Back to School: Breakfast on Hand

For me going back to school meant the end of two things:
1. Sleeping in
2. a "fancy" breakfast
Gone are the days of casually making Paula Deens Praline French toast in your jammies while the kids watch cartoons. It's a whirlwind of backpacks, homework papers, signed forms, lunch boxes & car horns and somewhere in that chaos breakfast needs to be had. I am going to share a fabulous list with you of breakfasts that can be made ahead {or quickly} and on hand for on-the-go portability. I've tried all of these and they all have my Go-To Breakfast stamp of approval!{click on the title and it will take you to the recipe}

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal by Nutmeg Nanny

So this one is to be made when you have a little more time in the morning, but the leftovers are good!! {if there are any} This makes your whole house smell like yummy vanilla and not only is it good and good for you - it will keep you full. Baby S. ate 4 helpings of this in one sitting....yeah it's that good!!

 

 

 Blueberry Waffles by Add A Pinch

Hands down the BEST blueberry waffle I have had to date. And the best part? This makes a great big batch that is perfect for freezing! Leggo of those cardboard eggos and get your hands on these. I freeze them in layers with freezer paper between and on those mornings where I need something fast {or don't want to make anything} I just drop these into the toaster and Ta-Da! A yummy blueberry waffle.

 

 

 No Bake Energy Bites by Smashed Peas & Carrots

These are GREAT!! They are great for a quick breakfast, mid-day snack, after school snack, pre-game fuel - heck! I'd eat these for dessert! When you eat these you will have no idea how great ground flax seed tastes. Using easy, healthy, on-hand ingredients you can make these beautiful balls of deliciousness. Make them. You'll love them. I made them once for a late night cast rehearsal and one of my cast mates hates coconut, but loved it in these!

 

 Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal by Sugar Free Mom

Good with a capital G. I know. You are thinking "really Michelle....oatmeal....really?" Well stop thinking that and make them so you can taste how great these are! Again this is a recipe where you make them in a big batch and freeze in their cute individual cups! Instead of reaching for the variety pack of granola bars that are filled with calories & scientific ingredients you can reach in your freezer for some honest to goodness good for you breakfast in any flavor variety you choose!

 

 Kate's Power Smoothie by Our Best Bites

This smoothie tastes so good and it has spinach in it!! Yeah spinach!! When I was making it Mr. S told me "just don't put in the spinach" well....I did anyways and he couldn't taste it at all. Not only is there spinach, but Kate has you put in some yogurt & groats {like oats but..well I'll let her explain it}. It's fruity, filling and great for on the go! Try it! You AND your hubby, kids, etc will love it!

 

Thank you to all the great blog authors that allowed me to share their great breakfast recipes with you!

and good luck to all you back-to-schoolers out there!!

Homemade Maple Syrup

Oooooh yeaaaah. Maple syrup, it's a must honestly. I know I can't eat a pancake without it.

Maple Syrup is to pancakes as Ryan Gosling is to The Notebook {as a small side note: they now have a Ryan Gosling coloring book...can you believe it!?! brilliant. I think I would color in it while I ate my pancakes}

Okay - back to the syrup - I was one of the lucky girls who's mother made homemade maple syrup. I loved it. It was made every Saturday in large batches for our breakfast pancakes on Saturday & Sunday mornings. While my Mom's syrup wasn't as thick as the kind you find in the store, it is still what I prefer. Ask anyone who had a sleep over at my house and they'll tell you - my Mom's syrup is the best!

To go along with this fabulous syrup a kindred spirit of mine gave me this awesome retro dispenser. I love it. It gives this syrup the finishing touch. I love it so much that I wrote a haiku about it:

Yeah, I really like syrup and the dispenser {and Ryan Gosling}. So I am going to share this syrup recipe with you so you can start creating as many maple syrup memories as I do:

Sugar

Water

Mapeline or Maple Flavoring

I was taught this recipe by my Mom who didn't use measurements and you know me and measurements! This is a guesstimate at measurements {I should have taken pictures sorry} so please get back to me with any problems. I'm going to start you out with a small batch

Put 1 Cup Sugar and 1 1/2 Cups Water in a small saucepan. Put on med-low heat and let heat until it starts to boil. While boiling you want to add your Mapeline. Add enough to make the simple syrup a nice dark color {pictured below}, 1-2 tsp.



