Sweetheart Cinnamon Rolls

Because Valentine's Day doesn't fall on a leisurely weekend this year, you're going to need a quick and fun breakfast to serve your sweethearts. Look no further than these Sweetheart Cinnamon Rolls.

They are so easy to make...simply crack open a tube of your favorite cinnamon rolls, unroll and shape into a heart. Just make sure you buy the kind of cinnamon rolls that can unroll, as there are some that are more like a biscuit with cinnamon on top.

I made these last year before I was blogging, so there are no fancy-shmancy pictures. I'm sure you get the idea though, right?

Anyway, they put some serious smiles on my kiddos' faces and I know your funny valentines will love them too. Do you have any special breakfasts you serve on Valentine's Day? 

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Pizza Bundles with Friends

Last week, we were able to spend a few hours with a dear old friend of mine and her kiddos. We've known each other since the awkward years of junior high school and still enjoy a sweet friendship that knows no bounds. Since we were at their house over the noon hour, she graciously made the kids some Pizza Bundles for lunch.

I forced her kindly asked her if I could document it in pictures, just in case the kids really liked it. She agreed, but warned me that she had only seen it on Pinterest and hadn't actually tried it. Fortunately, it was a huge hit with the kids. So, I thought I'd share it with you too. Oh, and because this was just a casual lunch among friends, I did not have her bring out her good dishes just so I could turn her kitchen into a food studio. She was sweet enough to let me take pictures of the process.

Here's what you need: pizza sauce, crescent rolls, string cheese and pepperoni (or other pizza toppings)

Start by separating out the triangles.

On each triangle at the large end, place 3-5 pepperoni pieces and/or other toppings.

Top the pepperoni with 1/2 of a string cheese. (For some of the bundles, we skipped the pepperoni all together and got rave reviews from the two 8 year olds.)

Roll up the bundles and place on cookie sheet.

She used her well-seasoned Pampered Chef stonewear. You could sprinkle the bundles with Italian seasoning or garlic powder before baking too.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until the bundles are golden. Remove from pan and serve with your favorite pizza sauce.

We had a blast catching up and letting the kids play. It would have been nice if I would have gotten some pictures of our play date. Oh well, maybe next time. At least we've got our memories... and the Pizza Bundles.

Besides a fun lunch for the kids, these Pizza Bundles would make a great snack for your Super Bowl parties coming up. I know we'll be making a batch at home real soon. They were that good...or so I'm told. They were all eaten before I got to sample them.

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Ombre Heart Card and Other Hand Stamped Cards

Valentine's Day is just over two weeks away and I have been needing to get into my old stamping supplies to get busy on some cards. We are going to have our 3rd grade Women of Grace girls make some Valentines this week to deliver to a local nursing home. It is my duty to create something duplicable by elementary-aged girls. So, I pulled out every stamp set I have with hearts and eventually came up with this Ombre Heart Card and other Hand Stamped Cards

In the Ombre Heart card, I used a technique called stamping off. Basically, it just means you remove a layer of the ink on a stamp to lighten the resulting image. You typically do this by stamping the image on a scratch piece of paper first, but I simply started stamping darkest to lightest from the right side of the strip of paper. I used 3 different shades of pink, with the middle two being the same shade (one being stamped off).

I also made this large heart card with one of my very first stamp sets I ever purchased as a Stampin' Up demonstrator over 11 years ago. I've long since stopped demonstrating, but I do like to dust off the stamps from time to time. I added a little line of glue to the heart with a glue pen and sprinkled on some glitter to give it a little more pizazz.

Finally, here is a red and vanilla card I designed. To create an interesting background, I randomly stamped the double heart image with red ink onto the red card stock.

I also stamped the "Happy Valentine's Day" greeting on some canvas ribbon. I attached it to the red background with some vintage brass brads I had in my stash. The large heart stamped on vanilla was "popped" out with some dimensional stickers on the back.

