Here in southern Illinois, Fall has arrived! The weather finally cooled this evening after it rained all day, so we are thoroughly enjoying Fall again :) Here are a few Fall images I shot and just love! Hope you enjoy!
Yay for Fall!
S'mores + Fall Fashion #LiveInLayers
If you love being outdoors but don't enjoy being layered up in thick, uncomfortable clothing, then you might want to give Cuddl Duds a try! Cuddl Duds is more than just a clothing brand, it's a lifestyle brand that enables comfort in every shape and form.
I feel most at home outdoors, and among nature. With cooler weather FINALLY here, I am excited to expand my Fall/Winter wardrobe with pieces that will withstand a few adventures. I am all about clothing that is comfortable, high performing, and flattering. Cuddl Duds checks all the boxes! These clothing fit extremely well - nothing was too tight or too lose, just perfect.
Perfect for a walk in the woods, a day with friends, or cuddling up on the couch with a good magazine or movie, these clothes are really wonderful.
BONUS RECIPE: Pumpkin Sugar Cookie S'mores (Video)
Watch the video above to get the recipe details.
The smell of a pine forest on a cool day ALWAYS makes me happy! I love getting out for some fresh air.
The shirt was probably my favorite of all the pieces. It's SUPER soft, nice and stretchy and unlike a lot of similar styles of shirts, this one fit exceptionally well. Sometimes, I find that more form fitting shirts like this can be tight under the arms, but I was able to wear this shirt all day while moving around and had no issues at all! These clothes would be amazing for traveling, since they would not wrinkle and the shirt would take up hardly any room in your luggage. I really appreciate high quality clothing that is lightweight but is still warm and comfortable! I just love multi-use, multi-occasion clothing pieces that are so versatile like these ones.
Below, you can see the fleece hooded jacket, which is going to be perfect to bundle up on a chilly day soon.
Do you have any fun plans for the Fall? What are some of your favorite ways to enjoys a crisp autumn day?
Here are a few more goodies from Cuddl Duds!
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AllNaturalPork #CollectiveBias
Looking for a delicious, unique, and elevated recipe? Well, you're iun the right place! I am so excited to share this amazing recipe with you, that would be amazing for a tailgate party, family dinners, or just for a quick meal that you can pre ahead pf time and have as leftovers throughout the week.
If you love the idea of creamy, buttery mushroom sauce covering a pulled pork slider burger, then you're in luck. This recipe delivers that and MORE! The pork can be cooked ahead of time, making this dish VERY quick and easy to prep and serve.
Perhaps you could make this delicious meal for a hero in your life, or a group of heroes or community superstars in your life! I love people who go the extra mile and have Compassion For the Community. My mom volunteers with lots of different groups around my home town, and she is also involved with the city's Festival of Trees! She decorates trees and wreaths, and also puts together these adorable gift boxes for the elderly. They contain a mini Christmas tree and all the supplies to decorate it, because that sort of activity and final product (a personalized Christmas Tree) would surely bring joy to just about anyone's day! I cannot wait to make this recipe for my mom soon! Hope you enjoy!
PRINT THIS RECIPE:
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FEATURED PRODUCT:
Smithfield All Natural Boneless Loin Filets
The pork tenderloin, also called pork fillet, is a long thin cut of pork.
The tenderloin is an amazingly versatile cut of pork, and is extremely affordable.
Once the tenderloin has been grilled, roasted in the oven, cooked on the stovetop, or even smoked in a smoker, the recipe options are endless!
2 1/2 - 3 Lbs. Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Loin Filet (keep as full pieces, do not cut before cooking)
1-2 (32 oz.) containers of vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 -2/3 C. Heavy Cream (depending on your desired sauce thickness)
16 oz. Small Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
1 Small Red Onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Grated/Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Seasonings
1-2 Sage Leaves
Olive Oil
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1.) In a large sauce pan, add 2.5-3 lbs. of Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Tenderloin, vegetable broth, and desired seasonings. Turn heat up to high, and once everything is boiling, turn down heat to medium or medium low to create more of a simmer without being a boil.
2.) Simmer for around 2 1/2 -3 hours. Using a pair of tongs, remove one piece of tenderloin from the broth, and see if it's able to shred easily. Once able to shred, then you are ready to prep the meal! The images below show how beautifully well the Smithfield Pork Tenderloins are for making pulled pork.
3.) At this point, you can add your favorite BBQ sauce to the pulled pork OR make this amazing Creamy, Buttery Mushroom Gravy! To make the sauce, in a skillet, add your butter, onions, salt, and favorite seasonings.
4.) Add sliced mushrooms, and cook until softened or to desired texture.
5.) Toast your slider buns during this part of the process.
5.) Add cream and 1 tbsp corn starch to the skillet, and stir. If you want the sauce thicker, add around 1/2 tsp. more cornstarch.
6.) Let sauce thicken on skillet over medium-medium high heat. and once it's all ready, pour into a bowl to use for topping sliders, OR, add all gravy and pork into one bowl to combine - this wound up being my favorite way to enjoy it.
OTHER AVAILABLE SMITHFIELD NATURALS PRODUCTS INCLUDE:
Smithfield All Natural Boneless Loin Filet
Smithfield All Natural Shoulder Roast
Smithfield All Natural Pork Tenderloin
Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops
Smithfield All Natural Bone-In Pork Chops
Smithfield All Natural Back Ribs
BOO-Ya! It’s a Welch’s Halloween Party
This post is sponsored by Welch’s® Fruit Snacks. I am being compensated for this post. All comments and opinions are my own.
I am SO excited for Halloween, I cannot even explain it! I wanted to share some tips on setting up a beautiful and stylish Halloween party, and by using a little bit of your DIY spirit, you can host a stylish Halloween party that will never be forgotten. I am a lover of all things Halloween, and the Halloween treats are probably my favorite part. I have always loved Welch’s products, and when the opportunity arose to create a Halloween Party Post inspired by their new Fruit Rolls, I jumped on the opportunity!
Impress your guests with the cutest décor in black and white, and invite them to make sweet, lasting memories for many years to come. This black and white theme turned out so great, scroll down to get the full details!
