Lanterns for a touch of evening romance

Perfect for a family or couple dinner. Home cooking + great backyard setting. Great for distressing.

Inexpensive votive are a beautiful idea for a romantic evening.

Romantic Date Night Idea

Boston Cream Doughnut Holes

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
pinch salt
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
102-g pkg instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp butter

Instructions

Place warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle with yeast and let sit for 5 min.
Melt butter with milk and salt in a small pot over low heat, or in the microwave. Let sit until lukewarm. Whisk in egg.
Place 1 cup flour in a large bowl. Add yeast and milk mixtures and stir until smooth. Add another 1/2 cup flour and work into the dough with a wooden spoon or by hand.
Turn dough out onto a counter. Knead, adding remaining flour as needed, until dough is smooth, and no longer sticky, about 5 min.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Remove dough from bowl and press into a disc. Cut into 1 tbsp portions. Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest until slightly expanded, about 45 min.
Preheat oven to 400F. Bake donut holes for 10 to 15 min or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool fully.
Prepare vanilla pudding according to package directions. Refrigerate for 10 min. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Reserve.
Poke a hole in each donut (without going through) using a skewer. Jiggle the skewer back and forth to create a tunnel about the width of a pencil.
Fit a piping bag with a small round tip (#1). Load 1 cup of pudding into the piping bag. Or, place pudding in a large freezer bag and cut a very small hole in the corner.
Pipe pudding into each donut hole and return to rack. Reserve remaining pudding for another use. Dip donut hole tops into melted chocolate. Place chocolate-side-up on a rack and refrigerate for 15 min to firm up before serving.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Simple Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes for the Crock-Pot

Ingredients:

4 large russet or red potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices {I used a combination of russet and reds}
1 onion sliced into rings OR minced dried onion {I used the minced dried onion, probably about 1/4 cup…its less detectable to the kids}
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Grease crock-pot dish.
Layer sliced potatoes in crock-pot occasionally sprinkling layers with dried onion.
Repeat with potatoes and onions.
In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper.
Whisk in milk.
Cook mixture over medium heat until thickens. Stir in the shredded cheese; continuing to whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours OR cover and refrigerate for cooking the next day.

Source

Backyard Ideas

Create a sofa on the lawn

Up-cycle used tires to make a playground

Build a simple gazebo for everyone to enjoy

Having your own pizza oven in the back yard would be heaven

Build this lounge area on your porch

Zucchini Crust Pizza

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 large egg or 2 small ones
About 3 small-medium zucchinis (mine were about 8″)
1.5 cups grated parmesan or mozzarella. I liked parmesan best for this one.
salt

For the toppings:

Use anything you like on a pizza. General formula:
Mild tomato sauce OR pesto
Grated firm mozzarella cheese OR sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheese or goat cheese, for small dollops on top (optional
Assorted vegetables. Pre-sauté for extra flavor, especially if you’re using onion, garlic and mushrooms. A little italian parsley or basil is nice too; the basil can be added fresh after the pizza is cooked, and the parsley is nice in the sauté. Finely chopped greens are nice. Fresh tomatoes can be added after the pizza is cooked too.
Meat if you like/eat meat on pizza: Crumbled sausage would work well. Pre-sauté. Ground lamb or chicken would be tasty, cooked with lots of garlic.
Olive oil, black pepper

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Parmesan Chicken Manicotti

Ingredients

7 pieces Manicotti, cooked according to instructions
1 cup part skim Ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and black pepper
1 can Italian style crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
6-8 basil leaves

Instructions

In medium bowl, combine cooked shredded chicken, Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano, salt and pepper together and stir until well mixed.
Stuff each cooked Manicotti with about ¼ cupful of the chicken and cheese mixture carefully so that the Manicotti doesn’t tear.
Add the crushed tomatoes in saucepan over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves and stir frequently, until it starts to bubble. Simmer until heated through.
Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place the stuffed Manicotti in it. Pour about 1 cup (or more) prepared sauce over the Manicotti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place basil leaves.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Merry Christmas

Cute snowman

Christmas celebration

Christmas tree

Christmas decor

teardrop door or wall hanging

Easy Shrimp Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen shrimp, thawed and tails removed
2 jars Classico (I use Four Cheese Flavor) Alfredo Sauce
Spoonful of minced garlic from jar
1/2 tea. dried oregano
Dried parsley
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of spaghetti, boiled and drained
Jars of Alfredo sauce

