Picnic Party Post

There's no denying we had a real picnic...

The girls and I had a wonderful picnic lunch during our lunch break last week. The weather had been stormy several days before, but this day it was sunny and (quite) warm! We had a lovely lunch of Savory Spiral Stuffed Rolls, Pasta Salad, Grape Salad, and Cookies!



First up, the savory spiral stuffed rolls. This was the recipe I chose for May. Here’s the play by play…

Crescent rolls topped with cream cheese and butter


Add some ham


Broccoli, cheese, and green onions


Roll them up


And BAKE!

I think I would have really liked to make my own bread/rolls, but since I was short on time I improvised with crescent rolls. I love me some crescent rolls, so I didn’t mind just too much! The rolls were a great recipe that I plan to use again.


Next up, Susan made us pasta salad. It was yummy-- she used tri-color rotini pasta, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, pepperoni, and light Italian dressing. It was delicious! Thanks for joining in this month!


Stephanie made us grape salad… red grapes, cream cheese, brown sugar, and… grape nut FLAKES! Woops, the husband went to the grocery store and brought back grape nut flakes instead of just grape nuts. So she waited to put them in until just before we ate it (so they wouldn't get soggy) and it was wonderful! You should make it too! **Sorry my picture isn't great, it tastes awesome though, trust me!**


Tara brought our lovely dessert -- Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were simply marvelous. I mean, every single thing inside those babies -- you just couldn’t go wrong! Great recipe contribution Tara! I will definitely save this recipe to make again. She was awesome and took some pictures of the process... here goes!

First up, the cookie dough


Then scoop and smash with a "sugared" fork


Add the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (yes, it is full-sized!)


Scoop another cookie over the top and press together to completely surround the PB cup


The finished, baked results...


Super, super cookies! And they were huge -- one really was enough... well for most people, I may have had a wee bit more **blush**


Mom tried out the savory stuffed rolls as well. She proved that you truly could use a variety of ingredients and fill in with what ingredients you like best - or have on hand! Mom says about them…were very yummy. Ways they could be made are numerous. I used what i had on hand and in the garden. It was deer stix chopped into small pieces, asparagus, green onion, swiss cheese and parmesan and butter and my own homemade bread dough. They will be used at my house many times per year. Thanks Mom!

My sister joined in with THESE CUPCAKES! Click on those words to check out her posting!

Tune back in tomorrow as I will do a brief posting on what our June theme will be!

To life... full of sunny picnics with friends... and the requisite ant(s)!

My 25th Birthday -- in Pictures

I wanted to share with you a little about my wonderful 25th birthday so far! It's not even over, but what I have experienced so far has been awesome! This morning I woke up early and got to read sweet notes, cards, letters, and e-mails from family and friends who wrote memories and such nice things about me! Lovebug had asked them all to contribute and I felt blessed by each word. Then I worked out.

Morning "Gift" : Iced White Chocolate Mocha

My birthday headband!

My birthday outfit!

Ice Cream Cake!

Friends!

To life... full of birthday fun!

My Birthday Week

Only a few days remain before I turn 25, the true age of adulthood, right? Well, maybe not, but at least we'll get a reduction in our car insurance :o) I'm trying to make 24 go out with a bang and I think it's going great so far! I did some shopping over the weekend and found a lot of fun things that I'd been wanting: hair accessories, purple polka dot swim suit, short-sleeve cardigan, and a fun black dress! I also got to go to Coldstone. Yum! Today, Lovebug and I went to Pizza Inn because they were having, buy-one-buffet-get-the-second-for-a-penny day!! It was glorious! And whoever was making the pizzas today was rockin' it because everything tasted so good! Tonight I get to teach Zumba class - win! Tomorrow I'm going to be trying a new restaurant for lunch, for free and in the evening one of my friends is making me a special birthday dinner!! Wednesday, some of my friends at work and I are going to have a picnic for lunch and then we're having a 'Splash Night' at the nursery which should be **mostly** fun. Needless to say, these next few days are looking to be fun and exciting!

I decided that my birthday cake will be: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake! I cannot wait to make and try it!

