My Thanksgiving Menu [Tasty Tuesday]

This year we're hosting a small Thanksgiving at our house.  We usually have 892 places to go so we decided not to tote Carson all around town and host instead!  We're only having about 6-8 guests for dinner (not including our little family of 3) so dinner shouldn't be too stressful.

Here is our [tentative] menu for Thursday:

Snacks/Appetizers:
Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball
Fresh Fruit + Strawberry Dip

Dinner:
Turkey Breast
Honeybaked Ham (courtesy of  my Momma)
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows (courtesy of my MIL)
Corn Casserole (courtesy of my sis)
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Scalloped Potatoes
Dinner Rolls w/ Cranberry Pear Sauce

Dessert:
Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle (I'm doing a variation of this)
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

(I almost made one of these but I am going to save them for later: Skinny Frozen Peanut Butter Pie OR Peanut Butter Cup Pie)

What's on your Thanksgiving menu?  Are you hosting or visiting family/friends?

Pizza Muffins!

I'm linking up with another Pinterest recipe!  This one is embarrassingly easy and not at all healthy.  Who am I kidding?  None of the recipes I post are difficult or healthy!


Today I'm sharing the recipe for Pizza Muffins.  Pizzuffins?  Either way, they're SO easy to whip up and it's easy to make when you want a quick dinner.   What You Need Refrigerated Pizza Dough (Pillsbury or generic..I used Kroger brand) Pizza Sauce Shredded Cheese (I used mozzarella) Pepperoni (chopped or mini) *Optional: Any other toppings of your choice! How-To

1. Cut your pizza dough into even sections.  I made 8 muffins, but I probably could have made more. 
2. Press each section of dough into your muffin pan.  Make sure to press it up the sides!
3. Pour a bit of sauce into each section.  
4. Add your cheese and toppings!
5. Bake 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Make sure to notice my sous chefs, Chip & Dixie:

Here is the original pin:

Source: reallyfrompinterest.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Mmmm...Cookies!

I pinned these cookies a week or two ago (and posted about them) and I've been dying to make them ever since!  Anything with Reese's Pieces is good in my book! 

 Here is the original pin:

Source: foodgawker.com via Emily on Pinterest

I followed this recipe to a T except I omitted the peanut butter chips.  I figured peanut butter cookies with the Reese's Pieces was enough!  I also always try to substitute certain items with "healthier" items when baking.  I have yet to notice a difference!

You can find the original recipe at Sweet Pea's Kitchen.  

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Soft peanut butter pudding cookies bursting with milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and Reese's Pieces.

YIELD: 3 dozen cookies

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup reese's pieces
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 35o°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pudding; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and honey and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beat to combine. Add chocolate chips, reeses pieces and peanut butter chips and mix until incorporated. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball between your palms and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using your palm, gently flatten the dough balls until they are about ¾ inch thick.
Bake 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

The recipe says to roll the dough into 1.5" balls and then flatten the balls.  I used my cookie scoop instead of rolling and then flattened the cookies with my palm.  They seemed like big balls (that's what she said) but the cookies turned out perfectly sized!

Here's the end result.  YUM!  I love that they didn't spread at all, they're so thick and fluffy!

The recipe says it makes about 3 dozen.  I got 41 cookies out of this batch!  I decided to freeze some.  I placed them on a foil lined baking pan and froze them overnight.  Then I transferred them to a freezer baggie with the baking information (I usually add about 4 minutes to the original baking time).

I'm linking up with Stephanie and Katie again!

Organization Station

It's Wednesday so I'm linking up with Michelle again with my latest and greatest pins!

 

This week I decided to pin from my organization board.  Even though my house isn't perfect, I really love organizing things!  It makes me happy when everything has a home.  If only my husband could feel the same way!! :)

I already keep my medicine in a container drawer thing but mine is a single drawer so everything is mixed together.  I like the idea of separating it all...especially now that we have children's medicine, too!

Source: raquelenglish.com via Emily on Pinterest

I love the organization on the backs of these cabinet doors!  I'm always looking for a way to hide clutter and utilize any extra space and I love this!  I might have to make something like this in my kitchen soon!

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: applevalleygirl.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: imperfecthomemaking.com via Emily on Pinterest

I've seen plastic pencil organizers in the dollar spot at Target so this idea might come to life real soon if they have those little baskets still!  I think they were even 2 or 3 for $1!

Source: domesticimperfection.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Currently I have one of those 3-drawer plastic organizers in between my washer and dryer.  I like it b/c it holds extra laundry supplies and paper products for the kitchen.  This is a similar idea but looks so much nicer than mine!

