2011 October | Plum Adorable

Pin’talicious Monday–Tips and Tricks & Winner!

31 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

We have two winners for the book

‘There You’ll Find Me’ by Jenny B. Jones

We have not added a plugin yet that randomly selects a winner.

So, for now we are doing it the old fashion way!

Congratulations Samantha Goodman and Rachael Becker!

We will be sending you an email soon!

Pintalicious Tips & Tricks

One thing I love about Pinterest is all of the fun tips you can find.

I am going to share some of them with you today.

Click on the pictures below to take you to my pinterest board. From there it will take you to the website they were pinned from.

Enjoy~

I love this idea. Lay out your gallery arrangement. Flip the frames over. Mark hanger/nail spot on several pieces of wax paper taped together. Flip waxed paper over, tape to wall, nail into wall where indicated. Remove waxed paper and hang your photos. Genius!

Use bread “ties” as cord organizers.

Use packing peanuts to hold a nail and keep your fingers out of the way…. just pulls right off when you’re done. Love it.

Toothpick as a tape saver. Gosh that does get annoying.

And I just love this guy! How smart is he?

Who wouldn’t want to give him his camera back!

Love it!

Be safe out there tonight!

~Jenny

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Filed Under: 'Pin'talicious

A Plum ‘Affordable’ Candle Display

28 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

First things first. There is still time to enter the giveaway for the book that Jess reviewed yesterday! Jenny B. Jones is one of my favorite authors as well (thanks to Jess introducing her to me). Plus she has a cool name. I realize that she is a young adult author. But, trust me, she is FUNNY! You will love her. Jess has two books to giveaway. Just leave a comment here or on our facebook page here to enter the giveaway.

Ok…so on to the candle display.

You can probably look at the picture below and decide there is no need to read on. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I get these ideas in my head and think ‘Oh, that might be fun!’ I think this turned out pretty cute and it’s definitely an affordable way to spice up your holiday table.

Do I need to go on?

Ok, I will, but it’s simple. Save your cans from fruits, veggies etc. (I suggest you do this on a regular basis, because you could be making other cute things like these)…wash them out really good. Buy some glass jars at the dollar store. As you can see I used two smaller cans and one larger can, so I bought two small jars and one large jar.

You may not even be reading at this point. I realize the picture explains it all.

That’s fine. I will continue on nonetheless.

Take your cans, measure some paper to fit around them and adhere it to the can.

Put some glue on the inside of the top of the cans and place your jars in them. Once they are dry put some water in the jars as well as a floating candle. Add some décor that you already have around the house

(remember this?)

and you have yourself a cute little candle display.

Of course now I look at it and think…

‘Oh, I should add vinyl letters or glitter or rosettes or change the paper’…

Clearly I get bored quickly.

But, I will leave it up to you to add your own creative touch!

Next time though, I do think I will spray paint the cans…

Now that would be cute!

~Jenny

393 Comments
Filed Under: Crafts, Fall

THERE YOU’LL FIND ME (REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY!)

27 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

Have I ever mentioned that I really really really LOVE to read? I mean REALLY love it? NO? Well, I do!

At any given time, you will find no less than 5 books on my nightstand, and if I have a spare moment that is not taken up by my amazing family, our sports schedule, cleaning house, doing laundry, blogging, Facebook, more cleaning, et…you will find me with a book in my hand and my nose buried deeply with in it! I hope my kids love to read as much as I do one day. The hubby does NOT share my love for reading, not even a little! I share this with you so you’ll know how EXCITED I am to share a review of one of my FAVORITE author’s books!

I found out about author Jenny B. Jones a couple years ago while perusing our local library’s aisles, looking for something new. The book I found was actually a YA (young adult) book, “So Not Happening” by Jenny B Jones. I had no idea who this chick was but I thought I would give it a try. I finished it in a DAY! That is not uncommon for me, but I could not get over how FUNNY this book was. I connected with and I LOVED the story but I loved the writing, I loved the humor! SO I quickly got online and put a hold on every book she had and read through them all! And LOVED them all. And since they were YA, I got them for my teenage niece for Christmas and she loved them too! Ms. Jones also writes adult fiction and one of my all time favorite books is one of hers, “Just Between You and Me”. I made our book club read it too! Then she came out with “Save the Date” And now, “There You’ll Find Me”, which is considered YA too but trust me, it touches you no matter your age! Had it not been labeled Young Adult, I wouldn’t have known! I love Jenny B. Jones. I love how she tackles tough issues with her usual snark and characters you can easily relate to! And I love this cover too!!!

