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Venison Marinade + Grilled Deer Steak Recipe

Venison Marinade + Grilled Deer Steak Recipe

Venison Marinade and Grilled Deer Steak Recipe: This deer steak marinade is delicious for grilling or frying venison on the stovetop. I’m also sharing how to grill deer steaks, one of our favorites on how to cook deer steak.

Deer Meat Marinade Cooked on the grill

If you’re more of a “fried” recipe lover… then you’ll want to make sure that you grab my fried deer meat recipe that my dad let me share with all of you a while back (and even how to cut deer for best results) or use that air fryer to cook venison!

Venison Marinade Recipe

Poking around in the kitchen, I grabbed what I had on hand and what I thought would mix a great marinade.

I have to say, it turned out pretty good and honestly took out a lot of the gamey flavor.

So if you’re someone who doesn’t like such a strong “game” flavor in their meat, you may just love this marinade recipe. Plus, it uses ingredients that you more than likely have on hand!

Deer meat marinade recipe ingredients: soy sauce, hot sauce, brown sugar
Mix the deer marinade recipe mixed together in glass bowl.

You’ll find the complete recipe below, but I want to walk you through with pictures and tips along the way in case you’re more of a visual person.

Once you’ve mixed the marinade together in a bowl, it’s time to pour it over your steaks.

How to Marinate Deer Steaks

When it comes to marinating the steaks, I prefer to put them inside a plastic zip-top bag and pour the marinade over them.

It makes cleanup a breeze is easy to flip and turn the steaks around while marinating. But we’ll get in to that in just a second…

Raw deer steaks in plastic bag.

Pour your marinade over the steaks, inside the bag, and then seal it COMPLETELY.

Deer steaks in plastic bag with marinade.

Next you can either lay the steaks flat in the refrigerator, or you can place them inside a bowl.

I prefer to place them in a small bowl, so it really surrounds the steaks with the marinade, instead of the juices rolling around, not touching the meat.

However, when placing it in a bowl it’s a good idea to rotate the meat around after a few hours to make sure the bent areas get marinated too. 

Venison put in bowl to really force marinade to surround me, rotating often.

Allow the steaks to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

I left my deer steaks in the refrigerator overnight and as you’ll see below, they came out with a perfect, marinated brown color from the juices! No, they’re ready for the grill!

Deer steak sitting on white plate after marinating.

How to Grill Deer Steak

If you have time, allow the steaks to come to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat your grill to high heat, and place your steaks on the hottest part of the grill and sear for 3-4 minutes.

Marinated venison steak on grill.

Brush with Melted Butter

Deer steaks are very lean and different than beef steaks, so coating with butter after grilling is a great way to prevent the deer from drying out.

Check out this amazing Garlic Herb Steak Butter if you’re feeling super creative!

When done, brush with butter for extra moisture and juicy steaks

Deer Steak Temperature

At 3-4 minutes over high heat, you’ll have a deer steak that’s medium. If you prefer your steaks to be cooked longer, that’s completely fine. Please just know that venison can overcook quickly and that steaks continue to cook even after you remove them from the grill.

Grilled marinated deer steak on white plate.
Sliced venison steak, cooked, on white platter.

This is an absolutely beautiful steak, and a great way to cook deer meat when hunting season is here! Serve this with some grilled mixed vegetables and you’ll have a delicious meal.

Bite of sliced marinated venison on fork.

How to Store Leftover Venison

The best way to keep leftover venison is to store in an air-tight container, once cooled off from cooking. Or, chop up in to little pieces and use in this venison chili recipe!

More Steak Recipes

If you’re a steak lover like those in our house, then you’ll definitely want to try this oven baked steak, where I show you how to cook a beefsteak in the oven that will make your mouth water!

Or if pork is more your style, these bbq pork steaks are a HUGE hit with over 250, 5-star ratings!

Recipe

Sliced of venison that was cooked with a deer marinade.
Print Pin
4.82 from 27 votes

Deer Steak Marinade & How to Grill Deer Meat

This deer steak marinade is delicious for grilling or frying on the stovetop. I’m also sharing how to grill deer steaks, one of our favorites on how to cook deer steak.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings 2 steaks
Calories 401kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ inch-thick deer steaks
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • ¾ cup worcestershire sauce We use Lea & Perrins
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 5 dashes hot sauce or per taste
  • salt and pepper to taste Remember soy sauce has a LOT of salt already
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, Worcheshire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.
  • Place steaks in gallon size ziptop bag and pour marinade over steaks, pushing out air, and sealing the bag.
  •  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably overnight, moving the bag around often to make sure all steaks sit in marinade at some point.
  • When ready to cook, remove steaks from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, or as close as possible. (Do not microwave.)

  • Preheat grill to high heat and place steaks over the hot part of the grill, and grill on each side for 3-4 minutes.
  • Pull steaks off of the grill, coat with melted butter and let rest for 3-4 minutes.
  • Steaks will be a “medium” steak at this cook time. If you prefer steaks that are well done, cook on the grill an additional minute until steak reaches desired “doneness”. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1steak | Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 7611mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 13.4mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 8.5mg

Daily Planner – Free Printable

Daily Planner Free Printable – this cute and free day planner sheet is the BEST for staying organized during the day. Why? Because YOU helped create it!

Daily Planner Printable - Free Download

Daily Planner – Free Printable

Have you ever searched for a cute, practical, organizing daily planner, only to come up short handed? Yeah, me too.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have found planners that work for me, but I still feel like I’m wasting space and I’m still crossing things out to make it more of “my own” to help me stay on track for the day. I still felt like something was missing from the planner that I was using.

I also made this monthly planner that has helped on a bigger scale!

Is Something Missing From Your Daily Planner?

Then you all said something that started to make me really wonder…

“Jessica, PAH-LEESE create a planner that we can actually use!”

I hear you, heard you, and am exploring the idea to see if it’s something that should be created.

Gotta Start Somewhere!

So when I sat down to dream up what the BEST daily planner sheet would and could include in a daily planner (and after asking all of you for your input too) I’m sharing the result (and free download) with you to use NOW! Because why wait until everything is perfect.

That’s not real life, right? So, let’s see if we like this planner sheet… and if we do, it will validate that there needs to be more where that came from, yes? Yes.

Daily Planner Printables Free Organizer - so cute and best for organization!

But First…What do YOU Want a Planner to have?

So although this daily planner sheet is ready for you to use, that doesn’t mean that it’s the final version. It also doesn’t mean that it’s the only sheet that could be in the planner.

So what does this mean?

I want to hear from YOU! What do YOU want the daily planning sheet to have? And what other types of planning sheets would you like to see in a planner?

Daily Planner Printables Free Organizer - so cute and best for organization!

Some suggestions have been:

  • Pre-dated Sheets or Undated for use all year long?
  • A physical planner
  • Digital download sheets to make your own
  • 5 x 8 or 8.5 x 11 size sheets/planner
  • Real life mom inspiration quotes, bible verses
  • Budget sheets
  • Meal planning sheets
  • Inside pocket
  • Stickers
  • To-do list for kids
  • Mom Hacks
  • Spiral-bound

Let’s hear your suggestions! I’d love to incorporate all that I can, to make it even better!

Or, feel free to let me know in the comments below, on Facebook or even send me an email at jessica(@)fantabulosity.com

Get Your Free Daily Planner Printable:

If you’d like to use this daily planner sheet now, go for it! I hope it helps you get more organized with your days, so you have more time to focus on the things that matter!

Then, download, print, hole punch if you prefer… and store it in your favorite 3-ring binder!

Download the Daily Planner Printable HERE!

3 Bean Salad Recipe – Mexican Side Dish

3 Bean Salad Recipe – Mexican Side Dish: An easy, no-cook, side dish recipe that can be made for a weeknight dinner, or for a potluck dinner at an event!

Salad recipes are my favorite. They’re super easy to make, can be made ahead of time (for the most part) and are usually loved and wanted by all!

3 bean salad recipe - cilantro lime, black beans, dark red kidney beans, pinto

3 Bean Salad Recipe

I’m not going to lie. When I’m at a potluck dinner, I typically reach right over the bean salads and head right for the potato dishes.

But now that I’ve made my own 3 bean salad recipe and have realized just how delicious they can be, I’ll be giving them a fair chance at the next church picnic.

Mexican Style Bean Salad

If you’ve made my guacamole recipe,

How to make guacamole - easy recipe with simple ingredients

then you know my love for cilantro and all things that remind me of a trip to Mexico!

Mexico Vacation, El Dorado Royale Resort Casitas Review https://fantabulosity.com

But in any dish, combine cilantro AND red onion and you’re speaking my love language.

The fresh cilantro, avocado lime dressing (store-bought, but you can make your own too) and the flavors of the beans, make this side salad dish a no-brainer for the next time you need something quick and tasty!

How to Make 3 Bean Salad

To start, open your cans of beans, drain, add to a colander, and rinse.

Next, open and drain your corn, then add to the bowl of beans. (Or make this Mexican street corn to kick things up a notch!)

3 bean salad recipe - beans to use

If you haven’t diced your peppers and red onion yet, you’ll want to go ahead and do that now, and then add to the beans/corn.

If you don’t have a chopper like this one, to quickly chop peppers and onions… you gotta give it a try. It’s a life changer when it comes to chopping in the kitchen.

3 Bean Salad Recipe - Cilantro Lime

3 Bean Salad Dressing

The next part is quite possibly my favorite step because it’s so easy! I found a Sweet Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing from Sam’s Choice, at Walmart when I was ordering online with my grocery pickup app, planning to make this salad recipe.

Now you know me, and how I prefer fabulously fast dishes, rather than making complete, from scratch meals… so buying a dressing instead of having to make it myself, was a no-brainer.

HOWEVER, if you have trouble finding this dressing at the store, have fun with it and look to see if you can find something similar, like a lime-dressing.

Or, you CAN make your own dressing too! I have put the ingredients for a 3 bean salad dressing recipe in the recipe card below too, that uses everyday ingredients. So again, don’t stress about finding this particular dressing.

Sweet Cilantro Lime Dressing - sams choice from walmart
Easy dressing idea for 3 bean salad recipe

Once you’ve poured the desired amount of dressing on to your bean salad, toss until mixed, add a dash of salt, and top with fresh cilantro if you have some on hand!

There’s just nothing better than fresh cilantro if you ask me. But I’m not one of those that think that it tastes like soap!

It’s such a mystery to me, with how that works and we can all taste different things like that. (Sorry, squirrel moment.)

3 bean salad recipe - quick and easy and a great side dish idea

Isn’t that a gorgeous 3-bean salad? I just love the vibrant colors that it has, the texture of the crunch of the peppers and onions, and the ease of the dressing.

Let us know in the comments below if you’re trying 3 bean salad for the first time, or if you’ve been a long time fan of it!

Recipe

3 bean salad recipe - cilantro lime, black beans, dark red kidney beans, pinto
Print Pin
4.80 from 29 votes

3 Bean Salad Recipe – Mexican Style

3 Bean Salad Recipe – Mexican Style: An easy, no-cook, side dish recipe that can be made for a weeknight dinner, or for a potluck dinner at an event!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 106kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 15.5 oz can black beans rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can pinto beans rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can corn drained
  • .5 red bell pepper diced
  • .5 orange bell pepper diced
  • .5 yellow bell pepper diced
  • .5 green bell pepper diced
  • .25 red onion diced
  • .5 cup Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
  • salt to taste
  • fresh cilantro (if desired) chopped

Instructions

  • Drain and rinse all beans and pour into medium size bowl
  • Drain corn and add to beans
  • Add in peppers, onions and dressing
  • If desired, sprinkle on fresh cilantro and salt to taste

Notes

If you’re unable to find the dressing that I used, you can make a 3 bean salad dressing with the following:
¼ c red wine vinegar, ¼ c olive oil, 2 T lime juice, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T salt, 1 clove crushed garlic/garlic powder, and a pinch of sugar for a sweet spin!
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about 1 cup) | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 86mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 51.8mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Hosting a Fiesta?

This is an OLD Fiesta Housewarming party that I helped style for a friend, years… I mean YEARS ago, but you may still find some fun ideas for your fiesta!

Fiesta Housewarming Party Ideas Margaritas in Mason Jars

Don’t Forget to Pin This Recipe!!!

You know how life gets. We see something online and say to ourselves,

“Man that looks good. I should make that sometime.”

Then we close out of the browser and never think about it again. Do yourself a favor and PIN this recipe to your Pinterest board, so the next time you’re looking for a pot luck side dish idea, you’ll have this one to turn to!

Purse Organization: How to Organize the Inside of your Handbag

This post was sponsored by Playtex® Simply Gentle Glide™. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Purse Organization: How to Organize the Inside of your Handbag – Keeping related items in one spot, in a designated pouch can help you say “goodbye” to purse digging!

Purse Organizer - DIY Purse Organization and how to organize the inside

Purse Organization

Oh how excited I am to finally be sharing with you, my purse organization strategy.

As you know, when it comes to organizing, I owe all of my natural organizing “skillz” to my momma. She is a genius when it comes to making sure that everything has a “home,” and growing up seeing that… I’ve developed SOME of the same tendencies when it comes to organization.

How to Organize the Inside of your Handbag

What I’m sharing today isn’t a certain organization product that you have to purchase at the store, but rather a system that you can implement and create in your own handbag, for exactly what YOU need!

Purse from Nordstrom - How to organize a handbag

The purse I decided to use today for this tutorial is a larger handbag, without dividers, because I feel that these are a major culprit of where things tend to disappear into the big black “hole.”

How to organize beauty items inside of a purse

1. Health + Beauty Pouch

I start organizing by categorizing the items in my purse, and since my health and beauty items tend to take up most of the space, I start organizing these.

Using a small makeup bag, I place items in it like:

  • Playtex® Simply Gentle Glide™ Tampons
  • Mirror
  • Nail Kit
  • Lotion
  • Facial Tissues
  • Lip Gloss
  • Hair Tie + Hair Pins
  • Pain Reliever
  • Hand Sanitizer
Mini organizer - small items for inside of a purse

I also include a smaller pouch that includes teeny tiny beauty “emergency” items like:

  • Deodorant Wipes
  • Needle + Thread
  • Fingernail File
  • Mouthwash
  • Fabric Tape
  • Lip Balm

Then, I just slip the little pouch into the makeup bag, and it’s all contained in one spot! No more digging and fumbling around looking for what you need, when you need it.

Separate kids items in purse to organize

2. Kid Zone

If you’re not a mom then this may not pertain to you… but I’m going to go out on a limb and say you can use this idea for your own stationery needs though too.

I’d much rather have any items that my kids may want or need while out in public, all in one spot. Usually, when they want or ask for something out of my purse, it’s because we need it in a hurry.

You know what I’m talking about. The moments in the store when you just want to get grocery shopping done and they’re so over sitting in the cart, or when you’re out to dinner with friends and they’re getting antsy?

It’s like you can’t get something out fast enough to hopefully entertain them so you can finish.

This pouch (which is typically another small makeup bag, or a pencil bag will work) is where I keep things like colored pencils, small notepads, and small little toys. Then, when I need to grab something for them, I can easily grab this bag and everything I need for them is right there, super handy.

Where I keep my phone, pen keys and other items that are often grabbed

3. Convenience Pocket

You know what pocket I’m talking about… the one that almost every.single.purse has. Friends, don’t fall in to the trap of slipping everything into this pocket.

Save this little handy feature for ONLY the items that you need to access often. Things like:

  • Keys
  • Phone
  • Sunglasses
  • Pen
  • Gum

It may be hard at first to get used to placing those items in to that pocket only, but after a while, it will become second nature to slip your keys and other important items in that handy spot.

What a world of peace you have when you actually find something that you need quickly.

The items I keep inside of my purse to organize it

File Them In

After the small items are organized into bigger items, it’s time to start placing them inside your purse.

During this, I don’t so much worry about where things go, because this part typically moves around quite a bit and that’s not a big deal when the pouches are big enough to see and grab when needed.

Biggest item in the purse first, to keep things organized

TIP: Now although it doesn’t really matter how and where you place your items in to your purse, I DO typically try and place the biggest item in first if I have more of a narrow handbag, so I’m not having to pull big things out to find the smaller items.

Next, wallet for the purse organization

My Purse Contents:

In my bag, you’ll find my makeup bag and wallet, and kid zone bag…

Purse organization - how to keep things organized
If there's room, and when I'm working, I keep my planner and laptop in my purse too.

…then depending on the handbag, if I have room for my planner, that is DEFINITELY going with me. Odds are, when I don’t have it on me, I need it.

How to organize a purse: Purse organizer

In this specific handbag, I love how I also have room for a bottle of water to take along.

Not Pictured:

I do also keep my son’s emergency epilepsy medicine in the right-hand side, of this purse, which comes in a large plastic box… but I knew that this doesn’t apply to a lot of you, so I purposely left it out.

Although, I still have room for that on the other end of my purse! So if you have things like epi-pens, or other medical items to carry around with you, then you can totally relate! If it’s smaller medicine, then keeping it in the health and beauty pouch would work perfectly for this!

When you need something in a hurry, especially a medical emergency, what a life-saver (literally) having it all organized, can be. Right?

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, keep it simple, use what you have on hand and your purse can quickly be something that’s no longer a black hole where things disappear.

So as you can see, you don’t need a lot of extras or a big fancy organization system for your purse. In today’s world, sometimes there’s just too much extra! Just like when it comes to your tampons, you want them to work with the things you need – comfort, protection, and none of the “extra” bells and whistles you don’t.

What Did I Miss?

What do you keep in your purse? I’d love to hear. Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments below, and share this post with your friends to help them snag some purse organization sanity too!

41 Open When Letter Ideas and FREE Printables

Open When Letters – Ideas for a boyfriend, best friend, husband, etc. or loved one, with a list of ideas of what to put in them and free printable cards!

Open when letters - ideas and free printable

I absolutely love creating printable cards, printable decor for home, and even creating birthday invitations, so these “Open When” Letters were right up my alley too!

Open When Letters

So what are open when letters? Well, if you are in a long-distance relationship, have a dear friend or relative far away, or if you find yourself away from your sweetheart longer than you’d like, creating a gift that allows you to speak to them when you are away is more than words can describe. I especially love the open when letters ideas as a birthday present for my husband.

Even though it’s hard to top the year that I kept a secret from him for a YEAR and surprised him for his 30th birthday with a trip to Mexico with friends… this heartfelt gift just keeps on giving all year!

See ALL of our gift ideas for the sweet person in your life! 

Open When Letters can be a sweet way to send a heartfelt message to your loved one when it’s hard to find the right words to say, and they’re just super fun anyway to create and give!

How do Open When Letters Work?

Open when letters work just like a regular handwritten card.

However, the difference is that you give them instructions on the letter for when they are supposed to open them.

They can be specific such as an anniversary or a set date, or broad such as “when we’re having a fight”.

You can be as creative as you want with these, and the more specific they are to your loved one, the better the experience will be.

Free Printables and Envelope Ideas

When I created my own, I wanted to make them so I could re-use the master copies for a friend, relative or even my husband again one day.

Then, when I made them, I remembered that I can’t keep a good thing to myself, so I wanted to share 4 different free printables with you so you can make your own! You find where to save them below.

Here’s how I made mine, and hopefully it will spark some ideas and help make your “open when” letter project a little easier!

Open when letters - how to make

How do you write open when letters?

I simply grabbed size A2 envelopes from Walmart, and I had NO idea until I picked up my Walmart grocery pick-up that it was a box of envelopes AND cards! BONUS! I thought it was just the envelopes. Woot! (You can grab a2 envelopes and cards on Amazon HERE if you prefer shopping there!)

However, for the letters that I’d be writing, I had already decided to use colorful paper that I already had on hand for the letters that I’ll put inside the envelopes, so I’ll save the blank cards for something else later.

But to make things super easy, you can totally use the cards that come with the envelopes! 

Cards for open when letters

Once I had everything that I needed to get started on the open when letters, it was time to print off the printable cards.

Blank “Open When” Cards

When creating the master printable card, I ALMOST typed in the “when” on each card, until I realized that I may like to switch things up sometimes and that not everyone has the same relationship and things to say to one another as I do to my husband.

So, I thought the blank space to write in exactly what you want it to say, would be the best bet.

Plus, I think the handwritten “when” on each card has more of a personal touch, and how sweet is that, right?

"Hey love" open when letters - free printables

Free Printable Open When Letter Cards – Four Options

I have included four different options in case you prefer one over the other.

“Hey Love,” in Pink or in Black

…for a boyfriend, husband, finance, etc.

SAVE the Pink “HEY LOVE” CARDS HERE

Pink Open When Card Printables

Save the Black “HEY LOVE” Open When Printable Cards Here!

Printable Open When Cards

and

“Hey You,”

…for a friend, sibling, relatives, etc.

Save the Pink “HEY YOU” Open When Printable CARDS HERE

Printable Open When Cards in Pink

Save the Black “HEY YOU” Open When Printable Cards HERE!

Printable Open When Cards in Black

This way, you can choose which of the above greetings works best for the person you’re sending them too!

Note: I’ve included a list of ideas below of what you can fill in the blanks with.

To Write:

For the hand-written portion on the free cards, I’m a sucker for a good gold metallic sharpie, and I thought it looked adorable paired with the coral border and font on the card.

(Perhaps I’m partial to these colors because of the colors I use in my logo here on the blog, but I digress.)

Open when letter ideas - for boyfriend, husband or friend

Cut.It.Out.

(Insert the impression of Joey from Full House here. Just me? Ok, sorry.)

Once the cards are cut out, they’re ready to glue on the front of each envelope!

Blank "open when" letter printables - free
Glue on the free open when download cards and put letters in the envelopes

Glue on to the front of each envelope:

I just grabbed a glue stick from my kid’s coloring cart and went to town. This worked amazingly well actually and I’d highly recommend it.

I did hesitate using the glue sticks that we had, because they were purple, but I was excited to see that it dries clear, so that made a big difference!

Open when free printable download
Write the open when letters to put in the envelopes

Write a little note for inside:

Once the cards are glued (or taped is fine too) on to the outside of the envelopes, it’s time to start writing your sweet love notes to go inside.

I kept mine short and sweet and sealed each letter into the coordinating envelope and it was ready to seal!

Open when cards - free download and ideas
Open when letters and ideas for boyfriend, husband, friend, sister, brother, military, etc.

Seal for the perfect time!

After you’ve inserted your little note into the envelope, it’s time to seal and it’s ready for them to open when needed!

Box/Bag Them Up!

Although you can give them to your loved one just like they are (or with a rubber band wrapped around all of them) I thought it would be a super cute touch to put them into a cute basket, box or bag.

I even love the idea of putting them in a decorated shoebox, recipe card box, or narrow plastic container with a lid, (almost like a library card file) so they can sort through them easily when they’re looking for the right one!

Here are a few fun ideas of what you can put the open when letters in. Just keep in mind you get a size that will work with the size of envelopes that you used!

The Ground Rules for Open-When Letters

Rules? Well that sounds pretty harsh, but let’s just say when you’re dealing with someone who wants to read them all RIGHT NOW, it may be best to give them some guidelines.

When you first give them this Open When Letters set, you want to start by having an “open first” letter to get the ball rolling.

This should include the “rules” of when to open the letters and how it works. You also want to make your letters in such a way that they won’t open them all in one go. Try to space them out the best you can, and let life handle the rest!

