Pinteresting: Recipe Update

This has been me in the kitchen all week.

I have cooked and cooked and cooked.  Having a Pinterest week was pinteresting.  Get it?

I cooked Pinned recipes for an entire week without relying on any of my Tried and True recipes.  It was a roller coaster.  I think Anthony learned to love it...eventually.  It was as thrilling as it gets around here.

I made a Garlic Cauliflower Soup and a Broccoli Soup.  On the rating scale they both ranked one tiny step above water soup.  Water soup.  After I began to make the cauliflower soup I noticed a tiny paleo diet hashtag.  Nothing good will ever come between the intersection of Paleo and Office to Aprons.  Nothing.  

Paleo Diet + Office to Aprons= Water Soup

They were just not good.  I completely threw away the cauliflower soup because we had people coming over.  For the broccoli soup I didn't want to waste the ingredients again so I added 8oz. of cheese to magically create something edible.  Garlic Cauliflower Soup and Broccoli Soup are now deleted from Pinterest.  You're fired.

Now, onto the good ones.  One Anthony loved and one I loved.  So, if on some whim you decide to make both of these recipes please feel free to declare a winner.

Caprese Chicken

Really good!  I liked this take on caprese and I got to serve it with garlic bread.  This is Anthony's favorite. 

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

This was my favorite.  The recipe missed a few steps and left me hanging a few times, but I made it through.  Mine looked drier, but it was still good with chips.  Almost like a 7 layer dip dinner.  Pretty quick.

The Pinterest week is over, but I shall slowly continue my quest.  

Life In Grace Blog: God's Will

I have a long list of blogs that I follow and Life In Grace Blog is becoming one of my favorites.  She is a godly woman and so fun and colorful.

She wrote a post today about finding our calling in life.  Lately I have been utterly paralyzed by this subject.  

What does God want me to be doing?  Am I living in the right house?  Did I say the wrong thing?  Did I miss that opportunity? 

Paralyzed.

For the last year I have questioned every single move I have made, and then question it again without a decision.  I just leave things hanging.  I am paranoid.

Paralyzed.

Her post was just what I needed.  Read it for yourself.

Recipe Results: Part One

New Year's Eve was great and let's find hope that I was not the only cook for the night.  

The Cranberry Avocado Salad was good!  I actually found white balsamic vinegar at my trusted Central Market.  However, I decided that I officially do not like almonds and I love cheese (which there was none).  So, for me-dump!  Although if you are nutty and like almonds definitely try it.

The Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Crostini.  Dump!

If you follow me on Pinterest you will notice they are both gone.  Quite pinteresting indeed.

New Year's Eve Recipes

I am trying something completely new this week.  I have completely dedicated all my food this week to Pinterest.  My entire menu for the week is nothing but recipes I have pinned.  I pin and pin and pin and pin...and rarely does anything get accomplished from it.  So, I decided to only cook food that I have pinned.  That way I can decide for myself if they are good and clean up my Pinterest account.

It is actually a nice goal to check off of my list.   I am starting New Year's resolutions a whole day early.  If only I actually made New Year's resolutions I would be real proud of myself.

So, for my New Year's Eve get together I stayed with the theme and picked two entirely new recipes that I have pinned.

Cranberry Avocado Salad

*Beware this has WHITE balsamic vinegar-never heard of it.

Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Crostini

by Martha Stewart

Time will only tell how they turn out.  I usually like to play it safe and have one new recipe alongside a tried and true, so this could ring in the new year with a bomb instead of a bang.  Just stick with me that is just how CRAZY I am.

*Follow me on Pinterest if you are not-officetoaprons*

Almond Butter: The Final Frontier

I don't have much to say here except...the winner has been found.  My one true love was my first love.  It was the first kind I bought three years ago and it is what I came back to.  I am so sorry I strayed MaraNatha.  Forgive me?

Central Market's MaraNatha All Natural Raw Almond Butter-Creamy

Everyone asks me which almond butter is my favorite since I started my quest to find the perfect topping to my english muffin.  I have tried every kind I could get my hands on.  There is raw, not raw, creamy, crunch, no-stir, etc.  

I like this one because it doesn't taste like peanut butter.  It has texture.  It's good.  That's all.  

Oh and I did eventually make it to Trader Joe's locally.  I only had two choices: Creamy and Crunchy.  I chose Creamy and it wasn't right.

You are the one for me MaraNatha.

You are welcome for starting your 2014 with an amazing topping to your new year and english muffin.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

I have been reminded by a few people that I haven't blogged in a while.  My answer to them is usually a version of, "Why would anyone read that thing?".  My grammar is sometimes sad, and it hurts a little knowing that the bathroom is not clean right now while I sit and type away about nothing.

Here's the thing though...I have the perfect Halloween post.  I made a cake for my niece's Halloween Birthday party.  Everyone can use a little cake inspiration!

I wanted something cute not scary.  I added the bows per her request!  If I ever did it again I would use sparkly scrapbook paper and use black wire.  I thought the wire would color with an edible pen.  Note to self: it didn't.

Oh and I would probably not have bows.  Sorry Isabella!  However, the bows are totally you and I am an old fuddy duddy...and when have I ever had a cute 7 year old Halloween Birthday party?  Never!  So go on with your bad self.

To the food lovers-It's a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.  

Melting Crayons

This is a project I have been harboring for a while.  My perfectionism reached a new level a few months ago when I could hardly look at the craft box.  It was overflowing with disgusting tiny broken crayons.  I crave a perfect crayon when I color and trying to tape a broken crayon never works.  It NEVER works!  

So, today was a cold, icy day and this was the perfect day to make a whole new crayon.

Step 1: We removed the paper from the crayons and sorted them into a new bowl.

Step 2: I then cut all the crayons into small 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 3: I let the kids mix the colors and place them into foil muffin liners.

p.s. My research showed that you should not put the crayons directly in the tin because the melted crayons are difficult to remove without scratching up your cookware.

Step 4: Place the muffin tin in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes and cool for an hour.

The excitement of coloring with these things lasted about 5 minutes with the kids, and I hated coloring with them.  To tell you the truth the tops of the melted crayons all mixed and turned a grayish color, but the bottoms were cool looking.  The kids were so proud of their creation and that made the whole thing worth it!