Budget Friendly Oily Skin Tip

Have you heard of those Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets?  You get 50 sheets in a pack for $9.98 at most stores nationwide, and they do an excellent job at absorbing your excess oil from your face so you don't have that sweaty look all day long.  However... I think $9.98 is insane, so I came up with my own solution that works just the same!

Now.. listen closely.. and you'll see an amazing savings!  After a quick trip to the store, I purchased myself a pack of tissue paper from the card and gift bag aisle... for $.99 cents. I made a small template using a piece of scrap cardboard in 6 x 5 x 4 rectangle.. then I began to cut! I was able to get over 300 sheets out of my package of tissue paper for just .99 cents!  Plus I get cool colors instead of just boring white!

Now go and try it! 

Peanut Butter + Chocolate = Pure Love

It has been a very stressful couple of weeks here at the homestead.  With a crazy work schedule and an added blown tire while driving down the expressway with our 11 month old in the truck, we all needed something special to keep our spirits high. I decided to help the boy de-stress by making him something with his ultimate favorite combination.... peanut butter and chocolate. 

So here I introduce Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies.. Come one... Come All!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon water

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing

1 large egg*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.

In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl combine sugar, softened butter, and water. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract, mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stir until combined. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature (doesn’t take very long). Then, stir in 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not (they did not for me) then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole for the peanut butter.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still war spoon about a tablespoon full of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cool completely in pan. 

Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To reheat the brownies just pop ‘em in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.



Trust me.. one bite and you'll be screaming THANK YOU!  so I will gladly pre-announce a loud YOU'RE WELCOME.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies... heard that!

 Every year for father's day, my munchkins and I get into the kitchen and bake daddy a batch of cookies... but not just any cookies, they are a man's man cookie.  Peanut Butter chocolate chip bacon cookies.. yep all of the bacon glory in a mini bite of bliss. Make sure you make the man in your household these special cookies for Father's Day this year, I promise you, they will be a hit! 

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon
1 cup all natural peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar, plus some to roll the dough in
2 teaspoons molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Fry the bacon in a pan over medium-high heat, until cooked through and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan onto paper towel to drain and cool. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the bacon and set aside.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter, sugar and molasses until thoroughly combined, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and baking soda and mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the chopped peanuts, bacon and chocolate chips to the mixer, until just combined. Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on a lined cookie sheet, and use a fork to make the distinctive peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern. If the dough sticks to the fork, dip it in sugar before pressing into the cookies. The dough will be a little crumbly, just press together with your fingers as necessary. 
6. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will be crumbly and delicious. Cookies will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Launch Party begins June 15th - tons of giveaways.. whose ready???

June 15th, 2012.... Be here!

I am hosting a launch party that will last for 30 days people... THIRTY!  Giveaways, reviews, recipes, free printables... etc.. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere else!

Check out some of the products I will be giving away:

And many many more! More details in future posts!

Strawberry Biscuit Time

I feel like I just hit the jackpot!  I walk into my local grocery store... I select my lucky blue cart... I stride on over to the produce... and I see it!  Strawberries 4/1.00. Yep.. you read that right! Four amazingly plum, gorgeously red, 1 LB packages of strawberries four for a flipping dollar.  I look behind me.. I look to the side of me... as many more patrons are doing the same thing.. staring in aw of this beautiful sign.. and then I attack the display!  I bought 12 containers of strawberries that day... only 10 lucky containers made it home (they were soooo gooood!)  My first thought is to freeze them.. then I remember that freezing them actually breaks down strawberries just a bit, and when thawed, they are usually pretty mushy.  So fine then... I will have to do the horrible task of baking ;)

This is my first recipe I will be putting those scrumptious red beauties in:

Ingredients

• 1 cup Flour, Plus 1 Tablespoon For The Strawberries
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Cold Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cups Diced Strawberries
• ¼ cups Plain Fat Free Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Milk, Plus 1 Tablespoon For Brushing On Biscuits
• ⅛ teaspoons Almond Extract
• ¼ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar

 

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Dice butter into 1/2-inch pieces; sprinkle over flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut in evenly until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Place strawberries between layers of paper towels and press gently to remove moisture. Combine with remaining 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss with a fork to coat. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, folding in gently.

Combine yogurt, 2 tablespoons almond milk, and extracts in a small bowl; add to flour mixture and stir just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; lightly flour hands and knead 3 or 4 times, just until dough comes together. Gently roll or pat dough to a 1-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to form 12 rounds. Gently gather scraps and re-roll as needed.

Place dough rounds 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet; brush with remaining 1 tablespoon almond milk and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake for 12 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool 2 minutes on wire rack.

Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 1 day and warm before serving.


Don't worry... you won't have any left over to store! 

