Saturday, August 21, 2010

Fruit Dip


Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
16 ounces marshmallow creme
1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice

Directions
1.Place cream cheese and marshmallow cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Place in microwave and cook on medium-high for 20 seconds increments, until softened.
2.Stir cherry juice into the cream cheese and marshmallow creme mixture. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Pizza Sauce


Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground paprika

Directions
1.In a medium bowl, Mix together tomato sauce and tomato paste until smooth. Stir in oregano, garlic and paprika.
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BBQ Sauce


Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring

Directions
1.In a medium saucepan, mix lemon juice, onion, distilled white vinegar, water, brown sugar, prepared mustard, ground black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
2.Stir ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke flavoring into the mixture. Return to boil, then remove from heat. Refrigerate until ready for use.
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Guacamole Dip


Ingredients
2 avocados
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Season with remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for half an hour to blend flavors.
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Friday, August 6, 2010

Beef Dinner

Ingredients
1 lb. chuck or other cut beef
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. lipton onion/mushroom soup mix
1 tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 can mushrooms (optional)
2 tbsp. flour (for thick gravy)

Directions
`Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery to the crockpot.
`Place meat on top of vegetables.
`Add the Worcestershire sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, dry soup mix.
`Last, pour the stewed tomatoes over the top. Cooked this on Low heat for 7 hrs, then add the mushrooms and let it cook for an hour or so more.
`When done, remove the meat and if a thicker gravy is desired, stir in 2 tbsp. flour and set crockpot to high while stirring for a minute or so. Serve with rice or noodles. (Or can add cut up potatoes with the vegetables)

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Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 1/3 cups frozen peas and carrots
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme, or to taste
2 cups diced cooked chicken
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.Use a pizza cutter to slice the puff pastry into 8 equal-sized strips. Weave the strips into a square lattice and place on a greased baking sheet.
3.Bake in preheated oven until it just starts to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
4.Place the frozen peas, carrots, and corn in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in the microwave until cooked but still firm, 5 to 10 minutes.
5.Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the milk and stir while cooking until the mixture is smooth. Add the thyme and continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Stir in the cooked vegetables and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes.
6.Pour the chicken mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Lay the pastry lattice on top. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.



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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Lemon Cheesecake


Ingredients
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust
1 (4.3 ounce) package non-instant lemon pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions
1.Prepare pudding mix according to package directions for pie filling. When pudding begins to boil, turn heat to low and mix in cream cheese and sugar. Stir until cream cheese is completely blended into mixture. Pour mixture into crust. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Macaroons


Ingredients
10 cups flaked coconut
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon milk

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2.In a large bowl, stir together the coconut, flour and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until everything is well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared pan.
3.Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is sufficiently toasted. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
4.In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate chips and milk, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate and scrape off excess onto the side of the bowl. Place onto waxed paper until set.
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Monday, August 2, 2010

New Direction

Hey Loves!!

I know its been a while but I've take some time off to work on Southern Charm!

Southern Charm is a my homebased bakery catering & delivering especially to the Jackson, Miss Metro Area. I also ship my cookies, bars, brownies, and candies across the United States.

Southern Charm can be reached on Facebook as well as Twitter.

I'm also in the process of creating a website but until then, I created a blog; Southern Charm Sweets: A Bakery & Candy Shop.

With that being said I've decided to chage the direction of this blog.

I'm going to focus more on quick and easy recipes.

If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Yogurt Cake


Ingredients
1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) container lemon flavored yogurt

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon extract. Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3.Pour batter into a 10 inch Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
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Coffee Cake


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup margarine
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
2.In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 3/4 cup of crumb mixture, to be used as a topping for the cake. Mix eggs and milk together and then blend into remaining mixture in bowl.
3.Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the top. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over fruit.
4.Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
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PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar

Place the butter and brown sugar in a frying pan and melt until it boils or bubbles. A cast iron pan works well because it's heavy and will be less likely to scorch.

1 can pineapple slices
maraschino cherries (enough to fill centers of pineapples)

Place pineapples in the butter and sugar mixture. Put cherries in the center of the pineapple. Cut the slices of pineapple into halves and line the sides of the frying pan with them (standing up on edge).
Prepare a box of yellow cake mix following the directions on the box to mix the batter (do not bake in a separate pan; follow instructions below).

Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries.

Bake at 350°F degrees. When the cake is done, loosen the edges with a butter knife. Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes, then turn it upside down on a serving dish.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
3 bonless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 can biscuits (Jumbo 5ct)

Directions:
Cook chicken in broth until fully cooked.
When still boiling, add cut biscuits into quarters and drop into boiling liquid.
Cover and turn heat to low.
Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.


