Marinated Cheese Appetizer {recipe swap}

A unique recipe...perfect for your summer parties!

I found this recipe in an old fire company auxiliary cookbook and decided to give it a try, since I had all of the ingredients on hand...Everyone loved it.

Marinated Cheese

2 blocks cheddar and/or assorted cheeses

1 block of cream cheese

½ Cup of olive oil

½ Cup of white wine vinegar

1-4 oz. jar of diced pimento, drained

2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 T scallions, chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 t sugar

2 T dried Italian seasoning (dressing mix)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Cut hard and cream cheeses into thin 1-inch pieces and decoratively arrange on a plate/platter with a lip.  I used sharp cheddar and Colby jack. 

NOTE:  Freeze cream cheese 10-15 minutes before slicing and it will be much less messy. 

Mix remaining ingredients in a small jar and shake well to combine.  Drizzle the marinade over the cheese.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to no more than 8.  Let the cheese platter come to room temperature before serving.  Serve with crackers, pita chips or thin-sliced baguette.  I used triscuits and baguette slices.  Delicious and different!

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Five on Friday (what I'm pinning, loving lately}

1.)  Perfect Beach Days

2.)  These Wings...

Original Recipe and my adaptation.

3.)  This Wall Color...

I am seriously considering this for our dining room.  Check out Whaling City Cottage for my favorite of the One Room Challenge rooms!

4.)  This French Onion soup.

Check out the recipe here.

5.)  This Bathroom.

Have a great weekend! 

Thanks for visiting!

Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings {recipe swap}

Honey-Sriracha Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

For the wings...

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the pan

2 pounds chicken wings, split at the joints, tips removed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce...

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup honey, plus more for drizzling

1/4 cup Sriracha (Asian chile sauce)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. Dry the chicken wings with paper towels and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the melted butter, granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour the mixture over the wings and toss well to coat. Spread the wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the wings until browned and crisp, about 55-60 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice and stir until the mixture bubbles gently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Carefully remove the wings from the baking sheet and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the warm sauce over the wings and gently toss to coat. Transfer the wings to a serving platter and drizzle with more honey and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro

Note:  To toast sesame seeds...spread seeds on a baking sheet and place in a 325 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, being careful not to scorch.

Recipe adapted from here.

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One Room Challenge ~ Tween Room {Finale}

Welcome to the finale of the Spring 2015 One Room Challenge!  We redecorated our 10-year old sons room to transition him from child to preteen, aka tween.  I will start by showing you the before photos with flesh-colored walls and questionable carpet.  This refresh was long overdue...

An inspiration board created earlier this year

And without further ado...Collins tween room!!

We are thrilled with how the room turned out and so is the lucky boy!  It's peaceful, warm and laid back.  It is by far my favorite room in our home (right now).  

I didn't finish all of the projects I wanted to; I didn't want to rush ceiling lighting or a proper window seat cushion just to get it done for the challenge.  I will know immediately when I find the perfect fixture and fabric...(and a set of rustic oars for the wall!)

Source List

Paint – Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue

Carpet – Stainmaster Essentials Textured from Lowes

Furniture – Repurposed from around the house

Parson Desk – K-Mart

Bedding – Pottery Barn and Macy’s

Pillows – Homegoods, Pottery Barn and Walmart

Accessories – Homegoods, Target and reclaimed from around the house

Large American Flag - eBay

Lamps – K-Mart, Pottery Barn and Walmart

Antique Bed – Gifted to us from a family friend
______________________________

Please visit Calling it Home for all of the One Room Challenge designers and linking participants.  Special thanks to Linda for hosting!

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One Room Challenge ~ Tween Room {Week Five}

Down to the wire...week 5!  We got so much accomplished this week, I'm feeling pretty good.

Carpet was installed last Thursday.  I was kind of disappointed that the carpet wasn't what I envisioned, but honestly, I love it now. 

It's still sandy-esque!

I thought the bed would polish up a bit more, but I don't mind the patina.  The bed is OLD and looks amazing in the room.  That being said, we have to keep jumping on it to a minimum!

This room is simply the most charming in our home and gets amazing light.

Windows and blinds were washed and final trim/window seat paint completed. 

Originally, I was going to use a bamboo folding chair at the desk, but I'm loving this captains chair from my husbands college coaching days.

Linens have been washed and pressed.  I need some throw pillows, but basically I'm keeping it simple from now on...White everything i.e. sheets, towels.  Simplify.

The chevron throw was on clearance at Pottery Barn.  A pop of color...

...and speaking of color, a little more.  Accessories for his desk area.

I am struggling with lighting, as the budget is waning and I haven't seen anything I like.  We'll try again this weekend to find something.  The window seat/window treatments have not been addressed either.  Accessory issues are propelling me into panic mode.  I love the room so much as-is, but it needs more.

And below is where we started, so it's come a long way...

Inspiration Board

You must stop by Calling it Home to see the other amazing rooms almost near completion!  The featured designers and linking participants are knocking it out of the park this go-around.  I can't wait to feature some of my faves after next week!

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Secret Ingredient Cheesy Pork Cutlet Florentine {recipe swap}

This recipe was a happy accident created by a friend of mine and it was so good, I had to share!

Cheesy Pork Florentine

6-8 thin sliced, boneless pork chops, or a pork loin sliced into medallions

1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of canola oil

6-8 Laughing Cow creamy Swiss cheese wedges

6-8 slices of deli mozzarella or provolone cheese

Bag of baby spinach, steamed and squeezed dry

Salt & pepper, to taste

In a shallow bowl mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper (I was pretty liberal with S+P, 10 turns of each grinder).  In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs.  Dip the pork cutlets in the eggs, letting excess drip off,  and then in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place on waxed paper until ready to fry.  

TIP:  I use a fork when working with things that need to be breaded and fried.  You will lose less breading with a fork than you would if using tongs.

In a large skillet heat your oils over medium-high heat until hot.  Cook cutlets on each side until golden brown, about 5 minutes or until the juices run clear.  When cutlets are cooked, drain on paper towels and transfer to a jelly roll or baking pan.  You are ready to assemble.

Put a bunch of spinach on each cutlet, followed by a Laughing Cow wedge (spread, smushed or smeared) and then a slice of deli cheese.  When all cutlets are assembled, put in oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Served with rice or pasta and an additional veggie, this is an easy weeknight meal.  The creaminess of the Swiss cheese accompanies the crunch of the cutlets so nicely, that the kids will ask for seconds.  Enjoy!

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