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Real Men Cook Quiche

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I've been sick this week and Steve (my sweet husband) offered to make dinner.  
He asked what sounded good to me and I really just wanted some quiche!  
Odd, because it's been a really long time since I've eaten or even thought about quiche.  
Anyway,  he dove right in and managed to cook me the very best quiche I've ever had…

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2013 Pinterest Holiday Giving Guide

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He's making a list
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out 
Who's naughty or nice…

Are you writing a letter to Santa or 
are you playing the part of Santa 
and making some lists of your own?

Do a little HAPPY DANCE 'cause I'm about to tell you about some 
SERIOUSLY. AWESOME. GIFT GUIDES!



Last week, I was super excited to find out that my board was selected for the 
Holiday Giving Guide on Pinterest!
Then I was even more SUPER EXCITED when I went on the Holiday Giving Guide page 
and started looking at the various boards.  
I'm right in the middle of trying to shop for friends and family and this guide is perfect.  
They have covered everything for everyone, whether you need a gift for 
an anglophile, an avid baker or a bearded man in flannel… 
they SERIOUSLY have a list for it!  
I've taken the time to type the list of boards below so you can see what I'm talking about!  
Please check out my board while you're looking.  
The boards I submitted are…



Pinterest selected my board,  Gifts for the Seamstress


and here's a list of the various boards you can peruse...

  • stylish gifts for her
  • dapper gifts for him
  • great gifts for homebodies
  • gizmo gifts for geeks
  • fun gifts for white elephants - would be a great board to browse before your work holiday party!
  • creative gifts for crafters
  • sporty gifts for athletes
  • gourmet gifts for foodies
  • outdoorsy gifts for adventurers
  • travel gifts for jet-setters
  • pawsome gifts for pet-lovers
  • cool gifts for kids
  • gifts for chrismukkah
  • gifts for instagram
  • gifts for the gardener
  • gifts for the grill-lovin' guys
  • gifts for the man cave
  • gifts for the cheese lover
  • gifts for a roller derby girl
  • gifts for the star gazer
  • gifts for the writer in your life
  • gifts for the anglophile - I had to ask my teenager what this was! Ha!
  • gifts for the bearded flannel men - my Daddy?
  • gifts for the graphic designers
  • gifts for the classy dino enthusiast
  • gifts for the oddity aficionado - interesting!
  • holiday gifts for corgi lovers
  • gifts for the whimsical baker - lots of cute stuff on this board
  • gifts for the renaissance man
  • gifts for my unicorn lover
  • gift for trekkies
  • gifts for candy lovers
  • gifts for zombie lovers
  • gifts for the hostess - love this board
  • gifts for engineer
  • gifts for the commuter
  • gifts for the vegans in my life
  • gifts for the pug lovers
  • gifts for the bearded man
  • gifts for knitters
  • gifts for the little dreamer
  • gifts for the horse lover
  • gifts for the rugged outdoorsman
  • gifts for the sailor - got some great ideas for a sailor friend
  • gifts for a party planner
  • gifts for beer and whiskey lovers
  • green gifts for the eco conscious
  • gifts for harry potter fans - my kids
  • gifts for your friends loving friend
  • gifts for whovians - my two daughters LOVE Doctor Who!
  • gifts for duck dynasty lovers
  • gifts for book lovers
  • gifts for bloggers - yes, please
  • gifts for the food blogger
  • gifts for the art lovers, artists and art teachers
  • gifts for donut royalty
  • gifts for archers
  • gifts for the beauty enthusiast
  • gifts for the lego enthusiast
  • gifts for the owl obsessed
  • gifts for hipsters
  • gift ideas for the little misters
  • gifts for the toddler that loves bunnies
  • gifts for the enlightened toddler reader
  • gifts for the fungus friend
  • gifts for the science teacher
  • gifts for the pug lover
  • gifts for two top-dogs and their owners
  • gifts for the hockey fan
  • gifts for the robot obsessed
  • gifts for the photography lover - my lil sister
  • gifts for a brand new wife
  • gifts for the art admirer
  • gifts for the cupcake queen
  • gifts for the sea, shore and sail enthusiasts
  • gifts for the eco-friendly
  • gifts for people who love order! - I need to study this one for myself ;)
  • gifts for someone in need
  • gifts for my hipster son
  • gifts for okies
  • gifts for yesterday
  • gifts for the newlyweds
  • gifts for the avid baker - great ideas
  • gifts for movie lovers
  • gifts for the fashionista and fashion-challenged
  • gifts for the photo obsessed
  • gifts for the racing enthusiasts
  • gifts for the night owl
  • gifts for the paleo lover
  • gifts for the mixologist
  • gifts for woodworkers
  • gifts for the bon vivant
  • gifts for the seamstress -BEST BOARD EVER! :) lol
  • gifts for the kid at heart
  • hot cocoa as gifts for every chocolate lover
  • gifts for a softball player - my baby
  • gifts for stenographers
  • gifts for the military family
  • gifts for giving home spun love
  • gifts for quirky people
  • gifts for a gearhead
  • gifts for fans of things
  • gifts for people living with hearing loss
  • gifts for women and men who have everything - hmmmm
  • gifts for nautical lovers
  • gifts for beachgoers
  • gift guide for bloggers and photographers - love this
  • gifts for bigfoot believers
  • gifts for the giraffe lover
  • gifts for the cloud lovers
  • gifts for the socially conscious
  • gifts for the grump in your life - hahaha - I love that one!
  • gifts for the renaissance man
  • gifts for the poetry lover
  • gifts for the science lover
  • gifts for the mountain biker
  • gifts for santa's elf the baker
  • gifts for soup lovers
  • gifts for the couch potato
  • gifts for mickey lovers
  • gifts for hockey moms
  • gifts for the ultimate dachshund, doxie, weenie dog lover! - HEY THAT'S ME!!!
  • gifts for percussionists
  • gifts for music teachers
  • gifts for hospice patients
  • gifts for the musical theater geek
  • gifts for gym rats
  • gifts that make the world better
After this, if I can't find the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, I'm hopeless!



