Cute As A Button Valentine Mantle and Garland

To contact us Click HERE

Earlier this week I took a break from studying and decorated the center space of our living room entertainment center. As we don’t have a fireplace this space has become a faux mantle or “fantle” of sorts in our home.

As I began piling on the doilies, lace and paperbacks there were a few spots that needed just a bit of something more. The darling button garland that Donna from Funky Junk created back in December came to mind.

Pearl and cream colored buttons worked perfectly with the vintage white milk glass.

I also punched out a few paper hearts and tacked them to twigs nestled amidst the roses

Bottles of buttons and pearls completed the look. Almost.

After taking the above photo I decided that the sides of the entertainment center needed doilies too. :)

Then of course I had to add my own spin to Donna’s lovely creation which is made simply with buttons and ornament hooks.

I spied this red felt garland at the dollar store and knew it would be perfect for adding a touch of red whimsy to our dining room area. As I had the buttons on hand this project only cost a whopping $2.

I hung the heart button garland from our dining room chandelier.

I’ll reveal the rest of the space next Monday.

Simple but happy.

Have a love filled Monday!

Laura

Linking to:

Kelly’s Korner, Bargain Hunting W/ Laurie

Thursday, February 14th

Will You Be My Valentine?

To contact us Click HERE

I LOVE Valentine’s Day!

Even when I was single and dateless I was always blessed to have someone to love~ friends, family, co workers.

Let’s all share the love.

On Thursday, February 14th I will be hosting a Valentine themed linky party.

I would love for you to share your:

Valentine Crafts

Valentine Décor

Valentine Recipes

Sweetheart or Loved One

Acts of Love

Basically anything goes.

Past posts are perfect!

If you are anything like me you might need a button for your sidebar to remind you. :)

Valentine Linky Party

Thursday, February 14th

Will you be my Valentine?

Laura

“Let My Love Open The Door” Valentine Wreath

To contact us Click HERE

As the month of January draws to a close, complete with overcast skies and dreary weather, I found myself wanting a bit of happiness and color. I set out to create a happy and welcoming entry for Valentine’s Day.

I first looked to see what I had on hand: a bit of open weave burlap I bought on clearance last fall, Christmas clearance red  ribbon and a wire wreath form.  It was a start.

I began constructing the wreath in the same way I shared in this tutorial:

I thought maybe threading the ribbon through the burlap would be cute. (Holy time waster!) It wasn’t quite right. So I tried adding in some other red and white ribbon.  I only got half way through when I decided it was an epic fail.

“When everything feels all over
When everybody seems unkind
I'll give you a four-leaf clover
Take all the worry out of your mind"

So I pulled everything apart. Sometimes creativity happens that way. But you can’t give up. You might need a little Pete Townsend to bring back the spark.

By adding in some red burlap ~ suddenly ~ everything worked!

“Release yourself from misery
There's only one thing gonna set you free
That's burlap
That's burlap”

In the meantime I had gotten down the small bin of Valentine décor and found some old wooden hearts I have had for years.

They came complete with a key and begged to be tied on with a big burlap bow.

“I have the only key to your heart
I can stop you falling apart
Try today you'll find this way
Come on and give me a chance to say”

Oh the front entry was singing now!

“Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart”

Sometimes it takes an epic fail before you find true love,

Laura

I hope you’ll join me on Thursday, February 14th!

Linking to:

Kelly’s Korner, Bargain Hunting W/Laurie

Rêve ~ A Dream Come True

To contact us Click HERE

In French the word “Rêve” means “Dream”. For me the content of this post is a dream come true. A dream that required a very long journey to bring it to fruition.

As many of you know I lived in Europe for four years. I worked as a tour guide for the U.S.O and was blessed to have traveled to many wonderful areas experiencing the beauty and culture only Europe can offer. 

The experience was in one word TRANSFORMATIVE.

When I returned to the states I worked as a features journalist for a newspaper, began writing Décor To Adore, received a degree in interior design (with an emphasis on French and English antiques) co ~ created Metis Linens and currently I am back in school majoring in art history and minoring in French.

Sense a recurring theme? Yes, France. Many of my longtime readers are aware of my deep and sometimes consuming love that I have for all things French.