Open When Letters - Ideas for a boyfriend, husband, best friend

Open When Letter Ideas and Topics:

Here are a few ideas to help you get the ball rolling, and with the “fill in the blank” free printable open when cards that I’m giving you, you have the freedom to choose which cards work best for you and your loved one! 

Feel free to fill in your own “open when’s” on the cards to really customize the experience!

Open when…

  • You first get this
  • You are having a good day
  • You can’t fall asleep
  • You need a good laugh
  • You are upset
  • You are feeling lonely
  • You feel really far away
  • You need a reminder of how much I love you
  • You are worried
  • You could use a pep talk
  • It’s your birthday
  • It’s our anniversary
  • You miss me
  • You are mad at me
  • You feel bad about yourself
  • You need a hug
  • You are sick
  • You feel like giving up
  • You’ve made a mistake
  • You want a surprise
  • We’ve said goodbye
  • I’m angry
  • You need to make a big decision
  • I’m driving you crazy
  • Someone passes away
  • You’re missing home
  • It’s my birthday
  • You’re stressed out
  • You’re bored
  • You want to talk to me
  • We haven’t been able to talk in a while
  • You don’t feel loved in a while
  • It’s Christmas Eve
  • It’s New Year’s Eve
  • It’s Valentine’s Day
  • It’s [insert favorite holiday]
  • You’re feeling nostalgic
  • You’ve forgotten what I smell like
  • You’re nervous
  • You’re embarrassed
  • You’re thinking about the future

The Perfect Love Letter Ideas

Open When Letters can be a thoughtful and sweet way to show your spouse that you love them. Instead of trying to come up with the right words on the spot, prepare these letters ahead of time so you can say the right thing at just the right time.

Do you have a fun “open when” letter idea? I’d love to hear it below in the comments!

How to Respect Your Husband & How it May Save a Marriage

How to respect your husband and How it May Save Your Marriage – Respecting our husband is HARD at times, but it could be what saves our relationships.
 
How to Respect Husband - In marriage

How to Respect Your Husband & How it May Save a Marriage

Respecting my husband. I’m awful at it.
Can I get real with you for a minute? Our 9 year wedding anniversary (but 19 years together) is coming up this week. For all of those years, I THOUGHT I respected my husband. I’d even argue the fact when we would get in to quarrels.
I mean, in my head I did respect him for some areas in life. But my “always having to be right” attitude/personality crippled me/us more than I realized. Or the thought of “Well he’s my husband and my boy’s dad… it’s his job. He should HAVE to help/do this for me,” would become my snotty attitude.
Now, don’t get me wrong… I’m talking “past tense” in this post, because I’m still struggling and learning about respecting my husband today.
 
 

You May Also Love This Marriage Talk:

 
 

So Why the “How to Respect Your Husband” Jargon?

I started reading the book “Love and Respect,” (Thank you to who referred this book to me) a few weeks ago, and I haven’t even reached the part where it gives us tips on how to respect my husband.
BUT… it has covered WHY it is so stinking important in a marriage, and what kind of crazy good returns it can have when we respect our husbands. Our husbands want/NEED respect from us, while we want “love” from our husbands.

“Respect Testing” 

Now, I’ve started “testing,” if you will… being super intentional about respecting my husband, and holy smokes ladies. We still don’t have a perfect marriage, and we still get in to quarrels… but the closeness and husband superhero-tendencies, have REALLY shown through as an outcome of this respect practicing.
 
Perhaps I’m noticing these changes because he really does feel respected, so he’s showing me more love in the process… or it could also be that my mental mindset of respecting him has shifted, instead of focusing on what he does wrong and how I feel that he’s not loving me in certain ways. Whatever it is… I’ll take it.

For Real… Read It.

So do I think you need to read the book? YES.
Do you hate to read? I do. Here’s what I did…
 
Since I despise reading, I downloaded the Kindle version on my phone, and I read it when I’m going to bed at night and can’t fall asleep because I’m thinking about all of the stressful things going on in my life right now. (Instead of spending that time browsing Facebook and Pinterest like I used to.)
It makes my mind pause and push those awful thoughts to the back burner, and focuses on my marriage and the love and respect I want it to have.
I also read this when I wake up in the middle of the night, and can’t go back to sleep. (Reading puts me to sleep if you haven’t gathered this already.)

My Marriage Depends On It 

So although I can’t stand to read, I knew this was a book that I had to read and I had to find a way that I would. I hope if you decide to read this too, that you find a way that works best for you. Whether it be a hard copy, an audio version, or a digital version like me… please know that I truly feel my marriage depended on this, in this moment in life, and I’m so thankful already for the first few chapters of this book. It’s not a cure-all, and we won’t all have a perfect marriage because of this book. But after reading this, I’m able to say to myself… “I truly believe I’m doing everything I know how to do in this moment, to make my marriage better than it is.”

Gag. He Needs to EARN My Respect!

If you even have the SLIGHTEST feeling that you may not be respecting your husband like you could… give this book a read. If you find yourself saying, “Oh Jessica, gag. When he starts earning my respect, I’ll give it to him.” Know that I was/am still a bit there. But I’ve also learned that, that kind of attitude isn’t doing anyone any good. Including myself, my kids, or my husband.

Is It You? 

I woke up at 4:50 this morning, with this heavy on my mind so I jumped out of bed to share this with you all. I don’t know if that’s because someone needed to hear it, or I posted it just to acknowledge it myself… but either way, I hope it helps someone today.
 
You can snag the book on Amazon here: 

Love and Respect

(That’s my affiliate link, which means I could make like 20 cents if you use it. So don’t think I’m referring this book to you to get rich. I truly am referring this book to you to enhance your marriage/life, and I love using my affiliate links to track and see if any of you are interested in books/reading. Feel free to type in “Love and Respect” in to your Amazon search bar if you don’t want to use my referral link.)
 

What Others Have Told Me About this Book…

In our Creating Your Happy group (more on that below), other’s have read this book and this is what some of them have said about it:
 
Savanna:
“My husband and I actually went through the Love and Respect class….twice….PRE marriage. We still regularly remind each other to “speak pink/blue”. It’s difficult to do at times, for SURE…. but as you said… HOLY MOLY the results are a much happier marriage!”
Dottie:
“Read it yrs ago and it absolutely hit home. I think I’ll pick it up again for a refresher!”

The Fab Society Facebook Group 

I’d love to hear from you below if you have anything you want to share! Even if you just want to join my “I suck(ed) at respecting my husband for years,” club, so I know I’m not alone. 🙂
“The Fab Society” is a sister of the life + style blog, Fantabulosity.com, a place where we encourage women to find their passions in life, and overall happiness. Watch some of our recent Creating Your Happy videos on topics like marriage, finance, parenting and so much more, like this one here:

As a mom, wife, sister, friend, employee, boss, and whatever else society calls you… we sometimes need to be reminded what it is that makes us happy, so we can fulfill our duties with the best intentions and that way we choose and want.

DISCLAIMER from the owner/founder: “I fail each day, trying to be the “best,” mom, wife, sister, and friend. But if I can be intentional & recognize one LITTLE thing that I accomplished that day… I can be “happy,” with that, and should celebrate it.”

Please feel free to post in our group any celebrations (big or small) that you’d like for us to celebrate with you. Sometimes seeing it on “paper” can help us acknowledge and appreciate it even more. XOXO

Join Now for FREE!

How respecting your husband can save your marriage

Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween Party Ideas: A fun, easy party table for snacks for trick-or-treaters or for a party that you’re hosting!

Halloween Party Ideas for kids - Fantabulosity.com

A Wicked Play Date – Halloween Party Tablescape

My boys are at the age where just about ANYTHING is fun, or can be turned in to a lot of fun. So each time a holiday rolls around, they get extremely excited and love to get in to the theme.

Halloween is probably one of their favorites. They dress up in costumes all year long (and love making these Nutter Butter mummy cookies) so when they’re “supposed” to wear costumes to Halloween parties and for trick or treating… well they’re on cloud 9.

This year, as part of the Make it Martha team for Martha Stewart.com, I received fun goodies from the Martha Stewart line at Michael’s and thought I’d create a fun play date party table for the kids and a couple of their friends.

Halloween Party Decor

The party-ready Halloween decor made decorating for this wicked play date, SO easy. The dimensional decor, diecuts, washi tape, and other goodies all went together so well that it took out all of the guesswork of styling the table.

Martha Stewart Halloween Decorations for Party at Michael's - Fantabulosity.com
Martha Stewart Halloween Decorations for Party at Michael's - Fantabulosity.com
Halloween Party Decorating Ideas - Martha Stewart from Michael's
Halloween Party Decorating Ideas - Martha Stewart Die Cuts
Halloween Washi Tape from Martha Stewart from Michael's - Fantabulosity.com

I already had the kraft favor bags on hand, and decided to dress them up with the washi tape and stickers from the collection, and it was the perfect touch! (And SO SO easy.)

Fill treat bags with this Halloween Snack Mix and you’ll have very happy guests!

Halloween Party Favors - Washi Tape and treat bags
Halloween Party Die Cuts from Martha Stewart are an easy way to add tabletop decor
Halloween Party Favors - Monster Eye Glasses

Halloween Party Food

My boys LOVE a good donut. I guess it’s safe to say that they get that from their mother. (It’s my rainy day pick-me-up, kryptonite.) So after realizing that they were about to be overflowing with candy from the school parties and actual trick or treating on Halloween, I wanted something other than candy.

So donuts it is! (Besides… I secretly wanted an excuse to buy both kinds of donuts.) After seeing others put scary teeth inside donuts at Halloween parties, it was a MUST for these too. I literally chucked every time I looked at these. Then, with the white powdered donuts… well those just needed some googly eyes to make them a little more fun.

I wish I would have made this pumpkin patch with strawberry pumpkins too but I ran out of time!

Monster Donuts for a Halloween Party for kids - food idea
Halloween Party Food Ideas - Monster Donuts Fantabulosity.com

If you love these donuts, you’re also going to love how easy it is to make these mummy rice krispie treats!

Halloween Donuts - Candy Eyes and white powdered donuts. So cute for a halloween party idea

Halloween Party Drink

For some reason when I think of drinks for a Halloween party, I think of RED. So we loved making this fruit punch recipe and dicing up fruit to add some character.

The “poison” stickers really made a statement though! You can get these poison stickers if you’d like to do the same!

Halloween Party Drink Idea - poison potion
Halloween Party Drink Ideas - Poison Potion - Sangria Mocktail

Are You Hosting A Halloween Party?

The boys absolutely swooned over the table full of tricks & treats, and it was the perfect jumpstart for all of the Halloween festivities!

If you’re looking for a fun Halloween craft for kids to make, this Ghost craft idea is fun for kiddos as little as toddlers to older kids!

Halloween Party Ideas for Kids - Martha Stewart from Michael's - Fantabulosity
Halloween Party Play Date Ideas - Fantabulosity

I mean… those eyes, right?! I rarely say no to this one.

To check out more of our parties and holiday-themed ideas, you can browse away all things holidays, especially if you’d love to see another purple party like this one!

Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip

Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip – A quick and easy, no bake dip recipe that can be served cold or hot. Serve with chips, french fries, or even on top of a delicious steak recipe.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Bacon Dip- Easy dip recipe for a party, or to serve alongside french fries, chips, or a steak!

Buffalo Bacon Blue Cheese Dip

When making the Baked Fiesta Ranch Potato Wedges the other day, we got the hankering (yes, we say that in the midwest) for a tasty little dip to go with it. But as you know, if it’s coming from my kitchen, it better be easy, and slightly homemade.

So when our minds got to brainstorming about a dip with a kick, we realized that combining just a few ingredients… we not only made a dip that was tasty and easy… but it was a no-bake, no-cook dip too. I mean, how much stinking easier can it get!? (It’s just as easy as this homemade blue cheese dip, too!)

No-Bake Dip for a Party

Have you ever been in charge of a side dish for a party? You know, when the host says,

Oh just bring a side dish. Something easy.

Usually “something easy,” and “side dish,” gravitates towards chips and salsa. I mean, that’s easy, isn’t it? But when you’re wanting to actually make something… something that will make everyone say,

Who made this?

…and everyone in the room points at you, with gratitude for bringing something other than potato chips and french onion dip? Then my friends, give this Buffalo Bacon Blue Cheese Dip a try.

No Bake, No Cook, No Leftovers:

This dip is incredibly versatile. We serve it with the potato wedges recipe that I shared the other day, with french fries, chips, warmed on top of a juicy filet… I mean the options are endless.

So no matter if you’re looking for an appetizer, a side dish, or a garnish for a main dish for an extra kick, this one should tickle your fancy.

Recipe

Buffalo Blue Cheese Bacon Dip- Easy dip recipe for a party, or to serve alongside french fries, chips, or a steak!
Print Pin
4.20 from 5 votes

Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip

Easy Dip Recipe for a Party: Buffalo Bacon Blue Cheese Dip – A quick and easy, no bake, cold or warm dip that’s EXCELLENT for a party, to serve alongside chips, french fries, or a steak!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 38kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 16-ounce container sour cream
  • 1 1.6-ounce package McCormick Buffalo Wing Original Seasoning Mix
  • ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
  • ½ cup real bacon bits

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and chill until ready to serve.
  • Serve chilled for chips, celery, etc, or warm to use as a dip with warm foods like potato wedges, french fries, steak, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about ¼ cup) | Calories: 38kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 37mg | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.1mg

At Home Date Night Ideas & Budget Friendly Too!

At Home Date Night Ideas: Date night ideas at home that are easy, romantic, and budget-friendly. It’s the perfect list of ideas for when a date night is needed but you don’t want to leave the house.

My husband and I try to have a date night at least once a week.

But sometimes life gets in the way and we can’t squeeze a date night in. BUT… for the times that we can, and when we prefer to stay at home… creating a “theme,” to the night, can add a little spark to the evening. Plus, keeping things at home, can REALLY help with making date nights budget-friendly. (A major perk, if you ask me!)

(If we don’t, the default method of our date night at home is: “Take-Out, movie on Netflix, and I’m asleep on the couch in 30 minutes.)

So what themes do we have up our sleeve? Well let me share those with you, in case you’re looking for a few thought starters for a date night at home too.

But first, if you haven’t read Tips for a Romantic Weekend with your Husband,” you may want to. Although “date night,” may not be a “weekend,” you may find some helpful and “ahem,” personal tips in there that may help.

Make your Own Hotel Suite

stay at home date night ideas

One of my FAVORITE date night’s away from home involves staying at a hotel. There’s something about the fresh crisp linens, snacks/beverages nearby, and a relaxing atmosphere of lounging and tv binge watching.

When the budget is tight, or you don’t feel like going out, creating your own hotel suite may be something that you two would love.

Fluff up the pillows and blankets, place a tray of snacks and drinks nearby, and settle in for the night. Still hungry? Have a pizza delivered. One of our favorite things to do is to have a pizza delivered from a new pizza restaurant nearby.

Want to take it another step further? Know how the hotel rooms are pitch black and you wake up in the morning, not even sure what time it is? Throw thick blankets over your bedroom windows to block out any light in the morning. Sleep in and really get the feel of a hotel room!

Massage/Spa Night at Home

I really can’t think of anyone that wouldn’t love this date night idea at home. A massage/spa night? Count me in, and you can count my husband in. Even if “physical touch,” isn’t your love language, a nice romantic massage given to you by your other half, may just be what you need after a long week.

Now you can play it low-key and just say that you’re going to give each other massages on date night, or you can go all out…

Create a “massage station,” per say, and fill a tray/table with massage oils & lotions, eye mask, and warm towels. You can even play a little relaxing music to really set the scene.

Now this doesn’t have to be a one-sided affair. You can both switch, and give each other a massage. Ladies, there are two ways you can look at this type of date night at home. 1. You can offer to massage him first, so you can relax after your massage, instead of having to get up after yours and get to work, giving him one. OR 2. You get your massage first, and he’ll probably get so wrapped up in massaging you, that it may lead to something else, and he may forget all about how you’re supposed to give him a massage. 😉

Date Morning

Syrup pouring over French toast casserole in white plate with blueberries.

Sometimes switching things up from the norm, can add excitement to an occasion in itself. Instead of the standard “date night,” try reversing date night, and have a date in the morning.

Perhaps a babysitter would be easier to find in the morning, than a Saturday night? Or maybe the kids stayed at a friends house so you could go to an event with friends the night before, and you don’t have to pick them up until the afternoon?

A relaxed morning together, making breakfast, drinking coffee, or good heavens… just staying in bed all morning, cuddled up watching movies or your favorite tv series on the DVR that you need to catch up on. Date “nights,” can easily be filled with the high-maintenance expectations, but a relaxed-easy going morning may be just what the “date” doctor ordered.

Pallet Party

It sounds like something you’d hear on a “kids activities,” blog post, but you read that right. It’s a date night at home theme, that’s sure to please! It won’t take much.

Place a blanket (fuzzy is my favorite) on the floor, and line it with a row of pillows (a LOT). Make it look cozy from the start. Turn the lights down low, light a few candles, and turn that tv OFF. You can start out by having a picnic on your pallet with dinner, or just have it cozy and ready for when you finish dinner.

Turning the tv off will force that conversation, and more than likely… will lead to a little something else. Because let’s face it, if you’ve been together a while, you may not have much to talk about, unless it involves the kids or work. So silence + no distractions + nothing to say = every man’s next move.

Make a Date Jar

This is such a fun, and exciting way to keep the “spark” in date night! See how to make your own Date Night Jar and what that means!

Q&A

Jessica with Fantabulosity.com, lifestyle blogger

I’m a sucker for listening/watching Q&A’s when it comes to people that I admire. So when trying to think of new date night ideas, I thought, “Well why wouldn’t a Q&A session between the two of us be interesting, informative, and fun?!”

Even though we’ve been together 18 years, would you believe there are still things that I don’t know about him? (Or, have forgotten perhaps?) This could very well be the case with you two, as well.

My favorite thing to do is to compile at least 10 questions that I want to ask him, a couple of days before the scheduled “date night.” He will do the same, and then on date night, we take turns asking each other those questions. It’s incredibly fun, hilarious, and you may just learn something new about one another.

Need question inspiration?

• What was your favorite thing to do as a kid?

• If you only had one more day to live, what would you do, and be specific!

• If you could hang out with someone for a day, (dead/alive/famous/etc.) who would it be, and what would you want to do?

Backyard Romantic Dinner for Two

Pop Up Backyard Dinner Party: Entertaining Ideas, classy, easy simple, quick, fun, outside

I’m not sure what it is, about dining outside. Whether we are at a restaurant, or on the beach in Mexico, there’s something about that outdoor atmosphere that gets me going. So when we’re looking for a date night at home, an easy, out of the ordinary backyard dinner, is JUST what we need.

Feel free to make it super easy, grab some takeout, and mosey outside on the back porch or patio. Or, if you’re really wanting to “snazz,” it up a bit… grab a table, candles, glassware, and prepare an oven baked steak dinner for two, and enjoy it outside together. The sounds of nature/city life is sure to spark romance and dinner conversation, a lot more than eating pizza on the couch would.

Unplugged Wine & Cheese Tasting

date night ideas at home

Although you don’t have to make sure it’s a cheese board, with a side of wine to have an “unplugged,” date night, I thought it would be a nice (fancy-schmancy) snack to chat over. But feel free to have any snack/meal/appetizer you wish. Being in the line of work that my husband is in, he’s “on-call,” 24 hours a day.

He owns his own business, and although he’s intentional about work time/home time, his phone can still be a distraction. MY phone can even be a distraction with all sorts of beeps and notifications too. So having an “unplugged,” date night, can really help us be intentional with conversation, and experience fewer distractions. Turn those phones off, or stick them in the back room.

Cooking for Two

How to keep avocados fresh

Talking with my friend the other day, she mentioned how she and her husband LOVE to cook together on date nights. They send the kids to Grandma’s for the night, and they get creative in the kitchen. But what I love so much about this, is that they don’t make just plain ole spaghetti. They experiment with a whole new recipe. This way, the romance carries on into the “dining,” portion of their date night, and creates more conversation. The good, the bad, what they’d change about the dish next time, and so on.

My favorite part? If they create a dish that they love, when they make it again in the future, it will bring back all of those date night memories. And who knows… it may be referred to as “The Date Night,” dish. 🙂

marriage date night ideas at home

What is YOUR Favorite Date Night Activity at Home?

Of course there is nothing wrong with lounging on the couch, watching another episode of your favorite show on Netflix with your main squeeze. But in case you’re looking for a little something “extra,” those are our favorite “out of the box,” date night ideas. I hope they inspire you!

Ribs on the Grill: Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GetGrillingAmerica #CollectiveBias

Ribs on the Grill: Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs Recipe An easy grilled rib recipe, topped with a sauce that will flirt with your tastebuds!

Ribs on the Grill: Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs Recipe - This sauce and rub recipe is amazing!

Ribs on the Grill: Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs Recipe

When the temperature outside even grazes over the 60’s, we start the Spring grilling! (You know me, if it’ means less clean-up in the kitchen, then I’m totally game. Grilling tends to keep the mess and heat outside, so it’s a definite favorite cooking technique in our house!)

Like Quick and Easy Recipes?

If you’re in to quick and easy recipes, you’ll LOVE all of the recipes we have around here. Nothing complicated, and we only use ingredients you more than likely have on hand! Start browsing our recipes here:

Fantabulosity Recipes

Ribs… on the Grill?!?!

For YEARS, ribs intimidated me. I wasn’t sure how to make them. Do you bake them? Smoke them? Until I found out how easy it was to GRILL them on a charcoal grill, especially using my new favorite ribs! My girlfriend had me over the other day, and while visiting, I saw her prepping dinner for her family. Me, the nosey-food-loving gal, of course had to find out every little detail about what she was making.

She explained to me that one of her favorite ways to cook ribs was to grill them on her charcoal grill. After giving me the quick run-through of how she does it, I knew grilling the ribs would be in my near future.

This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill

Ribs of Choice:

Smithfield Fresh Pork “Extra Tender,” were the ribs of choice when I stopped by Walmart to attempt the grilled ribs recipe that evening. When I can get tender and juicy ribs from the start… then I’m already winning, right? I can’t wait to tell you what we put on these ribs to make them some of the most delicious ribs we’ve ever had.

Rub + Sauce:

The rub is made up of everyday ingredients, that you more than likely already have on hand, and well… the sauce may have been what caught your attention to come over here in the first place. You all, I can’t stress enough how delicious the two ingredients (apple butter + chipotle sauce) are together.

This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill

Tip: Wrap those babies in aluminum foil after applying the Chipotle Apple Butter sauce, to really trap in the flavor and juiciness of the ribs. 

This sauce was INCREDIBLE. So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
Ribs on the grill - so easy! So nice to switch it up from BBQ sauce. Chipotle Apple Butter Ribs on the Grill
I didn't even think about putting ribs on the grill, until I found out how easy it is!

If I Can, You Can:

You all, if you want to impress your family, or even have guests over for a bbq this Summer, you’ll want to give this recipe a try. No matter your level of expertise, you too can grill ribs!

Now, if you have an Instant Pot, you may also want to try these Country Style Ribs!