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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 large Butternut Squash or about 2 lbs/ 6 cups after peeled
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
2 Tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 Onion, chopped
4 tbsp. Butter
3 c. Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp. marjoram (dried)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
6 oz cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Clean squash and cut into 8 pieces and place in baking dish.
Sprinkle squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic.
Place in preheated oven and roast for 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Remove skin from squash (an additional minute in the microwave will help if skin is stubborn)

Meanwhile, saute onions and butter in a large stock pot until tender.  
Add spices and chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a food processor or blender.  (I use a blender.)  
Blend until very smooth.

Add squash to soup mixture and heat through but do not boil.







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Healthy You - Quinoa Salad

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This is one of my FAVORITE healthy recipes!
It is very filling because it's chocked full of protein. 

Here's a link to the recipe at Closet Cooking…

Summer Vegetable Quinoa Burrito Bowls with Corn, Zucchini and Black Beans

  
ENJOY!
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Pumpkin Chai Latte

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1 cup Tazo Chai Latte (at Starbucks)
1 cup Fat Free Half and Half
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 tbsp vanilla flavoring

Whisk together all ingredients and then microwave for 1 minute.  
Enjoy!



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Pumpkin Cake In A Mug

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Have you seen the many "Pumpkin in a Mug" Recipes this Fall on Pinterest? 
I have seen them, pinned them and tried MANY of them!  
I've always been a big fan of the classic "Brownie in a Mug" recipe 
because it's an easy chocolate fix and it's low-fat.  
This recipe is not as simple and 
is by no means LOW FAT 
but it is quite yummy and fairly quick and easy.
I think the streusel is the thing that sets it apart from all others.  
You can find the recipe here at "Heather Likes Food".
The only change I made was I added a pinch of pumpkin pie spice in place of the cloves.
Also, I used Self Rising Flour instead of All Purpose, Salt and Baking Powder.
I store my canned pumpkin in a mason jar in the fridge 
so I'm always ready to make more of this delicious fall treat!


