Recipe Swap with Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box

Happy Monday! I have a sweet treat for you today besides the wonderful recipe you will find below. Elizabeth Ann of Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box and I are recipe swap today. For my recipe, check out her blog and of course her delicious recipe is found here. Elizabeth Ann and I have swapped a few times, last year we both randomly picked a donut recipe. We don't talk about what recipes to swap before, it is a total surprise when she sends me her post. Enjoy what Elizabeth Ann has baked up for you all today.

Hi! I am Elizabeth Ann of Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box!

I love spending time in the kitchen, cooking and baking for others, and I ADORE home-cooked meals with lots of friends and family around the table!

I am so excited to be swapping recipes with Meg again! :-) Today, I am sharing the perfect cookie for the upcoming holiday months! The amazing saltiness from the pistachios mixed with the sweetness of the sugar cookie makes these cookies addiciting! :-)

Enjoy! :-)

Cran-Pistachio Cookies

Source: Betty Crocker via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

optional - green food coloring

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Thanks for this yummy recipe today Elizabeth Ann! Looking forward to swapping again with you.

Hometown Post - Rwanda

Happy day after Labor Day all. I hope you had a great 3 day weekend. I have to admit I am feeling a bit sad that Labor Day signals the official end to summer 2012. However, a super cute wedding on Saturday that included a sushi food truck at the reception and a yummy dessert table filled with chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick helped me get over the end of summer blues. Wedding post re-cap tomorrow :-)

Back when Tiff featured me on her blog, I mentioned my hometown series post and Elise contacted me about it. She is currently living in Rwanda, so grab your passport or apply for one now through the State Department. Enjoy reading about Rwanda through Elise's eyes included in the series, From My Hometown to Yours.

Hey there! My name is Elise and I blog over and Forever Changed. I’m a pretty ordinary girl, I have an amazing family, a best friend, a sweet dog, I run for fun (and yes, I rhymed on purpose), chocolate chip cookies are my weakness, I love Christmas, and I have a bucket list that I take pretty seriously. Despite all this ordinariness I have an extraordinary purpose, perfectly designed by God, that has led me to move to Rwanda to work in an orphanage with over 500 children that has forever changed my life.  Blogging is my way of documenting this crazy journey that is my life and I would like to invite you to land of a thousand hills, also known as Rwanda, also known as

my home. Before your trip you will need to prepare yourself for a lot of bus travel, breathtaking sights, and for your heart to break when you have to leave, because this place is just that powerful...

Our itinerary: 

Go to the Genocide Museum in Kigali and get a whole new perspective 

Have an adventure on a canopy walk in Nyungwe forest

Get our animal fix by going on a gorilla tour

Visit Noel Orphanage in Nyduo where I volunteer and love on some kids

Watch the kids football match

Ride jet skis on Lake Kivu 

Eat at the three decent American like restaurants and the one decent Rwandan restaurant 

Ride motos to town where we will eat the most delicious bananas and buy some souvenirs for family and friends  

Have a tearful goodbye at the airport 

I can't promise that you will get to see everything, I can't promise that the weather will cooperate, I can't promise that the food will be amazing but I can promise that you will fall in love with the people and country of Rwanda and you will leave changed for the better. 

Thank you so much Elise for this wonderful post. I seriously do wish I could fly over right now and visit you, I could hope on a plane, my passport is current.  It is awesome God placed the people of Rwanda on your heart and you are living out His will for you. 

If anyone else is interested in writing about your hometown to be included in this series, please contact me at megmouch(at)gmail(dot)com

Guest Post - nook & sea

When I need house decorations or accessories inspiration, I turn to this sweet girl's blog. Kristina is the author of nook & sea and I have met her a few times as well. 

Her sense of home and life is pure California, great pieces, little touches here and there.

I love this board you put together for you all for her guest post.

Thank you Kristina!