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B Jones

I LOVED this book! “There You’ll Find Me” made me laugh out loud (the hubby doesn’t even ask anymore what is so funny when I start cracking up while reading) and it made me cry.

Here is a bit of the back story:

Straight from Jenny B. Jones blog:

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen year old. She’s witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming audition at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother.

She decides to travel to Ireland following his travel journal. It’s the place he felt most alive – and she desperately needs to feel alive again. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane. Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She’s the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down – the loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to new – and dangerous – vices.

Then she comes across something that changes her perspective irrevocably. Is it enough to convince her that everything she’s been looking for has been with her all along?

I don’t want to give out any spoilers so I won’t tell you what happens but I will tell you that you’ll love it too!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes!

° “I think if you’re going to drool on me, we should at least be on a first-name basis.”
° “My counselor called me depressed. I called me devastated.”
° “Dig deep into that cold, callous heart of yours, Frankie. – It’s Finley. – Dig deep and find some kindness.”
° “Good Heavens, Harry Potter didn’t have any magic like the kind this kid was brewing! ° “The town said I killed him. – “Did you”- “IF wishes were bullets!”

I have 2 FREE COPIES of There You’ll Find Me to give out!!! All you have to do is comment on this blog (or in our comments on our Plum Adorable Face Book page) in the comments section telling us that you would like a copy and we’ll draw names Friday evening!

Also, check out Jenny B Jones blog online, she is super funny!!!

~JESS

91 Comments
Filed Under: Books

TACO TUESDAY

26 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

Hello Adorable Friends! It has been too long since I last blogged with you. I think it has been over a week now! Jenny and I were running like crazy last week with lots of fun stuff, including an amazing women’s retreat with our church. We were both privileged to speak at the retreat, along with our A-Mazing friend Beth and we all lived to tell the tale and loved every minute of the time we spent with our friends this past weekend. So we apologize for our week-long absence, sometimes we have to live our real lives it seems! Winking smile

It is back to the daily grind of school and sports and fun family stuff so I am back to cooking quick and easy week day meals for the fam! (Did I mention that we had all our meals prepared and served to us at this retreat? And THEN they even did the dishes?? We were so spoiled! And did I mention that the food was really good? Why is it when ever anyone else cooks your meals, it always tastes so good?)

Where was I? Oh, right, back to cooking meals on my own again! I like to have a few easy staples that we use on busy weeknights and Chicken Tacos are one of those meals for me! They might be the easiest thing I make, seriously!

All you need are chicken breasts, taco seasoning and a crock pot! You might also want to have some tortillas, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, olives, whatever other taco condiments you prefer but really ALL that you have to need to cook the actual chicken is the chicken itself and taco seasoning!

For our little family of 4 (and fairly picky children), I use 2 large chicken breasts. I thaw them out in the fridge the day before or in the sink in cold water for an hour or you can toss them into the crock pot frozen.

So toss the chicken in and add some taco seasoning! I don’t measure, I just cover the chicken. I have a huge container of seasoning I got at Costco 12 years ago *(that might be an exaggeration!) so I have no idea how much I pour in there!

If your breasts are thawed out, then you only need to put them in the crock pot for 4-6 hours, if they are frozen - all day is great, 6-8 hours. Once they are cooked through, I take a fork and shred. I usually add a bit more seasoning and a little bit of water if it seems dry and then serve it up! The meat is great for tacos of all varieties soft taco, hard shell taco, burritos, and taco salad too! It is so yummy and takes such minimal effort.

So we had these tacos last night after soccer practice, and my kids were SO HUNGRY and I was in such a rush that I failed to get a picture of OUR delicious tacos, so I “borrowed” (from Taste of Home website) this one from the internet because you know ours looked EXACTLY like this!!! Winking smile Next time, I will get a picture of OUR final product!

And I just realized that I forgot to tell you that we LOVE to add corn and black beans to the meat after it is cooked but that is not something I always do just because it is another step and another thing to cook and sometimes I just forget!

