Recipe: Taco Pizza

Today is New Year's Eve! It has been one year, great and bad. I am reflecting back on my favorite moments, and I really enjoyed this year as a whole. I am making a goal for myself to make 2014 a fantastic year. I have a list of 14 things that I want to do in the New Year. One of those big ones is to cook more at home. I plan to try a new recipe once a week during the new year, so I have taken the last few days to warm up... 

So, I did this! I combined two of my favorite foods into one awesome food. I love mexican food and I love pizza.

What you need:

One refridgerated roll out pizza dough

One small can of no salt added tomato sauce

One can of refried beans

One bag of shredded mexican cheese

One pound of ground turkey

One pack of taco seasoning

Lettuce

Salsa or taco sauce to taste

So, here's how:

Cook the turkey. Add 1/2 cup of water and taco seasoning and coat the turkey. Follow the rules on the pizza dough roll. For mine I had to preheat oven to 400. The pizza dough needs to be "pre-cooked" for about 5 to 8 minutes before you add ingredients in it. So, while I pre-cooked the pizza, I mixed the can of refried beans and tomato sauce into a new mixture, that will be the base of the pizza. 

Once the pizza is pre-cooked, spread out the bean/tomato sauce mixture onto the dough. Sprinkle on the cheese all over the pizza, then spread out the cooked turkey. I should also note, that you don't need turkey, but we wanted healthier, beef is fine too. If you like tomatoes, you can also add a can of drained sliced tomatoes on top of the pizza. Anyway, cook the pizza another 6-8 minutes until the dough browns. 

After cooking, let the pizza set out for a bit. Then add lettuce and salsa or taco sauce to it.And you're ready to enjoy. 

It didn't look fantastic, but man did it tasted great! I put too much tomato sauce on the pizza the first time, so next time I would change from a whole can to a small can.

Alright kids, have a great New Years! See you next year.

Recipe: Pimms' Cup

So, I have a friend who swears by Pimms no. 1. I have never tried it before. I think the only time I really even considered purchasing it, was in this small booze shop in Scotland when I lived there and I was looking at things I had no idea what it was. After passing it for a small, teeny whiskey bottle which was gross, I kind of forgot about it until recently. Keith got me a book, which mentioned Pimms and I decided it was time to try it.

I know, Pimms is suppose to be a more summery drink. That being said, it was in the mid-40s yesterday!! 40S!!! So, of course after walking around without a coat on, it felt like summer. Keith and I whipped up a few Pimms' Cups.

Here's how:

1 and a half ounces of Pimms No. 1
A lemon Lime soda

Ready? It's so hard.... Mix them in a cup. We added an ice cube and some mint and cucumber for garnish. Then enjoy responsibly.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! My resolution is to post more in the new year, so let's hope I stick to it!

Gift Idea: Monogram Mug

So, I found this cute little pin on pinterest, however every time I saw it it had no link to a directions page. So, I kept putting off trying it. Well, I decided to give it ago, so that I can make someone a special gift this holiday.

It's really easy and really cute. I hope the person who is getting this, likes it!

So here's how to do it:

You need:

• a sharpie, I used gold
• A white mug, got mine cheap from Target
• a letter sticker, found mine in the scrapbook section

Stick the letter to the mug. Slowly start putting small dots, using the tip of the sharpie to outline the letter.

Keep going until you have outlined the whole letter. Then start on the fancy designs you want to make. Like this:

Then once you are done. Peel off the sticker and discard. Then put the mug in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it though. Then pull it out and let it cool down for one hour before giving it a quick wash by hand. This lovely gift is a handwash only present :)

Anyway, happy making! :) 

Gift Idea: Dark Chocolate Gummy Bears

One day, I walked into a small candy shop and saw a bag of chocolate covered gummy bears. Thinking Keith might like them, I bought them, then quickly ate the entire bag. NO JOKE. They were delicious. So, I decided it was time to make some to give out as a small gift for some friends. So, here is the recipe. They sound weird, but really they are quite delicious.

Melt that chocolate. I used dark chocolate and my fancy chocolate melter. You want a smooth consistency, without it burning. Using the microwave is tricky, because chocolate can end up burnt quickly.

Once it's melted, drop in a gummy bear. Be careful not leave it in too long, or it will get gummy and melt. I used a fork to flip it over and cover it with chocolate goodness.

To look like this beauty.

Place on waxed paper to dry. They might not be the prettiest thing I ever made, but man they taste pretty good. I plan on wrapping them out and giving them out to a few people who like candy almost as a much as I do.

I plan on posting a few other gift ideas for the upcoming holidays. So keep an eye out! Happy making :)

Recipe: Crockpot Mac and Cheese

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know there hasn't been a blog post in awhile, I had some personal things come up and wanted to deal with them away from the computer. Keith and I changed our plans and ended up heading to my parents to celebrate Thanksgiving. After a normal 5 hour drive turned into a 8 hour drive, we finally got to Detroit.

We had a small dinner, only my mom and dad and Keith and I. My sister, brother-in-law and niece were visiting his mother, and we all needed a small dinner since only a week ago we gathered to say goodbye to my Grandpa. So, my mom and dad cooked a feast for us! Look at the spread.

However, I wanted to share with you my contribution. I made the best mac and cheese in the crockpot. And lucky you, I am willing to share my recipe!

What you need:
-One box of noodles, I used cavatappi this time but shells also are good
-2 cans of Cheddar Cheese Soup
-4 tablespoons of butter
-1/2 cup of sour cream
-1 bag of Colby jack cheese shredded
-1.5 cans of milk
-salt and pepper

Okay, now how do you cook it?
1.) Add noodles to a pot of boiling water. ONLY COOK FOR 6 MINUTES. You don't want to over cook, trust me
2.) Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Put in the cheddar cheese soup. Measure out a can and half of milk and put that in. Place butter in and sour cream and mix well.
3.) Add noodles and stir well. Add salt and pepper to season
4.) Cook for about an hour on low. Then add bag of cheese and turn crockpot to high setting for 45 minutes.

Do not overcook the macaroni, I cooked it for about an hour and 45 minutes. If you overcook it, the noodles turn all mushy. I have done this recipe twice now and both times it turned out great! It was a big hit at thanksgiving and was always requested for an upcoming family weekend.

Enjoy!