Spreading the Love

I made these devilishly decadent brownies over the weekend.  They are so delicious that I  had to get them out of my line of vision decided to share some with my sweet friends at work.  The recipe is perfect for a Valentine's Day treat, they are fudgy and rich and the dried cherries make them a little bit festive. 

If you feel like spreading a little love, you can find the recipe here on my Pinterest board.

A Few of My Favorite Things

This week I went to a Favorite Things Party, thanks Pinterest!  My contribution was my coffee obsession this summer.  Luckily, since it's a seasonal flavor, I found it on clearance at Target so it fit the rules for the gift budget. 

For those of you who think this doesn't sound good, you HAVE to try it when it comes out again.  Not only does it taste so yummy, the smell just takes it over the top!  The party idea was a really fun twist on the old Dirty Santa routine.  We decided to make it an annual event.  I'm no Oprah, but it sure is fun to share my favorite things with some of my favorite people. 

A "Pinterest-ing" Plate

I tried 2 new recipes, both from Pinterest, for dinner last night.  I love, love, love brussels sprouts, and this shredded version from Eat Live Run did not disappoint.  I left out the sugar, but added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end.  So good! This was also my first go around with flank steak. Marinated Flank Steak with Horseradish Cream caught my eye because I love horseradish, and if you mix anything with cream it's even better, right?  I made the marinade the night before because flank steak needs all the help it can get.  This stuff is tough, but if marinated long enough (overnight at the minimum) it ends up really tender.  My ex MIL used to make the best flank steak, it was done in a soy based marinade with some green onions in it.  Man, that was some good stuff.  I say she used to make it, I would assume she still does, I just haven't had the pleasure of her cooking in quite some time. If you follow me on Pinterest then you know I pin lots of recipes and I have every intention of trying all of them.  On the other hand, I also pin lots of crafts and DIY items, most of which I will probably never try.  What do you lean towards on Pinterest? If you aren't on Pinterest, what are you waiting for? Christmas?  Well, don't, 'cause Christmas is just around the corner and there are tons of recipes and crafts you need to try before it gets here.  

Pinterest Find

Source: howsweeteats.com via Gretchen on Pinterest

I made these caprese baked egg cups for brunch today. I'm really not so fancy that I prepare brunch.  I'm actually just being so lazy that I slept too late for breakfast but was too hungry to wait for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly! Click right on the picture at the top to take you to the recipe, definitely worth a try.

Here's how mine turned out.

Pinnable Me

One of the blogs I follow was participating in this Pinnable Me Party over at Pawprints and Pastrybags. Since I am totally addicted to Pinterest, I thought I would join in! Here are a few of the things I've pinned this week:

Source: tumblr.com via Gretchen on Pinterest

I just had to pin this because it is so my husband.  Me? Not so much.  I just get right to the screaming part, just ask my kids!  I'm not proud, just honest.

Source: howsweeteats.com via Gretchen on Pinterest

Don't these look scrumptious?!  Kind of an updated version of my Mam-Ma's fresh green beans slathered in bacon grease.

Source: foodlushblog.com via Gretchen on Pinterest

Sweet Tea Vodka, the sugar free version! These will be making an appearance at the lake this very weekend.

Source: sistersstuff.blogspot.com via Gretchen on Pinterest

Change that 30 to a 40 and I am set for cute gift giving!  Except, so far, 40 soooo DOESN'T suck!

Pinterest-ing

I have a new found addiction; Pinterest.  I can best describe Pinterest as a virtual bulletin board.  I always find really cool ideas for decorating, organizing, cooking, and then I add those I ideas to my favorites on my computer.  The problem is, I don't always organize my favorites in such a way that I know where to go back and find those cool ideas.  I also use 2 different computers, an iPad and my iPhone, so I have to figure out which device my favorite things are on.  Enter Pinterest. Problem solved.  When I see something I love, I simply "pin it" to one of my boards.  I have boards for recipes I'd like to try, sweets that look too good to eat, home decorating ideas, stuff I just simply like or find funny, fashion finds, etc...

It's really handy because all the things I want to find are in one spot.  It's also fun to see what others have "pinned" to their boards.  I made a Greek Burger that I found on someone else's board and it was delish; definitely pin worthy!  I urge you to check it out, but be warned, it is addicting!  There's even an app for the iPhone so I can pin on the go.  If you get sucked in by this latest craze, be sure to let me know!