Free Flapjacks

Tomorrow only, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is celebrating their fifth National Pancake Day by offering a free short stack to... everyone!

In exchange for the free grub, IHOP asks you to make a contribution to Children's Miracle Network or a local charity of your choice.

Their fundraising goal: $1.75 million!

Go grab a stack. And you know, give a little.

Psst... you can even receive a celebrity wake-up call so you don't miss out on the giving and getting!

Lucky in Pillow-making

Maybe it's because green is my favorite color. Or maybe it's because in my college days I spent a week in Ireland driving around with some of the best friends a gal could ask for. Or maybe it's because I feel a long-lost connection to my Irish roots. I just love St. Patrick's Day.

(It's probably not the long-lost connection thing.)

With a little help from my mom (okay, she did the whole thing), she whipped up these adorable pillows for my couch.

Am I the luckiest girl to have such a talented mom (who doesn't insist on my learning to sew but does these projects for me), or what?

Today, I'm joining these blog parties.

Pizza Pasta

This is an oh-so-fun, kid-friendly spin on pizza and pasta (two of my favorite things). You can mix and match any of the "toppings" for whatever your family likes. If you try this, let me know what you used. I'd love to try other ideas.

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) package penne pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (3 1/4 ounce) package sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small can sliced black olives
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

What You'll Do
- Bring a large pot of (lightly) salted water to a boil. Stir in pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain.


- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the onions until tender.

- In a large bowl, mix the pizza sauce and tomato sauce. Stir in the onion, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Gently mix in the cooked pasta until pasta is evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

- Cover with aluminium and bake 30 minutes.

- Remove aluminium, top with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I'm joining this blog party today...

Great Giveaway

Since it's Foodie February, I can't help but mention this great giveaway going on over at The Gaines Gang.


I don't own any Le Creuset pieces, but I am dying to start my collection. Maybe this will be a great way to do it! :)

So hurry on over, follow, and enter!

Good luck!

Creamy Dreamy Goodness

Don't let the name scare you. Here it is... Pots de Créme. Ahhh!


Okay, really, it's not hard (coming from a person who stops reading a recipe if the ingredients number more than 6), and the end result? Well, it's soooo worth it. They are delicate, delicious, dark chocolate goodness, and you'll feel ultra proud of yourself when you can say, "Here, try one of my pots de créme."

Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used chips this time, but I would even chop chips.)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks

What You'll Do
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Put 8 6-ounce ramekins into a large pan. (I had to use two different ones because my ramekins are larger than circular ones.) The ramekins should fit without touching.


- Put chopped chocolate in a bowl. (I used glass because the bowl needs to be heatproof.) In a pan over medium heat, warm cream, milk, and 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk often, until sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to just simmering. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour over chopped chocolate. Let the cream and chocolate stand three minutes to melt chocolate. Then, whisk until smooth.



- In a second bowl, whisk remaining sugar and egg yolks until well combined--no more than two minutes. (It's important to wait until you're ready to move along to mix the sugar and egg yolks.)


- Whisking egg and sugar mixture vigorously, slowly pour about 1 cup of chocolate/cream mixture into the eggs. When well mixed, pour in remaining chocolate mixture, whisking well.

- Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. This is to remove any grit from the chocolate.


- Evenly pour chocolate mixture into each ramekin.


-Pour enough hot water into the pans so that the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the pan(s) to the oven and bake until custards are set, 25 to 35 minutes. (This is when they jiggle slightly but aren't liquid still.)


- Remove ramekins from water bath. Let cool to room temperature. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill, at least 1 hour. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a little sprinkle of colored sugar for that extra kick of cute. Then enjoy!


I love making desserts in little ramekins. Do you have any other fun ones I should try?

Penny Pasta

This dish is called "Penny Pasta" because this whole dish is under $5 -- and two of the items were once a penny item at Publix. I do a good job at getting the penny item each week, but not such a good job at figuring out how to use it.

If I can say so myself, this was so yummy! So fresh and yummy. It'll be even better in the summer when I can substitute or supplement the zucchini for other yummy veggies like squash and eggplant (and for a lot less $$$).


Ingredients
8 ounces pasta (any kind; I used a combination of penne and farfalle because I had a little of both.)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots (or 1 medium onion), sliced thin
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cans (14 1/4 ounces) Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

What You'll Do
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. When it's finished, drain the pasta. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, stir throughout, and keep the pasta warm.

- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallot, and garlic to pan. Increase heat slightly. Saute until lightly browned. Once browned, remove vegetables from skillet and cover up to keep warm.


- In the same skillet (so as not to make a huge mess), add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until it's thickened (about 13 minutes). Stir in vegetables. Serve tomato-zucchini mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese if you wish.



Enjoy!

Happy Mardi Gras!

I couldn't let today pass without at least one Mardi Gras mention, and since it happens to fall in Foodie February, how about Mardi Gras cupcakes?



Ingredients
French Vanilla boxed cake mix
Classic Vanilla icing
Purple, Green, Yellow sprinkles or sugar

What You'll Do
Mix the cake batter as instructed on the box. Line 24 cupcake molds with paper liner. (I spray the liner so it's easier to take out the cupcake, but it's totally up to you.) Fill the liners 2/3 of the way. Bake as instructed (about 20 minutes).

Once the cupcakes are out of the oven, cool to room temperature on cooling racks. Next, I put all the cupcakes on a platter, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour. I've found it helps the cakes retain their moisture. (I have no idea why.)

Frost the cupcakes as usual. As soon as you frost, decorate with sprinkles or sugar as you like.



For the Flags...

You'll Need
Scrapbook paper in purple, green, and yellow
Cricut machine
Accent Expressions cartridge

What You'll Do
First, cut 24 circles (I did 12 of yellow and purple) at 1 1/4". Then, cut 24 fleur-de-lis at 1".

With a glue stuck, I glued the fleur-de-lis to the circle. Then, on the back, I made a line with school glue and attached a toothpick. Let dry several hours. When you're ready to serve, place a flag in your cupcake and...

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!

It's Mardi Gras! So I'm joining these blog parties.