Recipe

Grilled Apple Butter Chipotle Ribs on platter.
Print Pin
4.67 from 3 votes

Chipotle Apple Butter Grilled Ribs Recipe

Chipotle Apple Butter Grilled Ribs Recipe: An easy grilled rib recipe, topped with a sauce that will flirt with your taste buds!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 13 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings (if ribs are about 2 lbs)
Calories 460kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 2-lb package Smithfield Fresh Pork Ribs

Rub:

  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons table salt

Sauce:

  • 1 Cup apple butter
  • 4 Tablespoons chipotle sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

  • Light charcoal grill. (Its ready for the ribs when the charcoal turns to an ash color.)
  • Rinse the ribs in water and patting dry with a paper towel.
  • Remove the membrane, which is on the bottom of the ribs.
  • Coat ribs with rub, and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Place ribs on the grill over indirect heat. (Do not place directly over coals.)
  • Grill on each side for about 30 minutes, on each side.
  • Place ribs on a sheet of aluminum foil, and sauce both sides with the chipotle apple butter sauce. Wrap the ribs in the foil, cooking an additional 30 minutes to an hour for more tenderness.
  • Make sure ribs reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
  • Let rest for 3 minutes before serving. Serve with any remaining Chipotle Apple Butter Sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about 2 ounces of meat) | Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Cookie Dough Crescent Bites

Thank you SO much to Pillsbury for sponsoring this Cookie Dough Crescent Bites recipe! Although compensated, all opinions and views are those of Fantabulosity.

Cookie Dough Crescent Bites: A quick and easy sweet treat dessert using Pillsbury Crescent rolls and store bought cookie dough! Drizzle with chocolate syrup and BITE!

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Cookie Dough Crescent Bites

Every Spring, our little guys LOVE to walk about our neighborhood leaving little surprise boxes of treats on doorsteps. It’s finally warm enough outside at this point, to spend a good amount of time, and to pop in at our neighbors to bring them a little happiness.

In my blog post a couple of years ago, “Spring Activity for Kids – Random Act of Kindness,” I mentioned how much that I love that doing this little activity every Spring, is a great way to teach our kiddos about doing something nice for others.

This year, we got a little creative in the kitchen, using only TWO ingredients. Yes, TWO!

My kiddos were able to help, and we were out the door with treats in NO time.

Quick Video Tutorial

If visual is more your style, make sure to check out the video tutorial here in this post!

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

For our Cookie Dough Crescent Bites, we picked up Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls, 8 count at Walmart, to be the star of the show! These have become a HUGE favorite in our kitchen. They can be the base of SO many meals, desserts, appetizers, and so much more. For our Spring baking, they don’t require a ton of oven time, so we’re not heating up the house to bake goodies, and we aren’t spending hours in the kitchen… but rather playing and enjoying time outside!

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Using store-bought cookie dough, we’re set up for a quick dessert, and it leaves us with the second and final ingredient of our Cookie Dough Crescent Bites!

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Separate the crescent rolls, and roll up a square of cookie dough, starting at the wide end. Seal the ends by pinching them together with your fingers, and gently roll between your hands to form a ball shape.

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe
2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

My boys may or may not have snuck a bite of that cookie dough during the process.

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe
2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe
2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

On an ungreased cookie sheet, line the bites up allowing about two inches between each one.

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Mmmmm!!! Can I get an amen on this gloriousness?? Now… let’s make it a little better. Although unnecessary, if you wish to have a third ingredient, drizzle a bit of melted chocolate or chocolate syrup over the top.

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

Now for the surprise, that our neighbors will get when they bite in to them…

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

If you loved this recipe, then you’re really going to love these mini chocolate puff pastries too!

Recipe

Crescent rolls stuffed with cookie dough.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cookie Dough Crescent Bites

Cookie Dough Crescent Bites: A quick and easy sweet treat dessert using Pillsbury Crescent rolls and store bought cookie dough! Drizzle with chocolate syrup and BITE!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 8 crescent bites
Calories 108kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 tub Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 8 count
  • 8 square store-bought cookie dough eggless

Optional

  • chocolate sauce
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Separate crescent rolls, using the perforated lines.
  • Place a small square of cookie dough (I cut mine in half because the brand I used were so big.), on the wide end.
  • Starting at the wide end, roll up the crescent roll, sealing the edges by pinching them together with your fingers. (You’re enclosing the cookie dough so it doesn’t spread when baked.)
  • Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2-inches apart from one another.
  • Bake for 11-12 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Let cool before topping with chocolate sauce or powdered sugar.
  • Refrigerator any left overs, as cookie dough will not be fully cooked.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1crescent bite | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 227mg | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 0.4mg
2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

We packaged the Cookie Dough Crescent Bites up in to cute little packages, and they were out the door!

2 Ingredients!!? Holy cow these look amazing! Cookie Dough Crescent Bites Recipe

For More Pillsbury Recipes:

For more everyday recipes, hop over here to get some new ideas for your Spring baking too! It’s a no-brainer when it comes to using Pillsbury for recipe creations. They’re a trust brand, and always give our recipes a quality flavor!

2 Ingredients!! Holy cow these are easy and looks ah-mazing! Cookie dough stuffed crescent bites!

What to do When Your Husband Doesn’t Come Home

What to do when your husband doesn’t come home: Ways to wrap your mind around what’s going on, and the action steps that can help during a tough situation!

What to do When Your Husband Doesn't Come Home

What to do When Your Husband Doesn’t Come Home

After writing How to Make Your Husband Want to Come Home, I’ve found so many readers stumbling upon it, looking for ways to encourage their husbands to come back home when they’ve left… after an argument.

Now, since that post is really geared towards ways to show your husband “love,” to make them excited to come back home at the end of the day, I’ve wanted to create this post for those looking for help that may be going through a tough situation with their husband at this very moment.

You May Also Love This Marriage Talk:

DISCLAIMER: Although I’m no expert, and not a therapist or marriage counselor, I do love to share what I’ve learned through experience within my own marriage, and through individual AND marriage counseling. As I always recommend, seeking counsel with a professional can be one of the most beneficial things you can do in your life. Especially when you’re going through a tough time. It can not only help YOU with YOUR feelings and emotions, it can help you gain a new perspective on what may be going on with those around you who you love.

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What to do When Your Husband Doesn’t Come Home

What to do When Your Husband Doesn't Come Home

Now when I say “What to do when your husband doesn’t come home,” I’m not talking about if he said he was on his way home from work, and it’s been an hour and still hasn’t arrived.

I’m talking about the times that he is temporarily staying somewhere else, expressing that he just needs some time away, and/or you’ve noticed that he’s been avoiding coming/staying at home with you and perhaps your family.

Also read: If Your Husband Cheats and How to Make it Through

Confront the Issue

In times of struggle, or in states of confusion, confronting the actual issue can be a hard task. Letting the emotions and feelings that we are currently experiencing, can quickly overrule any logical thinking that SHOULD be taking place. But I really, really, encourage you to tell your emotions to shut the heck up, so you can think for a minute.

  • What could be the actual issue at hand?
  • Was there an argument that took place?
  • Was there a traumatic circumstance in his life lately?
  • Have you noticed he hasn’t been affectionate as much?

Start with confronting the issue, so action steps and discussion can start with the right foundation.

Sometimes we can let our emotions get to us, and we just start spit firing what we think at each other, rather than dealing with the real issue at hand. The real issue then may never come up, or other damage will be done before even getting to the current issue.

Give Him Time. Don’t Force Him.

Could he not want to come home because he just needs some time? Maybe he has no intention of leaving for good. Is it possible that he’s the type of guy that never makes time for himself, rarely hangs out with buddies, and always puts his needs on the back burner?

I know good and well the kind of mental state that I’m in if I don’t make time for myself, or have been ignoring needs that I have.

So it could be possible that he just needs some time, and if that’s the case, forcing him to give up that time can just make the problem snowball for an even bigger disaster. Giving him much needed time may be something that he’s longing for.

Ego Can be a Nasty Thing

Whew. This one has been a tough one on me. Perhaps it’s because I struggled with this one so much. I don’t know about you, but I always had to “Be right.” I had to “be right” in every argument we ever had in our marriage, and I had to do/say what I could to make him realize that I was right.

It even went so deep that I wasn’t even aware of the fact that I always had to be right. It was as if he was automatically wrong with everything he said/did, and it was a challenge to make him apologize for it.

The thought of “Well maybe we’re both in the wrong” never came up. It was always, “He’s wrong. I’m right. And even if he IS right, I won’t admit it, because that would be weak. It would mean losing the argument, and losing my upper hand at any future argument.” (I told you ego could be nasty. I lived it.)

When it comes to your husband being gone, and not wanting to come home, don’t let the ego win. Confront the issue at hand (Step #1), and tell your ego to shut up.

If that ego blocks anything that he has to tell you, it will take THAT much longer to get where you really want to be. (Where your preferred outcome rests.)

Pick up the Phone. Don’t Text

Look, I totally get it. I’m a texter, and it’s how my husband and I communicate by phone 95% of the time. But when we’ve been in the middle of an argument, or have been through a rough patch, and have tried to have conversation… texting has caused more damage than good.

The emotion and tone are completely gone from the text. Words can be turned around in ways that you or he, never intended. (i.e. Making the existing problem an even bigger one.)

Pick up the phone and talk. If he refuses to talk, and you have time-sensitive questions that need answers, keep your text short, clear as can be, and to the point. But the “blame game,” explanation and detailed conversations are best heard instead of seen.

Tip: Before you talk on the phone, make notes of what you’d like to talk about. Usually, when the conversation gets going, the emotion can be so strong that you forget important details you may want to discuss.

Don’t Assume it’s You That Did Something or it’s You That Needs to be the Only Thing to Change

After reading those first few tips, I can hear some of you saying, “Crap. It was my fault. It was all me. I shouldn’t have jumped past the issue at hand. The ego stood in front of my rational thinking. I shouldn’t have texted him.” Please, please don’t take it this way.

Did you know that whatever may be keeping him away from home may be something HE’s going through?

Don’t assume that it is your fault. Don’t assume that you are the only one who should “fix it”.

There may be something going on in him that he doesn’t even know how to communicate or explain to you.

Ready for this, and to think even deeper??? HE may not even be aware of what’s going on with himself, and what’s keeping him away from home. We all know the saying of what “assume” means. So assuming that it’s you can cause unnecessary wear and tear on yourself.

So what can you do if you’re not sure what’s going on?

After moving past assuming that it’s you being the problem, take a look through his eyes.

  • Is there something that’s not right at home?
  • Has work been stressful for him?
  • Is there something that he’s briefly mentioned that could be the cause of him not wanting to come home?

Sit down, and grab a clear picture of what’s not right. Make notes of behaviors and actions that you’ve noticed lately.

  • Is he complacent/displaced?
  • Is he in a crisis?
  • Could these items have been a result of a certain activity that took place?

Look at the big picture and make note of anything that sparks a question, so you can be aware of what’s actually happening.

Question Everything

I don’t mean question him with everything. Question everything that you’ve noticed and made note of.

Look, if you’ve found your way to this article because you Googled “What to do When Your Husband Doesn’t Come Home,” I can almost bet that you love him, dearly. Right? Because if you didn’t… you probably wouldn’t mind that he’s not coming home right now.

Questioning everything can that’s going on can help you have a better understanding of what may be going on.

Questioning everything may even help protect him/you/your marriage early before it gets too carried away. It may help make you aware of what’s really going on, and how to move forward in the right direction.

Should YOU Fix This?

I don’t think there have been truer words spoken to me that have given me a “Woah” moment like this one…

You can’t make anyone do anything, and you can’t keep them from themselves. But you can fix YOU.

Read that a couple of times to really let that sink in. I’ll admit, the first 20 times I heard my husband and therapist say this, I let it roll right off of my shoulder. It just wouldn’t “click,” for me. Then one day, it did. For YEARS, I’ve wanted to “fix” him. I wanted to prove that I was right. So I spent so much energy and emotion thinking, “If he would just ‘X,’ this would be so much better.” If ‘X’ would just happen for us, life would be so much easier.”

But the moment that I realized working on myself would produce WAY better results (and faster results), I started down that path. Why is it better and faster? Because again, you can’t make anyone do anything, and you can’t keep them from themselves.

But you can fix YOU. You can seek counsel. You can train your brain to focus on the reality of a situation, instead of letting the emotions and feelings overrule.

Wrap-Up

What to do when my husband doesn't come home

Were you looking for a list of physical action items that would miraculously make your husband come home? Things like: Dress sexy, make his favorite cookies or plan a romantic weekend away with him?

Well I’m not saying you shouldn’t do those things. But I did want to touch on an even deeper level that may last a lot longer than cookies and a sexy outfit.

Again, I’m no therapist, but rather someone that’s learning through life as I go. After marrying my high school sweetheart, we’ve had the privilege of “growing up together,” and experiencing life’s ups and downs. With the blessing of someone telling us early on that seeking counsel can make a major impact on our lives, we’ve been able to take tough times by the reins (with guidance) and take one step at a time. We’re still learning, and will continue to learn. But I hope from our experiences, you can find a bit of encouragement in whatever it may be that you’re going through right now.

5 Best Stores for Party Supplies

A list of party supplies stores and their websites that are always a “go-to,” any time for planning a birthday party, holiday party, or any celebration!

I’m a “routine,” lovin’ gal. So when it comes to shopping for party supplies for either my own parties or when styling parties for a brand, I have my “go-to,” online party supplies stores that I frequent. I’m never disappointed and ALWAYS find something at these, that I love.

best websites for party supplies
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Best Party Supplies Websites

1. Shop Sweet Lulu

Whether it’s balloons, favor bags, or cute food containers, I’m a sucker for Shop Sweet Lulu products. When I styled this nacho bar party, I scored the super cute food trays, for our guests to serve themselves! They worked perfectly.

Party Supplies Stores

2. Amazon

Amazon has been a LIFE-SAVER when it comes to party planning. It comes to my rescue when I’m a couple of days away from party-time, and I’ve realized that I’ve forgotten that one important item I needed to decorate or finish the DIY project that I worked on for the party.

With Amazon, I can get anything from party supplies, to home decor, which is a HUGE party of my party styling techniques. I bought a ton of party goods on Amazon for our Crawfish Boil Party.

crawfish boil party

3. Etsy

Oh Etsy, how I love thee for party printables. I love Etsy for other things as well, but when it comes to party planning, printables are an easy way to add decor. I used printables from Etsy for my son’s Woodland Friends Party below. Can you see just how much printables can decorate for you!?

Don’t forget that Etsy can also be handy for DIY/Pre-Made party favors, cupcake toppers, sugar cookies, and SO MUCH more. Shop Etsy NOW!

Woodland Friends First Birthday Party Ideas - Dessert Table https://fantabulosity.com

4. Oh Happy Day

Oh my, have you visited Oh Happy Day yet? Adorable paper plates (not your average paper plates), confetti, garlands, and the list goes on. I get LOST in their online shop for hours if I’m not careful, staring at all of the beauties. Shop Oh Happy Day HERE!

I may just buy confetti from Oh Happy Day, just so I can do this when I want to celebrate something in life. Not kidding. 🙂

online party supplies websites

5. Meri Meri

Paper straws, paper treat bags, drink stirrers, and EVERYTHING party… Petite Party Studio has it. You’ll find paper straws at almost every party that I host. They can add a pop of color in a pinch, and if you’re like me… I GOTTA have a straw with my drink. In the Nautical Birthday Party that I styled for my son, I simply added paper straws to milk bottles, & it created style with little effort.

Nautical Birthday Party Ideas, milk bottles with lifesaver candy wrapped around them! So cute! https://fantabulosity.com

There they are! Those are my favorite websites to buy party supplies for any party that I’m hosting. At times, I’ll even check to see if they have any sale items, and stock up in advance.

Free Party Planning Checklist

Or if you haven’t downloaded your free party planning checklist yet, then you HAVE to snag that! It’s how I survive all of my party-planning days! Get my party planning checklist.

free party planning checklist

Holiday Party Planner

Are you hosting a holiday gathering? Then you’ll want to snag my Holiday Party Planner that I use to prep and prepare! I’m bound to forget something, and this helps keep me on track! Get my holiday party planner!

Holiday Party Planner Download. Checklists, menu planner, guest list tracker...

Office and Stationery Organization

Stationery Station Organization: Say that Five Times… A simple way to organize cards, notepads, and writing tools, for easy access.

Stationary Station Organization

Stationery Station

I literally had to say that out loud 5 times, really fast, to see if I could do it. 

Hey you! You may be here for the first time as part of the blog hop that’s happening today with some of the BEST bloggers that I know. Not only are they incredibly creative, but they know how to create a workspace that can make you drool! I’m honored to be a part of something so fun and inspiring! So thank you for visiting, and let’s get on to one of my favorite aspects of my home office and craft room!

Home office and craft space tour
Although my home office is my happy place, this gal loves spreading out on the floor anywhere my laptop will allow!

In my FULL home tour office reveal here, I briefly featured my stationery station. This has literally been one of my unintentional “favorite’s” of my home office. More times than I’d like to admit, I’ll be in a mad rush to create a “thank you,” card or a simple little note to leave for someone or attach to a birthday gift.

So instead of running around digging for a pen, cute card, and envelope, I now know exactly where to go! No more wasting time digging, and using the back of receipts for quick notes to my family.

Stationery Addiction:

This station has also helped me with my rare condition of “Stationery Addiction.” (Yes, I know this isn’t a real thing… but I’m completely addicted to grabbing super cute cards and adorable little notepads in the Target dollar spot, and the check out lane a T.J. Maxx.)

Before my stationery station, I would always THINK I needed note cards and notepads. Why? Because I was unsure of all that I already had on hand, so I figured I would go ahead and buy more “just in case.” (You SOOO know what I mean right? Please tell me I’m not alone here.)

Anyhoo, now that I have it all stored in one place, I can see exactly when I’m running low of a certain type of card, envelope, pen/marker, or notepad. My husband is very thankful that my spending has greatly reduced in the stationery department.

Stationary Station Organization

Rolling Cart:

I found this adorable (and office matching) rolling cart, at the ever so popular IKEA. It was super easy to put together, and it comes in adorable colors.

Want to Tour the Whole Office?

My Home Office Tour

Chic Office - Coral and Mint, for the Girl Boss

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display – A dessert bar that’s easy to style with pre-made desserts and a “help yourself,” serving station.

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas

Welcome to part TWO of the “Our Love is Sizzlin’ and Too Hot to Handle” Dinner Party feature! If you missed part one of the actual dinner party and how we used cast iron skillets EVERYWHERE for dinner that night, then you may want to head over there now and take a look: Cast Iron Dinner Party

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

But as I mentioned in that blog post, there was just too much of a good thing to include it all in one post, and I wanted the chocolate fountain bar to be featured all on its own because it’s one of my favorite food bars and Chocolate shouldn’t have to share the spotlight with anyone. Never put chocolate in a corner. (Ok, I’ll kill the clichés right this minute.)

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Chocolate Fountain:

A chocolate fountain bar wouldn’t be one, without a chocolate fountain, eh? I have had a chocolate fountain for years, but it was looking pretty rough after getting lost in one of our umpteenth moves.

So online shopping I went, and came across this GORGEOUS (what I thought) rose gold chocolate fountain. Without hesitation, I ordered it, and couldn’t wait to get it in the mail. Sadly, the chocolate fountain arrived about a day before the party, and it wasn’t rose gold. It was actually a stainless color (as seen in the photos.) But, I’ve come to realize that with the stainless color, I’ll be able to use it more often with other party themes anyway. So I suppose it’s better this way. Besides, it still looked pretty cute on this table, don’t you think?

White Chocolate Fountain for a party! Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

When thinking of a chocolate fountain, milk chocolate is always the default setting my brain lands on. But I knew that the brown color of milk chocolate would stick out like a sore thumb on this bright white and colorful display table. I kicked around the idea of using white chocolate, but wasn’t quite sure if they sold “white” fountain chocolate. Well, my Walmart did not. BUT they did have white chocolate melts, and with a little coconut oil, OH-MY-LANTA. Even our guests talked about how good the chocolate was. I made sure to tell them that with the addition of coconut oil, it was a healthy dessert. 😉

I turned the fountain off for the photos, so I wouldn’t capture such blurry photos… if you’re wondering why the chocolate looks as hard as a rock! Ha!

Rice Krispy Treats in mini cast iron skillet for Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Rice Krispies Treats:

I’m a sucker for premade everything. (Well, almost everything. I still prefer my homemade guac over store bought.)  I grabbed the store bought rice krispies treats (the miniature sizes were out for the Valentine’s Day season, and those were perfect), and placed them in a miniature cast iron skillet… to carry over the theme from the cast iron place settings that we had.

Cookie Dough dippers for white chocolate fountain! Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Yes, that is cookie dough. Oh… and store bought cookie dough at that. I bought the package that had them cut up in little squares already, and this made my life a lot easier come party styling time.

Pink marshmallows for white chocolate fountain: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Marshmallows:

Do they always have pink marshmallows? Well they did the day I visited Walmart, but I’m not sure if that’s just because it was close to Valentine’s Day or not. But I do know that they looked gorgeous on this dessert table, with about 50 shades of pink.

Strawberry wafers for chocolate fountain: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Wafer Cookies:

I love these little things. Perhaps it’s because of the nostalgia factor that my grandma always having these on hand when I was little. But I did a lot of damage to these little treats, and even had to refill the dish a couple of times before the party even started. #truth

White powdered donuts for chocolate fountain party: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Donuts:

I can’t help it. I have to have donuts on every single dessert bar that I create. Look at my nautical birthday party and the Baking Party that I styled. I.Can’t.Help.IT!

French Toast bites for a chocolate fountain! Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

French Toast Bites:

I’m not going to lie. The french toast bites were accidental. I had originally wanted small Belgium waffles, cut in triangles, but couldn’t find any that were pre-made/frozen. Heck with spending what little time I had that day, whippin’ up a batch of fancy waffles. So the French toast bites had to do…. and I’m totally ok with that. They were incredible for soaking up some of the white chocolate.

Chocolate Fountain sticks: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Chocolate Fountain Skewers:

Instead of using regular brown skewers, (which would have been just fine), I had these perfectly matched cake pop sticks from a previous party, and they there were the replacement.

Pinks, corals, white roses for bouquet: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Fresh Flowers:

Although I used fake flowers for the centerpieces on the tablescape of the dinner party, I had to get my fill of fresh, even if it was just a small pitcher full for the dessert table. I’m a sucker for real flowers. (But I’m also a sucker of saving money, and being able to reuse flowers for the future.)

Pink, red, coral, gold, tassel banner for party backdrop: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Tassel Banner & Backdrop:

If you saw the Chocolate Bar Party that I designed for Godiva, then this backdrop may look a bit familiar. With the addition of the tassel banner that I found at Target about a year ago, the two together made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Red white check napkin for party display table: Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Bring it on Over:

Like with the mini cast iron skillets, I wanted to carry over the theme from the dinner table, to the dessert table. So with that, I carried over one of the cloth napkins that we used for dinner, and used it as an accent piece to decorate with on the chocolate fountain bar.

Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas: A Modern, Rustic, Pink Party Display

Is it wrong that I left as much of this chocolate fountain bar up, that I could? A midnight snack, and a few wafers the next morning for breakfast, made this sweets-lovin’ gal very, very happy.

Thank you so much for coming by, and if you’re a party lover yourself, take a stroll through all of the parties that we’ve designed, starting with the most recent first: Fantabulosity Parties

“Our Love is ‘Sizzlin'” Dinner Party

Party Theme for Adults: Our Love is Sizzlin’ Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game: A romantic and fun party idea for adults!

