~~FEMININE MATTERS~~

My daughter's birthday cake

Nothing fancy.  It just sorta looks like it is.  First I bought a strawberry cake at Wal-Mart's bakery.  Then I decorated the Hershey's Special Dark candybars.  Dipped fresh strawberries (make sure you pat them dry before dipping).  And then assembled the candybars by gluing them together with melted almond bark.  I broke up the candybars in little rectangles and stuck them to the sides of the cake.  Then decorated the pan, with the strawberries.  I know.  I know.  I should have put one of the paper doilies under the whole kaboodle.  But it was still kinda pretty.  Next time I make it, I'll do better.

 
  Yummy, yummy!  This was so fun!  I wanna do it again!  Need a cake?  selahV

HOT RICE AND BEAN SALAD by selahV

So, I had a bowl of rice leftover from another meal the day before.  For my lunch I made this treat.  I plopped about 3/4 cup rice in a microwave safe bowl, opened a can of pinto beans and dropped about 1/2 cup on top, (stored the rest), then added 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  I nuked it for about 2 minutes.  Varies with microwaves.  I diced up 1/2 cup of green pepper, cut up half a tomato in chunks, added them to the top of the preheated rice, beans, and cheese.  Of course, I can never have enough cheese so I added another half cup or so.  Then I nuked them all for 30 seconds.  When the dink, dink, dink sounded, I chowed down like I was some kinda fancy dancy cafe.  Yummy!

 Sure, you can print this out and share it with a friend.  But, why not have that friend, or more, over to try it out.  Share your salad with your favorite lunch bunch, and save the money from what you all would spend on lunch somewhere.  Put the money in a missions bank for feeding the hungry.  Yeah, almost all the time I have these ingredients in my cupboard and fridge.  It's part of being me. Part of God's provision.  Oh, blessed am I.  selahV

Strawberry Mountain

Better than McDonald's Happy Meal.  Grama made a mountain of strawberries for the girls to eat. Giving them their walking sticks (toothpicks), made it all the more fun to climb the mountain and make it disappear.

 

NO, MY GRANDDAUGHTERS DON'T CARE FOR WHIPPED CREAM.  But if yours do, then top it off with whipped cream and pretend they are digging through the snow.

 

Bunny Bread

This is adorable and SIMPLE.  I'm gonna do this.  What a fun thing!  Gotta love Taste of Home daily recipe newsletter.  Yummy for the tummy and healthy ta boot.

I'm gonna do this for my granddaughters.  They're gonna love this cute little bunny. 

All you need is:

Frozen bread dough.

Two Raisins for bunny eyes.

Two Slivered Almonds for bunny teeth.

Your favorite Dip.

Your favorite Veggies.

For Assembly Instructions, go HERE. 

IHOP's Got Nuthin' On Me!

Leftover grilled chicken breasts?  Freshly cooked chicken breasts or even pre-cooked packaged chicken fingers.  Whatever way I find that chicken in my fridge, I like making up my own Chicken Fajita Salad.  My husband loves IHOP's offering and that is just where I got the idea.  This is great to put on our monthly menu at least twice, (although, hubby would gratefully eat it once a week).  You can make the chicken ahead when you grill any other time, thereby saving on burning the propane twice.  I just cut up a couple of cooked breasts in slender slices and stick it in the freezer.

So here is the recipe:

CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD FOR TWO

2 Chicken Breasts cut in strips.

2 Green Peppers

1 Whole Onion sliced.

2 Cups Lettuce, Shredded.

1 Cup Fresh Cauliflower, cut in bite-size pieces.

1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots.

2 Italian Tomatoes cut in small chunks.

1 Cup of sliced black olives. (We love them!)

1 Cup Refried Beans (pre-warmed).

20 to 30 Corn chips (I use Tostidos).  Line bottom of Two individual salad bowls. 

1/2  teaspoon Cajun Pepper sprinkled over chicken.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (or any kind of cooking oil).

Toss lettuce, Black Olives, Cauliflower, Carrots together.  Set aside.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in frying pan and cook chicken strips till tender and white.  Set aside.  Add remaining oil and saute green peppers and onions till tender.  Add chicken; toss to warm.  Warm up refried beans in micro-wave or as directed on can.  (Pre-cooked chicken needs only be warmed in same pan as you fry green peppers and onions.) 

As chicken is warming up in the peppers, onions, layer the warm refried beans on top of the corn chips in individual serving bowls.  Add equal helpings of pre-mixed lettuce, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and black olives.

Top with equal helpings of cooked chicken, onions, and peppers.  Garnish with chopped tomatoes, and place chips around edges of salad.

If you don't like ranch dressing mixed with cajun pepper, pick your own.  We like creamy Italian.

Optional: Add a dollop of Sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.

Variations:  Cut up an avocado and add it along with chunked tomatoes.  I like avocado slices.  mmmmmn, mmmmmm, good.  selahV   

LOVE IN A CHOCOLATE BOX

Simple things.  They seem to bring the most pleasure.  These precious chocolate treasure boxes make the most elegant of dessert displays.  And the recipe seems as easy to do as they are elegant. One of the most darling ideas I have seen in a very long time.  It's so very simple.  I will have to try these for sure.  Gonna play with other ideas, too.  Graham crackers with banana pudding and decorated with the chocolate dipped strawberries.  I can hardly wait to go shopping for the ingredients.

Check out the recipe I found at Taste of Home online recipes.