Carolyn's Yummy Grilled Cheese

Do you love it when you have company drop in for dinner? We love it. There is no time to have things just so. No pressure to impress...especially if it is one of your besties!

A few weeks ago, I invited my Carolyn to join us for dinner. I had made French onion soup...it took 3 hours to carmelize the onions and when I invited her to drop in...I was so excited she didn't have dinner plans.

She brought over a plate of THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE sandwiches ever. They were devoured. Let's just put it this way, I don't think anyone cared about the soup, and I am never {I MEAN NEVER!} making a soup that takes that long to make again. You would be better off spending a few minutes whipping up these yummy sandwiches, and the kiddies LOVED them. Gone are the days of a slice of cheese and butter on bread!



Yummy Pimento, Grilled Cheese (Surprisingly Kids love these too!)

Carolyn



5 cups shredded cheese (mix of sharp and medium cheddar) Any cheddar will do, but I love Tillamook medium white cheddar and sharp.*

1 small jar pimentos

1/2 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods Light) add more if you want in to be more gooey

1 sea salt to taste

{I added 1 pressed clove of garlic}

Garlic Sourdough Bread (I like Franz/Seattle International Garlic Sourdough** sliced rounds/they sell a regular sourdough also, but the garlic really makes the sandwich complete!) The pieces of bread are big so you can cut in half and they look very rustic and yummy and the cheese oozes out a bit. A nice way to get oohs and ahhs!

5) Trader Joes Olive Oil Spray (Way easy, and you don't need butter because the sandwiches are rich) I use this for all my grilled sandwiches. It’s a mild tasting olive oil.



This should made six sandwiches depending on your bread size and how thick you spread on your mixture. I was able to make six large sandwiches.



This is so simple...I saw the recipe in Bon Appetite and modified it a tiny bit.

●I just tossed all the ingredients other then the bread & Oil in a bowl and mix a few times till the cheese and mayonnaise are blended decently. There's no perfection necessary in this. You can add more mayonnaise if you need it to hold everything together. You can also add a little mustard if you want it a bit tangy..but don't add too much without tasting first (I add about a tablespoon which I like, but my kids prefer it without)

(A hint if you leave the mixture at room temperature for just a bit it grills much better)

●Sample the mixed product several times (you really don't have to do this...but it's so good and my excuse is I have to make sure I put enough salt in)

●Get ready to grill ....when I grill my sandwiches, I grill the insides of the bread for just about 45 seconds before spreading on the cheese concoction. (You don't even need to use butter or oil.) That way, the inside isn't mushy. This works especially well if you are transporting sandwiches for a soup and sandwich night at a dear friend's house like I was.

●After you have assembled all the sandwiches, you are ready to grill.

●Spray the tops of two sandwiches lightly with olive oil, put them oil side down in the pan.

(One of the tricks to a good grilled cheese is patience and a pan that's nice and hot, say med high, but not too hot.)

●While they are cooking oil side down, spray the top. Flip over when they are nicely grilled and brown and cook the other side.

●Move sandwiches to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.***

●Repeat till you are done.

● I do mine two at a time because they are quite large and they fit nicely in my pan.

(You can also do this on an outdoor grill just make sure your flame isn't too hot or they will burn quickly!)

*If you need a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches at once, you can butter both sides of your sandwich bread and bake them on the SILPAT.  Bake at 450* for about 16 minutes.  Eight minutes on one side and eight minutes on the other side.  Shredded cheese melts much faster and makes for a better grilled cheese!

*Note...If you can spring for some black label Tillamook sharp...so good!!!

**They sell this at the Franz Bread store for under $2.00…a great deal and it freezes great. I love to have on hand for those nights when I can’t make it to the store

***These transport really well...I had a ten min drive and the sandwiches stayed warm under the foil. (They are good cold too!)

Happy Happy Friday!

Shared with:  stone gable

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MINI SWEETEA PIES and LOLLIPOP SWEETEA PIES

Okay. We are NOT talking bathrooms today and we are also NOT talking about my messy house OR laundry day on Friday and Today.

We are talking about the much-overlooked pie. In my opinion, cupcakes have taken over and they need to share the spotlight...just a bit. I love cupcakes, but sweet pies are equally as adorable and yummy...and there is way way more to a pie than chocolate cream and lemon meringue.

So, if the word "pie" paints an I LOVE LUCY episode in your mind, not to worry! You only need four or five ingredients. And no need to surf the net for the perfect pie crust recipe, either. Aren't you excited?

