Ranch Pasta Skillet

I normally like to bake things in the oven, but when it's nearly a hundred degrees outside, I'd prefer not to heat the oven to 350 for an hour! So for the summer time, skillet meals come in handy!

I've taken my ranch chicken recipe and converted it into a rice casserole before, and I had been wondering how it would be to do the same thing using noodles, sort of like chicken helper.  So I threw some things together and voila!

It turned out pretty good.  My husband's only complaint was that it was a little salty.  So if you decide to make this, you should probably use reduced sodium soup, and you could also adjust the other ingredients to suit your taste (less seasoning, more water or milk, etc.)  But all in all, this was a great quick meal!

Recipe for Ranch Pasta Skillet:

Ingredients:

2-3 cups egg noodles (or pasta of choice)

2 cans chicken breast (or about 3 chicken breasts shredded)

2 cups milk

3/4 cups water (use broth from chicken)

1 - 1 oz. packet of ranch salad dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:  Spray skillet with cooking spray.  Place canned soup in skillet, along with about half the dressing mix.  Mix well.  Then add chicken. (If using the chicken broth from the canned chicken, no need to drain.  Just add the broth along with the chicken.)  Mix well.  Add uncooked pasta, milk, remaining dressing mix, and water (if you didn't use broth). Stir together.  Heat to boiling.  When it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium, and cover, stirring occasionally.  Cook for about 10 minutes. Let stand for a couple of minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy's Finer Things
I'm Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Friday Favorites - Week 14

Happy Friday! And I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!  To say thanks for coming by and linking up this week, I'm giving you a chance to get an extra entry in my Sense Daytime Emulsion Giveaway! This is a really great prize, and I hope you all decide to enter! 

Don't forget to go by and check out all of this week's featured posts!  And if you're featured this week, please grab my "featured" button for your blog.  If you need help with this, just send me an email and I'll be happy to assist you!

Enjoy the party!

 If you're tired of baby dolls falling out of their blankets, you should check out this No Slip Baby Blanket tutorial from The Little Appleseed.  Isn't this adorable?

The Moody Fashionista had a pink/green polka dot themed party.  Here's one of her refreshment tables.  If you like party planning, you should definitely check out the rest of her post.  She has some great decor ideas (and even another great food table).  And all the photos are just fabulous! 

I loved the blues and greens used in this Rose Topiary from Life in My PJs. I would love to make one of these for our house!

This Live, Laugh, Love sign is also from Life in my PJs.  Isn't it cute?  It also happens to be a fairly easy and very affordable project! (My favorite kind!)

This photo comes from a fabulous home tour at Remodelaholic.  It's actually a guest post from The DIY Show Off.  The whole tour was great but I especially loved this monogrammed mirror and the decorated table and baskets here.  Very nice!

Another home tour! Inspired Interiors features beautiful tours each week.  A couple of week's ago this 18th century French Chateau was linked up.  I was just amazed by the photos of this place, and I told my husband that I thought I had found his dream home!

I can't wait to see what you've been blogging about this week.  Link up your post below! Please enter the direct link to your post, and don't forget to include a link back to my blog! Thanks!

-Jerri

Sweet Thursday: Cupcakes & Muffins

 

Welcome to this month's Sweet Thursday Event!  This month our theme is Cupcakes & Muffins, and as usual we have some scrumptious delights for you to feast your eyes upon! (By the way, if you're on a diet, I must warn you not to go any farther, because you will be tempted by this post!!)

Thanks to everyone who submitted their goodies this month! Also, as a special treat, I've included a couple of previous entries from some cupcake posts I did last year, along with links to the original round-up posts, so if you like to look at cupcakes, be sure to check them out!

Link Up:  At the end of this post I've included a linky for you.  If you have a cupcake or muffin themed post, I invite you to link it up below.  New and older posts are welcome!

Next Month's Event:  The June event theme will be Pies & Cakes.  The date will be June 24 (post will actually be up late Wed night on the 23rd).  If you'd like to be featured in the post, please email your submission to me by Tuesday, June 22.  Or come by after the post is up, to leave your link.  For submission guidelines and info on future events, please see my Sweet Thursday Event Page.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes from from glitter to gumdrops

Mini Root Beer Float Cupcakes from Gourmet Mom on the Go

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins from Recipes for Moms

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from Nancy Creative

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from A Little Bit of Everything

Orange Blueberry Muffins with Pecan Crumble My Sweet and Savory

Jello Cupcakes from Recipe Sharing

Coconut Cupcakes from Millie's Place

Muffins in Disguise from My Sweet and Savory

PB&J Cupcakes from Life in a Peanut Shell.

This cupcake was included in  Last Year's Sweet Thursday Cupcake Round-up

.

Wedding Cupcakes from Consumed by Cake.

This cake was included in a Wedding/Shower Cupcake post I put together last year.