Luckily, fruit is the first ingredient in these little treats – they display that fact proudly on the front of every package. They have 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C and 25% daily value of Vitamins A & E. These Welch’s Fruit Rolls are super fun to eat, and I really enjoyed the Berry flavor – perfect for a longer lasting treat than a small bite of something! Unroll the fun in this fun, new format!
I always love to glam-up my dessert tables, because we eat with our eyes first! I knew guests would gravitate towards the Welch’s Fruit Rolls right away, and the purple labels are so berry-liscious! I placed them in a rectangular, white dish that has gold dots on it. What a fun way to provide treats to those who love them.
I began designing my party table by adding a white crushed velvet tablecloth, which is a material that is so popular right now. I then added a few wooden crates and a white photo storage boxes to add some height, and bring the treats and décor up to eye level. I love the stark contrast that the black pumpkins and skulls create atop all of the light, white surfaces!
These awesome glitter bats really livened up the party décor! I loved how they created such an impactful graphic that was so eye-catching.
One budget-friendly tip would be to start looking for décor at a dollar store first. Try to make things work for you, or even figure out how to paint certain items to fit your theme.
Below, you will see these awesome, trendy black pumpkins I painted! Most stores were selling pumpkins for nearly $10-20 each, so when I found the orange, Styrofoam ones at the dollar store, I painted them with acrylic water based paint (2 coats), and they looked great!
NOTE: Never paint Styrofoam with spray paint, because it will start eating away at your Styrofoam. I used a nice quality foam brush and two coats of black acrylic craft paint on each pumpkin. What do you think of them?
It’s so fun to go a little above and beyond in décor AND snacking choices! Welch’s Fruit Snacks, Fruit Rolls are my go to choice!
Check out an awesome coupon on Facebook, here!
Here are a few more shots from the setup! I hope you enjoy new Welch’s Fruit Rolls available in 3 delicious varieties: Berry, White Grape, Strawberry and Tropical Punch. They are delicious!!!
Above, caramel popcorn packaged in little Halloween paper bags really set the mood for Halloween.
Below, I wrapped star printed scrapbooking paper around each glass bottle, and also included these fun black and white striped paper straws to add to the color scheme.
I want to extend a very special thanks to Welch’s Fruit Rolls for sponsoring this post and inspiring me to celebrate Halloween in such a fun way. Enjoy!
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Delicious and Filling Vegetarian Noodle Soup Recipe with No Yolks Noodles
This post was sponsored by No Yolks as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Looking to make your soups even more delicious? Just add noodles! I'm excited to share a vegetarian noodle soup recipe with you, which makes a lot of leftovers. Packed with lots of delicious vegetables, this recipe offers a way to incorporate more healthy ingredients into your meals. And, the best part, you wont even miss the meat!
No Yolks isn’t just for stroganoff or casseroles! No Yolks is also great for soups!
One of my all time favorite meals when I was a kid was tuna noodle casserole. My mom always used No Yolks noodles, so this post brings back great memories for me! I am excited to update the more well-known way of using these egg noodles into a fresh, modern soup, perfect for just about anyone!
This recipe contains 100% vegetarian ingredients! I hope you enjoy it!
(SERVES A LOT!!! GREAT FOR LEFTOVERS)
1 Package of No Yolks Broad Noodles (get your coupons here!)
Vegetable Broth (2-3 containers - 32 oz each)
1 Can Each - diced tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, black beans, white beans,
Fresh Ingredients - 1 small yellow squash, 1 small zucchini, 2-3 red potatoes, 2 leeks, handful of baby carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery
Seasonings (I used blends like Taco Seasoning, Greek Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, and Creole Seasoning)
Olive Oil
Stock Pot for all ingredients, knife, cutting board, can opener, large spoon to stir all ingredients
Above, a glimpse of the prettiest ingredients in hues of green and yellow. Leeks, the stalky like greenery on the right side of the cutting board, are similar to a mild onion. They are even a similar texture when cut, and when you thinly slice them, they're perfect for soups.
Also, the parsley is a great addition of pops of green on the soup as garnish, and the yellow squash and green zucchini added a more Fall taste to the soup.
I was able to find my noodles and ALL of my other ingredients at my local grocery store, Schnucks here in Carbondale, IL. They were in the pasta aisle!
ENTER TO WIN THE NO YOLKS SWEEPSTAKES!
I-C will randomly select 5 winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes.
Prize: Five (5) $100 gift cards
Dates: October 3 - November 15, 2017
Below, you will see how the No Yolks Noodles add texture and a heartier, cold weather vibe to the soup. No Yolks are high quality noodles that always cook up smooth, firm and fluffy and stay that way in your favorite recipe. They add such a great texture to this soup.
No Yolks come in a variety of cuts for all types of recipes including Broad, Extra Broad, Fine, Kluski, Dumplings, and now Stir-Fry! YUM!!
1.) Chop and prep all fresh ingredients. Slice leeks into little pieces, and slice and dice yellow squash and zucchini. Also chop carrots and potatoes into small pieces.
2.) Drain all canned vegetables (except tomatoes) and combine in a mixing bowl to add later. This will allow you to hold the ingredients while you re-use your strainer for each can of veggies.
3.) In your large stock pot, turn on the heat, and sauté 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, leeks, potatoes, seasonings, Celery, yellow squash, and zucchini until celery begins to soften.
4.) Add No Yolks Noodles, can of tomatoes, 2 containers of vegetable broth, peas, corn, green beans, and lastly, black and white beans. add more seasoning if desired, and mix all ingredients to combine.
5.) Now, turn up your heat, and after about 6 or so minutes, your soup should come to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 15-30 minutes. If you can make this a few hours ahead of time, or even make it the day before, the flavor keeps getting better every day! It's amazing as leftovers.
** IMPORTANT NOTE ** If you have a large amount of soup as leftovers, try to freeze as much as possible. Overnight, the ingredients wound up absorbing all of my broth! I fixed this issue by adding 1/2-1 more container of veggie broth and the soup was absolutely PERFECT!!! I know you're going to love this recipe.
CONNECT ON SOCIAL
No Yolks website: https://www.noyolks.com/
No Yolks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noyolksnoodles/
No Yolks Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/noyolksnoodles/
No Yolks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noyolksnoodles/
I am so happy with how this post turned out, and I wanted to extend a special thanks to No Yolks for inspiring me to create such a delicious meal for my family! Maybe something like Sriracha Cheesy Noodles or Noodles with Kale and Walnut Pesto will be next!
TOP Fall Fashion Trends and Where To Find Them
Fall is definitely the best season to dress for (and shop for), and I love the idea of layering basic items to create an awesome silhouette! I am all about comfort too, so I always tend to air on the functional side when dressing. Here are a couple of my favorite Fall outfit ideas that I cannot wait to wear soon. And, because this week's weather is supposed to be in the high 80s still, I know these outfits are going to be good transitional pieces for the end of a warm season, heading into chillier evenings! YAY for Fall!
What are your favorite Fall trends of the year so far? I'd love to hear all about them. Drop me a comment below and let me know what you're loving this Fall!
Concert Road Trip And Fashion Tips + Enter To Win Guns N' Roses Tickets! #DotComDIY
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Pennzoil available at Walmart.com. All opinions are mine alone. #DotComDIY #CollectiveBias
"Sorry for getting that song into your head", I said to my friends as I showed them a few pictures from this post. I am referring to the song "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns N' Roses of course! I was not actually sorry at all, I love so many of the songs from the iconic band!! I grew up listening to Guns N' Roses and it would be incredible to attend one of their concerts on their upcoming "Not In This Lifetime" tour!
For a limited time, if you purchase just two 5-quart containers of one of the Pennzoil products I share later in this post, you get $10 off your next Ticketmaster purchase AND you're entered to win two tickets to a Guns N' Roses concert. Pretty sweet!!
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I absolutely LOVE to travel, and one major reason my boyfriend and I travel is to attend live concerts! We even mark our anniversary as the first date we traveled and saw a concert together! So, live music is incredibly important to me, and a topic I know a lot about. I am excited to share some concert travel tips with you, and share a cute concert outfit I'd definitely wear to a Guns N' Roses show.
We live about two hours from St. Louis, 5+ hours from Chicago and about 3 hours from Nashville and Memphis. That makes our little town of Carbondale, IL a pretty centralized place located between lots of cities that get great touring bands. So, while we tend to have to travel to most concerts, we are more than happy to do so because we are always very prepared. We always make sure to have a quart or two of 5W-30 Pennzoil Platinum in our car too, and I tend to prefer full synthetic oils for our higher mileage car.
CONCERT TRAVEL TIPS / WHAT TO PACK + WEAR:
1.) If you get the chance, I'd recommend getting dressed and ready either before you leave home or once you get to the hotel if you have time. If you are cutting it short on time, and will only have time to drop your bags and run to the show, then definitely plan ahead. Pack light if you're only staying a night or two!
2.) Always eat before the concert! I always try to pack snacks and refreshments in the car. Even if you have time to grab dinner and drinks before the concert, you will still possibly want a midnight snack after the show. Room service is EXPENSIVE and most resturaunts won't be open after the show unfortunately.
If you're at a show, chances are that food and concessions lines will be long and if you're looking for food, you may miss several songs. So, eating ahead of time then begins to seem like a really good idea. Also, pack breakfast if you're staying overnight. While some hotels offer breakfast, I try to fend off hunger with something as simple as a granola bar and fruit - they will really do you well after a night of dancing and having fun!
3.) Always Go For Comfy! If you're going to be road tripping to your destination AND expected to stay comfortable all night at a concert, then I'd recommend choosing comfortable footwear, and clothes that are not extremely tight. You can still look super cute without having to fidget and adjust your outfit all night! Rocking out in a band tee, like the one I am modeling in this post, will make for the best memories and you're going to fit in with the crowd really well.
4.) Use Those Accessories. What's more fun than adding some flair and unique personality to your outfit? I loved incorporating black and chrome colored jewelry and my funky colored sunglasses.
5.) Scale Down Your Purse. If you're lucky enough to attend a concert on a cooler night, then use those jacket pockets to carry your wallet, keys, and phone. Or, scale down your everyday purse to a backpack style or crossbody purse. Even a small wallet, like the one I found in store at Walmart, with "Party Funds" on it - how cute!!
5.) If you're up for it, do your hair and makeup a little bit more than a day time look. Feel free to test out cute, trendy lip colors and shimmery eye shadow. I also try to wear my hair down when possible, I love dancing with my hair being able to freely wave!
6.) Concert fashion is a super fun way to express yourself, so go ahead and wear something you LOVE and feel great in.
ENTER TO WIN GUNS N' ROSES CONCERT TICKETS + GET $10 TICKETMASTER CASH
Check out this awesome Ticketmaster Ticket Cash offer: Just purchase any 2 qualifying Pennzoil Motor oil (in-store or online) & upload your receipt, and you will receive $10 in Ticketmaster Ticket Cash. All entrants will also be entered into a sweepstakes to win tickets to a Guns N' Roses concert as part of their "Not In This Lifetime" tour!
DETAILS:
Receive $10 Ticketmaster Ticket Cash with Purchase- Just purchase any 2 qualifying Pennzoil Motor oil (in-store or online) & upload your receipt
All entrants will also be entered into a sweepstakes to win tickets to a Guns N' Roses concert as part of their "Not In This Lifetime" tour!
Qualifying Oils Include:
Platinum Platinum Full Synthetic (5qt)
Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic High Mileage (5qt)
SHOP ONLINE
I love being able to shop online and have everything shipped to my home. SO much easier than making an extra trip to the store. Below, you can see my online order, consisting of 2 5-quart containers of Pennzoil 5W-30, cute sunglasses, dark grey nail polish, and also a Guns N Roses Concert Tee!
Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic- PurePlus® Technology
"Our patented, revolutionary gas-to-liquid process which converts natural gas into a first-of-its-kind, high quality full synthetic base oil. Because our base oil is made from natural gas, it is clear with fewer of the impurities found in crude oil, the start for many other traditional and synthetic motor oils. To that pure, clear base we add our high performance additives to create Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus® Technology, motor oil designed for complete engine protection, without compromise. Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oil with with PurePlus® Technology keeps pistons up to 30% cleaner than required by the toughest industry standard1 and keeps your engine cleaner than any leading synthetic oil."
Nip+Fab - Amazing Wonder Products from Rodial
This post was sponsored by Nip+Fab and Rodial for Collectively.
