A Poor Girls Walk in Closet :)

My dream is to one day, have a gorgeous walk in closet.  The kind with a chandelier in the middle and an entire wall that will house all of my super expensive shoes (they will more likely be shoes that were purchased from Payless and Nordstrom Rack... but whatever).  You know, like the kind of closet you'd see on an episode of Real Housewives.  Until that day arrives, I decided to dedicate one corner of my bedroom to my cause and create a space that is totally girly and all mine. Hopefully, this will fill the void that is my need for a giant Beverly Hills closet :)

In my dream, I have a section of my closet dedicated to my jewelry.  It's not that I own all these expensive, elegant pieces but I want to feel as if I'm walking into a darling little boutique every time I have to go put something on.  What girl doesn't want that?!  Plus, I am a huge fan of large chunky necklaces and bracelets and well, they are a little difficult to shove into a drawer somewhere.  The biggest challenge for me, was coming up with a way to display all of my earrings.  I am sure I saw this idea on Pinterest or at a flea market somewhere but when I was brainstorming ways to hang them up, this was the first idea that popped into my mind.

To create the earring display, you will need:

* Desired photograph or artwork
* Picture frame
* Chicken wire
* Wire cutters

Flatten out the chicken wire as best you can, you won't get it completely flat but the waves that pop up will help you hang your earrings better.  Remove the glass from the frame and match up one corner of the chicken wire with one corner of the frame.  Make sure that the edges of the chicken wire over lay the lip of the frame and are fully against the side.  Hold the chicken wire in place and then use the wire cutters to trim the other two edges.  Once the wire is cut, put the glass back into the frame, making sure that the chicken wire gets pinned between the side of the frame and the glass.  Add your picture and the backing.  Since the chicken wire is a little thick, I needed the help of the screw driver to push the tabs on back down, making sure they were snug.

Honestly, this is one of the easiest projects that I've ever attempted and I was amazed at how great it looked once I put all of the elements together.  For me this whole thing wound up costing me $0 since I already owned all of these items (just had to repurpose the picture, old frame and white shelf).

I did need to break out the major tools (yes, my hammer does have a bottle opener on the end.  You would be AMAZED at the amount of times that came in handy :) in order to get this little beauty up on the wall. but all in all, it wasn't that hard to do.  I then hung up the white shelf and blam-o  I have my very own jewelry display.

While I don't think any of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be calling me for decorating tips anytime soon, I absolutely love my little corner of heaven.  Whenever I'm getting ready to go out, all I have to do is reach over and pull something off my shelf or grab the earrings off the frame.  I always know what I have and I never have to untangle a thing (which I LOVE!).

Grilled Ballpark Nachos

My apologies for the delay!! Time is flying by a little too fast and since I have been so consumed with using my new grill and hillbilly sunbathing out in the backyard, I haven't had a chance to share what I've been up to.  

All I have to say is that The Weber truly is the most beautiful thing we own.  Sorry leather Macy's couch and Kohler shower head,  no offense.... but that amazing piece of grilling glory let's me cook everything outside.  I can't even convey how great it is to not have to turn on my oven (woohoo... it's been about 3 weeks now) because it has this magical way of turning my entire kitchen into the Amazon.  Oh, not in a fun, exotic way but in the I-didn't-think-I-could-sweat-this-much-while-standing-still, I-think-I-need-to-take-a-shower-before-eating, kinda way.  So, let phase one of the outdoor grilling recap begin... 

Since Trader Joe's only sells certain items in bulk (I only wanted 2 jalapenos but managed to walk away with 10), I needed to come up with something to do with all of the leftovers and grilled jalapenos seemed like the BEST option.  After washing, de-seeding and slicing the penos in half, I threw them on the top rack of the grill for a couple minutes each side.  

