Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies!!!

3 ripe bananas
2 cups oats
1/4 c peanut butter
1/4 c cocoa
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Mash banana and mix with the rest of the ingredients.  Stir and let sit for 20 min.  Drop by spoonfuls and bake 10-12 min.



Makes approximately 30 cookies

SCAM ALERT - Phone call

Last week I received a phone call that literally shook me to the core.

I answered the phone. The gentleman on the other line said his name and that he was from Microsoft. I had seen recent stories on the phone about this type of call being a scam since Microsoft never makes outbound calls. I told him I was not interested. When he was insistent to talk to me, I requested a supervisor. (Yes, I work in a call center. It's habit when I don't get what I need.) He put the phone down a minute and then got back on. When I heard his voice, I told him I wanted his name, the company name and a contact number. I told him I knew this was a scam and that I wanted these calls to stop. There were threats and vulgar language involved from him. I was caught completely off guard. (If one of my co-workers or I EVER spoke like that to a customer, no matter what the situation, we would be FIRED on the spot with no questions asked.) He told me that I was insulting his company. I requested a manager and the threats continued. I yelled for Rich who then took over the call. He said that the guy kept asking for me to be put back on the phone. Rich denied him and requested that no calls be made to our home again.

Fast forward to today, I checked my caller ID and saw a familiar number. I had previously talked to my friend about it and had asked if this is something that needed to be reported. She said yes, but I had put it off as a one time thing. When I saw that number again, I decided to report this person. I called and made my statement. I blocked this number from my phone. The officer advised that I share my experience with my friends. He said to be sure to not give any information at all. No name, phone number, email or anything like that. This scam is to install a virus to your computer that will crash your hard drive.

Please beware and be safe!

This new adventure called BLOGGING

My dad does not like the word BLOG. He thinks its an ugly word. I tend to agree. Blogging however, is a wonderful outlet for me. I love to cook, create, and review things. This is finally a place for me to share and voice my opinions. I launched this blog a few weeks ago. I love that there have already been over 600 views. My favorite though is seeing the breakdown from the different countries. Who knew that my blog would be read outside of Utah?

Entry	Pageviews
United States	169
South Korea	3
Malaysia	2
Canada	1
Germany	1
France	1
Russia	1

Granola Bars

1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c + 1 T butter
1/3 c + 1 T peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1/4 c honey
1/4 c corn syrup
1 egg
1 c chocolate chips
1 c crisp rice cereal
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 1/2 c quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9X 13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, peanut butter, honey and corn syrup until creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and cinnamon, beat until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Press oatmeal mixture into greased baking dish. Pat until packed well.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Review - Winco Foods

I try to shop at Winco because I usually like their hy-top/store brands. The prices are usually pretty good when compared to other options. Their bulk foods section offers a wide variety of cereals, grains, candy, etc. The dried apples and vanilla granola are our favorites from the bulk area. I bought 1% Winco milk yesterday. I'm not happy. I don't like the taste. It is okay with cereal but is not something that I would drink alone.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole for 2

*adapted from recipe found on Pinterest

Chicken Cordon Bleu has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. It was always a special treat for dinners. In recent years, the pre-packaged chicken cordon bleu with the ham and cheese inside doesn't taste that great. I found this recipe on Pinterest and then made it my own

2 chicken breasts, fully cooked
2 pkgs “Budding” Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
4 slices Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese

SAUCE:
2 T Butter
2 T Flour
1-¼ c Milk (I Used Whole Milk)
2 T Sour Cream
1 T Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 T Dijon Honey Mustard
¼ teaspoons White Pepper

TOPPING:
6 T Butter
½ cup Bread Crumbs
2 T Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Scatter the ham over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, mustard, sour cream and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

For the topping:

Rinse out sauce pot. Melt the butter in the pot. When butter is fully melted, stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

*adapted from recipe found on Pinterest


Please click here for the original recipe.

Healthier Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup Unsweetened Applesauce                                                              

½ cup Sugar

½ cup Brown Sugar                                                                                 

3 Eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp Baking Soda                                                                                             

½ tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Vanilla                                                                                                        

2 1/2 cups Grated Zucchini

2 cups All-purpose Flour                                                                               

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Optional: 1 c chocolate chips, 1 c walnuts

Directions:

Mix the eggs, sugars, applesauce and vanilla. Stir together dry ingredients and add to the applesauce mixture. Squeeze excess water from grated zucchini and stir into batter. If too dry, add more applesauce. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, if desired. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove and cool on rack. Makes two loaves.

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, now APPROVED - Valance

At our apartment, Rich had a small area to display his sports memorabilia. When we moved into this new home, we knew he would create an awesome sports themed room. All of the guys who come to visit are now jealous. I think Rich hit the nail on the head. I struggled to find the right window treatment that would compliment this room. I turned to Pinterest and found what I needed.

The Pinterest inspiration:


My creation:

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, now APPROVED - Lightsabers

It is no secret that my boys love star wars. They have plastic lightsabers that tend to get bent and hurt each other. I loved the idea of using pool noodles. They are an easy find at the dollar store. The injury factor goes down a bit as well.

Pinterest inspiration:



My result:

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, now APPROVED - Oreo Cake

When the Cub Scout Blue and Gold dinner rolls around, my mom asks me to make a dessert for the auction. I feel like it's the least I can do to help pay for the boys to attend day camp. I was looking for something quick and easy with a large impact.

The pinterest inspiration:
 



My result:

Pinterest: Tried, tested, and Approved - Bead board kitchen backsplash

We moved into this house in March. I was hoping for a beautiful tile backsplash. Finances got in the way of my dream so I began looking for alternatives.

I love the pinterest inspiration.



I think our kitchen looks awesome!

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, and APPROVED! - Box Gardening

Yes, this is approved. NO, it is not mastered! I should have only put one plant per square instead of 2. My box garden literally exploded all over. I plan to make adjustments before next years crop. We chose this garden method since the dirt is clay and nothing will grow. I did not realize how heavy tomato plants can get.

Pinterest:


Our garden:

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, and Approved - 4th of July decorations

I love decorating for each and every holiday. I think it is important to have a variety of options. I found several ideas for the 4th of July and couldn't wait to make them.

Pinterest:






Our take:

Pinterest: Tested, Tried and APPROVED - Front yard landscaping.

I was not very happy when I found out that my city did not offer secondary water for watering our lawn. We both looked at several different landscaping options that required less water than a lawn. We dug out a section in our front yard.

Pinterest:



Our take on this idea:

Pinterest: Tried tested and APPROVED - Sweater makeover

Weddings always seem to happen when money is tight. My cousin, Tim, got married in April. We moved into our next home in March so I couldn't really afford to go buy a new outfit. I didn't need to since I had a skirt I was planning to wear. My issue was what to wear on top. I had a few options but wasn't happy with them. I decided to head to the thrift store to see if I could find a suitable top. I found a cardigan but the sleeves were an awkward length.

I found a tutorial on pinterest and went from there.



My sweater

Relay for Life

The Relay for Life event is very special to my family and friends. My aunt is in charge of survivorship. I wanted to make bookmarks this year to hand out to each survivor.

Pinterest:



Mine:

Pinterest: Tried, Tested, and Approved - Anniversary gift

Forty years of marriage is a huge accomplishment, especially with the current divorce rate. My parents were wed on August 7, 1973. I searched high and low for personalized gifts that would make an impact. 

Pinterest inspiration:


My rendition: