Let's Do the Salsa!

I'm bad at hostess gifts. Really bad. I usually give a bottle of wine when I go to someone's house for dinner or a party or get-together. But then they ask, "Oh is this one of your favorites?" I lie and say, "Yep! I absolutely love the fruit notes in this one."

I don't know what fruit notes are.

I don't know if fruit notes even exist.

So for a friend's pool party recently, I decided to up my game. Be a better gift giver. Skip the token bottle of wine... for a jar of salsa!

Restaurant-style salsa, partner.

The good stuff.

No big chunks, lots of flavor, and a little kick of heat.

Yum yum goodness! And, she can save it for later or serve it up at the party as another side dish. (Just be sure to bring a bag of chips too.)

Clearly, we didn't wait.

And you can get your very own salsa logos here or here! The circles are about 2 inches, so you can use a 2-inch punch for a solid-red button, or use a slightly larger scalloped one to get a look like mine.

I wouldn't leave you without the recipe, would I?

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 can (28 ounces) Whole Tomatoes With Juice -- I used diced because that's what I had on hand. It turned out fine.

2 cans (10 ounces) Rotel - diced tomatoes and green chiles -- This comes in original or mild. Original packs a little extra heat, but not much.

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup cilantro

juice from half a lime

1 whole jalapeno , quartered and sliced thin -- Use the whole jalapeno if you like some heat, half if you're weak a fan of milder heat.

Directions

Combine tomatoes, Rotel, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and as much as you want of the jalapeno in a food processor. Pulse several times (for me it was about 10 times because my diced tomatoes were small than whole) until you get the sale the consistency you prefer. Taste and season accordingly; want more heat? More cumin or jalapeno.

Then refrigerate for about an hour to let all the good flavors mix and mingle. Enjoy with tortilla chips.

See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

Lick-licious Pops

These popsicles are way easy. And waaay good on really hot summer days.

Don't get me wrong - I love a good strawberry and basil with balsamic vinegar (yes, for real) popsicle, but sometimes, I'm just like, "Give me something with a cartoon on it!"

This is that!

Except without the cartoon.

Get some awesome-rad-totally cool pop molds - like these Shooting Star Pop Molds from Tovolo.


Wash and chop a cup of strawberries. (The chopped strawberries should fill 1 cup, not the whole strawberries.)


Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar on the strawberries. Stir, and set aside.


Scoop out orange sherbet into a cold mixing bowl. I chilled mine slightly just to reduce melting.


Add two tablespoons orange juice and mix. (My container of sherbet was pretty soft already, so I think I added a little less. It just needs to be a very smooth texture.)


Fill your molds, first with sugar-covered chopped strawberries, then orange sherbet-orange juice mixture. Pack the sherbet slightly by banging the bottom of the mold gently on the counter. This gets air bubbles out and helps fill in gaps so the popsicle is more solid.


Then freeze for a few hours. And you've got a delicious, easy popsicle.

Because these pops aren't super hard like ice pops would be, you have to be a little careful taking them out of the mold. Warm the outside of the mold with your hand slightly and gently slide it out.



Of course, you don't have to do chopped strawberries and orange sherbet. You could do chopped kiwi with strawberry sherbet, or chopped pineapple with lime sherbet. Lots of options. Lots of fun!

Strawberry and Orange Sherbet Pops
Ingredients
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 container orange sherbet
2 Tablespoons orange juice
Popsicle molds

Directions
1. Chill glass mixing bowl for sherbet.
2. Wash and chop strawberries.
3. Combine sugar with chopped strawberries and set aside while mixing sherbet.
4. Scoop sherbet out of container and add orange juice, up to 2 Tablespoons, until creamy and smooth.
5. Spoon sugar-strawberry mixture into the bottom of the pop mold. Then top with sherbet mixture.
6. Freeze several hours until sherbet has hardened.
7. Remove from pop and enjoy!

See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

Summer Lovin'

I have to talk myself out of buying crayons and pencils in bulk when I go to the store. This time of year, I crave 3-ring binders, lined paper, pocket folders, colored pencils, and backpacks. I want to go to school and see my name written on a desk, find a cubby that is all mine, and raise my hand to ask a question.

It's back-to-school time around these parts. That's right - early August.

And it's hot.

I mean real hot.

I mean I accidentally left a candle in my trunk, and it melted and was completely liquid. In an hour. Hot.