I am excited to collaborate again with Nip+Fab / Rodial, a UK based skincare company that provides some of the most luxurious skincare products I have ever used. I am not normally one to treat myself to products that are this nice, and it's amazing to realize the difference in these products compared to a product that does not contain such interesting and amazing ingredients.
ABOUT NIP+FAB
FIX UP, LOOK FAB, STAY FLAWLESS
Nip + Fab is an innovative, results-driven beauty brand, providing targeted and effective treatments. Renowned for our use of cutting-edge ingredients in our skincare ranges, from our cult Glycolic Acid range through to Dragon's Blood and Syn®-ake, our industry-leading products provide targeted fixes to smooth, firm, hydrate and tighten the skin, with a tightly edited range of skin firming + toning body care.
Our makeup range is an extension of our skincare, helping to create the flawless, sculpted complexion for selfie-ready looking skin.
FEATURED PRODUCTS:
1.) Nip+Fab Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Mask (purchase here)
DESCRIPTION:
An intensely hydrating gel mask combining multiple skin perfecting complexes to plump the look of wrinkles and refine the skin's appearance for a brighter, more youthful looking complexion.
CONTAINS:
dragon's blood (from the Croton Lechleri tree): forms protective film on skin to protect against environmental aggressors
salicylic acid: cleanses pores + aids exfoliation
hyaluronic acid: hydrates + refines skin texture
glycerin: draws water to outer layer of the skin keeping it moisturised + helps restore skin suppleness
TEGO cosmo C 250: brightens skin + fades age spots
Check out the entire line of Nip+Fab Dragon's Blood Products here!
2.) Nip + Fab Bee Sting (Spot) Fix Repairing Shot (Shop Here)
This product is my favorite of the two serums. It has a nice, light scent and even after just using this for a few days, I noticed a few acne scars were fading! How amazing! It's not oily like I thought it was going to be, and is less scented than the Dragon's Blood Mas
DESCRIPTION:
Add a repairing and conditioning boost to your skin with this lightweight, nourishing oil that works to care and repair dry skin. Ideal for use for those with damaged, dry skin, this shot contains a replenishing mix of bee venom, royal jelly and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, condition and plump the appearance of skin for ultimate skin rejuvenation. Simply apply a few drops to the skin or mix in with a serum or moisturiser to give it an extra boost.
CONTAINS:
bee venom: helps plump + firm appearance of the skin
royal jelly: conditions + repairs skin
hyaluronic acid: provides intense hydration whilst progressively redensifying + restoring skin
3.) Rodial Liquid Liner Precision Eye Liner Pen
In the post I mention below, I received an eye shadow kit and a beautiful eye shadow brush. I cannot believe how soft and smooth their eyeshadow is! It feels like it makes my eyelids baby soft, which I have never experienced before! I was also happy to try out this liquid liner. It's very dark black, which I love. It covers better than any other similar product. I just love it!
I really, truly recommend all of the products from both Rodial and Nip+Fab!
Below, you can check out images from another shoot I did with Rodial! Feel free to check out thew post here, to learn about all of the products featured below.
McCafé – A Great Way To Start A Fall Adventure
I love adventuring around to the local orchards here in southern Illinois, and today was absolutely wonderful! I made a quick stop at McDonald’s to grab a couple of their new McCafé flavors before we headed out – because nothing comes before coffee! We decided upon the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte and the new Caramel Macchiato and LOVED them both. With the weather cooling off finally, I am excited to be able to enjoy warmer coffee drinks finally, instead of always going with iced ones. We always love grabbing a drink before we hit the road! And you can try any small McCafe for just $2!
These delicious espresso-based drinks seriously make Fall days more fun. Get your coffee in one of five drink flavors available. A la carte only. Limited time only at participating McDonald's. Cannot be combined with any other offer or any combo meal. ©2017 McDonald’s.
The flavors include:
Caramel Macchiato (iced and hot)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Sept – Oct 31)
Mocha (iced or hot)
Cappuccinos
Americanos
What flavor would you choose?!
We are so fortunate to live in one of the prettiest parts of the state of Illinois. It’s currently apple picking season, AND pumpkins are finally starting to appear. This particular day, they had pumpkins in orange, white, mint, and more. SO excited to decorate my front porch with local pumpkins soon. Luckily, we live only about 25 minutes from the orchards, so our coffee was still nice and warm when we got there.
The orchard has an adorable little farm store too, so I grabbed some delicious caramels and caramel corn, which I thought tasted super good with the new Caramel Macchiato McCafé!!
What will you be inspired to do this Fall season? What are your favorite local attractions come Fall?
Valid 1/18/17 - 12/31/17. McD App download and registration required. Valid only at participating U.S. McDonald’s. ©2017 McDonald’s
Pillsbury™ Is Making Life Easier With New Filled Pastry Bags
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury™. The opinions and text are all mine.
Whether you’ve got a bake sale to get ready for, or you’re just wanting to make a special treat for you and your friends, here’s a super easy way to make your treats even more special! I used to be someone who had so much trouble making cupcakes look like something special. I kind of just wound up making a mess and getting icing all over the place though. I always try to keep an icing tip or two on hand, but I always wind up losing them right before I need them for some reason!
Luckily, Pillsbury™ Filled Pastry Bags have my back :) I had a great time testing out the NEW Pillsbury Filled Pastry Bags – pre-filled bags of icing that come with icing tips already inside the bags! Just rip off the little serration at the tip of the bag and reveal the star-shaped icing tip. Perfect for one batch of cupcakes and they come in three different flavors – Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, and Cream Cheese.
I cannot thank Pillsbury enough for giving me this amazing opportunity to style up some adorable, delicious cupcakes for a 30-ish birthday party, or really any occasion your heart desires!
These awesome Pillsbury Filled Pastry Bags are practically mess free, which makes cleanup extremely fast and easy. You can even just ice one cupcake at a time and put the rest back into the fridge! Try using this icing on a microwave mug cake too.
I had a great experience using these icing bags. Simply take the bag out of the box (which I found near the boxed cake mixes at Meijer), twist the bag to push all the icing towards the tip, and then expose the star-shaped icing tip by simply tearing off the plastic that was covering the tip.
