Linguine with Shrimp Scampi and Chocolate Mousse

Day 6:

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, zest grated
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Recipe found at foodnetwork.com

I don't always have lemons to do the slices, and it is still really good, but it is better with the lemons, they just add such a nice flavor to the shrimp

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 C. Bisquik 

6 Tbsp. butter

2/3 C. Milk

1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. old bay

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 450.

In a mixing bowl combine Bisquik, 4 Tbsp. butter, milk and cheese using a pastry cutter of fork.  Spoon into baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

While they are baking combine 2 tbsp. melted butter, garlic powder, old bay and parsley flakes.  Brush over biscuits when they come out of oven.

Roasted Asparagus

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• Extra Virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• I always cut off the 1"-1 1/2" of the root end, it is a bit touch and woody tasting. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

from: Our Best Bites

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp cold water

2 Tbsp. boiling water (just heat in a small bowl in your microwave)

1/2 C. sugar

1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 C. whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute.  While gelatin is softening bring 2 Tbsp. water to boil in the microwave.  whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.  

In a medium mixing bowl combine sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form.  Mix in gelatin and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

I put mine in pretty wine glasses and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Add whipped topping and fruit right before you serve.

This is a very rich mousse.  My husband and I never finish in one setting, so really,  in just a few minutes you made dessert for two nights.  :)

~Rachel~

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Valentine Photo Shoot

Day 5:

A couple of years ago I was having a hard time coming up with a gift for my husband for Valentine's Day that  said "I love you."  A friend of mine and I were talking and she suggested that I take some photos of me and make a little book for him.  I was more than a little uncomfortable doing this because I am not a huge fan of the way I look in pictures, or the way my body looks (no they were not naked ones!!) still, I am in no way close to being a model.  After thinking on this for a while I decided that my husband loves me for me, and he loves the way I look, even if I am a little cheesy in pictures and I do not have the body of a super model, so I was going to do it.
I gathered all kinds of little props, like his favorite jersey and a basketball, borrowed some stillettos (which I never wear) fish-net stockings, a feather boa, you get the idea...  I did my makeup very carefully and fixed my hair just right... and then I took some pictures...

There are a couple of ways you can do this... If you feel comfortable enough with and you have a girlfriend of yours who is also okay with it, you can them take the pictures for you.  Maybe they will even get you to smile more naturally or even laugh a little.  But if not, I have found that it is really easy to take pictures of ones-self if you have a little hand held remote.  If you are lucky enough to have a printer at home that does a great job with photos - print them at home and get a fun photo book at the store.  If not snapfish.com has little books that all you have to do is choose your picture and drop it in the spot.  You can rearrange them all you want until it is just perfect.  I think the cost is around $11 and can be in your hands within a week of submitting the order.  

My husband loved the book and told me he wouldn't mind in the least bit getting a new one every year.  

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 6

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Day 4:

I was soo excited to make these again this year for Valentine's day!! Last year I gave my hubby a boot box FULL of treats && sweets.  I decked the box out in cutsie Valentine's looking paper, and then as I said, FILLED the box full of goodies.  I made cupcakes, dipped strawberries and pretzels, had cheesecake strawberries, and these red velvet cheesecake brownies.  I spent a good portion of the couple days before in the kitchen.  It was great! I haven't really thought about those brownies, until just a couple weeks ago and I instantly craved them!

These are honestly my FAVORITE treat!! I absolutely looove cheesecake, and who doesn't love brownies.  It is probably the best combination someone could have come up with! Wow!!! I just made a batch, and most likely make them again on Valentine's day! I want to eat as many of them as I can, while it is considered okay.  Here is the recipe! Give them a try, and I can promise you won't regret that decision! 

Red Velvet Cheese Cake Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 c unsalted butter

2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp red food coloring (I love the gel food coloring)

2/3 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 c sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

Makes 16 large or 24 small 

brownies.  

Source: Baking Bites

Hope you love them as much as I do!! Enjoy!

