TGIF!!!

Finally taking the time to have a ...

Jersey Shore ~ Update

Back in February, I went down to the Jersey Shore to see what Hurricane Sandy had done there...

{You can read about it HERE}

It was pretty sad, but it did not compare to the damages I saw in the beginning of this month.

Words can't explain how saddening this was.

Here are some photos...

Storage Bags Extravaganza

Here in the U.S., storage bags ~ziploc~ are a must in a household.  Whether it is to pack a sandwich, put some leftover away, or store chips and crackers in a resealable bag, I probably use them on a daily basis, and I am sure I'm not the only one!! 

So of course when we moved into the house, I had to buy a bunch of them ~4 different sizes~ which I had tucked away in a drawer next to the rolls of aluminium foil, etc.  

Making a Box

I needed a box for some baking supplies.  I wanted a pretty one and one that fit perfectly in the cabinet it was going to go into.  I looked around, but no luck.  None of the boxes I owned could fit in the cabinet.  So I had to find a cardboard box, and I got this one ~perfect size!~.  I decided to transform it into a pretty baking supplies box!

Need:

- A cardboard box

- A pair of scissors ~or box cutter~

- Some shelf liner ~the sticky kind is the best~

- Some packaging tape ~its width is great for this project~

{make sure to click the "Read More" button under the picture for more detail}

Last Minute Sweet Tooth Satisfaction

My Husband and I cannot not have some kind of sweets after dinner. 

Sometimes, we try to be healthy about it, so that week we had lots of pears and strawberries, and had been eating them a few nights in a row already.  Eating the same thing over and over gets boring after a while!!  We needed change.  Yet, I couldn't let these tasty fruits go bad, so I looked at the different ingredients I could find in my kitchen at the last minute and made up these tasty treats in less than 10 minutes!

~Pears and Strawberries Tartelettes~

Ingredients for 4 tartelettes ~which means 'mini pie' in French!~:

- 3/4 of a cup of Graham Crackers 

- 1 tablespoon of melted butter

- 4 squares of chocolate

- 2 pears

- 4 big strawberries ~or more depending on the size~

- whipped cream

{make sure to click the "Read More" button under the picture for more detail}

Breakfast Sandwiches

Hubby wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m. or earlier and drives about 1.5 to 2 hours to go to work.  When I first moved back in with him, after our wedding, I was waking up with him, to prepare him a nice breakfast, and pack his lunch and snacks.  I felt the need to support him through his hardship, and I was happy to do it.  

Unfortunately, after a few months, I have to admit that I was really tired, and could not find the strength to wake up so early anymore... :(  Sorry Babe...

This recipe of breakfast sandwiches was the perfect compromise!

I used Taralynn Mcnitt's recipe of her Breakfast Sandwiches To-Go All Week Long ~click on the link to find her recipe!~ and added my twist to it.  

~~Check out Taralynn's blog Undressed Skeleton, it's absolutely wonderful!!!  She's got some awesome recipes, and it's all about healthy stuff, so I LOOOVE it!~~

Ingredients for 6 Sandwiches:

- Mini Peppers (3)

- Spinach (1 bowl full)

- English Muffins (6)

- Eggs (3 full and 3 whites only)

- Shredded Cheese (1 cup)

- Salt & Pepper (for taste)

Also needed: 

- A muffin/cupcake pan 

- A Forman grill/panini grill or Croque Monsieur grill ~for my French family!!~

{click the "Read More" button under the picture for the recipe!!}

The Rachael Ray Show

What an awesome time I had with my best girlfriends at the filming of 

The Rachael Ray Show!!!

A few months ago I started watching the show regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays ~on the days I babysit and as the baby is taking his morning nap~.  I really like watching it, it's entertaining, and I love Rachael's cooking!!  She is of course a great cook and a fun person!  So, secretly, I started thinking about taking part in the audience and about how cool it would be there.  Of course, I would not have gone by myself, and since I don't have many friends here, and anyone I know is working during the day I thought I would never go!!
But when my girlfriends told me they wanted to come visit me from France, I right away thought about going there with them!  So, I registered us online and crossed my fingers that there would be room for us to go during their stay in the NJ/NY area.  I know how busy the filming of the show is, and it can be pretty long until people get tickets...
A few days after my submission, I received an email from the show's crew informing me that I and my guests had be selected to be audience members!!! AAAHHH!!!! I was so psyched!  It did say though that the tickets, which are given right outside the studio when we get in-line, would be based on a first come first serve, so we were not 100% guaranteed to actually get in until the day of.

Yesterday morning, D-Day, we woke up to this...  

Salmon and Toasted Goat Cheese Salad

Goat Cheese Salad is my favorite.  In France, almost every time my parents would bring us to a restaurant I would order a goat cheese salad!  It's a simple yet delicious salad topped with some toasts spread with baked goat cheese.

The other day, I was craving it and decided to make it.  But for Hubby, I needed to add a bit of protein so he would feel full and satisfied!  That's where the salmon comes in.

{Click the "Read More" button under the picture for more detail}