Turn the heat down to Simmer and let simmer until the desired consistancy is reached {or the pancakes are ready & everyone is hungry}. If you don't like your syrup on the "Watery-side" like Mr. S states it. You can add a tablespoon of corn syrup and let it simmer in. I don't like to put in too much corn syrup if I'm doing a big batch because if it goes too long it turns into maple candy.

Pour your hot syrup in a retro dispenser, gravy boat or a glass liquid measuring cup {something with a spout is preferable} and Enjoy!!!

I'd love to hear some feedback on this recipe. Let us know! Leave a comment here, on facebook or e-mail: shesaidblog@yahoo.com

For the Grill of It - Quesadillas on the BBQ

When it comes to cooking in the Texas summer, there aren't many options: you can either heat up your house by cooking on the stove, or you can stand outside in the heat to cook on the grill.  No matter how you look at it, it's going to be HOT.  Last night I tried a little culinary experiment using both my stove and the grill, and I was rewarded with delicious results!  I'd been planning to make chicken fajitas for dinner (there are lots of recipes out there, but I used a seasoning mix for mine) and decided to kick them up a notch.  The result was:

BBQ Grilled Quesadillas

Yum!!

These quesadillas are easy to put together.  Here's what you need:

*Tortillas

I used good ol' flour tortillas.  I'd recommend you use the 10" size or smaller so that they're easy to handle on the grill.

*Shredded cheese

I used a mixture of cheddar and pepperjack.

*Filling

I used my chicken fajita filling, but you can use whatever sounds good to you!

Heat your grill to medium-low.  Put a tortilla down on the grill, then top with some cheese -- just eyeball it.  I used enough to lightly cover the surface, leaving a little bit of bare tortilla at the edges.  Spoon on your filling. Don't put a ton on; you want these to stick together well.  Top with more shredded cheese and then another tortilla.  Cook on one side until tortilla has nice grill marks and the cheese is starting to melt, then carefully flip over and grill until done.  If needed, use a spatula to kind of smoosh down your quesadilla so that both tortillas stay on.

That's all there is to it!  Enjoy!

If you want more grilling inspiration, check out this post or this one!

Quick Craft: Glass Etching

Here's a true story.

Mr. W and I moved into our house about two months ago (goodbye, tiny apartment!).  One of our favorite things about our house is our master bathroom, complete with...drum roll...TWO SINKS!  It's wonderful.  Dual sink ownership did present one small problem, though: where to put those "shared" items, like the toothpaste?  Do we store it in one person's drawer, or do we just let it roam the counter, homeless?  (I know, I know.  First world problems.)  The answer to our little predicament came in the form of an empty candle jar and some etching cream.

I didn't try glass etching until a few months ago; I was worried that it would be insanely hard or that I would mess up and cause serious, irreparable damage to the item I wanted to etch.  If you have these same concerns, put your mind at ease!!  Etching is seriously easy, fast, fun, and addictive.  And if you buy the etching cream with a coupon, it's really cheap (it's still pretty cheap without the coupon, too).

Please note: Etching is PERMANENT!  You cannot undo it once it's done, so don't go etching a priceless family heirloom!

Start out with your glass item.  I used an empty candle jar.

Decide what you want to etch onto the glass and where you want it to be.  The areas you do NOT want etched need to be taped off so that no etching cream can touch the glass.  I decided that I wanted the letters on my jar to be clear glass with etching around them.  I used my Silhouette to cut out vinyl letters, but you could also use masking tape and a craft knife.  As you can see, I also taped off the top and bottom of the jar to create a defined area for the etching.

Everything that isn't covered will be etched.  If I'd wanted the words themselves etched into the glass, I would have applied the vinyl with the letters removed so that only the letters were exposed.

Apply the etching cream, following the instructions on the bottle.  I used a foam paintbrush to spread the cream onto my jar.  Make sure you cover your work area.

Let the etching cream work its magic!  I let mine sit for five minutes, according to the bottle's instructions.  When time's up, thoroughly rinse off your glass and remove the vinyl/tape.  I like to wash the glass with some soapy water to make sure the cream is totally gone.