-Melanie-

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 5, Day 6

The Best Husband Valentines Day Present

Day 3:
A couple of years ago we were really poor, so when Valentines day came around we decided to do homemade presents for each other. I'm always horrible with coming up with things...but I was determined to come up with the Best. Present. Ever. And I think I did a pretty good job! My hubby L.O.V.E.D it...our very own board game!

You can do it one of both ways, when I first saw it it was on a sheet, I've tried both and I like the board game better. But do whatever you think would be fun for you.

For the sheet you get a fitted sheet...just find the cheapest one you can get. You'll need masking tape, a permanent marker and cardboard (from a cereal box would work perfect). At the top of the sheet I believe I named it "The Game of Love" and underlined it, and then used the masking tape to evenly mark the lines. My game board was 7 across, 7 down so I had 49 total. After you "draw" your lines, you'll cut out whatever shape you are using out of your card board, this is a horrible drawing but I used something like this:

You'll trace that on your rows...49 times and then go back and fill in your game plans. You'll want to use the majority of your sheet. I think I had about a foot at the bottom left, and maybe 6" on each side. Each shape was about 4", but measure what fits your bed best. I used each "activity" at least twice so you make sure to land on it at least once. And you can say it different ways to change it up, for instance "XOXO" and "Kiss Me Baby". You can be creative and come up with ever you want and whatever you feel comfortable about. I had to edit mine a little and blot some of mine out so we can keep it G rated here, and because our Mom reads our blog. :) 

The sheet is fun because you'll cover it up by making your bed so your hubby will have no idea. And it's good for in the future to too surprise him random nights.

When we moved I just threw away the sheet and decided to get a $3 board game at the D.I. and I'm really glad I did. Now it's our inside joke that no body has any idea what we're talking about...besides you now that are reading this. But there's been a few times that we are out to dinner or out and about and will say "Soooo do you want to play Chutes and Ladders when we get home??"

How to Play:

You'll just need 1 dice, they will roll it every time, if it's a 4 or 6 divide by 2, and if it lands on 5 I let him pick between the 2nd or 3rd one.

They have 30 seconds for each activity, no exceptions. :) You can have a stopwatch or just count, whatever you'd like to do.

That's pretty much it, it's fun and your husband will love you even more forever and ever! He will think this is the best present you could ever give him!

**I have everything out and ready sitting on the table. I've made some chocolate covered strawberries, since we don't drink alcohol for our "bubbly" I used sparkling cider or wild cherry pepsi. I get a couple little silly presents like candy or something and had them wrapped up for him to open if he landed on a present. And for the music I just used Pandora and the station I like is Ashanti because a lot of the songs it plays is circa my high schools years, so it's a fun flash back and it's kind of sexy music. But like I said...do whatever makes you happy!! And have fun!!!

--Michelle--

Day 1, Day 2, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6

Star Jones' Garlic Lobster Tails plus Stacy's Steak for Valentines Dinner!!

Day 2:
  Last year for Valentines Day, I honestly can't remember why we did not got out to dinner like we usually do.  I don't think I particularly wanted to cook dinner for my husband and I because we so rarely go out to dinner, I really enjoy it.  He may have actually had to be out of town or something.  Regardless the reason, I cooked our Valentines dinner and I wanted it to be good.  I do not like seafood, but he does.  I RARELY ever make anything with seafood because I dispise it so much, but I thought for this dinner I was going to spoil him with lobster!
  My favorite grocery store, Publix, actually had a decent price on lobster tails that week (probably for suckers like me ;) so I went ahead and bought like 4.  I found a recipe on www.foodnetwork.com that looked really good and had lots of stars and lots of reviews and gave it a shot.  I paired it with the best looking steak I could find and a great salad and my husband and I really enjoyed it.  I actually thought it was the best steak I had ever made and I haven't been able to repeat it since then!  We had sparkling cider since we are non-alcoholic drinkers, and topped it off with my husbands favorite, cheesecake!  It was delicious.