To life... full of fun pre-birthday celebrations!

Picnic Food Ideas

May is already half over! Hard to believe! I haven't made my picnic food for the month and it sounds like no one else has either, so I thought I'd peruse some of my 'saved' recipes and try to get the ball rolling for all of us. I think a couple of my friends and I are going to get together and enjoy our picnic food at a real picnic next week!! We don't want to all show up with a salad and/or dessert, so I'll try to provide a variety of recipes so we can make a meal out of it and you -my lovely readers- can have options! Bueno? Bueno!

Let's get started! Some main ideas...

Savory Spiral Stuffed Rolls - A recipe I've printed off and haven't yet used. Seems like that's going to have to change!

Chicken Salad anyone? I had forgotten about this possibility. I've actually never made chicken salad on my own before. Could be great for a picnic!

I think this one is in-between, to me I could count it as a main dish because it has beans which means it's fairly hearty. But some people will argue that it's a side only. Nevertheless, this Seven Layer Dip looks great! Besides, I'm having a hard time finding easily-transported-can-be-served-cold meat recipes.

This Potato Salad looks wonderful! It was part of the reason I chose picnic food for May.

Chips and Salsa are always good, but how about a twist? Pineapple Mango Salsa.

This is my newest, latest, greatest, favorite salad. I think it would be great for a picnic! I've made it twice this spring! Layered Salad.

I tried to post several savory recipes first because I had no doubt I could come up with plenty of dessert recipes -- as usual! Now on to my favorite part! In my mind, cookies and brownies are easy to transport, can definitely be made ahead of time, and can handle the heat or cold. So here we go with some picnic dessert ideas!

Stuffed cookies are spreading around the blogging world like wildfire since Picky Palate created them awhile back. They no doubt look amazing, but I have not embarked on that endeavor yet. My friend sent me this link, so I "encouraged" her to pick this as her recipe for the picnic because they look wonderful. Check out these Reeses Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies! Can you say wow?!?

I saved these Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars not too long ago because a no-bake recipe? Easy! When it's hot and you don't want to turn on the oven? Double win!!

These are always in the back of my mind. I think, "Ooh, I want to make Pioneer Woman's Spreads!" but I just haven't done it. I'm thinking it needs to happen sooner rather than later!

What can I say? I'm a brownie lover--- especially brownie variations! So why don't I make them more often? I don't know. But I think I need these Double Fudge Peanut Butter Snickers Brownies in my tummy soon! You thinking the same thing?

Ok, ok, I may be getting carried away, but now you see what I go through on a regular basis: too many recipes I want to try, not enough time/money/miles-to-run or Zumba classes to make them! But five ideas seems reasonable...

I'm going to throw you way off and give a shout-out to these Fluffernutter Cupcakes. I've seen a couple blogs feature them, but these were the first ones I saved.

I know, I know, spring means fruit and vegetables are fresh and frugal. You feel free to make your recipe loaded with them! I may end up doing the same (probably not) but you know, the mood could strike. Regardless, here's a little round-up of possibilites for you and I! Let's get this *virtual* picnic started!!

To life... full of green grass and sunshine!