 Photographed below with Pumpkin Chai Tea - You can find my recipe here.

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Youth Room Wall Chalkboard

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Another recent project… the Youth Room Wall Chalkboard
I wanted the words to look like they were written in chalk so I made vinyl self-adhesive stencils using my Silhouette Cameo.  For the chalk effect, I used a stencil brush with acrylic paint to apply to the stencil.  While the paint was still wet, I removed the vinyl.



I always get lots of questions about fonts used…
I used "Hey Gorgeous" by Kevin and Amanda.
You can find the free download here.

Affiliate. See Disclosure HERE.
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Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

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My family loves these muffins.  
They would be an excellent, lighter choice for 
breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.



Ingredients:
1 c. oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. quick cook oats
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar
4 tbsp. butter, softened
4 tbsp. oats
4 tbsp. SR flour

This recipe makes 24 mini muffins and 12 regular muffins (in my large Pampered Chef muffin pan)
That's a total of 36 muffins!

Mix the oil and eggs.  Add pumpkin and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients.  Combine the dry and wet mixtures.  Pour into greased muffin pans.  In separate bowl, mix the bottom 4 ingredients until crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of muffin batter in each cup.

Bake at 350 degrees for mini-muffins - 12 minutes.  Bake for 25-30 minutes for larger muffins.  They are baked completely when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Teach Me Blocks

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When our Youth Minister saw a project like this on Pinterest, 
he sent me a copy and asked if I could duplicate it.
We have been working on a huge remodeling project and this was
an easy, inexpensive way to decorate a large wall.


Using scrap MDF Board and a little paint, I was able to 
paint these in an afternoon.


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Cowboy Casserole

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Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 cans baked beans (I use Bush's Original Recipe Beans)
1 egg
1 c. self-rising cornmeal
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. oil

Directions:
In cast iron skillet, brown ground beef and add chopped onion, sauté onion with beef for a few minutes.
Drain liquid from beef.  Add salt, chili powder and beans.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, add cornmeal, milk and oil.  Pour over the beef and bean mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
(This can also be made using a regular skillet and casserole dish)



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Cafe Press

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I was compensated with free merchandise by Cafe Press for my review on this post.  The opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not swayed by free merchandise.  I have been a Cafe Press customer for many years, prior to this promotion.  
You can read more about my Disclosure Policy here.

It's here!



A short while ago, I was contacted by CafePress and asked to do a product review.  
I was thrilled. 
They have everything from stationery to home decor items and most are customizable.  
I ordered several items and LOVE every single thing!
You can find that original Introductory Post here.

First of all, if you are a Doodles & Stitches reader, you know how much I love Cocoa, my weenie dog.
I thought these note cards were too adorable for words!


Here's a link to some other adorable stationery at CafePress...

My BIG PURCHASE ITEM was this iPhone case.  
Isn't it too cute?  
Level of protection - very HIGH.  
It's made from a durable, hard plastic 
and it fits nice and tight!
They have a whole line of cases for laptops, tablets and phones.  
You can customize most of them.
Here is a link to the tech cases…

Another couple of Weenie Dog Items...  

I'm a sucker for a cute tote bag.  
This one is too adorable for words.  
It's the perfect size for Cocoa's leash and a few treats.
This has become my new dog tote for trips to the dog park.
You can find many other awesome tote bags at the following link…

With Christmas just around the corner, check out CafePress for many unique gifts!

Christmas GIFT IDEAS…


and much, much more...





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DIY Pleated Tote

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I was looking around on my Pinterest Board, "SEW" last week and found 
a great pattern for a pleated tote from "The Long Thread".

Here's a direct link to the pattern…





It's my favorite FALL BAG and I made it!!!
I have some other bag sewing projects in the works…
Check out my Pinterest Board to see the awesome patterns I've found!
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