Still Pinning

I'm slowing down on trying out my pins but I'm still interested in actually doing them.  Here are 3 I've completed in the last 2 months.

Lemony Cream Butter Cake
Source: Blackjack Bake House
Notes: I made this as a dessert when some friends came to dinner but it really is more of a coffee cake.  It reminded me of the Entemenn's cream cheese coffee cake but with lemon.  To make it more dessert-y I added a raspberry sauce.  I thought the whole thing was really quite tasty. 

Source: ittybittykitchen.com via Katy on Pinterest

Lemon Melting Moments
Source: Itty Bitty Kitchen
Notes:  I made these to take to quilt club but with the suppressed intention of shoving them all in my mouth.  Which I did with the ones that didn't get eaten.  These cookies fall into a category of food that I really can't make because I will lose all control around.  Yep.  They are gooooood.  The measurements she gives for the filling are off, just start with the cup of powdered sugar and add lemon juice until you reach the desired consistency.  Make these if you dare -

Source: rachelschultz.com via Katy on Pinterest

The World's Best Chicken
Source: Rachel Schultz
Notes:  I'll try anything to give chicken some flavor.  This recipe definitely did.  However, for me it wasn't the world's best chicken.  It was more meh.

I'm up to 35 completed pins.  Not bad.  How are you doing? 

Sweet Pins

I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for a dear friend who has been hoping, wishing, working on a baby for years.  Like 10.  Yeah, that is a looong time.  She was recently blessed with a beautiful, busy 16 month old and all of her friends couldn't wait to shower her.  In addition to the venue I supplied dessert.

Lori, my friend, is the queen of all things cute.  At first I thought I would make a cake but then it became clear to me.  Make a few little cute things.  Right. Up. Her. Alley.

Here is what I served:
 
Dipped S'mores
Source: Tip Junkie
Notes: Never again.  The marshmallow cream oozed out of the sides ( use a scant amount!!) The chocolate chips melted into frosting not into anything that could be used as a "dip."  I ended up frosting the ends of the crackers.  I sprinkled these with sugar crystals.

 Pretzel-Scotch Chookies
Source: Une gamine dans la Cuisine
Notes:  These cookies are unbelievable.  Seriously.  It was all due to the mystery ingredient.  Ready?  Browned butter.  Yep.  I didn't know how to do it so I watched this. 
 
Cake Batter Truffles
Source: The Girl Who Ate Anything
Notes:  Lori was into cake batter before it was a fad.  I knew I had to make these for her.  They were AMAZING.  If you are into this type of thing.  Raw dough.  Batter.  Yes.  The truffles were a combination of dough and batter. The candy melts for the coating -  that was a completely different issue.  I've decided that "friends don't let friends use candy melts."  I hate those things.  It took me 3 batches of melts to get it thin enough to dip.  The third batch was still pretty much frosting but I dunked the cake balls anyway.  How does Bakerella do it?  I used Crisco to thin the melts.  Still not thin.  What is the trick? Grrrr.  

Yes, more completed pins

Source: someecards.com via Katy on Pinterest

Continuing to cook. Continuing to try some of my pins. These little bursts of accomplishment make my brain smile. That is a good thing.

Here is what I've made lately:

 
Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork Sliders
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
Notes:  Made these when some friends joined us for dinner.  They seemed to be a hit. To me they seemed a bit too balsamic-y.  Occasionally you'd get a very tangy, vinegar-y bite.  They are also quite sweet.  Coleslaw on top is a must to balance the sweet.  The addition of Gherkins was also delish.  Served these on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, a trick I learned from my cousin. Bryce is already requesting these again - I'm looking for a recipe with less sugar.  Maybe this? Do you have a good pulled pork recipe?  Please leave a link.

Creamsicles
Source: Oven Love
Notes:  I used softened vanilla ice cream and 1/2 a can of orange concentrate to make these.  I was amazed at how Creamsicle like they tasted.  However, the girls found them too tangy.  Perhaps 1/3 can concentrate would have been better.  

 
Parmesan Kale Salad with Raisins
Source:  Eat. Drink. Smile.
Notes:  YUM!! This is extremely tasty.  The lemon juice does amazing things to the kale.  I've made these numerous times and will continue to.  Keeps really well 1-2 days in the fridge too.  Word of warning, you will be left with kale pieces in your teeth after consuming!

 
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Source: A Foothill Home Companion
Notes:  Love this.  Have made it multiple times.  I eat it over a bed of lettuce.  You could also wrap it up in lettuce or a tortilla.  Going to try Molly's modified Chicken Cordon Bleu soon.

Follow me on Pinterest!
Completed Pins here.

Pinning

Knocking off my pins one by one.  Here are the details -


 
Summer Zucchini Bites
Source: The Way to His Heart
Notes: No bites for this gal; I used a regular muffin tin instead of a mini.  These were delicious.  I stored them in the fridge and ate 2 in the mornings.  The recipe is a good base for other combos.  Oh, I decreased the bread crumbs to 1/4.  Will make these again!

