Grown Up Grilled Cheese

I am a huge fan of grilled cheese sandwhiches and soup, especially with all the cold days we've been having in Colorado this winter. This pin, originally from A Turtle's Life For Me, for grilled cheese seemed like a good way to make it a little fancier for the foodie boyfriend.

What you need:

Bread
Cheese (we used Muenster)
Avocado
Pepperoni (We used mini pepperoni's because they are just so darn cute. I used them in my pizza cupcakes post too.)

Hearts Inside Hearts Paper Garland

I think Valentine's Day may be my favorite holiday.  Not because I am one of those girls who wants some romantic evening or that I'm in love with love. I love Valentine's Day because there are SO many crafts I want to do. Last year I made 2 different types of paper heart garlands found here and here. This year I found a few more heart garlands to try.  The pin for the first one I made links to the homepage of On To Baby, I tried to find the original directions on the blog but wasn't able to.

What you Need:
12' x 12' card stock paper, either solid color or patterned on both sides
Paper cutter
Stapler
String

Directions:

Cut 1 inch strips from the card stock. I had 4 sheets of paper and made 12 paper hearts. 

Put 16 strips of paper aside (two of each design). Cut the remaining strips to be 9 inches long (I did two of each design).  Keep the 3 inch strips you cut off.

Take two 12 inch strips (I used 2 that were the same pattern but you don't have to) on the outside of two 9 inch strips. I made sure the papers were positioned right so the pattern was the same on the outside of the heart. Make the ends flush and staple. 

Then make the two strips on each side flush, then fold then into the middle where they meet. Add a 3 inch strip in the middle and staple.

You can also do this with 3 different sizes of strips. 

Valentine's Heart Tree

I love this craft for a Valentine's Tree made from a paper cone and paper hearts. The original post was from I Gotta Create.

What You Need:
12" x 12" or 8.5" x 11" card stock paper
Hot glue gun
Heart shaped paper cutter
Scissors

Directions:
Cut a paper cone from one sheet of paper and tape the seams. I put the cone on top of a cup to hold it up off the table.

Cut paper hearts out of a few colors of card stock. 

Start on the bottom of the cone and glue a row of the hearts on with the point up.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Vegetables

In August of last year I made Spaghetti Squash for the first time.  I was hesitant at first but I really do love it. I can buy a squash at the story and keep it at home for a few weeks until I need a last minute dinner idea.

This particular recipe was originally from Ruffles and Truffles. It seemed like a good one to try but I had almost none of the ingredients at my house. It was quite delicious but would have been better with more flavor.

What You Need:
1 medium size spaghetti squash
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 broccoli crown, chopped
2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
grated parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)


Directions:

Here I have directions form my last post about how to cook a Spaghetti Squash in the microwave. I do this because it's faster however, you can also cut it in half, place it in a baking dish with 1/4 inch of water and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

After the squash is cooked and all the insides are scraped out, add the squash to a a large, deep skillet. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat adding the garlic. Saute this foe one minute, then add spaghetti squash and saute an additional 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, sundried tomatoes, and broccoli. Sauting for 5 minutes.

Add peas, grilled chicken, and remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth. Shake about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese into mixture (just enough to thicken the chicken broth).

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Serve with fresh shaved parmesan cheese. 

A Successful Resolution

Well it's been a year since I came up with a crazy resolution to blog my adventures with Pinterest in an attempt to broaden my horizons and actually stick with something.

Since I've never stuck with one hobby for a year, I consider this blog a success! Not only did I not quit, I actually did something from a pin almost every week. That being said, I now have a HUGE appreciation for people who blog regularly with a family, and jobs. I only have a job and still couldn't find the time to write blog posts.

So here goes another year of trying to make something every week. Let's see if I can beat my own record of a year long hobby