Superbowl Snacks

I was FaceTiming my brother & sister-in-law last night so I could see my sweet little niece, oh and them too. :) He asked what I was doing on Sunday for Superbowl.  I have a confession to make.  I didn't realize the big game is tomorrow!  I made plans to go see my friend's musical at 2 o'clock.  Oops.  I guess that means I won't be making any of these fabulous game day snacks.  But, it's not too late for you!  Before you head out to the store to pick up supplies today, check out these recipes!  You may find one you can't wait to try!

Artichoke Spinach Dip

Toasted Ravioli 

Meatball Sandwiches 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches 

 Veggie & Sausage Skewers

 

Sneak Peek at my Dresser Makeover

On Monday I stopped in at my favorite thrift store.  As always, I checked out the furniture section. This dresser spoke to me.

You may think that sounds crazy, but that's sort of how it works for me.  I see a piece of furniture and I know immediately that I have to have it.

It was solid, in great shape and I loved the pulls.  At $60 it was a little pricier than I usually go, but I knew I had the stuff at home to pull off the makeover so I wouldn't have to spend any extra money.

A fabulous friend of mine did me the awesome favor of picking it up since it was way to big to fit in my SUV.

I knew as soon as I saw the dresser that it had to be painted black.  My inspiration was Michael Kors handbags.  I love the black and gold glam look.

I was stuck in my time warp on this piece and was able to knock it out in two days.  That does not mean it was easy, just that I worked non-stop for two days!

It turned out great!  I ended up bringing the small dresser my husband uses down stairs to the entry way and rearranging my master bedroom. I borrowed my dad's good camera today and will be taking some higher quality pictures soon. I am also putting together a post on the steps I took to pull this make over off, but for now I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at my latest project.

Chicken Caprese ~ Lightened Up

January is typically the month when everyone vows to make lifestyle changes.  They will eat healthier, exercise more... yada yada...  I'm on board with that.  I can lighten it up.  Chicken Caprese couldn't be a simpler way to lighten up dinner.  It has all the flavors of Chicken Parmesan, but much fewer calories. Plus it comes together so quickly, which makes it a perfect weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of shredded or thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 cup of light Italian salad dressing
5 large basil leaves
salt & pepper

Directions:
Marinade your chicken breasts for 30 mins - 8 hours.  If you plan to make this for dinner, pop the chicken in a zip top bag with the dressing in the morning before you head off to work.  If you only marinade it for 30 mins it will still be good!  Spray your baking dish with some non-stick spray, then place your breasts in the dish.  Bake them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  While they are baking slice your cherry tomatoes in half and season with salt and pepper.  Take the chicken out of the oven and bump the temperature up to broil.  Top the chicken breasts with the spinach, cheese and the cherry tomatoes.  Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden.

I served my chicken with a side of lemon-parsley orzo.

And is was delish.

Enjoy!

My New Sectional | January Living Room

If you follow my blog then you know the struggle I've been having deciding on the perfect couch.  If you are sick of my obsessing over it, {I was too!} no worries!  I finally decided!  It's been delivered, {by dad} the old one hauled out, and the new one hauled in. {Thank you Shalimar!!}

I need to borrow my dad's camera to take some really good pictures, but I couldn't wait to show you how my living room is all coming together.

So you can see we decided on leather.  

It actually isn't 100% leather... It's a patch work of real (the seats) and bonded (the base and back). Which is very durable and also more affordable.  I am surprised still by how much it feels like real leather.

I did a ton of research and read a bunch of reviews.  I decided on this vs. the Ikea slip covered couch.  Mainly because of maintenance.

Although I loved the idea of being able to wash my slipcovers, I have some obsessive tendencies, and I worried I would be cleaning slip covers every day.  Plus with 2 black dogs, I knew the pet hair on a white couch would drive me crazy.

It also happens to be a lot wider than our old sectional which is great for company & lounging with the kids and dogs.

I made a trip to TJ Maxx and picked up a few new coffee table accessories.

This one's a little fuzzy, but I love my cows.

My new iPhone 6 really does take great photos,the challenge in my house is lighting.  With the dark beamed ceiling everything turns out darker in photos than it feels in real life.

As soon as I borrow the cannon I'll take some more shots.

Have a great Thursday & thanks for stopping by!

The Great Sofa Debate...

Two posts in one day??  I know!  But, I need help friends.  I've been searching for a new sofa for months now.  My criteria is: fits in my space, sectional preferred, kid/pet friendly, easy to clean.

I've gone to Ikea.  I've sat on the Ektorp.  I've researched cleaning tips for slip covered sofas.  I've read reviews on the fabric, durability, colors, slip cover options...

I've been to furniture stores.  I've sat on tons of couches.  I've read reviews on sofas on Wayfair and Overstock.  I've checked Craigslist...

Here's what it basically boils down to: The Ikea Ektorp or the Berkline Treadwell.