Hi everyone! I'm Kristina with the home decor and lifestyle blog, Nook & Sea. While Meg's away, I thought I'd share a bit of my favorite exotic finds! With the Moroccan trend taking the stands, it's no wonder that ornate and colorful housewares are in the spotlight. Decadent lanterns, intricate wood detailings, bright fringes and soft frills make the Moroccan style even more appealing this summer season. And with retailers like West Elm catching the drift, perhaps it's time to add a little exotic flare to your space! We could all use a little getaway :)

lounge, tile, living room, bedroom, pillow, coffee table, pink vignette, fabric, basket

Guest Post - Her Late Night Cravings

I love participating Friday Fancies and one of my must view outfits is from this wonderful blog, Her Late Night Cravings by Jayme and Mendi. They always create outfits with wonderful pieces and this week's Friday Fancies is outfit crush, but I have to say I am always crushing on their outfits.
Take it away, Jayme and Mendi and thank you for taking over my blog today!

Hey there, Henning Lovers!! We're so happy to be here today while Meg is enjoying a vacation. A typical Friday around our neck of the woods consists of a Friday's Fancies post and this week's theme is geared towards an "Outfit Crush." We only had to search as far as some of our favorite style bloggers for a little inspiration. One of those bloggers is Kendi Everyday. You might have heard of her. She's a pretty big deal. We took her look below and put our own twist on it. Hope you guys enjoy!

No Cramping Her Style: Kendi Everyday by herlatenightcravings

1 Topshop MOTO Vintage Sleeveless Jacket  //  2 Ginger Pinks Valentina Necklace in Punch  //  3 Thakoon Addition Scoop-Neck Tank  //  4 Style by Marina Pleated Print Skirt  //  5 Proenza Schouler Ps1 Pochette Suede  //  6 Stella & Dot Jules Ring  //  7 Michael Kors Bella Goldtone Chronograph Watch  //  8 ALDO Harvat Wedges

Thanks for hanging out with us today! If you want to check out more Friday's Fancies "outfit crushes" or if you'd like to participate in future weeks, be sure to hop on over to Long Distance Loving. We hope you'll also stop by Her Late Night Cravings sometime soon...we'd love to hear from you! Have a fabulous weekend!!

Jayme & Mendi

Her Late Night Cravings

Blog  //  Twitter  //  YouTube

Guest Post- The Short and Sweet of It

I love blogger meet-ups, why because you get to meet the coolest people behind their blogs. Alexa and Kirby of the Short and Sweet of It are those cool people you have to meet one day. I am honored to have Kirby guest posting here today, and her sense of style is just beyond cool too. Wishing I had this amazing trip she has coming up and telling you all about today. Thank you Kirby!!

Hi everyone! Kirby from The Short and the Sweet of It here. I'm so happy to be guest posting for Meg while she's enjoying her summer vacation! 

I'm anxiously awaiting an upcoming girls' trip to Miami this August, to celebrate my friend Michelle's bachelorette, so I thought I'd share what I'd love to be packing in my weekend bag later this summer.

It's going to be H-O-T in Miami in August, so we'll be spending the majority of our daylight hours in the pool. I spotted the mint green, Aztec print bikini on Pinterest and have to have it. Does anyone know who makes it? And if you're ever going to sport a spotted leopard bikini, Miami is the place to do it!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Since it's a quick trip, I'll try to pack items that can work with multiple outfits, like the black clutch. For night one, I'll pair a breezy black dress with neon heels and a statement necklace. For night two, I'll show off my new tan with a snakeskin print mini.

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Thanks for having me Meg!

Guest Post - The News from LaFuze

 Today, I have one of my bestest blogger buddies for you. Jamie, I was so excited to meet when we both went to the So-Cal blogger meet-up back in February. It was her and Katie that I was most looking forward to meeting. We have hung out twice since then and I ca honestly say she is one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. Plus as a Christian, we have that connection there already, which easil surpasses any blogging connection we could make.

I honestly wish Sean and I lived closer to her and her husband, also we would run together a lot and watch the Padres frequently.

Take it away Jamie and thanks for helping keep my blog alive while we are tramping through the East Coast.

Hi Henning Love readers!  First, I have to say that I am head over heels excited to be guest posting for Meg.  I have been truly blessed by not only her blog but getting to know her as a friend.  I blog over at The News From LaFuze, my own little space to be myself-a beautiful mess.  My blog is a potpourri of everything, from faith to recipes to tips on staying healthy.

