Crockpot Cooking Mama

I'll let you in on a little secret of mine - I'm a closet crockpot lover. Perhaps it's the fact that I love cooking and also love DIY projects, but in the days when the term 'DIY' is gaining a cool-girl connotation, I can't help but feel that crockpots are still being left in the dark. Still associated with bored housewives who have lost the will to slave over the stove for the ones they love - when really, as Americans are working even longer and harder, crockpots are a salvation. An appliance that allows you to eat a healthy, homecooked meal, even when you're strapped for time. So if you don't own a crockpot....buy yourself one and thank me later! :) And to give you plenty of ideas regarding what your new, treasured crockpot is capable of producing, check out the blog, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/. The author behind this blog made a New Years resolution to cook an entire years worth of meals (yep, every single day!) in her crockpot. What I love most about this blog is that the author dives into each and every crockpot cooking trial with hope and optimism.....and then tells the readers very candidly whether or not the recipe was a success.



http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/



The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want

good enough

Bottom's Up!

Tomorrow is New Years Eve! Whether you're planning a big night out or curling up on the couch to watch the ball drop, surely your night would be incomplete without a tasty adult beverage! After scouring the internet and reading hundreds of recipes I think I've narrowed it down to these two...one sweet recipe that incorporates some bubbly, and one that is fresh and tart - a perfect balance!

Cucumber Cooler

Ingredients

1 cucumber

1 1/4 ounces gin

Splash of fresh lime juice

Splash of simple syrup

Chilled seltzer

Directions

Slice a piece of cucumber and reserve for garnish. Peel, halve and seed the remaining cucumber. Puree in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add 2 ounces cucumber puree, the gin, lime juice and simple syrup and stir. (To make a batch of simple syrup, simmer equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then cool.) Fill the glass with seltzer and stir again. Garnish with the reserved cucumber slice.

Grand Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients
4 shots orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
4 teaspoons honey
4 fresh strawberries, tops trimme
1 bottle Champagne, well chilled
Special equipment: 4 chilled Champagne flutes

Directions

Add the orange-flavored liqueur, honey and strawberries to a food processor and process until smooth. Fill the chilled glasses half way with the strawberry mixture and then fill the rest of  the glass with Champagne.


If neither of these two recipes spark your interest check out more amazing recipe ideas at;

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipe-collections/cocktail/index.html

Healthy Grub

If your New Years resolution is to lose weight, get into shape, or just be as healthy as you can you should check out the link below. I've followed this blog for a couple of years, and find it super helpful. The blog 'eat like me' details the (food) life of a nutritionist....helpful for those who are skipping the latest diet fads in exchange for a realistic, healthy diet. Any diet that prohibits me from having the occasional nachos or margarita is no diet for me! But I can handle eating sensibly....most of the time.

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/eatlikeme/

let's meet here...

DIY mini garden

How adorable is this DIY mini garden? I think it would be perfect for an office, or anyplace where you don't have a lot of room and/or natural light. To read the full tutorial (from design sponge), please click on the photo caption. Like any good DIY craft, there is always lots of room to make this idea into your own. Different container? Different flowers? The possibilities are endless! 

full tutorial here

new years resolution - be thankful

This article on NPR's website caught my eye....one man's New Years resolution was to write one thank you note, every single day, for an entire year. Wow. Do I even know 365 people? 

Apparently this gentleman also had some difficulty in coming up with 365 people to thank, but he succeeded, and I think it's an excellent, humbling story. Check out the article or listen to NPR's interview HERE.