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In The Kitchen

Some of our favorite things from this week’s excursions in the interwebs…..

 

Dean Russo art

 

Love the artwork of Dean Russo.  Talented NY pop artist.  The colors are so….. perfect.  This Firu one has great wisdom too.

 

DIY Chandelier from Brassy Apple

 

Brassy Apple has a great tutorial on how to make this cute DIY Chandelier that caught Ariel’s eye.  It’s colorful and blingy.  What else could a girl want?

 

DIY infinity scarf by Anna Evers at Plan B

 

We’ve been looking at infinity scarves for a while now.  Love this DIY version by Anna Evers at Plan B!

 

DIY Hummingbird Mister Birdbath from Birds & Bloom

 

Who knew hummingbirds loved to be misted?  Not us.  Well, maybe Grammy does, but she hadn’t told us.  If we get inspired, we might make one of these DIY Hummingbird Mister Birdbaths from Birds & Bloom.  (and if she’s reading this, she might make it before we get a chance to!)

 

Skillet Pizza Monkey Bread from Pillsbury.com

 

I’m always on the look-out for easy meals.  And not just easy for me to make…easy for my family to love!  This Skillet Pizza Monkey Bread from Pillsbury sounds like it would be fun to make and eat!

 

What fabulous finds found you this week?

 

 

 

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I don’t think there could be a more fun holiday for tweens to celebrate than National Chocolate Fondue Day!  It’s perfect for a family dinner dessert and it’s perfect for a yummy dining experience at a sleepover.  Strawberries, meet chocolate.  (Carrots, stay home!)

And how sweet is this Orka Chocolate Fondue Set?  Extremely!

 

Orka Chocolate Fondue Set

 

Do your tweens like to fondue at sleepovers?  Try it!

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I’m loving these food holidays!!  Last week it was National Pie Day… today is National Corn Chip Day!  And if we do it right, we can cover most of the nutritional (or desired contents!) bases with some of these recipes….

 

Southwestern Chili Corn Chip Pie from Picture Perfect Meals

Southwestern Chili-Corn Chip Pie from Picture Perfect Meals

 

Sensational Taco Pie from Aunt Peg's Recipe Box

Sensational Taco Pie from Aunt Peg’s Recipe Box

 

 Peanut Butter and Corn Chip NoBake Cookies from Skip to My Lou

Peanut Butter and Corn Chip No Bake Cookies from Skip to My Lou

 

 Dark Chocolate Dipped Corn Chips from spabettie

Dark Chocolate Dipped Corn Chips from spabettie

 

 YUM! 

Do you have a favorite recipe using corn chips?  Please share!

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Really, do I need to say anything more?

 

National Pie Day from the American Pie Council

 

I didn’t think so.  :)

ENJOY A SLICE FOR ME!

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Pepper Pot photo from allrecipes.com

 

Ummmm, what?  I’ve never heard of Pepper Pot before.  This must be investigated.

{10 minutes later}

Well, I’ll be darned.  Seems that Pepper Pot is the real deal.  A recipe born of necessity and creativity and spunk, much like our country, the country that was being made when, according to legend, this soup was first stirred up.

Pepper Pot, a hot spicy soup made from whatever the Continental Army’s baker could find, warmed the hearts and tummies of those brave soldiers at Valley Forge that cold winter and became known as “the soup that won the war.”

I apologize for not knowing what it was… and am vowing now to make a batch, although I will not be using the traditional tripe.  :D

Here’s a link to a recipe for Pepper Pot I found on AllRecipes.com.

Let me know if you make it!

 

 

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Who knew there were so many delicious holidays to celebrate?  Not me, that’s for sure.  But I promise you, I am willing to try to cram in all the yummy celebrations I can every day of the year!  Want to celebrate with me?  Of course you do!

Today, September 26 is National Pancake Day and Johnny Appleseed Day (and just so you’re prepared, Friday, September 28, is National Good Neighbor Day).  And just because I am that kind of good neighbor, if you lived next door, I’d observe today’s celebrations by making some awesome apple pancakes and inviting you over to watch me eat them share.

I might make some of these apple-y delights:

 

Apple-Walnut Pancakes…

 

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Apple Cider Pancakes…

 

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Apple Banana Pancakes…

 

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And possibly we’d end the meal with Apple Pie Pancakes…

 

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But that’s not all of the pancake-y goodness!

We might branch out to enjoy…

Red Velvet Pancakes…

 

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Or even a Chocolate Pancake Cake…

Source: zoomyummy.com via Paula on Pinterest

 

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And because we (we-meaning-Ariel-not-we-meaning-me) are artistic like this, we might even try to show you how talented we are with some Pancake Art!

Imagine us starting off the day with Good Morning Hearts…

 

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or a cute Owl Pancake…

 

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Mr. Pancake Head…

 

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Rainbow Pancakes…

Source: iambaker.net via Paula on Pinterest

 

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or we might try channeling Dr. Seuss…

 

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And we’d have to celebrate one of Ariel’s favorite authors, Roald Dahl, and one of her favorite heroines of his books, Matilda….

