Nutella Crescent Rolls

I made the Nutella Crescent rolls for breakfast this morning.  She say this pin and absolutely had to have them.  I did make a subtle change to the recipe.  I omitted the sugar and just dusted the pockets with cinnamon.  They were wonderful. 

I think the best part of making these is  they are so simple that she could help make them.  She enjoys getting her hands dirty in the kitchen also. 

I believe it is important for a mother and a daughter to cook together in the kitchen.  It is the only way the younger generation is going to learn the dying art of cooking. 

I say dying because I remember my grandmother slaving over the stove cooking, baking and canning non-stop.  Unfortunately she has passed and with her some of those precious recipes that we will never be able to recreate because no one made them as tasty as she did.

The Payday Cupcake is Heavenly!

If you love Paydays and you haven't tried this cupcake, you must be crazy.  I was a little worried.  I am not much of an icing maker.  And I definitely struggle witht he decoration portion, but I was willing to turn the oven on in this hot weather.  And boy, I am glad I did because I am sure that I heard angels singing. 

The cake portion was extra fluffy.  I did struggle a little with the icing portion.  I think that I might have gotten a little to dry, so when you make yours, stick to about 2 cups of powder sugar.  As you can see, I also struggled with the decorating portion, but I think it was not a bad first attempt. 


Recommendations: 

1.  I think that the peanuts really make the cupcake.  I would recommend either chopping the nuts finely and adding them to the icing.  Or, I guess you could roll the iced cupcake in the peanuts to get the maximum nuts on the cake. 


2.  Keep your icing moist and not grainy. 


But either way this cake is heavenly!  

Strawberry Basil Sangria

I don't drink much, but today I could not pass up the opportunity to make this drink.  I have never have had a sangria before, so I really cannot compare it to other types of sangrias. 

But here is what I can tell you:  You do need to make the drink and let it sit a for a while.  It gets sweeter over time.  The sugar unlocks the natural juices.  I would make it up several hours before serving. 

I also think that you can avoid the sugar and club soda and use a diet sprite for nearly the same taste.  I also used ice cubes in mine because the grape juice and the wine was not chilled. 

It was wonderful.  I think it would be perfect for summer parties when the fruit is in season.  Maybe even serve it at a bridal shower.  I, personally, loved sipping it on the patio reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Atlanta City Pass a Must!

I love to travel, but what I love more than traveling is getting great deals.  This summer one of our destinations was Atlanta, Georgia.  I knew from the start that The Georgia Aquarium was a must see, as well as The World of Coca-Cola.  But when researching other attractions in the Atlanta Area, I discover the Atlanta City Pass.

For just $69.00 dollars, an adult can get into 5 attractions -- The Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, the CNN tour, and two choices -- (1) Zoo Atlanta or the Atlanta History Center and (2) High Musuem of Art or Fernbank Musuem of Natural History.  Children can do five attractions for only $49.00. 

Our first attraction was the Atlanta Zoo.  It is a small zoo as compared to the St. Louis Zoo, but you can walk through a beautiful park to get to the main zoo entrance.  Also another calling card for me was the pandas.  We do not have pandas here in St. Louis.  Another interesting activity some may enjoy is the feeding of the giraffes.  We did not do that here, but we have feed giraffes in Colorado. For the most part, you have very good views of the animals, and animal feedings are fequently schedule which allows for some very good sightings of some of the more elusive animals.   You can see the whole zoo in three hours.

We choose to do the World of Coke on our first night in Atlanta.  What was really nice about the city pass was we got to circumvent a huge line that needed to buy tickets.  It was Memorial Day and lines were extra long.  We did choose to skip the Secret Formula Vault to go to the 4-D movie.  We did spend some time in the tasting room.   You can easily see the whole attraction in three to three and half hours.

A word of caution:  Apparently are tastes in America and those around the world are vastly different.  Some of those were absolutely ghastly.

The next morning we were off to do the CNN tour.  Some advice:  If you want to be one of the first tours, call ahead and reserve a slot or arrive very early.  They are also very particular about pictures with flashes.  Make sure that you know how to operate your camera properly.  But the tour is very interesting for adults.  I do not think that my 10 year old daughter got a whole lot out of the experience.  The tour lasted a little over an hour.

Also if you are looking for fast food, this is the place to get it.  They have many chains located in the food plaza and lots of seating.  There is also the CNN and Turner Broadcasting Gift shop.  They have many items that we just loved, like shirts from our favorite show, Big Bang Theory.

One Fun Fact:  If you go on this tour, you will be riding the world's largest escalator.  Check that off the Bucket List!

Within walking distance to CNN is the Georgia Aquarium, which just made the list for being one of the world'd best aquariums.  When you get there, head right over to the customer service desk to get your tickets for Dolphin Tales, which is included in the price of the City Pass.  Then enjoy the rest of the aquarium.  Plan on spending time in the large aquarium Ocean Voyager gallery.  The larger Manta rays will do backflips, and of course, the other fish are equally as mesmerizing.  I could have sat their for hours.  Just so peaceful!    There is also a 4D theater show great for children.  I will admit the Dolphin Tales show was a little hokey.

