Pin(tested) Recipes

One of the many reasons I love Pinterest is the quick and easy way to find and save recipes. My In the Oven and On the Stove board has the second most pins of all my boards. Occasionally I even find the time to test a few out. (That's really my way of justifying the amount of time I spend pinning things ... if I try one or two every now and then it totally makes the hours and hours of fun I have worth it ... right?). As I was living true to yesterday's post and enjoying some quiet time with a coffee and a muffin on Pinterest, I thought I'd share a few of my recent Pin(Tested) recipes.

First up, are these brownies. I love to find a healthier version of favourite treats, especially those that satisfy a sweet tooth. These came from a recent copy of Chatelaine magazine and I went online and pinned them so I could recycle the mag and keep the recipe. While they still have a bit of sugar in them, they use ground almonds as a flour substitute. They also use only egg whites, no butter and no dairy. So, dairy free and gluten free, these sweet mounds of goodness are "two-thirds the calories, half the fat and three times the fibre of ordinary brownies." (as per Chatelaine). 

After making the first batch as per recipe and altering a second, I did discover that using store-bough ground almonds were my preference over home ground almonds, as they're a shade finer. I also added a half cup of unsweetened applesauce which made them a touch moister. As is, recipe was really good. Altered, even better.

Next up is this delightful avocado vinaigrette from Cassie at Back to Her Roots. Avocados are a regular purchase these days, given HP loves them beyond and they are perfectly soft for bite-size finger feeding and chewing. The only problem is he only eats part of one each time and once cut they simply don't hold up well. For the first few weeks I was enjoying the rest with my lunch, in salads and on sammies. But even I tired of that day in and day out (though HP doesn't seem to - still one of the first things he reaches for on his tray!). I went searching for alternate uses for the leftovers and found this dressing.

Again, second batch was altered to cut the vinegar in half and add about two tablespoons of honey. The original was extremely bright and citrusy, but a bit too much for tastes. I like a slight sweetness to cut the tang of the vinegar in vinaigrette. With the adjustments it was perfect for my tastebuds. Loved it over a chicken salad (hmmm supper tonight?) and mixed in with some hard-boiled eggs instead of mayo in an egg salad.

Quinoa is a new favourite in our house and I went in search of a Mexican-inspired quinoa dish to go with some salsa chicken. Pinterest didn't let me down and gave me these delicious sweet roasted peppers stuffed with quinoa via Good Cheap Eats.

Again, as is my M-O, I changed it up a bit to work with the ingredients I had on hand. I used yellow peppers in place of celery, corn instead of carrots, left out the black beans but added extra of all the veggies to compensate and cut the whole thing in half. I also left out the cheese from the mix, just topping with it instead (and for no reason other than I forgot!). Even with the modifications, these were excellent. And even cutting the recipe in half, stuffing four pepper halves instead of eight, I had a heaping cup of the quinoa mix leftover. Mmmm.

And finally there were these beauties from the Brown Eyed Baker which I wrote about here. Mocha Espresso Cupcakes, need I say more?

There you have it, four recipes I have Pin(Tested) on your behalf. Go forth, replicate (or modify) and enjoy!

{Pin}spiration: DIY Family Dates Print

I dunno about you, but I lurrrve Pinterest. I use it to save recipes, scrapbooking + card inspiration, party ideas, crafts, fashion and more! My pins often lead to some sort of creation in the kitchen, closet, or craft corner. Most recently I pinned a few prints from etsy that I really liked and I decided to recreate my own version here at home.

The base inspiration came from an assortment of prints that took special family dates and used a font treatment to create a personalized print for your home. I figured I could easily recreate that here at home (at almost no cost to boot!).

Edited Photo - Blurring to protect privacy :)

Inspired by the print below, my version uses our family birth and our wedding date. I created it using an existing font in MS Word, adjusted colours and spacing, dropped in a heart, and added our family name to the bottom. Printed out on a heavy white cardstock and placed in a frame I had on hand, easy peasy lemon-squeezy.