My New Healthy Outlook

Many of you know I have been losing weight, trying to hit my goal weight, exercising, and trying to eat right. Last week I decided I just wanted to be done, hit my goal weight and start learning how to maintain. So I decided to eliminate carbs for 2 weeks. I thought this would be a great way to drop the weight fast and hit my goal weight before my birthday. Now I wasn't going to be crazy and cut out all carbs like fruit, but just the "outright" ones such as bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and the like. I lasted three days... and of those three days, I didn't even do that well! One of them I ate some spaghetti because I was at a friend's house and they had already prepared dinner and I was not about to be rude and say, "I'm sorry, could you make me something else? I'm not eating carbs." Another day I got a frappuccino from Starbucks because they were having the Happy Hour Half Price Frapps! Seriously! You can't pass up that deal! So maybe, MAYBE, one day I stuck to it. By day 4, all I wanted was to eat some bread... I had breakfast pizza at work that morning and ate mostly vegetables for lunch, not bad. Day 5? I had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and we went to Pizza Inn for lunch... Can you say, "going off the deep end?" I must stick up for myself a little, I didn't eat near as much at the buffet as I typically would, so I was proud of myself for that :o) But it got me to thinking, what is so "magical" about this goal weight? Why is it so important to hit that number and in the process be frustrated by what I can and cannot eat? Why would I choose to not eat bread, CEREAL, pasta, PANCAKES, just to hit a certain number on the scale that no one will ever see but me? I am so happy that I've lost nearly 35 pounds since I started this weight loss journey. I mean, that's so great, and to get hung up now is just ridiculous because here's what will happen (because it's happened before): I don't let myself eat certain things, I restrict my calories, I work out, and I finally get close and/or hit my weight... then what? In the past, I have always bounced right back up by about 10 pounds and then I'm frustrated all over again because I worked so hard to lose them, and it was so easy to put them back on! It happens to me time and time again -- starting in January I get back on the wagon, I do pretty well until my birthday, the summer is kind of a holding pattern, and by the time New Year's Eve rolls around I'm back to where I need to lose 10-15 pounds again. Why? Because I feel like since I deprived myself so much at the beginning of the year, I "deserve" to eat what I want at the end. But how can this be good for me? I don't think it is. I'm tired of this yo-yo effect and how much it wears me down, stresses me out, and frustrates me!

I've heard before that it is so much better to lose weight slowly, over time. The "experts" seem to hold firm to losing 1/2 pound a week as a good goal. Well, when I see my friends losing weight -- sometimes 2-3 pounds a week -- and hitting their goals weights, I'm happy for them, but then I also want that too. So then I try to really "buckle down" knowing all along that slow and steady is better. It's all been head knowledge before that I've wanted to prove wrong. I've wanted to lose the weight quick and keep it off, but guess what-- it has never worked! So I'm finally letting this truth resound in me: I am proud of the hard work I've done and the weight I've lost up to this point. I am much healthier now than ever before - I can run 9 minute miles on average, I work out 4-5 times a week, and I generally eat healthy meaning lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean meat with the "other stuff" added in more sparingly. So I'm going to enjoy where I am, take it slow, eat a few less calories than I need every day, but feel like I'm eating for "real" because I'd SO much rather be eating normally and do that every, single day for the rest of my life than try to eliminate carbs and go into a carb frenzy just a few days later and actually GAIN weight! Not cool! It's going to take a little while to grasp this new concept and really make it concrete in my mind because I have been so inundated with "Tips for Losing Weight Fast", "Get Your Summer Beach Body - Now!", and "Lose 10 pounds in 2 Weeks with these 3 Simple Rules." No, I know better. I can do better! <-- Name that movie :o) And I will, it starts now.

In a few weeks you may ask me, how's your weight loss going? Are you getting closer to your goal? Hopefully, instead of getting sad if I haven't budged on the scale or frustrated because I haven't hit my goal weight, I will say, "No, but I feel better than ever and every day that I choose to eat healthy and exercise I am enjoying my life and hopefully inspiring others to do the same."

To life... and my new healthy journey!

400.4 Miles to Go!

As of today I have run nearly 175 miles this year! It's exciting to see my progress toward my 575 mile goal. Up to this point, I haven't been averaging quite as many miles as I need to hit my goal, but I feel like I can still achieve my goal by the end of the year. February really set me back as far as being able to get out and run. I think I need to average close to 2 miles a day for the rest of the year and I should be able to hit it. I have my eyes on a couple of races coming up in August and October. When I have races to train for they provide the motivation I need to keep my mileage up. How are your 2011 goals coming along?

To life... full of running!

Birthday Cake Suggestions

Hey Friends! My birthday is this month and that means I've already started looking for the "ultimate" birthday cake. Last year I made this one and absolutely LOVED it!

The other two contenders, as of today:

Cookie Dough Cheesecake-- what?!?

Or Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake -- You remember me + brownies, right?

What about you? Do you have a vote for one of these three? Or another possible delectable choice to throw into the mix? Let me know.

To life... full of yummy decisions!

Sweet Strawberry Showdown

April was here and so were these beauties...

