FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party #16 with features!

Hi everyone!

Well, it's that time again...time for another FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA!

Come post your creativity with us!!!

But first, a few features from last week's fiesta!

Robin from Fluster Buster shares 33 uses for Aluminum Foil in her recent post!

This is pretty awesome...there were a few in here I'd never heard of or thought to try!


For a light summer lunch, why not try Lizbeth from Just Dip It in Chocolate's delicious-looking chicken, pecan and pear salad in a wrap!

Oh my goodness..this looks so yummy!

Great posts, ladies! 

Ok...Onto the party!!!   Can't wait to see what you're up to this week!   =D

See you at 8pm ET!!!
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TABLESCAPE TUESDAY - Great 4th of July Tablescapes!

Hi all!!!

Happy TABLESCAPE TUESDAY!!!

Well, I was a crazy busy woman on Sunday and didn't get any pictures of our table for our Sunday Family Dinner.  D'OH!

Sooooo, instead of showcasing one of my tablescapes, I thought I'd share with you some inspiration from some fellow bloggers for the upcoming 4th of July!!!

These Tablescapes are some of my favorite patriotic Tables!  Hope you enjoy!

I just love this one from Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.  Everything she does is pretty much awesome! 

Do you see the little cupcakes with "fireworks" on top sitting on little chairs????  Sooo Creative!!!


Here's a Feminine Patriotic Table by Joe Nye from his book "Flair"

I just love the look of the toile and those red and blue glasses!  Gorgeous!


And, lastly, Jenna from The Painted Apron created this beautiful table on her patio right on the water!   What a lovely setting, and a lovely table!

I hope these tablescapes have inspired your creativity to create a lovely table for your 4th of July Holiday!  I know they have certainly inspired me!!!

Also, here's a patriotic table I created a while back, since I haven't yet created one for the 4th.  (you'll see that one next week...lol)

Thanks so much for joining me for another TABLESCAPE TUESDAY!!!  Have a great week and I hope to see you again soon!!!

FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party #15 with Features!

Hello friends and fellow bloggers!!!

Welcome to yet another fun installment of the FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party!

We're a small, but fun bunch of link partiers here with some GREAT ideas to share!

Here are a two great features you may have missed from last week's Link Party!

Desiree from YOUR CRAFTY FRIEND shared this easy and adorable Jute Sign Tutorial

How cute is this???  And it looks simple to put together.  Gonna have to try this one!


Leigh Anne from YOUR HOMEBASED MOM  shared her SUPER YUMMY-Looking Raspberry and Blueberry Crisp

I know my husband would LOVE this recipe!   Looks so delish!!!

Congrats to those featured!  

Now, onto this week's party!   I am looking forward to see what you have to share this week!!!
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WHADDA WE EATIN WEDNESDAY! Recipe for One-Pot Spaghetti!

Hey everyone!

Well, better late than never, right?  I realize Wednesday is almost over, but, hey, it's STILL Wednesday so it's still not too late to share my newest recipe for

WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY!!!

I have a confession to make...

I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to making certain meals.  I just know how to make them, and I do it the same way....pretty much every time.   Every once in a while I will make a very small change to a spice or ingredient, but once I know how to make a recipe, I rarely change the entire way that recipe is made.

Well, that all changed last night!

Today, I want to share with you a recipe I recently found for "One-Pot Spaghetti"   I have made spaghetti for years for myself, my hubby and my kids, and even for crowds, but I have always made it pretty much the same way....one pot boils and cooks the pasta, a colander drains that pasta, one pot cooks the meat and sauce...then you mix the two together...dirty two pots and a collander, and that's that.

Well, my friends, this was a wonderful change to that "same ol', same ol'" recipe.

I found this recipe on Sarah's blog - The Fantastical Sharing of Recipes and thought it looked "Pinteresting".   She found the recipe from Lynne at Lynne's Kitchen Adventures.  Thanks to both Lynne and Sarah for sharing this great recipe and helping me to think out of the "recipe box" for a change! 