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Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced red or yellow onion
2 cups sliced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons dried Mexican seasoning blend
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup canned chicken broth or water
Fresh lime juice

Directions:
-In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the 2 cups onions, 2 cups sliced bell peppers, 2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
-Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup broth or water. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add lime juice to taste and correct the seasonings. Remove the skillet from the heat.
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Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 can chicken
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 dashes sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 deep dish frozen pie crusts

Directions:
-Drain chicken and vegetables.
-In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients.
-Place mixture into pie crust and top with second.
-Crimp edges together.
-Make 2 or 3 slits in top crust and bake according to pie shell directions.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Making Chicken Stock

Making Chicken Stock



Chicken stock is used as the base for many soups and sauces, as well as adding flavor and richness to rice dishes, stews, and pastas.

1. To make basic chicken stock, you will need bones from two chickens, water, 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 2 stalks celery, 15 coarsely ground black peppercorns, and 1/2 of a bay leaf.

2. Remove as much fat from the chicken bones as possible. Do this by slicing off the chicken fat with a standard, sharp kitchen knife. You will not be able to remove every ounce of fat from the bones. Do not worry; you will skim much of the remaining fat off of the stock before you are finished.

3. Place the bones in a large stockpot. Pour water into the pot until the bones are completely immersed. Turn the stove on to a high temperature, and watch the stock carefully to ensure that it does not come to a boil at any point. Boiling the water will cause fat to churn in the pot rather than rise to the top where you can skim it off. When the stock appears to be about to come to a boil, reduce the heat to low. The stock should simmer at a very low heat. The goal is to have only one bubble rise to the surface per second, but a low simmer will suffice.

4. While the water is heating, begin to prepare the vegetables. Keep in mind it is in your best interest to keep the vegetables in moderately large chunks as they will be simmering in the pot for at least 45 minutes, and small pieces of vegetable will lose their flavoring quickly. Begin by removing the top and bottom of the onion, peeling, and cutting it in half. Discard the top, bottom, and skin pieces. Slice the onion into large chunks.

5. Peel and slice the carrots. The carrots should be sliced into fairly large chunks.

6. Celery leaves, especially those on the outside of the bunch, are extremely bitter and will do nothing to improve the taste of your stock. Remove and discard these leaves from the celery stalks. Then, slice the celery into pieces.

7. Combine the onions, carrots, and celery in a mixing bowl. Add the coarsely ground peppercorns and the 1/2 bay leaf to the bowl.

8. Looking at the simmering stock, you will notice a yellow layer of fat has risen to the surface.

9. Use a ladle to skim this layer off. Discard the unwanted fat. This photo shows how the stock should appear after it has been skimmed.

10. The stock will need to simmer 2 hours total. After the stock has simmered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Bring the stock back to a simmer. While the stock simmers for the final 45 minute stretch, constantly skim the fat off the surface as it becomes visible.

11. Strain the stock through a fine colander or alternate straining device (cheesecloth laid inside an ordinary colander will work fine).

12. The finished stock should be a light tan color, translucent, and have little or no fat floating on the surface. The stock is now ready for use.

***A great way to keep your stock fresh and on hand is to pour it into ice cube trays and then freeze them. This way, the stock is broken up into manageable amounts. You can use one or two cubes when making a sauce, or melt down all of the cubes for a scrumptious soup base.
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Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tablespoon seasoned salt
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 tablespoon onion powder
-1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
-2 eggs
-4 cups buttermilk
-1 cup barbeque sauce
-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
-1 tablespoon steak sauce
-1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
-oil for frying



Directions
-In a large shallow dish, mix together flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in buttermilk, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.
-Dredge chicken in milk mixture, then in seasoned flour, alternating in each at least twice. Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet to 375.
-Cook chicken in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes each side.
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Parmesan Chicken


Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350. Coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-Combine flour, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
-In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
-Dip the chicken in the egg, then dredge in the flour mixture.
-Place in the baking dish, and pour the melted butter evenly over the chicken.
-Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese has browned, and the chicken has cooked.
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Everybody Loves Chicken!

Today I woke up with CHICKEN on my mind! For the next 2 days I will post chicken recipes that will satisify anyone's chicken crave!
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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun


Here's a great idea for a girls' slumber party. This plan works best for seven to fifthteen year olds. Younger children don't do as well in large groups, and older children probably just won't be interested.

First, plan a menu that allows for the girls to help you in the food preparation process. English muffin pizzas work well for this. You'll need plenty of English muffins, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and other assorted pizza toppings. Let the girls build their own pizza muffins. Next, place the pizzas on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. Serve pizzas on paper plates with a beverage of choice served in disposable cups.

For desert, let the girls make banana splits. You will need large disposable bowls, bananas, whipped cream, nuts, cherries and neopoltain ice cream. Give each girl a split banana, let them scoop their own ice cream, & top as they like with whipped cream, nuts, & cherries.

