Lemon Butter Scallops - EASY TO MAKE!

Lemon Butter Scallops

Easy to make!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter (more for a larger pan)
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 6 ounces large sea scallops
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 of a lemon squeezed to juice
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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Stir in garlic, and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. 

Add scallops, and cook for several minutes on one side.

Turn over and continue cooking until firm and opaque. 

(I personally like to brown them on the side)

Remove scallops to a platter.

With extra sauce, whisk in salt, pepper, and lemon juice. 

Pour sauce over scallops to serve. 

This tasted amazing and is sooo easy to make!

Bon Appetit!

All my jewels....

All my Jewels...

So one of my oldest friends, Miss Rachel Mahaffey Hyers (thats so weird to say!) had this amazing creation for her jewelry!  So I stole the idea and made an ok ripped off version of it.  

Ingredients

Frame of your choice (I got impatience looking for a pretty, inexpensive one, so I figured I can paint this one if I want some piazza) 

Fence material ( I wanted smaller holes than the one Rach had)

Wire cutters (im such a handy woman now)

Hooks and Eyes ( mine were 1-1/2")

Duct tape

Nails 

Measure out how much fence you will need by using the backing from the frame.  Rolling it out and getting it to stay is a bit of a pain, but try and gently bend it the opposite direction, and it will kind of straighten out.  Use the wire cutters to cut to the fence to the size.

Secure the fence with duct tape and TRY to bend down the "holders" on the frame.  Do the same to the opposite end.

Use the wire that came with the fencing to TIGHTLY secure the fence in place.  Do the same to the opposite end and take off the duct tape after the fencing is secure all over the frame.

Finito!  Finished product (already on my wall)

Begin hanging your earrings.  Use the hook and eyes to hang necklaces, bracelets rings and hoop earrings on 

Marvel at your creation :)

Mahi Mahi with zesty basil sauce

Mahi Mahi with zesty basil sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets

**Now this is a side note on how to easily finely chop garlic...

Peel the garlic clove and lay it on a cutting board. 

Turn your knife to the side (use a larger kitchen knife)

Carefully apply pressure with the side of the knife onto the clove, and flatten it.

After flattening the clove it will be much easier to finely chop the garlic!

and now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and basil in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat.  Stir until the butter melts.  

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Season the fish with salt and pepper, to taste.  Cook for 3 minutes then turn and cook until opaque in color (or around 3-4 minutes)

Garnish with fresh basil.

Ok I know you are thinking, what a fatty look at all that butter, but I can assure you there was very little butter used in comparison for me trying to "guesstimate" the amount of lemon used...take it from me, MEASURE THE LEMON if you measure any ingredient.  It unfortunately overshadowed the other flavors used...but the fish was great :)

Bon Appetit!

Corkboard

Ok so I know having a corkboard is kind of middle school....but I have honestly always had one, whether my mom made it for me when I was 3 and spray painted it blue (because it is my favorite color, even back then) or when my sorority sister had made me one, which was painted blue (because it is still my favorite color).  Being the ripe old age of 26 now, I thought a blue spray painted may be a little bit juvenile.  I have been looking for beautiful and fun frames kind of every time I go out and have realized something.....


There are a plenty of frames out there, they just happen to already have unattractive pictures like sinks or grapes in it. 

 Example.

I decided to just buy a frame that I loved at JoAnns (my home away from home, as pathetic as it is) ugly picture or not.  I then went over to the cork section and bought some rolled cork.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DUCT TAPE ALSO!  Steps....


1)  I ripped (literally ripped with pliers) the picture off the back of the frame


2)  The glass still intact (apparently it was glued on), so I wrapped the whole frame in a towel and knocked the glass out with a hammer.


3)  I rolled out the cork to the size of the hole on the back and cut the cork to fit.


4)  I secured the cork with white duct tape.

The finished product.

Just be love...

. Just be love .

This painting was inspired by something my roommate heard from the singer Jason Mraz.  She said in this interview of Mraz, he and a couple friends were getting a tattoo that said, "be love." 

(the picture of the tattoos are above)

His reason behind it, though I can't find the exact quote anywhere is that basically everyone is looking for love or wanting love or showing love....

Maybe we should all just BE LOVE.

I just thought that was such a beautiful concept.  If everyone just was love, it would cover all the bases and the world would be so much more..incredible.  

I also just watched the movie "seven years in tibet," and feel a bit foolish that I didn't know that any of that was going on. 