So pretty! Pink, coral, red tablescape! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Party Theme for Adults: Our Love is Sizzlin’ Dinner Party

If you caught my Facebook “LIVE,” video the night before we hosted, then you were able to see a lot of the behind the scenes of what the party consisted of. But there’s WAY too much fun to squeeze all of this Our Love is Sizzlin’ party, in to one blog post. So here, you get to see the “out of the box,” dinner party idea details, AND I’ll tell you about the party game that we played… that’s still cracking me up. Then, tomorrow, I’ll share the crazy-delish chocolate fountain dessert bar that we also had that night. (Trust me, my belly was hanging over my yoga pants after I consumed all of this party food.)

Pink, red, coral table decorations: Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Cast Iron Place Settings

Don’t ask me where this idea came from, but I’m SO thankful it came from somewhere because it turned out to be my favorite place settings ever.
So I have a new, deep fond love for cast iron skillets, (thank you momma) and while planning the party, I knew I wanted to incorporate them somehow. (I just didn’t know until later how MUCH they’d be involved.)

Cast Iron Dinner part! SOOOO CUTE! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Each person had their own Lodge mini cast iron skillet. I mean, how stinking cute are these? Did I have to talk myself in to buying them for just this one-use? Yes. But I justified in my head of how I could use them in the future. (I’m really good at convincing myself of why I need necessities like these, ok?)

Buy the mini cast iron skillets here!

Ahhh!!! Cast Iron Dinner Party! SO stinking cute! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Free Printable:

Inside each mini cast iron, was a sweet little place card that said, “Our Love is Sizzlin’… and too hot to handle.” Since this was a dinner party with couples, I had to squeeze in as much romance as I could get away with. 😉

If you’ve been following me long, then you know that I can’t keep a lot of things to myself. So as I created this place setting for each skillet, I went ahead and made it in to a PDF so you all could download and use them for free for your party too! Download the free printable here: Our Love is Sizzlin’

Wood slabs for charge on tablescape! SO cute! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Coral Doilies

I placed the printables on top of coral doilies that I found at Hobby Lobby a long time ago, that I’ve been holding on to for a special purpose. THIS was that special purpose. (I just didn’t know it until a week before the party.) Then, I added an itty bitty stem of flowers that I cut off of some of the flowers that I decorated the tablescape with. More on the flowers in a bit.

Napkins:

The biggest struggle that I had styling this party, was deciding if red would compliment the pinks and corals that I so desperately wanted to decorate with. I had already bought the red and white napkins, when I bought the cast iron skillets, and being able to use what I had on hand, along with what I just bought would work out perfectly. To my relief, the colors went together like they were made for each other.

Buy the red and white napkins here!

Small cast iron skillets for place settings for this rustic romantic dinner! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Wood Planks:

To tie in the cast iron feel of things, using wood planks for each place setting was a no brainer. BUT, when I had a hard time finding them online, I relied on my parents to help a gal out. I sent one quick text message to them, asking if I could come down one day and cut a few round wood slices for a party that I had coming up. Before I knew it, they sent me a text back later that day saying they already did it for me. (I guess they didn’t trust me with a chainsaw? Smart, smart people they are.)

But if you aren’t super luck to have parents who live on a farm, then I finally found a place online where you can buy them!

Buy round, wood planks here!

Cotton Candy & Pink Champagne Cocktails. Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Cocktails:

Keepin’ it classy and keepin’ it real, I wanted the girls to have a pretty little thang, and the guys to feel right at home. So how was I to do this? Well, the girls were served cotton candy champagne, and the guys were sippin’ on ice cold beer. The best of both worlds!

I made my own cotton candy, using the machine that I showed you on my Facebook LIVE video the night before the party, and it was a HIT! Using Jolly Rancher candy, I whipped up small servings of cotton candy for each glass, and it was a delicious addition to the bubbly.

Buy the cocktail and beer supplies here:

Cotton Candy Maker

Wooden drink stirrers

Martini Glasses

Beer Pilsner Glasses

Beer pilsners for the guys, martini glasses for the girls! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game
Place settings for rustic and romantic tablescape: Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Tablescape Decorations:

Using kraft paper, that was folded in half, I created a tablerunner, that had the same rustic feel and color, to compliment the wood slices of the place settings. Something that would be SUPER cute, (that I didn’t think of until after the fact) would be to write fun, romantic sayings on the table runner too. Or, give each person a black magic marker to write a sweet comment about their spouse, and you can save the table runner and host the same party again the next year… adding to it, year after year. Fun, right!!?

Buy the kraft paper jumbo roll here!

Cast iron place settings! So pretty! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Main Serving Dishes:

Have you ever been to a fondu restaurant, where you fill yourself up on dips, dips, and more dips? With the same concept, I wanted a romantic, “eat with your hands,” kind of meal, all while keeping it rustic and chic too.

The meal consisted of 3 dips that were baked in large cast iron skillets, served alongside of complimenting bread for dipping. We had:

• Pizza Dip with Breadsticks

• Caprese Dip with toasted french bread slices

• Spinach and Artichoke Dip with soft rolls

Each dip was served in 10.25 cast irons, and placed throughout the table for easy sharing.

Buy the 10.25 in cast iron skillets here!

Flowers and Candles: red, pink, coral. Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Candles:

What kind of romantic dinner party would it be without tall, chic candles!? We all sat around the table with the beautiful glow of the lit candles.

White and coral candles: Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

Flowers:

I had went to Hobby Lobby a few days before the party, hoping to find flowers that I could make an arrangement or two out of. I was ecstatic to find already-made bouquets with almost all of the colors that the party decor consisted of. Only thing missing flower wise? Red. So I found red berry twigs in the next isle over that I knew would be the perfect addition to the bouquets. They added height, and the pop of red that I was looking for.

I also bought a small piece of white and gold polka dot fabric while there, to wrap around the base of the bouquets, to allow them to pop on top of the kraft paper table runner. The bouquets had burlap around the base, which I loved, but wanted a color contrast so they wouldn’t blend right in to the runner. The white was just what they needed!

BEAUTIFUL flowers from Hobby Lobby for this tablescape! Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game
LOVE this!! Dips were served in the big cast iron skillets: Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

“Dirty Cupid” – Adult Party Game

This game sounds a lot worse than it really is. But I couldn’t resist calling it this, because it’s so stinking comical.

With the idea of the “Dirty Santa,” game concept, I wanted the night to have a gift exchange game to keep things entertaining after dinner.

How to Play:

Each person brings a $15 romantic gift for the exchange. (Now, depending on the person… this could get extremely hilarious, which it totally did at our party, or it could be a nice, sweet gift exchange.)

Using the same rules as Dirty Santa, we drew numbers to see who would pick a gift from the pile first, and then went about the game choosing/stealing gifts along the way. We all went home with new romantic gifts, and SO.MUCH.LAUGHTER was had.

Gift Ideas?

I know your next question already. “Jessica, what were some of the gift items?” Well I will tell you that I’m not going to say all of them, because some make me blush. But I will give you the ones that I feel ok saying in front of my mother.

• Chocolates

• PJ’s

• Massage Oil & Warmer

• “Kinky” Vodka

Chocolate Fountain Dessert Bar

Have you ever had a chocolate fountain at a party? Well let me tell you… it will be happening again around here. Not only was it an easy way to serve desserts but all of our guests LOVED making their own chocolate creations!

See ALL the details of the chocolate fountain bar so you can get ideas for your own!

Chocolate Fountain Bar - Party Theme for Adults- Our Love is Sizzlin' Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

This post brought to you by The Clorox Company. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Fantabulosity. 4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom: The areas that can get overlooked in the bathroom that traps that pesky smell, and how to get rid of it!

I have two little boys home. So I, along with many others in this world I’m sure, am VERY familiar with the urine smell in the bathroom. Before kiddos, I never really knew what moms meant when they said, things like, “The bathroom just always smells! Just wait Jessica… just wait.”

I’d smile and secretly roll my eyes to the ignorance of what they were talking about. Two little boys, and 5 years in to parenthood… now I’M the mom saying, “Just wait dear, just wait.” But I’m tickled to death to share how we finally CONQUERED the urine smell in our bathrooms here at home!

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

How to get rid of the urine smell in the bathroom…

After having a normal recap-of-the-day conversation with my husband one day, I mentioned that I was flabbergasted with the bathroom smell. I had spent HOURS in the boys bathroom that day, trying to clean everything that I could think of, to get rid of the urine smell from my potty trained (But yet not the best with “aim,”) little boys.

He said, “Well have you tried “X,” “X,” and “X?” I must have looked at him like a deer in headlights with a whole new level of excitement. My husband may have helped me finally conquer the urine smell.

I immediately ran in to the bathroom, did what he suggested, and I kid you not… the urine smell was GONE!
Months. MONTHS!! I spent trying to get rid of that “smell,” in the bathroom. My husband is officially  genius. (Don’t tell him I said that.)  So now, I’m sharing with you what finally worked!

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

First and foremost, I have to say I also tackled these sneaky hiding places in the bathroom with the new Scentiva by Clorox.  Guys…have you smelled this!? One of my friends came over the other day after my recent shopping trip to Target, and saw my Scentiva “haul,” of the spray and wipes, and I had to admit that I’m in love, and had to stock up. I had her smell both scents, (Tuscan Lavender and Jasmine & Hawaiian Sunshine) and she went to the store later and bought it too. When I clean with this, the amazing smell lingers for hours. I ADORE using this in the bathroom to help make it smell delightful, PLUS is has the power of Clorox clean, (Kills 99.9% of Viruses & Bacteria, Cleans, Disinfects and Deodorizes) so it’s a win-win.

1. Remove the toilet seat lid:

My husband has been building homes for years, so he will fill me in on tricks of the trade from time to time with household fixtures, and this is one of them. I had NO idea that the toilet seat would pop off so easily, and that this was a HUGE culprit of the bathroom smelling so awful.

Disclaimer: In this post, I show you a video and photos that you may not want to see if you have a weak stomach. But I feel like I MUST share it with you, so you can see what you may be missing in your very own bathroom.

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

See the hinge that I’m grabbing on to there? If you have a newer toilet, you may be able to just turn and twist this to unlock it. Then, when unlocked, grab the toilet seat and pull the toilet seat up, and off.

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

EW! Do you see that? It’s the hidden spot that I can’t get to, when I’m performing a normal cleaning operation! The urine will sneak in the crevices and just sit there, collecting.

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

So I grabbed a Scentiva wipe and went to town, cleaning away! When finished wiping away, simply lay the toilet seat back down, (don’t forget to wipe down the underside of the toilet seat too), and lock back in to place.
If you have an older toilet, you may have to use a screwdriver to remove the lid. 

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

2. Wipe Down Surrounding Furniture

When little boys are in the bathroom, (at least my little boys) they can get curious and start looking around, not really paying attention to what’s going on. So this means that at times, they can splatter and the urine will end up splashing on the items located around the toilet. The side of the vanity, the side of the bathtub, etc. The moment that I realized that I couldn’t see the urine spatter on the tub or vanity, but that it existed… changed my whole perception of cleaning. Wipe it down, even if you don’t see it!

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

3. Wipe the Floor

I know how much work it can be to get out the mop, and fill the bucket full of soapy water. So I usually keep the Scentiva spray and wipes, underneath the sink, and when quickly running through the bathroom for quick cleanup, I’ll wipe the floor around the toilet. Like mentioning earlier, urine can go EVERYWHERE,  and the floor around the toilet is no exception. A quick wipe down can help prevent the urine smell. This way, you won’t have to wait until it’s time to mop again.

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom
4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

4. Remove the Rug

 I’ve always wanted a rug in my bathroom, because it makes it feel a bit cozy. But hear me when I say, it will be one of the sneaky spots that the urine smell will hide. If you must have a rug, (like I like to have when my kiddos get out of the bath, but sometimes forget to remove it), I toss it in the washing machine. So my advice is to get rid of the rug, or wash it regularly for sure!

4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom--4 Sneaky Places Urine Smell Hides in your Bathroom

So happy you stopped by! I hope you found these 4 tips helpful for getting rid of the urine smell in your bathroom!

Our Home Tour:

Now that you’ve seen the most disgusting part of our home, come take a gander at the rest on our Home Tour. I promise, no more pictures of urine on the toilet. 😉

How to erase chalk marker off of chalk board
how to get rid of the urine smell in the bathroom
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The areas that can get overlooked in the bathroom that traps that pesky urine smell, and how to get rid of it!

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos… that aim to please for those doing Beach Body, and looking for something tasty and fast!

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

We are huge fans of crispy chicken tacos, but if you’re not in the mood for baking, these stovetop chicken tacos are going to be a great option!

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

My friend Amy is a Beach Body Coach, and I’ve been seeing the most delicious looking recipes that she’s been sharing on her Instagram page lately. Then, while browsing on Pinterest the other day for a dinner recipe, I started seeing “21 Day Fix,” EVERYWHERE! (And the food actually looked delish!)

So I reached out to Amy and asked if she had a 21 Day Fix dinner recipe that she’d like to share with me, so I could make it and hand it out to all of you. She agreed, and here we are! Let me tell you… I took a bite immediately after adding the last topping, (as you’ll see in the video below) and it was absolutely tasty.

Recipe and more photos below:

21 Day Fix Soft Chicken Taco Tutorial Video:

In this video, I simply warmed up the rotisserie chicken with the spices in the coconut oil, since it’s already cooked.

If the video didn’t do it justice… the photos make my mouth water alone. Even if you aren’t participating in the 21 Day Fix, you’ll want to try this one. It was so incredibly quick to make, and it will now go on my dinner rotation. PLUS, I’ll feel so much better about how healthy it is.

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tip:

Amy mentioned that we could use a rotisserie chicken from the store to make it even easier. (I knew she was my friend for a reason. She’s speaking my love language for certain.)  Then, once we were done with the rotisserie, we boiled it in a bit of water, veggies, and spices to make our own rotisserie chicken stock; WHICH later became the base of my favorite Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup that my husband loves so much. Get that recipe here: The BEST Chicken Noodle Soup.

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

21 Day Fix Measurements:

*1 red (chicken), 2 yellow (if using both tortillas & black beans), 1 blue (avocado), 1 green (lettuce & tomato), ½ purple (salsa), 1 teaspoon (oil)
You could substitute the avocado for cheese (still would count as 1 blue container).

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

Don’t they look delish!?

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

If you love delicious chicken recipes like this one, then I think you’re also going to love these chicken fajitas wraps! Or if taco recipes in general are your thing, make sure to try this walking taco casserole recipe that’s delicious!

Recipe

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe: Quick & Easy Soft Chicken Tacos

Whether you are on the 21 Day Fix or not, this healthy tacos recipe is so easy to make and takes less than 20 minutes. Shredded chicken and veggies wrapped in a corn tortilla is the ultimate, Mexican-inspired dinner idea!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 tacos
Calories 363kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded chicken Rotisserie chicken already cooked from the grocery store is a great option! If not, about 4 pieces of frozen chicken tenderloin pieces
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 1 avocado mashed
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ½ cup lettuce
  • ½ cup tomatoes diced
  • coconut oil or olive oil if cooking chicken
  • minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook chicken in a skillet with oil & garlic until done & then shred
  • Heat up black beans & tortillas (just in the microwave)
  • Place chicken, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, & lettuce in a tortilla & enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 839mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 8.4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2.1mg

DIY Teddy Bear Cookies

Teddy Bear Food Idea – DIY Bear Cookies: A “beary” good food or snack idea for kids, for a birthday party treat, dessert, sweets, or party favor idea.

Teddy Bear Food Idea made out of Star Crunch with vanilla wafers.

DIY Teddy Bear Cookies

My friend and I were grocery shopping together the other day (Yes, it’s WAY more fun to grocery shop with a friend), and we stood in the snack cake aisle drooling brainstorming over cute ways to create a fun treat for our kiddos, making something out of something on the shelves.

The minute I saw the Little Debbie Star Crunch’s, I saw the potential “fur,” of a little critter. I ran it by my friend, and she exclaimed “YES! Let’s do it.” So we grabbed a box and headed back to my house to experiment. We had so much fun creating these little DIY Teddy Bear Cookies, and my kids went NUTS when they got home and saw them.

Then I began to think of how fun these would be if you’re looking for a bear food idea on Pinterest, for a “Build a Bear” birthday party, or a forest birthday party, so I couldn’t WAIT to share them with you. I also realized how adorable they would have been for the Woodland Friends Birthday Party and Camping Party that I designed in the past, and I was slappin’ myself. See those two parties here to get your party fix…

Camping Sleepover

A Camping Sleepover Birthday Party! Fire birthday cake, smores mix, all on a table.

Woodland Friends

Woodland Friends First Birthday Party Dessert Table

DIY Teddy Bear Cookies or not… the parties still turned out pretty cute I think.) 😉 

Bear Cookie Video Tutorial

If you’re looking for a photo tutorial, you can see that below too!

Bear Cookie Photo Tutorial

Ingredients for Teddy Bear Food Idea
Teddy Bear Food Idea

What you’ll need:

(To make one bear snack)

• One Little Debbie Star Crunch

• 2 Vanilla Wafers

• 2 candy eyes

• 1 black jelly bean

• Royal Icing for “glue.” (You MAY be able to use canned frosting, but royal seems to hold up much better.)

• Brown icing coloring (if desired) to color the royal icing.

How to Assemble:

• To “glue,” each of the pieces on to the Star Crunch, royal icing seemed to work best. I use Wilton Royal Icing Mix, and added in a couple of drops of brown Wilton icing coloring to help blend in with the colors of the “bear,” but it’s not necessary.

• “Glue” one Vanilla Wafer on to the Star Crunch smearing some of the royal icing to the underside of the wafer, and press down on to the Star Crunch.

• Using a small dab of the royal icing, attach the black jelly bean sideways on to the wafer.

• Next, using a couple of dabs of royal icing on each eye, secure the eyes to the Star Crunch

• Cut the other Vanilla Wafer in half, using a knife. (I seemed to have better luck with a clean cut when I sliced it, rather than pushing straight down.)

• Attach each “ear” to the “bear,” using the royal icing, and hold in place for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once the royal icing hardens, the ears should stay in place.

Teddy bear made out of Star Crunch.

Teddy Bear Food Idea

If you’ve found your way here, looking for a bear food idea… I sure hope you like this one! It was incredibly easy and it turned out even cuter than I imagined. Based off of the reaction of my kiddos, I’d say they were a hit too! 😉

Little boy holding DIY teddy bears.

We think you’ll also love these chocolate covered Teddy Bear snacks!

Teddy Bear Food Idea with Starcrunch

Gift Idea for Him: “I Think You’re Red Hot” Gift Basket Ideas

Gift Idea for Him: “I think you’re red Hot” Gift Basket Ideas. Always needing a gift idea for my husband, I decided a toolbox full of a lot of his favorite things (in red) would be the perfect gift!

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

Gift Idea for Him

It’s the struggle that a lot of women experience once a year…

Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him

Right? Can I get an amen? Heck, Valentine’s Day isn’t the only holiday that I struggle with gift ideas for my husband. It’s ANY gift ideas for my husband. The man has everything he could possibly want. He’s one of those, “He wants it, so he just goes and buys it,” kind of guys. Do you have one of those?

I admire his will to just make it happen, but that sure makes it difficult come gift-giving time.

More Ideas for Him, You’ll Love:

So if you’ve found yourself struggling for a gift idea for your boyfriend, husband, or anyone that you think is well… “Red Hot,” then you may like this gift basket idea that I’ve created this year.

“I think You’re Red Hot” Gift Basket Tool Box

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

Tool Box Gift Tutorial:

• Container: It all began with finding something to put all of the goodies in. For the other gift ideas I’ve created, I’ve either used a simple basket or box to arrange them in. But this time, I wanted to be a little more creative, and package it all up in to something that he could re-use again. Because let’s face it, my husband would NOT be excited about a cutesy little box or wire basket from Target, like I would. 😉  So a toolbox it is! They had the cheaper plastic toolboxes, but I fell in love when I saw this metal, stylish toolbox instead. (Because it’s always about “style,” right?)

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

• Contents: Then, it was time to start trying to find all of the red things at the store that my husband loves. This was not as hard as you’d expect. Really! It was actually kind of fun, and a challenge. I’m a challenge junkie.

Yeah, don’t look too close mom. Some of these may make you blush. Sorry ’bout that.

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

You use what??? Awesome.

Want to hear one of my favorite gift-hacks? Well, I DESPISE tissue paper. Do I use it? You bet. But when I’m making a gift basket, it kind of makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. Why? Because I have the hardest time trying to tame the lion of the tissue paper, to make it look “good.” It always looks like my toddler crinkled it up and stuffed it in.

Rather, I like to buy those little pieces of fabric at Walmart or the craft store, that are super affordable. I believe they’re made for quilting??? Anyhow, they’re made for gift basket stuffing in my house. The edges ARE frayed, so that kind of stinks, and puts off a ragged look. But I’ll usually try to get creative and tuck the ends under if I’m able.
If not, fabric glue may be a good option to fold the ends under to have a cleaner look.

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

I’m not going to lie. I peed my pants a little bit when we (My right-hand gal Kate and I) saw this wine at Target. How perfect is this for this mens gift idea?

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

Red Gift Basket Ideas:

Ok, so here’s what I put in my husband’s toolbox gift basket. Feel free to take away/add anything to yours of course. I found all of this at Target! This may just give you a jumpstart of some ideas…

  • Tools
  • Wine
  • Beer
  • Cola
  • Chocolate Cigars
  • Hershey’s Kisses
  • Jerky
  • Nuts (These didn’t fit, so I ended up keeping those myself.)
  • Sunflower Seeds (Neither did these. So I ate them. I wish the wine wouldn’t have fit.)
  • Chocolates
  • Body Wash
  • Mints
  • Massage Oil (Sorry mom. I know, that’s gross. But hey, it was red so I had to get it.)
  • 5-Hour Energy (You know, for later.)
  • Candle (You know, for later. Again.)
Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

Gift Tag:

So I have this fancy-schmancy Silhouette Cameo machine that could have made the cutest gift tag I’m sure. But let’s face it. I’m a mom, I’m busy. So my husband got a hand-written gift tag and a stamp of some lips. He wouldn’t care if I spent hours designing a gift tag anyway. Magic marker and a stamp it is.

Tie it on with a ribbon (I tied it to the clamp of the toolbox.)

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

More Valentine’s Day Ideas

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas
Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas
Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

That’s it! How fun is this?

Now if red isn’t your color, and you’d be more in to a “sunshine basket,” then you may want to head over and see how I styled that one, and gave it to a couple of our friends.

Sunshine Gift Basket Ideas https://fantabulosity.com
Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

Thanks so much for coming by!!

Hawaiian Breakfast Sandwich

The Hawaiin Breakfast Sandwich: The flavor combination will blow your mind! Sweet and salty are delicious on a Hawaiian bun!

I’m about ready to rock your world with a sandwich that not only “wowed,” my family, but was so incredibly easy to make. It has turned out to be one of our favorites, along with this fun breakfast egg roll recipe!

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

Why you’ll love these sandwiches

With only a few ingredients, this sandwich can be created in no-time, but also fill up your family. Have you ever been to a restaurant, and happen across an item on the menu that has rare ingredients, or a combination of ingredients that makes you go, “Whaaa!?”