Instructions:

Put spaghetti on to boil according to package directions.
Run the frozen shrimp under cold water to thaw.
Remove the tails by pinching the very end and pulling them off.
Melt a bit of butter in a large Dutch oven pan over medium/high heat and saute the shrimp.
The shrimp is already cooked, so you're only heating it through.
Takes only a few minutes.
The shrimp shrinks and loses a lot of water.
Drain the shrimp and return it to the pan.
Add a spoonful of minced garlic and saute for about a minute.
REMOVE PAN FROM BURNER and reduce heat to low.
Add the jars of Alfredo sauce.
If you leave the pan on the burner, the sauce will immediately bubble up and splatter all over you and your stove!
Add the dried oregano.
Cover the pan and return to the burner to simmer until heated through.
Once spaghetti is cooked and drained,
stir it in with the sauce.
Sprinkle with a little dried parsley and grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

Source

HOW TO MAKE BACON CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls
5 bacon strips

Instructions:

Lay bacon strips on foil-line cookie sheet.
Place in cool oven and turn on with heat set at 350 degrees.
Remove bacon after 10 minutes and dry on paper towel.
Open and unroll cinnamon rolls in long strips
Lay strip of bacon in center of each and reroll, stretching as you go.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Cook at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Drizzle icing on top.

Source

Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

(18 oz) 4 medium russet potatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1 tbsp minced chives (optional)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Place in the microwave and use your baked potato setting until the potatoes are cooked through, turning half way. (Or you can bake 1 hour in your oven at 425° F)
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine cauliflower and broccoli with a little salted water and cook, covered for about 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside, continue cooking the cauliflower until soft, about 5 more minutes.Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out into the large bowl with the cauliflower, leaving a ¼" shell. Place the potato shells on a baking sheet.
Mash the flesh with a potato masher or puree with a hand blender along with the cauliflower. Add the buttermilk and salt, mash until smooth. Fold in half of the shredded cheddar (and chives if desired).
Spoon the potato/cauliflower mixture back into the shells. Top with the cooked broccoli (I just inserted them in) and remaining cheese on top. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. (you can also microwave it for a few minutes if you prefer not to use the oven)

Source

Best Burger Recipe Ever with Secret Sauce

Ingredients
Burger

2 lbs ground beef 85/15
sesame seed buns
½ cup of grated Monterrey jack cheese
¼ cup BBQ sauce
season salt to taste
cracked black pepper
onion powder

Secret Sauce

¾ cup of mayo
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup relish
2 tablespoons worcestershire
seasoned salt

Instructions

Combine the ground beef, grated cheese, bbq sauce, and seasonings. Shape patties that are about 1 inch thick.
Then it is very important to push a ½ inch indent into the center of the patty–this is what prevents the patty from becoming a dome. These burgers stay extra moist because the bbq sauce and cheese are mixed in with the meat.
Wait for the skillet to get super hot and then apply a very thin layer of butter to the pan. Place the patties on the pan, indent side up.
Reduce heat to medium and allow this side of the patty to cook for about 4-6 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t burn. Then flip the burger over and cook until done.
For the sauce: Combine all ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.
Assemble the burgers and serve with avocado, lettuce or your choice of toppings!

Source

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced small
28 ounce can HUNTS’s 100% Natural Diced Tomatoes
3 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

For the Lasagna Rolls

10 traditional lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
2 cups of the pizza sauce you prepared
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 and 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 and 1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
3/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 ounces sliced pepperoni (50-60 slices)

DIRECTIONS:

For the Sauce:

In a large pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Add the garlic and onion and saute until tender, about five minutes. Stir in HUNT's Tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Place a cover on the pan, tilted slightly to let some steam out.
Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. With an immersion blender, CAREFULLY blend until sauce has desired texture. I love it slightly chunky. If you like it really smooth you can also throw it in a blender. Store in fridge unless using immediately. (It makes more than is needed for this recipe. Refrigerate or freeze extras.)

For the Lasagna Rolls:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook noodles according to directions on package -- once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and lay out on sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together.
Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare filling in a large bowl by mixing beaten egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated KRAFT Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper until well combined.
To prepare lasagna rolls, lay out one lasagna noodle and spread it with about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling. Lay out 5-6 pepperoni on top of cheese filling. Roll up each noodle starting at one of the short ends. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all noodles have been filed and rolled. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups pizza sauce over the rolls and top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup KRAFT Parmesan cheese.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10-15 minutes) or until hot and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Note: May be prepared in advance and baked the next day.

