Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

We’ve been eating a lot of zucchini lately, mostly fried and fritters, which both involved frying in oil. I decided I wanted to take a slightly healthier approach last night . I remembered that I had pinned this recipe for Zucchini Oven Chips on Pinterest. Like a lot of recipes I merely used this as a guideline.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used the stuff in the little canister because it was all I had)

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fat-free milk (all I had was fat free half & half)

5-6 drops of hot sauce

2 1/2 cups(1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)

Cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and slice your zucchini.

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl.

• Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Right around the end is where I quit reading the directions. I completely missed the wire rack thing and put them on a non-stick cookie sheet. I also sprayed the tops of them with cooking spray to help them crisp up. Since  mine weren’t on a wire rack I flipped them half way through. This method worked just fine too, so don’t worry if you don’t have a wire rack. Now I failed, I completely forgot to take a picture of my done ones, but they weren’t nearly as pretty as the ones above. My oven will randomly cook things faster than it should, so these were a bit more brown than the picture at the beginning, but they were still quite yummy. Next I want to try this with squash and eggplant!

Labels: recipe

Mine All Mine

I refused to cook dinner last night and told the boys it was up to them. I felt like crap. Well needless to say I ate popcorn and my own personal chocolate cake. I followed this recipe and created this:

Yes, it’s half eaten. I didn’t think “OOOOooo I should take a picture” until I was about halfway through . I didn’t have any chocolate chips when I made it so I threw in some white chocolate chips. It was quite yummy. The only thing that would have made it better was some ice cream or whip cream to go on top….other than that….DELISH. You should really try it out for yourself!
On another note Blaze thought he would help me get ready this morning…see,,,how cute!

Labels: recipe

DIY – Studded Shorts

In my fashion show inspiration post I showed these shorts:

Today we’re going to make them. Here’s what you’ll need:
MATERIALS:

• Cut-off shorts/Jeans to cut-off
• Ruler
• Invisible marking pen, chalk, washable marker
• Studs
• Lighter, pliers, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• If you haven’t already you need to cut-off your shorts. You can cut them off at an angle like the ones above, straight across, longer in the back, etc. It doesn’t matter the shape or the length, that’s your preference.

• Use the ruler and decide how close together you want the studs. Use your marking utensil to mark out a grid for the studs. I put purple dots where I am going to poke the studs just so you can see it better.

• Simply start the poking the studs through using the grid. I made sure to poke the prong on the left side of the stud into the intersecting lines on the grid.
• To close the studs I typically use the end of the lighter. It’s hard and small enough to poke the prong down. Some people just use their fingers and I have heard of others using pliers.
• If your shorts have not already been washed  and frayed be sure to leave enough room next the cut edge to allow for fraying once they’ve been washed.

• Voila..you have a brand new rock n’ roll pair of cut-offs. Throw them on with your favorite band tee, killer booties and go rock out.

TIPS:

• The first time you wash them you may lose some studs depending on how well you bent the prongs in. No big deal, fish the studs out of the washing machine, bend the prongs back out and reinsert them. Just be sure you bend the prongs in better this time.
• To prevent losing studs when washing you may want to stick to hand washing if you’ve already frayed the edges, or  wash them in a lingerie bag. I was going to go the lingerie bag route, but alas…I haven’t seen mine since the move.
• Chalks works as a marking utensil, but since you are handling the shorts so much putting the studs in, it tends to wear off once you get towards the bottom. I winged it, and you certainly can too, but a light colored washable marker or a marking pen from the sewing department might be better options.  You can even choose to just make dots where the prongs of the stud will go, but i prefer making the grid because it’s easier for me to keep everything in line.

Have fun making your own, or if you’re not that crafty or just don’t want to deal with it, they will be available for sale after my fashion show!

Labels: diy

DIY French Tip Nails

I decided to play around with my nails last night, so it was time for some french tips, but not just any french tips would do. I used Finger Paints Warm He-art-ed as a base, and Revlon Top Speed Stormy for the tips. The tips could have been better, but I love the color combo.

DIY Lingerie??

People make and embellish clothing, jewelry and accessories all the time, but often times lingerie is that one little thing that most all ladies wear in some form that simply gets ignored.  Not anymore!

Thanks to the great folks over at Burdastyle you can now get patterns for the items pictured above, as well as some other items that would be fabulous both in and out of the bedroom. Don’t think just because these patterns aren't featured as outerwear that they can’t be used for even more fashionable purposes. The high waisted panties and bustier could easily be turned into a chic retro swimsuit with the right fabric. The bustier its self would create the perfect pin-up look paired with a high waisted pencil skirt, circle skirt or shorts. You have so many possibilities with these patterns…just use your imagination!
See the Burdastyle blog and links to the pattern here.

Labels: diy

Superbowl Pinterest Style

The Superbowl is quickly approaching,  and I’m sure some of you are gearing up for a big shindig. Here’s some help with your menu courtesy of my Pinterest addiction and bloggers from around the internet.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers by LaaLoosh

Fried Pickles from The Vanilla Tulip

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs from Lick the Bowl Good

Dried Beef Cheese Ball from Me

Baked Parmesan Garlic Wings by Steamy Kitchen

Super Easy Chili Cheese Dip by Me

Ham and Cheese Sliders by The Girl Who Ate Everything

To round this menu out here are a couple of sweet little bits sure to satisfy everyone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Hope these recipes will help you out with your party planning!

Labels: recipe, superbowl, party planning, menu