That’s how I feel when I think about this sandwich. From the moment of experimentation, I’ll admit… I was thinking, “This can either go really bad, or be surprisingly amazing.” Well if it wasn’t surprisingly amazing, then I wouldn’t be sharing this recipe with you today.

My husband? You better BELIEVE he loved it. He loves an over-easy egg on a hamburger or on a fried bologna breakfast sandwich, so I knew he’d love an egg on a hot ham sandwich. The pineapple??? I wasn’t sure he’d go for it… but he did, and fell in love.

Ingredients we used:

(Full Recipe Below)

  • Honey Ham
  • Pepperjack Cheese
  • Pineapple Ring
  • Over-easy eggHawaiian Buns

For a family of four: Use 4 buns, 8-12 slices of ham, 4 slices of cheese, 4 pineapple rings, and 4 eggs.

It’s not just for breakfast:

Although it’s made with an egg, you may be thinking, “Breakfast.” Well, it would be absolutely delicious for breakfast. But we even love this for lunch, or dinner! (Or a midnight snack, when we get on a Netflix binge watching kick.)

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!
OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

Tutorial:

If you saw my “Best Cheeseburger Recipe,” video tutorial, then you know I’m a firm believer in toasting buns. Either butter the insides of your bun, and toss on the skillet for about 30 seconds, or coat the skillet with butter, and toast the buns a bit. Set aside.

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

Next, fry your ham in the skillet, and top it with cheese a minute or so right before you plan to take it off. (To allow the cheese to melt on top of the ham a bit.) Top the bottom slice of your Hawaiian bun.

This is when you can place a pineapple ring, right on top of the ham/cheese, or you can place the pineapple ring in to the skillet for a bit, to allow it to heat up/sear. Either way, it’s delish.

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

In the same skillet, (toss in a little more butter if necessary), and fry your egg “over-easy.” When it has completed frying, place it on top of the pineapple.

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

Place the top bun on, and gently push down, allow the bun to slowly “pop,” the egg so the yolk will slightly flow out on to the rest of the sandwich.

I’m not going to lie… my mouth is completely watering, writing that last step.

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

It’s a sandwich that your family may say, “Huh?” But that left my family saying, “Yum.”

For the new year, I pledged to start cooking more at home. We were ALWAYS eating out, and literally throwing money down the drain. But I LOVE food, so I struggled with not being able to try new things all of the time. So I decided to try new recipes at home, and I must say… if we can save money, AND eat amazing things like this Hawaiian sandwich… I don’t know if we’ll ever choose to eat out, over eating at home again. Making 4 of these for my family of 4, took hardly any time at all!

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

Side Note:

When I started eating this sandwich for the first time I took a bite and immediately ran over to my camera to capture this gloriousness of the egg yolk dripping down over the meat, cheese & pineapple. Oh.My.Gosh. So, so good.

I found the Castle Wood Reserve® Honey Ham at Walmart near the deli. They have a full line of deli meats, and when preparing a meat/cheese tray, it’s a favorite to use, because of the quality of the flavor.

Recipe

OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

The Hawaiian: Ham + Egg + Cheese + Pineapple

Get a taste of the tropics with this Hawaiian breakfast sandwich. Ham, egg, cheese, and pineapple sandwiched between a bun to make the ultimate breakfast recipe.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 426kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 4 Hawaiian buns
  • 8-12 slices ham We used Castle Wood Reserve® Honey Ham
  • 4 slices pepperjack cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 pineapple rings
  • butter for cooking

Instructions

  • Begin by buttering the insides of the buns, and toasting them in a pan over medium-high heat, for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  • Fry the ham, topping with a slice of cheese after warmed/fried, and place on the bottom portion of the bun.
  • If desired, place pineapple ring in the pan to sear/warm for about a minute. (Flipping half-way through.) Place on top of ham/cheese.
  • If necessary, add a little butter to the pan to fry your egg(s) over-easy
  • Place on top of meat/cheese/pineapple
  • Top with other bun, and gently push down, allow the egg yolk to slightly drip over the rest of the sandwich.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 314mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 247mg | Iron: 1.6mg
OMG YUUM!!! Ham, Pineapple, Egg and pepperjack cheese, on a Hawaiian bun!

I hope you enjoy it!

Electric Skillet Hamburgers

Electric Skillet Hamburgers: a quick and easy way to make burgers without the stove top splatter! Plus, cooking them like this, results in a juicy, all-around cooked burger that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Straight out of my husband’s mouth

“Jessica, this is such a GOOD burger. So good.”

My husband doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear when it comes to my cooking and/or recipes. So when he goes on and on about how good something is, you better believe I’m going to call it the BEST.

Don’t miss the SUPER popular and Fantabulosity fan favorite, the Hamburgers in the Oven recipe and the NEW Smoked Burgers recipe!

Browned Butter Cheeseburger Recipe

Right along with Fantabulosity recipe tradition, we’re gonna keep things easy.

I’m not a gourmet chef, and sometimes simple is better. So you can count on this recipe only using ingredients that you more than likely have on hand and can be whipped up in just a short time.

For YEARS, I made a not-so-appetizing cheeseburger. No lie. They were dry, unflavorful (is that a word), and just “edible.” Now, we have them once a week, and look forward to “cheeseburger day” and I can’t help but think that these are so delicious because of the browned butter (like we use when cooking steaks in the oven) and “steaming” effect that the electric skillet gives!

Best Cheeseburger Recipe Photo Tutorial

Don’t let all of the photos scare you. There aren’t many steps to these! I just wanted to be extra thorough for you!

For the full recipe with measurements, you can see the recipe card towards the end of the post!

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Get the Skillet Ready

Butter (REAL butter… not that fake stuff), Peppercorn, Garlic Powder, and Kosher Salt. Ahh… a heavenly mix, wouldn’t you say?

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Using an electric skillet, heat it to 350 degrees, and then coat the skillet with about 2-3 Tablespoons of butter. (You can also cut a chunk of butter and toss it in. I just secretly love sliding the butter back and forth, and enjoying the moment.)

While your butter is browning (this is KEY… BROWN THAT BUTTER), patty out the burgers.

If you don’t have an electric skillet, you can cook burgers on the stovetop in a frying pan!

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!
These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Prep the Burgers

1 lb of ground beef usually makes three burgers for us. (We like them thick.)

Roll a third of the ground beef into a ball, and then mash down into a patty using both hands. Using your thumbs and fingers… smooth out the edges the best that you can, making sure there are little or NO cracks. This will help hold the juices in, and keep it from falling apart.

Have leftover ground beef? Or more ground beef in the freezer? Save this list of ground beef dinners.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

I also push down a bit in the center of each hamburger patty, to allow the juices to flow towards the middle while cooking, rather than running off of the sides and into the skillet.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

What Temperature Do You Cook Hamburgers in an Electric Skillet?

Put the lid on the electric skillet, and let the burgers cook over 350 for a couple of minutes, or until the tops start turning a grayish/light brown, and the bottoms have a BEAUTIFUL brown color to them.

Flip the burgers.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Put the lid back on, and let them cook a few minutes more.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

The photo above shows an example of how they’re NOT done. The juices coming out of the top are still pink/red.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Now, THIS is how you know they’re done. The juices coming out of the top have changed colors to grayish/tan.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

What Kind of Cheese for Cheeseburger

Turn the electric skillet on simmer, and place a slice of cheese over each burger.

(Here, I used provolone and American, just because we had the extra cheese on hand and I wanted to see how it would taste. It was good, but I’m still a fan of American cheese on a burger.)

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Place the lid back on, and let the cheese slowly melt on to each burger.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

How to Toast Hamburger Buns

Ok, I know it looks nasty. But pouring out the grease/butter into a bowl from the electric skillet is what needs to be done, to get it ready for the buns.

Pour most of it out, but it’s a-ok if you leave behind some of the seasoning/grease/hamburger pieces. This just adds more flavor to your buns.)

Coat the skillet again with butter (turning the skillet up to about 300 degrees) and place each half of the buns on the skillet.)

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!
These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

The buns should toast in about 30 seconds, and they’ll have this glorious brownish/black look.

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

Your burgers are ready for assembly!

How to Make the BEST Cheeseburgers

This is totally optional, but one of the things my family loves is when I assemble the burgers (without toppings or condiments) and wrap each cheeseburger in aluminum foil and let them sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

What this does is “steam” the burgers and connect the burgers, cheese, and buns for a DELICIOUS texture.

Then, my family will put their toppings or condiments of choice and enjoy!

Cheeseburger Toppings

Top your cheeseburger with some of our favorites and other goodies like:

  • Tomatoes
  • Bacon
  • Red Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Mustard
  • Honey Mustard
  • Spicy Mustard
  • Ketchup
  • Mayo
  • Pickles
  • Avocado
  • Spicy or Fiesta Ranch
  • Crispy Fried Onions
  • Fried Egg
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Sriracha
  • Steak Sauce (like A1)
  • Carmalized Onions
  • Peppers
  • Hummus
  •  Hot Sauce
  • Relish
  • Spinach Leaves
  • Slaw
  • Chips
  • Jalapenos
  • Grilled Pineapple – trust us! It’s so good on these Hawaiian Burgers too!
  • Teriyaki Sauce
  • Queso
  • Crumbled Blue Cheese
  • Chili

More Hamburger Recipes You’ll Love:

If you love this one, then you’re REALLY going to love these other fan-favorite hamburger recipes, such as the donut burger, waffle burger, stovetop burger and for a fun twist… the crispy chicken burger!

Recipe

These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Electric Skillet Hamburgers

Electric Skillet Hamburgers: Learn how to make the best cheeseburger with this easy to follow recipe. Juicy burger covered in cheese is the ultimate comfort meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 burgers
Calories 459kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • Electric Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • pinch kosher salt approx. 1-½ teaspoon
  • ground peppercorn to taste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 stick butter 8 tablespoons – The REAL unsalted butter is my favorite
  • 3 slices American cheese

Instructions

  • Turn skillet on to 350 degrees.
  • Mix together ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Coat the electric skillet with the butter. (Approximately 3 Tablespoons.)
  • Patty out the burgers and place in the skillet covered, cooking for a couple of minutes until the tops of the burgers turn tan and the bottoms are a gorgeous brown.
  • Flip the burgers and cook for a couple of minutes, or until the juices forming out the top run clear and are no longer pink/red.
  • DO NOT mash down the burgers while cooking. This will release the juices that you want to stay in.
  • Turn skillet down to a simmer, and place a slice of cheese on each burger.
  • Remove cheeseburgers from skillet and place on a dish close to one another to trap in heat.
  • Dump the grease out of the skillet into a heatproof bowl.
  • Increase the heat to 300, and coat the skillet with butter.
  • Place each bun half on the skillet and toast the buns for about 30 seconds.
  • Once the buns are toasted, you’re ready to assemble the cheeseburgers!

Video

Notes

For an extra delicious burger, wrap each burger (after assembled with the bun) in aluminum foil to allow the bun/burger to steam, like we do with the burgers in the oven that have gone viral!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (⅓ lb burger) | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 440mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3.1mg
These were SO juicy and easy! Love what she uses. The BEST Cheeseburger recipe!

I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband and my boys! Another quick and easy recipe that’s a house favorite… in the books! Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out my other “BEST’S” recipes like my:

The BEST Side Salad Recipe

BEST Beef Tenderloin Recipe

Holy Cow!!! This is the BEST Beef Tenderloin Recipe EVER. https://fantabulosity.com

The BEST Guacamole Recipe

This is always requested at my parties. The BEST Guacamole Recipe

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PurexCrystalFresh #CollectiveBias

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket: A bright and cheery basket filled with goodies that anyone moving in to a new home will love!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket

It’s Spring, and that means if I can cram as much pastel and bright, beautiful colors in to just about everything I wear, create, and cook… then I’m a happy girl.

Recently, we had friends move in to a new home, and I wanted to make them a gift basket of goodies to help celebrate the big move, and that could hopefully help them until they unpack everything.

When I went to Walmart to find the goodies to build the basket with, I found the prettiest bottles of Purex® Crystals, and KNEW they’d look adorable in the gift with their bright colors! Plus, it would be a perfect item to help our friends with laundry in case they hadn’t quite unpacked their laundry supplies yet!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

Gift Basket Building Tips:

If you haven’t been around here very long, then you may not know my obsession with making DIY gift baskets, when it comes to gift-giving. They just seem so personal, and full of thought. So in most of my other DIY gift basket tutorials, I explain how my two main techniques for making a gift basket look great, is:

Say “NO” to Tissue Paper:

• Using something other than tissue paper, for the fluff. Of course it’s ok anytime to use it. I just prefer to use something else if it’s going to be visible. Now, I do shove it down inside a basket to give it some “umph,” if you can’t see it. But using something like dishtowels or baby blankets, work great! Plus, it adds to the gift!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!
DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

Trash the Trash:

• Take items out of the “boxey,” boring, packaging that it comes in, and remove the tags. Removing the “store-bought,” look of items can really add a “cleaner,” touch to the gift basket. But when the packaging is as adorable and decorative like the Purex Crystals… leave it! I think these made the gift basket POP with color.

New Home Gift Basket Ideas: How bright and cheery is this! So easy.

A Little Decor:

As part of the housewarming gift, it’s always really nice to add a small element of “home decor.” Being able to put something decorative out in their new home, right away, can be JUST what a corner or shelf needs to make it feel homey, until they get all unpacked. Items like a small floral accent, (something seasonal, or neutral, so odds are it will fit the decor theme they’re going with) are a great choice.

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

Incorporate Multiple Rooms

Well this little colander, spatula, candle and soap could be it’s own little housewarming gift if you ask me. But when making a gift basket full of all kinds of items, adding in a few items for different rooms of the home, like the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, living, etc. is always a good move.

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

Plus, who wouldn’t love a mini colander, and an adorable little spatula? 

Adding Flair…

Sure, items in a gift basket are cute anyway. But when you can add things like ribbon around some of the items to add a little flair… it can make it THAT much cuter. Here, we simply wrapped a ribbon around the candle to give it a little more pop of color.

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

In the back corner, we tucked a bottle of hand lotion that they can keep in their bathroom on the sink, for guests visiting to see the new home. Functional, AND pretty!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

Basket Buying:

Then of course shopping for the basket that you put it all in, can be just as fun as finding the items to put in it. But here’s my basket-buying tip: Buy a basket or container that has open sides like this one. That way, the recipient can see right in to the basket, and not have to dig through to see what’s in there!

Making sure the items are visible right away, when you hand it to them, can add such a “wow,” factor to the overall gift!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket Ideas: Love how it includes things that you need right when moving in, to help out! Plus a little decor to make it homey!

If you love making gift baskets as much as I do, then you may want to see the other gifts I’ve created for friends and family recently:

Other Gift Ideas

Sunshine Gift Basket Ideas https://fantabulosity.com

RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #31DaysWithRotel #CollectiveBias

RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas: A delicious blend of chicken, RO*TEL, sour cream, cheese and spices inside of small pastries, that will make your taste buds jump for joy! 

RO*TEL Chicken Empanada. Mmmm!!!

RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas

It’s the month of May and you know what THAT means! It’s fiesta TIME around here. When I shared the Sweet Confetti Fiesta party with you a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I’d share ALL of the recipes that we filled the table with.

So today, I’m sharing the RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas recipe with you, and you’re going to love the ease behind these little tasty morsels. Mmmm, the combination of cheese, chicken, sour cream and spices combined with RO*TEL (to banish the bland and bring on the bold) was incredible!

Cheese, chicken, RO*TEL! These sound amazing!

We use RO*TEL in so many recipes, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snacks, because it’s add a spicy spin that we love, and it’s so easy to add a can to whatever we are making. Plus, it can be used in so many ways; toppings, dips, marinades, and so much more!

Fiesta Theme Party: A confetti and pastel fiesta party!

The Goodness:

Let’s get started with the filling of these babies. Seriously, I could have eaten this like a salad right out of the bowl. (But I didn’t, because it was about to get even better.)

RO*TEL Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

• First, you’ll mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Then, using a 2 or 3 in. circle cutter, (or a wide-mouth drinking glass) cut out circles of the pastry sheet.

• Place a dollop of filling in the center, and brush an egg wash around the edges to help it “stick,” when you fold it over.

Cheese, chicken, RO*TEL! These sound amazing!

• Use a fork to seal the edges together so it will lock in that yummy filling.

Cheese, chicken, RO*TEL! These sound amazing!

Pop ’em in the oven, and bake at 425 for approximately 10 minutes, or until they reach a golden brown.

Cheese, chicken, RO*TEL! These sound amazing!
Cheese, chicken, RO*TEL! These sound amazing!

I so hope you enjoy this easy recipe. They’re great for a weeknight meal, OR to serve as an appetizer for any part that you host.

Have an air fryer? Then try these air fryer empanadas too!

You’ll also love the Taco pinwheels recipe where we used Rotel too!

Recipe

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas

RO*TEL Chicken Empanadas: A delicious blend of chicken, RO*TEL, sour cream, cheese and spices inside of small pastries, that will make your taste buds jump for joy! 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Calories 227kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken I used a rotisserie Chicken
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
  • 1 can RO*TEL diced tomatoes with green chilis drained
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 puff pastry sheets 2 usually come in a pack
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Water
  • sour cream for dipping (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Mix together the first 7 ingredients.
  • Unfold puff pastry, and cut 2-inch circles with a cookie cutter.
  • Put 1 Tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of each circle
  • Mix egg and water together to make the egg wash.
  • Brush the egg wash around the edges of the circle and fold to make a half circle. Use a fork to seal.
  • Poke a couple of holes on top with a toothpick to let steam.
  • Place on a baking sheet or cake pan, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Dip with sour cream if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 78mg | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

Easy No Bake Dessert: Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle. Yes, it’s a dessert of the God’s, it’s quick and you don’t even have to bake or cook anything! 

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

So yes, I’m fully aware of the big title of this blog post. But seriously, would have even come here if you didn’t see that this dessert included all of those amazing ingredients?

Or possibly, it was the “easy” or “no bake” part of it that tickled your fancy, like in these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars? Either way, you’re here and I’m about ready to fill you in on this dessert that I made for my husband’s birthday.

This year for his birthday dinner, I made a ribeye with my easy steak recipe, and paired it with a healthy side dish: Roasted Broccoli, so I could cancel it out with the fiesta ranch potato wedges and buffalo bacon blue cheese dip.

The look on his face when I brought this trifle out to him after dinner, was absolutely priceless.

What did you do?

He looked with amazement at this beauty when I walked towards him, almost like when you see one of those crazy-wild milkshakes for the first time? But the look on your face, when you see how quick and easy it is… will probably be pretty similar to his.

Store Bought Brownie Bites:

Alright, I can hear all of you out there that love homemade desserts, and think that store bought anything is a sin. But I adore being able to buy things already made if it will make things in life a bit easier. So for this dessert dish, I bought brownie bites in the bakery of my local grocery store. First, layer the brownies in the bottom of a trifle dish…

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

Cheesecake Filling:

Yep, they make a cheesecake filling ready to eat, in the store too. Feel free to make your own homemade cheesecake filling for this! I’m sure it will be delightful!

Then spread the cheesecake filling on top of the brownie pieces.

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake TrifleReeses Cups:

Sprinkle on chopped up Reeses Cups for tastebud “joy,”… (and use any extras to make these 2-ingredient peanut butter cup cookies!)

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Yes, I got a little excited and started adding brownies before the peanut butter drizzle.

Peanut Butter Drizzle:

Then just get crazy with it, and drizzle on some Peanut Butter (or caramel) ice cream topping.

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

Repeat:

Repeat the process of the layering until you reach close to the top and add a layer of whipped cream, chopped brownies, Reeses Cups, and peanut butter drizzle. Before you know it, you’ll have a glorious trifle that’s ready to eat.

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle
Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

Is that not glorious looking!? If you have a sweet tooth needing conquered, than I would stop looking. This no bake dessert trifle should win you over.

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

No Trifle Bowl?

Would you like to make this, but don’t have a trifle bowl? Well you can buy one here for only $14.99, OR… make this in a baking dish for more of a “sheet,” style dessert.

Easy No Bake Dessert- Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle

I’m sure he won’t like me telling you this, but I totally caught my husband eating the leftovers, directly out of the trifle bowl the next morning for breakfast. It was still his birthday, so I decided to just turn around and act like I didn’t see anything…

Recipe

Brownie Trifle Dessert in trifle dish.
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Brownie Trifle Recipe

Brownie Trifle Recipe: Layered with cheesecake filling, whipped cream, and peanut butter.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 418kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 12 mini brownie bites* see notes for substitutions
  • 1 24-ounce container ready-to-eat cheesecake filling see post for details
  • 2 cups Miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cups chopped + more for topping
  • 1 cup whipped cream or Cool Whip
  • melted peanut butter for drizzle

Instructions

  • Begin by placing a third of the brownies in bottom of trifle dish, covering the bottom.
  • Next, layer on a third of the cheesecake filling.
  • Sprinkle on a third of the chopped miniature peanut butter cups.
  • Drizzle on some of the melted peanut butter.
  • Repeat layers 2 more times.
  • Add a layer of whipped cream and top with any remaining brownies (chopped) peanut butter cups, and peanut butter drizzle.
  • There’s no wrong way to make this recipe, so have fun with it! Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

Can use 1 batch of homemade or store-bought brownies – cut into bite-sized pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about 1 cup) | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2.3mg

Gift Basket Ideas – For Men, Women, Babies, Holiday’s & More!

Gift Basket Ideas – For Men, Women, Babies, Holiday’s & More! Easy gift baskets you can re-create, with fun themes for anyone on your list!

I’m not sure what it is, but when it comes to gift giving, creating a gift basket for someone is always my first thought. They’re full of goodies, and SURELY there will be something in the basket that the recipient will love, right?

I also feel like it looks like more heart and thought went in to the gift, rather than just picking something up at the last minute and throwing it in to a gift bag. (I’m totally guilty of doing that by the way.)

Gift Basket Ideas – For Men, Women, Babies, Holiday’s & More!

If you’re on a hunt for gift basket ideas, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled all of our gift basket ideas right here on this post. That way, you can take a peek to find one that tickles your fancy, and click through the one you pick and get the tutorial on how to re-create it yourself!

Aw, how cool is this! DIY Gift Idea: Sangria for Friends, housewarming, for women, new neighbor, anyone! Who wouldn't love this!? They can even use the drink dispenser again and again!

DIY Sangria Kit Gift Idea

Even though it’s not a “basket,” it’s by far one of the most popular gift ideas on the blog, so I wanted to include it here first! Fill a drink dispenser with the contents to make a sangria and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Get the tutorial for this wine gift idea!

DIY Housewarming Gift Basket

Giving a housewarming gift basket is one of my favorite ways to welcome someone to the neighborhood, or to congratulate a friend on their new home. See what’s all included in this DIY Housewarming Gift Basket!

Gift Idea for Him- I think you're red Hot Gift Basket Ideas

“You’re RED Hot!” – Gift Basket for Men

Gift ideas for men can be hard to come by. So when it was time to give a gift to my husband for Valentine’s Day, I filled a toolbox that he could use over and over again with all things red! Get more “You’re RED Hot” gift basket ideas for a Valentine’s Day Gift Basket Idea!

