Author Archives: Anne

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About Anne

Family: my wonderful husband, Adam, and our amazing little girl, Isla Dwelling: a small Cape Cod in the suburbs Real job: Human Resources Coordinator and Office Manager for DeskArmor, LLC. Homemaker tip: Even the simplest food can look elegant if you serve it properly. Presenting food on adorable platters is an easy way to impress guests. I am ashamed to admit that: I have never used a lawn mower. (I am blessed with a husband who takes pride in his yard) Three foods I can’t live without: cheese, olive oil, and chicken fingers Most important lesson learned: being a mom is the hardest job you’ll ever love One thing I am afraid of running out of: Clorox anywhere spray…and diapers
by | September 21, 2011 · 9:01 am

Pink and Orange Cowgirl Party

My daughter and my niece both have a birthday in September.  So, this year we decided to throw them a joint birthday party.  My mother-on-law and sister-in-law did such a great job on the decorations and treats.  The girls had such a fun time at their party and the guests enjoyed every detail.

My mother-in-law made this adorable banner that hung by the mantel.

My sister-in-law made and decorated these super cute cook cut out cookies.  They were delicious too!


Each birthday girl had their own vase with their name and age filled with pink and orange flowers.

Friends of the family made this adorable cowgirl cake as a birthday present to the girls.  It tasted as good as it looked!

Guests were given goodie bags adorned with a pin-able sheriff’s badge with their name.  Inside were cowboy stickers, bubbles, a bandana and lots of candy treats.

The birthday girls looked cute in their pink and orange cowgirl shirts and had a blast at their party!

Special thanks to my family for throwing such a wonderful party for the girls!

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by | September 14, 2011 · 8:31 am

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I am not sure why this happens, but the day I turn my calendar to September I start craving all things pumpkin .  I came across these super simple pumpkin cupcakes in my Real Simple magazine last year.  They take only a few minutes to mix up and definitely satisfy my fall pumpkin craving.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

1, 18.5 ounce box of yellow cake mix (NOT the butter recipe) plus the ingredients called for on the package directions
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1, 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin puree
1 batch of cream cheese frosting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two 12 cup muffin tins with liners.  Add the oil and egg as called for in the cake mix directions, however leave out the water that is called for in the directions.  Instead, add the can of pumpkin puree and the pumpkin pie spice.  Blend until well combined.

Evenly  distribute the batter among the 24 muffin tins.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and frost with some cream cheese frosting.  Mmmmm, fall heaven.

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by | September 7, 2011 · 8:39 am

Baked Potato Toppers

We had a wonderfully chilly Labor Day weekend  and I spent most of Monday in my kitchen cooking soup and other fall treats.  We enjoyed an awesome dinner of barbecue ribs, rolls, sweet corn, and baked potatoes.

I love the simplicity of  baked potatoes, but I find them a little boring to serve.  In my house, we eat them with butter, sour cream and shredded cheddar.  I decided to try something different and mixed all 3 of these things together in an effort to make topping our potatoes a little easier.  I created these little potato topper balls and they were a huge hit!  They made our usually boring baked potatoes a little more fun.

Baked Potato Toppers

1 stick butter, softened
2-3 Tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix softened butter with the sour cream and cheese.  Add a small amount of salt and pepper to taste.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the mixture onto a plate into individual serving sizes.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

When placed in a warm potato, all of the ingredients melt together and the potato just soaks it up…delicious!

Want your baked potato to have a little more of a kick?  Try  mixing in cooked, chopped bacon or diced green onions.  Maybe even a dash of chili powder!  Mix it up until you find your perfect combination.

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by | August 31, 2011 · 8:31 am

Summer Couscous Salad

My neighbor is growing cucumbers and they have literally taken over her garden.  Almost daily, I find 2-3 beautiful cucumbers sitting by my back door.  I have gotten pretty creative using these up, and this couscous salad turned out to be one of my favorites.



Summer Couscous salad

1 box near east couscous, any flavor (I used the toasted pine nut)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
handful of fresh garden herbs, minced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Prepare the couscous according to package directions and let it cool.  Mix in the herbs, pine nuts, feta cheese and cucumber.  Mix to combine.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

I love this dish because it is a wonderful side next to grilled chicken or a meal in itself for a light dinner or lunch!