  Here is what I did. . .Star Jone's Garlic Lobster Tails

Ingredients

• 4 large lobster tails (8 ounces each)
• 4 to 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Seafood Magic

Directions

Preheat broiler. With kitchen shears or large, sharp knife, cut lobster tails down back on curved side of shell. Pry sides of shells apart to expose meat. Top meat with garlic and butter. Squeeze lemon juice over lobster meat and dust liberally with Cajun spice and seafood seasoning. Preheat broiler. Set lobster tails in roasting pan and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until meat is opaque in center.

This is rated easy and serves 4.

For the steak, I rubbed it with a steak dust and let it sit in that for 30 minutes or so.  Then, just as I was putting the lobster in, I put the steak on the grill with about 1/2 tbsp butter on top.  My husband likes his medium rare and I like mine well done so I put mine on first.  Once one side was cooked, I turned it over and added his.  I definately had to cook it a little longer than normal because they were so much thicker than I regularly buy, but it was worth it!!!  It was literally, melt in your mouth, delicious!

For dessert I made my husbands favorite cheesecake...from a box!  Jello brand cheesecake is his favorite.  And it is Valentine's Day, I can't deny him his favorite!  :)

-Stacy-

Day 1, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6

P.S. Don't forget to check out our Shops "Item of the Week"!

14 Days of Valentine Ideas

I love Valentine's Day, but let's be honest-what girl secretly doesn't??  It is a day all about love.  Not to mention all the treats that are made on and around that special day! Mmm..my favorite! My sisters and I have kept our eyes out for recipes, gift ideas, and other things we have done in the past to share with everyone. The next 14 days, we will be posting ways to celebrate February 14.  Hope you enjoy!

DAY 1:
 -Better than anything red velvet cupcakes-
Just take a gander at these for a quick second, and tell me your mouth isn't watering.
 

Let's take a look at the recipe and then get started baking.  If you have never made better than anything cakes, they are easy peasy! All that it takes is:

Better than anything red velvet cupcakes

*1 pkg of red velvet cake mix
*Caramel topping (I love the Mrs. Richardson brand)
*Chocolate syrup
*4 Heath or Score bars (divided)
*Cool whip

Soo easy! Make the cake according to directions on the package.  Bake the cupcakes and let them cool on a rack.  Then poke holes into each cupcake.  I use the end of cooking spoons, so they are larger holes, leaving more space for the good stuff.  After the holes are poked, drizzle warmed caramel and chocolate syrup over the top.  Top with 2 crushed candybars, and then add cool whip.  Top again with the remaining two candy bars and tada-they are done! Next step-indulge in these amazing cupcakes!

~Melanie~

Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14

P.S. Don't forget to check out our Shops "Item of the Week"!

Zumba Workout

I am not a runner...I've never understood how people loved to run. I wish I loved to run because that would make working out a lot easier for me. I've tried so many different workout videos, I've done Jillian Michaels, P90X, Yoga, Abs and I will do them for a while and then get bored and move on. Finally I have found something that works for me, my all time favorite work outs have been Zumba. I was super scared of it when it first came out. I did not want to dance in front of people...I'm not a dancer either. Right before I got pregnant my Mom started going to Zumba classes and she would invite me every time and I'd come up with an excuse every time she would invite me. Finally, I had to do something to loose a few pounds so I decided to go and I LOVED it! I went all throughout my pregnancy and it was perfect for me because I could work out however intense I wanted. Today I thought I'd show a great one I found on You Tube that you can do in the comfort of your own home. It's 50 minutes, and when it's over I can feel that most of my muscles have been used! Enjoy!

