Cherry Cheesecake Parfait

Looking for a quick, easy and delicious dessert??  Look no more!  Below are all the ingredients you need for a great dessert that doesn't take a lot of time!

Ingredients:
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 package of graham crackers or a box of graham cracker crumbs
1 box of no-bake cheesecake or cheesecake filling found in your grocery dairy dept

Tip:  I used a package of whole graham crackers and just crushed them with my rolling pin

Tip:  The pre-made cheesecake filling can be found in your grocery store's dairy dept.  It should be located near the cream cheeses.  I use Philadelphia CheeseCake Filling.  It comes in a large tub (24 0z.).  Make sure to check the date on the bottom of the tub.  This product doesn't sell fast; usually only during the holidays.  I have purchased it before to only find out, once I got home, that it was outdated.  Save yourself a trip back to the store and check the date first. 

Instructions:

First, if you bought whole graham crackers, crush them into tiny pieces/crumbs.

Layer your ingredients in your glass/goblet.  I put down a layer of graham cracker crumbs first.  Then, cheesecake filling, then cherry pie filling.

Then, repeat.

Top off with the cherry pie filling!

It is a moist and sweet dessert with different textures that will delight your tastebuds!

Hurry!  You are 'just an idea' away from this being YOUR dessert for tonight!

Strawberry Jam Canning : 101

 My husband and I wanted to get into canning this year!  Neither of us have ever canned before, but we both have wonderful memories of our mothers canning jam when we were both little, so, we decided our first canning experience was going to be canning strawberry jam to keep the tradition going!  

Now, keep in mind, we had no clue what we were doing.  We bought a canning kit from Amazon and bought jars and lids from our local grocery.  We thought it would be fun to pick the strawberries ourselves, but again, we had NO CLUE what we were doing.  We have a great local produce farm near our home called Rowes Produce, so we grabbed some boxes and started picking! 

My advice:  DO NOT pick 16 lbs of strawberries for your first canning experience!  

This is what 16 lbs. of strawberries looks like!  It is A LOT for your first canning experience.  To give you more of an idea, these 16 lbs of strawberries took us 9 HOURS to can!  That is 9 hours, with 2 people!  Don't try it for your first time!  Especially if you are canning by yourself.   Make it more reasonable like maybe 4 or 5 lbs for your first time out.  We are idiots.

16 lbs of strawberries = 50 jars.  25- 4oz. jars (1/4 pint)  25- 8oz jars (1/2 pint)

Here are some facts about canning jars and measurements:
1/2 pint equals 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces. 
1 pint equals 2 cups or 16 fluid ounces.
1 quart equals 2 pints or 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces.
1/2 gallon equals 2 quarts or 4 pints or 8 cups or 64 fluid ounces.


Below are the step by step instructions for how to can strawberry jam:

5 Cups crushed strawberries
7 Cups (yes 7) Sugar
1 surejell packet
4 T. Lemon juice

Tip: 4 lbs of strawberries = 1 batch (1 dozen 8 oz jars (or 12- 1/2 pint jars).  This formula will help you decide how many berries you will need if you want to do a specific amount.

To begin, place your lids (the flat part of the lid, not the actual screw on piece) and place them in a pot of boiling water.  Allow these to boil and just leave them in the pot until you are ready to use them.

Take your jars and place them in a large pot of boiling water. 

Doing these 2 steps will sanitize your lids and jars, which is what you will need to create sterilized equipment to work with.

Just let both of these pots boil while you are making your jam.

First step.....  clean and hull your berries (make sure to dry your berries so you don't have all that extra water going into your pot).  Then, mash your berries.  I just put my hulled berries into a large bowl and mashed them with a potato masher.

Next, put 5 cups of mashed berries into your pot on your stove.  Add your lemon juice and pectin.  Whisk all ingredients together and bring mixture to a rolling boil.

Tip:  Add a pad of butter to the top of the mixture when boiling the berries to reduce the foam.

Once boiling, add in your 7 cups of sugar.  Whisk again and bring this mixture to a high boil.  Boil this way for 1 1/2 minutes.  Your pot should be at a high rapid boil.  Like a violent boil.

Turn off the heat.

Skim off the foam that has gathered on top (if there is any.  Adding the butter greatly reduces the foam).

Here is what ours looked like with only a little foam.

Here is my husband... defoaming the top of the pot. 

This is what it looked like after skimming the foam off (picture is below).

Notice my pot in the background of my lids.  The large green pot to the right has our empty jars in them, boiling.

Tip:  We made jars of regular strawberry jam and then we made a separate batch of strawberry/lime jam.  If you are going to add lime, omit the lemon juice and add 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice and then add 2 teaspoons of lime zest.  The strawberry/lime jam was a HUGE hit with family and friends! 

This is a picture of the strawberry lime jam once we added the lime juice and lime zest.

Once you remove the foam and remove the pot from heat, you are now going to begin the jarring process. 

Take a jar, using tongs, from the boiling water pot.  Dump out all of the water. 

Fill the jar with the jam mixture, leaving 1/4" at the top. 

Run a knife around the edges of the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles.