 
Broccoli Salad
Source: A Chick Who Can Cook
Notes:  I LOOOVE this salad.  I cut the carbs/sugar a bit by using 1/4 cup raisins and using 1 T of honey instead of 1.5.  I need to stop making it though because I don't want to get sick of it.  I've used the dressing on coleslaw as well.  Delish!



 Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
Source:  Yummy Supper
Notes:  The girls were very excited about these.  They tasted very tangy - too tangy for me.  I even used a bit more agave than was called for.  We're going to make Creamsicle Popsicles next.

 
"Not Rice" 
Source: A Foothill Home Companion
Notes:  I really excepted this to taste like rice.  It didn't.  It tasted like soft cauliflower.  Because that is what it was.  May try it again - baked longer and using dryer cauliflower.  Intrigued by Molly's "not noodles"  too.


Baked Zucchini Chips
Source: Vittles and Bits
Notes: I don't think I sliced these thin enough.  I'd say this recipe requires a mandolin.  My chips were chewy.

What cooking in your kitchen? 

More Competed Pins

Lemon Brownies
Source: Baker Girl
Notes:  Other than the name these were pretty good. Easy to make.  Soft texture and light lemon flavor.  Be careful not to over bake them.  About 20 minutes is all you need.  Just can't wrap my mind around lemon brownies.  I decided they should be called Lemon Tea Cakes.

Zucchini Chips
Source: Dashing Dish
Notes:  I don't want to be bossy but you really should make these. They are tasty, easy and won't kill ya. I really love 'em.  I like the aioli recipe that was printed with this zucchini fry recipe - 1/2 cup mayo, 1-2 tsp lemon zest, 1 small minced garlic clove. These will become a regular occurrence in my house.

Have you made any good recipes lately?

Pinterest Challenge

I'm usually not one to brag but I've been kicking some serious ass on my Pinterest challenge.  My sister has too. We both enjoy trying a new recipe here and there and Pinterest makes it easy to do just that.  I think it has to do with seeing all your recipes (pins) on one board - no going through cookbooks, looking through blogs or bringing up bookmarks on the computer.

Anyhoo, here are the things that I've now added to my Completed Pins board. 
Frozen Chocolate Peanut butter Bananas
Source: (never home) maker
Notes: These are very tasty.  It is mandatory that you freeze them over night.  This completely changes the consistency of the bananas.  The downside to these is that they are a pain in the butt to coat.  It is mess and they turn out pretty ugly.  I made some just with chocolate for my girls and added sprinkles to the top.  I got so fed up with trying to dunk the banana pieces I just spread some chocolate on top.  After being frozen the chocolate just slip off in a disk.  Adding peanut butter does make the chocolate thinner and easier to get on the banana pieces. Still not sure if the frustration is worth the treat. 
1 Ingredient Ice cream
Source: Use Real Butter
Notes:  I made 2 and 3 ingredient ice cream.  It is amazing to me just how sweet bananas are.  This is tasty but not at all like ice cream.  I used fresh bananas maybe I should have processed frozen ones to get the desired effect. 

Source: weightwatchers.com via Katy on Pinterest

Weight Watchers Honey Mustard Chicken
Source: Weight Watchers  
Notes: I used Panko instead of corn flakes.  This was tasty and easy and did add a lot of flavor to plain old chicken.

Source: gimmesomeoven.com via Katy on Pinterest

Shredded Beef Tacos
Source: Give me some Oven
Notes:  Made this for my Book Club.  The beef was tender and delish but didn't have as much flavor as I'd hoped.  I'd use all the abodo sauce and more chilis next time.  I will make this again.
Large Outdoor Blackboard
Source: Project Denneler

Notes:  Involved the kids (neighbors too) in the whole process - sanding, priming, and painting.  Such as easy project.  We'll see if the kids use it more than once.
Oatmeal Raisin cookies
Source:  Smitten Kitchen
Notes:  Tasty but not thick as described. Could have to do with the humidity in Hawaii (made them as my sister's)

What are you making these days?

Pinterest Check-in

Here are the 2 recipes I made from my Pinterest boards this week.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Source: Six Sisters' Stuff
Notes: How can you go wrong soaking chicken in a cup of honey in the crock pot for a few hours?  Answer:  You can't.  I couldn't get the sauce to boil in the crock pot on high so I thickened it in a sauce pan.  Easy. Yummy.

Ina Garten's Blueberry Coffee Cake
Source: Food Network
Notes:  Didn't get to taste this one as I brought it to the girls' school for Teacher Appreciation week.  Based on the licks of batter from the beaters, I'd say it was pretty dang delicious.  The little bit of lemon zest ads a nice flavor.  I used frozen blueberries and layered them between the cake batter.  Worked just fine.  Definitely going to make this again and taste it this time to see if it compares to My Coffee Cake.

