ribbon and pearl cupcakes

created by lishdish from the pantry in RAK

loaded baked potato soup

the sun is shining bright and i am feeling a little fall like on this saturday. what better way to spend the afternoon than the ohio state buckeye football game and some yummy warm comfort food. potato soup!
this recipe was given to me a while ago and since, i have made a few tweaks. it is so awesome and creamy! this is a must try!

ingredients:

one package of sliced bacon
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
4 to 5 large baking potatoes, baked
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

directions:

1. bake potatoes; then cube. if you would like the skins off then skin them first then cube. i leave skins on because i like the skins. set aside.

2. place bacon in a large, deep skillet. cook over medium heat until browned. drain, crumble, and set aside.

3. in a stock pot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour until smooth (mixture will be thick). gradually stir in cream then milk, whisking constantly until thickened. stir in potatoes and onions. bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

4. reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. mix in cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. (you can also add bacon here but i like it better just sprinkled on top it stays crunchy and flavorful)


top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and chives if desired or add bacon and some green onion to the top as well!

fresh mango juice

i absolutely am loving this quick and easy home made juice. mangoes have many healthy and redeeming qualities and this fruit makes a great juice. check out this super simple recipe.

ingredients:

1 mango

1 teaspoon of honey (more or less to taste)

4-5 ice cubes

1. peel the skin off of the mango. i use a potato peeler. cut the mango into diced slices and place in blender along with honey and ice cubes. blend until creamy and smooth. (yes its that easy)

race car birthday

so i am thinking i should spill the details of ethan's third birthday before he turns 4! : )

my husband calls our sons birthday an event...i just call it party planning!!

it went from trains to many other ideas before ethan landed and stuck with race cars. but let me tell you i was pretty excited. instantly i pictured black, white, red, checkered flag and of course the number 3. many ideas came to me throughout the planning and my mom sealed the deal with her ideas. 

for weeks we heard "i want a race car cake"(ethan)...smile...i loved it!

thanks to some creative party planning divas (including my grandma), a cricut and a ton of fun.the day had arrived...

and it arrived windy!!

i had some friends and family helping me set up and it went quickly until the wind really picked up. about 15 minutes before start time table clothes were flying, sand was spilling, flags were dumping, banners were flying into cake icing. and aside from all of that the cupcakes were the incorrect flavor and the cake wasn't what i pictured. but guess what...

we have memories!

the party was a success and everyone including our sleepy birthday boy enjoyed the day.

below are some of the details from the party.

these were made out of:

soup cans (label removed), black matte craft tape, paper for the cricut, sand (inside the can) flags

these pictures were taking just before i turned my back and the wind came : )

napkins & silverware

one of my favs-the tires

sleepy ethan

loved his shirt

the day was perfect even with the imperfections.

shoe "temptation"

this is definitely a segment i will be keeping on this new blog. my love for shoes is written all over my closet and my favs are heels!!

i came across these adorable heels by brian atwood. of course i would never even dream of spending 875.00 on a pair of shoes...buuuuut i love the look and the colors are amazing. i really like them all but the chartreuse ones are my first pick.

let me know...are you feeling a little "temptation"?

grilled brussel sprouts

most of you who follow my blog or any other social media of mine probably know i love to grill! i will try to grill just about anything. so the other night when i decided to make brussel sprouts (which i usually roast in the oven) i threw them right on with the chicken.

the verdict...success!! my husband loved them and our son kept asking for more. he was more of a fan of the crispy exterior but he was eating them.

here is how i made mine.

1.place desired amount of brussel sprouts in microwave safe bowl with about 1/4 cup water for 4-6 minutes.

2. pour water out and toss the sprouts in olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic.

3. skewer the brussel sprouts on shish kabob sticks. then place on a medium heat grill.

4. i grilled mine for 20-25 minutes turning until all sides became crispy brown.

"green chips"

kale is one of the healthiest leafy green vegetables you can eat. with all of the vitamins, antioxidants and cancer risk reducing properties these leafy greens should be a must in your diet 2-3 times per week. it can be added and disguised in many things like smoothies, marinara or pizza sauce, fresh vegetable/fruit juice or even most spinach based recipes kale may be substituted.

i was excited to hear that while on a date night (ethan was with nannie naenae) my mom made kale chips for ethan...and he loved them. this recipe has everything ethan loves...green, crunchy and salty. my mom came up with "green chips" as the name so in our house and hers that's what we call them and honestly he is a picky eater but loves these. asks for them almost daily.

this recipe is super easy and may cost all of about 2.00

ingredients
1 bunch of kale
olive oil
sea salt

1. wash kale and spread out on paper towels to dry. the longer you let it dry the more successful it will roast without burning. turn oven temp to 250 degrees.

2. tear  into chip size pieces add to a large bowl. drizzle the kale with olive oil and toss with hands to ensure even coating.

3. place onto foil in a single layer for even cooking. sprinkle with sea salt and place in the 250 degree oven. i keep a close eye on them and let them roast till crispy sometimes turning once. approximately 10 minutes and this can depend on how wet they are so cooking times will vary.

these pics are the 

the end result...crispy crunchy goodness...