Coffee and Vanilla Centrepiece

I am always looking for easy DIY projects to make my home feel both comfy and put together and it really could not get any easier than this coffee and vanilla centrepiece.   I picked up a used glass vase from value village for $2 and a vanilla scented candle and coffee beans from Walmart for around $10.  I bought the cheapest coffee beans they had since taste quality didn't really matter as long as they smell like coffee.  When I first put it together this looked great!  Once I light the candle it filled the room with a wonderful mixed scent of vanilla and coffee.  I thought this was a dream!  Until the candle began to melt all through the coffee beans and it all became a big clump mess of wax and coffee beans.  It looked horrible and I wish I had taken a picture to show you the mess but I didn't do you will just have to trust me.  

Not wanting to give up on what while it lasted made my house smell like a cosy cafe, I went back to the pinning board and found the perfect solution!  Tea lights!  They come with their own metal containers that keep all the wax in check while still allowing the candle to warm the beans and spread their delicious scent.  

Like any avid pinner I am obsessed with mason jars and love to incorporate them where ever I can.  So making them my new candle holders and throwing some burlap around them,  I think I made a very nice rustic coffee table centrepiece.  What do you think?

Original pinned from: 

http://www.inspirationfordecoration.com/search/label/living%20room?updated-max=2009-02-21T07%3A28%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=20

http://leschosesdemarie.blogspot.ca/search?updated-max=2011-08-22T07:00:00-03:00&max-results=8  

Knit a Headband and Crochet Flower for Beginners

With winter right around the corner my knitting needles have been getting a lot more use and where is better than Pinterest to find stylish knitting patterns.  This pattern is very simple.  Your literally just need to know how to do a basic knit stitch to be able to make this cute headband and if you don't know how to do a knit stitch?  Not a problem!  The site that was pinned also has step by step instructions on how to do a knit stitch.  (link to the site is below)

My friend asked me to make a headband for her so I used the above pattern but added a crochet flower to it because she requested it.  I had never crochet before but found it pretty easy.  I did use youtube videos to teach me how to chain, double chain and slip stitch.  But after 20 minutes I had myself a cute little crocheted flower to attach to my headband.  So here is what I came up with with the help of Pinterest.  

 Originally pinned from:  

Crochet Flower: http://annemarieshaakblog.blogspot.ca/2012/03/flower-week-flower-4.html

Headband: http://craftsnob.com/2011/05/knitting-101-part-2/

The Pizzadilla

Another recipe that combines two classics into one delicious combo.  This recipe takes the deliciousness of pizza and packs it into the convenient to handle goodness of a quesadilla.  This recipe is great for nights when you get home late from work and don't have the brain power or the physical ability to make a gourmet meal for the ones you love.  It's also very kid friendly.   Lay out the toppings and let them each make their own pizzadillas with the toppings they so desire.    

Another bonus is they are budget friendly at a total recipe serving 6 costing just $9.22 or so. (see chart below)

Total Recipe cost: 

$9.22

Servings Per Recipe: 6 
Cost per serving: $1.54
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 20 min.$9.22Servings Per Recipe: 6 
Cost per serving: $1.54
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
6 (10 inch)	flour tortillas	$1.34
2 cups	shredded mozzarella	$1.75
30 (approx.)	pepperoni slices	$1.38
1 med.	bell pepper	$0.99
1/2 med.	red onion	$0.42
1 (2.25 oz.) can	sliced black olives	$1.29
1 small can	mushrooms	$0.85
1/2 batch	thick & rich pizza sauce	$1.20
TOTAL		$9.22

This recipe was a hit in my house.  My only difficulty was getting the frying pan at the right heat with my gas stove so that it cooked the toppings on the inside and didn't burn the tortillas.  Quick, easy, cheap and tasty.  This recipe will definitely be added to recipe box for the nights of days that are just too long.  

Recipe:

STEP 1: Prep the ingredients by thinly slicing the vegetables and draining the olives and mushrooms.

STEP 2: For each pizzadilla: Measure 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle half of the cheese over one half of the tortilla, add toppings and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Fold the empty side of the tortilla over the toppings.

STEP 3: Place the pizzadilla in a prewarmed skillet (medium heat) and cook until brown and crispy on the bottom. Carefully flip the pizzadilla over and cook until brown and crispy on the second side. Once both sides are crisp and the cheese is melted inside, slice into thirds with a pizza cutter. Dip in the pizza sauce prior to eating.

Originally pinned from: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.ca/2011/08/pizzadillas-922-recipe-154-each.html

Philadelphia 3-Step Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Cheesecake and cookie dough!  How is a women suppose to resist?  Being that I work in an office where women out number me 12 to 1, I thought it would be the perfect cake for a recent birthday.  Yes we bring a cake for everyone's birthday.  It gives me the perfect opportunity for them all to become my guinea pigs as I try to make the outrageous amount of cakes I have pinned without my fiancé and I becoming 300 pounds each.

The picture that was pinned.  Yum Yum Yum!!

Making this cake was so simple.   It also didn't call for a lot of ingredients so it didn't break the bank to make it.   If you have kids at home it would be simple to incorporate them.  They could have fun rolling the cookie dough into bit size balls and plopping them into the cheesecake batter.  In fact the hardest part of making this cake is not eating all the cookie dough!   

My cookie dough cake!

The reaction from my co-workers was not as good as I expected.  They all liked it but I could tell they were not in LOVE with it.  That said I still think it was a very decent cake.  My fiancé inhaled the piece I brought home for him.  I think my audience was just not quite right for this cake.  In the past when cheesecake was made it never really has gone over with grand cheers.  I will make this cake again.   How could I not when it's so quick and easy and the results is delicious to look at and eat!  

Philadelphia 3-Step Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ingredients:

- 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla

- 2 eggs

- 3/4 cup prepared or refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, divided

- 1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.) <- (or make your own; so easy and so much better!)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add eggs; mix just until blended.  Remove 1/2 cup of the dough; drop by teaspoonfuls into batter.  Stir gently.

POUR into crust.  Top with level teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup cookie dough.

BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool.  Refrigerate 3 hours or over night.  Garnish as desired.  Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Makes 12 servings.

Cookbook and Recipe Cards. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 2009. Print.

Recipe pinned from:  http://evalawrie.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/philadelphia-3-step-cookie-dough-cheesecake/

Pinterest: A brilliant collection of everything a woman needs or a trick men are playing to shape us into the "perfect women"?

Less than a year ago my Facebook news feed was taken over by recipes, funny quotes, crafts and workout plans. When did all my friends become so interested in cooking and cleaning? My sister enlightened me opened my eyes to Pinterest. My first reaction : I don't get it? But after a 15 minutes of explore everything it had to offer I was hooked. One day while I was pinning I came across the picture below. It got me thinking. Is Pinterest the best thing ever to happen to a women or a trick by men to turn us into cooking clean and working out fanatics! Either way I don't really care. After 616 pins and counting i am now planning on reviewing my pins. Pinterest is like dating. There is a lot of options out there but which ones are the best. That is what I'm trying to figure out! :)