Happy New Year!

Fall in my front yard

Easy quiche

1-2 c. fillings of your choice (example broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)
1 c. shredded cheese
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Dash of Cumin, Parsley & Garlic Powder

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.2. Grease 10" pie plate or 8" square.3. Sprinkle fillings, onions and cheese in plate.4. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth and pour into plate.5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Magazine storage idea

I love magazines! My mom, aunt and grandmother do as well, so somehow I manage to inherit a plethora of magazines. I don't have the space to store all these so I've created a fun way to keep only the articles, photos, etc. I truly want and recycle the magazine...or, better yet, donate to a classroom, preschool or church. 

First, gather your magazines

Next, tear or cut out the pages you love 

Then, find some adorable files/folders.
I found mine at Walmart...a pack of 3 for $1

Sort your pages in a way that works best for you

Here are my categories...

The files fit nicely in this box

Organized and always on hand!

Creative ways to store art supplies

Mason jars are a great way to store markers!

A plastic utensil organizer is another easy way to store markers, pencils, rulers, stickers, and lots of other items.

Cover the top of a desk or table with easel paper and kids will love expressing their artistic abilities or a great place to write down thoughts!

Ban-pecan-choco-chip bread

Stuff you need:
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
2-3 soft bananas
1.5 cups of each nuts & choco. chips

Mix everything together until creamy, stir in nuts & choco. chips. Pour in to a greased 9" baking pan and bake for approx. 40 mins. at 350 degrees.  Decrease temp. to 335 and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until golden brown on top. Enjoy with butter or cream cheese and delicious cup of coffee!

Recpie adapted & modified from the 1978 Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Chocolate Snow Balls...DELICIOUS!

Easy to make and hard to resist!

What you need:

• One package of Oreo cookies
• One 16 oz. package of cream cheese softened
• White chocolate bark (and dark chocolate if you'd like)
• Large bowl for mixing
• Microwave safe bowl for melting chocolate bark

What you do...

Crush the entire package of Oreos. I use my hand-dandy Pampered Chef chopper and crush 2-3 cookies at a time into a crumbly dry mixture leaving a few small pieces of cookie. Dump the crushed cookies into the large mixing bowl. While you're crushing these cookies leave the cream cheese out to soften.

 

Once the cookies are all crushed up you'll need to cut the cream cheese into small chunks and drop into the dry cookie mix. If you can recruit some help, like I did, I find that a cute little elf and a loving husband always make this project more fun :)  The next step is fun but a little more messy...using your hands, you will mix the softened cream cheese into the dry cookie crumbles so that it's mixed well.

Then, roll the dough into small, bite-sized bites and place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet...

  

Place the cookie sheet filled with the balls in the fridge to chill for an hour . Then, after that hour you will melt 1-2 pieces of white (or chocolate) bark in a microwave safe bowl. I usually microwave for about 30 seconds, stir, then microwave again for another 30 seconds. You may need to repeat that step depending on the power of your microwave. 

Once the chocolate bark is melted you'll take one ball and roll around in the melted chocolate until completely covered. Then, set back on the cookie sheet. Continue covering each chocolate ball until they are all covered in melted chocolate and cooling on the cookie sheet. Put back in the fridge over night. Serve chilled. Depending upon the size of the balls you roll you could easily have 40-50 pieces and make wonderful gifts. Enjoy!