I almost passed this recipe by...thinking to myself at first...."I know how to make pasta, I don't need to change anything."  I'm really glad I decided to just give this a shot.

I didn't get a chance to take the pictures of this recipe being made because I was out most of the afternoon at a playdate with the kids, so I'm going to use the picture from Sarah's blog.  Next time I make this (which will be SOOOON!)  I will make sure to take some good pictures and replace it with them.  Mine did not look exactly like this...I tweaked the recipe, but only very slightly.

My 9 year old son helped a lot in making this with me...he really seems to enjoy cooking, and I love that we can cook together!  I'm also hoping that I'm training a little chef who will one day cook us up some incredible meals when he gets older!  haha!

Source

Here are the ingredients...

1 box of spaghetti
1 lb ground meat or ground turkey (if you use ground turkey, you may want to consider adding a few spices to it, like paprika and garlic powder, and browning it in a little Olive oil.)
3 cups chicken broth  (the recipe called for 1 can, but I realized I needed a little more so it wouldn't be so dry.)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced onion
1 jar (28 oz) of pasta sauce (I used Aldi's meat flavored pasta sauce...delish!)
1/2 cup of grated parmesean cheese

Brown the ground meat and add the minced onion and the minced garlic.  Drain if needed. 

Keep the heat up and add the pasta sauce and chicken broth...bring to a boil.

Add your spaghetti, cover and lower the heat so it will simmer.   Let it cook for 17-20 minutes...stirring occasionally.  You may need to add some water as you go, so it doesn't get dry.

Once cooked, add your parmesan cheese, stir and serve!

Here was our family's reaction....  

My boys (hubby and son) liked it, but my hubby thought it was a little dry...he said it almost tasted like a baked spaghetti, but without all the cheese on top...which I personally love, but he prefers more "sauce".  Next time I will make sure to add more of the chicken broth and I think that may help....or I may add more sauce after it's all cooked and that may also give it more of that saucy consistency that he prefers.

My daughter LOVED it, and so did I.  I really loved the flavor the chicken broth brings to the dish and I would love to make this more often.  I also loved the easier cleanup...just one pot! 

Thanks for joining me for another WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY!  Hope to see you again soon!  =D

TABLESCAPE TUESDAY - Simple Father's Day Tablescape

Happy Tuesday, Y'all!!!

I hope you're off to a great start to your week!

For today's TABLESCAPE TUESDAY, I wanted to share our simple Father's Day table that we had for this past Sunday Family Dinner. 

In case you happen to be wondering.....I'd love to take a short minute to explain what our "Sunday Family Dinners" are all about for those of you who are seeing my blog for the first time...If you've read this before, feel free to skip this part...
____________________________________________

We started a new family tradition in January 2013 (a New Years' Resolution) that I hope continues even after the kids are grown.

"SUNDAY FAMILY DINNERS!"

We pretty much have dinner together as a family most nights, but on Sundays, we have a special dinner in the dining room as opposed to the kitchen table, where we normally eat.

I get out the fine china and candles and make a special meal and so far, it has been something we look forward to each week.

Then once a month, we invite some of our extended family to join us for a Sunday family dinner.

It's also been giving me a chance to do lots of new TABLESCAPES..haha!

To see my previous tablescapes from other Sunday Family Dinners, you can click here:

Sunday Family Dinner #1 - Red and Blue Toile
S.F.D.#2 - Black, White and Silver
S.F.D.#3 - Winter Woods With White
S.F.D.#4 - The "Royal Treatment"
S.F.D.#5 - Super Bowl Table
S.F.D. #6 - Mardi Gras Table
S.F.D. #7 - Spring is Springing Up
S.F.D. #8 - "Apple of My Eye"
S.F.D. #9 - "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss"
S.F.D. #10 - The "KNego" Tablescape (Designed by my 9 year old son)
S.F.D. #11 - The St. Patrick's Day Tablescape
S.F.D. #12 - Last-Minute Lavender Tablescape
S.F.D. #13 - 3 Easter Tables
S.F.D. #14 - Wrapped In Love Tablescape
S.F.D. #15 - Wrapped Up in Family Tablescape
S.F.D. #16 - Orange You Ready for a Picnic Tablescape
S.F.D. #17 - Barbies and the Pink Shoes (Designed by my 6 year old daughter)
S.F.D. #18 - Simply Nautical but Nice Tablescape
S.F.D. #19 - Memorial Day Americana Table
S.F.D. #20 - Froggie Went a' Courtin' Tablescape

