Spumoni Swirl Brownies

This recipe also came from a Pampered Chef cookbook, but a quick Google search gave me no web page to link to. Oh well, I tried!

I have never actually had spumoni ice cream....but I am thinking I would love it. All the flavors are ones I like, especially the cherry and pistachio!

Watch your brownies while cooking. The original recipe calls for 18-20 minutes. Mine were still raw and liquid in the middle after 20. I ended up cooking them for about 30-35, and that still left them gooey like I enjoy.
Know thine oven!


Ingredients:
½ Cup plus ¾ Tsp vegetable oil, divided
¼ Cup shelled pistachios
1 Jar (10 oz) marachino cherries (drained)
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
¼ Cup powdered sugar
2 Tsp almond extract
5 drops each green and red food coloring
1 Package fudge brownie mix
3 Eggs
¼ Cup water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Lightly brush 9 x 13 inch pan with ¾ tsp oil
3. Finely chop pistachios, and also cherries (keep separate)
4. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mix until smooth
5. Place half of the cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl
6. To one half, add pistachios, almond extract, and green food coloring
7. To remaining cream cheese mixture, add half of the cherries and red food coloring
8. Combine brownie mix, egg, remaining oil, remaining cherries, and water. Mix well.
9. Pour batter into pan. Add colored mixtures to the top. Using a knife, swirl red and green for a marbled effect.
10. Bake 18-20 minutes.

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Ingredients: Yes, I shelled the pistachios myself

So bright and pretty! Would be cute for Christmas.

This recipe was shared with:
Monday: Jam Hands, A Bright and Beautiful Life, Adventures in Mindful Living, Flour me with Love, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Pioneer Momma, A Southern Fairytale, New Mama Diaries, Call me PMC, The Chicken Chick, A Peek into my Paradise, Feeding Big, A Pinch of Joy, Uncommon Designs, Craft O Maniac
Tuesday: Pint Sized Baker, Our Table for Seven, Yesterfood , A Peek into my Paradise, Cornerstone Confessions, Chef in Training, Kathe with an E, Inside Bru Crew Life, The Road to 31, Mandy's Recipe Box, My Joy Filled Life, This Ole Mom, Sweet Silly Sara
Wednesday: Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Crafty Allie, From Gate to Plate, Sew Crafty Angel, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lambert's Lately, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mostly Homemade Mom, Jam Hands, Mom's Test Kitchen, The Tasty Fork, Lady Behind the Curtain, Lemoine Family Kitchen
Thursday: The Grits Blog, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, Sweet Haute, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love
Friday: Endlessly Inspired, Craft Dictator, Play Party Pin, A Conquered Mess, A Little Clarification, The Better Baker, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Thirty Handmade Days
Saturday: Angel's Homestead, Made From Pinterest, Beauty Through Imperfection, The Bitter Side of Sweet, Sewlicious, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sister's Stuff, Mommy on Demand
Sunday: Denise Designed

Fried Rice

We are big Chinese fans at our house. The owner of the local delivery restaurant calls me "swetheart" when I call.
I think my family bought her a boat this summer.
I am sure the kids went to Ivy League schools on my tab.

Then I realized just how easy it was to make things like fried rice at home.

We make this all the time. Have left over meat? Throw it in!
Just feel like corn this time? Do it!!

Ingredients:

2-3 Cups cooked rice

1-2 eggs, scrambled

1 Cup mixed vegetables

1 Tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

3 Green onions, cut thin

Soy Sauce

Rice Vinegar

Directions:

