Veggie Pizza Pleasers

In need of a quick snack but not wanting to feel the pangs of guilt that accompany a fast food stop?  These easy Veggie Pizza Pleasers are sure to fill your tummy right up.

Ingredients ~
Whole Grain English Muffins
Pizza Sauce
Zucchini ~ Thinly sliced and/or Veggies of Choice
Mozzarella Cheese ~ Shredded

Directions ~
Cut English muffins in half and spoon 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on top of each muffin half.  Place three slices of zucchini on top of each muffin and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Quick, easy, low in fat and yummy ~ Enjoy!

Framed Recipes / DIY Tutorial

 

In the last few days, I've received a number of inquiries asking how I put together and hung my mother-in-law's (Nana) treasured recipes.  Here, they hang in my breakfast nook as wall art.  So today, I thought I would give a quick tutorial of how I assembled and displayed them. 

Below is a list of supplies used for the project:

• 3 ~ Treasured Recipes from Nana
• 3 ~ 11" x 14" Ready Made Frames
• Saw Tooth Picture Hangers (included with frame)
• 3 ~ 11" x 14' Mat Boards (not ones with the centers cut out ~ see below)
• Archival, Double-Sided, Removable Tape
• 6 Yards Ribbon 
• Hot Glue Gun/Glue Sticks
• Scissors
• Measuring Tape
• Pencil
• Hammer
• Small Nails

To begin with, I determined what size frames to use for the recipes.  In my case, I used 11" x 14" frames.  I also bought a large mat board and had three 11" x 14" mats cut from it.  I did not buy pre-cut mats, I wanted solid mats (not ones with a cut-out) to provide a background for the recipes.

I disassembled the frames and cleaned the glass.  I then took the mat board and a recipe, and positioned and marked where I wanted each recipe placed on the board.  To preserve the integrity of the recipes, I used archival, double-sided, removable tape to affix the recipe to the mat.  I put a 2" strip of tape on the back of each recipe (at the top only) and gently laid it  on the mat.  When I was happy with the way it was positioned, I pressed the two together. 

I then reassembled each frame and attached the saw tooth picture hanger on the back of the frames (the hangers were provided with the frames).

To attach the ribbons, I first decided how long I wanted the ribbons to be.  In my case, I cut 2 ~ 36" strips of ribbon for each frame.  Next, I hot glued one end of each ribbon to the top corners of the frame.  I tied the two ribbons together to form a bow.



I determined where I wanted each recipe to hang on the wall and then hung them using the saw tooth picture hanger.  I did not hang them from the ribbon.

I then pulled the tied ribbon taut and tapped in a nail to hold it in place.  It appears the framed recipe is suspended from the ribbon, when actually it is hanging from the saw tooth hanger. 

I do love the way the recipes turned out ~ they are a daily reminder of our sweet Nana and her passion for cooking (especially the recipe for "Halbrooks Hash" a.k.a "goulash.").  You family members  know exactly what I'm talking about.  I do hope these instructions are helpful.  Happy Friday to you ~ I hope you are enjoying this wonderful fall weather.  Be sure to check out my favorite Pinterests here.

House Tour ~ Breakfast Nook

I thought I might share a few pics of the breakfast nook today.  My favorite French cafe chairs surround the table.  It's nice that this pretty scene greets me each morning since, I'm sorry to say, I am not a morning person.  It kind of helps ease me into the day.

 

It's a simple spot ~ but so comfy and inviting.  The light comes pouring in during the day.  The farm style table is a flea market find. 

The handwritten recipes, worn with age, were given to me by Nana and are a real treasure.  I framed them up in simple black frames and attached ribbon to them to add a little more presence.  Read more about this project here.

 

When we first moved here all of the cabinets were stained ~ but over time the stain had yellowed badly.  They really dated the house, so I decided instead of going with typical white cabinets, to do something a little different and paint them black.  The built-in originally had glass covered doors on it, but during the paint process we took them down.  I liked the open shelving so much, I opted to leave the doors off which makes for easier access to the dishes.

*Note ~ always keep your eyes peeled for others castoffs on garbage day.  The floor lamp was a freebie ~ found curbside on trash day.  A couple of coats of spray paint covered over the dingy brass lamp and now here it rests in the nook's corner.  The stool at the end of the cabinet - was something my neighbor, Pam, no longer wanted and I was happy to find.  The vintage rug is courtesy of my friend Barb :) ~ something she chose to part with when she moved to her current home.  Thanks to my friend, Amanda, for all the great photos.  See more of Amanda's beautiful photography here.  And thank you for stopping by ~ I hope your week is filled with good things.  

Best Banana Bread Ever ~ I Promise!

 

I had two options yesterday afternoon:  1. Crank out a design blog for today or 2. Give int to my son's request and bake him some banana bread.  I've never shared a recipe on this blog before, but decided, "Why not?"  A common downfall for many banana bread recipes is they tend to be dry.  I've tasted lots of banana bread in my life and none surpass this one ~ it's the moistest and tastiest you will ever hang your lip over.  If you don't agree, I'll be shhhawked!  Seriously, I hope you give it a try ~ it's so yummy!

Combine together:  1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 eggs.  

Using my handy-dandy KitchenAid mixer, I whipped it all together until it reached a nice creamy consistency.

 

Side note:  This is the one appliance in life I would rather not live without.  Find it here.

Next, combine the following dry ingredients:  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  

I then dump it into the mixer along with the first three ingredients and mix well.  

Next, combine:  4 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  

Pour that into the mixer with the other ingredients and blend together.

Finally, add 1 cup mashed (well ripened) bananas and 1 cup chopped nuts.  I put the nuts in my mini Black & Decker chopper (find it here) and chop them pretty fine.

Mix in with the other ingredients.  

Evenly distribute the batter into two greased loaf pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center ~ when the toothpick comes out clean ~ you're good to go.  Hold onto your socks ~ you're about to taste the best banana bread EVER!!!

After the smell has been wafting through the house for almost an hour, I usually cut slices right out of the pan and serve it up immediately.  It's not unusual for a loaf to be wiped out in one sitting.  If there is any leftover, you can remove the loaf from the pan by running a butter knife around the edge between the bread and the pan.  Then turn it out onto a plate, let cool and wrap if up for later ~ it won't last long. I would love to lay claim to this scrumptious recipe but I can't ~ Caron, a friend of mine, shared this with me years ago.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

You might be interested to know my son, Gavin, was happy with my choice to make him some banana bread ~ design posting will resume here next time around. :)

P.S.  Here's the complete recipe:

Best Banana Bread Ever ~ I Promise

1/2 cup Butter ~ room temperature
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 tablespoons Milk
1 tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Mashed, Ripened Bananas (about 2 Bananas)
1 cup Chopped Nuts (optional) ~ I use walnuts but you can also use pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, mix together the butter, sugar and eggs.  Add in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.  Next stir in the milk, vinegar and vanilla.  Mash bananas in a separate bowl with a fork and add to the previous mixture along with the chopped nuts.  Evenly distribute the batter and pour into two greased loaf pans and bake for approximately 45 minutes and/or check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf ~ when it comes out clean the bread is done.