This is so smart! Sending necessities to those who've recently lost someone, so they don't have to worry about having things on hand for guests. Sympathy Gift Basket Idea for bereavement, grieving, funeral, and condolence.

Sympathy Gift Basket

During a time of loss, it can be so hard to think of something to do for someone we love and care about. I’ll never forget when someone gifted us a gift basket like this when we lost my husband’s father. It was incredibly helpful, and something I’ll always remember. Get the tutorial for the Sympathy Gift Basket idea Sympathy Gift Basket Idea.

New Baby Gift Basket Ideas https://fantabulosity.com

Gift Basket for a New Baby

If you’ve found yourself in a position where everything has already been purchased from the baby registry, or if you just want to give someone a sweet gift after their new baby has arrived… our new baby gift basket idea may be just what you’re looking for. Get the tutorial AND free printable for this new baby gift basket New Baby Gift Basket!

Bread Basket Hostess Gift Idea: DIY and FREE Printable!! fantabulosity

Hostess Bread Basket Gift Idea

What is it about bread that encompasses “comfort?” If you’re attending a party, housewarming, or any other occasion where you find yourself visiting a friends home, take along this bread basket gift. Filled with wine, bread, and a yummy homemade fruit butter… your friends/family will be overjoyed! Get the tutorial for this hostess gift basket idea!

Sunshine Gift Basket or Box Ideas! fantabulosity.com

Sunshine Gift Basket Idea

Bring a little sunshine to someone in your life by filling a box, basket, bucket, or anything you can think of with everything YELLOW! Get the tutorial and free printable for this Sunshine Gift Basket Idea!

Gift basket idea for men or women

Take It Easy Gift Basket

If you’re looking for gift baskets for men or women… or even holiday gift baskets, a “Take it Easy” gift basket may be the perfect idea! Who doesn’t love to take it easy, and who wouldn’t LOVE to get a basket full of things to help them relax! Get the tutorial and links to purchase some of the goodies you see Relaxation Gift Basket!

"You're Sweet" Gift Idea. This is PERFECT for a hostess gift idea, or gift idea for best friend! fantabulosity.com

“You’re Sweet” Gift

If you have a friend that loves to bake, a “sweet” gift to give is an adorable little baking pan filled with baking accessories that they may not buy themselves. A small gift that packs big sweetness. Get the tutorial “You’re sweet” Gift Basket Idea!

Happy Pops Day! Father's Day Gift Idea! Love this! https://fantabulosity.com

Happy “POPS” Day!

When Father’s Day comes around again this year, keep this gift basket idea in mind. Or, if you’re looking for a gift idea for dad for his birthday or any other holiday… you can easily change this to “You’re the Best, “Pop!” Get the tutorial for this Father’s Day Gift Basket Idea!

I can SO do this!!! Coffee Bar Party: "You've Warmed My Heart," theme! LOVE what she did as a random act of kindness with her guests! DIY Coffee bar ideas galore, and SO easy! fantabulosity.com

“You’ve Warmed my Heart” Thank You Gift Basket

If there is someone in your life that you want to “thank,” a “You’ve Warmed my Heart,” gift basket may be fitting for the occasion. See how we incorporated these gift baskets in with a coffee bar party “Thank you” gift basket!

Teacher Survival Kit - Teacher Gift Idea https://fantabulosity.com

Teacher Survival Kit

What better way to thank a teacher, or prepare them for the school year, than a Teacher Survival Kit!? Get the tutorial of what all we put in our teacher gift basket idea!

Holiday Baking Kit, DIY Christmas gift idea

Holiday Baking Kit

If you know someone who LOVES to bake, gifting them with a holiday baking kit may be right up their alley! Filled with cookie and cake mixes, frosting and TONS of sprinkles… it will surely be a hit.

Meal Care Package

Did someone you know bring home a new baby? What about someone who’s had a rough go lately, and could use dinner delivered? This meal care package idea is a great way to show them you’re thinking about them! Get the tutorial for this Meal Care Package!

Red Box Movie Night Gift Idea fantabulosity.com

Movie Night In

What a fun way to give a family a head start to a fun family night in! A gift basket (or box) filled with the goodies to create a fun family movie night! Get the tutorial for this Movie Night Gift Basket!

DIY House Warming Gift Ideas. Mason Jar Drink dispenser with all of those "always need," items when moving in! Awesome! https://fantabulosity.com

Welcome to the Neighborhood Gift Idea

Filling a drink dispenser full of items that someone may need for all of the moving struggles and breaking in the new house, is a great way to show someone you’re thinking about them during the move! Plus, the drink dispenser can be used to fill with a favorite beverage to quench the thirst after all of that hard labor of moving and decorating! Get the tutorial for this Welcome to the Neighborhood Gift Basket Idea!

Sick Kit - Get Well Gift for Kids & Mom https://fantabulosity.com

TLC Kit- Get Well Soon!

Know someone under the weather? How amazing would it be to receive a gift box full of medicine and other goodies to help comfort during a time of feeling so awful!? Get the tutorial for this Get Well Gift Basket Idea!

Have I Forgotten Any?

Whew… now that’s a lot of gift basket ideas right?! I sure hope you found one that you want to create too! Is there a gift basket idea that you’d love to see added to this list? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll see if I can create something!

Yogurt and Pudding Bar

This post has been sponsored by Wholesome. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yogurt and Pudding Bar Ideas: How fun for a healthy option for kids

Yogurt and Pudding Bar

Each year when a birthday rolls around for one of my kiddos, I LOVE thinking outside of the box. Now, with blogging, I get to style a lot of parties all year long. So to mix it up a bit, and to keep things exciting, I love asking my littles what kind of birthday party they want to have, and what they’d like to have at their parties.

So with one of my littles parties this year, we sat down and talked out something fun that we could do for his birthday. When we started talking about his favorite things to snack on, the idea of a yogurt and pudding bar was born! We LOVE food bars for parties, so it was a no-brainer.

How fun to let him and his little friends, make their own yogurt or pudding creation with different toppings!

Kids Love It, Momma Loves It

I was thrilled when he was onboard to have a yogurt and pudding bar, instead of the traditional cake and ice cream. So I headed to the store and gathered all that we needed to build it.

Yogurt and Pudding Bar Topping Ideas

Filling the bar with fun and smarter choices for toppings, it helped me feel so much better about what my kids and their friends were eating while celebrating. This style of food bar is great for those that prefer a healthy lifestyle!

Yogurt and Pudding Bar - Kids party ideas

Yogurt + Pudding

To keep things simple, we only offered two different kinds of yogurt/pudding: Plain yogurt, and chocolate pudding. We also put them out in individual bowls, so it made it easy to grab and go!

Other Yogurt Options: Vanilla, Banana, Blueberry, Strawberry

Other Pudding Options: Vanilla, Tapioca, Rice, Swirl

Delish Fish candies on a dessert bar at a party

Candy

My little guy headed to the store with me, and helped me pick out a lot of the toppings for the yogurt and pudding bar, which made it part of the fun! He’s a “snacker,” so this was right up his alley. We browsed the candy aisle and took a good hard look at the Wholesome Candy line, and decided Wholesome DelishFish was the one!

He loves the Wholesome DelishFish, and I do too! They’re:

• Made with real, recognizable ingredients

• Organic

• Have no synthetic colors (like RED 40)

• Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Kosher

• No artificial flavors

• Contain no high fructose corn syrup

I feel a LOT better about letting him have these, when he wants something to satisfy his sweet tooth! I have to admit… I had quite the “taste surprise” when I tried one of these. It’s so nice to enjoy these, without worrying about what’s really in them. 

Toppings for a yogurt bar, and pudding bar! So fun for adults and kids at any party
Coconut flakes for a yogurt and ice cream bar topping idea. DIY yogurt and build your own pudding bar

Fruit, Nuts, + More

Then, you can also fill your yogurt and pudding bar with other fun toppings like fruit, nuts, granola, coconut, and raisins!

Kids make your own pudding bar

For Adult Fun Too

I absolutely love how this party idea can be a win-win for parents too. Parents love the option to create their own fun yogurt/pudding too! (Think how fun/adorable this would be for baby showers, holidays, bridal showers, etc.)

Adults make your own yogurt bar
Yogurt and Pudding Bar Ideas

Fun + Easy

Styling and creating a Yogurt and Pudding bar can be easy, and can be incredibly fun for guests. So the next time you’re hosting, you may consider thinking outside the box and creating your own!

Yogurt and Pudding Bar

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe: Doing this one simple step during the process will MAKE this your favorite homemade pico recipe! 

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe - SOOOO so good with the lime juice and cilantro

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe

My girlfriend Kate came over the other day, and we had cooking on the agenda to create some recipes for the Slightly Homemade Dinners cookbook. A Catalina Taco Salad (yes, yum… right?) was on the list, and we needed some pico for garnish.

I looked at her and said,

Does our grocery store even have fresh pico?

She followed with,

No, but we can totally make our own… really easy.

So we rolled with it, and I’m SO thankful that we did. It was incredible.

Easy pico de gallo recipe - the cilantro and lime mixed with the tomatoes and onions are to die for! So fresh with one little trick.

There’s a Secret

I’ve never really disliked pico, but I didn’t realize how much better making fresh pico at home could be… than pico that’s pre-made at the store, or even served in restaurants. It seems as if a lot of pico is runny and soupy, which is… well, ok. But when Kate told me the secret step to amazing pico, is to scoop out the seeds and juices from the middle… it became a GAME CHANGER.

By doing this, it creates a whole new CRISP texture that’s incredibly hard to beat.

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe - With using this technique, it makes an incredible fresh pico!

Now we ended up putting most of this pico on top of the taco salad that we made, but we completely finished it off with a bag of tortilla chips, in no time.

Don’t be afraid to serve a side of this pico and chips as an appetizer at a party, or even as a side dish for your family dinner on a busy weeknight. You can make this recipe super quick and even eat on it for days as a snack!

Recipes that serve multiple purposes are my FAVORITE!

If you love quick and easy recipes, you won’t find anything but that in our recipe archives. Take a browse, and pin your favorite on Pinterest for a quick reference!

Recipe

Easy pico de gallo in a square dish.
Print Pin
4.50 from 4 votes

Easy Pico De Gallo Recipe

Fresh tomatoes, cilantro, onion with a pinch of salt and dash of lemon juice is all it takes to make this easy pico de gallo recipe. Pair with chips for the ultimate appetizer!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings (makes about 3 cups)
Calories 16kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 5 roma tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 small white onion peeled and diced
  • juice of 1 lime or 3 Tablespoons of prepared lime juice

Instructions

  • Slice the Roma tomatoes in half, scoop out and discard seeds.
  • Dice tomatoes and onions in small pieces
  • Mix in the cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Serve!

Notes

Super important to discard insides of tomatoes. This helps reduce juices and capture the texture desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about ½ cup) | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 149mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 8.4mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Wine Bottle Craft: Vase DIY Tutorial

Wine Bottle Craft: Vase DIY Tutorial – Such a fun way to make crafts using wine bottles. Create a vase for home decor or for party centerpieces.

I have a LOT to learn in the creativity department of repurposing, but it’s slowly becoming a thing for me. The idea of taking something that would normally be thrown in the trash, and turning it in to something that can be beautiful for a party tablescape or as home decor… really tickles my fancy.

Wine bottle crafts image: LOVING the colors of this summer soiree! Navy coral and gold. So classy and elegant!

Wine Bottle Craft: Vase DIY Tutorial

When my gal pal Kate came over the other day, we started thinking about ways we could tie in the color “gold,” to the Summer Soiree Party that we styled for Columbus Craft Meats last month. Somehow, no matter the topic, our minds tend to lean towards the subject of “wine.”

So when the idea of using a wine bottle as a vase with big, beautiful flowers in it for the party table came up, it was a no-brainer!

Since I’m incredibly lucky to be a part of the Make it Martha team on Martha Stewart, I had the PERFECT Metallic Gold Martha Stewart Crafts® paint in my craft room, and I knew it would look incredible brushed on to the wine bottle.

Wine Bottle Vase Tutorial:

Wine Bottle Crafts: Martha Stewart Crafts paint diy vase project

Paint + Brush

For this craft, we used the Metallic Gold Soft Gel Watercolor Acrylic Craft Paint, because it works great on glass. Then, to paint it on, we used one of brushes from the Martha Stewart Crafts® Watercolor Brush Set. Friends, if you haven’t tried any of the paint brushes from the Martha Stewart Crafts® collection, do it. I never thought that the quality of a brush really mattered… until we tried these. ESPECIALLY the stencil brushes that we used on the flamingo drink tray and nautical anchor pillow.

Wine bottle crafts Martha Stewart Crafts paint brushes for painted DIY vase

Using a wine bottle to make a vase for a party display or centerpiece - wine bottle crafts

Wine Bottle Transformation:

Step 1: Drink the wine out of the wine bottle. All of it. (Haha… totally kidding. Kind of.)

Step 2: Remove label. Clean the bottle, inside and out. Making sure to remove any glue left from label.

Gold metallic paint - Martha Stewart Crafts

Step 3: Pour a small amount of the paint on to a disposable dish, like a paper plate. This paint can go a long way, so start with a small amount.

Martha Stewart paint brush to make DIY vase - wine bottle craft

Step 4: Starting at the top of the wine glass, begin brushing paint strokes down the bottle.

We opted for a “sheer,” brushed look on the bottle, instead of fully covering the bottle, and LOVED the way it turned out. But you can do more of a fully covered look if you prefer!

Painting a wine bottle to make a vase for party decor - wine bottle crafts

Using paint, paint a wine bottle to make a flower vase. DIY project using a wine bottle.

wine bottle diy craft: paint to make a vase

Wine Bottle Vase DIY Tutorial

The wine bottle vase was dry in no-time, and ready for flowers! We ended up making two for the Summer Soiree Party, but we now have them placed around the house for an added touch of gold decor.

Wine bottle crafts photo: This is SO pretty and so easy! DIY Wine Bottle Gold Vase Tutorial

What Would Make This Craft Even Better?

Host a wine and craft night with your girlfriends, and serve wine from the new Martha Stewart Wine Co.! Have you heard of this? I’m super excited to try it! For party ideas for your own wine and craft night, browse our latest parties HERE!

Then, for more crafts and DIY ideas, head over HERE for more inspiration!

Home Tour Part 19 – Breakfast Nook

Craftsman Home Tour Part 19 – Breakfast Nook: It’s possibly the most used room of our home, and where we gather for meals no matter what time of day.

I’ll be honest. I can’t even believe we’ve lived in this house for almost 4 years now. We usually have a track record of moving once a year or so, but for some reason we’ve grounded ourself in this home longer than usual.

If this is your first time here, visiting a part of our home tour, you can see the other rooms on the craftsman home tour.

Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Home Tour Part 19 – Breakfast Nook

But can I be even more honest? We’re getting the “bug,” and I’ve noticed the talk of “moving” popping up in our conversations more and more lately.

I really really really want to live in a small home again. Four houses ago, we lived in a small craftsman style home, and I fell in love with it.

No matter what room we were in, I still felt connected to other family members because they were close by. The bigger the house, the more space family members have to run and hide. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE our home now. But the idea of living in a small home again really tickles my fancy.

So we shall see. You never know what will happen around here. But no matter what, a goal I’ve had was to get this breakfast nook DONE. It took me so long to get it to a point of “done” because we were using a pub style table for so long here in this space, and it was on it’s last leg… literally.

It had seen better days, and I had always wanted a table like the one we have now. But getting rid of a dining table, just to get rid of it…seemed silly. So we waited and waited and then one day, decided it was time.

Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

The Table

I absolutely love this table. When it arrived, we had to attached the legs to the table, but that was it! It’s sturdy and I great for the kids to sit/eat at, because it has a “worn” look to it, so it’s forgiving if something happens cosmetically, to it.

Breakfast area and brown table with metal chairs - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home
Brown Farmhouse chairs Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Metal Tub Chairs

I bought the metal tub chairs from Target, and they work perfectly with this table. A great height, and they slide in just enough to get out of the way, but still stick out to show side chairs.

Metal tub chairs - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Centerpiece

I couldn’t decide which centerpiece to have on the table when I took the photos of the breakfast nook, because I change this decor out at least once a month. I’m a sucker for seasonal flowers in a white pitcher, or incorporating holiday decor in this space. But I adore how white cotton stems really help pop the other white accents in the room, so I chose this one for now!

I’m often asked where I find white cotton stems like these, and I’ve found some here!

Cotton stems centerpiece - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Side note: Did you see this DIY farmhouse apron rack? This would look adorable in the kitchen!

Gather Modern Farmhouse sign - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

DIY Gather Sign

I stared at the space between the two windows for the four years that we’ve lived here. Then, after seeing all of the adorable signs floating around on Pinterest, I finally decided I wanted a sign that said “Gather” right here in this space. We gather in this room at least 3 times a day, every day… for eating, crafting, and visiting. So “GATHER,” just seemed appropriate. (We save the formal/fancier dinners and gatherings for the formal dining room.)

I made this DIY Farmhouse sign, and it was really easy to do, and it adds so much to the room!

GATHER sign - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Cake, for Breakfast

If you’ve taken a peek at any of our parties on the blog, then this space in the breakfast nook may look super familiar. We style a lot of parties right here because of the abundance of natural light in photographs, and this adorable little table is perfect for a buffet party spread.

Eat cake for breakfast - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

When we’re not styling a party, I keep a few favorite items on display on this little table. I found this “Eat Cake for Breakfast” sign at Hobby Lobby.

Cake stand - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Cake Stand

My Martha Stewart Cake stand is one of my FAVORITES. The scallop detail and the glass dome make me all giddy inside each time I look at it. So, instead of pushing this in the cabinet with the rest, I wanted this one on display ALL of the time.

Fake cake - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home
gold silverware - Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Serveware

I love having this gold silverware on display to add a little pop of gold to any space. I’ve stacked my white dinner plates from Target, along with fabric napkins that match whatever season we’re in.

Breakfast Nook - Modern Farmhouse Craftsman Home

Thank you SO much for popping over to see part 18 of our home tour: the breakfast nook. If you’re on the hunt for more craftsman style home ideas, or even modern-craftsman decorating idea, take a peek at some of the other rooms in our home to see if any spark your interest!

Tour the Other Rooms in Our Home:

Part 1: The Exterior

Part 2: The Master Bedroom

Part 3:  The Master Bath

Part 4: The Kitchen

Part 5: The Playroom

Part 6: The Guest Bath

Part 7: The Pantry

Part 8: The Patio/Deck

Part 9: The Nursery

Part 10: *Old* The Office/Craft Room

Part 11: Big Boy Room

Part 12: The NEW Nursery

Part 13: The Dining Room/Foyer

Part 14: The Guest Bedroom

Part 15: The Living Room

Part 16: New Office Reveal

Part 17:  Garage 

Part 18: Patio Re-do Reveal

Breakfast nook ideas for craftsman style home

Easy Party Appetizers

Easy Appetizers For a Party or For Snacking – A collection of party appetizers that are simple to whip up for guests or just for enjoying at home!

Image collage of easy party appetizers.

Easy Party Appetizers

Before any of my parties, I find myself thinking

Ok, now that I know what the theme is… what in the heck am I going to make?

Most of the time, I LOVE to fix appetizers for a party, more than main dishes. It’s easier for the guests to pick at all evening, and it leaves a ton of variety instead of trying to pick one or two main dishes, HOPING everyone likes it.

I’ve found that a lot of you are looking for party appetizers too, so I wanted to make it super easy for you to find some great recipes and ideas. Besides, that’s what we’re all about here, isn’t it? (Real life. Well Styled.)

So you’ll find all of the easy party appetizers from our archives right here on this page… all in one place! Simply select the one that tickles your fancy and it will take you right to the recipe!

Baked Brie with Maple Syrup and Bacon

Maple Baked Brie 

Gooey melty cheese, topped with crunchy nuts and sweet maple syrup makes a great appetizer that everyone will want to grab a second taste of.

Ham and cheese sliders stacked on top of one another.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sometimes called “funeral sandwiches” these sliders are the perfect party food or even an easy dinner idea!

Little smokies in grape jelly and bbq sauce, cooked in crockpot, in green bowl.

BBQ Little Smokies

Made in the Crock Pot, these little smokies are a crowd-pleaser at any type of party! Easy to make, simple ingredients, and tons of flavor!

Reuben dip in white pie dish, and a spoon scooping out a serving.

Reuben Sandwich Dip

Serve this cheesy meaty dip with crusty rye bread slices. This is a unique and tasty way to get the sandwich flavor you crave in a dish that can feed a crowd.

A plate of soft pretzels with cheese dip.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Everyone loves a soft pretzel. Make these for a delicious appetizer that you can top with seasonings, or dip into melty cheese.

A platter of smoked stuffed mushrooms.

Smoked Stuffed Mushrooms

A platter of stuffed mushrooms is always a good idea for a party food to share. This recipe makes stuffed mushrooms even tastier by smoking them.

Pizza monkey bread with sauce in a bowl.

Pizza Monkey Bread

This take on pizza is perfect for a crowd. Everyone will want to dip this cheesy treat into sauce for a really delicious appetizer option!

Bacon wrapped dates that are stuffed with blue cheese.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Make a tasty yet elegant option to wow your guests with these bacon wrapped dates. They are sweet, salty and so yummy!

Cheese board with pita, grapes, and nuts.

Cheese Board

Setting up an epic cheese board doesn’t have to be complicated. This idea uses fruit, cheese, nuts and crackers to set up a spread worthy of celebrating at your next gathering.

Mini potato trifles with sour cream on top with bacon crumbles.

Easy Potato Trifles

These trifles have all of the goodies you like on a baked potato like bacon and cheese, but they are served in little glasses for a parfait unlike any other!

Frito Chili Pie in food boat.
Frito Chili Pie with all the fixings!

Frito Chili Pie

Appetizers don’t have to be fancy! Tasty is enough to make it worthy of sharing. This recipe makes for a frito pie that your guests will work up an appetite for.

A bowl of pico de gallo.

Easy Pico de Gallo

Set out a bag of chips and a big bowl of this easy pico de gallo for a simple yet satisfying appetizer. Everyone is going to love these fresh flavors.

Close-up of chicken empanadas.

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

These empanadas are loaded with chicken, cheese and rotel tomatoes for a really delicious snack. These are portable so you can munch and mingle at your next party.

Bacon ranch and chicken bites on a cake stand.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Crescent Cups

These crescent cups are filled with chicken bacon ranch flavor for a snack that everyone will hope to grab seconds of. Maybe you should make a double batch for your party?

Fruit and crackers sitting next to cream cheese dip in a small white bowl, all on a white platter.

Fruit Board

This easy spread offers fruit, cookies and the best dip! Set this out for your guests to graze on and you are sure to have a sweet party.

Slices of focaccia bread, on a wooden cutting board.

Easy Focaccia Bread

You can’t go wrong with homemade bread as a starter. This recipe is so easy to make, you might want to add it to your weekly routine for fresh and flavorful bread.

Berries stuffed with cheesecake.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

I know you are going to love this recipe for strawberries stuffed with creamy cheesecake. This is easy and so elegant! Serve these at a party for a summer inspired snack.

A bowl of jalapeno artichoke dip.

Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

This dip is creamy, spicy and so good! Serve with chips, crusty bread or crackers for a crowd pleasing appetizer.

A pile of pigs in a blanket.

Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket

You can’t go wrong with a classic like pigs in a blanket for a snack. This recipe is so easy to make as it bakes in the air fryer for perfectly flaky rolls with beefy franks in the middle.

Football cheeseball on platter that's made out of food to look like football field.

Loaded Cream Cheese Dip

While this appetizer is perfect for football party food, it is so tasty you can serve it at any gathering. Be sure to have a variety of dippers to go with this dish.

Southwestern egg rolls on a plate with green dipping sauce.

Southwest Egg Rolls

These egg rolls have the best flavor! They are made with chicken, corn, black beans and plenty of spices. You are going to love this tasty dipping sauce also.

Close-up of pinwheel sandwich on cutting board.

Pinwheel Sandwiches

These mini sandwiches are easy to make, using deli meat, cheese and your favorite toppings!

A plate of portobello mushrooms.

Baked Portobello Mushrooms

Baked portobello mushrooms with plenty of cheese and spices makes for a really tasty offering to serve to guests at your next party.

A platter of pinwheels shaped like a tree.

Christmas Tree Pinwheels

The presentation of this appetizer makes it the perfect holiday party food. This recipe is so delicious you can serve it anytime of year for a crowd pleasing snack.

A bowl of elote dip with chips.

Elote Dip

Mexican street corn flavor is going to be a big hit as an appetizer. This recipe is fuss free and makes enough that everyone can have a bite of this great dip!

A charcuterie board shaped like a Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree Charcuterie

Plan to make this epic and adorable charcuterie board for the holidays! It has such a colorful and tasty variety of ingredients so everyone can find their favorite combination.

Spicy ranch crackers close-up.

Spicy Ranch Crackers

If you want something simple yet so good to snack on with friends, then try this easy spicy ranch crackers! These are so tasty you won’t be able to stop at just one.

A cheesy biscuit.

Cheddar Biscuits

If you love those iconic biscuits from Red Lobster, then you will appreciate this recipe. It has plenty of cheese, butter and garlic to make a biscuit that will keep everyone coming back to the food table for another taste.

Air fryer buffalo chicken tenders on plate next to ranch dressing.

Air Fryer Buffalo Tenders

This finger food is perfect for a party or just to snack on! If you are a fan of bold buffalo flavor, then you are going to want to make these ASAP. Serve with blue cheese dip and celery on the side.

Cheese dip with soft pretzels.

Pretzel Cheese Dip

If you want a simple snack that was made to share, then try this cheese dip with pretzels. This is so cheesy and so delicious!

Orange bell pepper slice being dipped in to smoked queso.

Smoked Queso

You can’t go wrong with chips and smoky, cheesy queso as a starter. This recipe is perfect for taco night, or anytime you need some melty cheesy goodness in your day.

Texas toast topped with pizza toppings.

Texas Toast Pizza

Who could resist pizza as a starter? This recipe uses garlic bread to make a tiny slice of pizza that is bursting with buttery, garlic flavors!

A casserole with taco layer dip.

Taco Layer Dip

Taco dip is such a good starter or snack. But, it is so delicious that you could totally make a meal of this! Serve with chips and soft taco shells for a dish that you will fall in love with from the first bite.

A bowl of rotel dip with chips.

Rotel Dip

Cheesy, spicy dip with plenty of ground beef, chiles and spices makes for such a good starter. Serve this with taco night, enchiladas or just as a snack.

Close up of bbq meatballs.

Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

Pop these meatballs in the slow cooker with plenty of bbq sauce and grape jelly. This recipe uses sriracha to spice things up for a delicious flavor addition. I know you will love these as a party food, or serve them at the holidays for a light snack.

A skillet of queso with black beans, corn and lime.

Cowboy Queso

Make this queso with black beans, corn and plenty of cheese for a starter that is so tasty and filling! Serve with chips, but save a few spoons to top your taco with, if you can!

A bowl of saucy meatballs.

Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs

Go from frozen to fabulous in no time with this easy instant pot recipe that is great for any occasion. These are ready in just 4 minutes for fast and filling food!

A bowl of blue cheese dip surrounded by veggies.

Buffalo Bacon Blue Cheese Dip

Serve this extra flavorful dip with chips, crusty bread or fresh raw veggies for the best starter. This is great to offer guests, or to graze on before dinner. It has a pronounced flavor that you are sure to find delectable.

Close-up of blue cheese dip in white bowl.

Blue Cheese Dip

If you enjoy the flavor of blue cheese this is the dip for you! It has simple ingredients, takes no time to make, and goes so well with fresh veggies, chips or crackers.

Guacamole in a small white bowl.

Homemade Guacamole

A great appetizer doesn’t have to be complicated. This guacamole recipe uses plenty of fresh veggies to make a starter that you will want to serve with many future meals.

Air fried shrimp on a white plate, sitting next to a lemon.

Air Fryer Shrimp

Pop these succulent shrimp into the air fryer for a fast first course. Pair with your favorite cocktail sauce for a classic appetizer option.

A dish of hot taco dip topped with onion and tomato.

Hot Taco Dip

Serving something spicy tonight? Why not offer this tasty taco dip as a starter? This also makes a good option for parties as it is delicious and easy.

Close-up of pinwheel sandwich on cutting board.

Pinwheels

Make a few of these pinwheels, and cut them into rounds to share with friends at a party. These have so many fresh flavors to entice your guests to have a bite.

Marinated grilled shrimp kabobs

Grilled Shrimp Marinade

Make this marinade for grilled shrimp and serve this as your first course. These would be great on lettuce cups, skewered with grilled veggies, or on mini tacos.

Sliders with crunchy fried chicken and pickles.

Fried Chicken Sliders

Bring classic fried chicken flavor to your first course with these sliders. They are small in size but have such the big, tasty flavor of comfort food in every bite. 

A stack of Italian sliders.

Italian Sliders

Serve some super flavorful sliders as an appetizer if you want to indulge in sub shop flavors while serving a healthy dinner.

A bowl of fruit salad with honey lime dressing.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Start the meal with a bowl of juicy fruit salad with a tantalizing dressing for an appetizer that appeals to everyone! Use your favorite in season fruits to make this salad unique to your preferences.

Everything bagel dip with fresh veggies and bagel chips.

Everything But The Bagel Dip

Serve this flavorful dip with veggies, chips, bread or even bagel chips if you like. It has a great flavor that works as party food, or a simple starter for so many meals.

A plate of saucy sloppy joe sliders with cheese.

Sloppy Joe Sliders

Start the meal off with some saucy sloppy joe sliders. These are just the right size to entice your appetite for more.

A plate of wontons made with guacamole.

Avocado Wontons

If you love the flavor of guacamole, then you need to make these fresh and flavorful wontons. Make them in your air fryer for a super healthy appetizer everyone will love.

Strawberry jalapeno bruschetta.

Strawberry Jalapeno Bruschetta

Sweet, spicy and so good are the ways to describe this bruschetta recipe. Use in season berries and peppers for the freshest flavor.

Mussels cooked and in plate.

Mediterranean Style Mussels 

This fancy starter is so easy to make! They have a great Mediterranean flavor that feels elegant, but is fuss free for the perfect party food.

More Party Ideas

Whew! That’s a lot of party appetizer recipes! I hope you found one or 15 recipes that you want to make! If you now have your party menu planned and need decorating thought-starters, feel free to browse my easy party ideas to snag more simple and easy party planning ideas!

Affordable + Adorable Swim Suit Finds – Zaful Review

Affordable + Adorable Swim Suit Finds – Zaful Review: I took a chance on this online store, and so glad that I did! Cheap and cute swimsuits! 

Black off the shoulder swimming suit from Zaful. So affordable and adorable! One piece! Zaful review

We’ve all seen it. The ad that pops up in our Facebook newsfeed, showing us the super affordable swimsuits at Zaful. I even found myself saying

Ok this is way too good to be true. Seriously, $12-$13 for a swimsuit?

So when I couldn’t resist anymore, I asked you all on Facebook what you thought. Some of you said “RUN!” While others said, “Well, check out ‘so-in-so’s’ review on YouTube. She kind of liked them…”

So I was STILL torn. Then, I decided that $12-$13 for a swimsuit was totally worth the risk, so I took a chance. I put two suits in my shopping cart and crossed my fingers…

Affordable + Adorable Swim Suit Finds – Zaful Review

First, I never thought in a million years I’d get the nerve to do a photo AND video review of me wearing a swim suit in front of so many people. But let me tell you… when I find something good, cute, and affordable… I’m not about to keep that from you. So I’ll risk showing you my mom-bod. Just please be nice!

Zaful Good or Bad?

Friends, please don’t hear what I’m not saying. You may end up ordering something from Zaful and have a horrible experience. But this being my first time ordering from them, I am totally pleased. It took maybe a week and a half to get my two suits, and when they arrived… they fit.

Now, I did pay attention to the reviews of each one, to see if I should order “up.” I did order a large in both suits, and I’m thrilled that I did. They fit perfectly! (I’m 5’4, 140 lbs and a 34 DD or 32DDD – according to Victoria Secret.)

Photos and Links Below to Each Swimming Suit…

Off The Shoulder Flounced One-Piece Swimming Suit

I think I love this one the most. It has a bit of ruffle (we all know from my Trunk Club’s how much I love ruffles, yes?) and I swear… when I wore it this week swimming, it literally felt like it sucked some of my stomach in. Hello bonus!

This also comes in other SUPER cute colors, like an army green, white, bright yellow and a pastel pink! So so cute! I would like one in every color!

Black off the shoulder swimming suit from Zaful. So affordable and adorable! One piece

Buy this Off-the-Shoulder Suit HERE!

Buy my Favorite Sun Hat HERE!

The image shows straps that come with it, and I’ll be totally honest: I forgot that it came with straps and have no clue what I even did with them. The suit fit great without them and stayed up on me just fine while swimming!

Cut Out High Leg Scalloped Swimming Suit

I love this suit a ton for the price too! My belly and back (ahem, flab) does tend to stick out the front and back a bit when I don’t stay on top of adjusting it… but it’s totally wearable and doable.

I love the scalloped look to the bust, so so much! This one also comes in more colors, like an adorable baby blue that I’m DYING to get!

Black scallop swim suit one piece from zaful! Zaful review, cheap and cute swimming suits! Such a good experience and review!

Buy this Scalloped Swimming Suit HERE!

Thank you SO much for coming by to see what I thought about Zaful. If you choose to buy from them, I hope you have a good experience like I did! I’d love to hear about your experience too, to help others out! Just comment below!

zaful reviews

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies made with a Devil’s Food Cake Mix: A spin on the original cookie with a touch of caramel drizzle makes these some of the easiest and best cookie recipes, that are made with a chocolate cake mix! (Along with this Rocky Road Cookies recipe and these Devil’s Food Chocolate Cookies that use a cake mix too, of course!)

Chocolate Caramel Gooey Butter Cookies

At first, I really didn’t think it could get much better than the original gooey butter cookie. Then, we made the strawberry shortcake gooey butter cookies. I believe I ate 15 of those bad boys in about 3 minutes that day. I swore it was the best cookie I ever had.

But now… although those are still amazingly delicious… I bring you the ultimate gooey butter cookie: Chocolate Caramel Gooey Butter Cookies. Chocolate and caramel together are a way to my dessert loving heart. Remember the chocolate peanut butter salted caramel toffee cake? My chocolate + caramel love affair was on high alert that day.

But then we also took things up a notch for Christmas and made these reindeer cookies!

Ingredients

With only a few ingredients (and ingredients that you more than likely have on hand), these cookies can be made in a jiffy and last-minute!

  • 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 devils food box cake mix (we also use this for these turtle cookies!)
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup salted caramel ice cream topping divided

The ingredients are similar to this Turtle Pie recipe if you find that you have extra and want to whip up something else too!

Ingredients for chocolate caramel gooey butter cookies

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Mix together cream cheese, and butter until well blended.
  3. Add in vanilla, egg, cake mix and ½ cup of caramel ice cream topping until combined.
  4. Roll into 1 in. size balls
  5. Roll each ball in powdered sugar
Rolled gooey butter cookies - chocolate caramel
  1. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350 for 12 minutes.
Baked chocolate gooey butter cookies with caramel. This recipe is easy and delicious
  1. Remove from baking sheet and drizzle each cookie with remaining caramel and additional powdered sugar if desired.

Similar Gold Cooling Rack // Buy HERE

Easy chocolate cookie recipe with cream cheese, cake mix and powdered sugar

Caramel Drizzle Tidbit

Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle on the caramel sauce. (We used ice cream topping to keep things super simple. This didn’t harden, so if you’re looking for something to harden more, melting caramel candies may work better for you!)

After cooled, drizzle more caramel on to the gooey butter cookies

Love caramel in your cookies too? This Twix cookie recipe is definitely one to try.

Mmmm! Chocolate Caramel gooey butter cookie recipe. So easy and delicious!

They won’t last long, and you’ll eat WAY more than you should. As a mom who loves her children unconditionally and would do anything for them… I still hid this batch and ate almost every single one —without sharing!

Let chocolate caramel gooey butter cookies cool on the wire rack

Substitutions

Although the chocolate devil’s food cake mix is absolutely delicious, you can absolutely switch out the cake mix for your favorite!

Try red velvet cookies, or even funfetti cookies with a cake mix!

Oh my WORD! Chocolate Caramel Gooey Butter Cookies! These are so easy, and the caramel drizzle and adding it to the batter takes this original cookie to a whole new level with a chocolate cake mix

More recipes you’ll love:

Thank you so much for coming by, and don’t forget to check out the other fun dessert recipes, such as these caramel cupcakes with a caramel buttercream frosting and this chocolate bread and butter pudding.

Recipe

caramel drizzling on chocolate gooey butter cookie
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies: A spin on the original cookie with a touch of caramel drizzle makes these the best cookies ever. At least in our house.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 30 cookies (number may vary depending on size)
Calories 122kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 devils food box cake mix
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup salted caramel ice cream topping divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Mix together cream cheese, and butter until well blended.
  • Add in vanilla, egg, cake mix and ½ cup of caramel ice cream topping until combined.
  • Roll into 1 in. size balls
  • Roll each ball in powdered sugar
  • Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350 for 12 minutes.
  • Remove from baking sheet and drizzle each cookie with remaining caramel and additional powdered sugar if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 58mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.7mg

DIY Stenciled Anchor Pillow Cover for Guest Room

As part of the Martha Stewart “Make it Martha” program, I received complimentary products to make this DIY craft. Thank you Martha!

DIY Stenciled Anchor Pillow Cover for Guest Room using Martha Stewart Crafts® paint and stencil. This easy tutorial and craft made decorating a breeze!

DIY Anchor Pillow with a stencil

DIY Stenciled Anchor Pillow Cover Tutorial

If you’ve been on my home tour, then you may have kicked your shoes off and stayed a while in part 14, the Guest Room.

Fantabulosity's Home Tour Part 14- The Guest Bedroom https://fantabulosity.com

Well in that room, the adorable new chair that I purchased specifically for this space looked incredibly lonely sitting there without a pop of color. So when I saw this anchor stencil, I knew it would be the PERFECT accent on the guest room chair!

Martha Stewart Paint Crafts DIY Anchor PIllow

If you saw my flamingo drink serving tray that I featured last month, then you know how I run to my momma’s house anytime I want to stencil something. The woman knows her STENCILS. For real. For years I thought you just dip your brush in the paint and fill in the stencil.

Friends, to have the best results with stenciling, there are certain techniques you can follow. With approval from my mom, I get to share with you her favorite stenciling techniques. While tackling this project with my momma, on a warm summer day on her back porch, I captured the process and her pro tips to share with you all today!

DIY Stencil Pillow Tutorial

First, I’ll briefly show you the process of how we made the actual pillow cover, but to get started on the right foot for cutting and measuring your pillow cover, you should really check out this post: Three Ways to Make a Pillow Cover on MarthaStewart.Com.

Martha Stewart Crafts Satin Paint - Blue LOVE this paint!

Supplies Needed to Stencil Pillow Cover

• For this painting project, we used the “Greek Tile” Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint that you can also find on Michaels.com. The variety of colors that you can choose from is incredible.

• Anchor Stencil

• Martha Stewart Crafts® Stencil Brush, Large

• Fabric Cut to Size for Pillow Cover

• Tape Measure

• Painter’s Tape

• Paper Plate

• Pencil

Measure to the center of the pillow cover to know where to center the stencil

Measure the Center

When you have your pillow cover cut to size (front piece), grab a tape measure and mark where the center of the cover is, and place your stencil in the dead center.

Using painters tape, tape the stencil (if it's not adhesive especially) to hold in place. Using Martha Stewart anchor stencil

Tape Down the Edges

Using painter’s tape, tape down the stencil so it does not move during the stenciling process.

Dab stencil brush in to Martha Stewart Craft Paints

Paint and Dab

Next, pour a small amount of paint on your paper plate. (You’d be surprised that you don’t need as much as you think. So pour a little and you can always add more if need be.)

Using your stencil brush, barely tap your brush in to the paint and move to a clean part of you plate and begin rotating and pushing the brush down to remove any excess paint from your brush. (Having too much paint on your brush can result in the stencil bleeding, so better safe to apply two coats of stencil paint, than sorry.)

When the paint has moved up inside the stencil brush, take it to your stencil and begin dotting the stencil.

Stencil tutorial on to a pillow with this anchor cut out from Martha Stewart

Two Coats

For this craft, we did one coat of paint, and decided to make it darker. So a second coat was applied and then it was ready!

How to stencil a pillow. Using martha stewart crafts supplies from Michaels

TIP: To check to see if you’re happy with the color darkness of your first coat, barely raise one corner of the stencil to take a peek. This way, if you decide to do another coat, you won’t have to reapply the entire stencil.

Love this anchor look. She's making a pillow using a stencil with Martha Stewart Crafts

Time to Stuff and Sew

The stencil turned out perfect. Allow to dry (it dries really fast) and then you can move on with the pillow cover!

Remember, to get a FULL pillow cover tutorial, you can find that on MarthaStewart.Com.

Don’t be intimidated. If I can sew a pillow, you can sew a pillow cover. But if my crafty mom is around (like on this day) you better believe I’ll ask for her assistance. 

Cut out the other pillow square: How to make a pillow cover

Final Pillow Cover Steps

Next, she measured and cut out the back of the pillow cover to sew to the front that we just stenciled.

(Make sure when cutting your fabric for the cover, you add an inch in measurement, to make the cover one inch larger than the insert. (This way you’ll leave space for sewing the edge and room to stuff.)

Flipping the stenciled cover over, we placed it on top of the other sheet of fabric. You do this so when you sew, the stitching is on the inside of the pillow cover. (You’ll flip the cover inside-out before stuffing with the insert.) 

How to make a pillow cover then stencil a design on it.

Time to Sew

After pinning the edges together, it was time to head to the sewing machine.

I absolutely love her sewing machine. It has been around for AGES and it has so many stories and memories to go along with it. What a champ. I can’t even begin to tell you how many outfits and crafts this thing has made for our family.

Sewing machine making a pillow cover and stenciling with Martha Stewart Crafts paint

Flip It!

Once three of the sides were sewed up (leaving the bottom of the cover open so you can insert the pillow) it was time to flip the cover right-side out and insert that pillow!

Sew the Gap

Once the pillow insert is in, it’s time to sew up the opening. My mom chooses to hand sew this edge so it has a cleaner look.

Hand sew the top of the pillow cover for a clean look.

Decorate!

I mean for real. Look how adorable this little craft project turned out to be! Want to know the best part? It was the exact look that I wanted for the bedroom and haven’t been able to find online anywhere.

Another great tip?

My mom found the white fabric that we used at a yard sale. Anytime that she finds white curtains, a tablecloth, or anything in white fabric at a yard sale or flea market… she snags it up, because you never know when you’ll want a white pillow for something!

So so cute! This DIY stencil anchor pillow in the guest bedroom

Perfect Pop of Color

This pillow turned out to the best perfect pop of color for the guest room! Now… I’m already thinking of what other pillows can be made with a stencil.

This anchor pillow was made using a Martha Stewart stencil from Michaels.

Love DIY Projects

If you love this project to create DIY projects for your home, I think you’re also going to love this Wine Bottle DIY Vase we made, which would look beautiful in your home with your favorite paint colors and flowers!

I Took YouTube Away from my Kids, and This is What Happened

I Took YouTube Away from my Kids for a Week, and This is What Happened. This isn’t another post on limiting screen time, or I’m a Better Than You Post…

In the event that this post gets shared on social media, I want to be completely up front with those of you who are visiting my blog for the first time. I write from passion, heart, and experience. I’m not a perfect mom. I’m not a perfect writer, and I’m sure as heck not a child psychologist. But I do speak from the heart, and adore sharing what I love and am passionate about. My children are by far one of those things that I’m passionate about, so here I go…

I Took YouTube Away from my Kids for a Week, and This is What Happened

I Took YouTube Away for a Week, and This is What Happened

Don’t worry, this isn’t a blog post about “spend more time with your children,” and how you should get on the “limit electronic time” train.

And I’m also not saying avoid electronics. It’s inevitable. It’s where the world is going. I’m an advocate for online presence and we use it daily in our home.

I’m not saying avoid YouTube. Heck, I have a YouTube channel and MY KID even has a YouTube channel. So don’t hear what I’m not saying…

We can’t avoid YouTube. We can’t avoid electronics. But when our children are just that—children—and they are unable to make rational decisions on their own while their tiny little brains are still forming and learning… it’s time we get in touch with what we want influencing our children.

The Free Babysitter

Truly, I put YouTube in front of my kids (ages 6 and 3) at times as a babysitter. It’s amazing. I’m able to clean the house, attend a quick meeting, make dinner, get some work done with little interruption. Yet, when I take it away, the iPad goes dead, or we forget it for a long car ride, the “gimmies” make an appearance. The whining amplifies. The ungratefulness soars.

So I began to notice where the gimmies started rising to the surface on a high level. I began to watch, observe, take notes and become aware of when the bratty attitude started showing more.

Friends, it was when my 6 year old had control of what he could pick and watch on YouTube (and yes, even YouTube Kids).

I took YouTube away from them for a week, and the difference in behavior was incredible. Respect started showing back up, the gimmies weren’t as plentiful, and the whining subsided. Not kidding. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not.

Kids on YouTube

SOME kids on YouTube are the stars of the show. They talk back to parents, get what they want by whining and complaining, and the parents let it happen. Why? Because (are you ready for this?) it sells.  (YES. If you did not know that YouTube makes money for some of these people on YouTube… you know now.)

They know exactly what they’re doing by giving kids what they want to watch. Kids at a young age are learning independence, seeing what they can get away with. So watching a young boy or girl on TV gain that independence by telling mommy “Meh, I don’t want that, I want this and I’m getting it,” is our child’s preferred behavior and they thrive on seeing someone like them get what they want.

• Endless amounts of toys

• “I want to go to McDonalds” OK!

• “I don’t want to Mommy!” — Ok sweetie. It’s your show. Whatever you want.

Impressionable Actions

You Can’t Avoid the Influence in Life

Our young children are so impressionable, and they learn by seeing. They learn by action. When they spend so much time watching a young kid on TV mouth back to his/her parents, whine, complain, get all of these fabulous toys… what do you think our children are soaking in and learning?

I could have 50 talks with my boys every single day about important roles in life, and about topics that I think will influence them in a good way. But when they see someone their age getting whatever they want by acting an absurd way on their favorite YouTube channel, over and over and over again (because let’s face it: our kids watch the same videos over and over again, yes!?), you might as well throw everything I said to them away.

