Wordless Wednesday-Backyard Friends

Yeah, it's Thursday..I'm a little late (as usual). 

These two were outside of our back door yesterday.

If you follow me on Instagram {@heather_ourlife}, you probably already saw them.

Who's ready for Spring besides me??

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{Recipe}Crustless Pumpkin Pie in the Crock Pot

Warm and sweetly spiced...full of pumpkin-y goodness.

I didn't get around to making crustless pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving but I had bought the ingredients and they were still sitting in my pantry when I came across a recipe for pumpkin pie in the crock pot.

Interesting!! Could I combine the two ideas?

Why, yes I could.

I used a few different recipes to come up with my own. They were here and here.  I can't find the original recipe cooking it in the crock pot but the ingredients were all basically the same.

1 can of pumpkin(not pumpkin pie filling)

1 can of fat free evaporated skim milk*

1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (or sweetener of your choice)

2-3 egg whites or egg substitue

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla (not pictured)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add a little extra pumpkin pie spice if you like.

The vanilla and...

The evaporated skim milk...WAIT..I accidentally used sweetened condensed milk instead!!

 Woops!

This is what I should have used. *(see note below)

Spray the crock pot insert with non stick spray and pour in your mixture.  Cover and cook until it thickens and the edges start to brown.  I rotated mine a few times during cooking to make sure it was evenly cooked.   This takes a few hours on high.

It should look something like this when it's done.

Scoop some out and add a little light whipped topping.

Enjoy by the fire.

It tastes like a warm pumpkin pudding but it's also good served cold.

Makes 8 servings.

*I made it again with evaporated skim milk and the taste was very similar, it wasn't as sweet but if I made it again with sweetened condensed milk, I would use less of the brown sugar mixture(or none at all).  Next I'm going to try a vegan version.

By my calculations the sweetened condensed milk version has 3 Points+ per serving and the evaporated skim milk version has 2 Points+ per serving.

Linking up with:
Tuesdays Treasures
Tasty Tuesdays
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Thrifty Things Friday
Weekend Wonders
Create & Inspire

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Scavenger Hunt Sunday 2.24.13

Time To Eat

From my Instagram feed.

Looks like we already ate.

Getting Ready 

Also from Instagram..getting ready for our tax appointment.

Playtime

My daughter's piano teacher shared this with me. Love the refections in the piano.

Sweet Dreams

At a birthday party this weekend..wishes count as dreams, right?

Rub a Dub

I found this enamel "Le Bain" cup at TJ Maxx or Home Goods years ago. It holds all of my bath products by the tub.

Linking up with:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday
Tuesdays Around The World

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{Pinned} Birthday in A Box

College Girl turned 19 last week, at college. 

{Yay!!! then... sad face}

So,what's a party obsessed (and heavily in withdrawal) mom to do?

Send her a birthday in a box of course!

 

I saw the idea here and immediately pinned it to my Secret Board on Pinterest (love that option!) since she is on Pinterest too.  

You can see it here now that it's no longer a secret.

The idea was to fill a bunch of balloons with dollar bills, blow 'em up and put them all in a box for gifting.   Smart, right?

 We added our own spin buy filling them with larger (and smaller) bills, little notes and candy.

 Miss Middle School also wrote messages on each balloon. 

As you can see there are also a few wrapped gifts in the box.  I couldn't resist.

I included some silly party favors for her and her friends as well.

I tried wrapping the inside of the box with wrapping paper but it looked awful so we just wrote all over that too.

A college friend of mine was looking for an Valentine idea for her daughter away at school and I shared this with her. She loved it and filled a box with heart shaped balloons to send to her daughter. She was able to tuck a necklace in one of the balloons too. 

{here's the photo of her V'day box of love}

Great idea!

This feels like it was yesterday....

This was featured here!

Linking up with:

The Winter Pinterest Challenge @ YHL

The Winter Pinterest Challenge @BP

The Winter Pinterest Challenge @ TRL

The Winter Pinterest Challenge @D&TD

Wow Us Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things

Your Creative Time Out

Shine On Fridays

Favorite Photo Friday

Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday

The Creative HomeAcre Hop

Masterpiece Monday

Craftastic Monday

Creative Mondays

Clever Chicks

Tuesdays Treasures

What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Thrifty Things Friday

Weekend Wonders

Alphabe-Thursday

Create & Inspire

Pinterest Challege 18

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Scavenger Hunt Sunday 2.17.13

Candy

Sugar free Lifesavers were the only kind of candy I could find in the house. Is that pathetic or what?

