Praline French Toast

Simply Scrumptious...
French Toast
1 loaf French bread (sliced on the bias)
8 lg. eggs
2 C. cream
1 C. milk
2 TBL. Splenda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline topping & sugar-free maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 1-inch slices. Place bread slices in a generously buttered 9x13 glass dish, slanted in two rows overplapping in the middle. In lg. bowl, comgine eggs, cream, milk, Splenda, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt. Beat with a wire whisk until blended, but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered with the mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil & refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Praline Topping
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 C. Splenda brown sugar blend
1 C. chopped pecans
2 TBL. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a med. bowl & blend well. Spread evenly over the bread & bake for 40 min., until puffed & lightly golden. Serve with sugar-free maple syrup.

Firecrackers

What a easy recipe for Summer...

1/2 lb. mini carrots
1 C. water
1 C. Splenda
1 1/2 C. cider vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili flakes

Place carrots in a spring-top glass jar. Bring the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Boil for 4 minutes. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for 2 days up to 1 week.

Original recipe courtesy Alton Brown, Food Network. (He uses sugar in place of Splenda & adds 2 dried chilies to the jar).

Bananza

Uniform banana slices in seconds, it's perfect! So easy & fun to use. Just squeeze the handle & it cuts five slices at a time. We found this clever kitchen tool at Bed Bath & Beyond (don't forget to take your coupon). Go bananas!

YouTube - Bananza

Copco Cold Tumblers

We are giving Copco Cold Tumblers a thumbs up! These bright colored stir 'n sip cups are fantastic for everyday use, especially on weekends for shopping. An Eco-friendly alternative to paper cups, the reusable straw stays put, & the tumblers keep drinks super cold. We purchased ours at Joann Fabrics with a 40% off coupon.

The Disposal Genie

What's new? The Disposal Genie with Soft Rubber Scraper Blade is "Neato Toledo" & a must have kitchen gadget. It comes in six colors (we bought a red one), your disposal can run with it always in place, & it has built in Microban protection (no mildew).

When inserted into the drain, it allows small particles of food & water to flow freely into the disposal while preventing silverware from slipping into the drain. Remove it & use the soft rubber scraper blade to clean off your dishes & cutting boards, and to safely feed waste into the disposal.

Frosting Cupcakes

Our second attempt at frosting cupcakes!

Our first attempt at frosting cupcakes!

Coupons

We found a great place to print free coupons & get on-line coupon codes. It's a terrific resource for Joann, Michaels, grocery, & restaurant coupons. You can also get on-line coupon codes such as Bath & Body Works. Go check it out, print & save!

Festive Holiday Treats #2

Elegant Raspberry Milanos

2 pkgs. Pepperidge Farm Milano Raspberry Cookies
White chocolate melting wafers
Colored sprinkles (Jimmies, sugar, & Non-Pareils)

Dress up Milano Raspberry Cookies. Melt white chocolate in a Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Pot; mixing well as chocolate melts. Remove cookies from pkg. & place evenly spread apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Dip cookies half way into melted chocolate; then dip into paper cupcake liners filled with colored sprinkles. After dipping into sprinkles, lay finished cookie on parchment paper until dry. Once cookies are dry, place each cookie into a cupcake liner, & fill a decorative tray. White colored sprinkles & red colored sprinkles are great; they work well for both Christmas & Valentine's Day!

Festive Holiday Treats #1

Snowy Snack Mix

5 C. Frosted Cheerios
1 (11 oz.) pkg. Ghirardelli classic white chips
1 C. white-colored M&Ms
1 1/4 C. yogurt-covered raisins
1 C. coconut flavored Jelly Belly jelly beans
1 (12 oz.) container yogurt-covered pretzels
1 (10.5 oz.) pkg. mini marshmallows

In a large bowl, combine ingredients in order. Lightly toss. Evenly divide mixture among silver cupcake liners.

Dazzle Charm

You can wear the entire Dazzle Charm necklace, detach the charm & wear just the necklace, or attach the charm to your favorite bag. Black & silver is such an elegant combination and always the most versatile. A completely different concept than the Charm Tassies necklace we taught this summer.

Kiwi Loco

This place ROCKS! Self-serve Frozen Yogurt in Idaho Falls. "A perfect treat that can be enjoyed any time of the day or night!" They even have no sugar added frozen yogurt for those of us watching carbs & sugar. What a fabulous location on the corner of Sunnyside & Hitt. The atmosphere is really nice, child friendly w/little seats, flat screen tv, & in the best colors lime & black! We give Kiwi Loco an A+. Go support this family-owned IDAHO business!

