Goodreads

Last year I found this great social media reading site called Goodreads. It's like Facebook but you track and review books you've read. You have friends and can see their books and reviews and it is a great way to get suggestions for new books. Plus I love reading so this is perfect for me. I usually read during my lunch hour at work and then on the weekends but I guess you could consider me a bookworm.

I also like the feature where you can challenge yourself to read so many books in the year. Last year I challenged myself to read 106 books, 2 a week. It was a little too much of a challenge. I only did 71. So this year I made it a little more realistic.

This year I plan to read 75 books. Since I almost met this goal last year I figured it wouldn't be hard to do. I tend to be fairly consistent with reading but with us moving this last year I had a few months where I didn't read hardly at all. I am hoping that I can keep on track this year. Plus my sister and I have a little competitiveness with this so that makes it fun too!!

Enchilada Casserole & Key Lime Pie

So recently my sister introduced me to Pinterest. For those of you who have been on the site know how incredible addicting it is. Needless to say she has created a monster!! Pinterest makes my “I must try this” list longer, which isn’t fair because there are not enough hours in the day to make all of these crafts/ideas/recipes. If only I could get a job where I test out these ideas and get paid for it. I can dream can’t I!!

While on Pinterest I came across this recipe for Bubble-Up Enchilada Casserole. The original post on Pinterest is linked to this site. The picture looked so good and the recipe seemed easy so I decided to make it for dinner last night. Plus it was a Weight Watchers recipe so it was healthier than other recipes I could have made.

Here is the recipe:

1 lb. ground turkey

1 (10 oz) can of enchilada sauce (I used La Victoria)

1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce (I used the no-salt added kind)

1 can of refrigerated biscuits (I used Pillsbury 16.3 oz but I only used 4 biscuits)

1 ¼ cup of reduced-fat Mexican cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Brown your turkey and drain any excess liquid. Mix in enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Cut the biscuits into fourths and mix that into the meat mixture. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes and then remove from oven and add cheese. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

It was really good and my hubby liked it too. There are a few things I would add to it like a can of black beans and maybe some corn, just to add fiber and a veggie without adding too many calories. When you look at the recipe you wouldn’t really believe that it would taste as good as it does but give it a try.

The other new recipe I tried last night was a Low Sugar Key Lime pie. I found this one just by researching recipes and figuring out which would actually taste and look like key lime pie. I changed a few things and this is what I came up with. The recipe is practically Sugar-Free but not entirely. The crust has a little sugar, as does the evaporated milk and the natural sugar in the limes but that is it. This pie was awesome. If you have tried to make sugar-free desserts before you understand the frustration I get sometimes because the sugar-free equivalent does not cook or set the same sometimes as sugar does. Being that my hubby is type 1 diabetic, I get frustrated often because I want to make sweets for him that won’t kill him. This recipe worked like it should and was delicious!!

Here it is:

1 reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust (you can make your own or buy the pre-made one) (I used Keebler)

1 tbsp unflavored gelatin or sugar-free lime jello (I used lime this time but will try gelatin next, just to see)

½ cup fresh key lime or lime juice (If you can find key limes you will need about 22, if reg. limes just 5)

1 cup boiling water

¼ cup Splenda

1 (12 oz) can of fat-free evaporated milk (I used Carnation)

¼ cup cold water

1 (4 serv.) packet of sugar-free vanilla instant pudding (I used Jell-o)

Dash of lime zest

Sugar-free whipped topping (I used Cool Whip)

In a blender, combine jello/gelatin and lime juice. Wait 1 minute until softened, and then add boiling water. Cover and blend on high speed until all gelatin granules are dissolved. Add Splenda, evaporated milk, cold water, pudding mix and lime zest. Cover and blend until smooth. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. Spoon chilled mixture onto prepared crust and chill in the freezer for about an hour or until firm. Top with Cool Whip and serve.

I hope you try out these recipes and enjoy them as much as I have.

Valentine's Wreath

Today I decide to make a Valentine's Day wreath for my front door. I can't stand what my door looks like without a wreath on it!!! It makes me happy when I have a cheery wreath to welcome me home everyday.

Last year I bought a bunch of Valentine's stuff after the holiday. That is seriously the best time to stock up and get stuff for crafts. I plan on getting some table linens after Valentine's Day this year so I can decorate my dining table next year. Okay, back to the wreath.

Here are a list of supplies you will need:

1 straw wreath (18in)

3 pkg. of garland (12 ft each)

Various ornaments or picks to place on your wreath (I found so cute foam hearts, a little mailbox and some wooden sayings)

Glue gun and plenty of glue sticks

Ribbon to make a bow or buy a pre-made bow

Assembly:

When you buy the straw wreath leave the plastic wrap on it. Since you are covering the wreath with the garland there is no need to take this off because it will make more of a mess. Start wrapping your wreath with the garland.

As you wrap, be sure to glue down the garland to the wreath as you go. You don't have to use a lot just here and there so it stays in place. Continue until the entire wreath is covered.

Now you can work on the ornaments. Sometimes I buy fancy picks or ornaments for the wreath and other times inspiration hits me when I see a few simple things that I could make into something unique and super cute! That is what I did this time.

I found this cute little pink mailbox in the dollar bin at Target and the foam hearts too. I glued the hearts together and then glued them in the mailbox. I glued the door to the mailbox on the bottom because it wasn't hinged to it. Then I found this cute wooden saying at Hobby Lobby and glued it on the mailbox. 

Extremely cute!!!

My other foam and wooden ornament saying were red so I needed to put them on a pink or white background since the wreath is red. I added the LOVE foam saying and the Sweetheart wooden saying to some of the white and pink foam hearts. They also stand out more since they are three-dimensional.

This time I just made a simple two loop bow and added a little foam heart. I love bows!!

Now you can add everything to your wreath. Since I have made a few wreaths I try to change it up a bit by placing the bow or sign (if I have one) in a different spot or at a different angle.

Now you have a beautiful Valentine's wreath!!

I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day (even if it is a month early!!!!)