Thursday Things

Old things make me just as happy. Especially treasures with a story attached or sentimental value; the later is always the best in my book..

Like my FAVORITE watch in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. 

My dad gave me this watch almost 15 years ago. It is a classic Tag Heuer and  I wear it EVERYDAY.

Years ago, I collected Swarovksi.

I was turned on by the first piece my dad gave me from his trip to Austria.

It still makes my heart smile.

I truly love my Swarovski champagne flutes. We used these on our wedding day!

Last but not least, the first ring David bought me when we were dating:

Thursday Things

Welcome to Thursday Things! Who knows exactly how long this will last. These are a few things that make me smile . . .

I don't really like nuts, but I LOVE these!

Gimme a Diet Dr. Pepper to go along and I am set.

 A recent trip to Target was a little more costly than I wanted.

I somehow managed to lose my favorite Tory Burch glasses. sigh

But I have fallen head over heels for these aviators:

Can't wait until they arrive!

The girls did a little online shopping and adored these on H&M:

This one for only $9.95

And this was a $6.00 steal!

And I scooped up more of my fave Jersey shirts in different colors, also from H&M. 

Only $9.95!

Last but not least:

Can't get enough of this view. 

It is January, right?

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Nope, this is not going to be some altered recipe to make these bars less sugary. Sorry. The Halls like the real deal. You won't find one piece of dried fruit in this recipe. Not even peanut butter for the protein kick.

Is there anything more mouth-watering than this?

 Oh well, maybe this:

Dump this after things have melted and dissolved:

Get a cute helper:

After a few more steps, eventually this will appear:

 And a sneaky hand will make it disappear:

But you'll get a smile in return!

Thank you Once Upon a Chef for the idea!

* I did not use flax meal or wheat germ. And instead of just sliced almonds, I used honey roasted sliced almonds. Because there can never be enough sweetness. ; )

Hail to Kale

No, this is not a New Year's Resolution. I really don't believe in making those commitments. And if you really know me, you know there is no way I am going to make a change in my eating habits. I rarely eat breakfast and I like to have a snack at around 10 pm (usually something sweet followed by something salty - like McConnell's ice cream chased with a handful of chips). Sue me. I love what I love, whether it be a tasty salad or a rib eye steak or roasted chicken or Flaming Hot Cheetos or Tapatia Doritos (my new found friend). Moderation is always the key, not deprivation.

In fact, if I was going to make a NY resolution it would be to:

Drink more bubbly!

Now on with the kale. I have been addicted to kale lately. Salad form has been my way of consumption. I don't like tons of ingredients with the kale either. I think it takes away from it when you start adding tons of other veggies. So I guess that's why the picture below looks pretty blah. But I promise you, it is a very tasty salad! You can really add whatever your heart desires.

This is what I used:
4 cups chopped kale (remove the tough stems)
shredded carrots
1 cup roasted corn
1 small Granny Smith apple, diced

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pecorino cheese, grated (I would say about less than 1/4 cup - sorry I don't measure)
1 clove garlic, mashed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

You can make the dressing in a large bowl then add all the salad components on top and then toss. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours so all the flavors will merry. Then enjoy!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Happy New Year! How did you celebrate? We gathered with our friends and had an East Coast New Year's Eve = 9 pm is the new midnight when you have kids. : )

Marcy graciously hosted at her house. 

Loved this fun tablescape, which the kids quickly raided and made lots of celebratory noises.

I made this quick and easy dip: Recipe from Simply Gourmet

I did make one substitution. Instead of using jalapeños, I decided to use pickled jalapeños. I thought maybe the tartness would cut through the bacon and variety of cheeses. And you don't really have to worry about the heat from the pepper seeds either.

6-8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, soft

1 cup of mayonnaise (I used 3/4 cup)

4-6 jalapeno's, chopped and deseeded.  

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup diced green onion

Topping:

1 cup of crushed crackers ( I used Ritz)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 stick of butter, meltedTwo 8oz. blocks of cream cheese

You literally just mix everything together and sprinkle on the cracker topping and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes until bubbly.

Serve with crackers of tortilla chips.