I was so excited to do something crafty today...something that didn't involve taking pictures of food ;-) Each card was simple to make. I haven't decided yet which, if any, of these cards is going to be the one that the Women of Grace girls make. I still have a few more stamp sets to play around with. So far, I think I'm liking the Ombre card the best. Are you like me and have tons of supplies to make cards, but don't do it on a regular basis? I really need to get back into this hobby, if for no other reason than to use up the ink and paper I bought all those years ago. Maybe it would free up some space in my craft closet ;-) Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you were inspired to make some Valentine's cards of your own this year.

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Inspiration Overload

Have you ever been so inspired to do great things, but get started on them and realize you have no real direction? Oh, my goodness! That's where I've been this weekend! Inspiration Overload.

See that little guy in the picture? That's me...lots going on up in the brain, but it doesn't translate into much activity. Every day last week was taken up with planned duties, games, lessons, and a fun play date across town. I even squeezed in a mini date night with my sweetie. When I finally got to Saturday (a free morning without hubby or kids), I thought for sure I'd be able to 'get my craft on'.

Unfortunately, I'd start on one thing, get frustrated, and flit to the next without a real vision for what I was doing. So, while I was a bit crafty, I have nothing to show for it yet.

I made some stuffed fabric hearts, but didn't have a clue what to do with them (too many options). Then I started thinking about our 3rd grade Women of Grace girls and how I'd like to do some Valentine's crafts with them, so I got on Pinterest... Then, I thought about the fact that my daughter's birthday is coming up very soon and I still haven't planned that. So, basically, I got nothing done.

Well, that's not totally accurate... I did spend some extended time Saturday morning with just my bible, my new bible study (RUTH...loss, love & legacy by Kelly Minter) and my sweet Heavenly Father. That was not time wasted, by any means.

Sunday was wonderfully full with church, a meeting with the ladies I serve with in the Women of Grace group and a scrimmage baseball game for my son. Is it really time to start the spring season of sports already?!? So, enough about me... what did you get accomplished this weekend? I'd love to know that someone was productive. ;-)

Food for the Soul~ Psalm 33:4-5

I'm so grateful today for God's Word, which is right and true. May you heart be filled with His unfailing love this Sunday and always.
Blessings to you and yours!

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

Sweet, savory, sweet...what comes next? You guessed it! A savory recipe is what I'm sharing today. Garlic Roasted Cauliflower. I told you I hadn't made it out of the kitchen this week ;-)

Unfortunately, I don't have any ingredient pictures or many of the process. But this was an incredibly easy and delicious way to make cauliflower.

Start by cutting up a head of cauliflower into florets and putting in a large ziplock bag. Drop in a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic and pour in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake, shake, shake! Pour the contents of the bag into a lightly greased casserole dish.

Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes.

See how easy that was! I have always been intimidated by the cauliflower, but not anymore. My kids even ate this delicious side dish. I'm really working hard to move all of us into eating a bigger variety of veggies. This is definitely in the lineup from now on! If you haven't roasted cauliflower before, I highly recommend this method. Are there any seemingly normal vegetables that intimidate you? Have you broken past your fear? I'd love to hear about how you get more veggies into your meals.

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Cupid's Chocolate Ice Cream Sammies

I can't seem to get out of the kitchen this week. All I have posted about is food! Even with our Women of Grace girls this week, we "crafted" in the kitchen by making cookies. Speaking of cookies, on Monday I posted these chocolate cutouts in the shape of footballs. Well, in that same batch, I cut some into heart shapes and came up with Cupid's Chocolate Ice Cream Sammies.

Here's what you need to make these: Chocolate Cut Out Cookies, chocolate ice cream and chocolate sprinkles.

To make them, simply sandwich a scoop of softened ice cream between two cookies.

Scrape off any excess ice cream.

Dip the edges into chocolate sprinkles. Place on wax paper and freeze. (After they were frozen, I put mine in a ziplock bag to keep fresh.)