Ta-da!  You just etched some glass.  Congratulate yourself!  You may find that you have a burning desire to etch more glass.  Search online or check Pinterest for more glass etching inspiration.  I think my next etching project will involve tinting mason jars like this and then etching them.

Sorry; it was hard to get a good picture of the finished product!

This little jar now sits between our sinks, holding our toothpaste and floss.

And we all lived happily ever after.

Two Sauces & A Side {for your BBQ}

With the weather being so hot lately the thought of standing over a stove top just makes me exhausted. I don't know about you, but we have been making good use of our BBQ! To help give your different BBQed meats variety I'm sharing with you two of our favorite sauces {and if you are vegetarian scroll down to read about one of my favorite side dishes!}
Now a little side note: I want to remind you that my way of cooking doesn't have exact measurements - I "eye ball" alot of things to make it the right amount that I need. That is the beauty of cooking, it's not a science, it's an art. {Baking is totally different however} So be BRAVE and "eye ball" the ingredients to make the amount you need and taste as you go.

Mr. S. is in charge when it comes to cooking the steak at our house. This steak sauce is always on the table .

Steak Sauce

Ketchup

Worcestershire

Mustard

BBQ Sauce

Hot Sauce {optional}

You want to mix together equal amounts of ketchup, mustard & BBQ Sauce. Use the Worcestershire to get the sauce to the consistency that you want it. I like to add in hot sauce for an extra kick, but you can also do some freshly ground black pepper or try soy sauce for an Asian flair.

This is BY FAR my favorite condiment for steaks, chicken and tacos. I remember eating some portabella fajitas at Chili's once and they served this sauce on the side...I was hooked. You can do this with parsley, but I LOVE it with Cilantro! I love the pungency of the cilantro with the tartness of the vinegar...so good!!

Chimmichuri Sauce

Cilantro (about a cup)

minced garlic {about a Tablespoon}

Red Wine Vinegar {a few healthy splashes}

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

In a food processor combine all ingredients EXCEPT the oil. Pulse until everything is combined and it looks like a paste. While the processor is running, stream in the Olive oil until the paste becomes more like a salsa consistency. Be sure to taste test to see if more salt or vinegar needs to be added.

What kind of a meal would be complete without a side dish? What I love most about these grill packets is that you can use any vegetable that you have on hand. I'll list what I have in this packet, but really the sky is the limit to the different veggie combinations! I few rules come with grill packets:

-Use heavy duty tin foil or two sheets of regular tin foil

- Before anything goes into the tin foil it needs to be coated with a cooking spray or oil so the veggies don't burn and stick to it.

- Vegetables like potatoes and carrots should be cut thin. The thicker they are the longer it takes to cook them {unless you like a crunchy potato, yuck!} For the carrots in this packet I used a vegetable peeler.

Grilled Vegetable Packets

Tin Foil

Olive Oil

Potatoes, thinly sliced

Carrots, thinly sliced

Zucchini

Mushrooms

Bell Pepper Strips

Red Onion

Tomatoes

Salt & Pepper

Seasonings & Parmesan Cheese

Oil your tin foil {either with oil or a cooking spray}. Place your sliced veggies in the center. Your veggies need room to cook in this packet. Pull out enough tin foil so the veggies go in the middle of the foil and you can pull up both sides, folding the edges together until it is rolled down into a packet {ends should be rolled up as well}. If you didn't give yourself enough room, get a second sheet of tin foil, oil it and place it on top of the veggies rolling up each of the sides together. Before you start rolling season your veggies with salt & pepper and your choice of seasonings. I've tried many different kinds, you can go Italian and do basil, oregano & rosemary. You can use a premixed BBQ seasoning, we like McCormick's Spicy BBQ. Along with the seasonings you can also add cheeses or even balsamic vinegar {really yummy} or soy sauce.

Place the packet on the grill and let it cook for ten minutes on each side {total cooking time 20 minutes}. If it puffs up during the BBQing that is just fine. When you take your veggie packet off the grill be sure to test the veggies inside. If they are tender they are ready to eat, but if the potatoes or carrots are still hard, roll it back up and put it back on the grill for another 10 minutes, or until done. **If you are cooking a large veggie packet {i.e. feeding 6+} plan on 30-40min cooking time and be sure to rotate every 20 Mins to ensure veggies are cooked on both sides***

Enjoy!