Happy Happy Burger Joy

Working as a home health nurse, my days most often are pretty sporadic. Some days I get off hours early due to a patient being hospitalized.. and some days I take extra shifts.  Today happened to be one of those late days, and dinner was nothing short of an after thought.  Being pooped out from work, I very stupidly asked my three year old what she wanted momma to make for dinner... and no surprise, she wanted hamburgers.  Since I did have some beef in the fridge, I was able to produce this request at the spur of the moment (we are not big meat eaters in our home so ground beef in our fridge is just as likely as pigs flying).  Remembering a recipe that came in my email a few weeks ago, I quickly aquired the boy's help (my endearing term for the mister in my life) and got to work.  Here is the recipe I used.. and man was it fabulous.. you must make this at home!

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 6 kaiser rolls, split
• Leaf lettuce, Colby cheese slices, tomato slices, ketchup, prepared mustard and Fried Onion Rings or french-fried onions, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onion, salad dressing and eggs. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties.
• Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear. Serve on rolls with lettuce, cheese, tomato, ketchup, mustard and Fried Onion Rings if desired. Yield: 6 servings

  
These were juicy, flavorful, easy to throw together, making it a perfect summer time burger! We paired it will corn on the cob,  whole grain rice, and a fruit salad... and it was infant and toddler approved! 

Strawberry Banana Bread

In my life, baking, in most cases, is more therapeutic than tears.  There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone you love, slip away slowly in front of your eyes.  Especially when you knew it was a strong fear of theirs.  My Granny was such an amazing, warm hearted, religious, family oriented, shining beacon of what a woman should be.  At 98 years of age, she was still living in her own home, and for the most part, taking care of herself, until her string of strokes began.  Within a matter of months, our vivacious, active and spirited Great Grandmother had slipped away into a shell of the person we looked up to.  The last few weeks of her life, when hospice was finally brought in, we all rallied together, around her bedside, knowing there was not another single place in this world we rather be. As the days grew tougher and her outlook becoming more and more bleak, I found myself sitting by the woman I loved whole heartedly, and watching as her chest would rise and fall.  Every time her chest would take a few extra seconds to rise again, I would instantly feel a tightness in my own chest, my senses heightening, my stomach in knots, until I witnessed another inhale of oxygen. When her nurse finally said she only had a maximum of 24-36 hours left in this world, I allowed myself to walk away from her bedside for a moment to do what I knew was best for me, and bake.  I tried to collect my thoughts on what I wanted to bake.. cookies.. a cake.. pie?  None seemed like a good option to me.. I just wanted to make a recipe that was close to my heart, so that I could just zone out and let the baking take control of my ever saddening emotions.  I looked around the kitchen... Bananas.. check.. sugar.. duh of course.. flour.. obviously.  Then it connected the dots.. banana bread.  But wait, someone already made that this week... so what could I do?? I opened the fridge.. strawberries.  And then.. Light bulb.. I'll make strawberry banana bread.  What an genius idea, since Granny loves banana's and she always went strawberry picking every single year. I hear it was quite tasty.. I didn't get to taste a piece since it was vaporized in a matter of minutes.

Here is what I did:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup strawberry flavored greek yogurt
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup strawberries, diced
• 1 cup splenda (or you can use regular sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( I sifted mine, but it isn't a requirement)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add butter and sugar and mix well. Then add yogurt, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined.
4. Fold in sliced strawberries.
5. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake 55-60 minutes.

Just as the oven alarm began to sound, I heard the sound I was hoping not to hear, "she is gone, Granny is gone, she just took her last breath and it was so peaceful".  Panic arose in me, and I quickly went outside to tell the boy and my family that Granny has finally left this world to be in the most beautiful place called heaven.  I am not even sure I can tell you what words left my mouth to express the passing of my Granny to the family.. it was all a huge blur and I felt like I was completely out of my own body, just watching it like it was a movie.  It has only been 3 weeks since she has departed us, but I still feel her ever so close to me.  I often find myself subconsciously smelling older ladies as they walk past me in the grocery store, just to see if I can smell my Granny.  That must sound really weird, but it is true.  I feel her sometimes in the wind that blows and encompasses my body like a Granny hug would.  Oh Granny, I am so thankful you are not in pain anymore, but I sure do miss you terribly.

                                   Granny with our Son, only a month before her strokes began.

Ah... mommy sits!

You know that ah-ha you moment at the end of the evening that you just so happen to start craving the minute your feet hit the floor in the morning?  The monsters.. I mean children are finally in bed (that is if they actually stay in bed.. funny one mom!).. you are showered.. have a favored show on the telly.. and finally it happens.. Mommy sits! 
Just thinking about that first 30 seconds of ah-ha release.. makes my toes curl and my eyes begin to roll back in my head.  I really think this 30 seconds of bliss is what gets me through most of the crazy days of toddler turn teenager and infant turn monkey aficionado!
Since I am unaware how long I will be able to make this mommy sit period last.. I just wanted to take a moment and say welcome to my blog Mission 2 Mom Possible - Where everyday messes turn into extraordinary mommy badges!  Been peed on... there's a badge for that! 
Make sure you keep checking in.. there are lots of fun things that will be beginning to take shape this month!  You'll want to write down June 15th... its a big day in this neck of the woods... post to follow with details!