“Alright Then, So What Should They Watch?”

“Okay then Jessica, what should they watch? Or should they not watch it at all?”

Well that’s up to you. The parent. The adult. The decision maker of the household.

If  you love the ease and convenience of YouTube, then maybe consider what show/channel you want influencing your child. Is it the Berenstein Bears? A kid who is amazing at science and does science experiments? Bible stories? Is it videos to prep him/her for the next school year?

It’s up to you. This isn’t a “I’m a better mom than you are blog post,” that tells you what you should do.

If you like the ease and convenience of YouTube and how it holds the attention span of your kiddo… fabulous. But maybe consider what they’re watching, and consider how whatever they’re watching is influencing and teaching our kids how to live and learn.

For me, I’ll continue to let them watch YouTube. I’ll just be more selective of what they watch. After our YouTube break last week, this week I reintroduced it and let them watch videos on kindergarten lessons. After a quick “Mom, this will be boring,” they were soon sharing their excitement for how they learned to add and subtract! Bonus!

I took youtube away for a week and this is what happened

Let the “Perfect” Parents Shine…

Now, some will argue this and say:

“Well it’s all in the parenting. We can’t avoid this stuff, and it’s up to us as parents to teach what’s right and wrong.”

Yep, I agree with you 100%. But why can’t we at least tackle some of what we know may be causing some of the non-preferred behavior upfront, instead of going back to try and erase it later? I’m a huge fan of using the term “baby steps.” We don’t have to conquer the world all at once, or find one major life changing tactic that will turn our children into perfect adults. But we can do baby steps, and small bits along the way to improve aspects in our lives. So why not start with something small, and with what we know causes behavior that we’d rather not see?

There may also be parents that comment below saying: 

“I knew this. I NEVER let my child choose what they want to watch on YouTube.”

…and yatta yatta yatta. Well that’s because some parents like to hear themselves say they’re doing a good job, and that they knew something before me. Well, if that’s true, yes… you realized something before me. And YES, you are doing a good job. How do I know? Because you saw a blog post about children and you came over to read it. You care for your children and want what’s best for them. That’s a good job as a parent, right?

I’m only sharing what I have experienced in my own home, and if we really want our children to grow in to something amazing (although we can’t control them, and we are certainly not perfect parents), I think it’s time we get in tune with our children and focus on who/what is teaching/influencing them how life works.

Potato Soup with Instant Potatoes

Easy Potato Soup: This Quick Stovetop Recipe using instant potatoes can be made in under 10 minutes! I also added leftover chicken too, but it’s not mandatory!

Easy Potato Soup Recipe Using Instant Potatoes on the stovetop. So quick!!

I hadn’t gone grocery shopping in DAYS! Ok… WEEKS! Things were getting pretty slim in the house.

I knew I had leftover chicken tenders in the refrigerator, and wanted to utilize them to make something different so I didn’t hear:

Chicken tenders AGAIN!?

from my kids.

Easy Potato Soup: Quick Stovetop Recipe

Well we all know how I feel about slightly homemade recipes. (Recipes that are made at home, but utilize some store-bought ingredients and shortcuts to make things quick and easy.)

So when I saw the instant potato package in the pantry, I knew right away that I should utilize those in some way with the chicken. Who knew adding chicken broth and a little heavy cream to this would make a crazy quick and tasty soup for dinner! (You can even make my easy homemade chicken broth for this soup.)

NOTE: You DO NOT have to use chicken for this soup like I did. (Or I would call this Easy Chicken Potato Soup) But I found it a great way to add some protein and texture to the soup using leftovers, kind of like when I use leftover ham to make this bean soup recipe!)

Using instant potatoes to make a stovetop potato soup is sooo easy!

NOTE: I believe it’s HIGHLY important to use a loaded or supreme package of instant potatoes, or else you may need to add cheese, spices, sour cream, and other ingredients to give this soup some flavor.

Another favorite soup to make with rotisserie or leftover chicken is my chicken noodle soup recipe! Mmm… the herbs in it make a dynamite flavor.

What to serve with this potato soup

These garlic cheddar biscuits are similar to the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster, so when I can fix them alongside a soup like this, it makes me feel all warm and cozy inside!

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Get the chicken noodle soup recipe!

The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe - Quick and Easy

Freeze For Later

Another tip I love? Afraid that chicken will spoil if you don’t do something with it quickly? Make this soup and freeze in containers for quick lunches!

Easy Potato Soup Recipe Using Instant Potatoes on the stovetop. So quick!!

More Soup Recipes

If you love easy soups, then you’ll really love these other soup recipes here on Fantabulosity! You may also love this easy loaded potato soup too!

Recipe

Easy Potato Soup Recipe Using Instant Potatoes on the stovetop. So quick!!
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Potato Soup with Instant Potatoes

This Quick Stovetop Recipe using instant potatoes can be made in under 10 minutes! I also added leftover chicken too, but it's not mandatory!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 217kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 package supreme or loaded instant potatoes I used a 3.74 oz package of Idaho Spuds Supreme
  • 4 cups (32-ounces) chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Optional:

  • left over cooked or rotisserie cubed or shredded chicken I used 2 cups of chicken
  • shredded cheese for garnish
  • parsley for garnish
  • sour cream for garnish

Instructions

  • In a stockpot over medium heat, combine the package of instant potatoes, heavy cream, chicken broth, and chicken if desired. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat and until heated through. (About 7-8 minutes for me.)
  • Serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (¼ recipe without chicken or garnishes) | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 888mg | Potassium: 233mg | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 16.9mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Apple Pie Nachos with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps

Apple Pie Nachos with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps — A recipe that you can whip up with a few store-bought ingredients, with an option to make them even easier!

Apple Pie Nachos - Cinnamon Sugar baked tortillas, topped with apple pie filling! fantabulosity

Wait til you see how you can think outside the box with a can of pie filling here! This is such a fun dessert, and I’ve actually also used pie filling in these Apple Pie Baked Beans! How fun is that?

Apple Pie Nachos

I can’t tell you the last time I devoured an entire platter of dessert, practically on my own. Well… until two days ago when my friend Kate came over, and we made apple pie nachos. I had texted her the night before and said:

Hey, I’m headed to the store. Do you have any fun dessert ideas that we can whip up really quick for the blog?

She replied with:

Yep, grab some soft burrito tortillas and a can of apple pie filling. We’re going to make some apple pie nachos.

Uh, hello! You got it, sister.

Apple pie nachos ingredients, quick and easy using canned pie filling

Apple Pie Nachos

I have seen others make cinnamon-sugar tortilla crisps/wedges/whatever… and serve them with fruit salsa. (I think I Heart Naptime has my favorite recipe for that delicious dish.)

But when Kate told me that we were going to pour apple pie filling over the top of them, I kind of fell in love with her.

UPDATE: While browsing Pinterest, I found this other recipe where Mandy’s Recipe Box Blog used tortilla chips to make Caramel Apple Nachos! So so cool! I love all of the different ways that you can make the “chip” part of these nachos.

But when you have a few minutes to spare, I have a feeling that making these cinnamon-sugar tortilla crisps at home will tickle your fancy a bit more.

Slice each burrito size soft tortillas in to 8 triangles. After baking, top with the apple pie filling
Slice a burrito size soft tortilla in to triangles and bake them with sugar and cinnamon for a quick apple pie dessert
Using canned pie filling, top the baked cinnamon sugar tortillas
Canned apple pie filling on top of baked cinnamon and sugar tortilla triangles - easy dessert idea when you don't want to make a whole pie

We literally ate the apple pie nachos just like this. The filling was poured right out of the can on to the crisps and we ate it. BUT, if you pop this in the microwave for a minute, I bet it would be OUT of this world.

Top the apple pie nachos with whipped cream for a yummy quick dessert idea
Using chocolate syrup or caramel drizzle, top the apple pie nachos for a delicious quick and easy dessert idea
Apple Pie Nachos with Baked Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas

I caught my kids AND my husband devouring their own little platter when we left the room the other day to work on something else for the Fabulously Fast Dinners Cookbook. So it’s safe to say that this recipe is family approved!

Recipe

Apple Pie Nachos - Cinnamon Sugar baked tortillas, topped with apple pie filling! fantabulosity
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Apple Pie Nachos with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps

Apple Pie Nachos with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps — A recipe that you can whip up with a few store-bought ingredients, with an option to make them even easier!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 282kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 4 large burrito size tortillas
  • 1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 2 Tablespoon melted butter
  • caramel or chocolate drizzle and whipped cream if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla in to 8 triangles
  • Combine sugar and cinnamon
  • Place triangles in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet
  • Brush tortillas with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy
  • Assemble nachos by layering tortillas on a serving plate, and top with a ¼ of apple pie filling.
  • Warm in oven/microwave for a few minutes if desired
  • Top with whipped cream and caramel/chocolate drizzle if desired

Notes

Nutritional information is figured WITHOUT drizzle and whipped cream. Also, please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (¼ recipe without whipped cream) | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Home Tour Part 18 — Craftsman Home Patio Reveal

Home Tour Part 18 — Craftsman Home Patio Reveal: It’s an outdoor oasis surrounded by white patio curtains, with a white cushion sectional from our craftsman style home.

Craftsman Home Patio Back patio with white cushions, yellow pillows! Craftsman style home

Craftsman Home Patio Reveal

I featured our “old” patio in our home tour a couple of years ago (see our other patio decorating ideas), and it has been a YEAR from the moment I started thinking about a new patio look, and I’m happy to say that I finally have it how I’ve wanted it. There have been incredible hurdles through this process, and the crazy part is… there’s really not much to it.

I mean, new furniture and some patio curtains. How hard can that be, right?! Well oh my goodness. This patio project quickly turned into a story similar to the storyline in the movie The Money Pit. Although I didn’t spend a lot of money on this project, it seemed as if everything kept going wrong from the start. I’d get one item figured out, and then something else would go wrong.

It definitely wasn’t as easy as the front porch of our craftsman home.

First the Furniture…

I originally ordered the new sectional to have for my Favorite Things Party, but the original seating set that I ordered never made it. (Lost in shipping.) Then after reordering, it went on back order for a few months. When I finally received it, the cushions were gray instead of white, and the furniture was black instead of brown. I kind of went a bit crazy during this time, but I must say that after about 5 months of back and forth… Wayfair sent me the white cushions, and I decided to just live with the wrong color of furniture. So, needless to say, THIS is why my patio wasn’t complete and ready to reveal last season.

Craftsman Home Patio. Outdoor curtains for a back patio. LOVE the white flow to this on this craftsman style home

Then the Patio Curtains…

I LOOOOOVE my patio curtains. (I talked about them a lot in the post about how to make DIY Patio Curtain Tie Backs) But our house is up on a hill, and the back patio can take a big gust of wind like nobody’s business. So through a bit of trial and error, I think we finally have these babies hung on hooks that can take a tornado. Bring it, mother nature!

You can buy the same patio curtains!

You can also buy the outdoor curtain rods!

Plus, get my DIY tutorial curtain tie-backs that I made for these, for under $5.00!

But I’m In Love…

Even though it has been a bit of a struggle here and there, I’m happy to say that the patio is now a place I refer to as my oasis. It’s simple and it’s relaxing.

Video Tour

Along with the photos that you’ll see below, I’ve created a quick video tour on my YouTube channel to give you an up-close visual experience too!

Craftsman Home Patio. Back patio seating area with couch/sectional and white cushions! Perfect with a craftsman home style.

I’ve included links to similar furniture pieces at the end of this post, in case you’re in the market for your own patio too!

Craftsman Home Patio. Back patio design with sectional and curtains. White and yellow pillows - Fantabulosity Home Tour

White Cushions? She-Crazy!

When shopping for a new sectional for the back patio, I knew I wanted white-white cushions. My friends thought I was crazy, and STILL think I’m crazy to have white cushions with two messy little boys at home. But I wanted to take the risk, and I’m happy to say that a year later… I’m still happy with the decision.

Scotchgard has been my best friend, and bleach and OxyClean have also been a swell thing to have on hand.

Craftsman Home Patio. Yellow outdoor pillows for a white sectional sofa

Yellow Throw Pillows

With dark brown (almost black) furniture, and white cushions and patio curtains, I had the hardest time deciding on a pillow color. But when I stopped in at World Market the other day, they had their outdoor pillows on sale and the yellow caught my eye. I’m still not 100% sure I’m going to stick with yellow, but they’ll work for now. I’ll be honest, I’m keeping my eye out for some pale pink pillows, and will just hope that my hubby doesn’t notice them. 

Craftsman Home Patio. Flowers for a back patio—craftsman style home with white cushions and pillows

Floral Touch

I’m a sucker for a green plant on my patio. I’m not much of a green-thumb, so if it’s a plant that can take care of itself, that’s even better. I snagged this one at Lowe’s the day I took these photos, and my poor little flower died the next day. Looks like succulents are in my future.

Or Fake Grass…

Better than succulents, is FAKE greenery. It may not look the best, but it at least adds a pop of color and can withstand that wind and nasty weather that may come about.

Craftsman Home Patio. Greenery floral for back porch and patio decor fantabulosity home tour

I put this arrangement on my dining table. I love having this table and chairs out for when the kiddos want to eat outside or when we have people over for a cookout.

Craftsman Home Patio. Outdoor dining table for patio. Aluminum - brown with white curtains

My Happy Place

The back patio is definitely my happy place. Feel free to virtually come over anytime! You’ll more than likely find me out here (yes, I’m sitting out here typing this now) if the weather is above 60 degrees here.

Craftsman Home Patio. Brown outdoor wicker with white cushions and yellow pillows - craftsman house plan

Sectional Details

Sectional seen here against the wall, but with gray cushions: Magari 4 Piece Deep Seating Group

Similar sectional with white cushions: Outsunny Rattan Wicker 7 pc Sectional

Similar sectional with white cushions: Varick Gallery Camron Lounge Seating Group

4–Piece Seating Group Details

Similar 4-piece seating set with gray cushions: Varick Gallery Ferreira Deep Seating Group

Similar 4-piece seating set with beige cushions: Overstock – Costway 4 Pcs Outdoor Seating Set

Similar seating set with white (or they look white) cushions: Best Choice Sectional

Tour the Other Rooms in Our Home:

Part 1: The Exterior

Part 2: The Master Bedroom

Part 3:  The Master Bath

Part 4: The Kitchen

Part 5: The Playroom

Part 6: The Guest Bath

Part 7: The Pantry

Part 8: The Patio/Deck

Part 9: The Nursery

Part 10: *Old* The Office/Craft Room

Part 11: Big Boy Room

Part 12: The NEW Nursery

Part 13: The Dining Room/Foyer

Part 14: The Guest Bedroom

Part 15: The Living Room

Part 16: New Office Reveal

Part 17:  Garage 

Craftsman Home Patio. Patio on craftsman style home—how to decorate

DIY Stencil Drink Serving Tray

As part of the Martha Stewart “Make it Martha” program, I received complimentary products to make this DIY craft. Thank you Martha!

DIY Stencil Drink Serving Tray: Using Martha Stewart’s new line of paints, we created the cutest flamingo serving tray for summer entertaining! 

Flamingo DIY Drink Tray using Martha Stewart Paint

DIY Drink Serving Tray

Since my childhood, I’ve been so infatuated with the creativity of Martha Stewart. She totally encompasses everything I love: DIY, cooking, home decor, flowers, and so much more. So I’m sure you can guess how I did cartwheels when I received the invitation to work with the “Make it Martha” program for Martha Stewart.

I may have jumped up and down, done a twirl, and left my husband saying “Uh, what’s going on, and why are you acting like that?” 

Martha Stewart Paint for DIY crafts

Here’s a peek at some of the Martha Stewart goodies that I’ve received. I canNOT wait to get to crafting a ton of DIY projects with the new line of paints and paint tools at Michaels!

Martha Stewart Paint for DIY crafts

DIY Stencil Drink Serving Tray Tutorial

The first craft I wanted to tackle was this drink serving tray. When the idea came to me, I knew EXACTLY where I was headed. To the FERGUSON FARM. My momma is the ultimate crafter, and she knows her way around a stencil or two. She was a huge help making this project!

This DIY tutorial was incredibly easy, since I was able to use the new adhesive stencils. Have you used these!? Oh my goodness. The adhesive helps so much with any potential paint leakage, and prevents the stencil from moving around while painting. These were MADE for people like me!

Flamingo DIY Stencil Drinking Tray

To get started, we used the following:

• White platter/tray

• Martha Stewart Crafts® Soft Gel Watercolor Paint, Pink Dahlia color

• Martha Stewart Crafts® large stencil brush set

• Martha Stewart Crafts® Adhesive Laser-Cut Stencil

• Painter’s tape

• Paper towel

• Paper plate

Martha Stewart Paint for the drink tray

Peel the stencil from the adhesive paper, and place the stencil where you’d like it on the tray. We preferred it centered on ours.

Flamingo stencils from Martha Stewart DIY crafts

Next, disburse a small amount of paint (a small amount will go a long way) on to a paper plate.

Pink paint for flamingo drink serving tray
We taped our paper plate to the surface so the wind wouldn’t blow it away while crafting outside.

Push the paint up in the brush for the stencil. Martha Stewart Paints

Dab the stencil brush gently into the paint, and blot it on a paper towel, twirling in a circular motion, pushing the paint up into the stencil brush.

Flamingo DIY Drink Serving Tray: Martha Stewart Paints

Next, dab the brush onto the stencil, covering the stencil cut-out. Repeat the process until your craft has reached the desired look.

Pink stencils for drink serving tray using Martha Stewart paint

Flamingo DIY Stencil Drinking Tray using Martha Stewart Paint for DIY Projects

When you’ve finished painting the stencil cut-out, remove the stencil very carefully.

Pink stencils for DIY flamingo drink tray

DIY Drink Serving Tray - Pink Flamingos

When the paint dries, it’s ready to use!

NOTE: Paint is not dishwasher or food safe!

Drink Serving Tray made with Martha Stewart Paint

Drink Serving Tray made with Martha Stewart Paint. Such a cute DIY

Flamingo DIY Drink Serving Tray using Martha Stewart paints

After crafting, the boys took a break from playing in the bubbles and mud, and thought they needed to partake in my little lemonade party.

Kiddo drinking lemonade

Martha Stewart Crafts® Line at Michaels

You can find all of the Martha Stewart Crafts® at Michaels.com, that I used on this DIY project here:

Pink Dahlia Martha Stewart Crafts® Watercolor Paint

Martha Stewart Crafts® Adhesive Laser-Cut Stencil, Flamingo

Martha Stewart Crafts® Stencil Brush Set, Large

Thank you!

Thank you so much for coming by! I’d LOVE to hear what you plan to stencil on your drink serving tray! Let me know below in the comments!

Fried Cake Bites — At Home Carnival Food

Fried Cake Bites — At Home Carnival Food: A sweet treat that your taste buds will fall in love with, and it will BLOW your mind how easy they are!

Fried Cake Bites - Carnival Food at Home

Fried Cake Bites

Oh friends… I couldn’t keep this from you any longer, and I may have stumbled upon a guilty pleasure that will engage your taste buds on so many levels.

While at the grocery store the other day, walking past the

“Oooops, I Baked Too Much”

sign, I saw this incredibly delicious cake sitting all by its lonesome on the shelf, with a bright yellow price tag. The cake was marked down so cheap that I didn’t think twice about putting it in my cart (with no plan in mind for this sweet treat at all).

The next day when my gal pal Kate came over (on the day where we get crafty in the kitchen), we started pondering over how we could use this cake for something incredible. Well friends, the thought “Fried Cake Bites” came to mind, and we ran with it. I can’t WAIT to show you how easy this was, and I especially can’t wait to hear how much you’re a new fan of fried cake bites too!

Fried Cake Bites Tutorial:

Alright, we’re going to keep things super simple here and you’re going to LOVE the outcome.

Fried Cake Bites - Using a store bought cake to make this super easy.

Frosted Store Bought Cake

You’re MORE than welcome to make your own cake and add your own frosting for these, but it was insanely easy to just use a store-bought frosted cake. The cake we used was a 2 layer, 8-inch vanilla cake with vanilla icing. But any flavor should do.

Stir/mash until frosting is evenly distributed with cake.

Fried Cake Bites - at home carnival food

Although a store-bought cake makes things super easy, these cake bites wouldn’t be NEAR anything special without the other stars of the show that make them to-die-for.

  • LouAna Peanut Oil –  See notes below
  • Pancake Mix
  • Egg
  • Milk
Peanut Oil for fried cake bites dessert idea

LouAna Peanut Oil

You’re going to use 2 teaspoon of Peanut Oil and mix it in with the pancake batter, but you’ll also use 2 cups of the oil to fry the cake bites in.

Fried Cake Bites - Carnival Food at home

Cake Bite Batter + Assembly

Using your hands, roll up individual cake bites into about one-inch balls and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the 2 teaspoon oil, egg, milk, and pancake mix.

Fried Cake Bites
Fried Cake Bites - Carnival Food dessert idea

Fry those Babies

Heat up 2 cups of Peanut Oil in a pan/skillet (my favorite to use for these is cast iron), over medium-low heat. To test to see if the oil is ready (and not too hot), drop in a dab of the batter to make sure it’s ready for frying.

Once the oil is ready, dip each cake bite into the pancake batter and gently place each cake ball in to the pan.

Fry for one minute, rotating often, until each cake bite reaches a golden brown. Place fried cake bites on to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Fried Cake Bites - easy dessert idea

Remove from pan and allow to cool for a few minutes, and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Fried Cake Bites - easy dessert idea

I Mean… For Real…

Are the insides of these a glance at Heaven or what? You could even dip them in to a fun ice cream topping for some extra tastiness, or eat them just like they are.

TIP: These are not the best leftover (just like any of your favorite carnival food), so make sure you make yourself sick eating as many as you can right away. 😉

Fried Cake Bites - easy dessert idea

If you love fun dessert recipes like these, then you’re also going to really love this cakesicles recipe!

Recipe

Fried Cake Bites - easy dessert idea
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Fried Cake Bites

Fried Cake Bites — At Home Carnival Food: A sweet treat that your taste buds will fall in love with, and it will BLOW your mind how easy they are!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 25 cake bites (number may vary based on size)
Calories 181kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 premade 2 layer 8-in cake frosted
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups pancake mix
  • 2 cups + 2 teaspoons peanut oil divided
  • powdered sugar for garnishing if desired

Instructions

  • Crumble store-bought cake in a large bowl
  • Stir until frosting is evenly mixed with the cake
  • Roll cake mixture in to one-inch balls
  • In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, pancake mix, and 2 teaspoons of oil.
  • Heat 2 cups of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
  • Test oil by dropping in a dab of the batter to make sure it’s hot enough, or not too hot.
  • Roll each cake ball into pancake batter, then place in oil.
  • Fry each cake ball for about 1 minute, rotating often, until golden brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cake bite | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 53mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Fried Cake Bites - Carnival Food at home

I can see fried cake bites making an appearance at your next family gathering, or at a future birthday party! (Or on a random weekend in your house, just because you want something fun & sweet!) I can’t wait to hear how you topped them, or if you prefer them plain!

Thank you so much for coming by! If you’re in the mood for more recipe browsing, you can see all of our recipes here on the blog:

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