And I have to say a BIG THANK YOU to my friend Bri, who introduced this new dish to our family! I am always looking for quick, easy and YUMMY food! And it helps when it is healthy too!

What are some of your favorite quick, easy and fairly healthy recipes??

~JESS

70 Comments
Filed Under: Misc.

Pin’talicious monday & Free Printable

24 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

(you’ll have to read to the end for the printable. We’re tricky like that! :)

Have you seen these prints before?

It seems that some of you have seen them and others have no idea what what they are.

Those of you that are Pinterest fans know that they have been re-made into just about anything and everything you can think of. Like these below.

Others I’ve seen include…

Keep calm and …

Sew On

Run On

Cook On

Pray On

Stop Eating (now that’s funny)

Call Batman (huh?)

This might be my favorite…

I was thinking about the original saying and how silly it seemed.

Keep Calm & Carry On.

What does that even mean?

I decided to make my own sign. I made it after a long day with the kiddos. I guess you could say it was inspired from Pinterest and looking at all of these silly prints…I found this picture on Pinterest as well. I thought it might give you a better idea of how I felt the day I wrote my ‘Keep Calm’ print.

Below is the Keep Calm print I made.

Don’t worry. This is not the free printable. :)

Do any of you ever have these kind of days?

I’ve decided that my favorite quote is now the one that says,

‘Keep Calm and Pray On’

Because, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to just Carry On…

I think I could be calm. But, the only one who is going to help me be truly calm is the Lord. And the only way I am going to be guaranteed that calmness and peace is to ask Him to give it to me.

So, I made you this sign.

Since it’s my favorite.

Just click on the actual print to download.

(yes, this is it…the actual free printable!)

Jess and I had a busy week!

But, we are back and excited to show you some fun new ideas and recipes.

We hope you have a great week!

~Jenny

67 Comments
Filed Under: 'Pin'talicious, Free Printables, Misc.

Pin’Talicious MOnday!

17 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

Good Morning Friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! It is so sunny and beautiful here today! It is a perfect fall day! Have I mentioned that I LOVE fall?? I do! Today I am focusing our Pin’Talicious pins on some wonderful fall fashion! These are a few of my favorite pins right now!

Yes I know! They are leg warmers! And yes I know it is not 1989! I can’t help it, I am glad leg warmers are back. There, I admitted it!!

But on a more serious note if mom jeans ever make a reappearance, I will DRAW THE LINE THERE, I promise!

I LOVE purple! Seriously, I just bought 3 new tops and they were ALL purple!!!

And I really appreciate a smaller heeled shoe. I am 5’11 and so is my husband so I really don’t want to tower over him in 3 inch heels. And I am one of those gals who wears very little jewelry and diamond studs are usually what I am wearing just by default, it is a big deal for me to remember to put on different earrings! This outfit just speaks to me!

So….remember when I was telling you about how I LOVE purple and I have lots of it? Well, purple is the new brown for me! My younger sis, Stef, was threatening an intervention if I did not buy something other than brown for my wardrobe! Well, look this picture has orange too!!! And I also really like flowers and ruffles! And flats! Flats are the best shoes ever!!

Fall also means scarves!! YAY FOR SCARVES!!! And now I know 12 different ways to wear a scarf, thanks to the above photo!!

Speaking of scarves, isn’t this beautiful!?! The time and talent that must take just astounds me! So pretty! Ooohhh, and it’s brown!

Sometimes the most simple outfits are just the best! Comfortable, cozy and a touch of color! Orange is the perfect fall color too!

I hope I have given you some inspiration for your fall wardrobe! It is so fun to layer up with scarves, coats, boots, LEG WARMERS and cute accessories!!

Happy Pinning friends!!

~JESS

49 Comments
Filed Under: 'Pin'talicious, Misc.

Pumpkin bread & Free Printable

13 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

After many requests…

We have finally changed the date to 2012 on our printable below!

You’re Welcome.

Are we boring you yet with our pumpkin recipes?

Because I have another one.

Jess waits all year to make her pumpkin chocolate chip cheesecake muffins. Well, I wait all year for this pumpkin bread. It’s the best. I got this recipe from my best friend’s mom years ago. Thanks Jennie! She has such a cool name.

I love this recipe because I have always been able to make four mini loaves and one regular loaf. Honestly, I can’t even tell you how many regular loaves this would make because I have made it this way for so many years.