Inspiration print found here

It now sits on a ledge in our entry way. I love having a little something special there, created by me, and inexpensive enough that I can change it out anytime I want.

What about you? Have you DIY'd anything you've pinned? If so, please share!

Holiday Recipe {Pin}spiration

Pinterest is such an awesome space. Whatever your bag, it's on there. I have a bunch of different boards that I refer to regularly, including In the Oven + On the Stove where I pin my "must try" recipes. Over the last few weeks I have tested out a few of my pinned treasures with marvelous success. There are a few we've enjoyed so much that I thought I'd pass them along in case you're searching for that perfect new recipe to try this holiday season.

If you're looking for a delicious pancake for that holiday brunch, I highly recommend this Gingerbread Pancake recipe. It's on the healthier side with it's greek yogurt and whole wheat flour, so you can guiltlessly ladle on a little extra syrup should your heart desire. It's also heartier and denser than your traditional pancake house stack, which we loved as it holds you over all morning long and then some - a pro if you've got last minute shopping, wrapping, and visiting to do! Give it a try, your tastebuds will thank you.

Whole Grain Gingerbread Pancakes from PBS

Perhaps you have a holiday coffee break with friends planned? If so, these gingerbread muffins are the perfect companion. Muffin-like in texture, gingerbread-like in taste, these are just spicy and sweet enough to balance out a nice medium-bodied coffee or holiday tea blend. I whipped these up in no time with ingredients I already had in the house and I swear they came out looking exactly like this. Love that!

Gingerbread + Pear Muffins from BHG

For fear you think this is the gingerbread special, let's serve up a platter of these fancy-shmancy sweet potato appys shall we? I made these for a book dinner/social club potluck and they were a huge hit - with recipe requests. I made the topping with vinaigrette the night before, leaving out the nuts (so they didn't lose crunch) and the cheese. I baked up the sweet potato just before I left, took them with me keeping them warm, and topped them off before serving. Even just warm and room temp, they were delish. If you're serving them at home hot, even better.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans + Goat Cheese from Smitten Kitchen

Finally, a quick, easy main meal that everyone will love and a staple dish in our house: mac & cheese. This time I was looking to make the family favourite a little more grown-up, so I used this base recipe with it's mix of mild and sharp cheeses, adding in a few pantry favourites - oil-packed sun dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes - for extra punch. It was delish. Try making your dish with a twist ... maybe tossing in some chopped ham, or a handful of diced tomatoes, or a blend of your favourite cheeses? Or keep it classic. Whatever you choose it's sure to be comfort food that's good for the tummy and the soul on a chilly December day.

Penne + Cheese from Family Circle

Now I'm just hoping to try this fireside bevvy out sometime over the holidays. Perhaps if you do, you can let me know how it is!

Amaretto Eggnog Latte from Cassie at Back to Her Roots

Weekend Bonus News - Featured & Challenging

If you read my Monday post, you may recall that I mentioned I'd have some cool bonus news to share coming out of the weekend retreat. Every month, the Paperie has a blog spotlight where they feature a local scrapbooker and showcase a few of their layouts. Well...this month I'll be the featured scrapbooker. How cool is that?! Over the next few weeks you'll be seeing a few of the layouts I made at the Paperie retreat posted up there, which of course I'll direct you to once they're live. Fun right?

Well it gets better. The Paperie also regularly posts a Mojo Monday challenge where they challenge their readers to make a layout or a card based on the challenge - so it could be using a particular colour combo, technique, image, etc. This week's challenge is also based on a layout I did. I scraplifted (for non-scrapbookers, that's basically copying a layout you like, either in full or in part) a layout I saw on Pinterest. It's Pin{spiration} if you will.

This week, the Paperie is challenging it's readers to create their own layout based on my scraplifted layout and then post it in the Mojo Monday photo gallery on Facebook. Of course, since I've already made the layout, maybe I'll make a go at turning it into a card. Or perhaps use the challenge as a jumping off point to scraplift another layout from my Pinterest boards. Maybe one of these?

