Smothered Enchiladas

May 2, 2012 Leave a Comment

I had some ground beef thawed out tonight and wanted to make something NEW and DIFFERENT (besides our normal tacos) so I went searching on Pinterest until I found a recipe that included ingredients I already had in my cabinets. About a year ago we bought a large amount of beef from a local farm and have had it in our freezer for what seems like e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y. It’s nice that we haven’t had to buy meat in a long time, but I’m running out of creative ways to cook it!

Here is a helpful “pin” I found on my search with a whole list of recipes for ground beef:

Ground Beef Recipes

 

I finally found this one for Smothered Enchiladas…

 

…and the hubby and I were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out!

Here are my own pictures:

I halved the recipe and still had some ground beef left over. If you wanted to make a healthier version you could use fat-free sour cream for the sauce, rather than the full strength. If I had left out the green chilies it also would’ve been a bit more “kid-friendly.”

Do you have a favorite recipe using ground beef? 

We still have about 10 more bags of ground beef in our freezer, so I need lots of creative ideas!

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Valentine’s Day Crafts

February 13, 2012 3 Comments
Valentine’s Day was a great excuse to make some cute things I’ve seen on Pinterest lately. First, I’ve been wanting to make burlap banners for the different holidays since seeing this on Etsy.

After almost buying this one for Christmas, I decided I should just buy the burlap and make my own, because purchasing different banners for each holiday could get pricy. I found you can get 2 yards of burlap at Walmart for under $7, which is much more affordable. I also purchased an alphabet stencil (3.5 inch letters) at Michael’s Craft store, and a new red Sharpie to complete the project. 
My inspiration:
I loosely followed this tutorial found on Pinterest. After cutting the six triangles (6 x 8) I folded the top over and made a small edge. I then learned how to sew the edge over on a sewing machine (thank you EDS and your very helpful mother!). I then strung the hemp through the top of each triangle to hang the banner. Looking back, it would have probably been easier to pin the hemp and sew it directly onto the burlap (as seen in the tutorial), rather than stringing it through. 

Here is the finished project: 

I think it turned out pretty cute and I look forward to making a new banner for the next holiday, which will probably be AJH’s second birthday party! I would like to get a darker tan burlap next time, but it was sold out both Walmart’s I visited so I settled on the white this time.

Speaking of AJH, she did her first watercolor painting this weekend, which was lots of fun.

I wanted her to have something special to wear on Valentine’s Day, but didn’t want to do what I do every year and buy a shirt from Old Navy. After seeing this tutorial on Pinterest, I decided to give it a whirl because I love the vintage look. I bought paper heart doilies at Walmart for $1.88, a white tee shirt from Walmart for $3, and some Martha Stewart Fabric paint for $2.99 at Michael’s Craft store. 
Thankfully I used one of AJH’s old pink shirts for the first time go round since it didn’t work very well.  The above tutorial says to roll the doily in paint and then press it onto the shirt, though when I tried that technique, none of the paint stuck. I then had to use this solution to remove the white splotches and start over. Next, I tried this tutorial and it worked a lot better! 
Here are the finished products:

You can see some of the white splotches on the first shirt, along with the leftover residue from my rubbing alcohol/hand sanitizer solution! The second shirt turned out much better!

This week, AJH also enjoyed this pipe cleaner/strainer activity I found on Pinterest, reading with daddy and in her chair, sporting her first ever pigtails and her “I COOL” Barbie sunglasses!

Did you make any Valentine’s Day crafts? 
If so, leave a comment with your blog so we can check them out!

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Post Christmas Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

December 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
Because of our many Christmas events I haven’t had to make dinner in about a week. While that is super awesome, it also means I haven’t been to the grocery store and our fridge is pretty empty. I had a hankering to cook tonight so I logged on to Pinterest and browsed a few things I had saved on my Beautiful Food board. Fortunately, I had just about everything I needed for these Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups. I randomly had leftover lasagna noodles from the Crock Pot Lasagna I made a few months ago, so I was in luck!

…And it was delicious! I think it will taste even better tomorrow. I didn’t have ricotta cheese on hand so I substituted with a sour cream and cream cheese mixture. The spinach is such a super food that I believe it outweighs the unhealthy stuff!

Have you made any good recipes from Pinterest lately?
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Pinterest Recipe #1

September 27, 2011 4 Comments
I found this recipe for Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream sauce on Pinterest via HokieBetsy and decided to put it to the test tonight in an effort to prove that YES, I will, in fact, make something that I “pin.”
I luckily had all of the ingredients except for the Ssun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce. I found this recipe for Quick and Easy Alfredo sauce, which I whipped up to add to the dish. I also added some frozen spinach to the sauce to give it a (tiny) healthy kick.

With the leftovers from the bridal shower this weekend I made a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad for our appetizer, which complimented the pasta well.
Here is the real-life version of the dish, complete with paper towel napkin, which looks a bit different from the professional image…
…but still tasted great!

The verdict is…it was delish! Though we normally don’t cook with a creamy sauce, we were both was pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed the flavor.
Thank you Pinterest and HokieBetsy (who happens to be our awesome cousin)
for the great recipe!

Do you have a favorite recipe you found on Pinterest?
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Oh, how Pinteresting! Wednesday #4

September 15, 2011 Leave a Comment
I’m back for “Oh, how Pinteresting Wednesdays! with The Vintage Apple! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times…Pinterest is changing my life! From recipes to DIY ideas, I am loving everything about it.
 Here are some of my favorite things on Pinterest this week:

Beautiful Party Dresses:

I love the aqua color and eyelet detail on this dress. 

