Band-Aid Get Well Card!

(flikr original image)  
What did you make? A Get Well Card!

Flikr Band-aid Get Well Card

How did it turn out? So cute! I made this for our grandma Shirley who isn't feeling well. The funny thing is...after I sent it I found out that both Michelle AND Sierra were planning on making her the exact same card! HAHA! They had both purchased the googly eyes and were just about to make them...glad I beat them to it. ;) 

Did you follow directions or make changes?  I honestly didn't read the directions..I'm not quite sure if there were any! It's pretty self explainatory though when you look at the photo. I used different colors of paper and wrote "Get Well Soon!" using sparkly scrapbooking letters. I used photo adhesives to stick on the eyes..I hope it help up in the mail. They seemed pretty secure so I'm not worried.

Would you make it again?  Yes! Although, Michelle already called dibs on sending out the next one to a family member!

Any tips or advice? Not really. One thing that kind of grossed me out was that the card smelled like a band-aid... sort of nasty. :) But I cant see a way around that! Cant spray it with perfume...that would make your paper blotchy! :)

- Leah

Apple Spice Cookies!

 (Allrecipe original picture)
What did you make? Apple Spice Cookies!

http://pinterest.com/pin/148581765/
Allrecipes Apple and Spice Cookies

How did it turn out? They were good! At first, tasting the dough and again straight out of the oven I thought they were a little heavy on the nutmeg, and especially the cloves, but Andy disagreed. When they cooled and I tried them again, the seasonings were perfect!

Did you follow directions or make changes?  I replaced the shortening with butter (always!), and left out the apple juice because I didn't have any. Also, I left out the raisins and the walnuts, because I am not fond of those. I think I also did more apples, cant remember if I did 1.5 cups or 2 cups. The recipe only called for 1 cup. I thought I might as well since I left out other chunky items.

Would you make it again?  Yes! They were really good, everyone who tried them liked them. I ate way too many.

Any tips or advice? I chopped my apples really small, time consuming but I think its better. Also, I stored them in the fridge which made them sticky, I didn't think I liked that quality, but then I realized that I thought they tasted better cold! Other people didnt seem to have a preference.

Sorry, again no pictures. I made this before we started our pinning challenge, and so they were all eaten a month ago!!

- Michelle

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas!

What did you make? Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas!!

Food.com Simply Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas 

How did it turn out? DELICIOUS!!!!! :) I am eating them as I type this..and I feel like I can eat the whole dish!!

Did you follow directions or make changes? I made a couple of small changes. I could not find a can of green chilis at all (I'm sure I was just looking in the wrong place...but I SEARCHED that store!) so I bought a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis mixed. I was worried it might ruin them, but it tastes delicious! I will do the same thing next time. Also, I just used the cheese I already had, which was a mexican 4 cheese mix.

Would you make it again?  Yes! Mmmmmm

Any tips or advice? Advice= make this! :) Other than that... nope!

- Leah

Command Center

What did you make? A command center! :)

How did it turn out? Really well- just as I imagined it would :) It is very small compared to most, but perfect to keep track of just to-do's.

Did you follow directions or make changes? I didn't follow the directions of any specific command center- I just looked at a few for some ideas. I used two cork boards (12x12- thank you, Si!), covered them with scrapbook paper, and then worked from there :)

Would you make it again?  Yes! Someday I will need something bigger. I'm going to make one from a friend soon also.

Any tips or advice? Not really :)

- Leah

Bacon Cheese Dogs!

(Allrecipe original picture)
What did you make? Ultimate Bacon Cheese Dogs!

http://pinterest.com/pin/118145798/

Gourmet Mom on the Go: Ultimate Bacon cheese dogs.

How did it turn out? I didn't get to try them as I am dieting, but Andy really liked them! You slit the dog down the middle, stuff it with string cheese, wrap two pieces of bacon around it, and sprinkle brown sugar on top.

Did you follow directions or make changes?  I followed the directions, except that I had no string cheese, so two of the dogs I stuffed with stripped up cheddar cheese, and the other two I stuffed with shredded mozzarella.

Would you make it again?  Yes! I still need to try them, and I think it would be really fun to roast them around a campfire one day. 

Any tips or advice? UGH YES! It says in the instructions that you can broil them, or cook over a fire. So I set my oven to 500 and popped them in and what a mistake. They smoke too much, I set off the fire alarm, scared baby, and the house smelled smokey for two days. Also the bacon grease did a lot of popping and splattered the inside of my oven door. I took them out early and had Andy pop them on the BBQ and they were perfect! Will definitely keep this in mind as a BBQ only dish.

Don't have a picture as I couldn't find my camera and Andy ate them!

-Michelle

The Best Meatloaf!

(Allrecipe original picture)
What did you make? Meatloaf!

 http://pinterest.com/pin/118147335/ 

Allrecipes Eileens Meatloaf

How did it turn out? Delicious! And I have never been a meatloaf gal before.

Did you follow directions or make changes?  It called for grated Parmesan cheese which I didn't have so I just left out. Also called for bread crumbs which I substituted oats for. Lastly, I made a glaze for the top, couple tablespoons of ketchup and honey mustard mixed up and brushed on top. Sounds weird but was so good!

Would you make it again?  Heck yes! I made it two weeks ago and it was so good I wanted it again before starting my HCG diet so I made it this weekend. I made it a few days ahead and froze it. I thought meatloaf was a good freezer meal but maybe not. It was fine but it seemed slightly less flavorful than the first time (unless i messed something up?) Still really good though. And when we cut it up this second time it was more dense and harder to serve. Because of that it was looking ugly and I decided not to take a picture of it. A thought, I may have slightly overcooked it the second time, and thats why it was so dense?

Any tips or advice? Make it and bake it on the spot, in case freezing changed it. Its super quick and easy! Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans! Nom nom nom

- Michelle

Lemon Cornmeal cookies!

What did you make? Lemon Cornmeal cookies! 

http://pinterest.com/pin/118330630/

Martha Stewart Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

 

How did it turn out? They were decent. Super quick and easy to mix up, didn't need a lot of ingredient. They tasted fine, they just weren't really exciting. Several people we had over ate them all and said they liked them.

Did you follow directions or make changes?  It called for lemon zest which I substiuted half the amount in lemon extract instead. It recommended pinching off dough, rolling into balls, and flattening slightly. I did that and they didnt change shape, they were just boring, smooth balls. So I did some with my cookie scoop and everyone liked that better. It had a nice crunchy texture on top and soft inside.

Would you make it again?  Maybe, if I had an occasion that called for it. I have other recipes that I love more and so if cookie making was happening I have others first in line.

Any tips or advice? They could stand to be a little sweeter and more lemony. These cookies are better bigger rather than smaller, they seemed softer and best tasting that way.

-Michelle