The Easiest Breaded Eggplant EVER!

I have been completely obsessed with this recipe for the past month! A friend opened my eyes to the deliciousness that is eggplant and I'm a huge fan now! Apparently, all other eggplant I've ever tried was cooked wrong.

All you need to make this is:

Eggplant (thinly sliced)

Eggs

Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

Whip the eggs before you begin.

Then, coat the eggplant in egg.

Next, coat the slide with bread crumbs.

Now, toss it in the oil. Let it simmer until you can see that the crumbs are turning golden. Then, flip it over and do the same for the other side.

Once both sides are golden brown, lay the slices on paper towel to cool and sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese.

You can eat these like chips, or dip them in marinara sauce, or make an entree out of it! I layered my breaded eggplant on top of spinach and artichoke egg noodles with fresh tomatoes and basil. It was so scrumptious!

Do you have any fabulous eggplant recipes you love making? I'm dying to learn more!

6 Inspiring Fall DIYs

DIY Craft Pumpkin Ideas
Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe
Harvest Napkin Rings
Burlap "Give Thanks" Banner
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe
Harvest Inspired Tabelscape

DIY Leather & Metal Housewarming Gift

Hi lovelies!  I don't know what it is, but I am so motivated to get creative stuff done lately.  I feel like I have been in a perpetual rut for the past year, but, now it's finally lifting.  The clouds are parting, the skies are clearing... and all is well in the world.

I might be old fashioned, but I love giving housewarming gifts and hostess gifts.  I'm trying to do this thing where I celebrate even the smallest things in life.  Even if it's just someone moving into a new apartment or a friend having me over for dinner.  These are all the things that make life so amazing, so why not acknowledge the happy moments with a little gift?

This idea was inspired by my good friend, Sarah.  We stopped by Michaels during lunch one day and she saw these little test tubes with corks in the fun little bins by the registers and told me her idea.  I immediately asked if I could poach it and share it with you guys.  I came up with the leather wrap and metal tag, though.  The tag idea came about when Martha Stewart asked if I'd like to try out their new metal stamping kit and sheets of metal.  Of course, I said, "HECK YES".  

First I have to say that the sheets of metal in the pack are GORGEOUS.  There's a copper hue, gold hue, then a rubbed bronze kinda hue.  All absolutely stunning.

Secondly, although the idea of this metal stamping is pretty awesome, I felt it difficult to execute well.  I did not have the "rubber stamping mat" they instruct you to use the tool with, so I improvised and used a towel.  It worked... kinda.  I had to go over the letter with the end of tweezers to really get the detail to show.  I'm going to get the rubber mat eventually and see if the stamp works any better.

So now onto the little gift.  You need a bunch of spices, EVOO, one of those nifty little corked test tubes that you can get at Michaels, and a small bottle with a cork also from Michaels.  You will also need a piece of leather and some leather cording.  Again, both found at Michaels.

Layer and mix the spices into the test tube and then cork.  Fill the bottle with EVOO and set aside.

I found this pre-cut, pre-shaped piece of leather and cut slits in it as shown below. 

The slits on the short ends are what you will slide the test tube and the bottle.  The tiny slits on the long slides will be wear you lace the leather cording.

Below, you can see how the glass items slide into the slits in the leather.  Cut an extra long piece of leather cording to lace into the tiny holes and then wrap around the entire package and finally tying.  Take a smaller piece of leather cord and tie your tag on.

TA-DA!  A super adorable, minimal, rustic looking housewarming gift that will be just as delicious as it is cute!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".

Vegetarian Campfire Pasta Recipe

VEGETARIAN CAMPFIRE PASTA

from EAT+SLEEP+MAKE

Ingredients:

1 lb. Linguine

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Cloves of Garlic

Dried Oregano

Dried Basil

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 Pack Cherry Tomatoes

1 Pack Sliced Baby Bellas

1 Bunch Fresh Basil

Shredded Italian Cheese (your preference - I like a Parmesan, Asiago and Romano mix)

Step 1: This part you do at home, pre-camping.  Make your pasta, drain it and place back in pot.  Add about 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and press the 3 cloves of garlic into the pot.  Add about 1 tablespoon of Oregano and Basil.. Salt and Pepper to taste.  Mix it up and let it cool.  Once it's cool, place in a large ziplock bag and refrigerate until you leave.  You'll need to keep this in a cooler until you're ready to cook it at the campsite.