 Because I'm on a budget but love to switch up my decor for the various tablescapes each week, I'm decorating my tables almost entirely on BARGAINS....finds from the Dollar Stores, Thrift Stores, or regular stores with sales or clearance items. _________________________
My husband is not a super-fancy guy...he likes things a little more plain and simple.  Because of this, I wanted to create a slightly more simplified, slightly more masculine tablescape for him for Father's Day.

The dinner turned out to be EXTRA simple because my son ended up getting sick, so it was a very easygoing simple dinner for the rest of us, since the whole family couldn't be at the table for this Sunday Family Dinner.  =(

I had found this nice tablecloth at Ross, I believe, a while back, and thought it would be great with the colors already in our living room, which is adjacent to the dining room....the turquoise and brown theme. 

Since the tablecloth has a "busy" pattern on it, I decided to keep the décor on the table more simple.  

For the centerpiece, I took this long wire bowl thing I found at Goodwill a while back.  Added some potpourri and some turquoise ornaments and off-white candles to it.



On both sides of that centerpiece are some small glass tealight candle holders and some wooden pillar candleholders with candles.  


The plate breakdown is as follows:
Turquoise charger from Michaels
White "canvas plate" from Dollar Tree
Blue, beige and white salad plates from Goodwill
Beige Pier 1 Bowls from my church's local thrift store.
Napkins were from Ross AGES ago
Napkin rings were an e-bay purchase.
I used the basic wine/water glasses from Dollar Tree



Thanks so much for joining me for another TABLESCAPE TUESDAY!  Hope you have a great day!

FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party #14 with Features!

Hola Amigos!!!

I hope you have been having a stellar week!  Are you ready for the weekend???  I am!!!

I'm also ready for a super FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA!!!   How about you???

But first...some great features!!!

Denise from Second Time Around Finds shares with some of her gorgeous treasures!

As a fellow thrift shopper, I always enjoy seeing the bargains people find at their local thrift stores, etc.

Alexis from Running Away?  I'll Help You Pack  shared her adorable graduation cap cupcakes! 

These are too cute!!!  

Sarah from Hyacinths for the Soul shared such a delicious looking Casual Mexican Buffet...

I'm getting hungry just looking at this beautiful buffet!

Congratulations to all who were featured!   If you were featured, feel free to grab a button below!  I'm also putting up my general Fiesta button in case you'd like to add that.

Here's the Button if you were featured!

And here's the code for that button....
 

<center><a href="http://www.the-home-girl-blog.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_mrWl3vcHK2Si-0OvNLTnqhZJxQJ-bRaeqS-IPYOAKPdBjQqFLhkD-iNQQzAMf2RTcGXVWvR_AJPGg5kTXRva8hEsBlyWl6a-8OYAm5NFxist8sKXKEkiGiagHcGyfSvdLgqUxiIKnc/s1600/FestiveFridayFiestaFeatured.jpg" /></a></center>

This one below is the general Fiesta Button

Here's the code for the general button....

 

<center><a href="http://www.the-home-girl-blog.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrADRco0pAZZP82NE8h0SU_2mxM2nGKn-X-45WKHTV5BVLWozMKuouSl4Y7AGzlYfD2h0XSpwVGacPI5gWIQxCkCw54cVbLLaTCWgtLP2HDxrrZooXb1R18y-3VV52YT5O09k9CFTsy8/s1600/FestiveFriday+Fiesta+Button.jpg" /></a></center>

Hope those work! Thanks again!

And now...let's Party!!!

 

WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY! Recipe for Easy Lasagna Soup!

Hey all!

Well, it's Wednesday!  I can't believe how quickly this month is flying!   I can't believe we're pretty much halfway through the year!!!  