Beautiful Shoes:
These just might be on my list of “wants” for fall…
Beautiful Baby Girl:
I can’t wait to do a photo shoot like this with AJH asap!

Beautiful DIY Ideas:
If I could make this for my dining room I would be in heaven!

Beautiful Home:
Kind of obsessed…
Beautiful Bedroom:
How adorable is this headboard?

Beautiful Organization:
This idea makes me very happy!

Beautiful Weddings:
I want this set-up in my  backyard for impromptu photo shoots and weddings. 

Beautiful Inspirations:
Must get this for AJH’s room. 
What’s your favorite pin this week? 
Link up with The Vintage Apple and show them off!

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Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesday #3

July 28, 2011 3 Comments
Here are some of my favorite things on Pinterest this week:

Beautiful Places and Spaces:

I love this mystical little nook!
Books to Read:

Last week I mashed peas into yogurt. There has got to be a better way! Any advice on getting my little one to eat her veggies?
 Beautiful Clothes:

I am obsessed with this dress. Hard core. Where could I wear it? I need an excuse to buy ASAP!
Fun Stuff for Kids:

 I am saving up to buy this cute little kitchen for AJH. I love the vintage look and the fact that it will match our own home!

Wedding Dresses I love:

I know this dress could come off more “doily” than darling, but I can’t help but love it. I am very into all of the embellishments on the gowns in Claire Pettibone’s Couture bridal line, making them so ethereal and fairy-like.

What’s your favorite pin this week? Link up with The Vintage Apple and show them off!

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Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesday #2

July 6, 2011 6 Comments
I’m back for my second week of  “Oh, how Pinteresting Wednesdays! with The Vintage Apple!
Here are some of my favorite things on Pinterest this week:

Products I love:

I like to use Pinterest to save things I want to buy in the future. Normally I leave about 10 tabs open at a time on my internet browser, but Pinterest helps me to get rid of them and save the items in an organized place! This is some mascara I want to try, recommended by one of my favorite bloggers, The Posessionista…I’m just not sure I can swallow the $30 price tag. Do you think it’s worth it?

Favorite Spaces and Places:
Source: None via Make it on Pinterest

I think this adorable space would be perfect for AJH’s transition from nursery to toddler room.I love the daybed with the canopy…so dreamy!
Books to Read:

I heard this was a great book, written by the brother of Augusten Burroughs, author of one of my favorites, Running With Scissors. After I finish all the others on my list, I will definitely check it out! 
My Fashion Loves: 

My new favorite brand is The Flying Tomato, which can be found at The Yellow Button if you live in my neck of the woods. Their dresses are unique and affordable, full of lace, embroidery and fun details, all of which I LOVE! 
  
For the Home:

I LOVE this shelf idea! I must put it on my list of summer projects!I have saved two reclaimed window panes from a fire pit by turning one into a chalkboard and one into a clothesline for hanging pictures. I will post those projects soon!
Wedding Ideas:
I’m no longer a bride-to-be (in fact we’ll be celebrating our SEVEN YEAR anniversary next month) but I love helping others plan their wedding, and write a wedding blog for a national wedding website called, Where to Get Engaged, so I am always on the lookout. These burlap and lace luminaries are one of my absolute favorite things lately. They would be so perfect for a rustic chic wedding with a vintage feel (which happen to be my favorites)!

What’s your favorite pin this week? Link up with The Vintage Apple and show them off!

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Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesday #1

June 29, 2011 8 Comments
Since Pinterest is one of my newest obsessions, I thought this was such a great idea. If you haven’t signed up with Pinterest yet, I highly recommend it, especially those for planning everything from a wedding, to a nursery, to a meal. It’s fabulous! Here are my favorite “pins” this week. 

 This Strawberry and Feta salad has been on our menu a lot lately.


We are currently shopping for a new camera. Any recommendations? I think this one is really vintage looking and pricy pretty.

I love this ring from Old Navy and am really mad I didn’t buy it when I first saw it.

This book is next on my list. Has anyone read it yet?
I have been watching lots of “Sex and the City” reruns lately and had to pin this outfit after watching the season finale. Who doesn’t love a good tutu?

So pretty.

Follow me on Pinterest here. 

What have you pinned lately? 
PS–if you want to link up to O.H.P.W. , a really easy way to copy your Pins by clicking on the pin on your board, then clicking “embed” on the right, copying the code, and pasting it into your blog post HTML.
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Virtual Pinboard + Tuesday Fashion

March 30, 2011 1 Comment
I have been looking for a way to put virtual pins in all of the things I love and hang them on a  nice, little virtual pin board (because the real life version would require printing multiple pages and be annoying). Well, I have finally found what I’ve been looking for…
You have to be “invited” to join which makes you feel all important, though an email is all that’s required to be put on their list. It only took me a few days and I was in!
Follow me at http://pinterest.com/makeitbeautiful/ to see what I am currently loving…
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When: Tuesday, March 29th
Where:Work (teaching high school)
What: Mixing brown and black yet again!
Top: (under the dress) from Target, winter 2011
Dress: from Target, winter 2011
Cardigan: from T.J. Maxx, winter 2011
Leggings: from Old Navy in black
Boots: Steve Madden via T.J. Maxx, two seasons ago
Earrings: hammered gold from Target

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