I am also listing this under Simply Frugal, because you get alotta bang for your buck. With the price of butter and the fact that water prices just went up, this is more economical to buy. {Not sure about you, but my kitchen looks like a tornado hit by the time I am done making my own dough. OKAY! Done justifying store-bought versus homemade! {Homemade is still best...in most cases!}

This is what you need:

1 box of Trader Joe's Pie Crust {It is truly as flaky and yummy as good homemade dough should be if you have figured it out...I think I am DONE trying!}

Favorite jam

1 egg for Lollipop Sweetea Pies

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or BOTH

Directions for Sweetea Pies:

Cut small rounds using a cookie cutter {I used Demarle Products}

Place into mini pie pan

Fill almost to the tippy top with jam.

I baked mine at 450* for 12 minutes...and they did not burn.

Embellish with small scoop o' ice cream and top with whipped cream!

For Sweetea Pies on a Stick:

I used a small heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out dough hearts {I rolled the dough out just a bit.

Then place a tiny bit of jam in the center.

Place another heart on top.

Using the tines of a fork crimp the edges

Brush with a tad bit of beaten egg {I dusted mine with coarse sugar, because it sparkles!}

Place lollipop stick up through the bottom and bake @450* for about 7 minutes or until baked and golden. THIS is just a suggestion. My hubby would die if he knew I was suggesting anybody be putting paper into a HOT OVEN. I need to experiment on the next batch with insering the lollipop sticks after they have been baked.

Enjoy!

For gifting:

Place mini sweetea pies into cupcake liners. Place into Cash and Carry Bio Box. Use baker's twine to tie around the box and don't forget a card!

You may include a small pint of vanilla ice cream.


REASON FOR THEIR NAME: This time it is not a spelling error. Sweetea is spelled with an "ea" because they are just the right size to be enjoyed with a cup of tea! :) No need to diet...everything in moderation, right? SOOOO, you can have your pie and eat it too!

SHORT ON TIME? Forget about the sticks and enjoy cookeas. YEAP! Little bites of yumminess that tastes just like a pie!

Happy Monday!

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Sweet Treat Saturday {Linky Party #5}

Happy Sweet Treat Saturday.

I hope you all have had a great week. We have had a peek into what spring will be like next month. The sun has been out and it has been beautiful and COLD.

What is it that makes Saturday a sweet treat for you?

Do you enjoy your jammies a little bit longer? Do you enjoy a special breakfast? Do you listen to fun music while you dabble around your home?

I love to bake, but I think this Saturday will be filled with bathroom tiles. We may steal away for a quick cup of tea and French pastry over off of Alberta street or we may be making our own fresh peppermint tea with peppermint from my peppermint plant brought to me by my sweet friend, Jess.

I must say I am looking forward to spending time outside on Saturday's after receiving a beautiful bouquet of roses this last weekend...oh to stop and smell the roses, lilacs, lavendar, berries etc.

Happy Happy Friday!

It is your turn to link up. Please tell us what makes your Saturday sweet!


Linky Party Etiquette:

*Please link your post's URL to the party.

*Pretty please copy my pink donut button to the bottom of your post.

*Pretty pretty please visit one person's entry and leave a comment.

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Rice Krispy Lollipops, A Reminder, and a Feature

Do you ever get tired of the same 'ole thing? I don't know how anybody could get tired of Rice Krispie's Treats, but I wanted to make them kinda fun for Caleb and come up with a new teist for an old favorite for Valentine's Day.

This is what I did:

Follow directions on box of rice Krispies for treats.

Once they have cooled in the 9x13 pan, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to press out hearts.

Dip hearts into pink-colored, melted white chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles.

Insert a lollipop stick.

Let chocolate harden and cover with a mini cellophane bag.

Tie with a ribbon and add a teeny tiny Valentine card.

Give to all your sweetie pies.




on the homefront: The bathroom remodel is going great. I picked up the tile and was pleasantly surprised by all the help from Home Depot. They were so helpful. They even loaded it all up for me.

Caleb took his driving permit this morning and passed it on his very first try! I am so proud...although that means he is that much closer to being independant. I wont even talk about that now.

I have to admit I really miss the Valentine parties the children used to have at school. I LOVED helping. SO, aside from finishing the organizing of the craft closets today, I made Valentine Mini Rice Krispy Lollipops to celebrate the young man and his permit! Oh.what.a.day!
Please don't forget about our Sweet Treat Saturday Linky Party...starting tomorrow.

Last Saturday, I promised I would feature a Sweet Treat from the Linky Party. I would have chosen them all, but my decisive hubby picked Italian Stuffed Jalapenos


I know he picked it because it has meat and because he thought it would be a perfect appetizer for Super Bowl Sunday! Thank you, Brenda for the great idea!



