Author: Tina

Springtime Mantel

Tina0 Comments

It feels like spring is finally here!  It’s about that time to update my mantel decor and  I decided to go with a rustic springtime look.  I wanted to keep everything simple and clean and use objects that remind me of spring. Flowers are a wonderful reminder that spring has sprung!  I recently bought these faux peonies and I’m loving them because they look like live flowers.  Have you ever seen faux flowers that look plastic?  Pass.  I adore the height and drama that the peonies bring to the mantel. Then I added tall objects on the opposite side of the mantel in …

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Coconut Fudge Bars

Tina4 Comments

No bake bars…chocolate…coconut…yup, I’m sold!  I’ve made these chocolaty treats a few times and they are always hit.  I mean how can you go wrong with sweet chocolate topped with crunchy coconut?     😉 Coconut Fudge Bars Recipe (About 32 servings) Ingredients: 1 cup butter (equivalent to 2 sticks of butter), divided for two steps below 2 and 1/2 cups honey graham crackers (equivalent to about 2 sleeves of graham crackers), finely crushed 1 can (5 ounce) evaporated milk 1 cup white sugar 1 (10 and 1/2 ounce bag) package of miniature marshmallows 8 squares (8 ounce box) Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup …

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tina4 Comments

My neighbors’ daughter recently found out that she has to follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons.  I’ve never baked gluten-free desserts before so she has inspired me to expand my horizons.  I have a tall order to fill to impress an amazing 8 year old girl! These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are really the quintessential representation of chocolate and peanut butter but in a gluten-free and flour-free way! Gluten-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (Makes about 18 cookies) Note on the preparation time: The dough is chilled for 2 hours. Ingredients: 1 cup creamy peanut butter * 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg 1 …

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Vegetable Barley Soup

Tina2 Comments

What do you cook for a crowd of friends who are vegetarians and allergic to garlic?  Lol.  I wish that was a joke.  Let me tell you, I had to search very long and hard to find a recipe that I thought was tasty enough to serve to this crowd. How about Italian food?  Love it, but almost every Italian dish contains garlic.  Shocker, I know.  I’m half Italian and it would be a sin to remove garlic from an Italian dish.      😉 How about vegetarian chili?  I find most vegetarian chilies tend to be bland.  Meat is an essential source of …

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Whites & Greys

Tina4 Comments

A white and grey color combination is so chic!  I like using that color combo in my wardrobe and throughout my home, like in my guest bathroom. Since this bathroom will primarily be used by guests, I want the decor to be simple and functional.  I tend to avoid matching bathroom sets because I like mixing different accessories to give a more natural look. After I wash up in a bathroom I don’t like dragging my wet hands around looking for a towel.  Maybe that’s me being neurotic but I’ve placed hand soaps and towels at each sink so that …

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