Sadly, we ran out of time and did not make it to our final attraction, which would have been the Fernbank Natural History Museum, but I still feel with those four attractions we got our money's worth. 

What would I do differently if I could?  I would probably skip the zoo and choose the other option, the Atlanta History Center.  I know we missed out on the history of the south and Atlanta.  This place includes the Centennial Olympic Games Museum and the Margaret Mitchell house (She wrote Gone with the Wind for you non-literary types). 

Another aspect of this trip that I enjoyed was our hotel, Courtyard by Marriot Downtown was located on Carnegie, which was between Peachtree Street (many dining choices) and the attractions.  We parked the car and walk everywhere we wanted to go.  Everynight we walked through Centennial Park, which is absolutely beautiful.  If I had the time I would have walked around the whole park, but we were a little pressed for time.   I don't know if the park is always as busy as it was on Memorial Day weekend, but there seemed to be many events taking place in the park. 

Dressing Up Flip Flops!

Flip Flops!  I live in them about 4 months out of the year, which is strange considering I only have about 3 pairs. 

A few weeks ago, I pinned this cute idea on dressing up a pair of flip flops with ribbon and decided I had to give it a try. 

My daughter and I bought flip flops at Michael's for under $3 bucks.  We also purchased from their dollar section 3 spools of matching ribbon and1 spool of larger ribbon each.  We found the glittery buttons for $2.00.  For approximately $8.00, I have this classy flip flop to wear.

I do have several recommendations that may make this an easier project for you. 

1.  Use a good fabric double-sided ribbon.  I used a waxy, single-sided ribbon.  It took a while to get the braiding down so that the white underside did not show.

2.  I would recommend not only gluing the ribbon on the flip flop but add a few stitches to secure the ribbon permanently to the flip flop.   Do the same for the bow.  Stitch it to the shoe. 

3.  I think I would also recommend shortening the link of the ribbons that make up the bow by at least an inch each.  I cannot see my toes at all when I have them on.

Things I changed because (hey, I never follow a recipe or pattern completely): 

1.  I only used three 7 inch ribbons on the second bow. 

2.  I also reverse the second bow's ribbons to its solid side for contrast. 

Baked Zucchini Sticks

I know it is finally summer when I start harvesting the garden with my husband.  I know I said that I don't have much of a green thumb, but between my husband and I, we can usually get a few plants to grow in our small garden plot. 

This week the zucchini harvest has begun.  I only have two zucchini plants, but I have managed to harvest 5 zucchini already.  Now I am not a bigger vegetable eater.  I am more a meat and potatoes kind of gal, but I try to find appetizing recipes whenever I can. 

After scouring the Pinterest for zucchini recipes, I decided to try the Baked Zucchini Sticks. 

Mine may not be as pretty as the orginial picture, but they were very tasty.  A couple of things I would do differently:

1.  I would slick the zucchini smaller. 

2.  I would grate the Parmesan cheese smaller.

3.  I think I would spray the coated zucchini with a cooking spray before they went into the oven.  I am not sure what this might do, but I know if you are baking homemade french fries or sweet potato fries, the spray will make them crisper. 

I also made the Sweet Onion Dip.  It was the perfect compliment to the zucchini.  However, my husband was not a big fan and thought he would like to try a marinara sauce next time.  I will have to let you know how that works out. 

The Worse Household Chore

Before

The one household chore I throughly dislike is cleaning the bathroom for a vaiety of reasons.  One, it is the one place I cannot avoid gagging.  Two, all of the germs in the bathroom are horrifying.  Yeah, yeah .... they are my germs, but there are just so many.  Don't believe me! 

Here are the facts: 

According to the Center for Disease Control, the average toilet bowl contains 3.2 million bacteria/square inch (that is actually in the bowl).  The bathtub near the drain contains 119,468 bacteria/square inch.  The bathroom sink, near the drain contains 2,733 bacteria/square inch, but if you touched the faucet before scrubbing the bacteria away, you just exposed yourself to 6,267 bacteria/square inch. 

Makes you just want to run to the fridge and grab a light snack, right? 

Before

Another reason I hate cleaning the bathroom is I have a bad back and bad knee.  So if I can avoid stoop labor or crawling on the floor, I will.  I mean who wants to crawl around on the bathroom floor with 764 bacteria/square inch. 

I hate soap scum!  I hate soap scum!  I have tried everything to perserve a sparkling tub.  409, Soft Scrub, Scrubbing Bubble, car waxes, RainEx, the daily Tilex after shower spray.   Today, I try the much acclaimed vinegar and the Original Blue Dawn.  If this works, I will be screaming for joy from the rooftops.  I have provided you before photos to show you my failure in keeping a sparkling tub. 