Step 2:  Once you're ready to cook, cut 4 pieces of foil, pretty large, drizzle some olive oil on it, then ration out the baby bellas.  Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the mushrooms.

Step 3:  Portion the pasta out over the mushrooms.  Drizzle a little more olive oil over the pasta.  You want to try and make sure the mushrooms are between the pasta and the foil on that bottom because the pasta can burn.  Now sprinkle some of your shredded cheese over the pasta.

Step 4:  Close up your foil cocoon.  I usually cut 4 more squares of foil to put over the packets and roll the sides together.  You want a little bit of air in the packets, so don't roll them too tight.

Step 5:  Place the packets on your fire or camping stove for about 5 minutes.  The pasta will warm up quickly... the length of cook time depends on how well done you want the mushrooms.  I like mine slightly raw.  

Step 6:  Open one end of your packs and empty onto a plate.

Step 7:  Add your garnish!  I love adding diced cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil and some more Italian cheeses.

Step 8:  DEVOUR IT!

This time, I paired mine with a simple Arugula Salad with Greek Vinaigrette.  It was the perfect crisp compliment.  And of course, wine is a necessity!  My favorite is Mirassou's Pinot Noir.  Also, for those that cannot live without meat, a great way to add protein to this dish is to roast some Italian sausage over the fire, cut it up and toss it into the pasta.  Easy peasy!

What are your favorite camping recipes?? I'm always looking for new, delicious stuff to try!

Get the printable recipe HERE

Lentil Soup

Brrrr.....are you all as cold as I am?? Lately, we've had some of the coldest days I've felt since my childhood in Colorado. Pennsylvania is known for it's cold winters, but these past few days have been in the single digits and I'm not a fan All I want to do is curl up under a blanket with some hot chocolate and Netflix and hibernate until springtime. I'm SO very lucky that I have a boss that allows me to work from home because most days I dread even going outdoors.

Are you picking up on the fact that I'm a big cold weather baby?

It's not a secret. In fact, my husband is so used to my hatred of snow and cold that, every time the kids ask to go out in the snow and play, he immediately gets his snow gear on. He's a good man :)

On cold days like these, I look forward to a big steamy bowl of soup at the end of the day. It warms me right up and helps me remember that spring is (hopefully) not far away. Plus, you can't beat throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot and letting it simmer while you cuddle with the kiddos. That's the best form of warmth if you ask me :)

Lentil soup is one of my favorite soups since childhood. I remember my mom making it all the time. There's nothing fancy or unusual about this soup - it's just a big bowl of comforting deliciousness! Unfortunately, my husband and kids hate beans of all shapes and sizes (what's wrong with them?!), but I still make a big pot of lentil soup and freeze any leftovers to pull out on cold winter days.

You know you want some...

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups dried lentils, 6 cups water, 1 tablespoon beef bullion, 2 tablespoons dried parsley, 1 large onion chopped, 1 medium carrot diced, 1 bay leaf, 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 clove garlic crushed, 1 cup chopped ham.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and enjoy!

Bonus points if you have some crusty bread to go along with it. This soup is simple and filling, and sometimes, those are the best kind of dinners.

Ambrosia

Tis the season of grilling, picnics and potlucks. And with all of those parties to attend, I'm always looking for a refreshing summer salad that can be made quickly. I've never met a fruit salad I don't like, especially if it involves whipped cream and mini marshmallows. And this one has fruit, so you know, it's healthy-ish...right? Right.

When I was younger, I was that kid loading my plate up with pistachio salad - you know what I'm talking about. The fluffy green mystery salad that most people are probably scared of? Love it. And  not much has changed! There's just something comforting and homey about sweet salads with whipped cream and mini marshmallows, don't you think? And don't even get me started on snickers apple salad. Be still my clogging arteries.

Cranberry & Feta Cole Slaw Lettuce Wraps (Vegetarian, Organic & Gluten Free!)