And because it's hot, we should all still be in the pool, sipping on juice, eating ice cream fresh fruit, and catching some rays, right? I haven't done that yet this summer. It's been work, work, work for a few weeks, but I've got a date with a pool, a float, and a big ol' margarita very soon.

So for this week, it's still summer at attempting creative.

And what's summer without baseball?

Oh yeah - and a Sara Evans concert after the victory.


And whether you're at the ballpark, watching from home, or just a fan - corn dogs are the perfect treat.

"But I don't fry."

Yeah, whatever. I don't either. I let other people fry. I'm scared of heating oil above, say, room temperature. But get over it just for this recipe. I did. Sorta.

Be Don't be OCD like me and set out all your ingredients, just to make sure you don't start and realize half-way through you're short some ingredient. (Been there. Done that. Can I get an "Amen!"?)


Stare in complete wonder that, yet again, you can't measure flour without it getting everywhere. Wonder why in the world that is.

Oh. That's just me? Okay, moving on.


Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper (don't be scared--it's okay), sugar, and kosher salt?


Stir.


Combine buttermilk and water, then stir in dry ingredients. You know, 'til it's all batter-y. Set it aside.


Find your 8-quart pan. It needs to have high sides 'cause o' the oil that will bubble up.


Pour in vegetable oil. Boy, that's a lot of oil, but it's worth it. I promise. (By the way, why does the oil make the bottom of my pan look like gold leaf?)


Don't buy the totally-horrible flat toothpicks. I wasn't paying attention. They kept breaking on me. Oy.


Heat your oil to 375°F, using a candy thermometer. Breathe deeply. Heating oil is perfectly okay. Your house isn't going to explode. (Oh. That's just me, again? Okay, moving on.)


Skewer all your cocktail sausages and get them ready for a bath in the batter.



Congrats! You successfully heated your oil. And the world is still spinning.


Dunk your cocktail sausages in the batter. Now it's time for them to take a swim in the oil you successfully heated to 375°F.


Woohoo! We're cookin' corn dogs!


One pack of sausages makes about 40 mini corn dogs. I think I counted 39 in the end. One may or may not have walked off into someone's mouth before the headcount.


Ketchup. Mustard. Dipping sauces. Perfection. Mini corn dog perfection.



Mini Corn Dogs
adapted from Sunset

Ingredients
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons water
4 cups vegetable oil
toothpicks
1 pack (16 ounces) cocktail sausages

Directions
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and water. Then stir in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Let rest 10 minutes while the oil heats.
3. Heat vegetable oil to 375°F (measuring with a candy thermometer) in a high-sided, 8-quart pan. Insert a toothpick into each cocktail sausage and set aside.
4. When oil is heated, remix batter. If your bowl is shallow, transfer the batter to a tall/deep dish. This is to make dunking the sausages easier. Working with three sausages at a time, dip each sausage into the batter and drop directly into the heated oil. (Don't cook more than three at a time. They cook too quickly, and one may burn before you get it out if too many are in there.)
5. Turn corn dogs with a slotted spoon until it's golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain extra oil. Let cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy!




See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

I love. love. paper.

Remember how I told you I loved magazines? and cupcakes? Okay, I reeeeallly love paper. Like really.

Like if I could live off paper alone, I'd do it.

Gladly.

And I'm serious about my paper. I own just about every Post-It pack they've ever made. I have probably 20 journals - blank - because I just haven't used them yet. I can't stop buying stationery. Personalized, not personalized. Flowers, no flowers. Stripes, no stripes.

You get the point.

Now I'll give you the pictures...



Paper Source ✽ Paper Source

Snow & Graham ✽ Snow & Graham

Raven and Lamb ✽ Orange Twist

Michelle Brusegaard ✽ Scout Books

Night Owl Paper Goods ✽ winifred Studios

Delicious! And now I'm craving more paper.

What do you crave?



See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

I Can't Get Enough Cupcake Books

You may have noticed -- I have a gargantuan tiny cupcake crush.

I like to bake cupcakes. I like to decorate cupcakes. I really like to eat cupcakes. And what's more - I like to read books about cupcakes.

Weird, right?

These are only a few of the many cupcake books I have. I can't help it. If anyone writes a book about cupcakes, I will buy it. It's an impulse. Like breathing.


Must. Buy. Cupcake. Book.

Cannot. Live. Without. Cupcake. Book.



Hello Cupcake ✽ Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

500 Cupcakes ✽ Crazy About Cupcakes

Cupcakes! ✽ Betty Crocker Just Cupcakes

Know what I'm saying???

