Cream Cheese Cookies!

http://pinterest.com/pin/90112113/
I went to get the link, and its gone! Says its pinned from "none" ??

What did you make? The Best Cream Cheese Cookies!
How did it turn out? Pretty good! I thought the flavor and texture turned out nice. I wasnt super excited about them, but I think its because I am more of a cinnamon and oats girl when it comes to cookies, and these were so different. But then today I ate a ton, they are good.
Did you follow directions or make changes? I followed the directions exactly, except that they needed to bake 9 minutes, not 7. 
Would you make it again? Yes, I think so! I think next time I am going to use lemon extract instead of vanilla and see what happens. I think these cookies would be great with a hint of lemon.
Any tips or advice? No, I dont think so. They were really easy. Just make sure your cream cheese and butter truly are at room temperature so you dont get any chunks when you cream them with the sugar.
-Michelle

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip No Bakes!

(Morgan Moore photo) I forgot to take a photo because I was eating them all!
http://pinterest.com/pin/290907025/
http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2009/04/when-its-too-hot-to-bake-we-nobake.html 
What did you make? "Its too hot to bake so we no bake!"
How did it turn out? Good! I was craving sugar and the end of the day was nearing... I knew Olive had little time left in her before she fell apart. So, it was something quick or nothing at all! No Bakes! You combine some ingredients in a saucepan, boil 1 minute, stir in the rest of the ingredients and drop onto wax paper to set. I was able to eat one within 5-10 minutes. I like them best cold though, because then they hold together even better.
Did you follow directions or make changes? I followed the directions to a T!
Would you make it again? Yes! Great when you are short on time or dont want to turn the oven on.
Any tips or advice? Make them!
-Michelle

Popcorn In A Bag!

 http://pinterest.com/pin/89750822/
Squawk Fox popcorn-recipe
What did you make? "How to Microwave Gourmet Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag!"
How did it turn out? Great! Piece of cake. Much less expensive and healthier that the prepackaged version. In fact, I thought I was never to eat popcorn again because I was unwilling to eat the trans fat in a bag from the grocery store. I am glad I found an alternative that's easy!
Did you follow directions or make changes? I followed the directions, but there really wasnt much to it. Get yourself some kernels. Get some paper bags. Bag 'em and mic 'em! Done in 2.5 minutes. We melted a tab of butter and drizzled it on, added a dash of salt and then shook the bag to coat more evening. Then we sat down with our popcorn and watched Limitless!
Would you make it again? Yes! We decided we would anytime we watched a movie... however often we get around to movies eeps. Anyway, it was a fun stay at home date!
Any tips or advice? Nope!

-Michelle

WallPapering Shelves!

http://pinterest.com/pin/129710622
Flickr
What did you make? "Wallpapered" Shelves!
How did it turn out? Great! It was so easy, I am almost embarrassed to do a post on it, but I was so happy with the result. It was one of those easy, "Why didn't I think of that before?" projects.
Did you follow directions or make changes? I didn't read the directions, there weren't even any to read actually. I just saw the idea for painting the back of shelving units with a contrasting color and knew I needed to do it. We have a shelving unit over the toilet in our bathroom that has seen better days. Some cleaner also leaked from the cabinet and left orange streaks down it making it even worse. It belongs to the owner of our house, so I needed something temporary. So I bought two sheets of 12x12 scrapbooking paper and just slid them in place, not even adhesive was necessary.
Would you make it again? For sure! I love the contrast and pop up color. I forsee painting or wallpapering shelf backgrounds around my house for years to come!
Any tips or advice? Nope!

-sierra

Apple Crisp!

(original All Recipes Photo)
http://pinterest.com/pin/271830589/

All Recipes Apple Crisp II

What did you make? Apple Crisp!
How did it turn out? Delicious! Rob had requested it after we got apples from the apple farm, and we have eaten it every night for the last three nights! Yum!
Did you follow directions and make changes? I mostly followed directions, but made the changes that other reviewers suggested. I made it in a 9x9 pan, instead of 9x13, and halved my apple mixture, but kept the crust measurements the same. This allowed me to put some crust on the bottom of the apples. I also mixed the apples in a bowl with the spices rather than just sprinkling them on top, and halved the water to 1/4 cup. I aded nutmeg to this mixture. Also, I just softened the butter in teh crust mixture instead of melting it.
Would you make it again? For sure! I think I am going to experiment a bit more with other recipes and ingredients though, as we would like a crust that is a bit more substantial - bigger chunks and maybe doughier. The flavor was amazing though!
Any tips or advice? Not really. I would make the changes that I made above to the recipe though. I think they really helped. We ate it with Vanilla Bean ice cream, which I would not leave out!

