Balloon Cluster Decoration with Streamers

Ok, so this isn't a food recipe.. BUT it is a recipe on how to do something. That fits right? :) Well, for a church activity we were celebrating a birthday. I saw this idea floating around on pinterest and I couldn't wait to try it. When this event came up, I thought it would be perfect. But just like pinterest does, it only gives us an idea.. not step by step instructions. The girl that originally posted it told us how she made it, but I didn't have the materials on hand (wood and staple gun) or the right place to hang a piece of wood up. So I created my own and thought I would share the step by step instructions.

So here it goes:

Materials:
5-7 balloons of 5 different colors
String, ribbon, or twine
a box that has been cut up one side (making it a long length) and the top and bottom cut off
tape
streamers that match the color of the balloons

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut one side of a large box so that the box lays flat length wise. Cut off the top and the bottom of the box. I used a box that had pots and pans in it to give you a good comparison. If you use a smaller box, you just need to blow your balloons small.

Step 2: Blow up your balloons and tie a string to the balloon. Make sure to use enough string to bring through the back of the balloon and tie it.

Step 3: Visualize where you want each color to be. Start from the left side. Punch a hole (using something like a screwdriver) through the middle part of where you want your first color to be. For example, I had five colors and wanted them close together. I sectioned off a small section for the first color and then poked my hole in the center of that section.

Step 4: Take 1 balloon and bring the string through the hole so the string comes out the back. DON'T punch a whole bunch of holes until you get the balloons in one at a time. You never know how they'll be placed and you want to adjust as needed as you go.

Step 5: Take the next balloon, position it by the first balloon and decide where you want your hole to be for that one. (You want the hole to be where the bottom part of the balloon will sit)

Step 6: Repeat step 5 for the remaining balloons in that one color. Turn the box around and tie two strings together, then tape them. (I thought of this like how kid toys come packaged. They are always tied together in the back to keep them in place)

Step 7: Repeat this with the remaining colors.

Step 8: Add the streamers. I would highly suggest adding your streamers on the cardboard BEFORE hanging the balloon cluster up. I didn't and it ended up being a huge pain. You could staple them, or tack them in, or tape them. I taped them and a few occasionally fell down.

Ok I hope this helped! Let me know if you have any questions.

Bunco Girls Night Dinner

Bunco is always so much fun! Good food, good company, and some friendly competition. Here is what we served for dinner this night.

Cheesy Chicken Tortellini

 

Ingredients:

Pasta Mixture:

½ cup chopped onion                              

1 teaspoon olive oil                                              

1 garlic clove, pressed                               

1 jar (16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce         

2 packages (9 oz each) refrigerated

cheese filled tortellini       

1 ½ cups cubed cooked chicken                   

1 cup milk         

1 cup water                                                        

1 cup chopped green peppers

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper                 

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Crumb Topping:                                               

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in pasta sauce, tortellini, chicken, milk, water, peppers and black pepper. Heat until mixture just comes to a boil; remove from heat. Stir in basil into pasta mixture. Mix crumb topping together, set aside. Spoon pasta mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Side Dishes:

Olive Garden Salad

SALAD RECIPE:

1 bag American Blend Salad (Dole works well)

4-5 slices Red Onion

4-6 Black Olives

2-4 Pickled Pepperoncini

1/2 cup Croutons

1 small Tomato sliced

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

DRESSING RECIPE:

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 cup White Vinegar

1 tsp. Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Dressing:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed (approximately 30 seconds).

If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Salad:

Chill a glass salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Place the bag of salad in bowl.

Place on top of the lettuce – red onion, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons.

Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like.

Add plenty of Olive Garden™ Salad Dressing on top.

Homemade Breadsticks

Use the dough recipe:

2 cups heated milk

2 tablespooons butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4 1/2 -5 cups flour

2 teaspoons yeast

If you have a bread maker just put the ingredients in the bread maker in that order on the dough setting. If not just use a mixer. Melt the butter in the milk. Pour milk into mixer. Add sugar and salt. Slowly add half of the flour. Add the yeast and the rest of the flour. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Dough should be soft. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 

 

Let raise til doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

While cooking, melt 1/3 cube butter in microwave. Mix in small bowl about 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon garlic salt. (You can alter to your liking).

