A Little Touch of Love...And a New Table!

I don't decorate with much for Valentine's but I do like to have a few little touches of love around our home.  My favorite right now is in the foyer.  We've lived in our house for 5 years and I've always wanted a table in the foyer.  It's always been a matter of not finding what I wanted or not having the money to buy it.  So, for five years our entry was empty and blah. 

 Not anymore!

A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, we hopped in the car and headed to Home Goods.  I was so excited to find a table in there that I loved...and that I could afford!  So, we added it to the foyer, found a great deal on a lamp at Kirklands and propped up a big metal star in a frame that we already had (from Old Time Pottery).  I'm not so sure I'll keep the star there but I'm happy with it for now (and I don't have the budget for buying anything else for that wall right now!). 

As for my touches of love, I kept it very frugal.  The red flower topiary was a Goodwill find (thanks to my mom), the LOVE print in the frame is a printable from Wannabe Betty Crocker (I just printed a small version on some brown paper I had on hand and added it to the frame I already had).  The printable has 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) in the background with LOVE in red.  I just took the easy way out and printed it on the computer rather than anything fancier.  The red candle is a clearance find from Target a long time ago, and the scrabble tiles are from our game in the playroom :)

Happy Valentine's!

Blogger Awards...Thank You!!

Within the last week I have received a few blogger awards and I was surprised and tickled with each one.  I am so amazed that these ladies thought of me and my little blog when choosing who to spotlight. 

For those of you who are new to blogging, or who don't blog, these awards are a way for bloggers to share the love and spotlight fellow bloggers who we feel should get some extra attention. 

So, I am sending a BIG THANK YOU to Kim at Moonlight Dreams, to Kaitlyn at The Birds Nest and to Ellen at A Season For All Things.  I've recently found these three ladies and am enjoying each of their blogs.
Please take a few minutes to stop by and visit them!

Now, to pay it forward to others and follow the rules of the awards.  I am to tell you 7 little things about me and I am to pass this along to 15 bloggers.  So, here it goes...

**I am a 30something wife and mom living in North Carolina.  I'm a native North Carolinian, which is rare    these days as we seem to have LOTS of folks from NY and NJ moving in.
**I love coupons, shopping clearance racks and thrift stores.
**My favorite food is ice cream.
**I'd wear flip flops year-round if my feet didn't get so cold.
**I love to get lost in a good book.
**I used to decorate ice cream cakes at Baskin Robbins (MANY years ago!!).
**I cannot snap my fingers no matter how hard I try.

Now, here is my list of 15.  Some are new-to-me and some are not but I love them all.  Please take some time to stop by and visit these great bloggers.  You might just find a new favorite blog to follow :)

*Mandy at Serving While Saving
*Tanya at FrouFrou Britches
*Amanda at Serenity Now~A Mommy's Solution To Staying Sane
*Traci at Ordinary Inspirations
*Leanne at Organize and Decorate Everything
*Brandie at The Country Cook
*Nanci at Willow House with Nanci
*Leslie at Goodbye House, Hello Home
*Kristin at A Guide To Living Graciously
*Paula at Sweet Pea
*Stacy at She's {kinda} Crafty
*Tiffany at Eat at Home
*Carmella at Southern Fried Dreams
*Becca at Home Is Where My Story Begins
*Jo at Smile Monsters

Again, thanks to Kaitlyn, Kim and Ellen!  Now I get to share the love with the bloggers on my list : )

Let me know if you discover a new favorite blog from my list!

Polka Dot Cookie Recipe

Here's a quick and easy sweet treat...They didn't turn out very pretty but they tasted yummy :)

Polka Dots

1 package fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips

Combine the first 3 ingredients, stir well.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. 
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I'm sharing this recipe here...
Tuesdays At The Table
Tasty Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what I'm planning for our dinners this week...

Monday...grilled chicken, loaded baked potatoes, green beans
Tuesday...spaghetti, salad
Wednesday...Honey Pecan Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn  (chicken recipe coming soon)
Thursday...Breakfast Night = eggs, bacon, fruit salad
Friday...Chicken Alfredo Pizza and salad  (pizza recipe coming soon)

I also have a couple of sweet treats planned so stay tuned for those recipes this week.

Friday Favorites

I've been discovering all sort of new blogs recently.  You name it and there is probably a blog all about it somewhere out there.  My favorite types of blogs are centered around home decor, cooking and crafting.  I am amazed at the talented ladies out there and the inspiration I am finding. 

I found lots of cool stuff the past couple of weeks.  Here are just a few of the neat things I came across...

Learn to make your own Tin Craft Stars...From a Cake Pan at Choose To Thrive.

I am LOVING this new-to-me blog!

German Chocolate Caramel Gooey Bars at Ordinary Inspirations

Need I say more?

This is also a new-to-me blog that I am loving!

I love this Playroom Art Gallery Wall at Centsational Girl

Check out her blog...love it!  And she was on the Nate Berkus Show yesterday (he's such a cutie!)

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Taco Soup

I've seen quite a few variations of Taco Soup recipes.  This is one I've tried recently.  It is quick and easy...pretty much just dump the stuff in a big pot.  The last time I made this recipe I doubled it and froze several containers to have on hand for quick and easy lunches or dinners. 

Sadly, my picture does not do it justice.  But do you notice that my bowl matches the one in the cookbook?  I love my Gail Pittman polka dot bowls!

Taco Soup

taken from Southern Living Ultimate Quick & Easy Cookbook

1 pound ground beef

2 cups water

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1 (16-ounce) jar medium picante sauce

1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (11-ounce) can yellow corn with red and green bell peppers, undrained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

Cook meat in a Dutch oven (or big pot!), stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.  Return meat to your pot.

Add 2 cups water and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve soup with tortilla chips.

Garnish with some shredded cheddar and sour cream, if desired. 

I am sharing this recipe at...

Recipe Swap Thursday

It's A Keeper

Pizza Dip Recipe

I've posted this one before but thought I'd pull it out again in preparation for the big Super Bowl Weekend.

This is such a quick and easy dip to throw together.  And it is always a crowd-pleaser...who doesn't like pizza, right? 
Hope you enjoy...

Pizza Dip

1 (8oz) package cream cheese
pepperoni slices (I usually quarter these so they are very small bite size pieces in the dip)
pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
oregano or Italian seasoning

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate.  Arrange pepperoni slices on top (I just eyeball enough to cover the cream cheese).  Spread a layer of pizza sauce (I eyeball this...usually half a jar or a little more).  Top with mozzarella cheese, spread to cover the whole thing.  Sprinkle oregano or Italian seasoning on top. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Linking to...
Super Bowl Party Food at Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms 
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'