Dinner, Wine, & My Spare Time

Want an easy DIY ugly holiday sweater? It's simple...all you need is a sweater, some bows, ornaments, tinsel and a hot glue gun!!! And go to town, just like Santa Claus!

 I saw this recipe on an email from Pillsbury, I changed a few things but it was sure tasty and perfect for Thanksgiving morning. 2 tubes of cinnamon rolls 4 eggs 1/2 C canned pumpkin 1/4 C brown sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. vanilla 5 oz. can evaporated milk 1/2 C pecans, chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick spray. Open rolls and separate, put aside the icing. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and place in the bottom of pan. Mix eggs, pumpkin, sugar, spice, vanilla, and milk. Pour over rolls. Top with pecans. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Drizzle with warmed icing.

So it's been awhile since I have been able to blog, this time of year is just crazy busy. But I did manage to get in some Black Friday shopping, so here are my coupons, deals and discounts from the stores I visited from A to Z. I can't reveal all my purchases because gifts are involved :-) Bath & Body Works -I had a coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase, So I got some foaming hand soap, 6 for $24, then I got mini hand sanitizers at 5 for $5. I was only at $29, so I threw in an extra mini hand sanitizer for $1.75. Plus I got a free item up to $12.50. I only spent 21.95 and got a coupon for my next visit for $10 off a $30 purchase. Best Buy -This was the one shopping trip the hubs went on, Deal was for micro SD cards. Hobby Lobby -All Christmas items were 50% off. Kohl's -15% off total purchase, plus $5 off coupon and $15 Kohl's cash with $50 purchase. Plus I got points for my Yes to Rewards. Office Depot -They had some sales going on but micro SD cards were sold ou

Aren't Cream cheese wontons the best? What would happen if you combined a wonton with a dip? See below! 1 block of cream cheese 3 Tbsp Sriracha 1/4 C green onions, chopped 1/8 C orange sauce 1 tsp sesame seeds Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese with sriracha. Add half of the green onions. Top with orange sauce, sesame seeds, and the remaining onions. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with triscuit wasabi and soy sauce crackers,

I saw this outfit on a tag on a pair of jeans and wanted to recreate the look, so here's my version Result=Pretty darn close to the original and it cost me nada. Since I pulled items from my closet.The only downside is that I feel like a high school art teacher lol!

The hubs is all about spicy, so when I picked up some jalapeno sausages for him. I knew he was going to find a way to make them even more spicy and perhaps a little Sonic inspired. So just in time for Halloween, I bring you Devil Dogs Jalapeno sausage links, prepared Skraut- my abbreviation for sauerkraut onions jalapenos pickles tomato ketchup mustard hot dog buns or your fave sandwich bread

1 pkg German chocolate cake mix 1/2 C of butter, melted 1 egg 1/3 C evaporated milk 1/2 C pecans, chopped 1/2 C chocolate chips 1 C coconut, flaked Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick spray. Mix cake mix, butter, egg, milk and pecans until combined. Stir in choc chips and coconut. Press batter into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup.

My latest obsession is Sriracha Seasoning, I'm not all that crazy about actual Sriracha, but this stuff is great. I love it with a little butter on popcorn. Or try it on sweet potato fries. The possibilities are endless. This Sir deserves to be knighted!

1 pkg chocolate cake mix 1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding 1 C sour cream 1 C butter 1 tsp almond extract 1 C chocolate chips 5 eggs, beaten Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt cake pan with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients except choc chips, fold in choc chips. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pan.

I love to saute fresh spinach, this past weekend I added it to my English muffin and veggie sausage sandwich and it was soooo good! Olive oil 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced 2-3 C fresh spinach leaves crushed red pepper salt and pepper Parmesan cheese Heat oil in skillet over medium. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add spinach and seasonings and cook until wilted. Top with Parmesan. Serve as a side dish or topping. You could even add it to your scrambled eggs. Oh Yeah!

The hubs and I are on a mission and a moment of indecision about the perfect GRILL! It's gone down about $100 bucks but is it any superior to our lil' grill??? It does have some nice features and a large prep area but is it worth it???

What's better than a fancy spaghetti dinner on a Sunday? Serve it with some crusty garlic bread and a veggie and dinner is done  fun again! 1 C of veggie crumbles 1/2 C onion, chopped 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce, I used a jar with a garden veggie variety. fresh basil leaves Parmesan, grated crushed red pepper spaghetti or linguine Heat Saute pan and add veg crumbles and onions. Cook until browned, Add Sauce, basil, red pepper and cook until heated. Prepare and drain pasta. Top pasta with sauce and Parmesan.

