Pintertest Kitchen 27: Sweet and Sour Chicken

This will be short and sweet.

And sour.

We love sweet and sour chicken.

Well.

I won't lie.

Dave and I do.

My children have questionable eating habits.

Kayla will not touch chicken unless it is pink slime and breaded.

But eats her weight in raw oysters and vegetables.

And Ashlyn survives off apples and rice only burritos from Chipotle.

It's just a long and complicated story.

And I don't care enough to fight them about it.

All that being said.

When I saw this pinned I had to try.

And I'm glad I did.

Make this chicken.

Adults and normal children will love it.

Pinterest win.

Original recipe here.

Pintertest Kitchen 26: The Best Frosted Pumpkin Bars Ever.

I get excited about things pretty easily.

Every song is my favorite.

Every baby is the cutest one I've ever seen.

Puppies, too.

Most desserts are the best I've ever tasted.

It doesn't take much.

Dave calls me a "divide by."

I call him a "multiply by."

This is why we are a good pair.

But I really mean it this time.

These are a MUST try.

I mean.

Just LOOK at them.

I was pretty sure a Mique recipe wouldn't let me down.

The testing was a mere formality.

They really are wonderful, you guys.

One more thing.

To all my friends that ask how I find time to blog?

I bake stuff I'd bake anyway.

Then basically shove toys and hardwood floor cleaner out of the way and take a picture.

In the playroom because it has the best light.

It really doesn't take much.

But back to why we're here.

The bars.

They truly are the best ever.

The texture is almost like pumpkin pie.

And the frosting is perfect.

And they are EASY to make.

A winning combination.

She's almost falling out of her Bumpo she's so excited about them.

Original recipe here.

What have you and Pinterest been up to lately?

Grab a button a link up below.

Don't forget - there is a sweet giveaway this month.

A Pen and Paint mini-canvas and $20 Starbucks gift card.

Link up below for one chance to win.

Instagram your process and/or final result  - mention me (@keepupwithjj) and include the #pintertestkitchen hashtag for another chance to win.

Two entry max per person.

Link will close on Thursday, November 21.

Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, November 22.

Good luck!

The Kitchen is Closed.

At 7:35 this morning I realized it was the first Thursday of the month.

While getting two children ready and out the door for school drop-off.

And nursing and changing a stow-away.

And dropping off a dog who is currently at the vet losing his reproductive freedoms.

And delivering church insurance papers to the school district office.

On 47 minutes of sleep.

And fueled by a leftover birthday Cookie by Design and Sierra Mist for breakfast.

So.

I'm throwing in the Pintertest Kitchen towel this month.

Until someone pins how to make a baby not be nocturnal.

 

Link up below if you want to.

Even though I didn't.

And be sure to come back next month.

There will be a fun giveaway in November.

If I remember.

Just kidding.

I'll remember.

Promise.

Maybe.

Goodnight.

Pintertest Kitchen 24: Pina Colada Bars

I read last week that pineapple starts labor.

And I need help, people.

So I decided to sift through my pinned pineapple desserts.

And I found one.

I present to you Pina Colada Bars.

They are quite delicious.

And easy to make.

Even when you're crazy pregnant.

I made them on Tuesday.

And had some for breakfast on Wednesday.

And lunch.

And dinner.

And will probably do the same thing tomorrow.

You know.

To get this party started.

My pictures are not the best.

Because nothing I do at 40 weeks, 2 days pregnant is the best.

You should see our laundry.

Original recipe here.

What have you been up to this month?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

Pintertest Kitchen 23: $10 Linen Closet Makeover

I saw this pinned a few weeks ago.

In all my pregnant, frantic, nesting splendor.

I had to make it happen.

Our sheets have bugged me since we moved into our house over 2 years ago.

They were all over the place.

In separate bedrooms.

In baskets under beds.

In drawers.

In the garage laundry area.

I get hives thinking about it.

We never had a true linen closet in our old house.

And though we had space for one in the new house, I never made it happen.

Until last week.

And I couldn't be happier with the results.

It makes me want to change sheets more.

Or at all.

