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!

Summertime Breakfast: Parfaits with *Homemade* Granola

Let's talk about breakfast.

It's the most important meal of the day, right?  But sometimes it's also the most inconvenient.  Whether you're taking care of a family, trying to get to work or school, or all of the above, there's not always enough time to whip up pancakes or scramble eggs.  If you've fallen into a cold cereal rut, here is the perfect breakfast to help you start your day the right way with minimum prep time.

This breakfast parfait is simple.  You just need three ingredients:

Granola, yogurt, and fruit.

For this parfait, I used homemade granola (recipe below), strawberry yogurt, and thawed mixed berries from my freezer.  Layer the ingredients in any order you like, and you'll have an easy and delicious breakfast in just a few seconds!

The granola can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.  Better yet, the granola cooks for just a few minutes, so it won't heat up your kitchen too much on a warm summer day.

I found this recipe in a church cookbook my mom gave me, and the original contributor gave me permission to post it here.  It's a recipe that her family has enjoyed for many years.  The original recipe makes three cookie sheets' worth; I cut down the recipe to one cookie sheet and have made notes of the adjusted measurements in red.  Ready to rock?

Homemade Granola - Marilyn Deniker

1 1/2 (1/2) tsp salt
6 (2) cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
2 (2/3) cups coconut (I skip this because I never have coconut on hand)
1 (1/3) cup cracked wheat
1 (1/3) cup powdered milk
3/4 (1/4) cup brown sugar
1/2 (1/8, rounded) cup chopped nuts (optional)
3/4 (1/4) cup honey
3/4 (1/4) cup oil
1 (1/3) tsp vanilla extract
1 (1/3) tsp almond extract
Raisins, craisins, dates, or other dried fruit (optional)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; add wet ingredients and mix well.  Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Do not over bake; it should be starting to turn golden at the edges of the pan.  Let cool and then break into pieces; add dried fruit after baking.  Store in an airtight container.

Marilyn also added this note:
I have used coconut extract with the almond extract and friends of mine have tried things like flax seed with the cracked wheat. That is one of the other things I like about it, not only does it use a variety of food storage items, but it is versatile.

Thanks, Marilyn, for letting us share your recipe!

P.S. Does anyone else think of Shrek whenever they have a parfait?

We Have a WINNER!!

A big thanks to Hope and all those who entered our Mom All Day...Hook All Nite giveaway!!!  According to random.org, our lucky winner is...

Congratulations, Jill!!

We'll forward your information to Hope right away.  We failed to mention earlier that Hope is expecting baby #3 any day now, so it was *extra* generous of her to take the time to this. :)

Thanks again, Hope!!

It's Time for a GIVEAWAY!!

We are so excited to announce another giveaway!!  Today's giveaway is brought to you by Nan's friend Hope.

Seriously cute family, right?!

Hope is the crocheting wiz behind the blog and Etsy shop Mom All Day...Hook All Night.  Along with crocheting items to sell, Hope is also a pattern designer!  She recently released this fun crochet loop throw pillow for purchase and she's also selling the pattern.

Because Hope is so awesome, she is offering a FREE PDF PATTERN for the pillow to a lucky She Said reader!!  Want to win it?  Here's how:

Mandatory:

* Check out Hope's blog and Etsy shop, then tell us in a comment what your favorite item is.

Optional Extra Entries:

(Leave a comment for each one that you do!)

* Become a follower of She Said

* Become a follower of Mom All Day...Hook All Nite

* "Like" or "Favorite" Mom All Day...Hook All Nite on Etsy

* Become friends with She Said on Facebook

* Share this giveaway on Facebook or your blog

Whew!  That gives you up to six entries for the giveaway.

The giveaway starts today, June 15th, and will end Monday, June 18th, at midnight Pacific time.

The winner will be announced here on Tuesday the 19th.  Now go forth and enter!!

I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester, and let me tell you: this throw pillow is so cool!!  It has such a fun texture and works up pretty quickly.  Hope does a great job explaining how to do create the loop stitch.

Good luck!!!

Springtime Showers Bring...Zipper Flowers! *Tutorial*

Last summer our church had a craft Saturday, and I signed up for the zipper flower class.  I ended up arriving late and not having enough time before my next class, so I didn't even finish one.  I brought all of my materials home and committed to finishing them that afternoon.

Ten months later, I finally completed them. :)

Isn't that just the way it goes sometimes?

I thought my little zipper flowers turned out so cute -- and they're really easy, too!  To make your own zipper flower, here's what you'll need:

Do you like how my glue gun is the same color as my zipper?

We're going to make the petals first.  Take one of the 4" pieces of zipper and cut yourself a piece of thread that's at least twice as long as the zipper.  Knot the end of your thread, then hand sew a long basting stitch at the bottom of the zipper.  This does not have to be perfect!

When you get to the end of your zipper, leave your needle threaded and do not knot the thread.  Pull on the end of the thread.  This will cause the zipper to gather and begin to form a petal shape, like this:

Pull tightly, then use your needle (which is still threaded, remember?) to tack the two ends of the zipper together, like so:

Voila!  You have a petal.  Repeat with your remaining short pieces, then glue onto your felt.

Just eyeball it.  Nothing here has to be perfect!  Imperfections give it character.

Repeat the process with your long piece of zipper, coiling it as tightly as you want for the center.  You can use a piece as long as you want for this, really, but I found the 8" worked best for me.  Glue this in the center of your flower and then add beads, little pearls, or whatever embellishments you want.

