Thank you cards

Exciting News!

One of my many sisters (I have 6) is getting married this summer and I get to help plan the wedding. I am so excited because this is the location of the reception!

This is Eddie Murphy's old house in Northern California.11,158-square-feet. HELLO!

These are the colors she has chosen for her wedding.Orange and Green.

This is a ranunculus. It's so pretty. It is orange with a green center. Too bad my hubby says they won't be in season when she gets married. (He's in the flower business)

These tulips seem perfect because they have a hint of yellow which she wants as well. How pretty are these!

I will be posting wedding ideas and final pictures from the wedding in July!

Italian Dressing

This super easy dressing recipe goes great on any salad. Make ahead of time so it has time to chill before serving.

Italian Salad Dressing


1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise 
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. Italian dried seasonings
1-2 tablespoons water


Mix all ingredients in blender. Puree until smooth.

Symphony Brownies

I found an amazing brownie recipe I must share. I got it from this blog. I made it slightly different. I didn't have 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate so I used 2 oz. of unsweetened and 2 oz. of milk chocolate. These are the best brownies I have ever had and I will never go back to a boxed brownie again. How could you go wrong when there is huge chunks of Hershey's Symphony bars inside!!

This is foil on the bottom of the baking pan and then prayed with cooking spray

This is what the batter looks like

I already had this huge candy bar on hand. Yes, This is normal for me and no I don't weigh 500 pounds. I like the one with almonds and toffee. You can use regular.

Symphony Brownies
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
12 Tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 cup flour
Symphony chocolate bar(s) I used 3/4 of the huge size. You will want 2 small bars. Break into pieces.


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at medium (50% power) for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.Whisk until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar and add in eggs, extracts and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined. Spread ½ the batter into prepared pan. Add an even layer of Symphony Chocolate squares and cover with remaining ½ of brownie batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes; do not over bake. Mine took about 34 min. Remove to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

TIP: If you have a plastic lettuce knife they work WONDERS when cutting brownies. If you don't have one, they are a few dollars at the store and are SO awesome. I would recommend them to anyone. Mine looks like this.

Sweet 16

My sister is turning 16 next week so I made this card for her. She wanted a gift card. You may think BORING but I love it because it means I can be creative.

Vegetable Soup

I LOVE soup. I could eat soup every night for dinner.  My hubby not so much. It takes a lot for him to get excited about soup for dinner if ever. This soup is very satisfying. It fills you up and warms you up. It is similar to the minestrone soup at Olive Garden. That was the inspiration. I do have another minestrone soup recipe on my blog but it's much different. It made enough for two nights of food which I was totally fine with. It took about an hour to make. If you chop all your veggies ahead of time it will really cut down the prep time if your afternoons are busy.

Vegetable Soup


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 cup zucchini, chopped (about 2 zucchini)
1 cup (half package) frozen Italian cut green beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz vegetable broth
2 cans white beans,drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 carrots shredded
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp basil (I used fresh because I had some on hand. You can use dried)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 cups water
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup small shell pasta
Pepper to taste


Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute onion, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrots, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency. 

Quick and easy garlic bread

I might make this bread too often. Maybe that's why my hubby is now on a diet but it's so easy and yummy. I buy a fresh loaf of french bread from the store to start.

I take about 1/2 stick of butter and throw 3 cloves of garlic minced on top.  Then I will heat that in the microwave for 20-30 sec. to soften and infuse the flavor.

I cut my bread into thick slices. Maybe about 1 1/2 inches wide. Then I brush the garlic butter on each slice. Then I put them in the oven on Broil for about 2-3 min to start the toasting process.

I pull them out before they are fully toasted and throw some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Be generous!

I put them back in the oven on high broil for another 2-3 min. Watch them, they can burn so fast. Serve immediately. One loaf makes 7 sliced of bread.

Garlic Bread
1 loaf of fresh french bread
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 stick butter
3 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (It's also good with mozzarella too)


Directions above next to pictures.