Meatballs are the perfect party food, especially in the crockpot. And how about 2 ingredients? Are you sold yet? 1 pkg 24 oz bag of frozen meatballs 2-10 oz cans of condensed French onion soup Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Put in meatballs and pour soup over the top. Cook over high for 3-4 hours. Serve as an appetizer or with a hoagie bun topped with Swiss.

It's Pink, It's Bubbly, It's Made for the Beach, It's also Soooo Delicious! 1 Shot Malibu or other Coconut Flavored Rum 1 can Oceanspray Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade or any other sparkling lemonade. Fill glass with ice, add malibu, lemonade and stir. It's hard to see the pink against a black background, but it was definitely a pink drink.

Meal planning is a great way to save money and eat healthier. I tend to make my own calendar pages and write in what we are going to be eating for the next 2 weeks. But with this handy little marker board from Office depot, it could not be any easier. Or cheaper at only $10! This would make a great stocking stuffer, hint hint hubs!

How about a quick dinner? That tastes great and is low-fat? And what if I threw in convenient microwave cooking? huh? Have I gotten your attention yet? I found these great, mostly natural black bean tamales in the freezer section of my local grocery store. I was too tired to cook last night so we fired up the microwave tossed them with some cheese and salsa and yum! A simple yet satisfying meal for all to enjoy. Plus you get to say, I made Hot Tamales for dinner!

You might notice the opening title from the Escape Club's hit Wild Wild West. The 90's are back baby! All the floral prints, denim and tall socks you can handle, Did I forget to mention knit beanies? It's so crazy how fashion is just recycled, somewhat revamped but generally not. Hmm the fashion industry must be thinking let's just throw out some 90's looks on an unsuspecting generation, they will never know that their parents or older siblings were already wearing it a decade or so ago. As long as they don't bring back fanny packs, we might be ok.

Now you can drink & eat your cake at the same time! 1 pkg orange cake mix 1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding 4 eggs 1/2 C vegetable oil 2/3 C water 1/4 C lemon juice 1/4 C tequila 2 Tbsp triple sec 1 C powdered sugar 1 Tbsp tequila 2 Tbsp triple sec 2 Tbsp lime juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan and pour batter into it and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes then glaze. To make glaze combine last 4 ingredients and pour over cake.

I'm washing my hands at Panera Bread and I encountered this sign on the wall. And it got me thinking that it's totally true, I think of all the occasions I have served French bread and there is never an unhappy face nor a crumb leftover.

What the heck Kohls? Why are you setting up for Thanksgiving already? I do not approve, please don't take away my summer before it ends, It's bad enough that school supplies are all over the place and swim wear is being marked down everywhere. I only got to wear my new bikini a couple of times. I want an endless summer, #notreadyforturkey

To my family near and far, Yeah people be loco for cupcakes. I suppose it's because they are pretty wonderful. Just a little mini cake which probably makes most people feel like a kid again and who doesn't love that feeling? It all started out of a birthday necessity and we ended the weekend with several flavors due to one peanut allergy, one chocolate allergy and one strawberry allergy, Two bakeries and not enough cupcakes to go around, but by the end everyone had at least a bite or two and that seemed to keep the monsters inside us all in check. I guess it only seems right to have people fighting over sugary substances that make you feel so good, it's comfort food after all. Besides I only want to be in a family that fights over cupcakes because that makes me feel like I truly belong. I heart sugar and my family what can I say? A cupcake is really just a piece of nostalgia that we all want to cling to. May your bake sale memories and classroom parties be Forever Frost

Want a simple way to eat your veggies? When making a boxed or bagged pasta dish, just add a cup of frozen veggies during the last 3 minutes of the boiling time and Voila dinner and veggies all in one! Plus it kinda justifies eating boxed mac and cheese cuz then it's healthy, well mostly :-)

Just a little Holiday Sneak Peak.... to help you beat the heat!

When did scrunchies come back into fashion? They were all over walmart and no not just on the people of walmart website. Don't they seem kinda expensive? Of course I'm sure I had a few polka dotted ones back in the day!!!

It's a fast food dinner kind of night, sometimes nothing is better than a large order of fries. It will cure what ails you. So what's your favorite fast food fries???