Thanks AP History.

The tibetians are such a loving culture, I loved the scene where the people are building a movie theater for the Dali Lama and they are pulling worms out of the dirt and blessing them and reburying them in a safer location.  They believe in not inflicting any pain on any living thing, because that could essentially be your mother, from another life.  I mean, it is worms.  

It's just such a beautiful concept to just love everything.  

Just exude love.  

Just be love.

Pizza Meatballs

Pizza Meatballs

2  lbs     Ground beef

2 cups    Seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cup     Milk

2 tsp      Garlic salt

1/4  tsp  Pepper

8    oz    Mozzarella cheese

2           28 oz jars pizza sauce

1/3  cup  All-purpose flour

1/4  cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parsley

Fresh Basil

Italian Seasoning

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut mozzarella into cubes, 1/2 in. each    

In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients just until mixed.

Shape into Small Meatballs

Push a cube into the center of each meatball, covering the cheese completely with meat.

Roll lightly in flour. 

In a large skillet, cook meatballs in oil until browned: drain. 

 

Remove the meatballs from the skillet and put in a baking pan. 

Cover the meatballs in the pizza sauce, sprinkle the parsley and Italian seasoning on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

To keep warm, house in a crock pot.  Add extra sauce as needed.

Bon Appetit!

Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Chip cookies. Best Recipe Ever.

Peanut butter double chocolate chip cookies

yield about 5 dozen 

2 ¼ cups  flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3  cup milk

¾ tsp salt

1 egg

1 stick butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips over boiling water; cool slightly.

Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.   Add melted chips and mix until smooth

Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.  (I HIGHLY suggest buying a little ice cream/cookie scoop.  Makes life a lot easier)

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Summer Salad

Summer Salad

Ingredients

My yield for this was around 60 people.  Most everything is equal parts based on what you like.

Romaine Lettuce

Oranges

Apples

Strawberries

Red Onions

Gorgonzola Cheese

Pecans

Thick sliced Ham (i like honey roasted)

Poppyseed dressing

STEP 1:

Slice up fruits and onions!  I made them all into medium sized chunks.  With the ham, slice into julienne style.  Add it all together in a bowl.  I serve the dressing on the side, because it is a sweet salad, so people can choose how much sweeter they want it.

Look how pretty all the colors are together :)  

Bon Apetite!

Believe in those you love...

This painting came from the idea to put an inspiration quote above my door so when I leave my room everyday or lay in bed, I can be inspired to do good.  Cheesey I know.  Well this is pretty self explanatory.  

Skeleton.  Slash drawing

Ameba looking flowers.

Roses are done.  Thinking of outlining them still.

My quote, the first part from a DOVE wrapper.  The second underneath was  ALL me :)

Triple chocolate, double mousse cake

Triple Chocolate Double Mousse Cake

Ingredients

For cake

2 boxes of Chocolate cake mix

Eggs

Canola oil

2 Chocolate pudding mix

Water

3 qt. casserole pan

For mousse

• 11 oz of bittersweet chocolate (i use the whole bag, cause who ever said too much chocolate was a bad thing?)
• 7 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 7 egg white
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
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For Icing

Just buy chocolate icing :)  I chose double chocolate with choc. chips

STEP 1:

Follow instructions for the cake on the box, only adding the box of pudding while in mix form.   Prepare second box of cake mix and combine the two mixes together.   Spray the pan down THOROUGHLY with a PAM type spray.  Remember to fill the pan up only 3/4 of the way!  Cakes rise!  You can use the excess batter in a couple cupcakes for yourself.  Pop the pan in the oven.  Timing will increase, usually for me about 50 minutes.  Have a quick check (open the oven door and stick a knife straight in and out) at about 40 minutes just in case.  

While the cake batter in baking, begin mousse recipe.

MOUSSE

1:

Place chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until mostly melted, then remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

 2:

In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream to medium stiff peaks, but do not allow it to become grainy. Set aside.

3:

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar, and continue whipping to medium stiff peaks. Fold in egg yolks.

 4:

Fold in the melted chocolate until completely incorporated, then fold in whipped cream until evenly blended.  Chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Once the cake is cooked and cooled, gently place a plate on top of the pan and flip it over.  The cake should easily fall out.  With a serrated knife, cut three separate layers in the cake.  In between each layer, generously spread mousse.   Replace each layer.  On the top of the cake, GENEROUSLY spread the chocolate icing.  

Bon Apetite!