An Elizabeth Kartchner layout, simple and sweet

love the colours and theme on this one

clean and bright, fun for a little boy layout for sure.

Anywho, if you're a scrapbooker, make sure to follow the Paperie blog and like their facebook page to see more local scrapbookers (like me!) and their work!

In A Hurricane

A hurricane may bring gale force winds, heavy rains and make it near about impossible to get out and about, but it also makes for a very cozy indoor day. With my boys {big and little} napping, I'm enjoying the quiet of Hurricane Maria with a cup of coffee and pinterest. I must admit, these hurricanes are much more pleasing to the eye than the one outside my window:

Lovely layered room, lovely large hurricane vase, as seen here

I can just see a bride walking down this aisle, martha really does have great ideas



hmmm, the wine show is coming up and I'm sure to have empty bottles I could use, more fun ideas here

There's something so serene about this cluster of outdoor hurricanes (seen here), a contrast to my outdoors right now!

 

And who could resist this Halloween hurricane display?



And just in case you need a smile today, a little hurricane humour for you courtesy of someecards.com:

September School-Spiration

I've always loved this time of year. When paper and pencils and binders and backpacks grace the shelves of almost every major store in town. I've always loved the new school supply smell, that combination of plastic and rubber and lead. I've always loved sharpening pencils and watching the shavings drift into a pile on the table. I've always loved organizing loose leafs into binders, labeling notebooks and feeling book spines crack as I opened them for the first time. Truth is I've always loved school.

Even as a child, I looked forward to returning to school. I liked to play school with my new supplies as I eagerly awaited that first day back. I read my books from the previous year again so they were fresh in my mind. Yes, I was that kid. That nerdy little kid who actually liked school. I loved my summers too, but really I loved going back to school. It's a wonder I didn't become a teacher. And now perhaps it's because I'm
not a teacher that I still love this time of year.

Even though I'm not returning to class and even though my boy is still a while (albeit a short while in parent years) away from starting school, I couldn't help but be drawn into the many blog posts sharing ideas for the upcoming school year. Before I knew it I was pinning away on Pinterest, saving them for what I don't know. For four or five years from now when Hudson starts school? So rather than just having them collect pixels on my pinboards, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite finds with you. I know many of you have kiddos of your own hitting the books once again, either next week if you're here in Newfoundland or perhaps already back if you're reading from elsewhere. Hope there's something here of {P}interest to you:

A great idea for a teacher's gift as seen here. What teacher wouldn't enjoy homemade cookies on the first day of school, the last day or pretty much any day in between. Save one those coffee shop cups, clean it out, use the free download from eighteen25 to make the tags and you're all set. The only trick will be making sure your kiddo doesn't eat them on the bus first!

These note cards by KikiCreates are super cute and sure to make your own little (or big) kid smile as they unpack their lunch. You can buy them from her or if you're more budget-conscious you can make your own homemade versions with a few blank note cards, stamps and a personalized note. Nothing says "I love you" more than a note from mom + dad in your lunch.

I've seen a bunch of people post about their 'back to school feasts', a fun concept. Basically they have a special dinner as a family the night before the first day back to school, usually with some sort of special tradition whether a little gift for the kiddies, a special crown or badge, a favourite meal or dessert, a blessing or so on. If you want to start your own you can use these fun downloads also from eighteen25. What a great way to talk about expectations for the year, alleviate any fears or anxieties, and just be together as a family!

Of course, what's a first day back without that first day of school photo. This is a fun take on that traditional shot, seen on this Flickr photostream. You position the kiddies slightly to the left or right of a semi-plain background and then use photo-processing to add in a few factoids about them at that age. You could use the same background each year or vary it, totally up to you. Totally cool.

Oh how the Type A in me sings and prances about at the sight of this drawer! Thank you Becky Higgins for your ever ingenious ways of organizing life. This drawer is an assortment of pre-prepared lunchtime snacks. She has a similar arrangement in her fridge. She then makes a sandwich in the morning and allows the kids to select their own add-ons and pack the rest of their lunch themselves. This A) is organized B) involves the kids in the process C) streamlines the morning rush. All good people, all good.