I've been on a quest to eat more clean foods, being a vegetarian I am pretty healthy already but I still like to tweak my diet on occasion. I found that the information on eating clean can run the gamut of a few simple steps to about 23 steps, really who has time for that? So based on my research I think what most people need to know about eating clean is to 1. Drink more water 2. Eat more whole grains 3. Eat more fruits and veggies 4. Eat foods with ingredients that you know 5. Avoid processed and pre-packaged foods I'm sure they are some other tips and guidelines out there but these make the most sense to me. And no one is perfect, I like food and I try to eat healthy nearly everyday, but I also will eat an Oreo or some frozen pizza and not feel bad about it.

Ceviche-the hubs has been having a hankering for this. Ceviche is a seafood dish that cooks raw fish or seafood in citrus juice. Of course, you can always prepare this with prepared fish if that is more comfortable for you. If using prepared fish or shrimp I would suggest not marinating the fish, just prepare it more like a fish taco. Salmon is featured in the picture, but Tilapia is a better choice. 1 lb Raw Shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed and cut into small pieces 1 C Lime juice 1 C tomatoes, chopped 1 C onion, chopped 1/2 C cilantro, chopped 1 Jalapeno pepper, remove ribs and seeds and chop finely salt and pepper to taste 1 Avocado, chopped Shredded cheese Tostadas Prepare shrimp and put in 1/2 C of lime juice in a glass bowl. Let shrimp "cook" in juice remove after 15 minutes and drain. In a separate bowl mix the remaining lime juice, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Place shrimp on a tostada, top with salsa, avocado, and cheese.

How do you like your hashbrowns? I like them "Waffle House" style smothered and peppered! And that fact that I don't have to go to a Waffle House makes it even better. 4 potatoes, shredded 1 onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped seasoning salt 2 Tbsp olive oil Rinse shredded potatoes and dry in salad spinner or pat dry. Heat oil in skillet over medium, add potatoes, onions, peppers and seasoning. Heat until bottom is browned flip and repeat.

Zucchini Quiche Ok so quiche might be considered a girly food, but it's sooo tasty who cares? 1 deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed at room temp 1 large zucchini, sliced thin 1 Tbsp butter 1/2 C onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced dash salt and pepper 4 eggs 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 2 C Swiss cheese, shredded 1/2 C Parmesan, shredded dash Greek Seasoning Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet melt butter and saute onion and garlic over medium heat about 1-2 minutes. Add zucchini and dash of salt and pepper and cook about 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. In a separate bowl beat eggs, mustard, Italian seasoning and red pepper. Whisk to combine and stir in Swiss. Add this mixture to zucchini and stir until combined. Put into pie crust and top with Parmesan. Bake 30-40 minutes or until center is set and crust is starting to brown.

Oh how I love a little garlic mayo spread on my sandwich, or my burger or my fries, or my chips, or on everything. Let's begin with a little food history lesson. The word Aoili comes from the Provencal word for garlic which is Ahl and the Latin word for Oli which is oil. Aoili is a traditional Provencal sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolks (often the egg yolks are left out due to modern mayo use). Without further ado, I bring you my twist on Aoili 3 Tbsp mayo -I use this instead of egg yolks since mayo has yolks 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar Dash of salt and pepper Dash of smoked paprika Mix all ingredients well and sprinkle with paprika. Store in fridge and use it on everything! I haven't tried it on pizza...YET, but it's just a matter of time.

Since I'm such a Francophile, I celebrate Bastille Day. Plus it's a great excuse to leave up all my 4th of July decor and the hubs gets to eat meat. So in honor of Bastille Day, I bring you a Croque-Madame and les frites (Basically it's just a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with ham and egg with fries on the side). 1 large croissant, split in half 1 Tbsp Butter Mayo Dijon mustard Salt and pepper Gruyere or Swiss cheese, sliced Ham, the hubs use Petit Jean peppered ham 1 egg preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in skillet and heat over medium. Add croissant, top with mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Add cheese, ham and grill on both sides until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Remove sandwich from skillet, then cook 1 egg over easy. Place sandwich and put egg on top into a oven safe pan and bake for 5 minutes. Bon Appetit!

