Cheddar Ale Fondue

With the help from Katie, I made a menu for Saturday's gathering for the UFC fight. Katie suggested I do some sort of Cheddar Ale Dip with pretzels etc. Well since I have a deep love for soft pretzels, I decided on soft versus the hard. So here I was scurring around Costco Saturday morning, on the phone with my mom who was searching for a great Cheddar Ale dip recipe, and looking for soft pretzels and any other yummy goods to serve to my friends coming over who don't like anything crazy different. My mom kept coming across cold dips but I was on the hunt for a warm cheese for the soft pretzels. She finally came aross this super easy one that was very yummy and was a big hit!!


8 oz. neufatchel cheese (or any low fat cream cheese)
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. mozarella cheese, shredded
3/4 c. beer
1 tsp garlic salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients into a rice cooker (or crock pot if you have enough time) until melted, stirring occassionally. After mixture is melted or nearly melted, turn the rice cooker to "keep warm". Serve with soft pretzels.

Oh so German!!

Mangia!!

I absolutely love authentic foods whether it be Italian or Mexican. I don't have much experience making authentic Italian gravy being of no Italian decent so I have to seek outside sources when it comes to the Italian part. So when I went to Frankie Tocco's Pizzeria in St. Charles, MO with my cousin and his family, I was definitely impressed with it. I ordered the Baked Ziti (but I subbed the Provel cheese for Mozarella,Provell--a topic worth a whole new post)and we all shared a pizza. So if you are ever in the St. Charles area I suggest you stop here.

A few months back I visited a beautiful designer show house her in the metro and thought it was too good not to share. Each room was designed by a different interior design firm so the house has several different elements in it.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Create and Share Crafts

Garlic-Herb Rubbed Chicken

Giada made this recipe (formerly Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast)but since I don't like pork, I changed it up a bit.

Since I try to cook for just us two I'm always scaling down recipes and this one is no exception.

2 large garlic cloves
1/2 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I used dried)
1/2 Tbs finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c dry white wine (I used Prosecco b/c that's what we drink w/ dinner)

Blend the garlic, rosemary thyme and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Rub the garlic herb mixture onto both sides of the chicken and then cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour 1/4 c broth and 1/4 c prosecco into the roasting pan. Add more broth and win to the pan juices once in between cooking (about 15 min. in). Cook for about 35-40 min. until chicken is no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to a dish and tent w/ foil. pour the pan drippings into a pan and reduce and serve atop chicken.

Dream Bedrooms

So I've become quite obsessed with finding a new look for our master bedroom, I just don't know what I want. Since I have a cherry french style bedroom set, I can't go too contemporary. I've also come to realize that I'm totally obsessed with Rate my Space on hgtv.com. So I've picked out a couple of my favorites.

This one I really like but I don't know if I can pull it off with my furniture.



I absolutely love toile, but I have toile in my french kitchen so I thought it'd be overkill. My kitchen walls are also a soft sage green color called Herbivore.

Dukie and his Tootsie Pop

This is my baby eating his tootsie pop...well sort of. We don't allow him to have the chocolate part but he desperately wanted it.

After my Junior League meeting yesterday, I decided to make a pit-stop at TJ Maxx for a new duvet for our messy bedroom (exhibit A and B...) and ended up purchasing not one but two duvets. I just can't decided which is best??!!

This is the paisley print far off...

an up close shot of design...

This is actually a copy off the one I found at Restoration Hardware.

Its actually green damask, but it looks beige and the background is chocolate.