To love France completely is to appreciate its land and the people ~ full of timeless beauty, with wonders such as lovely fashions, fine cuisine, beautiful art/architecture/furnishings and so much more.

For me there is nothing better than to immerse myself in research on a certain topic and then devote time to travel to experience it firsthand. I love to share the passion and experiences with anyone who will listen.

For a number of years friends, family members and even blog readers have asked when I would write a book sharing all the wonderful and sometimes secret details I have learned about this beautiful country.

The time is now at hand.  

But such a project is a tremendous undertaking. One that needs to be shared. There was one person I knew who loves France even more than I do.

My friend Andrea lived in Paris for several years while she completed the three year course in art history at the Ecole du Louvre. Yes, that Louve.

Andrea has a beautiful home in the Burgundy region of France and among her many talents she has been a contributing writer and photographer for Romantic Homes Magazine.

Joining us will be Elizabeth Eiffel, an a Australian writer and photographer whose images always leave me wanting more.

Elizabeth is currently restoring what she lovingly refers to as “her French Folly” a beautiful home in a quaint village located in the Burgundy region of France.

Together we have been working on a series of French travel themed E books. It was a short debate on what we should cover for Volume I. There is nothing like  Paris ~ the City of Light and Love.

This travel E book series will be vastly different than what is already flooding the market.

You will not find information on the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumph, or the Champs-Élysées. While those are all wonderful places to visit, we want to offer you over 100 pages of:

“Les trésors cachés de Paris”

translation: “The hidden gems of Paris”

You will also notice that there is no date on the (tentative) cover of Volume I. This is because the information contained within the pages of Rêve will be timeless. Much like France itself. Unlike a magazine, you will not want to eventually toss, recycle or delete this book, but refer to its fantastic content again and again.

Future volumes will cover areas such as Brittany, Burgundy, Provence… et plus (and more)!

Rêve will make its debut on May 1, 2013.

We are currently offering pre subscriptions at a discounted price. $6 for one volume, $20 for four volumes.  

For an E book. Crazy! We know!!!

(The price will increase after publication.)

Rêve Le Livre

Volume I: Paris 2013 $6.00 USDAll Four Volumes 2013 $20.00 USD

Rêve ~ The French Lifestyle You’ve Dreamed Of.

Laura

The Climb

To contact us Click HERE

Yesterday was a gorgeous Arizona spring day~ clear and in the 70’s. It was also the 30th Annual Climb For Cancer on South Mountain.

Back in early January we asked if there was anyone we could climb for. We received several names.

Two weeks ago I learned that my very, very good friend Marci has cancer. She is 38.

You met her last year in the post “A Rose Amongst the Thorns”.

So the walk was made for Marci and many others.

All names were printed on a piece a paper and tucked into the water pack.

Ceekay ~ Ovarian Cancer

Marcie Cooper~ Breast Cancer

Nonie

David Olson

Ann’s friend Alice

Emma ~ she just turned 13 and lives in Australia.

Mike Hottle ~throat cancer and leukemia

Jill Sullivan~ throat cancer

Mike Keyes ~ brain tumor

Ginger~ breast cancer

Munkh Erdene (Munhuush) from Mongolia ~brain tumor

Ruth~ breast cancer

Susan Smith ~ melanoma

Blake, 18, ~ Burkitt's lymphoma

Julie is a wife and mother of 5 children~ colon cancer.

In memory

My cousin Sweet T’s good friend Louise Feole~ ovarian cancer

Tracy Evans ~ a classmate of mine who lost her battle with breast cancer

My dear friend Tracy’s MIL Barbara Epperson

Karen Ingalls my mother

Roy Ingalls my grandfather

Janice Ray my aunt

With each step, a prayer for a cure.

As many longtime readers may know, in the past I have closed my Sunday posts to comments in personal observance of the Sabbath. Recently I was approved for BlogHer advertising. (Praise Jesus) One requirement they have is that all posts must remain open to comments. I ask for your understanding that I personally still choose not to get on my computer on Sunday’s.

Perhaps in lieu of a comment, you can leave a prayer or praise of thanksgiving (a blessing you’ve experienced).