Ahh friends with gardens, is all I can say. Due to this we ended up with some nice tomatoes and ears of corn. So the hubs made a huge batch of salsa and roasted the corn. And I made some bean quesadillas to go with. What a nice simple dinner and it was even oven-free! 2 ears of corn, de-husked olive oil Salt and pepper Smoked Paprika 1-2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 jalapenos, de-seeded and chopped Cilantro, fresh or dried *see note at bottom of page* Salt and pepper Lime juice Tortillas Olive oil 1 Can black beans, drained 1 Tbsp taco seasoning Feta cheese Colby-Jack cheese Brush the corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Roast in a skillet until kernels start to brown about 12 minutes total. Cut corn kernels off cobs. Put corn in large bowl, chop the veggies and add to bowl, Mix in cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste. Drain beans and put in large bowl, add seasoning and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Mash bea

I love nothing better than a nice crusty baguette. It reminds me of my high school trip to Paris, where dining out was rather costly so we bought a bottle of Evian and a loaf of bread for like 2 bucks! Ok back to the bread, this dip is basically a lazy man's bruschetta. But it is yummy and healthy for the most part and of course super easy :-) 1/4 C Olive oil or flavored oil 3 Roma tomatoes, diced 6 Green onions, sliced 1 pkg Feta, crumbled 3 tsp Greek seasoning Baguette bread, baked and sliced Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake bread for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and slice. In the bottom of a pie plate or small casserole dish, pour oil. Top with tomatoes, onions, feta, and seasoning. Mix lightly. Serve with slices of a crusty baguette.

I always thought that making Jam seemed so laborious, but not when the microwave is involved and due to an abundance of blackberries in our garden I found this easy recipe. Start with 2 C of berries, (I used blackberries, but you could use strawberries, blueberries, or a combo). Slice the berries in half if they are large in size. Add to a large microwave safe bowl. You will need a large bowl since they tend to bubble up when cooking. Add 1/2 C of sugar, 1/8 tsp of salt, and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Combine all ingredients and cook in microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from Microwave and stir. Return to microwave and cook for additional 5 minutes. Remove and mix well. They should be like a sauce and slightly syrupy. If not return to microwave and cook 5 more minutes. I had to do the extra time. Remove from microwave and stir well. Let sit to cool, the jam will thicken. Refrigerate overnight. This makes about 1/2 C of jam.

For the 4th, I made a festive trifle complete with the color scheme of the day. 1 box Red Velvet Cake, prepared as directed and cooled. eggs, oil (per cake directions) 2 boxes jello instant pudding, I used cheesecake 4 C milk 2 cans Coconut milk, refrigerated overnight 4 tsp sugar 2 tsp vanilla 2 C blueberries, rinsed Prepare cake and bake. Allow to cool. In the meantime prepare pudding and refrigerate. For Coconut whip cream, Chill metal bowl and mixers in freezer for 5 minutes. Flip cans upside down and open, drain out liquid (save for another use) and put cream in bowl to mix. Mix cream and beat in sugar and vanilla. Set aside. Crumble half of cake into large trifle or punch bowl. Layer with half of pudding mixture, half of coconut whip and half of blueberries. Repeat layer and chill.

Cheeseburger Dip or Bacon Cheeseburger Dip 1/2 C Sour cream 1/2 C Mayo 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 C veggie crumbles or ground beef, prepared & drained of fat 1/4 C dill pickles, chopped 1/4 C tomatoes, chopped 1/4 C onion, chopped 1 Tbsp mustard 1 Tbsp ketchup 1 tsp Steak or Hamburger Seasoning *(Optional) 1/4 C bacon about 2 pieces, cooked and crumbled Mix together sour cream, mayo and cheese. Add in prepared meat or substitute. Chop veggies and add to mixture. Stir in mustard, ketchup, seasoning and bacon if desired. Let chill in fridge at least 1 hour or overnight. This is seriously good, I mean slap your mama, shut the front door good! The picture does not do it justice. Put this on chips, dip your fries in it, add more meat and put in on a bun! YUM! I guarantee that I will be making this more than once this weekend and it's just in time for the 4th!!! It's so good I'm not sure I want to share it! But I love you guys! :-) Thanks to T for th

What is breakfast without pancakes? We have a blackberry bush, that is producing like crazy this summer so what better way to get your daily intake of fruit than to add it to pancakes. Start with your favorite pancake mix, we used Hungry Jack's Complete Wheat Blends Pancake and Waffle mix, add water as directed or we've added yogurt instead and it is might tasty. Add smashed blackberries and cook. Top with maple syrup and some coconut whip cream found here: http://dinnerwineandmysparetime.blogspot.com/2014/06/whip-it-whip-it-good.html