Give Me a Beat: Running Music

Running. Me running. It's  a story, but maybe I'll share that in a later post. I want to talk about running music. Music is a HUGE help to me in keeping my energy & pace up. Everyone is different when it comes to their music choice, for me I need three things from my music:

•  It needs to have a beat. Dance music is really what I lean toward.
•  Constant. No slow preludes. No slow down and speed up. If the music slows down I do too and when I start to run I've got to keep going or I will peeter out. 
•  Relatively clean. I don't like F-Bombs or really explicit lyrics {i.e. the new Christina Agulera & Nicki Manaj song....I don't need my body parts being sung about like that}. Finding clean running music is hard, not impossible, but hard. Luckily iTunes, Amazon & Walmart offer clean-edits of some songs. Also, if you see the term Radio Edit, it ensures some words taken out. ** Everyone has their own level of what they deem appropriate. You may not agree with some of my music choices and that's okay**

Here are some of My Rules when it comes to running music:

1. Only listen to your running music when you are running. If you listen to it every day during the day, it loses its impact. While listening to Pandora one of my songs from my running play list came on and instantly I had the urge to run.

2. To go along with number one, when putting together your running list, don't choose your everyday songs UNLESS they have what you need in a run. I LOVE the Beatles! I know all of their songs and can pretty much sing to every one of them, but because of this familiarity I don't choose to run to Beatles songs.

3. Try every kind of music - you never know what song will hit you with motivation unless you listen to it. For example, I thought Rhianna's "Shut Up and Drive" would be great for my running, but while I was running to it....it just didn't work, don't know how to explain it, but it just didn't. Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" totally came out of left field for me, but once I heard it {while running and watching Glee} it really revved me up!

4. Keep it at YOUR pace. It's important not to run yourself out, literally. I found this great website called jogfm.com that was put together by a group of runners. You put in your running/walking/biking pace and it will show you a list of songs or playlists that fit that pace - so you can find music that isn't too slow or isn't too fast. There are quite a few songs I keep on my list to help me keep my pace.

Music isn't for everyone. Nan watches movies while she runs. When I'm on the treadmill I like to watch Glee & recorded award shows - do what moves you!!

Here are some of our running songs for your running playlist considerations:

"Home" Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

"Sex Is On Fire" Kings of Leon

"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5

"Dog Days Are Over" Florence & the Machine

"On the Floor" Jennifer Lopez

"Shake It" Metro Station

"Animal" Neon Trees

"I'm Not Gonna {teach your boyfriend how to dance with you}" The Black Kids

"Hold It Against Me" Brittany Spears

"I Wanna Go" Brittany Spears

"Feels So Good" Paramore

"Blue Orchid" Jack White*

"Mr. Saxo Beat" Saxy Momma

"I Love You Like a Love Song" Selena Gomez

"Shut Up and Drive" Rhianna

"Crazy Love" Beyonce

"Sexy Back" Justin Timberlake

"Barbra Streisand" Duck Sauce

"Paparazzi" Lady Gaga

"The One That Got Away" Katy Perry

"E.T." Katy Perry

"Countdown" Beyonce*

"4 Minutes {To Save the World}" Madonnna ft. Justin Timberlake*

"Run Away" Bruno Mars

"Your Love Is My Drug" Ke$ha

"Hello" Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette

"Brokenhearted" Karmin

"Call Me Maybe" Carley Rae Jepsen

"Cry for You" September

"Part of Me" Katy Perry

"Starships" {Clean edit} Nicki Manaj*

"Stronger" Kelly Clarkson

"My Body" The Young Giants

"T.H.E." {Clean edit} Will.i.am ft. Jennifer Lopez & Mick Jagger

"Tongue Tied" Group Love

"We Found Love" Rhianna

"You Make Me Feel" Cobra Starship

"I Wanna Dance {with somebody}" Whitney Houston

"Turn Me On" Nicki Manaj*

"So Close" Calvin Harris

"Lights" {Fernando Garibray Remix}Ellie Goulding

"We Own the Night" Havana Brown

"Rock That Body" Black Eyed Peas

"Scream and Shout" {Clean Edit} Will.i.am & Brittany Spears

"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" Fergie featuring Q-Tip & Goon Rock

"Good Feeling" FloRida

"We Come Running" Young Blook Hawke

"Check Yes Juliet" We The Kings

"Heartlines" Florence & The Machine

"Beauty & The Beat" Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj

"Shake It Off" Florence + The Machine.....LOVE FLORENCE!!!!