Today I wanted to share something from the heart that completely speaks to me and that is a continual process: being confidant.  Earlier this year I set some goals, and they all centered around loving myself more and stressing less.  As I've ventured down this path to a beautiful me, I realized that I'm not alone.  I had the privilege of spending a Friday night with Meg at a craft fair and dinner, and we even talked about how easy it is to compare ourselves with the other great blogs we are surrounded by.  As women, I think we naturally compare ourselves.  But this does more harm than good, at least for me.

I would constantly tell myself I'm not good enough, doubt my ability, and felt the need for other's acceptance to fill me up and make me whole.  I let this need for other's acceptance drive my life choices, making me an over achiever.  What I realized, the hard way, was that I placed what I thought others expected of me above all else-and I was left feeling numb inside, now knowing who I was.  I wanted to be and do everything-the teacher, wife, blogger, crafter, baker, healthy, runner....the list could go on.  I was so stressed all of the time, but more importantly I didn't believe in myself and found myself constantly comparing myself to others.

Fortunately I found a book that has completely helped me transform my heart:

As I read the book I was thinking, "How does she know me so well!".  Every chapter connected to me.  I'm normally not one to read lots of self-help books, but I can't put this one down!  I wanted to leave you with 5 truths that I've learned from this book that have completely rocked me:

1. Doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time.

We have to know and believe that God can and will change us.  By doubting ourselves or even doubting God, we leave no room for hope for this transformation.

2. "Jesus is the only One who can meet our deepest needs to be accepted and delighted in simply because of who we are.  We can offer nothing but our presence.."

This was hard for me to swallow.  Umm...I'm a people pleaser!  But I wrote this down and posted it on my bathroom mirror to remind myself everyday-God accepts me for ME!

3. "You've been trying to earn your value in everything you've done.  But you will never find the love you long for in anyone or anything but ME. I AM the unconditional love you are looking for."

This is a truth from God.  I realized that I was seeking validation in so many areas of my life: my job, marriage, friendships, blogging, church, etc.  But I wasn't giving all of these things ME, I was giving them who I thought they wanted.

4. "A confidant heart is found in a woman who knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that she is loved no matter what."

Wow!  I think of the surface we can read this and say to ourselves that we are that woman, but deep down inside I think we all struggle in some way or another.  It could be body image, self esteem, etc.  When I moved from reading this to believing this I felt a change.  Each day I have to give over to God, thank Him for His creation, acknowledge that I'm NOT perfect but He loves me because I am not.

5. "In Christ I am a chosen woman, a royal priest, a holy daughter, a woman belonging to God."

You are that!  You are holy, beautiful, pure, strong, confidant, courageous, patient, kind, and loved.  More than anything else, you are chosen.

I hope that one of these truths blesses you in some way or another!  

Love,

Jamie

I love this message Jamie, it is so important we remember who we belong to, to not get caught up in the things of this world and to seek His wisdom and counsel on a daily basis.

Guest Post - katie lately

Sorry, no Bachelorette re-cap for you today, I'm sure some of you are like thank goodness! Haha instead I have someone much better to share something a lot more deep than who went on the solo date and group date with Emily.

This guest poster is one of the best. She is genuine, she is kind and she is super sweet and I am very glad that God connected us over the blogging world. Also her husband is just as great as she is and the college he attended has a really super awesome name, ask her!

There are some posts that just speak to my heart and what Katie writes about God and lessons she is learning from Him, it tugs at my heart strings and makes me consider my current relationship with Him and how I can be closer to Him.

Katie, you are such a blessing to me and I know you will be an amazing mom!

 

On Growth..

This spring, I decided to learn how to garden. I bought a few plants, easy ones, just pansies and alyssum to start out. My sweet husband made me an awesome planter box out of some wood we salvaged from an old dresser. One of the ladies here at camp has a beautiful garden, so I asked her to help me plant my flowers and teach me how to take care of them. This time, I really wanted to keep those plants alive.  

www.carolinefontenot.com

So she taught me how much to water them and how often, she taught me how to cut them down after they bloom, and she taught me how to plant them with enough space and deep enough down that the roots get all the water they need.