Source

Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients:

CAKE

2 and 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package Red Star Platinum Yeast or any instant yeast* (1 packet = 2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup (120ml) water
1/4 cup (60ml) milk (cow's milk - I used skim)
3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature

FILLING

3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

VANILLA MAPLE GLAZE

1 cup (120g) powdered (confectioners') sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk or cream
1 Tablespoon (15ml) pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Make the dough: Set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, toss the 2 and 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.
Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to touch. About 115-120F degrees. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough. I only needed 1/3 cup, but you may need the full 1/2 cup. Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Form a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray). Cover tightly and let rest for 30 minutes. The dough will slightly rise.
Make the filling: After 30 minutes, roll the dough out in a 15x12 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. Spray a 9-inch round pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Please see above for a visual of this step. Using a very sharp knife or a pizza cutter (I used a pizza cutter - it's easiest), cut the dough into six 2-inch wide strips. Loosely roll up one strip and place it in the center of the pan. You're rolling it up loosely so the dough has some give as it rises. Coil the remaining 5 strips around the center roll, starting each strip at the end of the previous one to make one large rolled cake. Some of the filling may spill out as you pick up the strips, but I just sprinkled that on top of the cake after I was finished spiraling.
Loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes. Here is what I do: heat the oven to 200F degrees. Turn oven off. Place cake inside oven and allow to rise. My cake took the full 90 minutes.
After the cake's dough has nearly doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. I covered the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning. *While the cake is baking, some spots may rise up more than other spots. That's completely normal and well, quite expected! I simply removed the pan from the oven and pressed down on the sides with the back of a spatula that were rising more than others.
Make the glaze: Remove cake from the oven when it's done. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, right before serving, drizzle with glaze. Mix the sifted powdered sugar, milk/cream, maple syrup and vanilla together until smooth and drizzle over rolls. If you prefer a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar and then add salt to cut the sweetness, if desired.
Cake is best enjoyed the same day, but will remain fresh covered tightly for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes:

*Overnight: The dough may be made the night before through step 5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and let rise, about 1 hour.

*If you replace Red Star Platinum with regular active dry yeast, you rise time may be 50% longer.

*For the glaze - you can leave out the maple syrup to make it a standard vanilla glaze. Or leave out the vanilla, so it's a plain maple glaze. Or make a coffee glaze.

For more instructions please visit: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/12/24/giant-cinnamon-roll-cake/

Apple pie with roses

Ingredients:

For the dough

125g soft butter
in '70 powdered sugar
1 egg
1 vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
100g finely ground almonds
150g flour

For the cream

400 ml milk
100 ml white wine
3 egg yolks
1 vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons Peak flour
5-6 apples

Preparation

* Mix butter with sugar, vanilla and orange peel. Add egg and almonds. With flour knead a soft dough. Add it gradually. * Spread dough in small baking pan 22/24 cm, as previously rub with butter and sprinkle with flour. You can cover it with baking paper. Put the pan in the refrigerator while preparing the cream. * For the cream, mix the flour with the sugar, vanilla and orange peel. Add egg yolks and a little milk. Stir to a smooth pulp. Pour the remaining milk and wine. Boil the cream and let it cool. Alternatively you can use some instant cream or vanilla pudding. * With vegetable peeler to make strips of apples without removing their skin.

*Wrap strips of apples roses. * Pour cream over shortbread and arrange it on each other roses from apples.

* Glazed roses with slightly warmed apricot jam. Bake the cake in a preheated 180 * oven while baking the dough and apples are golden. * Serve the cake completely cooled. Enjoy your meal!
Source

Crockpot chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cans 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can 33% Less Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Large Onion Diced
1 TBSP Dried Parsley
4 Large Refrigerator Biscuits

Instructions:

To your Crockpot add the Cream of Chicken Soups, Broth, Diced Onion, Parsley and mix it together well. Add in the Chicken and try to submerge it as much as possible. Set Crockpot to high and cook 4-6 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (mine went about 4 hours).
Cut your biscuits up into little chunks and place on top of the chicken mixture. Place lid on Crockpot and cook another 30-60 minutes until the biscuits are cooked through (I cooked mine for 60 min).
Enjoy!