"Roar" Katy Perry

"Applause" Lady Gaga *I think this would be a fun song to run the last leg of your run to!*

"We Can Do This All Night" Icona Pop

 I am constantly updating this list as I find new songs that I love! Be sure to check back and add to your playlist.

*Denotes my "Wall Songs". When you get to that part of your run and you don't think you can go any further...these songs - for me - get me to keep going!

What are some of your running songs? You can never have too many!

A Birthday Party for Nan!

It's Nan's birthday and this year I wish I could be with her and have a party! Because we have this amazing place {our blog!} where I can take you anywhere with anyone - come with us as we celebrate another year of Nan with a {virtual} party!

WHERE:

The Queen was gracious enough to let us use Buckingham Palace

DRESS CODE:

Cocktail dresses for the ladies & dapper suits for the gentlemen

GUEST LIST:

Along with Mr. W and other family and friends of Nan's, we will have Audrey Hepburn, Princess Dianna & Jane Austen in attendance.

                                                                                        ENTERTAINMENT:

 After a few rounds of the Red Green Game {Nan would have to explain} we would be dancing the night away with

The BEATLES!!!

GIFTS:

Nan is really not a hard person to shop for. I recently found our friend at  Paramore Artworks has a new line of swag themed  "I'd rather be at Pemberley" {does that scream Nan or what?}

THE CAKE:

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Source

This is a slice of the party you can actually take home with you! Nan {and I} have had this pinned for quite some time. I made it the other night & it was divine. I think it's something Nan would be happy to have as her birthday dessert.

The original recipe was quite labor intensive & kind of tricky. I simplified it. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Inspired and Adapted from Mangio da Sola

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Oreo Cookie Crust:

 about 24 Oreo Cookies

3 TBS Butter, melted

Crush the Oreos into fine crumbs, you should have roughly two cups. Stir in melted butter. Press the Oreo crumb mixture into an 9 inch spring form pan. Eat the rest of the Oreos.

Cheesecake:

4 pkgs (8oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

4 Eggs

Beat together cream cheese, sugar & vanilla until it is smooth. With mixer on low, beat in each egg one at a time. Pour on top of the cookie crust. Bake for 55 minutes or until the center is set {no wet jiggling when you gently shake the pan}. If there are cracks on the top - don't worry - we'll be covering those up! Let cool for an hour at room temperature and then put it in the fridge for 4 hours. {I made the cheesecake part on Day 1 and the rest on Day 2}

Chocolate Mousse......the EASY way

1 pkg Chocolate Fudge pudding

1 C. Milk

1 C. Cool Whip

Mix the pudding and milk together until blended and thickened. Fold in the cool whip until incorporated.....yeah it's that easy! Sure, it may not be the authentic fancy-shmancy French mousse, but if it makes you feel better just say 'Bon Jour!" to everyone who comes through the kitchen, it will make the pudding more "French" if you are speaking French while making it.

Spread the chocolate mousse on the cheesecake. Let set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then release the spring form by running a butterknife around the edges before releasing the spring and slowly lift it off the cake.

Let the cake sit in the fridge while you make the ganache for the top.

The best/easiest Ganache that I know of is.......

Our Best Bites: Super Easy Chocolate Ganache

8 oz. Semi sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips (I happen to know that Milk Chocolate works too)

8 oz of Heavy Cream (I also know that whole milk will work as well)

Put the chocolate chips & cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir. Let it go in for another 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is fulling melted and stirred into the cream. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and make sure there are no little chocolate bits.

Kate advises that the ganache thickens as it cools so if it seems a bit runny, just wait a minute and it will start to thicken.

As it cools it will be thick and fudgy, like a frosting.

BEFORE it gets thick and fudgy (it should have the consistency of a thick syrup) pour it over the top of the cheesecake letting it run over and down the sides. Let set in the fridge or serve.

Cut into your deliciously rich, decadent pie and think of Nan!

Happy Birthday Nan! You are the best-est friend a gal could EVER have!