It's that time again!
Come on over and visit us
for
Share some love and show us your fabulous Valentine's Day crafts, recipes, decor, or even a story about your sweetheart!
Hope to see you there!
Showing posts with label Sister Saturday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sister Saturday. Show all posts
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
First Annual Cookie Exchange!
The Inspiration Friday Party will be up soon, but first I wanted to invite you all to join us for the next edition of
It's a Cookie Exchange!
Break out your favorite Holiday recipes and get ready to link up on Saturday, December 11th!
Here is some Inspiration to get you in the spirit!
We hope you will consider joining us, so mark your calenders and break out those mixers for a celebration of sugar!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Soup Exchange is Here!
Welcome to the First Annual Soup Exchange
here at
This collaboration was born from a desire to connect with my sister from across the miles! Doing this blog thing together has been such a fun and bonding experience that we thought, hey, why not throw a party together?
It is that time of year when we start bundling up and our hearts and energy turns to all things Home. Home for me is a funny word. Now my true home is wherever my hubby and rascals are! But, I long for and deeply miss my family, and home to me is whenever we are all together, wherever that happens to be that year! My kiddos don't get to go to trick-or-treating at Auntie Heather's house. We don't get to have them over to hang out and watch Football and gourge ourselves on yummy food.
So, this has become the next best thing! A way to visit each other's homes and share our favorite recipes.
It is that time of year when we start bundling up and our hearts and energy turns to all things Home. Home for me is a funny word. Now my true home is wherever my hubby and rascals are! But, I long for and deeply miss my family, and home to me is whenever we are all together, wherever that happens to be that year! My kiddos don't get to go to trick-or-treating at Auntie Heather's house. We don't get to have them over to hang out and watch Football and gourge ourselves on yummy food.
So, this has become the next best thing! A way to visit each other's homes and share our favorite recipes.
This installment is all about Soups, Stews, Chili, and even side dishes that would like to come along for the party.
Gotta have me some good bread to go with my soup!
I was stumped at first as to just which soup I was going to share today. And then....it came to me! One of my all-time favorite recipes that I hadn't made since last year about this time.
I like to call it...
THIS AIN'T YOUR MAMA'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
It is actually a recipe from Tyler Florence and it is truly like no other noodle soup I have ever had.
First things first...got to set the mood for the evening so why not cook while listening to this?
And, the recipe doesn't call for any but it's good for my heart, right? Poured myself a little glass of our new favorite red while Mr. Botti serenaded
Nope! You are not seeing things. Those aren't egg noodles, that is cheese filled Tortellini. And no, that isn't chicken. That my friends, is Sausage! All the other typical Noodle soup ingredients are in there...carrots, celery, onions, but this is definitely
Not Your Mama's Chicken Noodle soup!
Now, what goes well with Noodle Soup? Grilled Cheese of course! But, this is not your average grilled cheese.
This is a Mozzarella Grilled Cheese with pesto and fresh roma tomatoes. All done up Panini Style with fresh Sourdough Bread!
I used this handy guy for cooking them up
If you don't have one of these, get one! Grill pans are so great to have, especially when you live where you can't do year round grilling but you want to get those great grill marks!
I use my small cast iron skillet to help give the sandwich some weight and insure even melting.
My mouth is watering just looking at this again!
And here is how we enjoyed this deliciousness that night.
Fire going, sitting on the floor with the ottomans covered with a tablecloth, wine glasses filled (or refilled in my case!) and watching a movie with my most favorite person in the world...my wonderful husband! Between working full-time, completing his MBA, raising kiddos, serving at church and just keeping up on life, these moments with him have become even more precious!
Here is the link to these recipes in Tyler Florence's
episode entitled "Ultimate Rainy Day Menu".
Not Your Mama's Chicken Noodle soup!
Now, what goes well with Noodle Soup? Grilled Cheese of course! But, this is not your average grilled cheese.
This is a Mozzarella Grilled Cheese with pesto and fresh roma tomatoes. All done up Panini Style with fresh Sourdough Bread!
I used this handy guy for cooking them up
If you don't have one of these, get one! Grill pans are so great to have, especially when you live where you can't do year round grilling but you want to get those great grill marks!
I use my small cast iron skillet to help give the sandwich some weight and insure even melting.
Fire going, sitting on the floor with the ottomans covered with a tablecloth, wine glasses filled (or refilled in my case!) and watching a movie with my most favorite person in the world...my wonderful husband! Between working full-time, completing his MBA, raising kiddos, serving at church and just keeping up on life, these moments with him have become even more precious!
episode entitled "Ultimate Rainy Day Menu".
Hosting a Soup Exchange Party is so easy and very fun!
Here are some simple instructions...
1. Invite your favorite people
2. Have them cook up enough soup so that each person takes home at least 2-3 cups worth.
3. Package the soup in disposable tupperware and attach the recipe on top or bring it along to pass around.
4. Set out all of the soups on a table or counter and at the end of the party each person goes home with a wonderful sampling of each kind.
5. When I have hosted these in the past, I have also cooked up some soups and goodies for us to munch on during the party.
6. I like to encourage folks to maybe think of someone they could share some of their soups with...maybe an elderly neighbor, a new mom and dad, someone battling an illness. The work has already been done for you so you can just pass along the goodness!
Let's get to the Exchange! Link up your recipe below and share the Yummy Goodness with the rest of us! And feel free to join us even if you have a recipe from a long ago post.
Now I'm going to head on over to my sister Heather's house to sample her soups and relish in spending some "virtual" time with her in her lovely and welcoming home!
Come join me by hopping over to Gourmet Meals for Less! And be sure to bring your soup with you and link up your recipe there too. It will be twice the fun for folks to see your yummy creations!