Or perhaps you have a bit more time on your hands for lunch prep or maybe a fussy eater who needs to be tricked persuaded to eat what you've packed. If so, any one of these 10 fun bento box lunches would likely do the trick! Like what you see? Then drop by What's For Lunch At Our House for many more ingenious ideas.

And, I'll end on a sweet note. How about these for a special after school snack? You can order them online if you want, but they would also be super simple to make at home. Slice some apple wedges, melt some chocolate, put out a few bowls of toppings and dip and dip and chill to set. The kids could even help on this one. Sweetness all around.

Hope something here gave you some September school-spiration!

Cream to my Coffee Card

I swear this is the last of the posts related to the husband's birthday :) Here's the card I made for him, inspired by a poke around Pinterest where I spied this poster and a poke around my supplies where I spied this underused stamp and put two and two together to create this:

All papers, stickers, twine and inks from The Paperie.
Stamp was picked up in Halifax ages ago.

Pinterest Scrapped!

Have you heard of Pinterest? It's kind of my newest addiction. I think it's probably a good thing that I have a child to feed, change, bathe and play with as I would otherwise spend way too much time on there!

For those who haven't ventured into the world of Pinterest, it's essentially an online bulletin board where you can 'pin', or save, photos you find online all in one place on 'boards'. So whether it's a recipe you'd like to try, clothes you're itching to buy, a home decor look you love, an inspirational poster, or whatever else tickles your fancy really, you can now save it all in one convenient online place for reference. You just install a little 'Pin It' button on your menu bar and whenever you find something you'd like to pin, you click it to pin it - easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Yeah, yeah you say, I can already do that with bookmarks and favourites and such, what's the big deal? Well there are a few cool features that I think make Pinterest far superior to bookmarks and favourites menus:

1. When you pin an picture - let's say of a delicious coconut cream pie - your pin automatically saves the original website with it so you can go back to the source - or the recipe - quickly and easily.

2. You can repin items that other pinners have pinned. Basically, you can look at what images have recently been pinned on the site and if you like it you can repin it onto one of your own boards. AND it still saves the original source website so you can still easily find that recipe, tutorial or give proper photo cred when needed.

3. You can follow other pinners who share similar tastes and interests as you, or who otherwise inspire you. The when you login, you can go right to the boards you follow and check out what they've pinned recently, which very likely will be things you like and quite possibly things you may not have otherwise come across during your travels around the huge worldwide web. Neat hey?

4. You can create as many boards as you like, allowing you to pin like items together, themed if you will. You can then easily refer back to your inspirations at a glance rather than having to sort back through bunches of bookmarked pages in your favourites menu. Way quicker, way easier.

If you can't tell, I really enjoy the site. I could spend hours (if I had hours to spend that is) just wading through the recent pins, there's so much cool stuff out there. Even though I don't have oodles of time, I do have a bunch of different boards around my many (p)interests - one for scrapbook layouts, one for fashion, one for cardmarking, one for home decor, another for recipes and so on. I have pinned a bunch of pics that inspire me and just last week used one of those pins to create a scrapbook layout.




Journaling reads: Hudson, so many people were eager to meet you. You were snuggled and cuddled and held close.
Still so new to the world, yet already so very loved. April 2010.
EDIT: Hudson was born in 2011 ... will change that on layout!

I saw this and thought it would be the perfect way to scrapbook a page about all the people who came to meet Hudson during his first week. I pretty much copied it exactly and loved the way it turned out - great way to fit a bunch of pictures on one 12x12 page in a layout that totally suits the story I wanted to tell.

Whatever you're into, I'm sure Pinterest would be valuable. It would be a great resource for planning a wedding or a kids birthday party. I can totally see myself pinning kids crafts and games and such as Hudson gets older. Perfect for storing those home design and decor pics if you're planning a reno. If you've not yet gone into the world of Pinterest, I encourage you to try it.