Banana Cupcakes w/ Streusel Topping from Simply Sweet Home

If you didn't get a chance to send in a submission, never fear!  You can share your cupcakes and muffins with us by linking up below!!

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Cupcake Tuesday is hosted by Hoosier Homemade
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy's Finer Things
I'm Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Sense Prelude 5 Review/Giveaway

I was excited when Shonda, an associate for USANA Health Sciences and a fellow blogger, who writes at The Knowlton Nest and Milk N' Honey Learn and Grow, contacted me about reviewing the Sensé Prelude skin care products from Usana.

Sensé beautiful science® skin-care products offer an innovative approach to skin care. With groundbreaking, patented Self-Preserving Technology, Sensé™ products contain no added chemical preservatives—meaning they stay fresh naturally—so they are more gentle and healthy for even the most sensitive skin. And all the products include antioxidant complexes and ingredients proven to revitalize skin cells, leaving skin looking younger and more radiant.

Your skin is the last organ to receive nutrients from the body and often the first to show signs of nutritional deficiency, imbalance, or the unhealthy effects of free radicals. Developed by USANA Health Sciences, Sensé products are formulated to properly nourish and hydrate your skin’s cells. The Sensé beauty regimen is designed to be a comprehensive approach to skin and hair care that takes into account the nutritional needs of both the skin and body.

I had the opportunity to the try the Sensé Prelude 5 kit, which includes the Gentle Daily Cleanser, Hydrating Toner, Daytime Protective Emulsion, Night Renewal Crème, and Perfecting Essence.

My favorite thing about these products is that they are very gentle on the skin.  The Gentle Daily Cleanser has a nice texture that leaves your face feeling clean with out overdrying your skin. 

The Hydrating Toner is also very gentle.  I would say that I have "semi-sensitive skin," and although I've been happy with most toners I've tried, occasionally the solutions can burn or overdry your skin, even cause redness.  I'm happy to report that the Sensé Hydrating Toner did not have these side effects.  So if you have sensitive skin and have difficulties using toners, you should consider trying this product.

The Daytime Protective Emulsion is a daily moisturizer with SPF15 that defends against harsh environmental elements.  I enjoyed this product a lot because of its light weight formula.  Some moisturizers leave your skin feeling greasy, and this one did not.  I also appreciate that it has the SPF 15, because I'm fair complected and like to have that extra protection from the sun.

The Night Renewel Creme is a nutrient-rich, hydrating crème that works overnight, while your skin is more receptive to moisture, to renew your skin after the day’s exposure to the environment.  Like the Daytime Protective Emulsion, this is a very smooth and light weight formula that doesn't feel greasy when applied, which I think is especially a plus when it comes to night creams.

The Perfecting Essense product is designed to dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as tone and soothe the skin, and even the complexion.  Again, this product had a nice texture, very light and soft.

Overall I enjoyed these produucts.  I like that they promote natural skin nourishment and hydration, and I think it's great that this company has created a line of products made from natural ingredients that are both effective and gentle on the skin.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a full size bottle of the Daytime Protective Emulsion (w/SPF 15). 

Giveaway Closed.  Congrats to our winner, Jennifer of Up Close & Personal with Lady Tink!




-Jerri

Au Gratin Potatoes

Since summer is almost here, I thought it would be a good time to share a great side dish for barbecues and summer parties.  So I decided to share these Au Gratin potatoes that my mom made. Don't they look delicious?  This another one of those recipes that you just sort of throw together and do what you will with it. Hope you enjoy!

Dessert Party Reminder: I'm hosting a cupcake/muffin round-up this Thursday.  So please come back later this week and link up your recipes here.  Older posts are welcome! The linky will go up on Wednesday night, and will be open for a week.  Hope to see there! =)

Recipe for Au Gratin Potatoes:

Ingredients:

5-7 potatoes (depending on size and how much you need)

1 small onion (sliced into rings, or decided if you prefer) 

shredded cheese (I'd use cheddar or a combination of cheddar & monterey jack)

salt & pepper

Directions: Peel your potatoes, boil them until tender.  Chop up your onion.  You can saute it on the stove top if you prefer your onion to be tender.  After draining the water off your potatoes, transfer to bowl.  Mix your potatoes, onions, and cheese together. (Amount of cheese is up to you.  I like mine very cheesy!)  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour up into glass baking dish.  Top with additional cheese.  Bake at 350 for a few minutes (Just long enough to melt cheese.)  That's it!

Tips & Suggestions: 

If you'd like to add a little spice to this dish, try adding some chopped peppers.

For creamier potatoes, add a little milk and/or melted butter.

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy's Finer Things
I'm Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Friday Favorites - Week 13

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoy your Friday!  And thanks for coming by once again to link up your posts!

By the way, next week, in addition to linking up for our Friday Friday event, you can also come by for my Sweet Thursday Dessert event.  The theme for the event this month is cupcakes & muffins, and I'd love for you to come join the party and share your posts with us. (Linky will be up on Wednesday night. Current and older posts are welcome!)

Also, if you're interested in winning some custom print brochures for your home or business ($60 value), the giveaway has less than 50 entries at this writing, and it ends next Tuesday, so this might be a good chance to get in and win a giveaway!

Now let's take a look at this week's featured posts!  If you're post is featured, please grab my "featured" button for you blog.  (If you need assistance with this feel free to send me an email, and I'll help you!)

Cinderella has always been one of my favorite fairy tails (and one of my favorite Disney movies!).  I just love these little carriages from Melanie's Crafts. So adorable and just perfect! 

I've always been fascinated by old ledgers and record books from farmers and shop keepers. (Yes, I'm that nerdy!)  And I was equally impressed by this modern day version at My Frugal Lifestyle.  With a garden journal you can keep up with things like brands of seeds that you use, planting times, fertilizer types, growing times, etc.  Very neat! 

Here's another confession.  As a kid I had a huge hair bow collection, which I just so happen to still own.  (They're currently packed up in our outbuilding.)  And I had bow holders, but I didn't have anything like this one at the Tremaine Story.  I think this is such a simple, yet very creative way to display hair bows.  And I'm sure these look really cute in kid's room. 

I don't know about you, but around here it's the perfect weather for strawberry cake, and this one from The Domestic Engineer Blogs looks super delicious!

And more cake!  I actually never had carrot cake until I got to be an adult.  I was on an airplane and they served carrot muffins.  (Maybe it's just because I was starving, but I swear, that was the best muffin I've ever had!)  And shortly thereafter I decided to try some carrot cake, which was awesome!  And now I'm totally craving a piece of this carrot cake from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice!

Linky time! Please link up below using the url of your actual post (not your blog), and please link back to Simply Sweet Home, so that others can come to the party! Thanks!

-Jerri

Mousey Thrift Store Fix-up

As some of you know, I collect mouse ornaments and figurines.  I found the little guy above at a thrift store for 50 cents!  There was only one problem. The sugar on his spoon was missing, and the spoon was no longer attached properly to the bowl.  But that, of course, didn't stop me from getting him!

When I got home, my first thought was, "What am I going to use for the 'sugar'?"  And for some reason I just couldn't think of anything.  The easiest and most obvious choice seemed to be a piece of cotton ball, but I knew that would look dumb.  So I asked my very smart hubby for help.  I showed it to him, and asked what I could use for sugar.  He looked at for a second, and almost immediately he said, "a packing peanut."  Why didn't I think of that?

So I went to grab a packing peanut.  I'm always getting packages in the mail, so we usually have a large supply!  To attach the spoon back to the top of the sugar bowl, I simply used the hot glue gun.  (I was going to gorilla glue, but it just wasn't working.)  And then I tore off a piece of peanut and used the hot glue to attach it to the spoon.  Very quick and easy!

Here's how it turned out. Very cute! And you can't even tell it's a packing peanut unless you pick it up and look really close. In my opinion, this was 50 cents well spent! So if you're shopping at a yard sale or thrift store, and you find something you like, but it has a minor flaw or break, don't get too disappointed. It just may be an easy fix!

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post at:
It’s So Very Creative & It's So Very Thrifty hosted by It’s So Very Cheri
Make it for Monday hosted by Cottage Instincts
Made it Mondays hosted by The Persimmon Perch
Making the World Cuter Monday hosted by Making the World Cuter
Make Your Monday hosted by Twice Remembered
Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Market Yourself Monday is hosted by Sumos Sweet Stuff
Marketing Mondays and Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
What Your Working with Wednesday is hosted by Me and My Bucket
Show & Tell Wednesday is hosted by Blue Cricket Design
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Week End Review is hosted by Tator Tots & Jello
Star on Saturday is hosted by Craft-Werk
Penny Pinching Party is hosted by The Thrifty Home
Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Romantic Home

Bathroom Vanities: Classic and Contemporary

Your bathroom vanity area can make the difference between a good bathroom and a great bathroom. Today we're going to explore a few bathroom vanities for your home.

I found the one pictured above to be one of the most unique I've seen.  It's the first time I've seen a double vessel sink.  Looks pretty neat, I think.  And I like vanities that provide plenty of counter space and storage space, and this one definitely does that.  And it's just a got a fun, contemporary appeal.

As far as the smaller vanities go, I really liked this this one.  I love cherry wood anyway, and this piece (as well as the one shown here ) reminds me a lot of hand built antique dressers I have in my home. Very simple and classic!

And here's another one with antique appeal.  This one is an antique cherry vanity.  I don't think I've ever seen a vanity that looked so elegance as this.  The claw feet and the detail work from top to bottom really had a lot to this piece.     

