir in beaten eggs.  Blend in sifted dry ingredients, then add vanilla, nuts and coconut.  Spread in prepared pan.  Bake 35 min. or until just done.  Do not over bake!  Cut into bars while still warm!

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min
*Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel ice cream topping!

This post has been submitted to the following Friday Photo Challenges -

Show and Tell Friday

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Barb Phillips' photostream

Barb Phillips' photostream on Flickr.

My Flickr photo's have you visited me there lately? If you have, let me know that you have dropped by by leaving a good word or two

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas with Guacamole Salad

Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with lots of flavor.  And did I mention that these two dishes are so simple and quick to make?

To make the enchiladas even easier, I used 1/2 of one of those rotisserie chickens from the deli.

Chicken & Spinach Enchilada
3/4 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I always have a jar in the fridge)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. oil
Sweat the above in a large skillet until soft, 4-5 minutes

Toss in -
1 bag fresh baby spinach (6oz.)
cook until wilted, about 1 min.

Stir in-
2 cup shredded chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
Stir until combined; simmer 4-5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1 cup of Red Enchilada Sauce on bottom of backing dish.  Fill each flour tortilla with 1/3 cup filling, then roll.  Place enchiladas in dish, seam side down, then top with 1 cup of additional Red Enchilada Sauce, leaving edges dry.  Sprinkle enchiladas with 1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees  15-20 minutes or till cooked through and bubbly.

Guacomole Salad with Cumin-line Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette, whisk:
2 tbsp. each lime juice and red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. shpped fresh clianto
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. ovlive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad, arrange:
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

For vinaigrette, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, garlic, and cumin in a blow.  Drizzle in oil while whisking, then season with salt and pepper.

For the salad, arrange tomatoes on a platter.  Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over tomatoes; top with avocado and onion.  Season salad with salt and pepper and drizzle remaining vinaigrette over salad.

This is such a simple recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare.  Your family will think that you cooked all day.  SHHH that will be your secret and mine.  Added bonus is that it give you a new way to serve up all those garden tomatoes that have been piling up.

91 - 04.01.10 - Glowing Green

JUST FOR TODAY  

Outside my window... It's snowing again.  I think winter is trying my patience

 I am thinking... that I am so glad it's Friday and no one played a Aprils fools joke on me.  How lucky is that? 

I am thankful for... Warm water, warm clothes, dry shoes and a car that runs.

From the kitchen... I can still the smells of dinner.  Don't know if that is good or bad.
I am wearing... my warm sweater as I am freezing.
I am creating... or should I say I have created 2 more quilts today.  YA Man.

I am going... to bed as soon as I get done with this.  Stayed up to late reading last night
I am reading... nothing right now as I finished that early this morning.  Like 3:30 am

I am hoping... that I will have a better nights sleep tonight.  Got to stay off the caffeine
I am hearing... the weather man say that there is more snow on the way.  I hope that is his Aprils fools joke.
Around the house... dust is laying over everything.  Time to change some furnace filters I think.
One of my favorite things... today is toast and milk.  Can't get enough of the white stuff and I am not talking about the snow.  I have had it with that.
A few plans for the rest of the week:  rest, church and eat

Today's picture

 Green Glow

f/4.2 @ 1/100 400ISO 85mm Macro natural indoor lighting

Simple Waman's Daybook Home

17/365

Edible
With all the snow on the ground you would think that I would be thinking about winter things, skies, sleds, staying warm.  Unfortunately this is the time of year that my mail box is stuffed with gardening magazines.

I can't even begin to think about what to plant in my garden if I can even see it.  Kind of the old adage, out of site out or mind.

I am reminded daily of the bounties that I have been blessed with every time I bring a bottle of last season harvest to the table.

Perhaps, now that I think about it, now is a very good time to start planning for spring.

Peas, nope.

Bean, perhaps.

Corn, let the neigbors do those.

Tomatoes, deffinantly.

Potatoes, that is a silly question.  Idaho, potatoes, they are defiantly in.

Camera:	Nikon D90
Exposure:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:	f/2.8
Focal Length:	50 mm
Focal Length:	50.4 mm
ISO Speed:	250
Exposure Bias:	-2 EV

What's For Dinner

Theme #357 What's For Dinner

Sofrito chicken that is what's for dinner. This was something new that I thought I would give a try. It's made in the pressure cooker so therefore it's tender and quick. Now so quick if you don't know what you are doing.
Worked on it most the afternoon trying to get everything to taste just right. Amazingly Dennis (that DH to you) liked it and took a bunch to work today.
Going to have to put this recipe in the keeper file.