After pulling them off and allowing them to cool a little, I filled the inside with some Merkts Cheese (please don't judge me because I put spreadable cheese on everything).  The only trouble with this process is that putting the cheese in the jalapeno is similar to putting peanut butter in celery.  Slippery little suckers.  So, make sure you scrape the knife sideways, otherwise, it will just keep gliding out.  Once the penos are stuffed, I top them off with some tortillas chips (one full chip will do but I've also used the crunched up bits in the bottom of the bag).  The chips not only function as a handle but they make these grilled jalapenos taste just like the ballpark nachos that we love so much.

And while I cherish processed nacho cheese (really, I do), I am far more excited about using Merkts because it comes from the refrigerated side of the store, which just seems way more natural.  Right?!  Cheese should be refrigerated?!  Don't get me started, I just can't wrap my head around those Velveeta types.  Oh, I eat it and I love it, I just don't understand it!  Anyway... add a little Miller Lite and you would think you were literally at the ballpark... minus the losing or the ridiculously expensive beers.    

The Weber

I would have to say that this experience is on the same level as the birth of your first child. The emotions that rush through you when you bring home and unwrap that little bundle of joy. Eagerly watching the maturation as time passes on; as winters fade away to springs and summers to fall. The overwhelming feeling of unconditional love that washes over you when, at first glance, you realize you can love something THIS much. You know what I'm talking about... those feelings you get when you purchase your very first Weber Gas Grill.

 It was so exciting unpacking and assembling this brazen little beauty.  I didn't realized I was so amped about up this thing until I was asked, "are you still talking about grills?" Yes, as a matter of fact I am!  I'm in awe, and possibly obsessed, by the amount of food possibilities that seem to have opened up by having a gas grill. Up until this point, our house was an all-charcoal-house and I became seriously reluctant every time I realized that if I wanted to grill something, I had to get the coals, heat them up, wait 30 minutes, blah, blah, blah, work, work, work...Ugh, so much time wasted!!

But the Weber, oh the Weber, with your beautiful, individual electronic ignition and your 3 stainless steel burners with 38,000 BTU-per-hour input... AMAZING!!

We thought we would welcome the lovely new addition to our family by coming up with an entire dinner menu that can be done via grilling. Below, is what we came up with and I have to say, it was a mighty fine way to inaugurate The Weber (yes, capital T, The. If The Ohio State can do it, so can my grill!).

For the salad portion, we started off with a little Grilled Romaine with a Blue Cheese and Bacon Vinaigrette. Instead of cooking the bacon in a pan, we cooked it on the grill (need to get those porcelain-enameled Flavorizer® bars seasoned somehow, right?).  Next, we grilled the fattiest thing we could think of, some good ol' fashioned burgers. Normally, I go for the lean beef or even a turkey/chicken mix but for the sake of those Flavorizer® bars, I bit the bullet and got the 75/25 ground beef.  We didn't put anything fancy on them, just a little ketchup, mustard and Merkts Cheese. 

For dessert, we followed this recipe and whipped up some AMAZINGLY delicious Grilled Peaches. Granted, we had to veer away from the "everything on the grill" philosophy for a moment... but it was well worth it.   You know, it's well balanced meals like these that let you know that summer is on its way :)  So, all I have to say is... let the grilling adventures begin!!     

Pancake Muffins: Breakfast To-Go

I love pancakes! I mean honestly, who doesn't love a stack of fluffy deliciousness, topped with some creamy butter, covered in maple syrup with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning? Oh, man, yum! If you don't, well then... I... I have no words. The only problem I have with pancakes is that they can be mildly time consuming to make, particularly when I'm only functioning at 1/4 my normal rate (let's just say it takes me awhile to wake up in the morning) and especially when I have house guests and need to provide an abundance of sustenance to six hungover individuals. One could be at the skillet for hours (more like 15 minutes, I know, but it FEELS like hours). Ugh, so daunting. It was while contemplating this little quandary that Pancake Muffins were born!!