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And because I’m such a good neighbor, after I’d fed you tons of yummy pancakes, I’d pull out my rusty dusty slide projector to show you some old-old-old slides of a childhood trip to Solvang, California, a darling Danish settlement with picturesque architecture and delightful shops and restaurants. And you’d obliging watch, but throughout the show you’d be thinking about how you could get more pancakes, and then, all of a sudden, you’d spy a slide of…










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Æbleskiver!

And then you’d know that all along I’d been planning this wonderful trip for you, just for you, so you could sample some traditional Danish pancakes!.

 

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And after you’d drooled over the slide of the æbleskiver, I’d pull out the special æbleskiver pan I’d just ordered and we’d mix up a batch to share with the whole neighborhood.

Source: amazon.com via Paula on Pinterest

 

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Because we’re good neighbors like that.

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In case you missed it on the compilation of September Holidays, Events, and Remembrances, today (September 4) is National Macadamia Nut Day AND it’s also Eat an Extra Dessert Day.

Truly.  I don’t make this stuff up.  (But if I did, rest assured that these are the kinds of combinations I would dream up!)

So, because I believe that today is one of those days in which we should revel, I present to you……

Macadamia Nut Desserts of Which You Should Eat An Extra

Coconut-Macadamia Shortbread

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (version 1)

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (version 2)

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Macadamia Nut Butter Cookies

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Macadamia Magic Popcorn

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Macadamia-Cupcakes mit Macadamia-Mascarpone-Frosting (I don’t know much German, but I can totally pick out the words “Macadamia” and “Mascarpone” and “Frosting” and when I put them together with this picture, I just *know* that this is a keeper recipe!)

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Macadamia Shortbread Cookies

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Caramel Macadamia Cheesecake

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And if any of you are making desserts tonight (with or without Macadamia Nuts), and if you have extras, Ariel and I will be only too glad to help you celebrate. After all, what are friends for? ;)

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for …

WATERMELON!!

Yes, it’s time for the Watermelon Version of Fabulous Friday Finds!!  Ariel and I love watermelon.   Plain, fancy, it doesn’t matter.  We just enjoy it sooo much.  If you love watermelon as much as we do, you might find some of these ideas perfect for an end of summer party.

For a different appetizer, I think it would be yummy to start with Watermelon Salsa!!

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For the grown-ups who enjoy their adult beverages with a child-like joy, how about serving these Watermelon Blackberry Poptails?

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And of course, the kids want an adult-style drink! How about these Watermelon Frostys? (Or should it be Frosties??? However it’s spelled, they look scrumptious!)

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I think a Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint sounds divine!!

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To provide the perfect finale, how about these beautiful Watermelon Lime Sorbet Slices?

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Do you have a favorite way to fancy up watermelon? Do tell!

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It was such a simple, easy mission.  Should have been in-out-done.

I was looking for some craft ideas to entertain Ariel and her BFF, who is coming over for a spend-the-night tonight.

On Pinterest.

And we allllll know how that ends.

Hours later, I emerged with way more ideas than twenty tweens could manage to create at one party.  (well, between the giggling and nail painting and giggling and hair styling and giggling and movie watching and giggling, there’s just not that much time for crafting!)

And also I found TONS of great patriotic/4th of July ideas and since it’s that time of year, decided to share them with you.  A few are featured here.  The rest are on my Pinterest board.  :D

(Are you on Pinterest yet?  If not, just send me an email at thetweenandme (AT) gmail (DOT) com and I’ll send you an invite!)

And of course, the tween craft ideas I found will be featured here soon–maybe with some of our projects (hits and misses)!!

On to the 4th of July ideas!!

Some cute wreath ideas:

This one from The Creative Imperative looks to be the inspiration for some of the others, judging by the bloggers’ comments:

Patriotic wreath from The Creative Imperative

This variation from The Cellar Door Stories did cute buttons instead of stars:

Patriotic wreath from The Cellar Door Stories

And this variation from Naptime Crafts made cute smaller stars:

Patriotic wreath from Naptime Crafts

I love seeing how different artists interpret projects and make them their own!

And moving on to patriotic food ideas….

I love these beautiful cupcakes and this stunning cake from My Cake School.

Patriotic cupcakes from My Cake School

Patriotic Cake from My Cake School

Love these flag cookies from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, but I’m not at all sure I could ever I’m totally sure I couldn’t make something this beautiful!

Flag cookies from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle

And since I’m making dips for a party this weekend, I’m definitely going to try out this awesome dip topper (who ever thought of such a brilliant idea?!   ♥!) from Hungry Happenings:

Patriotic dip topper from Hungry Happenings

Snow cone cupcakes from Bakerella take summer desserts to a whole new level:

Snow Cone Cupcakes from Bakerella

Ariel would devour alllll of these Patriotic Fruit Pops from Bakers Royale if she could!

4th of July Fruit Pops from Bakers Royale

This trifle from The Girl Who Ate Everything is so pretty and, like she says, trifles are soooo easy!

Patriotic trifle from The Girl Who Ate Everything

And for some “me” time after all your crafting and baking and creating efforts, try this beautiful manicure from Chloe’s Nails:

Patriotic manicure from Chloe's Nails

Well, that’s just a sampling of the fantastic ideas I found online of ways to celebrate America’s birthday.  So many creative projects, so little time!!

Are you decorating/baking/creating for the 4th?  Share some of your ideas???  Please!!!

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