Pink or Red

Our Valentine's Day dinner table.
Love

I loved this moment backstage at my daughter's show.  They were going around the circle sharing their feelings about the play and each other. {sniffle}

Kiss

Since it was a middle school production, this was as close to a kiss as Ariel and Prince Eric were going to get.  (phew!)

Smile 

The cast was all smiles after the show.
Then tears,of course.

Linking up with:
Scavenger Hunt Sunday

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Insta-Love #3

Blogging seems to have taken a back seat in my life lately but I'm still taking photos (at least with my phone).

Snowy hillside, pretty nails, a photo my daughter sent me from college (that's frozen waterfalls!), back at the skating rink with my coffee, fortune cookies at dinner

 The cutest sewing machine ever (from Ikea), tree equipment and men, lots of chainsaws and other scary things, signs of spring

 Girly day of mani/pedis and lunch, flower arranging, WAY too early to be up on a Saturday, tree guys again, weeknight trip to the doctor's, strep test (negative) and picking up supplies at the pharmacy (vaporizer, Vicks Vapor Rub and Ben & Jerry's)

 More snow and the tree equipment is still there, decorating the bed for Valentines' Day, backstage at my daughter's preview show, snow from "Nemo" that cancelled show. :(

 Making the best of it with chowder and paninis, Yogi tea, St Patty's hand soap, Carrot Cake coffee from Target and more snow (falling on the hot tub)

Valentine's Day flowers and presents, my Valentine lunch date ♥, freezing at the skating rink, The Little Mermaid final bow! What a great show!!

Linking up with:
Community Global
Inspired Tuesday

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Sweets for Your Sweet

A little last minute treat inspiration for a sweet Valentine's Day...

White Chocolate M & M Popcorn

Sweet and salty! This post has had over 24,000 page views! Wow!!

It's a winner!

Vegan Deep Dish Cookie Pie

You won't believe what the secret ingredient is.

This is a pie you can feel good about eating.

No Bake Reese's Bars

I veganized these for my daughter. Either way they are delicious

Starbucks Hack: Peppermint Brownie Pops

This is probably my second most popular recipe. I made them for Christmas but they'd be perfect for Valentine's Day too (and you can find candy canes really cheap right now!)

Home made Andes Mints

I think these taste better than the store bought version.

You could cut them up into heart shapes for the holiday and color the mint part pink.

Dipped Chocolate Vodka Soaked Strawberries

No words needed!

Vegan Chocolate Tart

Another healthy dessert option that uses a surprise ingredient for the mousse.

Vegan Meyer Lemon Iced Cookies

I'm still dreaming about these lemon cookies.

Banana "Ice Cream"

Only two ingredient needed: bananas and cocoa.

I need to make some now!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

If you want to make it look like you went to a lot of fuss but didn't, this cake is the one for you.

It's so easy to make, deliciously rich and decadent to eat and impressive to serve.

They will fall in love with you if they haven't already.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this year?

Linking up with:

Lovely Crafts @ BP

Tasty Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things

Your Creative Time Out

Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday

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{Recipe}Hungry Girl Cannoli Stuffed French Toast Nuggets

This was the perfect breakfast-for-dinner treat for Miss Middle School and me when the hubs was away.  We had seen Hungry Girl makes them on her show and they looked so good.

What You'll Need: (makes one serving)

6 WW Points Plus/each

3 TBS Fat Free Ricotta Cheese

2 tsp Mini Chocolate Chips

1 tsp Vanilla Extract, divided

1 No-Calorie sweetener packet like Truvia

1 Light Hot Dog bun(I found a store brand of whole wheat buns @ 2pt+)

1/4 cup liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp light butter

1/2 tsp powdered sugar

Optional: pancake syrup of your choice

I put together four of them.

In a small bowl combine ricotta, chocolate chips, 1/2 tsp vanilla and sweetener, mix well.

Split open the hot dog bun without separating it and carefully spoon mixture into the bun.

Put the bun back together and cut into four "nuggets" and set aside.

Mix egg substitute, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 tsp of vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

Melt the light butter on medium high heat in a skillet.

Coat each of the nuggets in the egg mixture on all sides (you won't use all of the egg mixture).

Place nuggets in the skillet, gently turning to cook on all sides.

Cook until golden brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy immediately!

With or without syrup.

Warm, gooey, creamy and melty chocolate goodness!
Linking up with:
Sugar & Spice
Wow Us Wednesday
Creative Inspirations
Tasty Tuesday
Your Creative Time Out
Create & Inspire

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