Take breadsticks out of the oven and immediately baste the butter on the bread and sprinkle with cheese.

Let cool before covering or storing. 

 

Strawberry Lemonade

 

I got this recipe from a Martha Stewart cookbook, it's delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 7 lemons)

1 pound strawberries

16 oz seltzer

Directions:

In pan, bring 2 cups water and sugar to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cool, about 45 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.

In a blender, puree strawberries until smooth. Pour through a strainer. I didn't do this cause I like the fruit bits. Stir in seltzer.

 

Homemade Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 square butter or margarine softened

4 eggs

½ cup cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. No longer. Cool and frost.

We might have to start posting all of the recipes from Bunco because they always turn out so yummy!

Italian Potatoes

I love potatoes and will eat them anyway! This recipe is great for any addition to a dinner dish. You can even change the seasoning to match what you're making.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Garlic
4-6 potatoes
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Peel and cut the potatoes into bite size pieces. I just slice the potatoes and then cut into quarters. Heat olive oil and medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes. Sprinkle italian seasoning and salt and pepper over the potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes stirring ocassionally until the potatoes are tender.

Pink Lemonade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 box of pink lemonade cake mix (you can use strawberry as well and it would be just as good).
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together cake mix and baking powder. Add eggs and oil and mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Use a scooper, or spoon to make dough balls. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes transfer to a cooling rack.

Crowd Pleasing Veggie Pasta Salad

I had a family get together and my cousin Angie asked if she could bring something. She brought a pasta salad. It was so good! Everyone munched it down and asked for any leftovers. It quickly became my favorite and it's so easy!

 

 



Ingredients:
1 pound pasta, any kind. I use rotini with the mixed colors.
Cheddar cheese cut into squares
Zesty Italian dressing 8 oz bottle
Various chopped veggies of your choice.
I used:
carrots
celery
broccoli
cucumbers
tomatoes
olives
green peppers

Directions:
Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water. Add to bowl, mix with the veggies. Wait til just before serving to add the cheese and tomatoes so they don't get soggy. Add the full bottle of dressing for 1 pound of the pasta. Chill in the fridge. Serve when cold.

I keep this in the fridge for a few days and have it with different lunches and dinners. If the salad gets dry you can always add more dressing.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

For Valentine's Day I wanted to make a yummy treat. My friend Sandy and I made some yummy cookies. I went home and wanted more, but didn't have all of the ingredients we used at her house. She uses a Devil's Food Cake mix. I googled recipes for homemade ones and found THIS recipe. I loved how these turned out even more! I stacked them up and put them in a package and passed them out for Valentine's Day. Instead of the frosting recipe used on the site, I used Sandy's cream cheese frosting recipe.

Cookie Ingredients:
 1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) of room temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, softended
8 oz cream cheese
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl use an electric mixer to mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter on a low speed, then add the egg. Mix until dough comes together in one big mass.
Use your hands to roll about one inch balls of dough. Place on a greased baking sheet about two inches apart. Slightly flatten the top. Bake for 9 minutes. Take out and let cool for five minutes. Then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

To make the filling, mix the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add more powdered sugar as needed to make it creamy.  Put in the refrigerator until chilled.

Once the cookies are cooled and the frosting is chilled you can assemble the cookies. Place about 1-2 teaspoons of frosting in the middle of one cookie. Use a knife to slightly spread the frosting out. Place another cookie on top to press the rest of the frosting around the cookie and they will be perfectly spread.

Chocolate Mousse Cake-Olive Garden Style

This is my all time favorite dessert! I was so happy when I found a recipe for it. It is quite the process, but sooo worth it. There are 5 layers and then the frosting. We will start with the bottom and work our way up. Thanks to my friendy Sandy for taking the picture!She's an awesome photographer!

