Eat & Cook Clean, Recipe

“The Veggetti” as seen on TV

Melina's Hangout

Last month for my birthday my kids Ryan & his wife Lindsi got me “The Veggetti”. We all laughed at it and quoted lines like “hey family I made it with my Veggetti” & ” check out my Veggetti”. I believe it sounded so funny cause Veggetti kinda sounded like a nickname for a female part. Do you get it? Sorry if you don’t. Anyway after all that I love this thing. Don’t you love it when something does what it says. It’s easy to use,easy clean up and just stores away in the drawer.image

It came with a cute little recipe guide that was really informative.

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My first try was with Zucchini squash. I prepared it with my “Veggetti” sautéed it in a little olive oil with my house seasoned (consists of kosher salt,garlic and black pepper) threw in some halved grape tomatoes,grated some fresh Parmesan at the end. It was delish and healthy. I served it along side some grilled lamb pops.image

 

I give it 5 out of 5 stars, because it worked and we love the name. Now go get one!

 

Holidays, Recipe

Pumpkin Bread with Whipped Pumpkin Butter

Melina's Hangout

Happy Pumpkin Month

Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 7 1/2 x 3 1/2-inch loaf pans. I got 5 mini loaves and 6 muffins out of this recipe.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, soda, salt, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well. Add applesauce, eggs, pumpkin, and water. Mix batter until well combined. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  • Bake until tester inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
 IMG_5226 (1)
To go along with your Pumpkin Bread you HAVE to make this Whipped Pumpkin Butter.
Super easy and will also go great on your morning toast, waffles, sweet potatoes, your finger! Hope you enjoy.
WHIPPED PUMPKIN BUTTER
 INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon clove
  • salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Whip butter with an electric mixer on high for at least 5 minutes (or until light and fluffy) with a whisk attachment.
  2. Add in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Whip again to combine.                 

Holidays, Party Ideas, Recipe

Payday Caramel Corn

Melina's Hangout

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This is my Halloween Treat for all my little pretties

I think everyone loves Caramel Corn and then add peanuts,candy corn and white chocolate, EXPLOSION of sugar awesomeness! Super easy,yummy and this corn screams Halloween.They say if you eat a peanut and a candy corn together it tastes like a Payday Bar. Brilliant I say! This is gonna be good.

I bought one of those HUGE bags of popcorn from Costco ( enough for 2 batches, followed these easy instructions and done.

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I got these cute little containers at the dollar store

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Wrapped up cute they will make great little gifts.  Who doesn’t love to get homemade goodies wrapped up with love?  Happy Halloween!

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Payday Caramel Corn

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 bags of popped corn (remove seeds), about 5qt popped ( I used prepopped corn from Costco the Naked kind)
16oz pkg vanilla bark
21oz bag candy corn
1 1/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts
Instructions

Pop popcorn according to package. Place popped corn into a large mixing bowl (make sure to not add any seeds). Set aside.
In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popped corn. Mix well.
Divide caramel corn mixture evenly into two foil lined broiler pans (or large disposable lasagna pans would work too) Bake in a 250 degree oven for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes, and rotate in oven.
After one hour, remove from oven and pour into a large mixing bowl. Melt vanilla bark according to package directions and pour over caramel corn. Add in peanuts and candy corn. Pour onto parchment paper (I lay a big strip down on my counter top) and allow to set, about 30 minutes). Once chocolate is set, fill two large gallon sized ziploc bags and seal.

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This is where I discovered this great recipe. Thanks for sharing:

http://www.shugarysweets.com/2012/09/payday-caramel-corn#M8YyWu8ZDV8D4dCv.99

Crafting-DIY, Holidays, Inspiring

Wine Cork Pumpkins

Melina's Hangout

How cute are these little pumpkins? It’s pumpkin everything month and this is a cute and super easy craft you can whip up in no time. I made 3 at one time,cause while you got it all out and you get started it goes fast.Wine Cork PumpkinFollow these easy directions:

Materials:
– 25 recycled wine corks
– Orange acrylic paint
– Paint brush
– Hot glue gun
– Craft knife
– Silk leaves & dried moss
– Scissors
– Sisal twine

Instructions:
1. Paint both ends of all but one cork. Allow to dry.

2. Arrange the corks in rows (4 on the bottom, then 5, then 6, then 5 and 4 on the top row) and hot glue them together. Tip: Try to match up the corks so they’re the same length in each row.