Thanks so much for coming to our Soup Exchange and watch for our Next Sister Saturday coming soon where we will be hosting our First Annual Cookie Exchange!
Linking to Foodie Friday!
Here are some simple instructions...
1. Invite your favorite people
2. Have them cook up enough soup so that each person takes home at least 2-3 cups worth.
3. Package the soup in disposable tupperware and attach the recipe on top or bring it along to pass around.
4. Set out all of the soups on a table or counter and at the end of the party each person goes home with a wonderful sampling of each kind.
5. When I have hosted these in the past, I have also cooked up some soups and goodies for us to munch on during the party.
6. I like to encourage folks to maybe think of someone they could share some of their soups with...maybe an elderly neighbor, a new mom and dad, someone battling an illness. The work has already been done for you so you can just pass along the goodness!
Let's get to the Exchange! Link up your recipe below and share the Yummy Goodness with the rest of us! And feel free to join us even if you have a recipe from a long ago post.
Now I'm going to head on over to my sister Heather's house to sample her soups and relish in spending some "virtual" time with her in her lovely and welcoming home!
Come join me by hopping over to Gourmet Meals for Less! And be sure to bring your soup with you and link up your recipe there too. It will be twice the fun for folks to see your yummy creations!
Thanks so much for coming to our Soup Exchange and watch for our Next Sister Saturday coming soon where we will be hosting our First Annual Cookie Exchange!
Linking to Foodie Friday!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
SAVE THE DATE!
And get ready to get your Soup on!
The second installment of
Is coming on Saturday October 30th!
My sister and I, and our families, never get to celebrate this time of year together. So, we decided to host a Harvest Party together here in Blogland and we want YOU to come along!
This time, we are asking you to break out those wonderful
This time, we are asking you to break out those wonderful
Autumn soup, stew, stoup (as Miss Rachael Ray calls them!) and chili recipes and LINK UP up with us for a
Soup Exchange!
Just make up a batch, take some photos, and publish it in a post along with your recipe and then we can have fun exchanging these with one another!
These fabulous photos are of soups my sister has made over at her amazing blog Gourmet Meals For Less !
We can't wait to see what you come up with so mark your calendars for Oct. 30th and join in the fun!
And be sure to come back tomorrow for...
From this Southern Girl at Heart,
Vanessa
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Sister Saturday!
Welcome to the First Ever Edition of
Sister Saturday!
What is this you ask?
Well, I have a sister named Heather whom I adore!
Well, I have a sister named Heather whom I adore!
She is my best friend, my confidant, my partner in crime, and now we have both joined the crazy world of Blogging. We are having so much fun with our respective Blogs and thought what better way to celebrate this than to do a Post together?!
Thus was born Sister Saturday!
(Can't you just hear those Haynes Sisters from White Christmas?
"Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters!")
"Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters!")
You see, we don't live near each other. I am in the Northwest and she is the real Southern Girl in this family!
(How sad it is that this is the only picture I could find where we are actually sitting next to each other! And, it was 3 years ago! That lovely lady with us is our wonderful Mom. The other best friend!)
It is a tragedy in my book that family members who actually really like each other (we would be friends even if we weren't related!) don't get to just pop over to each other's homes, share in the everyday aspects of our children's lives and especially celebrate Holidays and Special Occasions together!
(How sad it is that this is the only picture I could find where we are actually sitting next to each other! And, it was 3 years ago! That lovely lady with us is our wonderful Mom. The other best friend!)
It is a tragedy in my book that family members who actually really like each other (we would be friends even if we weren't related!) don't get to just pop over to each other's homes, share in the everyday aspects of our children's lives and especially celebrate Holidays and Special Occasions together!
This reality ain't changing anytime soon. So, we are going to make the best of it and...
Throw a Blogging Party together!
This is a "Labor Day Party Gone South" and
YOU are invited!
This is a "Labor Day Party Gone South" and
YOU are invited!
First Stop...
My House!
Come join us for Cocktails and Appetizers!
(Complete Recipes will be at the end of the post)
Folks get handed a drink first thing when they come to a party at our house so here you go...
This is all you need for Raspberry Beer Cocktail, recipe courtesy of Southern Living Magazine
Mix these together and you have the perfect Cocktail!
Sweet enough for the ladies, but with a generous amount of Beer for the fellas (or the crazy girls like me who actually like beer!)
Enjoy!
Next up Appetizers...
This one comes to you courtesy of the Queen of the South,
Miss Paula Deen!
Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
After cutting bacon slices into thirds, wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick.
Stir together Brown Sugar (2/3 cup) and Chili Powder (2 Tblsp.)
Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.
Coat a rack and broiler with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan and Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Enjoy!
My Sister and her family just pulled up to the house and this food won't last long! I better go get set up for us to enjoy it on the deck before heading over to her house for the main course!
Whew! With a teenage boy in this group, I sure am glad I made plenty of those Chicken Bacon Wraps! These are also great to make if you are having folks over to watch the Big Game!
It's time for us to head on over to my Sister's house now!
She has made us a delicious Main Course and Dessert and we can't wait to enjoy it with them! Won't you come along too?
Visit her blog
to join us as we complete the second half of our Labor Day Party Gone South!
Don't wait up!
And be sure to keep watching for the next installment of
In a few weeks, we will be hosting a Soup Exchange and you are ALL invited! It will be a "Linky" party so get those favorite Autumn/Winter Soup recipes out and get ready to join in the fun!
Now get yourself over to Heather's House!
Raspberry Beer Cocktail
3/4 cup frozen raspberries *fresh raspberries may be substituted
3 1/2 (12-oz) bottles beer, chilled (I only use 3 bottles)
1 (12-oz.) container frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup Vodka
Garnish: lemon and/or lime slices
Stir together first 4 ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired!
Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) packaged sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken into mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan.
Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
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