Chocolate Layer Cake
9 tablespoons sugar               1/2 cup flour
1 egg                          3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract        1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil         1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon shortening              1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Make chocolate cake layer by combining the sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl and mix it with an electric mixer on high for one minute. Add the oil and shortening and mix well. Then add the water, mix until smooth.
Combine the rest of dry ingredients in another bowl. Add this to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a well greased 10-inch SPRINGFORM pan (this is important, you have to be able to open the sides of the cake while keeping it on the pan).
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make this layer when the cake is almost cooled. Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl and mix on high until the cream form stiff peaks. Mix in the cream cheese until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a glass bowl on high for 30 seconds. Stir and then heat the chips for another 15 to 30 seconds. Stir until smooth then mix them into the cream mixture. Spoon the mixture over the chocolate cake layer. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fluffy Cheesecake Layer
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Make this layer just like the last one, but without the chocolate chips. Mix the cream, sugar, and vanilla together until the cream forms stiff peaks. Add the cream cheese in until smooth. Spread over the chocolate cheesecake layer and chill for another hour.

Chocolate Custard Mousse Layer
1 egg 
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Using a metal bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and sugar. Set the bowl over water that is simmering in a saucepan over medium-low heat (if you have a double boiler you can use that instead). Whisk for 6 minutes or until thick. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the chocolate chips and vanilla with a spoon until smooth. Spread over the fluffy cream cheese layer.

White Swirl
2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and heat in a glass dish in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir. Heat in 15 second increments until smooth. Drizzle over the chocolate custard layer and use a knife to make the swirl into the custard. Chill until firm. About an hour.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar                                                    
3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder                                                                                               
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream

6 ounces of mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients using an electric mixer until smooth. Load the frosting into a pastry bag. Use the large star tip.

Remove the  cake from the springform pan and pipe the frosting around the edge of the cake.
Press the mini chocolate chips around the sides of cake. Press firmly to make the chips stick. Chill the cake for at least another hour. Use a serrated knife to cut pieces.

Enjoy!

Seriously sooo good.

Homemade French Fries

So so easy, but I still didn't know how to make homemade french fries until I tried.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Vegetable Oil (can be substitute with other oils too)
4-5 Potatoes (will serve 4 people or so)
Garlic Salt or Regular table salt.
Any other seasonings preferred

Directions:

Cut potatoes into strips. Let them dry on a towel. Heat oil in a small sauce pan (unless you have a deep fryer). Before putting the potatoes in make sure they are dry. They won't fry if they are wet. Place the potatoes in the oil and let them fry for 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. You will have to do them in sections unless you want to use a big sauce pan and tons of oil. Take them out, put them on a plate with a papertowel, and sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning of your choice.

I save my oil and use it for next time.

I love to serve these with BLT's or Club sandwhiches (above).

Caramel Apple Spice-Starbucks Style

I LOVE Fall. This time of year is the best! Starbuck's Caramel Apple Spice makes it that much more enjoyable. I was extremely happy when I saw a recipe going around on Pinterest. It linked me
HERE.

Ingredients:
4 cups apple cider
3 tablespoons caramel syrup
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
4 tablespoons of whipped cream (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker for 4 hours and enjoy!
I think next time I will try adding some nutmeg too.

Yummy

Homemade Alfredo-Pasta Factory Style

There is a yummy restaraunt here in St. George that serves some good alfredo. I have been looking for a good recipe and finally found one that turns out good! I found it on THIS website. She has some other good recipes too!

Next time, I think I will try adding some fresh garlic to the sauce to see how that tastes.

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup milk-works better with whole or 2%
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
 Melt butter and cream cheese in a sauce pan, stirring/whisking often.
Once melted, add the milk and whipping cream. continue to whisk so it doesn't burn.
Once everything is blended and hot, add the parmesan cheese. Continue whisking until nice and smooth.
Lower heat and continue to whisk until it thickens up.

Enjoy with your favorite pasta, salad, and fresh HOMEMADE breadsticks.