And there you have it!  Find a variety of zippers and make yourself a whole garden of zipper flowers.  I glued barrettes to the backs of two of my flowers and turned them into hair accessories; I glued a safety pin on the back of the third and have it pinned to my purse. :)

Mama Mia! Grilled Pizza

Have you pulled out the BBQ yet? Over here at the S House we have had it out since February! We love to BBQ! One of my favorite things to make on the BBQ is Grilled Pizza. Never had it? Well scroll on down and make it tonight.

You Will Need:

•  Your favorite Pizza dough {at our house we like to use this dough or this whole wheat version, they're quick with no rising time}
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Favorite pizza toppings all sliced & at the ready.

For our Margarita pizza you will need : Tomatoes {Sliced} & fresh Basil leaves
Pre heat your grill
1. Take your dough and divide it into 4 to 5 palm sized balls. Roll your dough out into 6-8" disks. When grilling pizza the thinner the dough the better. Be sure to oil the grill before you put the dough on.
Place the dough on the grill and let cook until you can easily pull the dough off with tongs about 4-5 minutes.
The bottom of the dough should have those great grill marks. The top of the dough will still look soft, but have bubbles on the top.
2. Once the bottoms are cooked place the disks grilled side up on a cookie sheet.
3. { On the grilled side of the pizza} Spoon & spread on the pizza sauce, sprinkle toppings & cheese
* Please note that the pizza will cook quickly. There will not be alot of time for the cheese to melt. Be light on toppings & cheese.*
4. Place the pizza's, carefully, back onto the grill and put the lid on. Let cook for just a few minutes (2-3). It will cook really fast so have the tongs ready to check it. You don't want it to burn!

Place on plates, cut & enjoy!!
I personally enjoy my pizza with a squirt or two of sriracha sauce {I like it spicy!}

These pizzas are great for a party - everyone gets their own & there are infinite topping combinations. Mr S. & I did this for a family dinner at Bear Lake and they were a hit with the kids & adults.

Try it! You'll love it! Shout out your pizza topping combination...

Raise your glass to Flavored Waters!

Have you noticed all of flavored water pins floating around on Pinterest lately? Well I have and in fact pinned a few myself. I'm pretty bad when it comes to drinking the daily 8 glasses we should consume so I thought that maybe spiking it with some citrus {I already love limes in my water} would help me hydrate a bit more.

I started pinning, I started blog trolling and today I'm going to share some of the recipes I have found & tips that help make the most out of your flavored water.

Tips:
- Always use ice! A good glass of water should always be chilled...who wants to drink warm or room temperature cucumbers?
- To get a stronger flavor out of your citrus or herbs squeeze them and/or crush them before putting them in the pitcher. It brings the flavors out.
- The sky is the limit with the combinations of what you can put in your water!! It has been amazing pouring over all these flavored water recipes...there are so many!! And each one is different or can be tailored for your taste. So get creative and try different combinations.
- Flavored waters do have an expiration date. My first pitcher of flavored water was good for three refills {i.e. just refilling it with water and ice and keeping the ingredients in}. Any longer than three the water starts to become bitter and not as strongly flavored.
- It's a great sugar free drink to serve at parties!! Seriously no sugar added in any of these recipes. Any sweetness comes naturally from fruit!
- You can add some club soda or sparkling water to give your water some pizazz.

Recipes:

Lemon & Cucumber {Michelle's FAVORITE!!!}
I think I'm going to be drinking this water all summer long - who knew cucumbers could taste so good in water?!?

1 Lemon
1/2 Cucumber

Slice them thin and put at the bottom of the pitcher. Cover with ice cubes & water till it fills the pitcher.
I've heard that basil or mint are fun herbal additions to this....definitely going to try it!

Watermelon Basil Water {by Nancycreative.com}
You will be surprised with how refreshing this combination is. The basil is amazing!

2 Cups Seedless watermelon, cubed
10 Basil leaves
1 half-gallon of Water

Pour water over watermelon & basil. Chill for 2 hours & serve over ice with a sprig of basil.

Fruit Water {by Nancycreative.com}
This water sounds delicious & looks gorgeous!!! I think it would be perfect for a party.

1 each of the following fruits: apple, lemon, orange, pear
4 large strawberries
Handful of raspberries
Handful of mint leaves
1 half-gallon of water
Cut large slices or thin wedges of each fruit; place them in a large glass pitcher and add cold water. Refrigerate 2 hours and serve over ice in tall glasses.

Sweet Pineapple Strawberry Spa Water {by myspawaterbook.com}
This water is naturally sweet AND the fruit colors the water pink!

1 Pineapple, skinned, cored & sliced
1 carton of Strawberries, cleaned & sliced

Layer fruit at the bottom of the drink dispenser & cover with water.

Flavored Water {by Shewearsmanyhats.com}
I love citrus in my water. Need ideas for the "optional citrus"? I would suggest oranges and grapefruit.

1 gallon fresh water

3-4 slices of lemon

3-4 slices of lime

3-4 slices of other citrus (optional)

3-4 slices of cucumber

Add all citrus and cucumber slices to water. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Strawberry Blueberry Fizz {by nestofposies-blog.com}

She loves serving - and creating her drinks - in mason jars. She also has a recipe for Orange Cilantro water that I want to try.

Fill a glass:

3/4 full of sparkling water

Strawberries (4) Blueberries (small hand full), blended

Ice

Blend Strawberries & blueberries in a blender & add the sparkling water. Serve over ice.

Do you have a flavored water recipe? Please share!!