Until I remember my rapidly growing lop-sided alien belly which makes walking difficult.

Much less pulling that Cal King fitted beast over our pillow top.

So I mostly just stare at my closet.

It's just so pretty.

And was very easy to put together.

About 45 minutes, start to finish.

Ready?

OK.

We're going to have to talk about the Dollar Tree for a second.

I will confess I have issues that I can't really explain.

It just all seems too good to be true.

I feel like $1 dish soap can't possibly work the same way $3 dish soap can.

And it's not worth the $2 to figure out why.

And I just don't trust $1 flea medication.

Impossible.

And don't get me started on shampoo.

But baskets?

I can handle baskets.

I bought ten.

And was out the door for $10.90.

I had the tags and ribbon at home.

So that's all I spent.

If you don't have tags and ribbon on hand, you can pick them up at any arts and crafts store.

I got these at Michael's a while ago.

It's a small closet.

Underutilized.

With lots of non-dollar store products.

That were easily moved up higher or relocated to our bathroom closet.

Hi Lincoln.

Isn't he cute?

I'm a firm believer that dotting your lettering makes everything right with the world.

And makes any handwriting glorious.

You can also print labels or use stamps.

Simply tie your tag to your basket with coordinating ribbon.

Or be rebellious.

Whatever you want.

The original pinner used a combo of lime green and light blue baskets which I loved.

Our Dollar Tree only had lime green and a very Christmas-y red.

And $1 flea medication.

I'm all for celebrating Jesus's birthday.

But I feel like it would have been a bit much.

End result?

A super organized and super functional linen closet.

Everything in one place.

All for $10.

Thank you, Dollar Tree.

I take back some of the things I say about you.

But you can keep your shampoo.

This month is special.

My friend Katy is giving away this cute print to one lucky linker.

Link-up closes at midnight on Friday, August 9.

Winner will be chosen at random and announced Saturday, the 10th.

Be sure to grab a button in the sidebar and link up below for your chance to win!

Pintertest Kitchen 22: Lemon Bar Puppy Chow

Happy 4th!

Last year, I experimented with a plethora of patriotic desserts.

Last year, I was smaller.

And less tired.

And less sweltering.

We're in the middle of a heat wave.

So I present to you a pin that has zero to do with America.

And zero to do with using an oven.

And I ask for grace.

Please.

Thank you.

God Bless America.

And air conditioning.

I tried this puppy chow recipe last week.

And I was happy I did.

It's really good, you guys.

I used Ghiradelli white chocolate chips.

And Trader Joe's Lemon Curd.

I strongly feel like these two ingredients greatly added to the success.

And I've been eating the left-over lemon curd by the spoonful.

So there's that.

Original recipe HERE.

Hop on over and try it out.

What have you been up to this month?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

Pintertest Kitchen 21: Reese's Poke Cake

I had my glucose test this morning.

I'm hoping it comes back all clear.

Because I plan on eating this throughout the week.

After last month's flop, I'm happy to report a Pinterest success.

I made it yesterday and I feel like it's 100 times better today.

So I HIGHLY recommend letting it chill overnight.

I feel like it makes the cake.

Well, that.

And the Reese's.

And the peanut butter whip.

And the peanut butter chocolate fudge.

And the way the condensed milk makes the cake super moist.

It's all almost too much.

But not.

Make it.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Original recipe here.

Pintertest Kitchen 20: It's Not You Watermelon Drink, It's the Watermelon?

Or maybe it's me?

I haven't had the best luck with Pinterest lately.

But I will also say I haven't been trying very much either.

A Pinterslump, if you will.

I made this watermelon drink for bible study on Tuesday night and I didn't love it.

And I'm mostly going to blame the fruit.

It was bland to begin with.

Which didn't help.

But the drink texture was strange, too.

It didn't look like the picture.

A little thick?

Gritty, even?

Not very refreshing.

And not as sweet as I expected it to be.

Also, this is my first time trying coconut water.

And I'm just going to come out and say it.

It's not my favorite.

So, sorry watermelon drink.

I won't be repeating you.