Today I'm going to share with you a delicious (and very pretty, if I may say so) cole slaw recipe.  This is perfect for holiday gatherings or even just for no reason at all!  I chose to use all organic products. And not only is this organic and vegetarian, but it is also gluten-free.

Measurements:

1/2 cup Cranberries

6 cups chopped Cabbage

1 Carrot

1/3 cup Mayo

1 tablespoon Honey

Fresh Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

1 teaspoon Celery Seed

1/2 Squeezed Lemon Juice

Feta

1 teaspoon Raw Sugar

1 - Slice and dice your cabbage and carrot

2 - In a food processor, chop up your cranberries and Raw sugar.

3 - In a bowl, mix your cranberry/sugar into the mayo, lemon juice, and honey.

4 - Pour cranberry/mayo mix onto cabbage and carrots.  Add celery seed and black pepper - MIX.

5 - Once your cole slaw is done, clean and lay out one leaf of butter lettuce.  Fill it with your cranberry cole slaw, drench with feta and wrap it.

6 - Enjoy!

   

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Fudge

So, I'm actually not a huge fan of fudge. I'm not quite sure why, I think it might be a texture thing. I don't really like how dense and sugary it is. It just seems like a tiny brick waiting to attack my insides with an overwhelming amount of sugar. If I want a junk food fix, I'll take ice cream topped with peanut butter sauce any day, you can keep your fudge. That WAS the case anyway, until I tasted my mother-in-law's peanut butter fudge. Life changing.

I first tried it when my husband and I were dating and went to visit his family in Pennsylvania. My (then future) mother-in-law whipped out this pan of delicious-smelling peanut butter fudge and when I took that first bite, I was instantly hooked. It was light, fluffy, and it involved one of my very favorite foods - peanut butter. And you can never go wrong with peanut butter. 

 

 

It was then that I knew I had to marry into this family and get this recipe. At our wedding, my mother-in-law even made several batches of fudge for our guests, and I could hear people talking about it all through dinner. It's really that good.

Aside from being one of the world's perfect foods,this peanut butter fudge is also no-bake, and involves 6 ingredients and only 3 steps. Easy. Give it to neighbors as a gift, bring it to a Christmas party, or just eat the whole batch yourself. No judgement here. 

INGREDIENTS:

STEPS:

ONE: in a pot on medium heat, mix the sugar, butter, and evaporated milk together and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
TWO: add the remaining ingredients and stir well until completely combined.
THREE: pour into a greased 9x15 pan and let cool (approximately 1 hour).



What you get is a pan full of fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter fudge that is light as air (which is pretty dangerous because you don't realize how many you're eating.)



You can't eat just one little square. You might just want to cut the pan into 2 big pieces and call it a day.

Looking for another great fudge recipe? Check out my Snowy Road Fudge. It's a twist on rocky road, and it's oh-so-good.

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

7 Tasty Twists on Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  There's no pressure of buying gifts or even decorating... just eating, being with family and being grateful.  As a kid, it always meant seeing my cousins that lived so far away, putting on skits and dances, playing football and eating... so so much eating.  Of course, things change as you get older.  Thanksgiving signifies the beginning of Christmas shopping... the madness, the anxiety.  I've decided, though, that this year, Thanksgiving day will be only about counting my blessings.  And making sure that everyone I love knows that they're considered one of them.  That's going to be my kickoff to the holiday shopping season... giving my gratitude to those I love.

Now, I'm always looking for new ways to do old things, so I rounded up some AMAZING looking recipes that I am most likely going to give a shot this holiday season!  Check out 7 tasty twists on Thanksgiving traditions...

The Cranberry Sauce Twist

Kentucky Bourbon Cranberry Sauce via Jilly Inspired

The Mashed Potato Twist

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes via Flavors of Mumbai

The Green Bean Twist

Green Bean Casserole Pie via Serious Eats

The Mac & Cheese and Dinner Roll Twist

Mac & Cheese Croissant Cups via Recipe by Photo

The Pumpkin Pie Twist

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes via Une-Deux Senses

The Brussel Sprouts Twist

Quinoa with Brussel Sprouts & Pumpkin via Sassy Radish

The Sweet Potato Twist

Sweet Potato Corn Cakes with Garlic Dipping Sauce via Budget Bytes

   

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!