My kids have been at summer camp this week, (which is like a nice little summer vacation for a homeschool mama!  haha) which has prompted me to make some yummy meals for when they get home hungry from their busy, fun days!

Last night, I decided to make another family favorite that we tried at a Sunday Family Dinner a few months ago, and it went over very well.   It's called LASAGNA SOUP...and BOY, it sure was yummy!!!

I found a recipe for Lasagna Soup on Pinterest, but it was a little too complicated for me, so I SIMPLIFIED...and it still turned out great!!!   Here is the original recipe that I found, though, if you have the extra time.   =D

Here's what I used...

 1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
 
1 32 oz. container chicken broth (I actually used 4 cups of water and 4 bullion cubes...it's cheaper and we like the flavor better than regular chicken broth) 
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
 
1/2 tsp. salt  (you don't really need this if you're using the bullion and water)
 
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
 
6 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces

Garlic powder, Minced Onion and Italian seasoning to taste  
(I probably used 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 3 tbsp. minced onion, and 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, but I can't be sure)

 

Brown your ground beef with the garlic powder, minced onion and Italian seasoning in some olive oil.

Then add the chicken broth, salt, cayenne pepper and crushed tomatoes and stir.  Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes.  

After that, you turn the heat back up and get your soup boiling again...then add your 6 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces.

Let that cook for another 10-15 minutes.



If the soup is looking too thin (it should thicken after you put the lasagna noodles in there to cook.)  you can add a mixture of 1tbsp cornstarch and 1tbsp water, and that will thicken it up a bit for you.   I did need to use this to make mine a little thicker, although I'm sure it would have been fine without it. 
 


That's it....serve it up, add some parmesean and/or mozzarella cheese, get out some garlic bread and enjoy!!

This was a big hit with my family.  Both my son and daughter loved it, and so did my husband.  This fed a hungry family of 4, and allowed us to have seconds as well.   It's a neat recipe and not too tough to make!

Thanks again for joining me for another WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY!   Hope to see you again soon!


 This post is being added to...

On the Menu Monday

TABLESCAPE TUESDAY! "Froggie Went a' Courtin' Tablescape"

Hi all!

I hope you had a great weekend!   Mine was fairly uneventful...no talking for me because I've been trying to get my voice back after being sick...ugh!   It's been a bummer, but I'm so glad I'm finally coming through it!   So often, I take my health for granted.   It's not until I'm sick that I realize how blessed I am to have good health most of the time! 

For our Sunday Family dinner this week, I wanted to do something fun for the kiddos...with just a small hint of sophistication. 

In case you happen to be wondering.....I'd love to take a short minute to explain what our "Sunday Family Dinners" are all about for those of you who are seeing my blog for the first time...If you've read this before, feel free to skip this part...
____________________________________________

We started a new family tradition in January 2013 (a New Years' Resolution) that I hope continues even after the kids are grown.

"SUNDAY FAMILY DINNERS!"

We pretty much have dinner together as a family most nights, but on Sundays, we have a special dinner in the dining room as opposed to the kitchen table, where we normally eat.

I get out the fine china and candles and make a special meal and so far, it has been something we look forward to each week.

Then once a month, we invite some of our extended family to join us for a Sunday family dinner.

It's also been giving me a chance to do lots of new TABLESCAPES..haha!

To see my previous tablescapes from other Sunday Family Dinners, you can click here:

Sunday Family Dinner #1 - Red and Blue Toile
S.F.D.#2 - Black, White and Silver
S.F.D.#3 - Winter Woods With White
S.F.D.#4 - The "Royal Treatment"
S.F.D.#5 - Super Bowl Table
S.F.D. #6 - Mardi Gras Table
S.F.D. #7 - Spring is Springing Up
S.F.D. #8 - "Apple of My Eye"
S.F.D. #9 - "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss"
S.F.D. #10 - The "KNego" Tablescape (Designed by my 9 year old son)
S.F.D. #11 - The St. Patrick's Day Tablescape
S.F.D. #12 - Last-Minute Lavender Tablescape
S.F.D. #13 - 3 Easter Tables
S.F.D. #14 - Wrapped In Love Tablescape
S.F.D. #15 - Wrapped Up in Family Tablescape
S.F.D. #16 - Orange You Ready for a Picnic Tablescape
S.F.D. #17 - Barbies and the Pink Shoes (Designed by my 6 year old daughter)
S.F.D. #18 - Simply Nautical but Nice Tablescape
S.F.D. #19 - Memorial Day Americana Table