Laura

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” ~ Colossians 2:6

Happy Valentine's Day - Marshmallow Popcorn

To contact us Click HERE

I love popcorn pretty much any time of day. I love to make caramel popcorn, cinnamon crunch popcorn, buttered popcorn or just eat it plain for a healthy, low calorie snack. However, I do have to say this marshmallow popcorn however is definitely one of my favorite ways to eat popcorn. It is soft, chewy, sweet and a little salty. We love to make this recipe all different times of the year and add extra items to give this popcorn a fun holiday twist. For Valentines we love to add cinnamon bears cut up, jelly hearts and/or Valentine's M&M's. The color's are really cute and also make a fun treat to give to school teachers, friends, neighbors, etc. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Marshmallow Popcorn1 cup uncooked popcorn – pop in air popper2/3 bag of mini marshmallowsPop the popcorn kernels. Remove all un-popped kernels from the bottom of the bowl. Mix the mini marshmallows in with the popped popcorn. In a medium saucepan melt the following:1 1/3 cup granulated sugar½ cup corn syrup1 c. butterMelt ingredients in saucepan until it begins to boil. The second you see it beginning to boil start a timer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Have marshmallow popcorn divided into two bowls. Begin by pouring 1/3 of the hot caramel to the top of the popcorn. Stir together. Add more dry popcorn from second bowl to the wet popcorn. Pour more sauce and repeat process. Add the remaining ingredients until it is all combined. Stir gently. You don’t need to have all the marshmallows melted. It’s tasty with chunks of marshmallow. Also delicious to add peanuts, cashews, M&M’s, cinnamon bears, cinnamon jelly hearts, or any other festive treat for Valentines Day or Halloween (candy corns) It tastes like a rice crispy treat but better because it’s popcorn!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

To contact us Click HERE
Ah! One more day to Valentine's Day. If you still need a fun and delicious Valentine's treat I have have one more recipe for you. These Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are such a great twist on a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies taste like cherry chocolate chip ice cream and have a fun, creamy texture from the cream cheese. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and get to spend the day with family members or friends that you love ;)

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 sticks (12 T.)  butter 
8 oz. cream cheese, softened 
1 c. + 1/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs 
3 t. maraschino cherry juice
1t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract 
2-2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt 
1 bag milk chocolate chips
10 oz. maraschino cherries, cut into half pieces
 Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and blend until smooth. Add the eggs and maraschino cherry juice and combine. Add the flour, vanilla, almond and salt. Mix together until dough is soft, but not firm enough to form into a ball (you will need to spoon the cookies off from a spoon--the dough should be a little soft). Add the maraschino cherries and chocolate chips. (The amount of flour you will need may vary due to the amount of juice was left in your chopped cherries--it might be a good idea to bake one cookie to see how the cookie forms). Bake the cookies at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are cooked through.

Kroger grocery deals are now added to Deals to Meals!

To contact us Click HERE
Yeah! We are so excited to be adding Kroger's grocery deals to our weekly Deals to Meals line up. We have been working on adding this most requested store to our site for awhile and are excited to have the details figured out. Kroger grocery stores have some great/red deals each week that you should take advantage of, use in your weekly meal plan and add to your food storage/pantry supply. Thank you for each of your patience for us getting it up and running and here are the state's that now have these deals uploaded. Yippee!!

Wednesday-Tuesday Kroger ads (uploaded Wednesday):
Arkansas
Mississippi
Louisiana
Texas
Indiana
Illinois

Monday-Sunday Kroger ads (uploaded Monday):
Michigan
Ohio

Sunday-Saturday Kroger ads (uploaded Monday):
Alabama
Georgia
South Carolina
West Virginia
Virginia
North Carolina
Kentucky
Tennessee

Have fun shopping!! Please continue to send us your feedback, requests and other information you hope to see on our website in the near future (customerservice@dealstomeals.com). Have a great week :)

