mangia mondays 77: ugh!!

hi there, friends!

welcome to

a blog hop i co-host each week

with the ever-so-lovely

lisa from shine your light.

do you ever have one of those days

where things just don't quite click?

yeah.

that's where i'm at.

today was my first day back to school

since having little miss.

it didn't help matters much

when i thought yesterday (sunday)

was actually saturday.

ugh.

i was scrambling to get things together

& didn't have any time to make something

for mangia mondays! :(

ANND...

linky tools isn't working...

or maybe it's just not working for me;

that sure would be my luck.

anyway, what this means for you:

i'm unable to post the link-up!

double :(

i'll keep trying,

& hopefully will get it working by tomorrow...

if not -

double link ups next week!

**UPDATE 5:41pm, MST**

linky tools is working now!
so sorry for the delay!

link up those recipes & food posts!

mangia mondays 76: maple bacon cupcakes - picture re-do!

hiya, friends!

welcome to

a blog hop i co-host each week with

lisa from shine your light!

i've recently started putting together

a cookbook for my family through shutterfly.

it's been so much fun... but i did notice one thing:

the pictures i took when i first started my blog are

A-W-F-U-L!

sooo... that being said,

i've started re-doing recipes & pictures!

today's flashback is

maple bacon cupcakes

click here for the recipe

blech!

those "before" pictures are hideous!

the yellow lighting...

eek!

anywho,

the new ones are much better!

i hope you enjoy them!

now it's your turn -

link up those recipes & food posts!

how mangia mondays work:

. add a link to your recipe or food post & visit some others who have linked up before you .

. link back to mangia mondays anywhere on your blog .

. thanks for not linking up to giveaways or items you're selling .

. help spread the word about mangia mondays by sharing this post with others .

until next time,

dowlings out!

petit amuse

hello, friends!

i was recently contacted by this great new company

petit amuse.

they offer gourmet & specialty food sample boxes

to help small food producers compete with the larger,

mass-producing companies.

these boxes are a wonderful way to try new

products without spending a lot.

they were kind enough to send me a sample box!

here's what it looks like:

and here are the goodies that came inside:

i got 5 different treats to try!

there was also an information card in the box

which gave the names, manufacturers, & ingredients of all the products.

for only $10 a month,

i think this would be such a fun gift

{for yourself or your favorite foodie!}.

it's such a neat way to try & discover new items

you normally wouldn't be able to find or think to buy!

head on over to petit amuse & see what they're all about -

you won't regret it!

remember, your helping support smaller businesses!

{& eating some great food... it's a win-win!}

until next time,

dowlings out!

www.petitamuse.com

mangia mondays 75: spaghetti & meatballs

howdy, ya'll!

welcome to

a blog hop i co-host each week

with the stellar

lisa from shine your light!

this week i'm sharing

spaghetti & meatballs

{this makes a boatload of sauce

& about 25 meatballs!}

for sauce

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

2 carrots, grated

3 celery stalks, chopped

salt & pepper

3 6 oz cans of tomato paste

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 C blackberry manischewitz wine

2 C chicken stock

1/3 C sugar

1 TBS italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

1. in a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high. add garlic & cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add onion, bell peppers, carrots, & celery. season to taste with salt & pepper. cook until onions are translucent.

2. add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, wine, & chicken stock. mix well. add sugar, italian seasoning, & bay leaves.

3. let simmer on low for 1-2 hours.

for meatballs

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1 1/4 C italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 C parmesan, grated

salt & pepper

1 egg, beaten

vegetable oil

1. preheat oven to 400 f.

2. in a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the vegetable oil. mix well.

3. form the meat mixture into approximately 25 balls & place on a cookie sheet. drizzle the tops with the vegetable oil & bake for 15 minutes.

4. place the par-cooked meatballs into the sauce pot & cook 30 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

5. serve over pasta & enjoy!

have you ever just craved something for a few days

& found it absolutely necessary to make?!

that's where i was at with this recipe!

this is a sweet marinara

{my favorite!}

but the meatballs can go with anything!

they're delicious!

allllso,

this marinara is a great place to hide veggies

from picky eaters!

you can easily grate a vegetable & add it to the sauce!

now it's your turn -

link up those recipes & food posts!

how mangia mondays work:

. add a link to your recipe or food post & visit some others who have linked up before you .

. link back to mangia mondays anywhere on your blog .

. thanks for not linking up to giveaways or items you're selling .

. help spread the word about mangia mondays by sharing this post with others .

until next time,

dowlings out!

photo book - the baking of our cupcake

hi, friends!

i've started writing books for miss charli

& i wanted to share them with you!

this one is about the pregnancy

& the next will be about the delivery,

so stay tuned!

click here to view this photo book larger

or

create your own custom photo books at shutterfly.com.

i have to tell you,

i'm absolutely in love with these photo books!

{i'm not being compensated at all...

just my honest opinions!}

i'm already working on putting together

a cookbook for my family!

LOVE!

until next time,

dowlings out!

mangia mondays 74: maple dijon chicken

hello friends!

welcome to another edition of

a blog hop i co-host each week with the lovely

lisa from shine your light.

i'm back!

remember how i said i was going to

write a lovely little update post on miss charlotte?

it's still in the works...

for shame!

i'm trying to write out her birth story,

plus all of the wonderful little things

that have been going on for {almost) the past 2 months.

iiiiiinnnnnn the mean time,

i've finally been able to get back in the kitchen -

thank goodness, i've missed it so!

this week i'm sharing

maple dijon chicken

1/2 C dijon mustard

1/4 C pure maple syrup

{not that pancake syrup... the real deal!}

1 TBS red wine vinegar

salt

pepper

cayenne

chicken, skin on

{use your favorite parts!}

potatoes & onions, sliced

1. preheat oven to 375 f.

2. in a bowl, combine mustard, syrup, & vinegar. set aside.

3. pat the chicken dry & sprinkle with salt, pepper & cayenne. place the potatoes & onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. put a cooling rack on top of the potatoes & onions, then place the chicken pieces on top. brush each piece of chicken with some of the mustard mixture... be liberal, this stuff tastes good!

{reserve some of the sauce to pour over the chicken when serving!}

4. bake for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown, crispy, & the temp reads 165 f on a thermometer.

seriously,

how easy is that?

it was also SUPER delicious.

now it's your turn -

link up those recipes & food posts!

how mangia mondays work:

. add a link to your recipe or food post & visit some others who have linked up before you .

. link back to mangia mondays anywhere on your blog .

. thanks for not linking up to giveaways or items you're selling .

. help spread the word about mangia mondays by sharing this post with others .

until next time,

dowlings out!