These were such a fun treat to make. Confession time...I didn't share. I ate both of these ice cream sandwiches ALL...BY...MYSELF. In my defense, my family had eaten almost all of the cookies. I had planned on making these to share, but there were only 4 cookies left. What's a girl to do? I ate one quickly, bagged the other one, and hid it in the freezer for later. They'll never know...unless you tell them or they read this post. But, we're friends, right? You wouldn't squeal on a friend, would you? I knew I could trust you ;-) May you get to indulge in a little guilty pleasure too this week!

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Simple Crustless Quiche

Do you ever look in the pantry and refrigerator and, though there is plenty of food, think there is nothing to make for dinner? That's the boat I was in yesterday. Beef, chicken, pasta...none of it sounded good.  It was definitely a night to shake things up a bit. I pulled out this recipe for Simple Crustless Quiche from my SIL and bravely presented it to my family. I have always enjoyed this quiche when Donna has served it and was excited to finally make it on my own.

Here's what you need: eggs, milk or half and half, vegetables, grated swiss cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder(or garlic salt), nutmeg, salt and pepper, butter(or Pam) to grease your dish

Lightly grease an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Start by layering chopped vegetable in the bottom. I used a combination of fresh spinach, red/yellow/orange peppers, and onions. You can also just use a  package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained).

Layer swiss cheese over the vegetables. ( I added a little colby jack cheese to the quiche too.)

In mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg.

Pour egg mixture over the layered veggies and cheese. (I also sprinkled on some real bacon bits.)

Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. Return to oven to cook for 15-20 minutes until done.

Simple Crustless Quiche
{Can be assembled the night before}

Butter to grease the pan or just use spray oil
1 1/2 cups whole milk, half and half or cream(depending on how health conscious you are feeling)
2 cups chopped vegetables
1 pinch nutmeg and garlic powder
1 cup grated swiss cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top for last 15 minutes

Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray or use butter to grease the pan. Layer vegetables then swiss cheese. Lightly beat together the eggs, milk and spices. Pour over the vegetables and cheese layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until eggs are cooked through.

This yummy egg dish did not disappoint. What I love is that you can add whatever vegetables and cheese your family likes or whatever you have in your fridge. I can think of a dozen vegetable/cheese combinations that would be delicious in this dish. What are your favorite ingredients in quiche?

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch

Chocolate Cut Out Cookies

As I promised in yesterday's Super Bowl post, I am sharing with you this yummy Chocolate Cutout Cookie recipe today. My husband, who has a pretty picky cookie palate, told me that these are the perfect degree of chocolate and sweetness. They remind him of the Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies that I am too cheap cost conscious to buy. I'll take it as a compliment and gladly pass on this goodness to you.

Here's what you need: flour, unsweetened cocoa, salt, baking powder, butter, sugar, and an egg.

Start by sifting together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar, mixing until smooth. Beat in the egg.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture until the dough forms.

Separate the dough into two parts, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. (You may need to remove it from the refrigerator and let it soften up a bit first.) FYI...For crisp cookies, roll it thinner. For softer cookies, roll it thicker.

Cut out desired shapes.

Place on cookie sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes and remove from oven. Allow to rest on cookie sheet for five minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled, decorate with white chocolate or frosting. For these football cookies, I melted some almond bark, put it in a baggie and snipped off the corner. Then I piped on the "laces" of the footballs. No matter what team you are cheering on, these cookies will be a hit at your Super Bowl party.

Chocolate Cutout Cookies
(makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of cookie cutter)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 egg

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In mixing bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until it forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into two sections, flatten and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place onto cookie sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Once cooled, the cookies can be decorated with icing or drizzled with white chocolate.

This is such a versatile cookie. I've used it to make these footballs and have even had some Valentine's fun with the dough. I'll be sharing a treat for your sweetheart in the next couple of days. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you'll visit again soon.

I'm linking up at some of these great parties and

Savvy Southern Style, Debbiedoos and Between Naps on the Porch