Quiet the girls down for a while by showing a rented video. Be sure to choose one that is age appropriate. Try to get a new release that none of your guests have seen, yet. You can also rent an old classic like the Annie or Grease. The boys will be fascinated by the old flick. They may laugh, but they'll enjoy it.

Also play dressup. Hair, nails, & makeup all favorites of girls these ages! Make sure to have the parents permission and nothing will be done to make permnant damage!

Have them change into their pajamas. Make popcorn and juice for them. Invite them to tell scary stories or dish the latest gossip about boys around the kitchen table. Turn off the lights and give them a few flash lights. If you plan to stay right with them, instead of flash lights, you can light a few candles.

Break out the sleeping bags and brush those teeth. It's time for bed, even if they aren't going to sleep, be sure they know it is now time to sit down and calm down.

Go to bed. Just because they are going to be up all night giggling and talking, doesn't mean you have to be up all night. Besides, you'll want to get some rest so you can make them all breakfast in the morning.
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Boys Just Wanna Have Fun


Here's a great idea for a boys' slumber party. This plan works best for eight to twelve year olds. Younger children don't do as well in large groups, and older children probably just won't be interested.

First, plan a menu that allows for the boys to help you in the food preparation process. English muffin pizzas work well for this. You'll need plenty of English muffins, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and other assorted pizza toppings. Let the boys build their own pizza muffins. Next, place the pizzas on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. Serve pizzas on paper plates with a beverage of choice served in disposable cups.

For desert, let the boys make root beer floats. You will need large disposable cups, rootbeer, and vanilla ice cream. Let the boys scoop their own ice cream into their cups. Pour in the root beer and let them enjoy.

Quiet the boys down for a while by showing a rented video. Be sure to choose one that is age appropriate. Try to get a new release that none of your guests have seen, yet. You can also rent an old classic like the original King Kong or the original Mighty Joe Young. The boys will be fascinated by the old flick. They may laugh, but they'll enjoy it.

Now break out the board games. Give the boys a choice of Monopoly, Risk, Yahtzee, and other favorite games. Let them play in one large group or in small groups, depending on interests.

When the boys lose interest in board games, invite them to regress a little. Cover your kitchen table with shaving cream and let them make a clean mess. They'll soon have shaving cream beards and white foamy hands. The shaving cream smells clean and fresh. It also cleans your table. When the boys are done, supervise as they wash hands and faces.

Have them change into their pajamas. Make popcorn and juice for them. Invite them to tell scary stories around the kitchen table. Turn off the lights and give them a few flash lights. If you plan to stay right with them, instead of flash lights, you can light a few candles to set the spooky mood.

Break out the sleeping bags and brush those teeth. It's time for bed, even if they aren't going to sleep. Let them play cards or share trading cards, but be sure they know it is now time to sit down and calm down.

Go to bed. Just because they are going to be up all night giggling and talking, doesn't mean you have to be up all night. Besides, you'll want to get some rest so you can make them all breakfast in the morning.
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Slumber Party Saturday

The kids are out of school and what better way for them to keep up with their classmates than a slumber party! In the next two post I will write about slumber party ideas for boys & girls!
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Friday, June 18, 2010

Rainy Day Cherry Crisp


Brighten someone's day with this delicious oat and pecan topped cherry crisp!

Ingredients:
-2 (21 ounce) cans LUCKY LEAF® Cherry Pie Filling
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1 1/2 cups quick oats
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350. Pour two cans of Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Blend softened butter, oatmeal, brown sugar and pecans until the mixture is crumbly; sprinkle the mixture over top of the pie filling.
-Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

*Reciepe & photo courtsey of Lucky Leaf.
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Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother. It is a very savory and tasty soup and I believe that all will like it. If you would like to add even more flavor, try using smoked chicken!!



Ingredients
-2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
-1 teaspoon vegetable oil
-12 cups chicken broth
-1 1/2 tablespoons salt
-1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
-1 cup chopped celery
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/3 cup cornstarch
-1/4 cup water
-3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat

Directions:
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool running water.
-In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery and onion. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
-In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.
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French Onion Soup

French onion soup is one of America's most popular "restaurant soups," but with this easy recipe you can make it at home anytime you want.

Ingredients:
-4 large yellow onions, cut in large dice
-1/2 stick unsalted butter
-1 tbsp sherry vinegar
-1/4 cup dry sherry wine
-2 sprigs fresh thyme
-1/2 tsp salt
-fresh ground black pepper to taste
-1 bay leaf
-3 cups high-quality beef broth
-3 cups high-quality chicken broth
-1 cup water

For the topping:
-toasted French bread
-8 oz shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
-In a large soup pot, melt the butter over med-low heat. Add the onions and salt; slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown - about 30 minutes.
-Add the vinegar and sherry; cook for 5 minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into heatproof bowls, or crocks, and top with a piece of toasted bread (cut to fit top of bowl).
-Cover with the cheese, and place under a preheated broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown.
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Rainy Day Soups

On a rainy day you can never go wrong with a great soup! Soups are also great for cold winter days!