Did you enjoy Strawberry month as much as we did? I loved it and can think of many more great recipes to try, but alas, it is time for the wrap-up and review of April's strawberry recipes. Are you ready?

First up, I will highlight Mom first. This month she made Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake! Here's what she had to say about it: i finally got a s.berry recipe made for your blog. I chose your subject above. It is a very rich dessert. When you eat it, take a bite of the cake w/cream cheese frosting and the s.berries together and let the flavors permeate all taste buds. The shortcake is made w/butter; so is very delicious in itself, but all the flavors make a delectable dessert. Thanks Mom! So glad you tried this cake and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Next up, Tara! She made 2 1/2 recipes this month :o) At the beginning of the month she made a strawberry trifle and took it to a youth event at her church. And from the way it sounded, it was demolished! I think that's a good indication of its tastiness. Check out the pictures of the process and link to the recipe. This recipe is basically the same one she used except for the following modifications: She didn't use bananas and they sprinkled a package of strawberry jell-o over the pudding layer. Cool huh?




A couple weeks later she embarked on the ever popular and greatly loved: Strawberry Pretzel Dessert. She had the privilege of making it with her mother-in-law who gave her pointers from years of making it herself. Aren't those the best tips?





Yesterday a couple of my friends came over so we could make a couple of strawberry recipes together. These two look like their having fun cutting up the strawberries for the trifle.


Here's Tara mixing together the ingredients for layering in the trifle-- some strawberry yogurt, pudding mix, lemon juice, and cool whip. Stir, stir, stir!


These lovely strawberries have been halved and sugared. They are waiting in the wings to be used for the cake.

Preparing to start our assembly line. Cubed pound cake for layer #1

Layers 2 and 3 -- the delicious strawberries and yogurt/cool whip mix

We made individual portions to try... starting with pound cake pieces...

Which was then topped with a mixture of fresh and frozen strawberries...

Next a layer of the yogurt/cool whip mixture...

Then around the table once more for another layer of each ingredient. Here's the finish product! It was very tasty! Thanks for sharing this recipe Stephanie.

Our second strawberry dessert for the day was: Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake! Yes, I know Mom made it too, but Tara and I had really wanted to make it as well. And I am SO glad we did. It was absolutely delicious! This recipe had some near misses... first of all, I almost left out the sugar in the cake. I swiped a little taste just before it was going to go in the pan and something tasted "off", well really it just didn't taste sweet like cake batter should and it was a little stiff. So I looked back through the recipe and realized it called for sugar in the recipe but never told when to add it in the directions, so I was VERY happy I had tried a sample and re-read the recipe! The cake is baked in a tall 8" pan for about 50 minutes. It must cool completely before you slice it in half.


Then you divide the strawberries between the two halves and place in the freezer for a few minutes.


Then we made the splendid cream cheese icing. ALSO, a near miss (I must have been distracted or something!)... we put in everything and it seemed really thin, so I went back and looked at the recipe. I had measured out 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar instead of using 1 1/2 POUNDS! Big difference. Fortunately, we caught these mistakes both times before it was too late. The key here: read, double check, and re-read the recipes!! Then we frosted the cake.






I absolutely loved it! The girls really enjoyed it too and had a hard time finishing their pieces because it is really sweet and rich. Lovebug had some later and requested that I make it again very soon. So I'd say it was quite a success! A definite repeater here in my kitchen.

My sister made strawberry muffins this month. She made a couple of tweaks to the recipe she used. If you want to check out what she did, you can visit her blog.

Next, you might be wondering what the theme is for May. May is one of my favorite months of the year. It always brings back good memories of school ending, summer break beginning, warm weather, being outside, playing softball, planting flowers, picnics, camping, and, of course, my birthday! With this in mind, I have decided on: Picnic Food! The sky is the limit on this theme. Think of things that transport easy, are suitable for eating outside, and bring back memories of picnics past. When I think of picnics, I remember hamburgers, potato salad, pasta salad, chips, hot dogs, and some type of brownie or bar. What will you think of for this month's theme?

To life... full of sunny, warm memories!