After a few weeks, I knew I needed to "dead-head" (trim the spent blooms off) and I found myself not wanting to. I didn't want to cut away pieces of my precious plant, in fear I would ruin it. So I stared at my flowers, and at the dead ones that needed to be cut off, and I made myself do it. 

I started thinking and realized I do this with a lot of things in my life. I don't want to remove the parts that are finished. I'm afraid of letting things go that aren't necessarily what they once were to me. 

But you know what, after I dead-headed those flowers, the plant looked fresh. It wasn't cluttered with dead blooms and the live ones had room to reach closer to the sun.

It made me realize that this is sometimes what  God asks us to do, to remove parts of our lives that are spent so that the new, alive parts can reach Him better. I need to be more prepared and willing to get rid of the things that are just cluttering my life with dead leaves per se, and allow the new parts of me to feel fresh. To feel alive. And to have a way cleared for them to blossom. 

God promises us that he renews our hearts, and that when we ask for forgiveness our slates are wiped clean. What are you allowing yourself to hang on to that is cluttering the newness in your life? Allow yourself to move on, to make a fresh day for yourself. I bet you'll feel a lot better when you do :)

Guest Post - Join the Gossip

Monday all, and I hope you had an awesome weekend and a huge thank you to all my guest posters for their guest posts. I can't wait for you to read them all. 

I met Leeann back in February on our way down to San Diego for the huge blogger meet-up we went to. 2 hours in a car with a girl I had never met? Turned out awesome, we had a great time and I consider Leeann a real life friend as well as a blogger friend. Hope you all enjoy her post!

Hi there! My name is Leeann and I blog over at Join the Gossip. I am so excited to be here today, filling in for Meg. She's a doll! I'm fortunate enough to have hung out with her a few times in-person, so I can vouch for her being just as sweet in real life as she is on this blog!

While Meg is away on vacation she has me daydreaming of a getaway myself. Although I live in LA very close to beaches, it seems like I never get out to any of them. This summer it's time to make a change!

In order to be beach ready a trip to Old Navy is necessary! Check out all of these items below. For just over $100 you can be set for summer. Not too bad considering how much use you can get out of everything.

tank top / animal print bikini top / animal print bikini bottoms / shorts / flip flops / sunglasses / beach towel

Happy shopping, Henning Love readers. And happy soon-to-be summer!

 

Guest Post - Delightfully Noted

Ok first guest post for you while I am on my vacation. Jennifer of Delightfully Noted is a blog I turn to and am never disappointed with what she posts. Whether it is a recipe or a cute and easy house decorations, Jennifer has some great ideas. Today she is sharing this great project with you all that produces great results and isn't expensive.

Hey there little Henning lovers. I am Jennifer of the Delightfully Noted blog where I share all things creative & everything delightfully in-between. I'm tickled pink that sweet Meg has agreed to share her little corner of the world with me today.

Lately, I've been enamored with mercury glass ever since I came across this pic from West Elm.

Come to find out you can make your own mercury glass decor & between you & I, it's as simple as pie. Honestly! The only challenging part of this project is tracking down the Krylon Looking Glass; as in like I- stopped -at- five- stores- type- of- challenging. 

Who knew this darn thing was such a delicacy among the spray paint world?

Hobby Lobby ended up being the only place to come through for me. So fist bump to the HL.

Besides the elusive Looking Glass spray paint you will also need:

*Spray bottle with 50/50 mixture of vinegar & water

*Paper towel

*Clean, glass vases {I picked mine up at the Dollar Store}

*Plants or candles to place inside

I started off by spritzing a quick shot of the vinegar/water mixture into my first vase with my spray bottle. This technique leaves water droplets on the inside of  the glass which will help you achieve the mercury effect later. Then I LIGHTLY started to spray my vase with the Looking Glass paint. I emphasize LIGHTLY because this stuff is very thin & watery & if you go all guns blazing you'll get streaks.  The can of spray paint instructs you do about 5 coats of paint. I think I did about seven or eight {I did a spritz of the 50/50 mixture between each paint coat} but I wouldn't take my word on it because I am no good at math under normal circumstances so just imagine what I'm like when I'm high on fumes?

Allow the glass to dry a few minutes. For the final step, spray some of the water/vinegar mixture on a piece of paper towel & with your index finger start gently rubbing away at some of the paint. 