How about you?

What have you and Pinterest been up to?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

Pintertest Kitchen 19: Sour Cream Almond Pound Cake

Easter was amazing.

One of my favorite Sundays in Hope's short history.

The weeks leading up to it were crazy.

Our little family is pretty tired.

But the best kind of tired.

So now we're up at Bass Lake for spring break vacationing with friends.

Relaxing.

Swimming.

Fishing.

Semi-hiking.

Eating.

All the best things.

On Easter Sunday I made this sour cream almond pound cake that I had pinned a while back.

And you need to, too.

As soon as possible.

It's quite delicious.

Add strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

And you will be a very happy camper.

What have you been up to?

Don't forget there's a really fun perk this month thanks to Julie.

Every single link up gets this cute printable from her amazing shop!

Pintertest Kitchen 18: It's Not You Enchilada Pasta Casserole, It's Me.

So I'll just be honest.

This dish was not my favorite.

It's ok.

Easy.

Slightly spicy.

My kids wouldn't really look at it.

But they decided they are vegan now.

Well, vegans who eat chicken nuggets.

I don't know that I will repeat it.

Dave didn't love it.

I might have screwed it up by replacing the egg noodles with ziti.

And I served it in the same dish as my regular ziti.

Which is his favorite of all time.

So he described this as a ziti oasis.

Also, it was difficult to make look pretty.

Mine was less festive red like the picture and more brainy gray.

And I just don't trust gray food.

Maybe I needed some parsley.

You win some, you lose some.

On a happier, more redemptive note, I made these a while back and they are delicious.

What have you been up to?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

Pintertest Kitchen 17: Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake

So, yes.  Hi.

I know I've grossly neglected my blog as of late.

I blame lingering hardwood floor fumes for compromised creative writing skills.

But you GUYS.

I need you to make this cake.

Dare I say favorite chocolate cake ever?

I'm just going to say it.

FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER.

And EASIEST scratch chocolate cake ever.

Which, my friends, unlike fumes and blogging, is a winning combination.

{original recipe pinned here.}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9 x 13 Pyrex dish.

Mix and set aside:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

In saucepan over medium heat stir until boiling:

1 cup butter

1/4 cup Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup coca-cola

1/2 cup buttermilk

Remove from heat and add to the flour mix, whisk until combined.

Then add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla, whisk until combined.

I used my KitchenAid whisk attachment but I'm sure a hand whisk would work fine.

Pour batter in greased Pyrex dish and bake 30-35 minutes.

Test with toothpick until it comes out clean.

DO NOT OVER BAKE.

When the cake is nearly done, start on the glaze.

In saucepan over medium heat, stir often until boiling:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened Ghiradelli cocoa powder

1/2 cup Coca-Cola

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Remove from heat and add 4 cups powdered sugar and stir until combined.

Once cake is done, immediately pour glaze over warm cake and let sit for an hour or so.

YUM.

I can still taste it.

Probably because I just had a piece for breakfast.  Or two.

I blame the fumes.

What have you been up to this month?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below.

I can't wait to see!

Pintertest Kitchen 16: Blessing Jars

We have friends in town.

And we're doing lots of eating.

And talking.

And exploring.

And not a lot of blogging.

I came across this idea on Pinterest a few months ago.

And I thought it would be a perfect craft to start the new year.

A craft that's my style.

Quick and easy.

Stickers, labels, mason jars.

10-15 minutes of creative chaos.

Ready?

Have your children decorate a mason jar however they see fit.

A Maple syrup leaf sticker?

Animal print "D"?

I mean.

What blessing jar is complete without them?

And you could probably have them decorate more.

But I'll be honest.

We had beach plans.

Have them write blessings down throughout the year.

Start January 1.

Add them to the jar.

Daily.

Weekly.

Whenever.

Then, as a family, read them together on New Years Eve.

I want to raise grateful children.

Joyful children.

Children that recognize and reflect on the good things in life more than the bad.

I can't wait for December 31.

And to hear all the good that 2013 will bring.

What have you been up to?

Grab a button and link up bellow!