What's For Breakfast

Theme #211 Oops

I really started today off on the wrong food group, OOPS.
I had appointments in the morning for three hours followed by a shopping trip with a friend. Then it was off to another appointment latter in the afternoon.
I was in such a hurry to get out the door that I totally forgot to eat anything for breakfast.
For most people that wouldn't be a problem but for me, I have to have something to eat about every 2 hours or the good ol blood calcium level goes haywire. Can't have that now. Hence the Mt. Dew and Snickers Bar the breakfast of Champions.

Wild Side

Theme # 323 The Wild Side

"A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love dandelions -- they are such a wonderful gift from Mother Nature! There is just something about them that makes me smile! Seeing these golden yellow blossoms in the spring brings back a flood of childhood memories.

When I was little the farm land was filled with dandelions. I’d pick the little yellow flowers and turn them into dandelion crown, necklaces and earrings.

I know dandelions are considered by most to be a pesky weed, but there is great beauty and utility in the "daisy-lions" Since dandelions are everywhere at this time of year, I thought I'd share a few dandelion photo just in case you haven't seen any this spring.

The dandelion is called the rustic oracle; its flowers always open about 5 A.M. and shut at 8 P.M., serving the shepherd for a clock.

The dandelion is also a excellent barometer, one of the commonest and most reliable. It is when the blooms have seeded and are in the fluffy, feathery condition that its weather prophet facilities come to the fore. In fine weather the ball extends to the full, but when rain approaches, it shuts like an umbrella. If the weather is inclined to be showery it keeps shut all the time, only opening when the danger from the wet is past.

I found a interesting dandelion recipe and just for the record I know that this recipe is in fact really tasty and you can find it HERE.

I miss not getting my annual Mothers Day Dandelion Bouquet. Funny now that I look back on the simple things that my children gave me, they will always the best.

Good Finds

Theme # 77 Discounts

This morning a spent $23.21 dollars at the grocery store. I was able to save #$12.53 because of coupons. I never cut coupons from papers or magazines, I only use what the store has right there in their fliers. It appears that this is the NEW rage with the younger generation these days, see how and what they can save on.
Gosh, I have been shopping like this for ages and it is now a sport.
Just what was I able to get this morning you ask?
I got another 4lbs of fresh strawberries at less than a dollar a pound, 4 2lb bags of frozen hash browns, 10 cans of veggies and 4 Hillshire Sausage ropes for grilling. Not bad for a short trip to the store.

Bargains

Theme #21 Bargains

I had received word that a local produce warehouse was going to have strawberries by the flat delivered in today. I arrived early so that I would be able to not miss out on the bargain. I noticed that the strawberry containers said that they were packed in the U.S. but were grown in Mexico.
Do to that info I rethought my purchase and decided against the Mexican grown berries.
I had to do some more shopping in town which lead me to my local Fred Meyers Superstore.
I was able to buy all my strawberries, that I had come to town in the first place, there for less and they were all U.S. grown. Needless to say I am very pleased and 10 gallons richer in berries.

What's To Eat

Theme #272

I have been taking account of all the food storage items that I have at home due the recent Swine Flue outbreak. I ask myself, would I have enough food in the house if I were not able to go to the market for 3 months? I have a lot of holes, items that I need to get, not enough first aid supplies, chili, ready to eat meats. The freezers are full but I have yet to fill up my 55 gal. water containers.
One of the advantages of living on a ranch is you have your own water supply, don't have to count on city water and I have my own generator.
Beef cattle are out the front door as well as potatoes, grain and corn out in the fields.
I have to admit I think I have it pretty darn good compared to a lot of folks.
Just have to get better organized and start using what I have and get it rotated

{Day 95}

Theme #2 9:00 a.m.

I decided at around 7 a.m. that it was time to bake up some homemade bread. I rounded up my wheat kernels and with 8 cups of them in the grinder, I am ready to start now that it's 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

I've got the wheat kernels all ready for the grinder.

8 cups of wheat kernels makes about 16 cups of flour, that should be just about right.

With some hot water, honey, salt, oil, extra gluten, dough enhancer, yeast and potato flakes I should have some fresh baked bread in not time.

Everybody in the pool well everybody except you salt. He had to wait a bit as he doesn't get along well with the yeast.

Now that looks about right, not to stiff and not to sticky. Now where are those new pans I just bought? The old ones were getting to old and yucky. Ah, here they are.

Anybody for some hot bread and raspberry jam? Now what am I going to do with the rest of the morning?