Be random & spontaneous on the places you distress on the vase.

The point is not to be a perfectionist here! Stop once you are happy & then allow the glass to dry again for about a half hour or so.

Okay, I fibbed.

The final step IS actually to add plants, or candles, or what ever floats your boat to your vases.

When lit, candles give an absolutely beautiful ambience inside distressed mercury glass but I wanted something for our outdoor patio table so I went with succulent plants. 

I know these type of plants need good drainage so we'll see how long these babies survive inside the vases. I'm sure there is some savvy way to like drill a hole into glass but I'm not allowed to play with power tools when the hubby's not home.

On an another note, let me tell you it is incredibly hard to photograph mirrored objects with out capturing your fun house midget reflection on every picture!

Any more mercury fans out there? Of the glass, not the planet.

We all know Pluto RULES! Oh Pluto, you'll always be a planet in my heart. Sigh.

Has anyone else been working on sprucing up there outside oasis?



Thanks soooo much Meg for having me today!!

For the rest of you party people you can find me hanging around here, here, & here and if I'm not there then you can find me here working away on my little stationery shop.

Hope you all have a delightful day!

Thank you Jennifer for this awesome project. Definitely primping up my backyard with this great project when I return from my trip! Be sure to check out Jennifer's super cute note cards and the other great house projects she has on her blog. In fact, a wreath on her blog was how I found her blog in the first place. A few days later, I find myself racking my brain to remember where I had saw a super cute wreath (this was before Pinterest) and fortunately I found it again and a good blog friend too!

Floral Skirts and Chambray Top

Happy Wednesday! Today I am guest posting over at Raines and Shines about an outfit I have been swooning over seen on Pinterest. It is a chambray top with a floral skirt. I already own a chambray top but need a floral skirt to re-create the outfit. Check out the skirt options I am considering over at Emily's blog. 

Before I announce the winner of the Hat Attack giveaway, I wanted to show a few photos of their great hats. I love mine, which is the taupe diamond pattern fedora, with a wide enough brim to shade my face but still fashionable as well.

Now for the winner of the Hat Attack giveaway, using random.org it picked Wendy of Domestic Sweetheart. Congrats girl, I will contact you shortly and contact Hat Attack to let them know you are the winner. Enjoy which hat you picked, I would love to know which one you pick :-)

Guest Post - Denise Mouch

Who is Denise Mouch you might ask? Well she is an awesome person, she loves me a lot and she gave me half of her genes, she is my mother! When she and my dad went to visit my brother in Japan recently, I asked my mom to take some photos and to provide you all with some photos from their trip.

I'll let her explain to you more about Japan especially two essential to Japanese culture, vending machines, yes vending machines, no joke and department stores. Think Bloomingdale's level of department store with door greeters and elevator operators who wear white gloves and the bottom two floors are food items.
Take it away, Mother and thank you again for bringing a blog post back from Japan!

Here are two interesting items we saw when we walked into the basement of a Japanese department store. For those of you who don’t know, many major department stores have food to purchase in the basement.  Fresh food to be consumed the same day, or gift items to give.  Melons are thoughtful gifts to give and this beauty is familiar to many.  Hello Kitty, complete with a pink hair bow, is a very unique present indeed. Don’t you wonder how they started her outline?

The second gift that caught our eye was this very expensive box of cherries.    They look perfect, don’t they? They should as this box is one layer deep and costs more than $84.00 depending on the exchange rate.

Vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan.  Literally, in one block you can find ten of them. We saw cigarette, drink, battery, ice cream and snack machines and there is even one for bananas.  During the winter months the drink machines feature hot drinks.  There is nothing better than a hot coffee right at your fingertips when you are waiting for the train or subway!  When the weather turns warm, the machines dish out the cold drinks. The products vended here are pocari sweat, water, tea, cocoa, coffee and some energy drinks.  Some train passes can be used to buy food at convenience stores or, as is the case here, vending machines. I had a tangerine drink one day and used my train pass to purchase it.  Now that is convenience!  

Hope you all enjoyed my mom provided you some more information about Japan and items that are commonplace to the culture. Happy Thursday!