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by | August 24, 2011 · 8:21 am

Compound Butter {fresh summer herbs and jam}

I absolutely love making compound butter throughout the year.  It is so incredibly easy to do and makes eating toast, biscuits or just plain bread so much more fun.  I recently hosted a girls night at my house and served warm crusty bread with a trio of summer fresh compound butter.

I made Strawberry Basil Butter by adding a few teaspoons of chopped fresh basil and 1-2 Tbsp of fresh strawberry jam to 1/2 cup softened butter.

Next up was a Fresh Herb Butter.  I grabbed whatever herbs I had on hand in my garden, chopped them up and mixed them with 1/2 cup softened butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Lastly I made a Cinnamon Honey Butter by adding a few dashes of cinnamon and 1-2 Tbsp of fresh honey to 1/2 cup of softened butter.

I then lined 3 ramekins with saran wrap and placed each of the butters into their own container.  I refrigerated until hard, then removed and plated.  They were so easy to make and everyone raved about them.

What I love the most is that the possibilities are endless!  Sweet or savory, you really can’t go wrong.

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by | August 17, 2011 · 8:43 am

Simple Bread Pudding

The other morning we made one of my favorite breakfasts, Orange Scented french toast with Nutella.  My daughter loves when I use cookie cutters to make this delicious breakfast, but we are always left with lots of crust scraps.

Sometimes I will use them to make bread crumbs, but I wanted to try something new. So I decided to whip up a simple bread pudding, and it was such a treat!

Simple Bread Pudding

About 6-7 slices of day-old bread
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter, softened
4 Tbsp Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 inch baking dish. Tear bread into bite sized pieces and place into the buttered pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Then, slowly whisk in the melted butter.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread making sure each piece is covered with the mixture.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Make the vanilla glaze by mixing all of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Eat the bread pudding warm and drizzle with the vanilla glaze.

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by | August 10, 2011 · 8:22 am

Creamy Chicken Roll Ups

I ate these delicious bundles growing up and they have recently become a comfort food staple in our family.  The recipe uses store bought crescent rolls that are wrapped around a creamy chicken filling. They are incredibly easy to make and you can add a variety of different ingredients to jazz them up, if you would like.

Creamy Chicken Roll Ups

2 Cans Big and Fluffy Crescent Rolls
2 cups shredded chicken
1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 350.  In a bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese with the chicken and the milk.  Set aside.

Unroll your crescent rolls.  Place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the  larger end of the roll.  Fold in the corners and roll, leaving no open spaces for the filling to escape.  Place on a baking sheet.  Continue these steps until you have run out of filling.  I usually make about 8 roll ups.

Brush each roll with a small amount of water and sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

I love the flavor of these just as they are, but if you would like to add a little more of a kick, try adding walnuts, chopped sun dried tomatoes or a few tablespoons of pesto.  It is hard to mess these up, so get as creative as you like!

The filling is incredibly easy to make, but I sometimes will whip up a big batch of the filling over the weekend and then will freeze it into portions that will make about 4 rolls each, just enough for my family.  Then, all I need to do is thaw the filling and grab my crescent rolls.  Can’t get any easier than that!

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by | August 3, 2011 · 9:49 am

Coconut Ice Cream Boulders with Hot Fudge Sauce

Summer is the perfect time to host outdoor dinner parties, but not the perfect time to turn on your oven.  Meals on the grill are a no brainer, but dessert can be a little trickier.  This is my go to summer dessert.  The coconut covered ice cream balls and fudge can be made in advance.  All you need to do is plate the ice cream, heat up the fudge and pour on top.



Coconut Ice Cream Boulders with Hot Fudge Sauce

1 gallon vanilla ice cream
4 cups sweetened coconut
velvety hot fudge sauce
whipped cream and strawberries for garnish

Begin by toasting your coconut either in a pan on your stove or in the oven spread out on a baking sheet.  Cook it very slowly on a low heat (or about 300 degrees) and check often to ensure it doesn’t burn.  Remove from pan when it is lightly brown and toasted.