 Because I'm on a budget but love to switch up my decor for the various tablescapes each week, I'm decorating my tables almost entirely on BARGAINS....finds from the Dollar Stores, Thrift Stores, or regular stores with sales or clearance items.

_________________________
 
I found some adorable froggie fabric at Wal-Mart recently and thought this would be perfect for a tablescape.  I've named this tablescape ....FROGGIE WENT A' COURTIN'!

I did the colors in various shades of white and green.  Mostly lime green and off white.  On both sides of the centerpiece are my white Ikea pillar candle holders with lime green vases and white flowers.  On the sides of those are two candle holders...one is an upside-down wine glass with a flower in it, one is a white small pillar candleholder with a green lantern on top.  You can't see it so well in this pic, but you can see it better below.

 There are green glass marbles in between the two strips of fabric, wine glasses from Dollar tree and green wine glasses that I found at a garage sale for $1 each. 

The centerpiece is this cute froggie I found, which is a lawn ornament I got at Aldi a few weeks ago.  He was so cute holding those little flowers!!!   I put him on a silver block pedestal.  


Here is the plate breakdown for you going from bottom to top...  


Froggie Fabric - Walmart,
White round placemat - Dollar Tree,
Lime Green Charger - Michaels,
White Dinner plate - Had forever,  
Lime green Salad Plate - Old Time Pottery,
White dessert plate - Goodwill,
Green Bowl - Dollar Tree. 
White napkins - Amazon.com 
Green bling napkin rings from e-bay.



Thanks so much for joining me for another
Tablescape Tuesday. 

I hope you'll come back next week for another tablescape and join me tomorrow where I'll share an easy and delicious recipe in the crock pot!!! 

Have a great day!

This post was added to...
Centerpiece Wednesday

FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party #13!

Hi All!

It's PARTY TIME!!!

I hope you're ready for some fun this weekend at the FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA!

Sorry, no features tonight, but I will have extras next week...the server has changed for my link party and I'm not sure how to navigate it...sorry guys!  Hopefully by next week I will have it figured out!

Now, Let's Party!!!

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Loading InLinkz ...

WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY - Recipe for a Light, Summer Dessert - PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE!

Hey all!

Happy Wednesday!  

Today I wanted to share a really light, fluffy and YUMMY dessert I found on Pinterest recently and tried out.   This pin went to a spam site, so I'm not actually sure where the original recipe came from.  The description was in the pin so I just made it according to the directions on the pin itself.   The best part about this delicious recipe is that it's SO EASY!  I couldn't even believe how easy it was!   And the taste was really delicious...especially if you like Pineapple...WHICH I DO!   lol

It's a recipe for an easy PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE!

Your ingredients?  SIMPLE!

1 Box of Angel Food Cake Mix
1 Can of crushed pineapple (20 oz)

That's it!!!  This was so easy, my kiddos helped me make this and I had no worries that the recipe was going to get messed up!  haha!

You mix the angel food cake mix and the crushed pineapple in its juices together, and when you do, it fizzes up and is a lot of fun for the kids to watch!

Then pour into a greased glass cake pan  (I used a 9 x 13 cake pan)  and VOILA!   Into the oven for 30 minutes at 350 and you've got a beautiful, light and delicious fruity cake that made a great summertime treat!

I hope you enjoy this recipe if you make it.  It couldn't be easier and I just loved it!   I will definitely make this again!


It's perfect chilled and topped with some whipped cream or ice cream!


Thanks for joining me today and I hope you'll come on back tomorrow and post your own creativity at 8pm ET for the FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party!    Have a great day!