PinterTest Kitchen 15: Sweet Treat November

Good morning, party people.

Welcome to the 15th monthly installment of the PinterTest Kitchen.

Dave took our fancy camera to New Jersey.

So, well.  My pictures are not very fancy.

I tried a plethora of pins from my "Sweet Treats" board last month.

Some for Thanksgiving.

Some because I coped with the loss of my favorite four legged friend with chocolate.

And peanut butter.

And almond extract laced desserts.

Sue me.

I'm excited to review them.

My extra pounds are not in vain.

 Ready?

OK.

We spent Thanksgiving in the country this year.

At my sister-in-law's parents house.

It was beautiful.

I took more pictures of my kids with horses than desserts.

I blame pet loss grief.

You'll just have to trust when I say they were ALL winners.

Be sure to click over for each of the recipes.

And pretty pictures without horses.

Some I've tried before.

Like my most favorite

Almond Cake

in all the world.

Modified to glazed cupcakes.

I use silicone baking cups.

Adjust bake time to 17 minutes, let cool in cups for about 20 minutes.

Remove from baking cups, place cupcakes on cooling rack (with baking sheet underneath to collect excess) and slowly pour glaze on top.  Let cool for an hour or so.

Place each glazed cupcake in a cute cupcake liner and you are good to go.

This is my favorite Pinterest recipe BY FAR.

I make them all the time.

I also whipped up some tried and true

White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles.

A holiday classic.

And there were some new recipes.

Like

Coconut Oreo Brownies.

A HUGE hit.

Magical, I would say.

Easy.  From a box.  Taste like they took hours.

And my new favorite

Soft Almond Sugar Cookie.

Which is quickly surpassing the almond cake in frequency produced.

I'm obsessed with them.

I add a bit more cake flour and regular flour than recipe calls for to thicken them up.

And bake longer, too.

12 minutes is perfect.

And I didn't press down, mid-bake like recipe calls for.

I used my thumb to press down on the center before baking and they turned out perfect.

And chopped cherries are a delicious add-in.

Try them.

Today.

It's a life choice you will not regret.

After Thanksgiving was over, I dabbled in the

Sugar Cookie Bar

department.

For no good reason.

Well, or pet loss grief.

I think I may have over-baked the bars because they were a little dry.

And next time, I would sub shortening in the frosting for butter to make it less soft.

But not bad, I tell you.

Buckeye Truffles.

Because it was Monday.

And oh my goodness, they are GOOD.

Double the recipe because the peanut butter mixture is a little difficult to work with.

I had to wash my hands after every three because the peanut butter would get angry and sticky.

I'm sure I washed away 1/3 of the mixture.

Next time I make them (like tomorrow), I may chill the mixture a bit before rolling into balls.

But, you guys?

They are crazy delicious.

Your turn!

What have you and Pinterest been up to this month?

Grab a button in my sidebar and link up below.

I can't wait to hear.

Pintertest Kitchen 14: Dips You Need In Your Life

It's Halloween night.

I ate bite-size Snickers, Junior Mints and SweetTarts instead of dinner.

And I just tucked a sugar-amped fairy princess and horse jockey into bed.

I'm exhausted.

This is going to be easy, short and sweet.

Because, really?

There's not much to say.

You 100% NEED to make all of these dips.

You will find the recipe for the Pottery Barn Dip HERE.

I don't get the name.

And I don't really care.

But it's better than anything I've ever purchased at Pottery Barn.

And I LOOOOVE Pottery Barn.

Weird ingredients that don't sound right together but that come together in perfect harmony.

It was my favorite of all three.

Recipe HERE for the corn dip.

I made it five times this past month.

And I want it right now.

And recipe for the jalapeño popper dip is found HERE.

A few deviations.

Double the recipe.

Because it goes quick.

Replace the cheddar with Mexican blend.

Add 1 small can diced green chiles.

And add 1/2 stick melted butter to the topping.

And I subbed both the canned and fresh jalapeños the recipe called for with two small cans of regular diced jalapeños (hot).

Don't forget to double the recipe or that will be some crazy, spicy dip.

