zucchini houdini!

happy monday!

i, we are on vacation! AGAIN!

with the stress of the last two weeks, i feel like this is much needed.

the problem being, that because of the stress we have endured lately,

we have nothing planned,

and i wasn't excited like i usually

get when it's VACAY time.

i normally am doing the happy dance everyday, the week before....but not so much this time....

we have had company stay with us for a few

nights, so that has kept us busy.

school starts tomorrow for the kiddies, and i am

one

SAD

mama.

the little peanut (well, MY little peanut) is a senior this year.

tomorrow is her first day of the last year of high school.

i want to cry.

seriously.

just wait.....

for all of you who have little ones, or have no babies yet.....

they

GROW

so stinkin

FAST.

so today, i made some peace with myself...(well, baking seems to soothe my soul) so i

BAKED.

zucchini bread AND zucchini casserole.

i had a zucchini we got a couple of weeks ago, calling out to be turned into some

type of deliciousness.

zucchini casserole

2 cups shredded zucchini

4 slices bread

1 large red onion

4 cloves garlic peeled and sliced / chopped

salt

pepper

1 egg. beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream. yes. heavy cream. ( i made no mention this was a healthy recipe, did i???)

2 cups shredded cheddar

1/4 melted butter

preheat oven to 350'. cut bread into cubes and pour into large mixing bowl. add melted butter. combine rest of the ingredients, with the exception of the cheese.  pour into prepared 2 quart casserole. sprinkle with cheese..... bake for approximately 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. i let mine get somewhat bubbly on top and brownish.

this is the easiest side dish and actually for being full of a veggie, tastes delish. the smell of the onions and garlic while baking is heaven. no lies, peeps!

this is the picture of the recipe i received on http://www.allrecipes.com/

compliments of DC1. i was lazy and didnt feel like grabbing the camera....sorry. :o(

ok, onto some really fun news.....

i

won

a prize!

compliments of

spice berry cottage!

i won a $25.00 credit to their store.

they

have the most absolutely,  darling fabric for all you

crafters out in blog world.

i cant decide what to pick

but it's sure to

be

fantabulous!

how bout this to make a purse:

and this to line it with:

they have a TON...and so hard to choose.

pop on over and let them know where/how you found them! sign up also for their newsletters!

question of the day:

i see where there are blogger events all over......i would love to meet some of the local bloggers

in my area.....

sooooo,

how do you

'find'

local bloggers?

happy monday everyone.

blessings,

t

happy vacation to us~~oh, and a cupcake recipe for you!

yes! it's vacay time AGAIN. i am thrilled. elated. i got to check out of workie at 1:30 today and could not have been happier! i got a little bit of pool time in before heading out to get some din with the boy!

he was starving.....he had to fast in order to have some lab work done for his life insurance policy. so needless to say, he was cranky pants. he gets that way when he is hungry. like a bear. maybe worse. i don't get it.....it's like that's all he can think about when the hunger pains strike.....

we headed over to 'the pub'...yes, that's the name. i had a sam adams 'summer ale' as well as a corona light to top off my roasted red pepper and goat cheese burger......hello deliciousness. sorry no pics. i have been bad about carrying the camera lately.....

soooo what y'all got planned for this festive 4th of july weekend??? we are chillin out! we are going to get up in the am and go for a run and stop at the cutest little cafe we just discovered for some blueberry cinnamon coffee.....then i think we are going to lay by the pool before heading to a party and baseball game! i love parties. i love baseball. heck, i love LIFE. seriously.

i wanted to share a delcious but simple cuppie recipe i have been using for years.....i found these and thought they were adorable,

um, hellooooo zebra and cheeta print cuppie wrappers! so cute....so i just had to fill with some yumminess!

cream cheese chocolate chip filled cuppies

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix prepared according to directions. set aside.
1 8 oz. package cream cheese ( i used light)
1 egg
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350'

whip together egg and sugar and cream cheese.....stir in chips! fill cupcake wrappers about 1/3 full of cake batter. drop about 1 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture on top. cover with additional cake batter.

bake for approximately 17 mins. or until you feel they have reached your level of doneness! don't overbake! there is NOTHING worse then a dry, burnt cuppie!

here's a pic before adding the last layer of cake batter!

allow to cool and frost with your favorite buttercream frosting! these will not disappoint. i have taken them to work soooo many times and have always received rave reviews! kudos for filled cuppies!!

i am working on the boy to buy me a new camera.....a nice......expensive quality, really good camera! i think i can talk him into it! he's easily persuaded....a few good back rubs and a pedicure...(yes, he loves pedis....) and i can't coerce him into ANYTHING! ha!

i want to know what everyone is doing for their holiday weekend?!? fill me in! quickly!

have a great day/night blog land!

love and hugs,

t

p.s. my frosted cupcakes seen above were baked on a different day then when i made the zebra print ones....fyi....i didnt take any pics  of them, but i managed to find a pic of some other ones....just to give you an idea or what the finished product looked like!

they're blooming!!!

hipppp hipppp hoooray!

lets all say, "t~you're a dork!"....yes, i think we have all already agreed on this general concensus (did i spell that right?)....or is it consensus?

sooooo not last year but the year before......the hubs decided he would trim the hydrangeas....let's say major hair cut for them....like trim them down to their bare A****. ouch. poor little pink hydrangeas.....yes, he cut them down, (in his defense, it was the end of the blooming season and he 'thought'....they should be hacked, errr trimmed down)....but apparently, he trimmed them so low that they never bloomed last season. yep. not one stinkin flower.....talk about major disappointment. i thought he has scarred them for life. i thought we would never see another bloom again.....until......today!

yes, i am excited. hydrangeas are my second fav flower. gerbera daisies being FIRST....

sorry the pic is a little blurry......but you get the idea! especially PINK gerbera daisies! they always make me smile! so fun and girly!

but look what also is blooming in my flower garden.......

my lavender!!! whooop! whooop! yes, and it smells so super duper amazing....remember my post about loving the smell of fresh laundry...esp. lavender vanilla fabric softener....delightful!

i also whipped up a sweet little summertime wreath for the front door~i try to make a new one for every season and holiday......(they are super easy with the help of a little ribbon and this little amazing thing called a glue gun.....

sorry the camera i was using was my phone and the lighting is not sooooo good! but again, you get the drift....just simple. thats how i have been living life these days. rolling with the punches, enjoying the summer dog days of summer (and yes, mother nature, any time you would like to give us some sunshine, and hot sticky weather, i am A-OK with it.)......

what have y'all been doing to enjoy your summer??? 

happy thursday! i am sad, our vacation is quickly coming to an end....boo. we do have some fun stuff planned for the remaining few days...will keep ya posted with pics very soon! xoxo