Tuna Pasta Salad

This one is a favorite around here!

Tuna Pasta Salad:

1 small red onion, diced
1 box of pasta. I like the Barilla mini pastas.
3 pouches of Lemon pepper tuna
2 tbsp dill weed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Cook pasta according to directions mix all ingredients in a large bowl. This is great for a light dinner or lunches.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are so soft and fluffy. I love them!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces.
1 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1tbsp grated lemon rind
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries
Cooking spray
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour & next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blended until mix resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk, rind, & egg; stir well with whisk. Add to flour mix; store just until moist, gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 or until muffin springs back when touched.
Combine lemon juice & confectioners sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.

Marshmallow Fondant

I've had a few requests for this since posting about Ashs birthday cake. This fondant is delicious and you'll actually be able to eat it without gagging unlike the fondant most bakeries use. You should be able to eat all of the cake, shouldn't you?

Marshmallow Fondant:

16 oz bag of marshmallows
2 lb bag of powdered sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp flavoring (vanilla, etc)

Empty bag of marshmallows into glass bowl & add tsp or 2 of water. Microwave the mic until consistency is smooth. Do this in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between. Remove bowl from microwave and stir in 1/2 the bag of powdered sugar. Pour the remaining powdered sugar on a very clean counter. Pour the marshmallow mix on your powdered sugar pile. Add flavor to your marshmallow mix. Knead the remaining sugar into the dough, keeping your hands covered in powdered sugar. Use little bits of water to keep adding sugar. Fondant is ready when you have smooth elastic ball. If it breaks when stretched, add more water.

Salted Caramel Frosting

This frosting is my new favorite frosting. I have no shame in taking a spoon to a bowlful of it! This goes great on whatever kind of cake you like, especially chocolate. Yum!!

Salted Caramel Frosting:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, or as needed
1 pinch salt
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

To make caramel, Place the brown sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, corn syrup, and vanilla into a large saucepan over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool to warm (not hot) temperature. Add the cream, a little at a time, until the caramel has the consistency of honey. Mix in the pinch of salt, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Beat the salted butter with confectioners' sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy; slowly add and beat in the caramel, a tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting is smooth.

Almond Apricot Muffins

I adore these muffins. I'd have to say that they are probably my favorite ones. So much so that I usually burn my fingers trying to get them out of the pan to eat them! Yummmmmm!!!

Almond Apricot Muffins:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 cup low fat buttermilk
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp grated orange rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Combine preserves & almond extract in a small bowl. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a large bowl. Combine brown sugar, egg, & egg white in medium bowl, & stir with a whisk. Stir in buttermilk, canola oil, orange rind, & vanilla. Add to flour mix, stirring just until moist. Spoon 2 tbsp batter into each of 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Spoon apricot mix evenly into center of muffin cups & top with remaining batter. Cups will be full. Sprinkle sugar and almonds on top of muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffin springs back when touched.

Weight Loss Challenge

I brought up to my husband last week about a weight loss challenge. Our love of food and lack of energy to exercise has taken its toll. I was always very active and so I was thin. I had some allergy issues a few years back and steroids were prescribed very regularly. Naturally, I blew up fairly quickly. I also found comfort in food after quitting smoking. Raise your hands, I'm not the only one.
I'm tired of being uncomfortable. I'm tired of not liking how I look. I'm ready to reclaim my body! Now, let me give the million excuses of why I don't have time to workout while I eat some ice cream. Haha
Since my husband and I will be doing this, I was hopeful that the support of each other would be enough to help us reach our goals. I think we both thought we could let each other off the hook so we'll just leave it that the 1st day of the diet was an epic fail.
Today went rather well though! I was quite proud of myself for staying within my allotted calories. As for exercise, I walked around several stores running errands in 106 degree heat. That has to count for something!
I hope that as this challenge goes on you all will also be my motivation. Anybody interested in joining a team, let me know! We can all lose it together!

Crockpot Ham

I remember every Christmas my mom would make a holiday ham when I was a kid. That ham would be in the oven for hours and I could hardly wait to eat! There's a big difference in the weather between NJ and TX. It's awfully hot here most of the time so I certainly don't want to put the oven on if I can help it. Your crockpot is perfect for this job!

