Friday, October 28, 2011

Apple Cider Shandy

I can't believe it's almost November, ahhhh, where did the month go???!!!  Here is a fun and easy cocktail to enjoy during these fabulous fall days...Cheers & Happy Friday!!!

Apple Cider Shandy 

Ingredients:
4 (12-fluid ounce) bottles, Heineken or Heineken Light, chilled
1 (25.4-fluid ounce) bottle sparkling apple cider, chilled

Directions:
Slowly pour the beer into a 10-cup capacity pitcher and slowly add the sparkling cider.

Pour the shandy into frosted glasses, serve and enjoy immediately. 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Twice Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms & Prosciutto

Good Morning!

Since football season is kind of a big deal at our house, thought this recipe would be perfect for snacking on while watching some Monday Night Football. These super yummy potatoes do take some prep time, but they are soooo worth it.  The mixture of  creminis and prosciutto with melted cheese is simply amazing! 


Twice Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms & Prosciutto
adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis


Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 small onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
8 ounces small mushrooms, such as cremini or button, sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar
4 thin slices prosciutto, halved

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using the tines of a fork, prick the skins of the potatoes all over and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until tender and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool until warm enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooling, in a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and shallot.  Cook and stir frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Put the mixture into a medium bowl. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and, using a small spoon, scoop out all but 1/4-inch of the flesh. Add the potato flesh to the mushroom mixture. Add the butter and 1 cup of the cheese. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the potato halves, cut side up on the baking sheet.  Brush both sides of the potatoes with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season the inside with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the mushroom mixture into each potato half. Arrange 1 half-piece of prosciutto on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.  Enjoy!


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Friday, October 21, 2011

EllaNora Boutique SALE

Good Morning!

My good friend Kari, who owns EllaNora Boutique, is having a super fabulous sale today from 9-1!  Be sure to check it out for some amazing deals!  Cheers & Happy Friday!

Here are a few of my sale favorites!


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Burlap & Black Lace Wreath

Good Morning!  

I'm so excited to share my Halloween wreath with all of you today!  Since I love anything with lace and burlap, I decided to combine the two materials for a vintage chic looking wreath.   It was extremely simple to make and can be dressed up with any of your favorite embellishments.  Happy Crafting!


Supplies:
  • 10 inch wreath form 
  • 1 yard of burlap
  • 2 yards of lace ribbon
  • hot glue gun
  • scissors
  • embellishments (I used an old black lace headband that I had with a rosette attached to it, I just cut the rosette off from the headband part) 


 Directions:
    • Cut your burlap into 3 inch strips.
    • With one piece of burlap strip start by placing a dab of glue on an end piece to your wreath form.
    • Wrap the burlap strip around the wreath form, overlapping the previous burlap strip and glue every few wraps to keep the burlap attached to the wreath.
    • Once you get to the end of the strip, hot glue the end to the wreath form.
    • Start the next strip over the end of the previous and continue wrapping.
    • Continue to wrap and glue until your wreath form is completely covered in burlap strips.
    • With one end of your lace ribbon, glue the end piece to the wreath and start wrapping around the burlap. 
    • Once the lace is wrapped around, just glue the opposite end that you started with to the back of the wreath form.
    • Glue or pin any embellishments you would like to use.  I added a few black feathers to the back of my black rosette and pinned it right to the wreath form.  


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      Tip Junkie handmade projects













      Sumo's Sweet Stuff

      Tuesday, October 11, 2011

      Lack of Energy

      Along with the drastic changes in weather, (one day it's in the 80's, next day it's 65 and raining - enough to make a girl crazy when trying to figure out what to wear for the day) my husband and I have been hit with sore throats, runny noses and sneezes.  Think this vintage card pretty much sums up how I'm feeling this week....Cheers!

      Thursday, October 6, 2011

      25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

      So super excited the weather has finally cooled down and actually feels like FALL, woohoo!!!  Time to bundle up in boots and scarves.  Check out this fabulous video for some fun scarf ideas! 

      Tuesday, October 4, 2011

      Black Lace Candles

      About a year ago, I was determined to have ivory lace votives for our wedding decor, they were super simple to make and looked elegant.  Since then, I have always wanted to wrap lace around taller candle holders, but never really got around to it.  I was at the Dollar Store recently, and came across some tall candle holders that would be perfect to wrap in black lace for some Halloween Decor! 


      I simply used an old pair of lace leggings (not sure why I ever owned these, ahhh!) and slipped the candle holder down the leg and cut at the bottom.  The great thing about using old leggings is that you don't even have to use spray adhesive, the leggings fit perfectly tight around the glass candle holder.  Voila!



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      Tip Junkie handmade projects











      Transformation Thursday


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