Pinterest For Dinner Anyone?

Exhausted. All the time. Too tired in fact to go back in for more lab work to see if Anemia is causing my exhaustion. Today I was too tired to go to lunch with the ladies and literally had to force myself out of the house. I figured laughter is the best medicine and those girls are a barrel of laughs. Perhaps it's the stress of my upcoming DMV visit that is taking an emotional and physical toll! I do however, still have enough energy to browse Pinterest for hours at a time. It happens to be a fun time for Chloe and I too. I have to be careful scrolling with her, we have all happened upon an inappropriate pin now and then, haven't we?

In order to not feel like a complete loser, I occasionally have to actually make something I see on Pinterest. I wanted to share three recipes I made today. I guess that afternoon cup of coffee really kicked in. Instead of doing something productive like laundry or cleaning the bathrooms, I got a wild hair up my...well, whatever. So I spent a good three hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. I made Stuffed Peppers, salad, and bread for dinner. I also made breakfast for tomorrow.

Even though the kids eat all the stuffing and leave the pepper this is definitely a keeper. I have made many a Stuffed Pepper recipe in the past and never found 'the one' until now. I'm thinking about doing Unstuffed Peppers next time, casserole style, that way the kids will be forced to eat those peppers when I chop them and hide them in the stuffing! For this recipe, I added an extra 1/4 cup tomato sauce and used ground beef instead of turkey.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers from Skinnytaste.com

Besides a salad, I served the peppers with this Beer Bread that was a total cinch to whip up.

I would definitely make it again especially since it could be adapted for my non-dairy eaters. 

Honey Beer Bread from Gimmiesomeoven.com

I made several extra cups of rice when making the rice for the peppers so I could make the kids some Arroz con Leche, for the morning. That's what we call it, you probably know it as rice pudding. I typically make a savory version with just butter, salt, and milk. I thought I would treat the kids, so I made a version based off of this. I used  almond milk + water, sugar, pure vanilla bean paste, and a dash of cinnamon.

 Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding by Luxefinds.com

What good recipes have you found from Pinterest?

The Guest Room

The guestroom here has been ready to go for quite a while. Unfortunately we haven't had any takers yet. I've been meaning to write this post for a while. First let me say, I am not a decorator! I'm the opposite. I have no eye for style when it comes to my wardrobe or my home! I try and look presentable and I arrange the house in a way that is comfy and inviting. There are tons of pictures of my family, immediate and extended and that is usually the focus of where I start and end my decorating. For me it's all about the pictures! I didn't really have a plan to decorate the guest room in any special way. Just throw some random stuff in there from around the house, right? Well, when I had visited back home this summer shortly after we moved, I was sharing photos of the house with my family. One of my cousins made a comment that if that ugly comforter was staying on the guest bed, he wasn't coming to visit! It was so much worse that a guy was offended by it!

BEFORE

So I went on a mission. I happened to stumble across a duvet cover on clearance at Target. Score! And that's where my color scheme was born. Plum and Gray. Is it Gray or Grey? What's the difference, I never know? Anyway, while the bedding was taken care of I still needed a bed skirt and that became quite challenging. After a month of trying to find one that matched my colors exactly I went with this natural beige color. I loved the flowy sheer fabric and I decided that the beige would be a nice addition. It helped add to some of that romantic quality I was going for. I found it on Amazon. I think it's called Voile.

AFTER

I purchased the duvet, throw pillows, sheets, vase, lamp, Do Not Disturb sign, and Cafe painting. Everything else I found around the house.

 Everyone needs their privacy.

 Dried Hydrangeas, my favorite.

A Mother of Pearl candelabra hangs behind the bed.

A painting that a dear friend of mine made and gave me.

The framed photo on the nightstand holds this quote.

I had a lot of fun doing this room up. If I could have painted it would have been magnificent I promise. But, we rent :(. My main focus was to be accommodating while keeping the room simple and romantic. Now I just need some guests, so if your ever in the general North Carolina area...

Easy Bread Knots

Like so many others I spend much of my waiting time browsing Pinterest. I'm happy to report I actually use quite a few recipes and ideas too. That makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something from all that virtual surfing. I have made these bread knots several times. The first time I made them was on Thanksgiving and they were a hit. I did change these up to accommodate my nephew who has a severe milk allergy. My change from biscuits, which were called for in the original recipe, to breadsticks also excludes a step in this already easy process. I use Pillsbury breadsticks because they are milk free if you can believe that, and I obviously left out the cheese when I made them for my nephew. Please be sure and check your specific packaging if allergies are a concern.

Ingredients:
1 can of refrigerated Pillsbury breadsticks
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Separate strips of dough. Tie into 12 knots. This is an art I have not yet mastered. If you wanted to,  you could press two strands together and make a large knot, giving you six large knots total. Bake according to package directions. While knots are baking, mix oil, seasoning, and cheese in a small bowl. Remove bread from oven and and immediately brush with oil mixture. Serve warm!