My kids always come home from their Valentie’s Day party at school with the cutest, craftiest Valentine’s that I have ever seen. This year, I was not going to get sucked in to yet another “tear-apart” Spiderman card! I was not going to be outdone! Okay, well maybe I will…I only had a few minutes. But of course, found inspiration on Pinterest. I found some more elaborate than the one I created, but this one anyone can make and print off if they have 5 minutes and Power Point! I attached “Smarties” candies to the top of the card using double-sided tape. I allowed my 6 year old to write in his name and I typed it in for the 3 year old. Sure to be a hit, right?!
kelly on February 14th 2012 in DYI
My second Pinterest Challenge came more by accident. This weekend seemed to fly by. It was Sunday afternoon, the day of the Super Bowl and I realized I had not yet made anything to carry to our friends house. (I’m from the South…Rule #1, you do NOT show up to a party without food and/or wine). I immediately logged onto Pinterest for some inspiration and there it was…”Jalapeno Popper Dip”.
I’m a sucker for a good dip. Especially an ooey, gooey cheesey one. This would be the perfect “throw-together” dip. Dips are really great for any casual party, not just the Super Bowl.
I made sure I had all the ingredients (or close) and went to work (all of 5 minutes, because that’s how long it took to make!) I love Jalapeno Poppers, but they are rather time consuming. I just hoped that this dip would turn out as good as the orginial poppers. The smell from the oven was almost too much to bear. You could actually smell the jalapeno’s as they baked. Man, that was a long 15 minutes.
Time to taste…
OOOOOHHHH MY! Creamy, a bit of sharpness from the cheese and finally that nice heat from the jalepenos.
I just spread a little love on a chip!
Pinterest Challenge #2…all gone!
Jalapeno Popper Dip
adapted from Closet Cooking (I love this blog!!)
made 2 large ramekins
Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Pepper Mayo for extra heat)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (grated) (I used Colby and Pepper Jack, freshly shredded)
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapenos (pickled)
2 jalapeno peppers (chopped, optional)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
Directions:
1. Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, parmigiano reggiano and jalapenos in a bowl and pour into a baking dish.
2. Mix the panko bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle over the dip.
3. Bake in a 375F oven until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 10-20 minutes.
*It took about 15 minutes for mine too cook and I topped it with a teaspoon of fresh cilantro and served with tortilla chips. Delish!
We live in a 100-year-old home. Needless to say we have lots of stairs, which is great excersice, however, the kids belongings don’t always make it from the 1st floor to their rooms. Every morning, they get dressed downstairs and inevitably, I’m picking up PJ’s off the floor. I finally trained them to at least put them on the stairs as they run out the door for school. I still hated seeing them on the stairs, even if it wasn’t for that long. Well, I saw a post on pinterest for labeled baskets on the stairs by www.sewmanyways.com/blogspot and thought “I must do this!”
from Sew Many Ways
So I started looking for baskets at my standard spots, Homegoods, Marshalls, Target and finally found the perfect size at Kmart!
Once I found the baskets I needed some Chalkboard paint, brushes and “plates” to attach to the baskets. I looked at Michaels and Hobby Lobby for the paint, and much to my dismay, they only had spray paint. However, I did find the “plates” and jute ribbon at Hobby Lobby. I found the Chalkboard paint at Home Depot. (It now comes in tintable colors!)
Now it was time to get to work. I applied the paint to the plates using the sponge brush.
All seemed to be going well UNTIL I DROPPED THE THING ON THE FLOOR! (I told you I wasn’t the craftiest!) “Great! That was the last plate at Hobby Lobby” I thought…
You will never believe this…it wipes right off! Even I can craft! I cleaned up my mess and applied a second coat.
Once the paint dried, I affixed the plates onto the baskets using a jute ribbon. Labeled the baskets and woo-hoo! No more clothes on the stairs.
Pinterest Challenge #1….Done
kelly on February 1st 2012 in DYI
Pinterest. Would be a four-letter word if it wasn’t so absolutely wonderful! If you thought facebook was addicting, it has nothing on Pinterest. My sweet crafty friend Virginia and my incredibly crafty and sweet sister-in-law, Leslie insist that I join Pinterest a few months back. I was intrigued, because it was all they talked about. So I “asked” to join. It’s like a club. Actually it’s more like crack. Everytime I log on for a “quick” look, I look down at my watch and say, “good heavens, there’s 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back!” But seriously, once you’re on, you will see the what brilliant ideas lie ahead of you.