German Chocolate Cake

To contact us Click HERE

January and February are the month's for birthdays and special celebrations in our family. My sister Diana and my brother in law Grady EVERY year request my Mom's German Chocolate Cake. Not only that, but Diana requests TWO of these cakes. One to share with the family and one for her to enjoy at her own pace. We love that their birthday's are only two weeks apart so we feel like we are eating German Chocolate cake every other weekend this time of year and we LOVE it!! This year my Mom made one cake for Diana and I made one. I can't remember making this cake before, but it turned out (amazingly) as good as when my Mom makes it. I always thought the frosting would be much more difficult because it is so incredibly good, but it was super simple! I could pretty much eat this frosting by the gallon. I could take or leave the cake, but this frosting is unreal. It is smooth, sweet, a little salty and totally perfect. If you love German Chocolate cake, don't hesitate to make the frosting from scratch. You will love it for any of your upcoming birthdays, anniversaries or special occasions. Or..just for any ol' day of the week you need a little chocolate pick me up. Enjoy :)
German Chocolate Frosting1 German chocolate cake mix (or made from scratch)--baked and cooled slightly 1 c. evaporated milk1 c. sugar3 egg yolks-beaten1/2 c. butter1 tsp. vanilla1 c. pecans, slightly chopped1 1/3 c. coconutPlace the milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks in a pan and cook on medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then add the pecans and coconut to the frosting. Mix together and then add the vanilla. Let the frosting cool slightly before you pour on the cake or serve on vanilla ice cream. If you have a double layer cake, you may want to double this recipe. You can never have too much frosting in my opinion!

This week's deals & annual taste test

To contact us Click HERE
My family and I just returned from a week vacation to a little city near Palm Springs California called Indio. It is my most favorite trip we take all year because it gets us out of the gray, cold weather of Utah into the sunny, blue skies of California. I can't tell you how amazing 80 degree weather felt. To be hot and have sun hit your face is something those of us here in Utah miss for half of the year. For 10 days straight we pretty much do NOTHING other than sit and bask in the sun, swim, cook and eat amazing food (we're talking a ten pound gain for all of the men)! I have blogged about this trip before and one of our favorite traditions of our annual food taste test. Every time my family gets together we always choose an item to taste test and then all decide which item/brand we enjoy the best. We have done so many items in the past it is getting kind of tricky figuring out which items to do this time. Thanks to my brother in law, he chose the amazingly processed and all-too fattening idea of Queso Cheese Sauce & Tortilla Chips.Last year we already came up with the winner of the best tortilla chips and that winner went to Don Pancho Resteraunt Style Tortilla Chips. They are crisp, salty and hold sauce or salsa perfectly. We bought 4 bags of these chips and it was scary how fast we consumed them. They are totally great!

So, onto our Queso dips. We found several different varieties at the local Costco and Winco and here is what we came up with.  The FIRST place winner went to Tostitos Queso Dip. It was nearly a tie with Mission (to me they tasted the same). The worst queso dip was the powdered sauce mix from Winco's bulk section. Oh, that was bad!! My personal favorite was the fire roasted cheese dip from Costco. It had a totally different flavor (obviously) since it was made from real ingredients and not processed cheese, but the men weren't big fans. It was a little chick-food tasting for them. Another surprising favorite if you want a traditional ball-park nacho cheese dip, was Farrero from a can. It really had pretty good flavor and although it was a tad boring with no peppers or anything, it actually made some pretty great nachos.
So, that is it for another year. If you are wanting to make the 'perfect' nachos in our book...stock up on some Tostitos Queso and some Don Pancho Tortilla Chips and the men in your life (and maybe even you) are sure to be in heaven!!

2 weeks of groceries for only $189.58
18 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, celery, grape tomatoes, jalapenos, bananas, 9 heads romaine, yellow peppers, orange peppers, red bell peppers, 4 avocados, 8 limes, 7 lbs. fuji appls, broccoli, cauliflower, 5 lbs. tomatoes, 2 lbs. carrots, green onions, cilantro, onions, 2 lbs. boneless ham, 5 lbs. red potatoes, 2 pkgs. bagels, 8 tortillas, 20 yogurts, 70 corn tortillas, string cheese, 4 gallons of milk, 6 Fage greek yogurts, 5 lbs. clementines, 10 lbs. shredded cheddar cheese, 4 lbs. mozzarella cheese, 4 lbs. butter, 2 sour creams, 5 loaves bread, 4 (40oz.) peanut butter's, mushrooms, 6 lb. boneless pork roast, bag tortilla chips and 5 dozen eggs.