Place a flat lid on top (remove them from your pot of boiling water with tongs or a magnet lifter), and screw on the round screw lid, but don't tighten it.  Just screw it on enough to keep it in place.

Once you are finished filling the jars, place them all back into the boiling water and boil (hard boil) for 10-13 minutes (completely submerge them in the water).

After boiling for 10-13 minutes......

Turn off the heat.

Let the jars sit for 5 minutes.

Jars will begin to pop when they seal.  It's the best and most gratifying sound in the whole world because you know you are done!

It's best to let the jars sit for 24 hours.  I just left mine on my countertop.

Tip:  People will say freezing your jam is much easier.... and it is!  However, when we can, we do it in bulk.  I don't know about you, but our freezer is bursting at the seams as it is, and we don't have room for freezer jam.  Plus, we like to give away our canning projects as gifts, and it's hard to mail out freezer jam or for it to travel well.  By canning with a water bath, your cans are all shelf stable and they travel well and the people on the receiving end of the gift doesn't need to find space in their freezer for their gift.

If you really want to dress up your jars as gifts, you can add fabric and ribbon.

By the way, this is what our dog was doing the entire time we were canning.

Hope this helped you and always remember to enjoy the process!  Canning can be very gratifying and a fun hobby!  So far we have done strawberry jam, strawberry/lime jam, raspberry jam, raspberry/mango jam, and salsa.  It's a fun project, they are great gifts and YOU are 'just an idea' away from making some great jam!!

Happy Birthday!!

I try to be really good about sending Birthday cards and gifts to my family and friends throughout the year but with the busyness of life, sometimes it is really hard to keep track!  I decided to make this Birthday reminder craft project and hang it on our message board in our kitchen.  I look at it each month to see who has a Birthday coming up so I don't forget!

Tip:  I made the last row for Anniversaries so I didn't forget special Anniversaries throughout the year!

Things you'll need:
Craft paper (any design you like)
Ribbon
Stickers to represent months (I used candle stickers I found at Michaels)
Scissors
Glue (I used glue dots to glue my ribbon to my paper)
Marker or Letter Stickers (for the "Birthdays")

Tip:  I used the square top of a shoe box lid and then added craft paper to that so I had a stronger foundation for my project.  It wasn't necessary though and you can just use card stock.


Tip:  I just cut out circles for the Birthdays and then just wrote the person's name and their Birthday on each circle (so each circle represents a Birthday).

Dog Treats your fur baby will love!

My dog loves dog treats!  What dog doesn't?  My husband and I are pretty picky about what we feed our fur baby, Max, who is a loveable French Brittany Spaniel.  We have a hard time finding pet treats and bones at the stores that are made in America and we feel better knowing exactly what is in his treats and where the ingredients came from, so, we decided to make our own treats!

Below is a great recipe that I got from a dog cookbook called "The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs" by Donna Twichell Roberts.

First, here are a few pictures of our loved dog, Max. 

 Peanut Butter Bones

4 Cups all purpose flour

2 Cups wheat germ

2 Cups peanut butter

1 1/2 Cups water

1/4 Cup honey

1/4 Cup ground peanuts

Tip:  I bet you could just use chunky peanut butter instead of buying the peanuts on the side to get a chunky texture.

To prepare:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and mix until combined.

Then, roll out the dough on a floured surface and roll out until 1/4" thick.  Use your bone cookie cutter and cut out the dough into bone shapes.

Next, place cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper.  

Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  

 

 

Got Water?

I had beautiful window boxes all summer long this year.  They were bright and vibrant in color, different textures of foliage and flowers and they smelled wonderful!  Below is a pic of one of my window boxes in full bloom in mid August!

I had to leave town for a few weeks to take care of my grandma who had fallen and broken her hip.  So, my husband was in charge of watering and taking care of the flowers and window boxes at home.  Well, it was obvious he had forgotten to water them, because this is what I came home to.

So, after the initial shock and once I was able to stop breathing into a paper bag, I decided to see the positive in the situation which was that it was now the end of August and time to transition to a Fall theme!

Once I have revived my window boxes, I will add a new post with my Fall theme (and maybe I will use some decor that doesn't need to be watered).  :)

Tip:  Get your next door neighbor to water your flowers or have your best friend come over to water next time.  :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - YES Please!

Oatmeal cookies are delicious and are my husband's favorite!  This recipe is fantastic!  These cookies have a crispy texture along with a warmth from the cinnamon and they have juicy raisins in every bite!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups regular or quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins (regular or golden) 

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then, in a large bowl, beat your butter for 1 minute. 

Next, add brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Beat all ingredients together until combined.

Then, add in the eggs and vanilla.

Next, add in your flour, a 1/2 cup at a time.

Lastly, stir in your oats and raisins until all ingredients are combined and mixed well.

Drop your dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  I use a cookie scoop for the perfect sized cookie.  If you don't have a cookie scooper, you can just use a large spoon.   Space cookies 3" apart. 

If you are using a spoon and your cookies are smaller, bake for 8 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the center of your cookie is set.