See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

My Magazine Addiction

There are two things I can't get enough of: magazines and peanut butter cups.



Okay and fabric, paper and craft supplies.

And cupcakes, anything Martha Stewart and paper.

Did I say paper yet?

Paper.

In my effort to clean and de-magazine my apartment (S Thomas - expect a truck load stack of magazines next time I come your way), I'm sorting through my years of magazine.

Well, at least the ones I have here. I have many (many) more at my parents' house and my uncle's house. (Note to other pack rats: It looks less pack-ratty if you spread out your things over multiple homes. If you have that luxury. Then you have a little more time before you have to admit your problems.)

Here are just a few pictures from my purge...

No. Seriously. That makes it look okay. It's baaadd.

But this is why... I can't live without these crafty/foodie magazines. (And all the celebrity ones I'm not openly admitting to. Yet.)


All You ✽ Cooking Light

Woman's Day ✽ Food Network Magazine

Martha Stewart Living ✽ Mixing Bowl

What magazine(s) can you not live without?

See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.

July Re-cap and August Plans

Goodbye, July. Someone, please tell me how it's August already.

Things for Kimberly
- Read a book. (Okay, I got half way through a really long one. Close enough?)
- Watch two new movies. (Favorites: Despicable Me and Duplicity)
- Go to a yard sale or estate sale.
- Plan a short vacation. (Got a weekend away at the lake and going to see some girlfriends in September.)
- Workout three days a week. (HA!)

Crafting
- Make a garment bag. (Ummm... oops. I made some other things.)
- Make a new wreath. (Working on it now.)
- Try to make a ruffle shirt. (Can't bring myself to figure it out.)
- Make some wall art for the kitchen. (I've thought about it.)

Okay - let me make a case for myself on this crafting list, since it seems I didn't do much. I made a checkbook cover (two actually), a sunglasses case, a pincushion, a bag (which I haven't shared yet), some art (which I also haven't shared yet), some cupcake toppers, and crowns and shields for a birthday party. So even if my list isn't what I did, I did something. Right? :)

Gardening
- Get a zucchini to grow! (I give up. It's hopeless. Maybe I'll share my poor garden with you all again soon. It's the saddest thing ever.)

Fooding
- Make homemade ice cream or sorbet. (Cake Batter Ice Cream - see it here.)
- Try a new recipe. (I made some delicious wraps and some cast iron skillet brownies. I also tried homemade blueberry muffins and a new cupcake flavor!)
- Try a new restaurant. (Yummm. Urban Cookhouse!
Clearly, food is a priority in my life...

Home
- Clean out magazines. (Unfortunately, I didn't actually throw many of them away. But they're organized and ready for reading and tossing. Good, no?)
- Organize laundry room. (I still don't know what there is to organize in there...)
- Clean and organize closet. (Not even close. I made it worse.)

Around Town
- Go to farmer's market.
- Visit a new church.

Family
- Visit a college with the little brother. (Seriously, how is he related to me? I was so much more on top of this college thing when I was his age. Disclaimer: No, I wasn't. I had no idea where I was going to college until the end of March before I graduated in May.)
- Help mom get ready for new school year. (Such good intentions...)

via

So, August, let's get to work...

Things for Kimberly

- Read a whole book.

- Watch two new movies.

- Plan out fall weekends. (For some reason, they're totally crazy.)

- Work out more often. (How's that for indecisiveness?)

- Figure out Birthday Weekend getaway.

Crafting

- Finish summer wreath.

- Make large garment bag.

- Make Bible cover.

- Find/make art for kitchen.

- Make marker/crayon roll.

Gardening

- Throw everything into a garbage bag, and admit to the fact I'm never going to be a gardener. At least not when all I can use are giant pots.

Fooding

- Try two new recipes.

- Go to farmer's market.

- Try a new restaurant.

- Make something with my new food processor.

Home

- Organize front closet.

- Organize and donate clothes.

- Look for buffet or sideboard for dining room area.

- Research recovering and refoaming couch.

Around Town

- Attend a baseball game.

- Go to a new store.

- Visit a community event.

Family
- Help parents get organized at home. (School is about to start back.)

- Start work on Little Brother's Halloween costume. (His marching band wears costumes for a Halloween show. Yes, he's 18 and dressing up for Halloween.)

- Make some Christmas gifts.

- Finish and mail cousins' graduation presents.

See something you like? Print it. Share it. Email it. But please, link back here when you do.