Thursday 30 April 2015

Packing our Bags!




Halong Bay, Vietnam.


Valle Verzasca, Switzerland 


Maldives, Island Life


Valle Verzasca, Switzerland 


Sardinia, Italy



Wow Beautiful Garden Ideas!




HOW TO PROPAGATE SUCCULENTS FROM LEAVES



129 cukes per plant- not bad- gotta try it myself! 


How to propagate rosemary and lavender; also works for basil


What is a Rocket Stove? Why Do I Need One? One of THE most practical things you can own or know how to build. 


Colorful-garden-fence - A great way to make a small 'growing area' look more bright and cheerful - even when it's at the stage where it's just mud and a few shoots!



Monday 27 April 2015

Garden With Love!




5 Steps To Successful Indoor Fruit Trees


Make a flower pot candle holder with two terracotta pots, some pebbles, annuals, and a pillar candle. 


 

Great use for a broken container..


How to grow foxgloves 


Rose-shaped succulent called Greenovia dodrentalis



Sunday 26 April 2015

Gardening Everyday!




This is why I must drink wine - to get the corks! Love these garden markers.


How to build a hammock stand. Must have with clematis or morning glory climbing all over it. 


Free Standing Pallet Herb Garden Tutorial


Pallet garden path


Never wet outdoor curtains



Thursday 23 April 2015

Places to go!





Spring in Central Park ~ New York City


 
Santorini street, Greece 


Bagan, Myanmar.


Venice 


Italy - Amalfi coast



Wednesday 22 April 2015

Garden Ideas!




Everything you need to know about raised beds.


Amazing Garden Pond 


How to edge flowerbeds like a pro!


Using a toy truck, found at a yard sale, as a planter. There's no end to what you can plant in! 


How to Start Your Own Medicinal Herb Garden 



Sunday 19 April 2015

Travel Pinspirations




Valle Verzasca, Switzerland


Amazing View of Korcula old town. Dubrovnik archipelago - Elaphites islands 


Calle del Hospitalillo Trujillo, Cáceres Spain 


Glass Beach, MacKerricher State Park, near Fort Bragg, California 


Pisa, place of miracles: The leaning tower. Tuscany, Italy



Friday 17 April 2015

Growing Tips!




A growing Potato Barrel will yield a ton of potatoes


Gardening Guide for vegetable Container Gardening -this post has everything you need to know!


Succulents in an old floor lamp  


How to Plant Bulbs in a Container - planting in fall and leaving outside during winter will bring forth better blooms because of the exposure to winter cold!



How to Mix Soil for a Vegetable Container Garden




Tuesday 7 April 2015

Fajita Quesadillas




Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • ½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • ½ white onion, sliced
  • 1½ tablespoons Old El Paso fajita seasoning mix
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 8 burrito sized flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • toppings: sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the bell peppers, onions, and fajita seasoning mix. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Place one tortilla in the pan and add ¼ of the vegetable mixture and sprinkle on ½ cup of cheese. Top with another tortilla.
  3. Cook quesadillas 5-6 minutes per side or until tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more butter if necessary.
  4. Cut each quesadilla into 4 slices and top with desired toppings.
Source


Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu





Ingredients

For the Cordon Bleu:
  • 3 large, thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to make two thinner chicken breast cutlets; you will have 6 total thin chicken breasts)
  • 12 slices good quality deli ham
  • 1 cup bread crumbs (preferably fresh)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) thinly sliced Swiss cheese
For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.
  2. Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with slices of Swiss cheese, layering across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.
  3. Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.
  4. When the chicken is almost done, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
  5. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. If it's too thin, simmer longer.
  6. Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.
Source



Boston Cream Pie





Ingredients

For the cake:
  • 1 yellow cake mix (and ingredients called for on the package)
  • Filling:
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream
Chocolate Glaze: (If you want a thicker layer you could double this)
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Instructions:

For full instructions please visit: Source


Sunday 5 April 2015

JALAPENO & CHEDDAR CORNBREAD MUFFINS





Ingredients:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced, plus more for topping
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, plus more for topping
Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper.
3) In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together butter, buttermilk, honey and eggs.
4) Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
5) Add in jalapeno, Parmesan & cheddar and gently toss to combine.
6) Scoop batter evenly into the muffin tray.
7) Top with sliced jalapeno, using your fingertips to gently press the jalapeno into the batter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cheddar.
8) Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
9) Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Source


Easy 30-minute Cinnamon Roll Skillet Cake




INGREDIENTS
 
Cinnamon Roll Cake
  • 2 packages Buttermilk Biscuits (Depending on your size skillet, you may have some leftover)
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
Frosting
  • 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla extract, depending on taste preference
  • 2-3 tbsp. milk or heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you don't have a pre-seasoned skillet, rub about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil on the bottom of the skillet and set aside.
  2. (I used an 8-inch skillet. If you use a bigger one, you will need to adjust the ingredient amounts.)
  3. Remove the biscuits from the packages.
  4. Using a rolling pin, roll each of the biscuits very flat and thin.
  5. Dip each biscuit in the melted butter, shake off the excess and then dip the biscuit in the cinnamon sugar mixture making sure to cover both sides. Shake off the excess.
  6. Roll up each biscuit and place the rolled up biscuit on the outside of a skillet in a circle fashion spiraling towards the inside of the skillet.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by beating together the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the milk or heavy cream until desired consistency is reached.
  9. Remove the cake and let cool for about 5-7 minutes before frosting.
  10. Pipe the frosting over the cake and cut into slices to serve.
NOTES
You can easily pipe the frosting using a resealable bag and cutting off the tip of the bag and then squeezing the frosting through the hole in the bag. Alternatively you could just spread the frosting on with a knife.
 


Quinoa Enchilada Casserole





INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 (10-ounce) can Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
  • 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
INSTRUCTIONS

For full instructions please visit: Source


Saturday 4 April 2015

Places i need to be!




Valbonne, France


Hallstatt, Austria 


Red Bridge, Kyoto, Japan


Russia 


Burgundy Street Madrid. Spain.