Source: amazon.com via Emily on Pinterest

Here is one that I actually did after pinning it!  (Please note: this is the original pin, not mine!)  I did this on the back of my basement door (which is right by our kitchen) so the cleaning supplies would be hidden away but easy to access!

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

Crispy Cheesy Chicken [Tasty Tuesday]

I get most of my recipes from Pinterest and friends.  While some of them are Pinterest fails... (remember my marshmallow brownies?!) most are really easy and tasty recipes!

I have two food boards on Pinterest.  One is recipe ideas I like and the other is recipes I've made and turned out delicious.  If I try something and it's not so great, I try to delete it from my boards.  Click the button to the right to follow my boards!  ----->

This is the original pin that I used for my chicken dish:

Source: breezyboodet.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

I made a few changes, but this chicken turned out delicious!  Nick even said it was "maybe the best chicken you've ever made"!  It was SO easy!

Ingredients:
3-4 large chicken breasts (I just used a 1lb. package from the grocery)
30 (ish) Ritz crackers (I used generic and it worked fine!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. milk
2 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 t. dried parsley

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Line a baking sheet with foil OR spray with non-stick cooking spray.
-While oven is heating up, crush your crackers.  You can do this in your food processor or in a baggie using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer (using the smooth side so you don't poke holes in the bag).

-Place the crushed crackers in a bowl and stir in the salt and pepper.  Place this bowl aside.
-Put your milk in another bowl and the cheese in another bowl.  Line the bowls up in this order: milk, cheese, cracker crumb mixture.  (Sorry my picture is the wrong order..just making sure you're paying attention!)

-Dredge each chicken breast in milk then cover in cheese.  You may need to press the cheese into the chicken to make it stick.  Next, drag the chicken through the cracker crumb mixture.  Once again, you may need to press it into the chicken to get it to stick.
-Place your coated chicken breasts onto your foil-lined (or greased) pan.  If you have extra cheese/crackers, feel free to sprinkle that over the top of your chicken!  Cover with another piece of foil.

-Stick your covered pan in the oven and cook chicken for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil cover and return to the oven for about 10 minutes to make your chicken crispy!

**The original recipe included a sauce/gravy, but I omitted this.  I didn't feel like it needed a sauce at all, the chicken was very moist!  (I hate that word.)

I paired this chicken with green beans.  I steamed my green beans first.  Next I sauteed the beans with sliced almonds and a bit of butter (I use 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter').  My husband hates vegetables and he actually really likes these green beans!

Don't forget to link up and tell me all about you in my post from Monday!

Tell Me About Yourself!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Veterans Day!  I'm so thankful for all of the service men and women in our country!

Last week Sarah at A Buckeye in Badgerland nominated me for a blog award!  

{Rules}

:: post 11 random facts about yourself ::

:: answer the questions the blogger who nominated set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to ::

:: choose 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post ::

:: go to their page and tell them about the award ::

:: no tag backs! ::

I had a few awards on my old blog, but I've never received this award before!  This is a great way for my new readers to get to know me.  Thanks Sarah!!  Sarah has an adorable baby son [Paxton] and she's a Buckeye fan!!  Go check her out by clicking her button:

{11 Facts}

1. I met my husband while I was in high school and we built a house together when I was only 19!

2. I am a candy hoarder.  I have a "candy drawer" in my kitchen and [even though I love candy] I refuse to eat it!  There's even a Valentine's Hershey bar I got last year from a student.  I'm not sure why I hoard the candy.

3. If I could, I would move to the beach and wear flip flops for the rest of my life.  [As long as I would be able to wear heels and fun shoes to go out sometimes!]

4. I used to get my hair highlighted ALL the time.  I became practically blond!  It became really high maintenance so I haven't highlighted my hair since our wedding in 2008.  Now I'm all for my au naturale brunette locks!  

5. I hate feet.  The only exceptions are my own feet and baby feet.  I don't even like to get pedicures.  I do, however, always like to have my toenails painted.  Unpainted toenails are gross.  (No offense.)

6. Under my bed I have "memory boxes".  I have one for stuff from when I was younger (school projects, pictures, ticket stubs, etc.) and I have one for cards, letters, etc. that Nick has given me.  I love to go back through and look at them!

7. I once bought a car with a manual transmission before I knew how to drive stick.  I had to learn fast!  I also used to be super into cars and I liked to take pictures of my car.  Ha, how times have changed!