If you are using a cookie scooper for larger cookies, bake for 12-14 minutes or until your edges are golden brown and the center of your cookie is set.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tip:  You can line your cookie sheets with wax paper for easier clean up!

Tip:  I use golden raisins in my cookies!  You can also add chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries or cherries for additional texture or a sweeter taste!  

1 Fish, 2 Fish, 3 Fish, Starfish!

I love garland lights.  Love them!  I think they can add ambiance and charm to your home and they can dress up areas tht you would have never even thought of before!  Below are a few pictures of my fireplace mantle.  Our home has a cottage feel and my color pallet ranges from tan tones to variations of aqua and teal colors.  I always have pine garland with twinkling lights adorning my fireplace mantle during the holidays but I wanted something with charm for everyday. 

Supplies needed:
1 rope of garland lights
Fabric squares (I found mine at JoAnn Fabrics in a variety of color shades)
Shells & Starfish (if you have a theme for your home, you can use your theme)
Ribbon (various colors that match your fabric squares)
Scissors

Instructions:

First, take your fabric squares and cut the fabric into 1" wide long strips.

Then, take your ribbon and cut your ribbon to length (however long you decide you'd like them).

Next, if you are using shells, starfish, or other novelty items, space them out on your garland lights, and tie them on with your ribbon.

Then, take your fabric scraps and your ribbon, and simply tie them on all over your garland lights until your garland is full.

Lastly, drape your lights over the mantle and plug in!

Tip:  You can use any novelty items you'd like such as vintage buttons, starfish, flowers, butterflies, ornaments and more!!

   

Zucchini-Lemon Bread with a bright Lemon Glaze - Sunlight in your mouth!

I adore..... ADORE, Zucchini bread.  I also LOVE anything with lemon in it.  So, why not try the two together!!!!  Below is a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It's a light, moist, lemony zucchini bread recipe with a sweet and bright lemon glaze.  This bread is what sunshine must taste like!

Ingredients:

•  2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini (I never peel the skin off my zucchini)

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and then set aside.

Then, in large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt.

Next, in a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs well. Then, add canola oil and sugar to the egg mixture and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything together.

Next, fold in the grated zucchini and stir until everything is mixed well. 

Then, add both mixtures together (dry and wet ingredients)  but don’t over mix.

Tip:  Over mixing your ingredients tends to make your bread a denser and heavier bread.  If you want a light and fluffy bread, just incorporate all ingredients together just until they are combined.

Pour batter into your greased 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (since all ovens are different, I would check your bread at 40 minutes).

When your bread is finished, allow it to cool.  While it is cooling, you can make the lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze Recipe

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended.

Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve your bread and enjoy the sunlight it will bring to your day (and to your mouth!). 

Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Who wants..... a onesie?!

If you are looking for a cute DIY baby shower gift for someone, this is the PERFECT gift that is cute and affordable. 

I have a girlfriend who loves ice cream so for her baby shower, I made these ice cream sundae onesies for her. 

All you will need to make this great gift is:
Plastic cups with lids
Straws
Red fabric balls (can be found in any craft store)
Colorful ribbon
Colorful tissue paper
Onesies
1 drink carrier
Colorful cardstock paper

Tip:  I went to my local Starbucks and simply asked them for a carrier and 4 cups, 4 lids, and 4 straws.  They just gave them to me for FREE!  If you don't have that kind of luck, you may need to buy a small drink and offer a tip.  ;)

The first thing you do is place a layer of colorful tissue paper in the bottom of the cup.  Then, take your baby onesie and roll it up and wrap a piece of cardstock around the onesie and place that on top of the tissue paper.  Next, add another layer of colorful tissue paper on top of that.  Then, cut up your ribbon into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the tissue paper.  Place the red fabric ball on top for the cherry and add your lid.

Then, repeat this 3 more times for your other cups.

Place them in the drink holder and add your straws!

This great gift is 'just an idea' away! 

Knock! Knock! Who's there? A NEW FRONT DOOR!

Freshening up the curb appeal of your home has never been EASIER!  Simple changes like changing the color of your front door, adding a window box, or even just changing the hardware and house numbers can add extra charm and breathe life back into your front yard and home!!

The outside of my house is ..... brown.  Brown shades of brick, tan siding, brown trim, brown porch, brown front door, and so on and so on.  So, I decided I wanted to add some life to the outside of my house by changing the color of my front door.  Below are pics of what I did and how I did it. 

Tip:  Lowes has color match.  If you have a knick knack in your house or a fabric swatch that you just love, you can take it in to Lowes and they will match your paint color exactly.  I did this with my front door color and was very pleased with the color outcome.  


This is the color of my front door BEFORE I painted it

I decided I wanted to distress my door so it matched the interior of my house which has a lot of distressed furniture.  So, I painted my front door and then took steel wool and rubbed it along the edges of the panels on the door to distress it and bring through the color underneath.

This is the door finished

I added a flower pot to the front porch that is the same color (and it happens to be distressed, too) as my front door.  Just giving the front door a new color has changed the look of the house and has added great curb appeal to our home.

Adding charm to YOUR home is 'just an idea' away!