Enough ingredients, meat, dairy and produce to last my family for 2 weeks. I am excited about some of the meals on our meal planner these next couple of weeks. I can't wait to blog about our AMAZING recipe for Green Thai Chicken Curry. Oh boy! It is a winner. I have to make that again (two days in a row now). We will also be making Red Chile Enchiladas, Chicken Chopped Salad, Crispy Buffalo Tacos, Balsamic Chicken w/ Asparagus, Creamy Bolognese, BBQ Chicken Wraps, Turkey Provolone Melts,  and MUCH more.

If you need help saving money on your grocery bill and making delicious, homemade recipes, visit our website for a TWO WEEK FREE trial to Deals to Meals. You are sure to save $100's on your month's groceries and there are no contracts of risks. If you don't save more than your $1.13 week rate, we are more than happy to refund your money! Have fun shopping :)

Chicken recipes: It's what's for dinner!

To contact us Click HERE

Chicken has been on sale a lot and I've got a freezer full of all kinds. I thought I'd share some of my chicken recipes with you.
Sticky chicken: this is awesome, and I always have to pull out the big roasting pan and make three whole chickens because everyone loves sticky chicken and I want leftovers. The spice mixture you rub on this is wonderful and you baste the chicken throughout the cooking time which is what makes the skin "sticky".

Chili-maple glazed chicken: this is one of many "dump chicken" recipes that I love! They are easy, and you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them, then defrost and "dump" into a baking dish and bake in the oven or "dump" in the crock pot or slow cooker and let it cook while you're out running errands or at work.

Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: perfect for summer grilling! No grill? That's okay, you can make these in the oven and turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to make sure they get a nice brown on them. You can also make these on a grill pan or on the GF grill.

Sesame hoisin chicken wings: these wings are so good! They're a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, sticky but crispy. Yummy! Perfect any time of the year. They make a wonderful appetizer for an outdoor summer party, as well as the Super Bowl.


Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: the first time I made them, huge hit! They've asked for them twice since. I serve with Greek salad, homemade pita bread and homemade tzatziki, which is a delicious dip/spread made with yogurt, cucumbers and garlic.





If the links don't work, you can copy and paste them directly:
Sticky chicken: www.examiner.com/article/oven-roasted-sticky-chicken-recipe
Chili-maple glazed chicken: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Sesame hoisin chicken wings: www.examiner.com/article/serve-up-a-chicken-wing-super-bowl-buffet-sesame-hoisin-chicken-wing-recipe

Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: www.examiner.com/article/ground-chicken-recipe-chicken-spanakopita-meatballs-with-tzatziki-and-pita 
Bonus recipes:

• homemade tzatziki: www.examiner.com/article/tzatziki-recipe-greek-cucumber-yogurt-dip
• homemade pita: www.examiner.com/article/pita-bread-recipe
• Greek salad: www.examiner.com/article/how-to-make-fresh-salad-dressings-recipes-to-save-you-money-2012

Till next time, keep on keeping on and fight the frugal fight!

This week's featured recipes: Summer recipes, meatless Monday recipes, weeknight and back to school recipes and fudgy brownie cookies recipe!

To contact us Click HERE
This week I've been sharing up a storm with summer recipes, especially pickles and recipes to use the bounty in your garden, from you CSA or from the Farmers market. I've also been sharing quick back to school and weeknight dinner recipes. We've also been sharing Meatless Monday recipes.

Next week we'll be sharing more quick back to school recipes, crock pot recipes and cooking for two. Hubby and I have recently become sort of empty nesters with one son living on his own, and one son living here, but not really. He's out a lot, working, spending time with his girlfriend and his friends, he rarely eats at home anymore. So, we're learning to cook for two a couple of nights each week.

In today's blog post you'll find links to the recipes I've shared from July 1st through July 21. Enjoy and let me know how you like the recipes you try.
Don't forget to join us on Facebook at Better Frugal Living for Families and Rachael's Recipes, Frugal Living Advice and Homemaking Hints.

Summer recipes:
Watermelon and tomato salad

Easy and refreshing watermelon pops


Meatless Monday recipes:
Meatless taco pizza
Greek quesadillas
Quick weeknight or back to school dinner recipesCuban quesadillasSteak pitas


Easy, delicious dessert or snack ideasFudgy brownie cookiesUntil next time, I remain...Frugally yours!Rachael Monaco