The next few post will be dedicated to 2 of my favoite soups; Onion Soup & Chicken Noodle Soup!

Hope you enjoy!
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Stay Dry With Rainy Day Dates

Sometimes the weather just isn’t cooperative for moonlit walks on the beach. Knowing a few indoor date ideas for a rainy day is a great way for you and your partner to still have a great time, rain or shine. These rainy day date ideas are also great ideas you can use year round or on a hot summer day when you’d rather be in air conditioning than in the hot sun.

Here are 12 unique romantic rainy day date ideas to try.

1. Go ice skating. Most areas have indoor ice skating rinks for hockey leagues and school teams. Find out where the nearest indoor ice skating rink is and make sure they offer ice skate rentals. You and your partner will have fun holding each other’s hands while you make a few laps around the rink, even if neither of you are very good at ice skating.

2. Go bowling. Bowling is a great way to talk with each other and have a little competitive fun. You can pretend to be serious bowlers or request bumper lanes if you’re a little rusty.

3. Be bookworms. A book store is the perfect place for a rainy day date. You can check out stores that sell new books or visit a few shops that have used and rare books. You’ll learn a lot about your partner’s interests as you look through the different book titles. Don’t forget to stop for coffee at a local cafĂ© or coffee shop afterwards!

4. Play board games, cards or puzzles. You can have a blast playing card games or board games like Monopoly. You can also always stop at the store if you have some extra cash and pick out a new game together just for the occasion. If you’re not a huge fan of board games, you can always opt to do a puzzle together instead.

5. Cook up a Romantic Dinner. If you don’t feel like going out, try making dinner together at home instead. A few candles and some music playing in the background can make a simple dinner like spaghetti seem romantic.

6. Have an indoor picnic or camp. Grab your blankets and picnic basket and have a fun picnic on your living room floor. You can also set up a tent inside your house if it is big enough and you and your partner can snuggle and nap together while you listen to the raindrops on the roof.

7. Head to the museums. A rainy day is a perfect time to brush up on history, admire classic art pieces, or learn more about science. Museumspot.com is a great site where you search by location or interest to find the perfect museum for your rainy day date.

8. Find a pool hall. This is one of my favorite rainy date ideas since it’s always fun for us to laugh at how bad the other one is or pretending to be pros and calling the shots.

9. Get your video games. This can be a fun way to spend some time together on a rainy day. You can either visit your local arcade, rent a few video games to play for your current system, or drag out your original Nintendo or Atari. Just remember to stick to the 2 player games – it can get boring for the other person if they are just watching you play the whole time.

10. Have a movie marathon. Either rent a few movies from the video store or order a few from your cable provider. Make sure you have the popcorn and some blankets ready and turn the lights off to make it even better than going to the theater. You choose certain themes, actors, or catch up on your favorite television series to make it more of a “marathon”.

11. Have a photo shoot. You can be as serious or as silly as you want to be taking pictures of each other around the house. Find some unusual items, ugly sweaters or old Halloween costumes and start snapping away to a good time. You can go all out with lights and backdrops if you are able to. When you’re done taking the pictures, you can play around with them with your favorite photo editing software to make them black and white, sepia, or add other effects.

12. Go to a play or other live performance. Whether you’re into music, theater, or comedy clubs, going out to a performance is great form of rainy day entertainment. Your local newspaper can be a great source of information for current shows and venues.

What do you like to do with your partner when the weather cancels or changes your plans? Share your rainy day date ideas in the comments below.
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Rain Rain Go Away


I HATE THE RAIN!!! I don't just dislike it, I LITERALLY hate it! My ankels seems to always get wet from the rain no matter what I have on, its just not a good look!

Looking at the forecast this moring, I've noticed it rains the whole weekend so I'm going to write a few post dedicated to the rain!

These post will include great rainy day date ideas, rainy day activities, & rainy day recipes!

Hope you enjoy!
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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Romantic Dinner: Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo


Ingredients:
1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound uncooked shrimp - peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.
When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles.
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Setting The Mood For A Romantic Dinner

Romantic dinner are all about the setting. Once the mood is set, everything else fall into place.

Start by setting a romantic table.
Cover the table with a table cloth (white is fine).
Set the table with plates, silverware, and glasses.
Add flowers.
Place candles on table.
Cover table with rose petals to make the table look more elegant.



Next is finding the right music. You can make a playlist of your favorite love songs or buy a cd filled with love songs.
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