A favorite childhood book of the hubs and his mom. Out of print, but timeless. What child doesn't spend hours gazing at the moon and the stars? Speaking of the moon and stars, It's about time for the hubs and I to celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary. The traditional gift is leather and the modern gift is crystal or glass. Of course I went modern and naturally was a bit creative with the glass part. My inspiration was the book the hubs read as a child. Can you guess what it is? "The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff." -Carl Sagan, Cosmos

The 4th of July is fast approaching and ever since I was a kid, I made sure I was wearing a red, white, and blue outfit. So to carry on this tradition, I took an old pair of jeans, cut them into shorts, rolled the cuffs, and went DIY on the back pockets. For the stars I used a cookie cutter and a stencil for the flag and smaller star. I used basic acrylic paint in red, white, and blue colors since I already had them and just a small paint brush since it was easier to get the points of the stars painted. After the paint dried I rubbed the painted area with a little silver glitter glue. I'm not sure if the paint will hold up through a washing, but I figure I will just not wear the shorts till the 4th and if the paint comes off, who cares? I still have a pair of jeans shorts to lounge in all summer long. Supplies: Jeans or jean shorts Stencils Paint brushes Red, white, and blue acrylic paint Silver glitter glue

Spinach, Red Pepper & Feta Quiche 1 frozen deep dish pie shell, thaw at room temp for 15 minutes Olive oil 1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped 2 C fresh spinach leaves salt and pepper 1/2 C or more Feta, crumbled 2 eggs 1/3 heavy cream Preheat oven to 400 degrees, bake pie shell for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Saute in oil over medium-high heat the red pepper for about 2 minutes. Add spinach, salt, pepper and cook until wilted about 1-2 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together eggs and cream. In pie shell add crumbled feta to cover the bottom of the pie. Add pepper and spinach mixture to pie shell and pour egg and cream mixture over the top. Bake 15 minutes, then lower oven temp to 350 and bake 10 additional minutes til set on top. Check on pie after 5 minutes as to be careful not to burn the crust.

Nothing beats a nice light Caprese salad in the summertime. The ingredients are simple yet so fresh. Chopped tomatoes (I used yellow and red cherry tomatoes) Basil leaves, torn Olive oil Balsamic Vinegar Salt Pepper *Glass of wine, this is not optional!!!

This is a project that can be super easy or you can create one yourself. I chose to semi-DIY. I found this cute chevron piece with hooks at Hobby Lobby and added a cute phrase. It's great for holding all those bib tags and medals! Think I'd better hang it near the treadmill for encouragement. Happy Running!!

There's a new look around here, thanks in part to the hubs. A few kinks had to be worked out but overall I'm happy with the overhaul.

Wow that's a lot of dashes in the title. 1/2 c. coconut oil 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda 2 large ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional) 1 c. organic sugar 2 eggs (I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer) 1 1/2 c. flour (I used a white & whole wheat blend) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen Preheat oven to 325°F degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add mashed bananas. Stir baking soda and salt into flour, mixing well. Fold into banana mixture. Stir in vanilla. Fold blueberries into batter.  Stir in chopped nuts. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. This was really tasty and vegan! Of course you can use regular flour and sugar, I was just trying to make a hippy  healthier recipe.

Coconut whipped cream It's so good, it only requires 3 ingredients, it's vegan and has none of that artificial garbage. Yes, the can is upside down and yes it is necessary. It probably wasn't necessary to take a picture of it upside down, but it's funny so there! 1 can of full fat coconut milk, chill in fridge overnight 2 tsp sugar  1/2 tsp vanilla Put your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5 minutes. Open coconut milk upside down, pour out the liquid and save for another use. Scoop out the cream and add to chilled bowl. Whip with electric mixers or a Kitchenaid mixer with paddle attachment. Add sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip until light and fluffy. Use this like cool whip, I even used it to make a layered oreo dessert it was delish!

When it comes to fast food, I would say that burgers and pizza are probably most people's top picks. So what would happen if we combined a burger with a pizza? Ta-DA! Cheeseburger Pizza Start with your favorite frozen cheese pizza or make your own, top with chopped tomatoes, onions, pickles, and about 1/2 C of browned hamburger meat or veggie crumbles. Top with cheese, yes more cheese. Then squirt some ketchup and mustard in a spiral. Next add some dollops of mayo. Sprinkle with a little Montreal steak seasoning and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing, top with lettuce. I think there is only one thing that would make this better and that would be to add some french fries before baking. It's just a matter of time! And that time is NOW! So Let me introduce my Cheeseburger & Fry Pizza Pie!