Crockpot Ham:
1 large boneless ham or medium bone in ham. If you have a Bone in ham, just slice off pieces to make it fit.
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 can pineapple chunks in own juice

Pat the brown sugar around the bottom of the crockpot to make sure it is covered well. Place ham in crockpot. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the ham. Pour can of pineapples into crockpot and over ham. You only need about 1/2 of the juice. Cover; cook on High for 4 1/2 hrs.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

I decided to make these yummy bars for my Scentsy party over the weekend. I was told they were "dangerously delicious" so I thought I would share with everyone. Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Bars:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13X9 inch baking pan. Beat butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until crumbly. With floured fingers, press 1 3/4 cups of crumb mix onto bottom of prepared pan, reserving the rest of the crumb mix. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden brown.
Microwave 1 cup of chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in microwave safe bowl on high power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave for additional 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread over hot crust.
Take remaining crumb mixture and crumble over chocolate. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set. Cool pan and cut into bars.

My Little Kitchen Helpers

I am always in the kitchen for something. I am doing laundry off the kitchen, standing up eating in the kitchen, feeding Ash or of course cooking and baking. I'm convinced the kitchen is the family room, not the actual family room.
I am never short of helpers either. If I am baking then Ash will come in with his toys and play on the floor or cling to my legs. He loves to run around in circles in the kitchen. Even with the baby gate, he will just hang out at the baby gate jibber jabbering to me.
If I am cooking on the other hand or especially eating, the dogs decide to switch with Ash. It's like an unspoken agreement between them that I don't understand. Ash will happily play with his toys in the living room and the dogs will just follow my every move. The only thing they are good for though is being the taste testers. Slackers.

Hunter or hunted?

Mosquitos have been so bad this year! Perhaps its all the sugar in my blood but they seek me out and attack me. I have about 25 mosquito bites on my feet and ankles alone because it's the only place they can really get to. So now I'm wearing socks in 105 degree weather to try to save my poor itchy feet. I try to track them in flying and reach out to snatch them Mr. Miyagi style. I've managed to catch 7 in the past week, but much like a hydra head they seem to multiply.
This isn't the first time I have felt hunted by bugs. I once was attacked by a praying mantis. Those things are nearly the creepiest bugs ever. Peaceful, my butt! I think there's a law against killing them. Seriously??? This one in particular came flying at me up stairs. I'm convinced it was after me. I of course ran screaming like a little girl.
We have hornets around my house. Surely, they moved in when I did. I open the door to let the dogs out and BAM! Hornet in my face. Screaming like a little girl as usual, I slam the door. These hornets come out of no where! I try to look out the window first. No hornet, I open up and it swoops in. With Raid can in hand, heart racing, I pray to not be stung.
In an apartment I lived in once there were crickets. Not normal crickets, mutant flying giant crickets. They'd come out of no where at you! I was terrified that they would actually get in my bed so naturally the only "reasonable" option was to stay up at night hunting them. With carpet, crickets don't go down so easy. They'd would just pop back up and hop frantically. To slow them down, can of resolve foam. Ha! At least the carpets were clean and I was doing a better job of cricket control than the apartment complex!

Bring Back My Bar Scentsy Party

As I've said before, I love Bring Back My Bar months for Scentsy. I really enjoy being able to smell scents I haven't gotten to smell before with being fairly new to the Scentsy family and also being able to restock on old favorites that have been retired. Yesterday was my July Scentsy party. It was so much fun! Such a great group of people came. Some I hadn't seen in quite a while. I like to keep my parties very relaxed. I usually set up some drinks and bake something for my parties. Everything is out on display so people can smell the testers at their leisure as well as what is available for take home purchases. I answer any questions and we usually just spend time relaxing and talking.  I love it, I have it in my own home and I hope that you will like it in yours. I personally prefer a "candle" that smells better, doesn't have any smoke and wont burn down my house if we forget to turn it off. It's just a safer candle.