1. In large skillet, saute rice until warmed

2. Mix in egg, onion, and vegetables.

3. Add ginger. Season with soy sauce and rice vinegar to taste

4. Add sesame seeds right before serving

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This recipe was shared with:
Monday: Uncommon Designs, A Bright and Beautiful Life, Flour me with Love, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Pioneer Momma, A Southern Fairytale, Call me PMC, Adventures in Mindful Living, The Chicken Chick, Jam Hands, Northeast Bloggers, New Mama Diaries, Feeding Big, A Pinch of Joy, The Road to 31, My Joy Filled Life
Tuesday: Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Our Table for Seven, Yesterfood, A Peek into my Paradise, Cornerstone Confessions, Kathe with an E, Inside Bru Crew Life, Pint Sized Baker, Sweet Silly Sara, This Ole Mom
Wednesday: Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Crafty Allie, Lady Behind the Curtain, From Gate to Plate, Sew Crafty Angel, Moms Test Kitchen, White Lights on Wednesday, Ginger Snap Crafts, Buns in my Oven, Gina's Craft Corner, Wine and Glue, Jam Hands, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Mostly Homemade Mom, The Newlywed Pilgrimage
Thursday: Lambert's Lately, Sweet Haute, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Sweet Bella Roos, Embracing Change
Friday: Play Party Pin, A Conquered Mess, The Grits Blog, Craft Dictator, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Thirty Handmade Days, The Better Baker, Hungry Harps, A Little Clarification
Saturday: Made from Pinterest, Cheerios and Lattes, The Weary Chef, Sewlicious Home Decor, Simply Gloria, Angel's Homestead, Six Sisters Stuff, Mommy on Demand
Sunday: Denise Designed

International Delight: Iced Coffee

International Delight has come out with ready made ice coffee.
For those of us who, you know, are too lazy to pour coffee over ice!

In all seriousness, I do like these. I think to buy them every now and again.
I have had the mocha, and now the caramel.

I don't find them overly sweet, just quite tasty.

When I first tried it, I had this idea in my head that it would be thick like chocolate milk. (huh? why?)
Happy to report it is creamy like iced coffee with cream should be.

Mushroom and Swiss Chard Soup

Adapted from Cookin Canuck

I love soups. I eat them year round.
This means that hubby and the girl must as well.

Hey man, I do the planning, the shopping, and the cooking...you will eat it!

Just kidding, they are both pretty easy to feed, at least they try new things.

They are welcome to make PB&J if they just don't care for it.

That did not happen with this soup.

There are no leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 Tsp olive oil

½ Large sweet onion (diced)

1 Clove garlic (minced)

12 oz baby bella mushrooms (sliced)

½ Tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp minced fresh sage

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

7 Cups vegetable broth

⅔ Cups orzo

4 Cups chopped swiss chard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large saucepan over medium heat

2. Add onion and garlic. Stir occasionally until onions are clear

3. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, mushrooms, pepper and sage. Cook until mushrooms are tender (about 5 minutes)

4. Stir in the balsamic vinegar

5. Add vegetable broth, stir well. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat.

6. Add orzo and cook until al dente

7. Add swiss chard. Cover saucepan and cook until chard is wilted.

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Forgot the sage. Use your imagination.

This recipe was shared with:
Monday: Flour me with Love, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Pioneer Momma, New Mama Diaries, Kitchen Table Art, A Pinch of Joy, Jam Hands, Uncommon Designs, The Chicken Chick, Call me PMC, Adventures in Mindful Living, Feeding Big, A Southern Fairytale, This Ole Mom,
Tuesday: Ginger Snap Crafts, Mandy's Recipe Box, Table for Seven, Yesterfood, A Peek into my Paradise, Cornerstone Confessions, Chef in Training, Kathe with an E, Inside Bru Crew Life, Pint Sized Baker, The Road to 31, My Joy Filled Life, Sweet Silly Sara, Gina's Craft Corner
Wednesday: Crafty Allie, Tastes of Lizzy T, The Tasty Fork, White Lights on Wednesday, A Peek into my Paradise, Mom's Test Kitchen, Jam Hands, Gooseberry Patch, Lady Behind the Curtain, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Buns in my Oven, Lemoine Family Kitchen
Thursday: Lambert's Lately, Sweet Haute, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, The Nourishing Gourmet
Friday:  The Grits Blog, Cooking with Curls, Endlessly Inspired, Hungry Harps, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Craft Dictator, Play Party Pin, Foodie Friends Friday, A Conquered Mess
Saturday: What's Cooking with Ruthie, Cheerios and Lattes, Will Cook for Smiles, Angel's Homestead, The Better Baker, Six Sisters Stuff, Raising Memories, Beauty Through Imperfection
Sunday: A Peek into my Paradise, Denise Designed

Aloette GIVEAWAY! (because we all love to be pampered!)

UPDATE:
This giveaway has closed, congratulations to our winner Jennay R.!