Cook..Yes. Craftly…I am not. However, I get such inspiration from the things I see on Pinterest. I’m one of those that see’s these magnificent idea’s and wonder if anyone ever really does them, or how hard would they be to do or if the recipe just looks pretty in the picture or is it really good? So, I’m up for the Pinterest Challenge. Each week, I will select a craft/idea/recipe, put my own spin on them let you know how it goes. Wish me luck…
a side note…you can follow my journey through Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/thesocialaffair/
kelly on January 31st 2012 in Kelly's Dish
click here to watch the segment on \"Great Day\"
Missouri Tigers vs. Arizona St. Sun Devils
The Social Affair is teaming up with “Great Day St. Louis” with the first of for four segements for “Football Fridays”! Today we “put those Sun evils to sleep” and made “Devils in a Blanket with Tiger Blood Dipping Sauce”! Of course I had to throw a little something Bama in the segment and showed how easy it is to make you own U of A and Mizzou wine glasses!
Go Mizzou and Roll Tide!
kelly on September 9th 2011 in Kelly's Dish
“Devils” in a Blanket with Tiger Blood Dipping Sauce
Mizzou Tigers vs. Arizona St Sun Devils
Yield: 16 blankets
Blankets:
1 box Puff Pastry Sheets
1 lb Luganega Italian Breakfast Sausage (or 16 Breakfast Sausage Links)
1 ¾ ? 2 cups White Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1 egg + 1 tsp water for egg wash
1 tbl Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thaw puff pastry sheets according to directions on box. Cut sausage into 2” links (if
using Luganega). Add oil to skillet and preheat on medium heat. Add sausage and
cook for 15 minutes or until juices run clear, turning every 5 minutes. Set aside.
Unroll puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 equal squares using a pizza wheel. Then
cut each square diagonally to make 8 triangles. In the center of each triangle, top
with 1 tbl cheese and a sausage link. Brush tips of triangles with egg wash and fold
together to make the blanket.
Place blankets on a lightly greased sheet pan and brush the tops with egg wash.
Bake for 15?18 min until golden brown. Serve with Tiger Blood Dipping Sauce.
Sauce:
½ cup BBQ Sauce
¼ cup Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Honey
Mix ingredients together and serve with Devils in a Blanket.
kelly on September 9th 2011 in Recipes - Hors D'Oeuvres
Ok, so you have the hors d’oeuvres for your “It’s Easy Being Green” Dinner Party, now let’s get the cocktail going!
Green-Tini
Ingredients:
2 oz 360 Vodka
2 oz Unsweetened Green Tea
2 tsp Agave Nectar
Sprig of Mint
Mixing Instructions:
Combine all ingredients. Fill with ice. Shake/strain. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Serve in a chilled glass.
kelly on September 9th 2011 in Recipes - Beverages
You might want to double the recipe…They’re that good!
3 pounds organic turnips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup good grated Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Crinkle Cutter
Preheat oven to 425. Peel the turnips. Slice the turnips in to 1/2” slices. Then take the crinkle cutter and cut into French fry sticks. Toss with olive oil and arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20-25 min or just until edges turn light brown.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan Cheese. Serve immediately.
Warning: You can’t eat just one. You might want to double the recipe!
warning: insanely addictive
1 bunch of organic kale
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup good grated Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
½ lemon, cut into wedges
Preheat oven to 350. Tear the leaves off the stem, starting at the bottom. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil. Do NOT salt the kale before putting
it into the oven. This will result in soggy chips! Arrange on a single layer and place into the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Serve immediately.
Click here to watch the segment on \"Great Day\"
So you need some hors d’oeuvres for your “It’s Easy Being Green” Dinner Party…Or maybe you are looking for a way to get your three year old to eat his vegetables, in my case! Here I show you how to turn Kale and Turnips into insanely addicting, yummy bites that will have everyone saying, “YUM!”