Pinterest: Yay or Nay

The largest Pinterest category I have is by far the "Recipes to Try".  A few of them are winners and a few of them are getting the big D.  As in delete.

Source: plainchicken.com via Amber on Pinterest

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
We made this the other night and I'll be honest, mine looked nothing like this (and honestly was pretty dry).  So I guess I'll keep looking.

Source: annies-eats.com via Amber on Pinterest

Homemade pizza crust
This pizza dough was seriously heavenly.  I didn't even have the correct ingredients (used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose when it called for only bread flour) and it was still delicious.  We will definitely be making this again.

Source: utahdealdiva.com via Amber on Pinterest

Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
I'm a bit sad about this one.  I actually thought it was pretty good.  The hubby however would not take 2 bites of it.  He said it was the texture (the texture was kind of like cream of wheat).  And usually he eats whatever I put in front of him, so I let it go. He said this was his one pass of the year. :)

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

This is a pretty easy recipe but I'll just stamp my approval on it.  Good for an all day crock pot meal and nice to have something to eat when you've been running errands all day.

Any recipes you've pinned that worked out?  Any that you've given the big D?

10 Day Challenge: Decade or Region

For today's 10 Day Challenge prompt, I'm going to use my outfit from yesterday.  This shirt totally makes me feel like I should be a regular on WKRP in Cincinnati.  Although I can't be sure because I don't think I was allowed to watch that show.  My point is, I feel like an 80's secretary.  And I love it!  

Shirt purchased at DI

Testing

You've seen the cookie blogs taking over Blogland right?  There are tons of cookie blogs out there--cookie decorating blogs specifically.  These cookies are gorgeous, works of art you can eat.  I tried my hand at the royal icing technique about a year ago for my son's birthday party and wanted to try again for Valentine's Day this year.  My technique isn't quite up to par so I thought I'd better do a test run first.  My favorite cookie blogs are Bridget and Callye, their work is simply jaw-dropping amazing.  I use Bridget's icing recipe, it has worked pretty well for me thus far (but I always double it).

Once you get started it becomes quite addicting!  There is nothing prettier than a wet flooded cookie:

This one was SO excited to help.

Not sure if I have enough pink sprinkles (how did that happen???).

 One of my favorite techniques is to outline the cookie, then let it dry for about 10 minutes.

Take each color of flood icing and outline your shape starting from the outside in:

Then drag a toothpick up and down across the width of the cookie.  You'll end up with something like this:

The cookies turned out great and I have more confidence to be able to actually give these away.

 And something tells me Grandma will like this one best:

Thanks for your help little one. :)

Linking at Tatertots and Jello and Hoosier Homemade.

10 Day Challenge: Channel Someone

For today's 10 Day Challenge prompt--yes, I slacked on the past 2 days--we were asked to to channel someone (seriously, go look at Kayla today, she is so clever and cute).  Mine today kind of happened by accident.  I was running late for story time at the library so I pulled my hair back in a few bobby pins and viola!  Er, wait.  It looked like a mess.  However, I left it in and thought this will be me channeling Kate Middleton.   I love how soft and pretty her hair always looks and sometimes mine looks too structured and stiff.  Or, maybe I just look like a hippy and not duchess.  Especially considering I have a ghetto shower curtain in the background.

Layers

You guys my wardrobe is so tired I literally dozed off for a second while getting dressed today.  It's just so bland.  Maybe the 10 Day Winter Challenge can help me think outside the box and do something different. As for today's challenge to Layer, I had to go with one of my favorite layering pieces: a scarf.

Sorry for the headless face.  It's no makeup Monday at our house and I didn't want to frighten anyone.  

Tomorrow is monochrome.  This could be scary.

10 Day Challenge

Sounds like I'm going off of sugar or carbs for 10 days, but actually I am going to participate in Kayla's 10 Day Challenge: Winter Edition.  Basically she gives an outfit prompt each day and you post your interpretation of it in photo form or blog about it.  So you'll be seeing scary pictures of me attempting these prompts over the next few days.  I'm not exactly what you would call a fashionable person, but I love challenges like these.  Anything to get me out of the sweat pants.

32

Had a small get together for the hub's birthday on Tuesday.  I can't make a cake and not try something a little over the top (as over the top as an amateur can get), so this time I tried the technique I saw over here and made the letters for his name out of candy melts.  I think it worked really well, and it was sooo easy.  Just printed off some letters I liked, turned them over and traced them on parchment paper.  Tracing them backwards helps them look flat and pretty on the front.  I will definitely try this technique again!  Now if I could only hand pipe letters as neatly.

Happy Birthday babe!  

Also, I'm coming up on 33....and I don't know why but that sounds so old to me.