We women work incredibly hard!
No matter if we have jobs inside the home, or outside the home...we are busy doing! There are kids, husbands, pets, employer/employees, always someone else we are taking care of.

How well do you take care of yourself?
Me, I love to be pampered. Even if it's do-it-yourself at home. Love love love the feel of something that is just for me.

Don't we all feel better about things when we feel better about us?

My friend Kristen introduced me to the Aloette brand of products. They take skin care to a whole new level!
Not only do they combine the most scientifically advanced technology with nature based ingredients like organic aloe vera, they reduce their (and your) carbon footprint by offering features like refillable compacts!

Today, Kristen has decided to share the Restorative Enzyme Peel with you!
This is a $40.95 value!

Please visit her Aloette page for any of your beauty needs!
Aloette has a full line of skin care, make up, and bath and body products.

RESTORATIVE ENZYME PEEL

Your alternative to harsh chemical peels, Aloette’s Restorative Enzyme Peel works right before your eyes to remove dead skin cells and reveal a healthy, hydrated glow—all in just one minute! A combination of natural fruit extracts—including grapefruit, cucumber, papaya and pineapple—and containing Aloeganic aloe vera, our non-invasive 60-Second Miracle Peel gently smoothes and exfoliates without the use of abrasive acids or chemicals and with zero downtime. 2 fl  oz/60 g To Use: Apply a thin layer of Restorative Enzyme Peel to clean, dry skin. Rub gently in a circular motion until small beads form. Once beading has stopped, rinse face with warm water. Use exfoliating peel once a week to remove dead skin cells for a refreshed, radiant complexion. Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Water, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon)Extract, Ananas Sativus(Pineapple)Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit), Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber)Fruit Extract, Papain, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Grapefruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Gylcosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Blue 1, Yellow 5

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Blynai (Lithuanian Pancakes)

My great grandmother was always in the kitchen.
She wasn't happy unless she was feeding someone. When one would walk in the door, she wouldn't say "hi", she said "are you hungry?".

A lot of Gram's food was typical Lithuanian. We grew up with it all, and our friends started loving it all too. The funny part was watching some people try to pronounce the names of some of the foods!

When I would spend the night, she used to make me these incredibly light, yet crisp pancakes.
As I located this recipe here, and tried them on my own...in the first bite, I knew. They were Gram's. This is what she made me all those years ago.

Yum.
Thank you Gram!

Ingredients:

1 Cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sour cream

4 Large eggs (separated)

1 Cup milk

½ Tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks until light

2. Add flour, sour cream, milk, and salt. Mix until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff

4. Fold egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture.

5. Add a small amount of butter to a non stick skillet to melt

6. Portion batter in tablespoons onto skillet

7. Fry until golden, flip and fry the other side is golden

8. Serve hot with honey, syrup, or preserves

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This recipe was shared on:
Monday: Flour me with Love, Pioneer Momma, The Chicken Chick, Kitchen Table Art, New Mama Diaries, Call Me PMC, Adventures in Mindful Living, A Southern Fairy Tale, Jam Hands, Mommy on Demand, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Feeding Big, Inside Bru Crew Life, My Joy Filled Life
Tuesday: Mandy's Recipe Box, Chef in Training, Table for Seven, Yesterfood, A Peek into my Paradise, Cornerstone Confessions, Pint Sized Baker, The Road to 31, Kathe with an E, Gina's Craft Corner, Sweet Silly Sara, This Ole Mom
Wednesday: Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Wine and Glue, Lady Behind the Curtain, Crafty Allie, White Lights on Wednesday, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Jam Hands, Buns in my Oven, The Nourishing Gourmet
Thursday: Saving 4 Six, Whats Cooking Love, Sweet Bella Roos, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, Lamberts Lately, Sweet Haute
Friday: A Conquered Mess, Play Party Pin, Kiddie Foodies, The Grits Blog, Love Bakes Good Cakes, 30 Handmade Days, The Country Cook, This and That, Hungry Harps, Craft Dictator, Endlessly Inspired, Cooking with Curls
Saturday: Will Cook for Smiles, Angel's Homestead, Made from Pinterest, Six Sisters Stuff, Raising Memories, Yummy Healthy Easy