Meatless Monday -- Asparagus and Green Pepper Stromboli

Meatless Monday is really one of my favorite nights to make dinner because it's a challenge. I give a lot of credit to people who are vegetarians, you need to constantly come up with something so you don't get bored with your meals. This weeks dish has a lot of flavor and was something I wouldn't mind having regularly!

What you'll need:
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 green pepper chopped
2 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 jar pizza sauce
6 rolls

To Make:
Preheat your oven to 375*.

Mix together asparagus, green pepper, garlic, olive oil, salt, oregano, parsley and pepper.

 Flatten your rolls.

Add 2 TBS of pizza sauce.

Sprinkle on some cheese.

Add two heaping spoonfuls of your asparagus and green pepper mixture.

Fold over, seal edges and bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Have you tried any Meatless Monday recipes?


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Craft-O-Maniac

Live Sigma Kappa -- A Thankful Reflection on Things Taken for Granted

Every Thanksgiving, from the time I could remember until 2010, I’ve spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents house with the same spread of food. Delicious as it was, you knew what was to be expected and it was never anything I got overly excited about.

It wasn’t until traditions changed, as family members passed and grandchildren were born, that those little things that came to me every year were no longer a norm. My parents are now the grandparents and we celebrate holidays at their house the same way we did at my own grandparents.

This year, however, has thrown me for a large loop in my holiday plans. My husband’s job requires him to work Thanksgiving and the days following so a trip home is not in our cards. I’ve decided to go on with the most traditional Thanksgiving that the two of us will share together.

I’m very thankful for all of the Thanksgivings I was able to spend with loved ones who have passed and those who are still with me, but this year has me even more thankful and reflective on those past years. I wish I would have spent 10 more minutes at the table instead of napping. I wish I would have paid more attention to exactly how a dish was prepared. Although we’d love to go back, we can’t, so we must learn from the past.

I’d like to share a piece of my family traditions with you in case you too are having to switch up your normal holiday traditions. This recipe is the salad dressing that was used at my grandparents. My own parents haven’t adopted it into their Thanksgiving meal; perhaps it’s what I’ll bring to the table next year.

Things You’ll Need:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c vinegar
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 small onion
2 c very chilled vegetable or canola oil

Mix all ingredients in a blender, place in dressing container, serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favorite holiday! I love to create costumes and then dress up and go out. Costumes can get pretty expensive, and this year I think we pulled off a great costume on a budget.

We were Doug Funny and Patty Mayonnaise from the 90s Nickelodeon cartoon. All together both costumes cost $13.98!

A lot of the items we already had so it was a great idea all together.

The things that needed to be purchased were:

My blond wig: $6 on clearance at Big Lots
My blue skirt: $3.99 at Good Will
Garrett's green sweater vest: $3.99 at Good Will (it was a whole sweater we just cut the sleeves off)

I had the shirt and pink felt already so I cut out and sewed polka dots on it to make it match Patty.

What did you dress up as this year?

Hot Tools Organization

If you're like me and have one too many hot tools and don't have the best organization for them, this 15 minute tutorial is for you!

This is what my basket looked like before.

I collected toilet paper rolls in my house for a few weeks and covered them with wrapping paper.

Then simply loop your cords and slip the toilet paper roll over them.

For my smaller barrel curling irons I placed the roll over the barrel and cord.

My basket with all of my newly organized cords.

Hope this helps to get your tools organized!

Meatless Monday -- Spicy Teriyaki Chickpeas

Prior to this recipe that I adapted from Meatless Monday, I had never tried a chickpea. I was pleasantly surprised how good they were in this dish. If you're not a fan of spicy meals, you may want to hold back on the red pepper flakes. If you like meals with a kick, this is definitely for you!

You'll Need:

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBS sesame oil
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 large onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup chunk pineapple
2 cups cooked brown rice

To Make:

Combine the chickpeas, teriyaki sauce and red pepper flakes in a bowl, stir and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. In a large pan heat the sesame oil and add the peppers and onions, saute for about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the marinated chickpeas and cook for another 7 minutes. Lastly, add your cooked brown rice and stir into the mixture.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Looks like I'm on a bit of a cupcake kick, these not-so-sweet cupcakes are still sure to please both your schedule and your appetite!

You'll Need:

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mixed veggies (frozen or canned)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 TBS Herbs De Provence
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
2 (10 oz.) cans Pillsbury biscuits

To Make:

Pre-heat your oven to 400*. Mix the chicken, cream of chicken soup, veggies, cheese, Herbs De Provence, onion powder and garlic salt in a bowl. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and press one Pillsbury biscuit down into and up the side of each cup. Evenly spoon the mixture into each biscuit, and bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Frozen S'Mores Cupcakes

I hope you're enjoying the last bit of our summer months, I know I sure have been. This recipe is perfect to enjoy during our last few weeks of this weather! S'Mores scream summer around the campfire to me, but this new twist allows them to help you beat the heat!

You'll need:
18 graham cracker squares (9 sheets)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream
12 square flat S'Mores marshmallows
1 1/2 cup cold milk
1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

To Make:
Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs, melt butter and add to the graham crackers. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pans and evenly divide and press mixture into the bottoms.

Melt milk chocolate chips by adding whipping cream and heating in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 second icrements, stirring in between. Evenly disperse the melted chocolate on top of the graham cracker crust.

 Top each blob of chocolate with one marshmallow.

Mix the cold milk with the pudding, fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip container. Top marshmallows with the mixture and freeze for a couple hours.

Take the pans out of the freezer 15-20 minutes before serving, top with remaining cool whip, crushed graham crackers and mini chocloate chips.

Enjoy!