The mini loaves are great because mysteriously a whole loaf will be devoured in one day at our house. And when the kids have only had one piece at breakfast and the rest is gone before they get home from school I just say to myself, ‘Well, at least it was a MINI loaf.’

As you can see I used my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan and the other for the regular loaf. (Yes, the pan is suppose to look dirty like that. It means it’s seasoned…or that I use it a lot. Either way it’s a good thing. Go ask a PC consultant ;)

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:

1 large (29 oz.) can of pumpkin puree

4 cups of sugar

1 cup of vegetable oil

5 cups of flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

How to prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease pans.

Mix together pumpkin, oil & sugar in a big bowl.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg.

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin and stir together. Add vanilla to all and mix well.

Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-5o minutes for the mini loaves. I take out the mini loaves (check with a toothpick to make sure they are done) and then keep the larger loaf in for another 10-15 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean it’s done!

Seriously, there is already one ‘mini’ loaf gone. My girls walked in the house from school today and knew right away what the smell was.

The best thing about this bread is that I wrap up the other loaves and put them in freezer bags. When a loaf is gone we grab another one out of the freezer. Clearly they don’t last long in our house, but it’s such a good feeling to know I have four loaves left.

Ok, three and a half.

This also makes the perfect gift for neighbors, housewarming or teachers. I’ve created these printables for you to add that little touch! I love giving them out at Christmas time too. I will try and remember to make a more ‘Christmasy’ printable in December.

Click on the picture below to download this printable.

This is the scallop punch I use, but you could also just use a circle punch!

ps…it’s true.

Those cute wrapped loaves have been

unwrapped and put in the freezer for my family.

Sorry friends. You will have to wait for the next batch!

Enjoy~

Jenny

Linking up with…

103 Comments
Filed Under: Fall, Free Printables, Recipes, Sweets

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

12 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins- try saying that 5 times fast!! Winking smile

I LOVE the fall! I love the leaves, the layers of clothes, the scarves, the boots, the cool weather (I am not a hot weather kind of gal), the decorations, the changing leaves, the spiced cider and of course the PUMPKIN!! I love seeing pumpkins sitting out on the porch, the pumpkin carving and seed baking and of course all the delicious pumpkin-y foods that come out this time of year. I really kind of wish I liked coffee so I could jump on the pumpkin spiced latte bandwagon but alas it was just not meant to be.

My FAVORITE muffins EVER are the pumpkin muffins that Costco brings out for a month or two right about now. They are so yummy and have this crumbly topping that just melts in your mouth like butta!! But since I think each muffin has around 1500 calories (totally exaggerating here!) I can’t indulge everyday as often as I would like. But I do have another pumpkin muffin that is pretty darn close in favorite status and I get to share that recipe with you right here, right now! I found part of this recipe online a couple years ago and tweaked it and changed it a bit but I can not remember where the original recipe came from! ( I really want to give credit where credit is due.)

They are super easy to make and it is super easy to eat them all and not share but I hope you will!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

1/4 Cup Applesauce

2 Eggs

1 Cup canned Pumpkin

1/4 Cup Water

1 1/2 Cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips

cream cheese

sugar (to add to cream cheese)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour muffin tin or use paper cups. Mix sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water, stir well. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients . Add dry mixture to pumpkin mix and stir in chocolate chips. Fill muffin cup 1/2 full, add a dallop of cream cheese (mix as much sugar into the cream cheese as you want, you can determine if you want it sweeter or not, for a half package of cream cheese, I add a couple tablespoons sugar). Add rest of mixture to each cup covering the cream cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!! ~Jess

201 Comments
Filed Under: Recipes, Sweets, Uncategorized

Pin’talicious Pumpkins

11 Oct posted by Plum Adorable

With Fall in full swing, we are both loving the pumpkins!! Jenny just posted an awesome pumpkin cake recipe here (just so you know, there is white chocolate frosting involved!) and I will be sharing a pumpkin muffin recipe with you tomorrow! I felt it was only fitting to showcase some other amazing pumpkin ideas that have caught our eye lately!

So this week’s Pin’Talicious is dedicated to the pumpkin!! And there are some really fun ideas out there! Time to add to the fall décor ladies!!!

Pantyhose and pumpkins?? Who would have thought….. how pretty are these??? (click on the pictures to link up on Pinterest)