Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes

CarrieLeave a comment

For our most recent potluck dinner at church, I decided to make a twist on the traditional cupcake.  Since it is always easy to make small portions for people to take a little bit of everything, I turned meatloaf and mashed potatoes into cupcakes.  Simply take you favorite meatloaf recipe and put it into a mini muffin pan.

IMG_0408Bake until the meatloaf muffins are browned.  Then make your favorite mashed potatoes and pipe them on top of the meatloaf muffins using a pastry bag and a star tip.

IMG_0409As a final step, I sprinkled the top with paprika and embellished them with piece of green pepper.  The final result is adorable.  It’s a great way for kids to have fun in the kitchen as well!

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Sheets and Towels

Sadie2 Comments

Now that I’ve got my living room in order, and I’m over the hump of the holidays, it’s time to shape up my bathroom and bedroom. My current sheets and towels have seen many an apartment in the last six or seven years. And while they have served me well, I think I’m ready for something fresh, and with possibly a few less bleach stains (I love a strong bathroom cleaner).

My go to places for sheets and towels are usually Pottery Barn and The Company Store but I’m keeping my eyes open for other options as well. I would typically just run down to Bed Bath & Beyond, but I have this problem, I need my linens monogrammed…

While I typically love a crazy, multi-color, patterned duvet cover, and plain sheets, I’m thinking about picking a more zen duvet cover this time around. Here are some contenders so far (first 3 from Pottery Barn, last one from West Elm):

PotteryBarnDuvet

PotteryBarnDuvet2

PotteryBarnDuvet3

WestElmDuvet

With towels I’m thinking about a dark dusty blue, somewhere between navy blue and royal blue, with a white monogram of course. Pottery Barn calls it Blue Harbor (of course my color isn’t in the picture, but it’s outlined in the swatches below):

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Stay tuned! I’ll let you know what I pick!

What do you look for when you’re shopping for linens? Patterns? Thread count? Color?

I’m Nuts for You

CarrieLeave a comment

In the fall, I made some spicy cashews for my Thanksgiving baskets.  During this endeavor, I discovered that my beau loves all kinds of nuts, especially cashew and macadamia nuts.  While macadamia nuts are a bit too expensive for my budget, I can afford to make spicy cashews for him and that’s just what I did for Valentine’s Day.  However, it is important to note that you don’t have to do sweet things for your sweetie only on Valentine’s Day.  You should do little things all year long to keep your man happy.  He should be doing the same for you as well.  Keep the romance alive.  Make him this recipe mid-week and tell him how nuts you are for him.  It’s guaranteed to bring a smile to his face after a long day at work.

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Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts (adapted from Paula Deen)

Ingredients

6 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 6 cups unsalted cashews, 2 cups salted peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2.  In a large bowl, combine honey and butter.  Melt in microwave for one minute.  Stir in brown sugar, pepper, and paprika.  Add the nuts and stir to coat.  Spread nuts on prepared pans.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the tray halfway through the cooking time.

4. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir the nuts and then allow them to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  They wouldn’t last that long with the way my beau snacks on them!