--Michelle--

Please stop by again tomorrow as we will be sharing some ideas to get ready for Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Since starting our family Health Challenge I have really tried not to eat sweets during the week, and man has that been tough!!  So on Sunday's I have been making dessert, I can only go so many days in a row without something sweet and bad for me.  I had my girls help me decide on a treat.  They love anything chocolate and I love anything caramel, so we decided CHOCOLATE CHIP TOFFEE BARS was the winner!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2 1/3 C. flour

3/4 C. butter

2/3 C brown sugar

2 C. chocolate chips, divided

1 C. chopped nuts (optional)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

10 oz bag toffee bits

Combine flour and sugar in a bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry cutter until you get crumbles.  Add eggs, mix well.  Stir in 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips and nuts.  Set aside 1 1/2 C of mix.  Press remaining mix in bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350* for 10 mins.  Pour milk over hot crust.  Top with 3/4 bag of toffee bits.  Sprinkle with the rest of the crumb mix and remaining chocolate chips.  Bake for 15 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Cut into squares.

I have to admit, this is a very rich dessert.  I would recommend inviting some friends over to share it with because one, maybe two squares will be enough for one night, and you have a big pan of it.  

~Rachel~

Crock Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken

This is such a simple, healthy recipe, but oh so easy!  I think you will enjoy the simplicity.  

Ingredients needed:

Enough chicken breast to feed your family

Lemon pepper

Crock pot

(Yep, that easy!!)

Place the chicken breasts (a whole chicken works good too) in crock pot.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper.  Cook in crock pot on low for 8 hours.  Halfway through turn chicken over.  I also like to baste the chicken periodically with the juices in the bottom.  Serve with rice.  

I like to serve this with a spinach salad.  We like to add mandarin oranges, feta cheese, baby spinach, cranberries or blueberries and poppy seed dressing.

Stacy

Weight Loss Yoga for Beginners

I am a yoga fanatic now! I am someone who is not very flexible in some ways (like I can't even touch my toes) so I always thought I wouldn't like yoga or be very good at it, but boy was i wrong! Yoga is something I started a few months ago because I have a very busy life and I don't handle stress very well so I was looking for something that could help me handle stress and has the added benefits of being fantastic for your body in so many ways! Here are 20 of the hundreds of reasons yoga is awesome! :)

It has become a staple in my routine at least 3 times a week and I have come to be so excited about my alone time doing yoga! I have never felt so peaceful and relaxed as after I'm done with even just a ten minute session. I am becoming more flexible and can almost touch my toes now! :) Honestly, if you are worried that you won't be able to do it well beacuse of flexibility, don't worry about it. There are some very basic poses that feel fantastic that anyone could do. Sometimes if they are doing a pose that is too difficult for me, I will just switch to one I love so that I feel comfortable and then move on. Someday I hope to be able to do poses like this

or even these

 

 Melanie and I got together last night to do yoga and it was SOOO much fun! Of course we ate cookies afterward which probably counterbalanced any progress we made in our bodies from the yoga :) But....whatev! 

Here is a link to the lady on youtube Tara Stiles, an awesome yoga instructor from New York, who I just love! She has a ton of videos on youtube so search Tara Stiles yoga and choose 1 or 2. It seems like most of them are about 10 minutes but she has a full 50 minute class on there which I am dying to try. But here is a great one that I really like. Enjoy!

For a great breakfast to start your day before your yoga session, try oatmeal and adding a frozen fruit to it like blueberries or strawberries.  I will often eat this because it is quick and easy and adds great nutrition to your diet.  Blueberries are great antioxidants and power fruits so they are my go-to fruit and I have them in my freezer year round for this reason!  Just add 1/4-1/2 cup and follow the directions for making the oatmeal.  It us usually adding 1/2 cup of water and cooking for about 2 minutes in the microwave.  I usually stir and cook just a little longer and then add a little milk (or silk-I love this substitute for regular milk!).

* Mary *

Recipe and Workout

My husband and I decided that we wanted to get healthy together. We get up 45 minutes earlier than normal so we can work out together in the morning before he leaves for work. That way we can make each other get up in the morning and we are done working out by 7:00 am. We are both REALLY out of shape so we have started to these workouts to begin with:

Of course we wanted to start eat healthier as well, so I went to Costco to load up on some food and here is one thing that I have found that has become a regular for us, they are Multigrain Rounds that come in a pack of 24 buns, 1 bun is 100 calories. 