What I love about the Ikea sectional... is the ability to wash the entire thing.  I have OCD tendencies and I am really bothered by dirt and germs.  I also have kids and pets and know that those things are unavoidable.  I love the idea of being able to wash the entire slip cover in oxyclean.  I like the light airy color and think it would be a good look for my home.  I find it comfortable.

What I am nervous about... is the maintenance.  How often would I need to wash the covers?  Will this take hours?  What about pet hair.  {We have a black lab.} Will the cushions hold up?



The Berkline... looks very durable.  Is very cushy.  The pillows are attached to the back so they won't get all sunken down and floppy.  The color will match everything in my house and should hide pet hair/dirt easily.  I can wipe it down.  Literally with Green Works spray.

What I am nervous about... will it be comfortable?  I have no experience with a bonded leather product, and very limited experience with real leather.  I am afraid it won't be cozy and comfy.  Will it stand up to pets?  Can they climb on it without scratching it?

I am really on the fence here.

Here are some photos of these sofas:

Thoughts?  Ideas?  Experience with either?

Thanks for the help friends!

Paper Flowers

Good morning friends!  I hope you are enjoying this three day weekend.  It's been pretty quiet around here, which is not something I'm complaining about.  Having had some of the busiest few weeks ever, I am enjoying some down time.  The girls and I have been doing some crafting and making some little Valentine decorations.

These little paper flowers are just so sweet and all you need is paper, scissors, and a hot glue gun.

You can draw a circle on a piece of paper or just free hand it like I did.  I cut the edges in a scalloped pattern.

Then cut in the same scalloped pattern around and around until you get to the center

Start at the outer edge and roll towards the center.

When you reach the center use a dab of hot glue to keep the paper from unraveling.

I love this little platter dressed up with some of my favorite photos and these flowers.  If this seems a little difficult, I assure you, it's not!  Check out this tutorial over at Dozi, for some ideas to make these flowers even easier!

Game Day Chicken Drummers

I know the big game is a few weeks away still, but if you are anything like me, the food, the half-time show  and the commercials are your favorite thing about Superbowl Sunday.  I find that drumsticks are pretty reasonably priced right now and they are definitely mure budget friendly than wings {which makes no since, to me, more meat should me more mula, non?} I digress... Anyhow, these budget friendly, sweet, spicy, sticky chicken drummers are a very easy to make and will be a real crowd pleaser, I promise!  And if you want to test them out before game day I won't tell! ;-)  I hope you'll give them a try!

Ingredients:
6 chicken legs (drumsticks) or substitute wings instead.
3/4 cups of Trader Joe's Island Soyaki Sauce (If you don't have Soyaki you could use 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce and 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce)
2 tbs. honey
generous pinch of red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like your wings)
parsley or cilantro to garnish

Directions:
Marinate your drumsticks in sauce for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 8 hours.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place chicken on a broiler pan coated in non-stick spray.  Place chicken in oven.  While chicken is cooking pour excess marinade in a small sauce pan over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook until reduced (5 minutes) then remove from heat.  After chicken has been in the oven for about 10 minutes baste with reduced sauce.  Turn every 5 minutes and baste.  Continue to cook until they look like the ones above (takes about 25 minutes total).  Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.

Yummmm!  Enjoy!

New Thrifty Finds

If you asked me what a perfect day would look like to me, I would probably have some thrift store shopping thrown in there.  Sure, I LOVE to cook, decorate, craft... But digging through junk and sorting through old plates and silverware is just fun to me!  Right before Christmas I got really lucky and found some really neat things so I thought I would post some pictures today!

This sweet little dress is made by I. Magnin, which happens 

to be the first department store to open in San Francisco.  It 

is 100% silk, in nearly perfect condition and cost me a 

whooping $2!  I can't wait to dress my little nice in it and

play photo shoot!

The little pillow case is hand embroidered and just darling and 

only $1.

The stamps ranged in price from 25 cents to $2 and were 

perfect for the little scrap booking gift I put together for a 

friend of mine.

This sketch of a horse was in a terrible frame.  I took it out and plan to re-mat it and have it framed. It cost me $2.

These two dresses are from my favorite children's clothes 

designer, Jelly the Pug.  Usually, they are pretty pricey, and

I only purchase something for a special occasion or if Zulilly

is having an amazing deal.  These two were only $3 & $4 

so I was pretty jazzed with this find!

Ironstone... oh how I love Ironstone.  The platter above is an older piece.  I can tell because of the crazing and the light stains.  It also has a small chip, but that doesn't bother me at all.  The bowl below

is relatively new, but happens to go with several other pieces I have at home.  These dishes were $1 each.

And here's one of my favorite little shopping companion.  She

fell in love with those sparkly pink heels and wore them all over

the store!  

Well, there you have it folks!  My thrifty finds that I am currently bubbling over!  Oh, and may have forgotten to mention, these all came from the same store on the same day!  Happy thrifting y'all!