I surprised some of my friends who have two daughters, and apparently the girls raced to see who could be first to grab the cupcake with the most sprinkles! What a fun way to bring smiles to everyone’s faces. When I make cupcakes, it seems like it brings people back to childhood and they always get this huge smile on their faces when you mention the phrase, “Cupcakes, anyone?”
For decorations, I first went with chocolate icing on chocolate cupcakes with traditionally colored ball shaped sprinkles. For the vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese icing, I chose to go wild with sprinkles in shades of pink, purple, and white. How cute for women or girls of any age.
I know I will be utilizing these for my upcoming fall baking endeavors, too, and I cannot wait!
PREFER CHOCOLATE?
Above, I also found these adorable candles that said 30-ish (which could easily say 40-ish or any other age). I thought they were super cute. This icing makes party prep so easy. Chocolate icing on chocolate cake was one of my favorite combos.
In the past year or so, I got to organize all my baking and decorating supplies into one cabinet, and it makes decorating treats even more fun than if I had all of my supplies in various cabinets around the kitchen. I put all my sprinkles into similar-sized containers, and the icing fits well there too! I love having a dedicated baking cabinet. Baking season is definitely upon us and I am almost giddy thinking about all of the treats I get to make for special occasions in the latter part of the year.
It’s so fun to see how special someone feels when I give them delicious treats I made myself. I think it’s the nostalgia of eating something homemade that is really what people are after! And, if you’re looking for a meaningful gift for someone, bake them something delicious and add icing and sprinkles, and you will seriously be their hero.
Some of my favorite people to treat would be friends with children, guy-friends who may not usually bake for themselves, my Dad who has a serious sweet tooth, college students during finals, friends or family who may be under the weather, birthdays of course, and I will even bring cupcakes or treats to a party to just thank the host for being so wonderful. And, cupcakes are perfect for a crowd because they’re portable!
I love how easy-to-use and convenient the New Pillsbury Filled Pastry Bags are for decorating a whole batch of cupcakes, or just one at a time! The back of the packaging even offers several technique ideas, or hop online to learn more. And you can save $1.00 on any Pillsbury Filled Pastry Bag with mPerks digital coupon here!
What sort of treats will you be decorating this year? Let me know in the comments below!
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Top Halloween Recipes, DIY Projects, and Party Ideas
Halloween will be here in a little over a month, and since it's such a spectacularly bewitching holiday, we get the chance to really go wild with our recipes, party decor, and DIY projects. Click any image to be taken to its source and directions or recipes. I found tons of these ideas via the Better Homes and Gardens website, and found lots of their free Halloween printables, here!
This Fire Pit Made Of Carved Pumpkins is my favorite idea of the season! All you need is 10-12 large pumpkins, and a print out or two of the flame stencil, found here on the BHG website. This idea could be used outside with candles, or indoors with flameless candles! How adorable!
Adorable Halloween Party Ideas like these Jack-O-Lantern face drinking glasses, or these elegantly decorated Candy Apples.
If you prefer a more woodland look, these Baby Owl Cupcakes might be just what you're looking for! I'd love to see these at a baby shower, birthday party, or even Thanksgiving celebration.
Below, I cannot believe how CUTE these mini pumpkin shaped Pumpkin Bread Truffles are!!
If monsters are more your thing, you might go wild for these fun Monster Cupcakes! WOW, what talent!!
These Monster Brownie Pops are also really amazing! Lots of great details and they have unexpected yet very beautiful color combinations.
Use vinyl cutouts to quickly decorate white plates, and place them adjacent to some pumpkins to make your home ready for a Halloween party in no time! Learn more here.
Thanks for checking out some of my favorite Halloween ideas! What will you use as inspiration?
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How To Make A Simple Yet Spooky No-Bake Halloween Ghost Cake
I created the cutest Halloween Cake ever and I am so happy to share it with you. I designed two versions, one in a more black and white color scheme, and also one with a bit more color. You can use the design as inspiration for whatever sort of Halloween decor you may enjoy best.
The most important part of sourcing the Ghost Shaped Peeps. I found mine at Walgreens (not my local grocery store though). I used the Ghost Peeps packs containing 9 pieces each, and two packages fit around the cake with a few to spare.
Well, let's get spooky and decorate this cake!!! And, please comment below if you're making any special treats inspired by Halloween. I'd love to hear all about them!
No baking is required for this awesome cake!
- 2 Sour Cream Bundt Cakes in Chocolate or Vanilla
Raspberry Jelly
Dark Chocolate Icing (1-2 containers)
Ghost Peeps
Candy Corn + sour Gummy Worms (Optional, only for more colorful cake design)
Silicone Spatula for icing cake
1.) Remove the plastic top of the first bundt cake's container. Using a serrated bread knife, CAREFULLY slice the top off of the bundt cake to make it as flat on top as possible.
2.) Invert the cut cake onto a plate or cake stand and make sure it's level.
3.) Add a thin layer of raspberry jelly to the top of the first bundt cake.
4.) Carefully slice the top off of the second bundt cake, and invert that to sit it on top of the first layer of cake.
5.) Add dark chocolate icing to the entire outside of the 2 layer cake. Make it as smooth as you can! The bottom half of the chocolate icing will be covered with Ghost Peeps, so don;t worry too much about how smooth it is, mainly making sure it's not too messy. Wipe off any excess chocolate icing around the bottom of the cake and the plate as possible, with a wet paper towel.
6.) Time to decorate! Open up two packages of Peeps, and keep the Peeps in their sets of three. Support the cake with one hand, and gently apply each set of three ghosts around the bottom edge. I used 12 or 15 Peeps around the bottom plus one extra Peep to fill in the small gap I had. Make sure to keep supporting the cake as you add Peeps or it may fall over! I just LOVE how chic and elegant this cake looks!
But, I had to go a little further with the design. If you're looking for a more colorful version of this cake, here you go.
By carefully adding sour gummy worms one at a time, I was able to make a neat pattern out of them, leaving attractive negative space in between each worm. I kind of shaped them as I stuck each one on. I also added candy corn to the top of the cake, and LOVE how it turned out! What do you think?