Even the wax is safe to touch right in the warmer without burning you. We don't burn our wax, we warm it. I once was told by a friend that her 3 year old accidentally knocked over the Scentsy dish....right into his eyes. Poor baby! She flushed it out and immediately took him to be looked at. Not a single burn. He was completely fine, thankfully. If I hadn't been a believer before that this was a safer option, I sure am now!

I love my job! I get to party for a living, selling a fantastic product while getting so many rewards. I'm always looking to help others so if anyone is interested in a fundraiser, purchasing or joining my team, I'd love to hear from you! https://nikkicaposello.scentsy.us
Pssst...Thanks to my awesome photographer for taking these great Scentsy pics!

 

No time for a pedicure!

The summer is rough on our feet. Its hot so we want to wear our sandals, flip flops and cute shoes! It comes at a price though. Your feet dry out. They become cracked and just not all that pretty for display. Sometimes no matter how great the color, nail polish can not distract from a dry heel. Total eyesore.
I rarely have time to go for a pedicure and they are so expensive. I usually paint and clip my own nails to save money, but it is nice to have someone else deal with the scrubbing of your feet. It's time consuming and tiresome. I needed a quick fix.
Enter Scentsy Body Butter! It has Aloe Vera and Shea butter so it works wonders for elbows and knees. For feet though? Heck yes! Oh my goodness is all I can say. I figured it would be great for upkeep, but not as a miracle so I had to share!
Of course since I sell Scentsy I love it, but wow. This went above my expectations. I figured nobody really wanted to see feet so no pics unless requested. https://nikkicaposello.scentsy.us

Easy Dinner Rolls

Sure it's easy to just buy rolls, but I love fresh bread and I love making it. This recipe is sooooo simple. I know some people are afraid to work with yeast, but this recipe has never failed me!

Easy Dinner Rolls:
2 Pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 - 8 cups all purpose flour

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, shortening, sugar and salt. Allow to stand 3-4 minutes or sugar is dissolved and shortening melted. Add the yeast mixture and eggs, mix well. Add flour a cup at a time to form a soft dough. Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Pinch off a piece of dough and form a 2 1/2 inch ball. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with butter or jam. You can even keep some dough in fridge to make throughout the week!

Lock up your daughters!

I've always known my son was a flirt, but never this bad. My husband and I took my son out to lunch with us over the weekend while visiting family out of town. After devouring nearly 1/2 of my husbands burger, I caught him flirting with the woman behind us! He smiles shyly and looks away to only look back making eyes and smiling some more! I couldn't believe how good he was at it! Haha
Last night we went out to dinner since we were still tired from our road trip. I'm beginning to think he's scanning crowds looking for the ladies. Sure enough, he was at it again flirting with a 3 or 4 year old little girl. She was powerless. Poor thing didn't even stand a chance as he smiled at her & waved. She giggled and smiled. At least he found someone age appropriate this time.
Today, he had his 1 year Dr. check up. He's racking up the lil girlfriends cause he was at it again in the waiting room. I will be in so much trouble later when he's older. Lock up your daughters ladies and gents!

Lemon Basil Pork Chop Pasta

I had a couple of requests for this recipe so I thought putting it here would be a good idea.
When I cook, I like to "eyeball" measurements and I'm very much a "according to taste" person. Some people like more flavor than others so just minimize or add ingredients to what you prefer. No way is really right, as long as the right stuff ends up on the plate. Enjoy!

Lemon basil pork chop pasta:

6 boneless pork chops
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 box of whichever pasta you prefer.
2 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chopped garlic

I prefer to have my pork chops cubed. I think it gets more flavor & then you don't have to cut it up later. I also prefer to grill these on my indoor George Foreman, but you can cook on stovetop or bake.
Trim fat and cube pork chops. Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over chops and sprinkle basil, lemon pepper, and garlic. Mix well to make sure they are well coated. Place chops on grill until cooked through.
Cook your pasta according to box directions. I'm a real fan of those Barilla mini pastas. Take all of your dressing ingredients and mix together, pouring over your cooked pasta in a bowl. Add your grated Parmesan, folding into your pasta and dressing mixture. Toss your grilled pork chops in there and you have a yummy summer meal! This dressing also goes great over salads!