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Custom-Made Cake Stand

Let's chat about cake stands. First off, do you refer to these beauties as a cake stand or a cake plate? Anyhoo, either way, I love them. My mom has a picture of my twinsie and I blowing out our first birthday candles on a cake sitting on the most gorgeous cake stand. It was a wedding gift and she still uses it.

A while back, I was at Home Goods and found mini cake stands on clearance for $4.99 {I think...or $5.99}. What a great gift idea. First off, every birthday girl NEEDS a cake stand and everybody needs a birthday cake or mini cupcake in their very favorite flavor, of course!

So, after you have made your cake or mini cupcakes {no excuses ladies, TRADER JOE'S sells the best box cake mixes, ever. All you need to do is pour, add, and mix! OH, and BAKE!} you get to embellish away.

*Take your cake stand and GLUE GUN {I use lo temp} a paper birthday plate to the top.

*Place a BIO BOX {CASH AND CARRY} with six mini cupcakes nestled inside with fun paper cups. Tie it up with a thick ribbon and place it on top of your custom-cake stand.

This may be custom-made for any celebration...graduation, new baby, wedding, new job etc. DON'T forget the birthday candles if it is a birthday gift. It will just be the icing on the cake.

Your recipient will have the flair of fun paper goods along with the cake plate that will always remind them of their special occasion!

Cupcakes may be frosted and kept frozen if you want to keep them on hand for a quick grab and go gift. If you don't want to mess with a cake, brownies are a great thing to keep frozen as well.

Happy celebrating and Happy Thursday!

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Oma's Granola and Breakfast To-Go

Alrighty. Let's chat about taking meals to people. I would love to think that I always have time to take a full on meal to those who need it, but the truth of the matter is sometimes we all just run out of steam or time or BOTH!

Here is something that has helped me out when I want to help someone out, but am feeling a bit less enegetic.

Granola is very easy to make and quite inexpensive considering how much it makes and that it is made with wholesome good-for-you ingredients.

SOOOO, instead of a dinner, you may consider taking a small breakfast/brunch. Not only is it fun to prepare, but I am sure it is a welcomed meal. One can only take so many pasta and chicken dishes paired with a garden salad, right?

For my breakfast to-go, I put yogurt into cups and added a few berries, added a spoon, a lid, and a tag {which I keep on hand}...and spooned fresh granola into a glass container {TARGET after-Christmas clearance!}VOILA. I then placed the four parfaits into a cardboard drink holder {my friends and family collect them for me.:)}so they would be easy to transport.

You may want to add a few bagels, cream cheese and orange juice...place it in a white bag...THAT IS IT!

If a you don't want to sign-up for a meal, you can take this as a "snack". Anyhoo, anyway you look at it, it is the kind thought that counts!

Happy Wednesday!


Oma’s Granola
Beryl Metko…with a few adaptations


Ingredients:

8-12 cups old fashioned rolled oats...depending how plain you like it.

2 cups coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup bran {optional…but oh.so.good for you!}

1 cup butter, melted

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

½ cup cane syrup or Agave syrup

VARIATION: Add 1 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

Stir all dry ingredients together.

Mix melted butter, extracts and syrup together.

Pour over oat mix.

Stir.

Bake at 250 for about an hour stirring every 15 minutes.

Let bake one more hour.

Let cool.

Place in glass storage container.

*In the Spring and Summer we love to pack this up and go for a morning picnic. You really need to take a morning picnic. It will lift your spirits for the day and will assure sweet dreams in the evening.



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Typography DECORATION

Here is a VERY simple decoration that may be applied to any party or shower. A bride's new last name initial, a baby's first name initial, a friend's first name initial etc..

I remember receiving several bridal shower gifts with my new monogram..."P"...instead of..."M" and then after we had Laurissa, we were given a tiny little pink sweatshirt with her name on it. It was so meaningful to see her name. Caleb was also gifted with several gifts with his name inscribed in wood and on a baby blanket. Needless to say, I think a single monogram is special in many different ways.

For the last birthday party I had planned, I came up short on table decorations and I needed to do something FAST, yet simple and NICE. I shopped around my home {major time and money saver!} and took a "P" off of our bedroom wall. I hot glued a ribbon to the top corner and HOT GLUED it to a mini cake plate. It was perfect nestled in with the food and white candles.

Letters may be purchased at craft stores for less than $3.00. Not bad for a nice table decoration. You could always give it as a gift, too. Double savings!



Do you have a quick, fast decorating tip? What is your favorite go-to decorating idea?

Happy Tuesday!

shared with: white wednesday

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