-Sierra

Button Ice Cream Cone Card!

http://pinterest.com/pin/135621244/

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2031662?&limit=last1

What did you make? A button ice cream cone card for a friend's birthday!

How did it turn out? Cute! Everyone loved it! The buttons didn't stay on as well as I would have liked (they didn't fall off, they just didn't stay flat). Next time I'll use superglue instead of photo adhesives.

Did you follow directions and make changes? I didn't actually look at the directions. I just re-created using scrapbook paper and buttons.

Would you make it again? Definitely!

Any tips or advice? Nope!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rollups!

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/209380554/

http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/08/alfredo-lasagna-roll-ups.html

What did you make? Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rollups! :)

How did it turn out? Delicious!

Did you follow directions and make changes? I followed the directions, except I used gluten free pasta (because that is what was on sale at Whole Foods :). I thought it was delicious, except the pasta package said "do not cook ahead". I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, so I went ahead and only made 4 roll-ups. Sure enough, when I went to eat my left-overs, the pasta had turned hard. ?!

Would you make it again? Yes! :) Probably next week!

Any tips or advice? Don't make it with gluten free pasta (if you plan having left-overs)...and you love it! :)

-Leah

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal!

don't mind the little sample I took from the corner!
http://pinterest.com/pin/235114067/

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/09/baked-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-277-recipe.html

What did you make? Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal! This blog is great because she breaks each recipe down, so you know how much each serving costs. This one was $0.46 per serving!
How did it turn out? So Good! Initially I was surprised because I expected it to be sweeter, but then I thought about it, its oatmeal, its breakfast, it really was the perfect amount of sweet! It was really easy to throw together, it took about 5 minutes to mix it up and pop in the oven. The recipe suggested topping it with whip cream, maple syrup, or milk. I have only had it plain, it was great, but I should try it a few other ways as well. Andy ate his with milk and loved it.

Did you follow directions or make changes? I mostly followed the directions. I did put 3 cups of oats instead of 2.5, omitted the salt, and added a dash of cinnamon. (Recipe had just called for pumpkin pie spice for the seasonings)

Would you make it again? Heck yes! Cant wait! We have been slacking in the breakfast department in this house, I want to remedy that so we start out our day right. This will be one of the recipes I go to, along with some crockpot egg casseroles. I am thinking about adding some protein powder to it next time just to make it a little more balanced of a meal, hehe.
Any tips or advice? Just make it asap! Also, I think this would be a great easy breakfast when you have company- quick and delicious! (Recipe only serves 4-6 though, so it would need to be doubled.)

-Michelle

Pumpkin Scones!

http://pinterest.com/pin/168249578/
Sweet Peas Kitchen, Pumpkin Scones

What did you make? Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

How did it turn out? Pretty dang good! The scone itself is not very sweet, but it has both a glaze and a spiced drizzle- both very sweet, the two together are perfect! Andy ate three in a row. We ate them both warm and cold, both are  good.

Did you follow directions or make changes? I doubled the sugar! The reviews said the scone wasnt very sweet (the recipe only called for 1/4 cup!) so I put in 1/2. It still wasn't very sweet, but I am glad I did it, cause 1/4 wouldn't have been enough. I also doubled the cinnamon (as I always do!) and I put slightly more pumpkin. The recipe only called for 1/2 cup and I thought to myself, 'thats not very much, lets make it more pumpkiny and more moist!' I put 3/4 cup and boy was that a mistake! The dough was very very VERY sticky. I had to really flour my surface heavily, flour my hands, and pat flour on every side of the scone so that I could pick it up without it sticking to my hands like glue. Some were so sticky the shape was getting ruined during the transfer and so I had to flour my hands again, roll it into a ball to get it to hold together, and then reshape it into a triangle. It worked alright just to get me through my sticky mess but those ones puffed up more during baking and looked like little loaves of bread. The ones that I was able to just cut and transfer to the baking sheet had that nice bumpy texture on the sides, signature of a scone, and I liked that a lot better.

Would you make it again? Yes! Andy has requested that I do. It seems like a "special treat" and so I would save it for such, its not like baking your everyday cookie. These taste like something you have on a holiday or at a party. Or maybe to spice up a family day if its rainy and we stay inside playing games or watching movies!
Any tips or advice? Dont add too much pumpkin! The only other thing is I like mine on the smaller side. The recipe said to pat your dough into a 4x12 rectangle, cut into thirds, and then cut each third with an X to get 4 triangles in each section. They are really small when raw, but grew 4x times their size while baking. I think I will pat my dough into a wider rectangle, maybe no more than 3" tall, and however wide it turns out with that height. They are going to look ridiculously small, probably bite sized, but remember they grow a ton in the oven. Make these! Yum!

-Michelle