'Strawberry Cheescake' Cookies

I decided on Wednesday, the day before Valentine's Day, that I was going to bake something for my co-workers, who have been a bit deprived of my baked goods lately.  I found this great and easy recipe for cake batter cookies from Thirty Handmade Days.

What you need:
1 box strawberry cake mix (I had to buy regular because the store was sold out)

2 eggs

¾ cup of shortening

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

½ stick of butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

I also bought a packet of Strawberry Shortcake frosting flavoring from Duncan Hines.  My original idea was to add that to the cake mix to make it flavored, but since I never used it before I just added red food coloring to the batter and made strawberry cheesecake frosting.

Directions:

Mix together batter ingredients, the dough will be pretty stiff- mines stuck to a wooden spoon when upside down. 

Roll into cylinders and place two next to each other on the cookie sheet. Pinch the bottom to create a heart.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

This will only make about 12-15 cookies total

depending on how big you make them.

For the frosting: Mix cream cheese, ½ stick of softened butter, and vanilla. 

Then slowly add in one cup of powered sugar at a time until creamy. Then, if using a frosting packet add it now and you're ready to frost. 

Thin Crust Cupcake Tin Pizzas

This recipe was one of those pins I had for a while and kept wanting to do but always thought it looked too difficult. But it was surprisingly quick, easy and made with a few staples I always have in the fridge  Which is great when I'm running low on food and have yet to go to the store.  Originally from Dashing Dish this recipe is similar to the cupcake pizzas I made before, but a little healthier.

What you need: 

Regular sized tortillas

Pizza sauce

Shredded cheese

Other toppings as desired

Cupcake tin

An open can (pizza sauce), or biscuit cutter to make the right size tortillas. 

Directions: 

Preheat oven 425 degrees and spray the cupcake tin with non-stick spray. 

Take a tortilla and on a flat surface cut circles a little bit larger than the size of the cupcake molds. If you use the pizza sauce can, you should be able to get the right size. I used a drinking glass to make an indent in the tortilla and then a knife to cut it since I didn't have an empty can.  

Take each tortilla and push it into the cupcake mold. 

Add a spoonful of pizza sauce, or in my case pasta sauce, since I didn't have pizza sauce. Cover with cheese and other toppings. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese had melted and the tortilla is golden brown. 

I think the cup I used may have been a little too small. It was only slightly larger than the cupcake mold. If the tortilla is bigger, it should make a cup like a tortilla shell for a Mexican salad. 

Origami X's and O's Garland

I love this idea for a garland to make something for Valentine's Day that doesn't involve hearts. I thought it would come out in a larger size than it really is; each X and O section is only about 2 inches wide.  The original post of from Origami Spirit and includes a very helpful video, I also have directions written out below with pictures.

What you need:
Printer paper, NOT cardstock or construction paper, they are too stiff
Paper cutter

Directions:

Cut 1/4 inch strips from the paper so they are 11 inches long.  (I used a 1/2 inch piece for the directions so it's easier to see, and suggest trying it the first time with the same size.)

Fold the strip of paper in half and make a crease. 

Flod the right side up with the left side of the strip lined up with the crease.

Fold the right side down on the back side of the paper.

Fold the right side back up on the front side, make it even along the bottom.

Now take the left side, which is now longer than the right, and slide it through the 'pocket' you made with the left strip. The left strip goes over the front of the pocket and gets tucked on on the right side. 

It will make a circle when it starts going through the pocket.

Keep pulling the strip through until it looks like it does below. 

Take one of the strips and fold it downward into the center pocket. 

If it's not working flip it over and try from the other side. 

Keep pushing it through until half of it is on the other side. 

Then take the end and push it through the pocket just enough to hold it in place. 

Repeat with the other side. 

To make the O's you start the same way as the X's tutorial. Once you finish the pocket you take one strip and instead of folding it down into the pocket, go to the other side of the pocket to form a circle. The other strip then goes the other way. 

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