This vanity is a lot closer to what I think of when I hear the word vanity. It's just basic and simple, but I think this one also has contemporary apeal to it. (I think it's the color, or maybe it's the handles.)  I really like the marble top on this one, and again, I like the counter and storage space options.

I'd really like your opinion on these vanities that feature the vessel sinks.  Maybe I'm behind the times, but I'd never seen one of these (except at a resturant) until a few weeks ago when one of my Friday Favorites participants posted about one they had installed.  I'm not sure if I'd ever get one of these, but I do think they look neat.  And I completely understand the appeal.  Perhaps I'd put one in a guest bathroom or a kid's bathroom.  What do you guys think? 

And here's another contemporary style (and I would say, very unique) vanity.  Here again, we have a vessel sink, although I think it would be a lot easier to get use to one like this.  In my opinion, it's really not that different from your traditional vanities.  I think this would be a great choice for someone who wanted to go with something a little different and current, but didn't really like the look of the other vessel sinks (or if you like the vessel sinks but you fear you'd grow tired of them after a a while). 

And finally this Avanty Oriental vanity also features the vessel sink.  I've browsed through several of these, and I'm intrigued.  I just think these look really cool.  Maybe it's just because it's new and different from everything else I've seen? Whatever the case, I guess I'd say if you're looking for something new for your bathroom, and you want to go with something trendy and current, this may be the way to go.

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post at:
Making the World Cuter Monday hosted by Making the World Cuter
Market Yourself Monday is hosted by Sumos Sweet Stuff
Marketing Mondays and Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Show & Tell Wednesday is hosted by Blue Cricket Design
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Romantic Home
I'm Lovin' It is hosted by Tidy Mom

Banana Cupcakes with Streusel Topping

Next Thursday, May 27, I'll be hosting my monthly Sweet Thursday event, and this month the theme is Cupcakes/Muffins.  If you'd like to have a muffin or cupcake recipe featured in my post, send me an email before next Wednesday, and I'll add you.  You can also participate through Mcklinky on the day of the event. 

The other day I was in the mood to to make some banana cupcakes.  I've never made them before, but for some reason that's just want I wanted to make!  I found a great recipe on Cooks.com, but I decided I wanted to do something a little more unique with it, so I searched around for a streusel recipe.  I put the two together, and here is what I came up with.

Let me tell you, these were delicious!  And if you like your muffins kind of sweet, this recipe will work for that as well.  I've actually decided that I'm not going to look for anymore banana cupcake or banana muffin recipes.  This is going to be my go-to recipe from now on! 

I actually left a few of the cupcakes plain, and they were really good as well! The streusel just really spiced it up and added a lot of flavor.  And they also smelled amazing!  You should definitely give these a try!

Recipe For Banana Cupcakes with Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

2 mashed bananas

1/2 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

For Streusel Topping:

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter (softened)

1/3 c. chopped pecans (I left these out)

Directions:  Combine bananas, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, mix well. Mix in flour, baking soda and pinch of salt. Pour into greased cupcake pan and bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.  To make the streusel, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans.

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Cupcake Tuesday is hosted by Hoosier Homemade
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy's Finer Things
I'm Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Friday Favorites: Week 12

Welcome to the 12th edition of Friday Favorites, where we share our favorite posts of the week!  As always I'm featuring some really great tutorials and recipes that you'll definitely want to go by and check out! Please go by and give these talented ladies a shout and also go by and visit at least of few of this week's linked up posts as well.  You are sure to find some great ideas here!

Also, for this week I have a new giveaway that you can get an extra entry for when you link up here.  This week it's a Printed Brochure Giveaway.  This prize is a $60 value, and it would be great to have, especially if you're a business owner, but it could also be used to promote your blog or promote your church or other organizations, or just if you'd like to pass out information in your community or wherever.

Now let's check out this week's posts.  If you're blog is featured, please grab a "featured" button for you blog!  If you need help installing the button on your blog, feel free to email me or leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Thanks!

I think these Sunflower Cupcakes at Mackenzies Crafty Mom are just the cutest!  What a great gift for your child's favorite teacher! Love this!


  

You'll be really surprised to learn how this cute and colorful bag from HEARTworks was made! Very creative!

I love this frugal wall art from The Phillips Fam.  And it's a fairly easy project to complete too, which is always a plus!

I love sugar cookies! They're one of my favorites! So I was really exicted when I came across these Sugar Cookies Bars at Me and My Pink Mixer.

Frenchy at le Chateau des fleurs has lots of cute creations and tutorials.  Here's one of her latest necklaces.  So unique!

That's it for this week.  Now it's time to link up your posts! Please leave a link to your Direct Post, not your blog.  Also, please include my button or a mention of my blog so that others will know that you're linking up here and can come participate too. Thanks!

-Jerri