It's so good.

And helped the Giants win the World Series.

I'm convinced.

Your turn!

Grab a button in the sidebar and let me know what you've been up to.

Oh one more thing!

My crazy talented friend, Katy just opened her holiday card shop.

Super cute designs.  I can barely stand it.  Impossible to chose.

She's offering a special discount.

15% off thru Sunday with the code: HEYKATY15

Go.  Now.  Order.  You won't be sorry.

And that's a wrap, friends.

Can't wait to see what you link up!

Pintertest Kitchen: Giveway Winner Announced!

Old school raffle style again.

I know I have other options.

Quicker, cuter, more tech-savvy options.

But I like yellow post-its in my Longaberger.

Before I reveal the big winner, I want to share with you the link that got the most hits.

It's also one of my favorites.

Kaylee over at Life Chasers and her glitter cup.

Such a good idea.  And executed perfectly.

I've been mesmerized by it since last week.

It's the fancy glitter, I'm sure.

Well done, Kaylee.

Well done.

I want to thank each and every one of you who linked up this month.

For pinning and testing.  And documenting and sharing.

This was fun.

I'm definitely going to bribe you more often.

OK.

On to the reason we're here.

The winner of so many fabulous, fun prizes is...

Congratulations Kristin!!

You are one lucky duck.

Contact me for details on how to claim your loot.

Same time, same place next month.

November 1st, to be exact.

It will sneak up on you.

Mark those calendars.

And thanks again to all who participated.

Happy Birthday, Pintertest Kitchen: Candy Corn Fudge and a Giveaway!

Fake birthdays are stressful.

So this month's Pintertest is quick and easy.

Then we're on to the real reason you're here.

A ridiculously fabulous fake birthday giveaway.

Recipe adapted from here.

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 can condensed milk

orange food coloring

Original recipe called for Limited Edition Candy Corn Oreos.

They were very limited.

As in nowhere on the Peninsula.

So I subbed with the more toxic looking Halloween Oreos.

I also added Limited Edition Candy Corn M&M's.

Here's what you do.

Line bottom of 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

Chop about 12 Oreos in quarters and line bottom of pan with half of them.

I sprinkled some of the M&M's on top of the Oreo pieces.

Set aside while you prep the fudge.

Combine white chocolate chips and condensed milk in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.

Add food coloring and stir until you reach desired orange color.  I used about 10 drops.

Stir and heat for 30 seconds more.

Repeat until fudge mixture is fully melted.

Pour fudge into your 8x8 pan.

Sprinkle with remaining Oreos pieces and more M&M's.

Let chill in fridge for about 4 hours.

Cut and serve.

Easy.  Festive.  Fun.

But sweet.

SUPER sweet.

You've been warned.

On to the fun stuff.

So many goodies.

So many generous blogging friends with fabulous shops.

All willing to share.

I love them.

Here's a detailed run down of what's up for grabs.

Lindsay from Pen and Paint is offering one of her kitchen prints.

You pick the color/theme.

Green, red, blue or yellow (pictured below, top row, second from right).

You need one.

Heather of CM Handmade is offering a custom "EAT" burlap banner.

How perfect is that?

I kind of wish I could win.

Julie is offering any one printable from her shop.

They are wallpapered all over our house.

I adore them.

Hannah is parting with a pair of her Happy Days earrings.

Your choice.

I have 4 pairs and I want 44 more.

And Katy is offering any one print from her shop.

Such encouraging words.  I love her work.

She also makes a mean button.

And last but not least, a $25 Starbucks gift card from me.

Because I'm not the craftiest.

Maybe I'll dust off my washi tape and make you a gift card sleeve.

We'll see.

One lucky Pintertester wins ALL.

How, you ask?

Easy as pie.

Link up below!

Your link is considered your entry.

Linkers, for additional entries share this post via Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.

Leave a separate comment indicating each way you've shared.

But YOU MUST LINK UP TO WIN.

Giveaway closes Friday, October 12.

Winner will be chosen randomly and announced Monday, October 15.

Grab a cute new button and have fun!