A birthday cake to remember

I made my son's 1st birthday cake. Not just some simple cake, but a 3 tier cake. Momma had to get fancy! I'd like to know why I didn't agree with my husband that I should purchase a cake since I'm still trying to recover days later. I know why, of course, it's because it was for my baby. There's something in knowing that you can look back in pictures with pride that you were on a total suicide mission to make your babies 1st bday something really special. Many have questioned my sanity folks. With working full time, moms club, Scentsy and cleaning, I can't believe I survived! I'm grateful my husband and mother were able to help.
Ash LOVES Yo Gabba Gabba so naturally, that was the theme. I opted for devils food cake with a raspberry buttercream and marshmallow fondant. I'm not sure if any of you have tried that "stuff" they try to pass off as frosting on cakes called fondant. It's awful. Let's just eat some glue everyone! How can bakeries sell this on their cakes?! How can people serve that nastiness?! Marshmallow fondant; totally the way to go even if it is more work. You can find lots of recipes online or I'd be happy to share mine. Just get regular food coloring. The gel ones work the best and give more vibrant colors. Mix well. If you have a stand mixer....now is the time to put that dough hook in! Save your hands!

After baking the cake and letting it cool, I sliced, put buttercream in middle and then placed top piece back on. Then I put a thin layer or buttercream all along the outside of cake to hold in all the crumbs and placed in the fridge with cling wrap. Don't forget to put cake boards under your cakes. It helps with the support and makes it easier to move for decorating.

I dusted a pie crust mat with powdered sugar and rolled out my fondant, flipping occasionally. I then covered my cake trying to keep my fondant as smooth as possible and then cutting off the excess along the bottom.

I rolled out my other colors and just cut according to size of my cake for the eyes and eyebrows. At this point my fondant was starting to crack. I should have added a little water to help it, but really I was on 5 hours sleep, a pot of coffee and a dream. Not too shabby I think. Royal icing works fabulously for keeping things stuck to your cake. I'd hate to have a random eyeball on the floor later! I covered again with cling wrap and placed back in the fridge.

I keep on moving from color to color as quick as I could. And then the red came......The biggest tier a total mess. No matter what I did, that stinkin' fondant would not stop cracking! I really did try my best with it. It certainly isn't my best work, but I did put my heart in it. I made sure I put dowels into the cakes for my support and there you have it! Muno, Plex and Brobee! My son loved it and that just made all that effort worth it. Maybe next year it'll be cupcakes. I need to remember this so that I'm not trying to stick fireworks or something in a cake next year for him!

Bring Back My Bar Spring 2012

It has been so busy here preparing for Ashs' 1st birthday! I'll blog about his Yo Gabba Gabba cake soon. Today...it's Bring Back My Bar Time! Oh how I love bring back my bar for Scentsy. Twice a year they bring back 20 retired scents that customers have voted to bring back. Sometimes its one that I adored and others it a ton of scents that I didn't ever get to smell. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE citrus sun tea. I am soooooo glad that they brought it back this time around. It's just a little something to get us addicts a fix before all the new scents and products come out in September for the Fall/Winter line. Of course I will then be squeeing with delight then too. These are only available through July so get yours quick! I'm having a party in a couple of weeks or you can always order from my site. I also ship parties at my cost if anyone is interested. Thanks so much! https://nikkicaposello.scentsy.us/

Who's food is it anyway?

   Hi all, it's been a busy couple of days. I had a friend over the other day recovering from surgery so to surprise her, I made her some coffee cake. Now, this is usually hit or miss. Either it comes out perfect or the crumbs will sink into the cake or my very favorite, it will just rise too much dumping the crumbs and batter into my oven. That is when it gets real interesting folks. Anyway, I was lucky enough to have success with this one. YUM!
  My husband brought home brisket tacos for dinner that night. Even though my son had finished his dinner, he was eyeballing my tacos. I gave him a few pieces of brisket and then told him that it was momma's taco. He pointed to himself. I said, " This is momma's. Ash doesn't have a taco." He then  looked down at the foil wrapped tacos on the counter and pointed to let me know that clearly, those were his and proceeded to then smile at me. How can I resist that kind of cuteness? Needless to say, we know who's food it was really.