PIN IT FOR LATER:
Great Fall Outfit Ideas at Kohl's
Fall is quite literally the BEST season ever. When I get a little glimpse of a chilly, cool night, I am practically giddy every time a cool breeze blows through the house. I am one who love to layer up, and put on all the Fall clothes at once :)
I was super excited to get the opportunity to create a series of posts about outfits I find at Kohl's over the next few months. HelloSociety is absolutely amazing, and I could not imagine a more perfect time of year to share some of my favorite fashion ideas.
This is the first outfit that I found from Apt. 9. I was inspired to curate a look that would be great for a 9-5 office setting, but also look cute after work for a date, dinner, or even running a few errands on the way home too. Keep reading to get links to everything you see here in the post!
I loved shopping at Kohl's both in-store and online. And, it has quickly become my favorite store in town. I cannot believe their large selection of clothing for seriously EVERY occasion, as well as home goods that I have already used in a recipe that I will be posting in the next week (stay tuned)!!
Note - I created this work as sponsored Pinterest content for Kohl's and HelloSociety. Hopefully this post inspires you to shop Kohl's and their large line of Apt. 9 items this Fall!
Two Drink Recipes Featured on SoFabFood
I have been a part of the SoFab community since April of 2016, (check out my very first Shoppertunity post here) and since then, I have participated in over 50 campaigns with the, my work has blossomed into something really special! Each month, Collective Bias a.k.a. SoFab offers bloggers the chance to apply to create a SoFabFood inspired recipe that will then be published on their site. I have created two recipes for them so far, and am I always hoping to participate each month.
HUCKLEBERRY HONEY MOJITO
CHERRY BOURBON SMASH
get the recipe
Hey Honey! Let's Party :) Girls' Night In Party + Two Bonus Vegetarian Recipes
I am beyond excited to share a little something for #NationalHoneyMonth. I love using natural products in everything I make, and I have always loved using honey. Honey is an amazing option, and has lots of great health benefits too! Why not celebrate golden moments with friends and good food!
I headed to the Honey.com website to begin searching for recipes to create for the party. I decided upon these two. Keep scrolling down to get the full recipes!
Honey + Nut Glazed Brie and the Butternut Squash + Pomegranate Crostini With Whipped Feta + Honey (Which I titled Fall Harvest Crostini in this post).
As I was photographing and editing this post, I listened to Honeybee by Papa Mali, and it set the mood just perfectly! Listen below...
I was so happy when I received a golden box of goodies from The National Honey Board, to help inspire me to design a beautiful party and create a couple of gorgeous recipes.
One of my favorite bloggers, Camille Styles, was featured in this post from Honey.com, detailing all of her ideas on celebrating various Golden Moments lie this one, A Girls' Night In!
The theme is to #SavorGoldenMoments, so the gold box was so perfect! I loved the taste of the Clover Honey that they included, and the paper lanterns, paper straws, and festive napkins set the mood perfectly. It's like they knew my taste or something, because I already had several party decor items that coordinated perfectly with the gifts.
ABOUT HONEY
The story of honey is older than history itself. An 8,000-year-old cave painting in Spain depicts honey harvesting, and we know it's been used for food, medicine and more by cultures all over the world since.
But honey isn't about humans. It's the natural product made from bees—one of our planet's most important animals. Honeybees visit millions of blossoms in their lifetimes, making pollination of plants possible and collecting nectar to bring back to the hive.
Lucky for us, bees make more honey than their colony needs, and beekeepers remove the excess and bottle it. Just like they've been doing since the beginning of time.
RECIPE: HONEY AND NUT GLAZED BRIE
YIELD: 16 to 20 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 8 oz. wheel of Brie cheese (about 5-inch diameter)
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine honey, pecans and brandy. Place cheese on a large ovenproof platter or 9-inch pie plate. Bake in preheated 500°F oven 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese softens. Drizzle honey mixture over top of cheese. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until topping is thoroughly heated. Do not melt cheese.
If you need to, you can always do a Brie-Heat, where you warm the cheese, honey, and pecans up in the oven again for around 5-10 minutes on 350 degrees. Enjoy!
RECIPE: FALL HARVEST CROSTINI
YIELD: 24 pieces
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil cooking spray
1 baguette sliced diagonally 1/4-inch thick (about 24 pieces)
1 pound butternut squash cubed (1/2-inch cubes)
8 ounces feta cheese crumbled
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
honey for drizzlling
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray two rimmed baking pans with cooking spray. Place baguette slices on one prepared pan; lightly spray with cooking spray. Place squash on other prepared pan; lightly spray with cooking spray. Transfer both pans to oven; bake bread 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp (turning once), and squash 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender (stirring once). Allow bread and squash to cool before assembling crostini.
Meanwhile, place feta, cream cheese and pepper in bowl of food processor fitted with knife blade attachment. Process 3 to 5 minutes or until very smooth; scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
To serve, spread each piece of toasted bread with 2 teaspoons whipped feta. Divide roasted squash and pomegranate arils over feta. Sprinkle with mint and drizzle with honey; serve immediately.
THE BEES
Bees Do Big Things
Everyone knows honeybees make honey, but their contributions hardly end there. Although other insects can pollinate plants, honeybees are premier pollinators because they are available throughout the growing season and pollinate a wide range of crops, including almonds, apples, avocados, cucumbers, melons, pears and many more.
In fact, about one-third of the U.S. diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and honeybees are responsible for an impressive 80 percent of that process.
That’s why the National Honey Board currently allocates 5 percent of anticipated revenue each year to bee health research on issues like Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and external factors affecting honeybees.
HONEY & POLLINATION
Why do bees make honey?
Honeybees collect nectar to create honey and store as food because it provides the energy for bees’ flight muscles and provides heating for the hive in the winter. Fortunately, honeybees will make more honey than the colony needs, so it is necessary for beekeepers to harvest the excess, which they bottle.
FIVE WAYS YOU CAN HELP THE BEES
Let's Make Them Happy
Honeybees, beekeepers and the honey industry are direct contributors to the success of American agriculture. Today, the honey industry faces many challenges, such as hive loss, drought, colony collapse and shrinking forage areas. Here are a few ways you can help the honeybees:
Plant bee-friendly flowers and flowering herbs in your garden and yard.
Reduce or limit the use of chemicals and pesticides to treat your lawn or garden while plants are in bloom.
Bees are thirsty. Put a shallow basin of fresh water with marbles or rocks in it for the bees to land on outside your home.