Scoop out about 1 cup of ice cream with an ice cream scoop.  Mold it into a ball using your hands – think making a snow ball without mittens – it is cold!  Place your finished ice cream balls in the freezer to harden.  Make 6 balls, or as many as you need.

Once they have had a chance to harden, remove them from the freezer and roll in the toasted coconut.  Completely coat each ice cream ball and put back in the freezer.  I like to place each one in an individual baggie or wrap it in saran wrap.

Now, whip up some of the velvety hot fudge sauce and try not to eat it all before your guests arrive.  If you are making the fudge in advance, store it in the fridge and then just reheat when you are ready to use.

Place each Ice Cream Ball on a plate and smother with the hot fudge.

Garnish with a strawberry and whipped cream.

Coconut not your thing?  Try rolling the ice cream in your favorite crushed candy bar or toasted and chopped pecans.  Get as creative as you like with this simple recipe!

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by | July 27, 2011 · 8:29 am

Sweet Pork

My neighbor is from the west coast and raves about a restaurant called Cafe Rio.  She told me they have the most amazing sweet pork and I was desperate to try it, but there isn’t a Cafe Rio anywhere close to Wisconsin.   I did a quick search and found tons of knock-off recipes, all of which contained the same ingredients: pork, Coke, green chilies, enchilada sauce and brown sugar.  I have no idea what the Cafe Rio sweet pork tastes like, but I was pretty sure if I used all of these ingredients I would come up with a pretty awesome dish  So, I made it a couple times, tweaking the amounts each time, until I found just the right flavor combination.  I have no idea if this is what the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork tastes like, but all I know is this recipe is delicious!

Sweet Pork

2 pound pork shoulder
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1 can regular Coke
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (I use medium, but add whatever your preference is!)
3/4 cup brown sugar

Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper and place in your slow cooker. Add ½ can of coke and water and cook on low for about 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and shred the meat. Dump any drippings left in the crock pot and wipe it clean.

In a blender, blend the other 1/2 can of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and ¾ cup of brown sugar. Place your sauce in the crock pot with your shredded pork.  Add some extra Coke if your sauce is too thick.  Cook on low for another 2 hours to allow the meat to soak up the sauce.

You can eat this on a bun with coleslaw for a tasty sandwich, over greens to give your salad an extra kick, or, my favorite, grilled up in a quesadilla with cheese and corn salsa.

This recipe also makes quite a bit of meat.  I like to portion it out and freeze it in large ziplock bags.  It reheats wonderfully!

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by | July 21, 2011 · 8:24 am

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Every once in awhile I come across a recipe that is so good, it instantly gets put into my monthly rotation.  This chicken Taquitos recipe adapted from Our Best Bites is just that kind of recipe.  It is seriously good and quite easy to make, but the best part is that these little, baked taquitos can be doubled and frozen so you can eat them any time of day with almost no effort.

The chicken taquitos are filled with a delicious creamy chicken mixture and then baked up to crispy perfection.  I serve them with a sauce of equal parts mashed avocado and sour cream.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or pepper jack if you prefer more of a kick!)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Line a cooking sheet with tin foil or a silpan and set aside.

Mix the softened cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, seasonings, cilantro, shredded chicken and cheese.  Stir until well combined.  Now you are ready to fill your tortillas.  The tortillas I buy are very soft and usually don’t crack.  If you are having a problem with this, just microwave them for a couple seconds each in order to get them to a nice pliable consistency.

Take your tortillas and place a small amount of the filling (2-3 tsps) in a line a little off center.

Roll the tortilla up completely and place it seam side down on your prepared cookie sheet.

Continue until you run out of filling.

Spray each taquito with a mist of cooking spray or olive oil from an olive oil mister and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Bake for 15-20 minute or until the they are crispy and lightly brown.  Dip in cool, creamy ranch dressing, guacamole or sour cream.

If you prefer to freeze the taquitos for another time, place them in a freezer safe bag after you roll each taquito up, but before you spray them with the cooking spray.  Then when you are ready to eat, just take them out of the freezer, pop them on a cookie sheet, spray them and sprinkle some salt on them.  Bake at 425 for about 20-23 minutes.  No need to thaw!

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