I decided to make both blueberry pancakes and an updated version of "pigs in a blanket." So, I started off by browning some Jimmy Deans breakfast sausage in a skillet until it was golden brown. Then, I used some instant pancake mix (just some good ol' Bisquick) and whipped up a batch of batter (say that ten times fast... a batch of Bisquick batter... anyway), according to the directions on the box. I sprayed the muffin tin with Pam (I find it far less messy when I do this outside) and then divided the pancake mix accordingly.

I divided the sausage and blueberries, evenly, into the various compartments.

Then, using a spoon, I pushed the toppings towards the center until they were covered by the batter and popped the whole tin into the oven (preheated to 350 degrees) for 15 mins. I checked on them regularly, using the toothpick method to verify when they were done. After a couple minutes of cooling, I popped them out of the tin, cut them open and slobbered them with maple syrup. The consensus among the formerly intoxicated was unanimous... MMMMMMM.

I had some leftover muffins and realized that they would make perfect to-go breakfasts during the week. However, since they were thicker than normal pancakes, they were a little too dry to eat on their own. So, I channelled the geniuses at McDonald's and using a meat injector, injected the muffins with some maple syrup a la the McGriddle. No mess, no fuss, pure delight!

Lazy Friday

In an effort to bring some sunshine to this dreary day and this week that apparently REFUSES to end, I compiled a random list of things that I am using to distract me. Hopefully, this will help you as much as it is helping me.

What is one thing I would like to do once winter is gone for good? Ummmmmm.... easy, an Outdoor Oyster Roast. This is an awesome deviation from your typical crawfish boil (which I also love) but the overall concept is the same. Hanging out outside. Friends. Good food. Large quantities of booze. Eating with your hands.. oh man, I love it. Plus, a bonus is that you get to build something using sheet metal. Done!

Oh, you want to just stare at something cute? Venture on over to Cute Overload or Cute Puppies. Honestly, I could look at puppies all day... and flying squirrels. Who doesn't love a good flying squirrel pic?!

Since this is Super Bowl weekend, I might be feeling slightly more sluggish then normal because I have to watch two teams I don't care about play in a game that would have included the Bears if Cutler knew how to tackle. I decided to remedy my rage with this... The NFL's Greatest Game Series - The 1985 Chicago Bears, including the 1985 Super Bowl. So, while you are watching Tom Brady and the New England defense be lame, I will hopefully be watching Jim McMahon and the '85 Bears defense be AMAZING. I say "hopefully" because Amazon is shipping it now... here is to logging on to UPS every 15 minutes to see if it is on its way!!! Further, I wanted to gather up a list of delicious foods and drinks that would appropriately compliment the viewing of the Greatest Super Bowl of ALL TIME...

• Baked French Fries with Melted Merkts Cheese Dip - This is really easy to do and the melted Merkts cheese is SOOOOO much better then that processed nacho cheese. Put the Merkts in a microwave save dish and cook on medium for 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is creamy. You might have to repeat this process throughout the night (once it cools, it will harden back up) but it is totally worth it. 
• Baked Jalapeno Poppers - AMAZING!!
• Bears Cocktail - Either UV Blue and oranges or a Blue Hawaiian cocktail with oranges or as I've done this in the past, the already mixed Bacardi Blue Hurricane from Binny's.., obviously, add an orange. 
• Blue Buffalo Grilled Cheese - instead of your standard hot wings, which can be oh so messy (and the double dipping thing, when there are other people using the blue cheese, it is quite a dilemma), this puts all of those favorite ingredients onto a sandwich. 
• Individual Mexican Dip - Once again, we come back to the whole double dipping fiasco. So I'm taking a perennial crowd favorite and making it personal. You'll need cream cheese, canned turkey chili, shredded cheddar cheese and small Ramekin dishes. Layer each ingredient (in the order given) into the Ramekin and then either bake at 350 for about 10 mins or pop in the microwave for several minutes. Dip, dip, dip away. 

Ok, I'm getting really hungry and have to stop. Happy Friday!!