3. Cut leafs or any dried greenery you choosing to use and hot glue onto top of pumpkin

4. Take the one remaining cork and cut off part of it with the craft knife. Hot glue it on top as the stem.5. Tie a short length of sisal twine around the stem to resemble the vine.

Tip: Not all corks are created equal. Watch for ones that are shorter and use that one for the stem.

image image image This will make a cute little gift for your BFF,the Hostess at the next party your invited to or wrap it up with some Pumpkin Cookies and some Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup for a awesome “just because” gift. FYI- I believe in the Great Pumpkin!

Crafting-DIY

Bouncy Balls Wrapped Up

Melina's Hangout

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/24-cute-and-incredibly-useful-gift-wrap-diys/#.ng3Y6y8vO0 This is a cute little link to some fun ideas for wrapping it up.

Got out these cute little guys at my grocery store. Could not resist those little faces looking at me. There’s a couple little guys in my life that I can’t resist either that are gonna get these big bouncy balls.

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My main purpose on the theme of this post is about putting that little extra into wrapping a gift.image image I took some cellophane,wrapped it up and tied it up with a bow, some netting and several different types of ribbon. That little extra wrapping just took it up from a gift to a “PRESENT”. I think adding a little ribbon, glitter,paper,string or little objects to any wrapping takes it up a notch. Plus its just fun to do. Have you ever bought something on the fact that it was just wrapped up so cute, Im guilty all the time. So just saying next time you have a little gift for someone and you have time to add a little extra see how creative you can be and make it extra special.

Uncategorized

National Day of the Month Calendar for October

Melina's Hangout

I do not know when everyday became a holiday, but hey why not celebrate something. Here is the National Day Calendar for October 2015. Post it and celebrate!

 Monthly and weekly designations follow the daily designations.

October 1

October 2

October 3

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

October 9

October  10

October 11

October 12

October 13

October 14

October 15

October 16

October 17

October 18

October 19

October 20

October 21

October 22

October 23

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

October 28

October 29

October 30

October 31

Holidays, Recipe

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Melina's Hangout

It’s Pumpkin everything time of the year. Made a batch of these little beauties this morning. Froze half of them because they will last for over two month’s in the freezer and we can enjoy them all month long. Hope you enjoy them as much as hubby did . I’m thinking about slapping a scoop of cinnamon ice cream between two of those cookies.Another day, another post. LOL imageIngredients:

♥ 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

♥ 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt

♥ 1 cup softened butter

♥ 1 cup white sugar

♥ 1 cup brown sugar

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

♥ 2 eggs

♥ 1 cup canned pumpkin

♥ 1 bag milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or your silicone mats, set aside. In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture and the chocolate.
Drop dough in 2-tablespoon mounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before storing.

TO STORE:

Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

In Case It Matters:

Nutrition Facts (Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies)
Per serving: 111 kcal cal., 5 g fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 g monounsatured fat), 15 mg chol., 85 mg sodium, 15 g carb., 1 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 1 g pro. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Holidays, Recipe

DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

Melina's Hangout

Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Syrup

It’s that time of year. You see it everywhere already “PSL” Pumpkin Spice Latte. Starbucks brought it out even earlier this year due to its popularity. I love it and have bought me a few. There is a video going around thou that shows how many chemicals and crap that they really put in it.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/3762855144001/whats-really-in-starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte/?#sp=show-clips

So I’m all into making my own.

♥ It’s cheaper

♥ You know what ingredients are going in it

♥ You can make it for gifts 🙂

I will give you the recipe for the Pumpkin Spice Syrup then the recipe for the Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Syrup Ingredients:

♦ 1 cup water

♦ 2/3 cup brown sugar (you can use white sugar, honey,maple syrup)

♦ 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (canned pie mix)

♦ 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

♦ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Whisk together water, brown sugar, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice together in a small saucepan over medium high hear. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla extract, and remove from heat. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Now you have your syrup, onto your Latte

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients:

♦ 1 shot (1.5 oz or 3 tablespoons) espresso or strongly-brewed coffee

♦ 1 shot (1.5 oz or 3 tablespoons) pumpkin spice syrup

♦ 6 oz( 3/4 cup) steamed milk,any kind

♦ optional toppings: whipped cream, caramel sauce,ground cinnamon,nutmeg

Directions: Add all ingredients together in a mug and stir to combine. Top with optional toppings if desired.

I have already had my first one for the year

  • Brown sugar is the choice of sweetener because it tastes most like the traditional coffee shop version. Experiment with other kinds if you prefer.
  • What a great hostess gift this will make for your PSL lover. Enjoy!
  • This recipe was adapted from gimmesomeoven.