Learn how to be a beekeeper with sustainable practices.
Donate to an organization dedicated to helping protect and promote honey bees and other pollinators.
Sparkling Peach Lemonade Recipe
Trying to squeeze the last few drops out of Summer, and I wanted to share a recipe we shot a couple of months ago. My little garden was so great this year, and I was thrilled to have fresh greenery to add to recipes and photos. I have seen a few delicious peaches around still, s grab some fruit and let's get started!
(Found via Southern Lady Magazine, here)
6 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 (33-ounce) bottle sparkling water*
2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 sprigs fresh mint
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
1.) In a medium saucepan, bring peaches, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer peach mixture to the container of a blender; purée until smooth. I also added a tiny bit of coconut milk to get that pretty, pastel color!
2.) In a large pitcher, stir together peach purée, sparkling water, lemon juice, and mint. Top with ice. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Notes:
We used San Pellegrino.
Kitchen Tip: Frozen peach slices may be substituted for ice cubes.
An Elegant Fall Bake Sale {Raise Love for Ronald McDonald House Charities}
Who's ready for Fall? I know I am! The weather has finally cooled down a bit at night here, which means it's time to mix up a few ingredients, get out the decorating materials, and perhaps it's time to get ready to give back by hosting a Fall Bake Sale! If you're here looking for ways to make your baked goods look gorgeous, you're in the right place.
I'm here today with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to share some Creative and Elegant Bake Sale Tips. Selling food is all about the presentation - we eat with our eyes first! In order to make the maximum amount of money from anything you're selling, make it cute and make it approachable!
CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS:
Above, I baked a box of chocolate cake mix into 24 cupcakes, using metal liners.
I then grabbed a quart freezer Ziploc bag and a rosette icing tip. I placed the tip into the corner of the bag, cut a tiny bit of the bag corner off, then taped the icing tip into the hole with electrical tape. This worked pretty well, or feel free to use a pre made piping bag and metal icing tip.
I then applied a swirl of icing to each cupcake and placed Fall Leaves sprinkles carefully onto each one. I thin they look like a little swirl of leaves on a windy, Fall day!
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
Also, shown above, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, spread it into a baking sheet, and followed the instructions on the packaging for best results. I then cut the cookie bars into squares, and set them on top of a slice of decorative wood and set them on a mint cake stand I got from Target. I love how this display turned out!
Did you know that in 2016, RMHC provided 2.4 million overnight stays to families? And in doing so gave the ability to spend more time with their sick children, to interact with their doctors, and to make important decisions about their children’s care?
Below, you will see the juggling balls that Ronald McDonals House Charities sent me!
Below, you can see a cute way to offer customers a cute gift bag with a Fall leave glued onto the bag, perfect for gifting that special treat!
Through the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs, RMHC provides places for families with sick children to stay just steps from the hospitals where they are receiving critical medical care.
Starting a fundraiser is simple and gives the fundraiser the freedom to do whatever it is they love to do to in order to help RMHC reach our goal of providing 12,500 more overnight stays to families of sick children this year.
1.) Always keep gloves and several pairs of tongs on the bake sale table, so you can serve customers their food without touching it. Also, make sure to keep plenty of to-go bags and containers for customers to bring their treats home in.
2.) Always use rubber gloves while baking the items too.
3.) Presentation! Presentation! Presentation! I loved the use of this light pink crushed velvet tablecloth material! I headed to my local craft store and spent around $8-10 for 1.5 yards of it. I was so happy to incorporate one of the year's trendiest fabrics into my bake sale display!
4.) Find a unique location like a popular, locally owned clothing boutique to have your bake sale in front of. Make sure people know to enjoy their treats before they head into shop, and food may not be allowed in the store. Office buildings, malls, and even breweries are also amazing location ideas because there is a larger amount of foot traffic.
5.) Spruce up desserts by adding bakery-style details like icing piped with icing tips, and seasonally adorable sprinkles! I also loved adding cupcake toppers, which can be made with toothpicks and scrapbooking paper or even pom poms! They can also be purchased for around $2.00.
6.) Place hand painted price signs at eye level, and make items affordable. Feel free to have a range of prices on the table too. For instance, I thought that .50 cents per mini cupcake, $2.00 per large cupcake, and $1.00 per chocolate chip cookie bar would be appropriate. I really, really wanted to make some caramel apples for this bake sale, and I believe you could get around $4.00 for them!
7.) Display the charity name for which you are fundraising! I made a hand painted sign for FREE with black paper and white paint to showcase the "Raise Love #forRMHC" campaign info. Shoppers may also want to tag your cause on social media, so that is also what inspired me to create that sign.
Simply Nice! Revamped Snacking + Boho Decor Ideas For Your Next Party
I was so thankful to be asked by Carusele to participate in the #SimplyNice campaign, sponsored by Walgreens. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.
Hosting a casual and elegant get-together is my favorite way to host friends and family. My friends sure know how to snack, so I always make sure to have extras on hand, too. I have always enjoyed the Nice! Products from Walgreens, and I have been noticing a few ch-ch-ch-changes lately in their packaging and ingredients. They are making a huge effort to offer products that have the best ingredients available. I appreciate this so much, because our local Walgreens is open 24 hours, so a lot of people are depending upon them to offer the very best.
With the recent change in weather, going from extreme heat and humidity down to nearly 70 degrees, I am seriously using any excuse to have friends over. We all love to let our dogs play outside, which somehow makes us hungry – that’s when I know it’s time to bring out the snacks and get ready to feast! I feel good about snacking with the new line of Nice!® products from Walgreens.
I like offering guests a wide range of options, and if you’re looking for baking ingredients, look no further – the Premium Raw Mixed Nuts, shown above, feature unsalted cashews, almonds, pecans, and walnuts. I love the idea of baking fresh items for guests, that way the house smells amazing when they arrive!
HOW TO REVAMP YOUR SNACKING
If you are looking to replace those unhealthy or rather boring snacks, head to the snack aisles at Walgreens and you won't be disappointed. Their snacks all have great flavors that are unique to their products, and IU just love them! I also cannot believe how many organic options they have!
Begin by reading the labels. The new Nice!® packaging, available among many departments in the stores, showcases easy-to-reference icons at the top right of the front of every item. This nutrition info is right there to help you make the best decision for you.
SIMPLE - HONEST - DELICIOUS
Above, their motto and also mine!
I could not believe how many new items they have available locally, and I’m sure I will start seeing even more soon. In this post, I featured newly packaged options like Magic Trail Mix, Chili Lime Cashews, Sesame Sticks, Tri-Colored Tortilla Chips (note - WITHOUT yucky food coloring like the traditional tri-colored chips I've seen), and Root Veggie Chips shown below. I just love the variety of colors in the last two options!
HOW TO REVAMP YOUR PARTY DÉCOR
If you want to impress guests with snacks AND décor, then I created a cute party look that would fit into my life and hopefully yours. I love the idea of casually sitting on floor pillows, so I found the cutest rugs ever and used them for inspiration! I laid down two woven style rugs, and one furry white rug. I also laid out a piece of this amazing crushed velvet material, which I thought would be cute to tie even more color into the look.
Next, I added some cute pillows – the more the BETTER, so use everything you can find J I love the Bohemian aesthetic, but you could use a more rustic or woodland look for a cozy and inviting theme.
I wanted a low sitting table, and did not exactly have one, so I created one myself! On top of a large wooden crate, I simply added a piece of stained wood I already had. This could be made from just about anything sturdy enough to hold your food and drinks without tipping over. I then laid a table runner across the top.
For the flowers, and if you’re planning a beer + snack tasting night, I thought it would be adorable to fill some brown glass growlers with water and fresh flowers (they traditional come from breweries so you can travel home with their beers). I also love how the brown glass and the color of the flowers really make it look more like Fall up in here!
Another fun way to dress up your party would be to provide guests with reusable, cloth napkins rolled up and wrapped with ribbon. I love the Eco-friendly aspect of this, and guests will love the oversized tea towels for their snacking adventures.
The video below really does a good job of describing the new Walgreens Nice products and makes them very relatable!
Another fun item I added to the party was a fuzzy, very light pink colored stool. The whimsical nature of it says so much and really compliments everything well.
Hopefully I have given you some insight on how to revamp your snacking and your party décor! For more ideas, visit me on Pinterest or Instagram. Happy snacking, friends!
What To Pin In September (And What To Post About This Fall)
I just watched an awesome and informative Facebook Live Video from Tailwind, and they shared all sorts of awesome, trending topics that will be important to pin in September. They also shared some incredible topics on what content topics to work on as well. Tailwind is a Pinterest and Instagram Here we go!
(Read Their Full Article Here)
I think the best way to share the topics is to list them for now, and I will share some more photo examples very soon :)
TOPICS + POST IDEAS INCLUDE:
CATEGORY: FALL / AUTUMN
Pumpkins (source)
Enjoying time outside, enjoying the end of warmer weather. (source)
Decorating for Fall (Home Decor and DIY Posts will go over well) (source)
Halloween Treats / Recipes / Decor Ideas / Party Tips and Ideas (source)
Apple Pie Bites (source)
Fall / Autumn / Halloween Dinner Parties (source)
Friendsgiving (source)
Thanksgiving Everything (source)
MORE IDEAS INCLUDE:
Home Decor - Farmhouse Style / Cottage Style / Rustic
Neutral Decor with Pops of Color
College Tips / Dorm Decor Healthy College Recipes
Fall Fashion
CATEGORY: WINTER / CHRISTMAS
DIY Christmas Gifts
Healthy Swaps For Traditional Holiday Treats
What To Wear To A Dinner Party
Dinner Party Recipes / Tips / Planning
Organic Rustic Grilled Salsa & Hand-Cut Tortilla Chips
A Rustic Grilled Tomato Salsa is a great way to use 100% fresh and organic ingredients in a recipe that is just perfect for summer! Mission Organic Tortillas were the perfect ingredient to use and compliment my salsa oh so well. I am beyond happy with how these cute little hand-cut tortilla chips turned out, and I hope you enjoy them!
Choosing organic ingredients is of top priority when it comes to preparing and serving any recipe. I have been watching a few very inspiring cooking shows lately, and they’re showing me the possibilities of creating everything from scratch, from fresh, local, and organic ingredients, and I just love it! So happy to be partnering with a brand I have loved for years, and I am so glad they have a delicious line of organic products!
This post was not sponsored, it was actually one of two ideas I had for the brand. See which post they chose instead.
SALSA (Makes 3-4 Servings):
Choose Organic Ingredients When Possible
1 container of colorful or red mini tomatoes
2-3 Jalapeno Peppers, cut in half lengthwise
2 Larger Red Slicing Tomatoes, cut into slices
1 Lime, cut into wedges for the juice
Cilantro, chopped
Garlic (1-2 cloves, chopped)
HAND CUT TORTILLA CHIPS
Cookie Cutters
Spray Butter, Spray Coconut Oil, or similar
Large Grain Sea Salt (Regular will do)
OTHER MATERIALS:
Toaster Oven or Regular Oven
Grill
Skewer Sticks
Food Processor
Knife
1.) (For The Salsa) Prep your veggies! Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise, and remove any seeds and interior material. Next, add mini heirloom tomatoes (in various colors or in all red) to skewer sticks. Lastly, slice larger tomatoes into slices that are thick enough to handle.
2.) (For The Chips) Simply use any shape cookie cutter and use your palms to press the cookie cutters into the Mission Organic Tortillas. Coat them with butter spray, and toast them in a toaster oven on 300 degrees for about 2 minutes, until edges are browned. Lastly, sprinkle with salt and enjoy, with a side of homemade salsa, guacamole, cheese dip, and sour cream!
3.) (To Make The Salsa) Once your veggies are all ready, turn on your grill to a higher heat, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add all veggies to your grill (carefully – I use a pair of tongs to do this step). The sliced tomatoes cannot be on for long, so make sure to keep them on for a minute or so each side. Below, you can see all of the grilled veggies, ready to be blended with the other ingredients.
After you have processed all of your ingredients, your salsa should look like the photo, below. What a cute pairing for my little hand-cut tortilla chips!
I also just love how everything in this recipe is organic! I am not sure if the salt I used would be, but everything else is a yes J I hope this post helps you see just how easy it is to use 100% natural and organic ingredients in your upcoming recipes.