My goal of completing 2 pins from my Pinterest Boards will continue.  Maybe I'll try a non recipe related pin - this or this?  For recipes - this or this look intriguing.  I still need to get to that grilled asparagus . . .

My Completed Pins
Follow Me on Pinterest!

What are you pinning or making these days?

Pinterest Check-in

I enjoyed trying a few new recipes this past week.  Sometimes I just need a little (or big) nudge to actually move on something.  This challenge did that for me - and a few of you too!

From my Pinterest boards I made a chicken kale casserole, lemon ricotta cookies and bacon cinnamon rolls. Didn't get to the feta and asparagus.  Pictures and recipe details below ~

Chicken Kale Casserole
Source:  Martha Stewart
This casserole took me for-ever to make - poach the chicken, wash and trim the kale, shred the cheese, zest the lemon, cook the pasta AND I thought the finished product was nearly inedible.  I didn't care for the taste the lemon added at all.  My other complaint was that it was terribly dry.  The ricotta should have been mixed with chicken broth or milk or something.  Needless to say I won't be making this again.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Source: A Cozy Kitchen
These were easy to make and quite tasty.  Their texture was more cake like than cookie.  Think I like a little crunch in my cookie and while these were tasty I probably won't make them again.

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Source:Rainy Day Gal
Perfect example of not reading directions - I didn't purchase GRAND size cinnamon rolls, I bought the regular size instead.  It was not possible to wrap the bacon into the regular size so I sprinkled bacon pieces on top before baking the rolls.  After frosting them I sprinkled some more on top.  These were meh.  It had everything to do with the packaged Pillsbury cinnamon rolls which really weren't that great.  I love this idea, though and I bet it could be really great with the right cinnamon rolls. 

All in all, an underwhelming bunch of recipes.  I did enjoy the challenge though. I'm going to try it again this week with a goal of accomplishing 2 of my pins.  Right now I'm thinking of the feta asparagus and Ina's blueberry coffeecake.  What about you?  Are you in? 

Thank you England Street for playing along.  She made some wall art from Scrabble tiles.    My sister, Emily made a handful of recipes from her boards - blonde brownies, strawberry shortcake cookies and zucchini muffins.  Leah also made some brownies and a roasted red pepper pasta!  Mama Monkey accomplished 3 recipes from her Boards - Vegan meat balls, quinoa salad, and green cake muffins.  She had the great idea of starting a board for her completed Pins.  Great idea!  I copied her and started one too. Thank you all for your camaraderie. 

If you'd like to join in this week please leave a comment or add your blog or Pinterest address to the Linky below. 

Pinterest Challenge

Source: marthastewart.com via Katy on Pinterest

So we all love pinning things, yes?  But how many of us actually make or do any of our pins?  That's what I thought.  I do think there is benefit in simply pinning - it can set off a creative spark, provide an escape or form of relaxation or help you define parts of yourself.  However, I think most of us pin with the intention of actually using our pins.  Right?

To gently push us to go beyond simply pinning I thought a little challenge among friends  was in order.

Here is the challenge:

Pick 2 things from your Pinterest Boards to make or do this week.  Try that organizational system you pinned or polish your nails with that great color you saw.   Pick 2 simple things, make it easy on yourself.  This is not a Pinterest boot camp.  This is a gentle encouragement to move on something that interests you.

I'm going to cook 2 recipes from my Savory Board - Grilled Asparagus (my fav veggie)  and Chicken Kale Casserole.  I'm definitely in a dinner funk where everything feels old and boring and yucky.  Perhaps a few new recipes will lighten my cooking mood.  It is worth a try.

Join in!

If you have a blog link up below.  If not, leave a comment and tell us what 2 things you are going to try.  Give us a link to your Pinterest Boards.  If you're a friend on Facebook, leave a comment there. 



We'll share our results next Wednesday with another chance to link-up.  Yay.
Good luck!

Source: onceuponachef.com via Katy on Pinterest

Let the Pinning Begin!

After hearing people talk about Pinterest for months and months I finally gave it a real go.  I can see why it is described as addicting.  It is like surfing thousands of blogs all at one time. Talk about information overload!  Question - Why do I see pins from people I'm not following?  Anyone?

I can tell with Pinterest that one of the keys for me is to make sure I don't spend all my time pinning and forget the actual doing part.  It is a slippery slope.

Last night I geeked out on throw pillows for the living room.  Now to chose one or two.

Source: etsy.com via Katy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Katy on Pinterest

And, as my sister pointed out, I've accumulated quite a few quinoa pins.  Protein, protein, protein.  

Source: eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com via Katy on Pinterest

Source: blog.belovedgreen.com via Katy on Pinterest

Do you Pin?  If you're interested, you can follow my pins here.