Just so everyone is clear on the recipe for this "Magical Blue Spray", it is equal parts white vinegar and Original Blue Dawn.  Heat the vinegar for a minute or two in the microwave.  I heated it for one minute. Placed it in a spray bottle and coated the shower rather liberally.   

After

I only had a hour to kill with this little project.  After 45 minutes I was in the shower, rinse the blue cleaner off.  I had some tough soap scum areas that required a little light scrubbing.  But over all I was very pleased with the results.  

I think if I made this a monthly part of the cleaning routine (I do clean weekly, but you know the cleaning I am talking about -- the cleaning that takes place before you mother shows up), my tub would be soap scum free.  I also recommend applying after the morning shower and taking it off after your return from work, allowing maximum time to clean.  Maybe heating the vinegar the full two minutes would also eliminated the scrubbing.

In the words of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., "Free at last!  Free at last!  Thank God, we are free at last!"  Somehow, I feel they are fitting here.

Tropical Planter

I do not have much of a green thumb, but I feel that no home is complete without a planter on their front porch. Hence another attempt at keeping $60.00 worth of plants alive through the summer, but this year I vow that they will stay alive.

First, I have a very difficult front porch. My front porch points directly west, and the summer heat sometimes makes the front porch unbearably hot. I have recorded temperatures of 117 degrees on that porch.

My approach was completely different this year. I research through Pinterest many different container arrangements, but I was unsure if they would survive. My husband suggested some sort of desert planter, but I don't think it would send the necessary welcoming message I was after.

One of the pins on Pinterest took me to Better Homes and Gardens. I explored the site a bit and found this very easily tropical planter. Then I went to Lowes Home Improvement Center and subbed out some of the flowers for even more "heat-loving" plants. I also meddled with the original planter plans because I do not have a four foot wide container.

I also waited until after our early summer vacation to purchase and plant the container. You just cannot trust some to water your flowers while you are gone. I have to say that I am very happy with the results, and the flowers seem to be thriving in the heat. I mist the flowers daily and give them Miracle Grow once a week.


This is my planter with a canna in the center of the back.  Two purple cone flowers flank the canna.  Two smaller green plants in the front (not in bloom are Marguerite Daisies (purple), and last around the front and the sides are 4 Alternanthera 'Red Thread'.    I will post more pictures as the other flowers bloom. 

Teriyaki Chicken

On Father's Day weekend, I went Trout fishing with my father. We rented two nice cabins at Montauk State Park near Salem, MO. The little cabins were nothing more than sleeping rooms -- no kitchenette. The question of what we would be eating loomed large until I found the following pin on Pinterest.

I took my crockpot, crockpot liner (can be found near the plastic wrap in most grocery stores), and a plastic bag of Teriyaki Chicken. While we were out catching the day's quota of trout, my Teriyaki Chicken was back in the cabin on low cooking up into a wonderful cot meal that impressed not only my father, but my mother also.

I did meddle with the recipe a bit. I add a red and yellow bell pepper for color, and since I was not going to be able to cook the rice I added uncooked instant rice to the rice. The crockpot was able to cook the rice up nicely. The only suggestion from the group was either to cut down on the pineapple or to use a small chunk or even the crushed pineapple.

When think about this meal in retrospect, several things about it was very appealing.  One, I have never really thought about using my crockpot in the summer.  For me, it has always been a winter device in my kitchen, but I realized I have been selling this item short.  I liked that it did not heat up the room.  Also by using the crockpot liners cleanup was as easy as lifting the bag out of the crock. 

831 to go

     It is no secret that Pinterest has taken the nation by storm. On average 1.36 million people spend an average 15.8 minutes on Pinterest a day, much more than Facebook.  Almost 70 percent of those people are women (25-34 years of age with at least one child) who are considered well-off by economic standards. 

   I spend countless hours "pinning" and planning the next project, but sadly very few ever reach the Completion Pile.  Oh, let's be honest, very few even reach the Beginning Pile.  I have gone to Michaels and Hobby Lobby, wondered the canyon of shelves, bought the materials and made plans for a second career as a crafter, but when the time comes, I find myself in front of my computer "pinning" again.

     In the six months that I have been a member of this community, I have created 23 Boards, pinned 837 things to them, invited 20 of my closest friends to join me in wasting endless hours, and managed to find 30 others who may have less of a life than myself.  In those six months, how many pins have I completed?   A fair question.  The answer is 6. 

     I have completed an Easter craft, done my little girl's hair up in a waterfall braid, served my family two recipes, planted a flower container for my front porch and created my version of a blog planner to aid in writing this.  What about the 831 other pins?  Good question.

     So with this blog, I have one goal in mind --- to move from Inspiration to Creation.  I want to share with you my year of checking off those Pinterest Projects.  Maybe along the way, you can learn a few things from me or I from you.  Maybe you will find this little journey comical.  Either way, it will be a year of discovery.