Glass Pendant

Sparkle & shine through the Holiday Season with this sassy Glass Pendant necklace. A great combination of silver, glass, rhinestones, and shiny beads. Wear with jeans for a chic look or jazz up a cute outfit with a little sparkle & bling.

Keychain Wristlets

This is an assortment of our NEW hand crafted & sewn "Keychain Wristlets" by Purple Fig with the latest trend in quilting fabrics. Just add your personal keys & you're ready to go! You can place it on your wrist while shopping or writing a check (hands free), easy to locate in your bag or purse, hook it on a door knob, & they also make fantastic Christmas stocking stuffers. They are currently available on consignment at the Mini Bazaar in Idaho Falls, ID or contact us if you're interested in purchasing.

Italian Herb Chicken - November Recipe

Easy tasty Saturday Slow-Cooker meal to fix, go shopping, & have dinner ready when you get back!

4 or 5 lg. boneless skinless frozen chicken breasts
1 McCormick Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning packet
1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
3 or 4 fresh carrots, sliced

Add frozen chicken breasts to Slow-Cooker. Mix Seasoning, tomatoes, & tomato paste until blended. Pour over chicken. Add sliced carrots, stir, cover Slow-Cooker, & cook on high for 4 hrs. Stir sauce before serving.

Monster Eye Brownie Pops

We made these fun Halloween treats for our co-workers. You start with the "easy" Seriously Fudgy Brownie Mix add water, bake in pan with parchment paper, cool/cut/roll, & add sticks. Then dip in a layer of melted chocolate, vanilla, & colored sprinkles. Wrap in treat bags & tie with curling ribbon. ENJOY!!

The combo of the brownie with chocolate & crunch from the sprinkles is superb. Also try the Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Mix, it's like eating those chocolate raspberry sticks.

Creamy Italian Chicken - October Recipe

Super good Sunday Crock-Pot meal with leftovers for Monday evening!

4 or 5 lg. boneless skinless frozen chicken breasts
1 Kraft Good Seasons Italian seasoning dry packet
1/4 C. water
1/4 C. butter, melted
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese OR tub of whipped cream cheese spread
1/2 C. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese (shaker container)

Add frozen chicken breasts to Crock-Pot. Mix Italian seasoning packet, water, & melted butter until blended; pour over top of chicken. Cover Crock-Pot & cook on high for 4 hrs. Mix soup, cream cheese, & Parmesan/Romano cheese until smooth & well blended. Add to slow-cooker & cook 30 min. to an hour, stirring occasionally until hot & smooth. Serve over hot cooked rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

Saturday Night Live

Another late night project - Scrappy Lanyards!

Wanted to make fabric lanyards because they're so stylish and a smart way to clip on your badge. Cut pieces of fabric 3" x 3", sew together to create the scrappy part, a few quick tips, add a D ring, and viola "Scrappy Lanyard"!

Candy Tree

Make the "Candy Tree" for Halloween! It's a blast to paint, design tags, and attach lots of candy & spooky trinkets with bright colored ribbons. This is so fun to display for the Holiday or watch items disappear as the little ones Trick-or-Treat.

Greek Mini Baklavas - September Recipe

Easy & super delicious!

24 mini Phyllo shells (frozen food section)
1/2 C. walnuts
1/2 C. almonds
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBL. butter, melted
2 TBL. sugar
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 C. water
1 1/2 TBL. sugar
3 TBL. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mini Phyllo shells into wells of mini muffin pan & cook them for 5 min. Add nuts, salt, cinnamon, melted butter, 2 TBL. sugar, & orange zest to food processor & pulse until consistency is like coarse crumbs. Add 1 tsp. nut mixture to each mini shell & bake for 8 to 10 min.

In the meantime, make the syrup. In sm. saucepan over med. heat, add water, 1 1/2 TBL. sugar, honey, & vanilla. Bring to a boil & simmer for 7 to 8 min. or until the syrup reduces & thickens.

Once the mini Baklavas are out of the oven, pour 1 tsp. of the prepared syrup over each one & allow to soak in, then repeat with another tsp. Allow them to cool on the counter for 30 min., then cool in the fridge for at least 2 hrs. Remove Greek Mini Baklavas from pan with mini silicon spatula & place into mini paper liners.

Scentsy

We love Scentsy! The scents are fantastic. Still can't believe how many people have never tried them. Turn your warmer on, place two or three sections of a Scentsy Bar into the warmer dish, and ENJOY! Of course then you need the Scentsy Room Spray to add a touch of frangrance whenever you want.

Christmas Cottage is a great new scent for Fall/Winter. Cherry Limeade was yummy for Spring/Summer. Our classic favorites are Coconut Lemongrass, Blueberry Cheesecake, Washabi Ginger, & Sticky Cinnamon Bun.