I have used them for a lot of different kinds of sandwiches  in the morning or for Brenner (breakfast for dinner) I scramble egg whites and do a scramble egg sandwich with spinach. 

For lunch or dinner I do ham, turkey or chicken sandwich with spinach, tomato, cucumber, and sometimes avocados. I add just a little bit of Mayo on it also.  On the side I add veggies or a fruit, in this picture I also add Veggie Straws, that you can get at Costco also.

--Michelle--

Chicken Apple Salad & Calorie Counters

As sisters we have been sharing ideas of workouts and diet plans that have been working for us, and one thing I noticed was that most of us use a calorie counter in someway, so I thought I would share with you the two that we like the most.  

The first one is caloriecount.com.  It is free both online and as an app (available on on both the iPhone and android).  This is a great app that allows you to keep track and be accountable for what you eat.  You have the ability to add your own recipes and it will tell you how many calories and servings there are.  The downside to this app is you cannot add in your exercise.  

The second app is myfitnesspal.com  This is also free both online and as an app.  (available on both apple products and android).  I really like this app because not only are you able to keep track of what you eat, including adding recipes, but you are also able to add your exercise.  The downside I see to this app is when you do add exercise it adds more calories for you to consume for the day. When you are trying to loose weight you don't want to eat all the calories you just worked so hard to burn off, at least that is my thinking.  :)

I like the idea of adding my exercise in so that I can see about how many calories I burned during my workout.  

I think that they are both great resources as I have been testing both of them out for the last little while.  I hope that you will get on and find one that works for you.

Melanie wanted to share a pretty simple, delicious and healthy salad with you today.

Chicken Apple Salad

You will need:

Grilled Chicken

Apple

Lite House yogurt Ranch

Cut the apple and chicken into bite size pieces.  Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Hope you enjoy this fabulous salad!

~Rachel~

Family Health Challenge & Giveaway Winner

This week we really wanted to focus on healthy lifestyles.  It is the beginning of a new year, and everyone is thinking about goals.  Most people seem to start the year with the goal of loosing weight, or eating better, but where do you start?  Today someone talked to us in church about setting goals.  She talked about how they have to be realistic, something that you can accomplish, and then you can adjust them when you have attained what you wanted.  She reminded us that you have to set small goals in order to reach the bigger goals.

A couple of years ago our Mom decided that she wanted to change her life, she wanted to become more healthy and loose weight.  She started eating REALLY healthy and exercising 6 days a week. Because of her hard work and diligence she was able to loose weight and keep it off.  That Christmas she and my Dad bought all of us a Wii Fit system to encourage us and their grandchildren to be more healthy and active in our lives.  A year ago Mom came up with a Family Health Challenge for the family.  Anyone can participate.  We have a total of 10 points a day that you can earn just by doing simple things that help you have a healthy lifestyle.  I really wanted to post our Health Challenge Tracker, but me and my computer skills cannot figure out how to load a document on here!!  So I will just tell you what we have on our little tracker.  And some fun rules.

There are 10 points available everyday, with one free day a week, with a grand total of 60 points available per person per week.  Anyone who would like to can give $5 to the pot each month and the one who scores the most points that month wins the pot.  It is a nice little motivation to do good.  (at least I think so)

Here are the categories:

No sweets
No pop
Eat breakfast
Eat lunch
Eat dinner
Meditation/prayer
No food after 8:30
Exercise 30 minutes
Read 30 minutes
Drink 64 oz fluid (not sugary!)

This is something that really helps me stay motivated.  I am someone who loves candy, sad to admit, but I do. So this can really be a challenge for me, but I have to say, I use the $$$ as motivation.  When I want to have a little piece of candy I just think to myself, "I could loose all the money for one piece of candy, is it worth it?!?"  Sometimes it is.