8. I don't like regular milk.  For years I would only drink skim milk with ice and I would ONLY do that if I was eating Oreos.  Weird, I know.  I just recently discovered almond milk and I drink that now (with ice still).  

9. I can be very OCD about certain things.  For example, when I eat Skittles/M&M's, I sort the candy first then eat each color individually.  I also do this with my Chex Mix.  

10. I love animals.  Like, maybe way more than normal.  When an animal dies in a movie, it's way more upsetting than when a human dies.  Am I right?!

Dixie & Chip :)

11. I constantly have about 4-5 to-do lists.  I used to have post-its everywhere.  That got a little out of hand so I printed a cute to-do list template and made copies.  Now I use an app on my phone.  I have so many lists on there: grocery, shopping (for stuff not at the grocery), Christmas gift ideas, chores, meal planning ideas, etc.  It's a little crazy BUT checking items off my list makes me happy. :)

{Questions from Sarah}

1. What's your favorite dessert?   I love all desserts!  If I had to pick one, I'd choose cookies because you can make so many different types!  I'm thinking I'll be making these sometime this week:

Source: foodgawker.com via Emily on Pinterest

2. What did you think about the ending to Lost?  I'm an outcast and I've never seen an episode of Lost.  Not even one!

3. What's your favorite talk show?  Ellen!  Without a doubt.  I think she's hilarious and I love what she does for other people.  Plus I don't watch any other talk shows so there's no competition!  I DVR Ellen. :)

4. Tell me a joke.  I'm horrible with remembering jokes!  I literally just spent 5 minutes googling jokes and couldn't find a good one.  I'm lame!

5.  What is something you believe in?  True love.  Simple but true!

6. What is something you don't believe in?  I don't believe in reindeer.  My husband and I have a joke about this and every time we walk by the reindeer exhibit at the zoo I pretend I don't see them.  When I was little and I found out about Santa, I thought the reindeer were also made up.  How sad!

7. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? I have to go with Sbux.  I love my skinny soy decaf iced vanilla lattes and my skinny soy decaf peppermint mochas!  BUT Dunkin Donuts has some good donuts!  I also love Tim Hortons donuts and decaf cafe mochas!

8. Do you wear leggings as pants?  Nope.  I own 1 pair of leggings and the only time I've worn them is under a skirt for Halloween.  I would love to wear leggings because they're so comfy but I just feel weird in them!

9. What would you eat as your last meal?  This is a hard question!  I think I would choose some sort of pizza with a size of pasta (might as well load up on the carbs) and then definitely a delicious dessert!  One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus has an amazing peanut butter chocolate pie...yum!

10. What is something you are obsessed with?  My son, for sure. :)

11. Do you have a loyalty to a certain brand? (Kraft mac n cheese, Folgers coffee, Charmin toilet paper, etc.)  Definitely love Kraft mac'n'cheese (only the shapes)!  I also love Pentel RSVP pens...I know, welcome to 1998, right?  I only buy Almay eyeliner and All (free and clear) laundry detergent.  I don't mind store brand for a lot of stuff but there are some things where it's just not as good!

{My Questions for YOU!}

1. What are your hobbies?

2. Tell me an embarrassing story about yourself.

3. Where is your favorite place to travel?

4. If you were given $1000 for a shopping spree to one store, where would you shop?

5.  Do you like waffles?

6. If you ever had AIM, what was your screen name?  If you didn't have AIM, you missed out!

7. What is your beverage of choice?  

8. Describe your go-to outfit.

9. What is one beauty item you can't live without?

10. What is your favorite TV show (currently on air or old)?

11. What is your favorite thing about where you live?

{Nominations}

I'm nominating ALL of my readers!  Answer my questions and link-up below:

Carson LOVES Green Beans [cue sarcasm]

Next Tuesday I'm going to be sharing a new recipe for Tasty Tuesday!  I actually used the extra green beans from that recipe to make some more baby food for Carson!

After steaming the [frozen] green beans, I set about 1/2 of the bag aside in a covered bowl.  When we were done with dinner, I threw the beans in my food processor.  Like always, you need to add a bit of liquid (breastmilk, formula, or water).  Green beans are harder to get smooth so I had to process for quite a while.

Next I put the beans into my trusty ice cube trays.  I froze the beans overnight before placing them into a labeled freezer storage bag.  I got about 16 servings from a 1/2 bag of frozen green beans.

Here is Carson just LOVING the green beans.  Haha!  This was his first try.  He's actually getting used to them now.  I think he was thrown off by the flavor and the texture!