I also wanted to leave you with a healthy snack idea that my kids and I love!!

POPCORN!!

We seriously love popcorn in our house.  It is that go to snack.  But not just any kind of popcorn, it has to be air-popped.  I LOVE my air-popper.  A couple of months ago my popcorn machine that I have had since our wedding 11 1/2 years ago died.  It was a very sad day in our house!  I honestly didn't know what to do because I didn't want to go out and spend money on a new one right before Christmas, but we have popcorn at least once a week.  I decided that if you can make popcorn in the microwave in a bag, I could too.  I took a brown paper lunch bag put 1/3 C. popcorn kernels (Jolly Time are the BEST!) and folded the top over a few times then punched the popcorn button on my microwave.  And what do you know???  It started to pop the kernels.  It worked perfectly!!  It tasted just like air popped too.
Now on to toppings...
We are big Ranch fans so we melt 1/3 cube of butter and add a heaping tablespoon of dry Ranch dressing, pour over the top.
You could also add Parmesan, garlic salt or powder (just a little will do), seasoning salt (we like Lawry's), or just butter and salt.

So if you don't have an air popper but would love a healthy cheap snack, try the brown paper bag method.

~Rachel~

Congrats to our giveaway winner
Christine Webb
Please email us your address at moresisterstuff@gmail.com, so we can send you your new card!!

Giveaway!!!

It's been a while since our last giveaway, and now that the business of Christmas is over we thought now is the perfect time for another one! 

We are giving away a $25 gift card to Pottery Barn!

Here's how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway winner will be announced on Monday so make sure to check back!! Feel free to share with your friends!

Reached

 

  Yay!  Reached, by Ally Condie is out and it is AWESOME!!  It came out in November 2012 and in my library, it was immediately on waiting lists.  Lucky for me, I happened to find it the very day they put it out and snatched it up.  What a way to end the series. 
  At the very end of Crossed, Cassia and Ky had to leave each other again to work for the Rising.  Cassia has to go to Central and Ky stays out in the borders, not knowing when they will see each other again.  Xander is working as a medic in one of the provinces.  Very soon into the book, the Rising does get to break out, but nothing goes as planned.  It is really sad; a lot like the final Hunger Games book.  You really don't know until the very end what is going to happen and who will survive, if any of them!  If you haven't read any of the books, I highly recommend you start the series.  If you have started the series and were just waiting for this final book, wait no longer, go get it and read it now!!!

 

~Stacy~

P.S. . . Stay tuned, we are going to do another give away this week!  More details to follow!  Best of luck to all of you!!

Buttermilk Chicken

I made a big spiral ham for Sunday dinner, which means I have tons of yummy ham leftovers to use during the week, which I love.  I really wanted to make Loaded Potatotes, aka... Crack Potatoes, you will understand when you make them.  They are scrumptious with leftover ham.  My dilema is what to make with them...  Hmmm. How about some Buttermilk Chicken.  It is a nice moist and tender chicken recipe that we love.

Buttermilk Chicken

5-6 chicken breasts

1 1/2 C. buttermilk, divided

3/4 C. flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 C. butter

1 (10 3/4 oz) can of cream of chicken soup

Dip chicken in 1/2 C. buttermilk.  (I like to use a zip lock bag)  Roll in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. (again, zip lock bag) Melt butter in a 9 x 13 pan.  put chicken in pan.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375.  Turn and bake for 15 minutes.  Whisk remaining 1 C. buttermilk and soup.  Pour over and around chicken.  Bake 15 minutes.  Serves 6.

Crack Potatoes

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 C. chopped ham or 2 (3 oz) bags of real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind  or

4-5 large russet potatoes that you shred (this is what I prefer being a homegrown Idaho girl)

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns.  Spread into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes. 

Dish yourself a small helping because you will go back for seconds and thirds, just try not to eat the whole pan by yourself.   

Enjoy!

~Rachel~