Author: Megan

Hi, I'm Megan - a food enthusiast and blogger. I love all things Nutrition, Health, and Decorative Design! My husband, Ryan, and I relocated for his job to a new state and a new city and I wanted to ignite my passion, but wasn't really sure how I would go about doing it. After much thought, research, and soul-searching it hit me like a ton of bricks 'Why not blog?' Thus, my long time passion became a reality. ​I'm so excited to share my joy for cooking delicious, organic, all-natural meals that are super easy to make as well as dabble in and share some of my decorative designs! My background is in Nutritional Sciences, Food and Nutrition, and Education. So Nutrition and Health are an integral part of everything I believe in...and I will just leave it at that!!!

Decorative Lanterns

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PictureJust about every store I walk in has lanterns, lanterns, and more lanterns. Almost every home furnishing magazine also has the exact same design concept of using lanterns everywhere in the home. I think it may be safe to say that lanterns are a versatile decoration that can be displayed throughout the year for every season and just about every holiday! So basically, lanterns are my kind of decorative design!!

I also think it is safe to say when it comes to storage in your home, it too has its capacity. So it’s important to find décor that has these multi-functioning purposes especially if space is an issue. I will have a blog in the near future about organizing ideas and suggestions to help you stay decluttered!

I was lucky to find this lantern at Pottery Barn; plus I got it on sale, which is a huge Win!  
​
When I got it home I had some vague idea of what I wanted this lantern to look like, but was not sure where to look for the additional pieces. Store after store I looked for decorations as filler from Spanish moss, to regular moss, onto river rock, or even grapevine etc. you name it I thought about it.  I realized with the above-mentioned items how messy it would be to be digging out our vacuuming up any one of those items from Spring while trying to decorate this beautiful lantern for Christmas. I knew I needed something simple, easy, and functional.

So when I found this greenery that I could simply place on the bottom of the lantern with no pieces or residue falling off I knew this was it.  I added a battery operated candle for some height and Bellissimo!

When decorating bigger pieces, like this lantern, simple is always better.  I certainly did not want to take away from the actual lantern itself, I just wanted to add some warmth with decorations that complemented it not competed with the overall structure.  I think the final conglomeration looks better than even I had expected and if my husband says ‘Honey, the lantern looks really nice. I like the way you decorated it,” then it must be noticeably good!

If you have a decorative piece in your home and want to spruce it up go for it!  It’s actually quite surprising how different a room can look when you change a few pieces with items you already have in your home!

Happy Decorating and Spring Cleaning!

Winter Minestrone

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Spring may be here but the cold temperatures are still lingering, so to help warm-up your evenings I am sharing my version of Winter Minestrone soup!

 

 

Minestrone: 

[mineˈstroːne]) is an Italian soup and is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season or whatever vegetables you have available: carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, beans and stock.  Some recipes make the soup a thicker consistency and other recipes include additional meats and other greens. My version is a conglomeration of my favorite vegetables and ingredients that I think add a 1, 2 punch of flavor.  I also had pancetta but if I don’t have pancetta regular old bacon works just as well. My minestrone is also more soupy than say chili in texture and consistency. 

If you are just learning how to cook or are teaching little ones the art of cooking, I think making soup is on the easiest meals to make in the kitchen together because you really can not mess it up. 

​There is nothing like a great tasting soup, a roaring fire going in the fireplace (even if it a gas log), and loved ones gathered around enjoying a delicious meal together. 

 
Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 5 regular sized carrots
  • 4-5 stalks of celery
  • 1-2 zucchini
  • ¼ c to ½ c bacon or pancetta chopped (also when using bacon I bet pre-cooked)
  • 1 28 oz. can of diced tomato
  • ½ c diced mushrooms 
  • 2 cans of Garbanzo beans or your choice of white beans 
  • Parmeseano Reggianno Cheese and Rind 
  • 2-4 containers of broth; 2 beef and 2 vegetable. This amount is optional and will yield more soup.   The mix of beef and vegetable broth pairs well with the soup.


Directions:

  1. On the stove add 2-3 Tbsp. of Olive Oil to a pot and add chopped onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. 
  2. Add chopped celery, carrots, and chopped pre-cooked bacon to the pot with the onions and garlic.  Also had the Parmeseano Cheese Rind here and allow the rind to start mixing with the flavors of the vegetables.  Cook vegetables and pre-cooked bacon until slightly cooked.
    **If using raw bacon cook in separate pan on the stove until thoroughly cooked.  Place cooked bacon on lined plate with a paper towel to absorb any grease.  Chop cooked bacon and add to the pot at this step. 
  3. Slowly add one container of Beef Broth and Vegetable Broth 
  4. Add sliced Zucchini and sliced mushrooms 
  5. Add can of Diced Tomatoes and 2 cans of Garbanzo beans 
  6. Add the additional containers of broth ( 1 beef and 1 vegetable)Let soup simmer on low for about an hour. Stir occasionally

    ​Enjoy!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day ~ Scotcharoos

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Who doesn’t love to celebrate fun holidays? Who equally loves it, even more, when these holidays fall on the weekend???  We call that perfect alignment!   So go out and drink some green beer and have fun you deserve it!

My mother-in-law introduced Scotcharoos to me a couple years ago and these little goodies are seriously great for any occasion, last minute or not.

These sugar laden treats are very easy to make and the prep time is all of 20 minutes and are sure to be a hit by all including us Gluten-Free people too!

When I make Scotcharoos, which is once in a blue moon, I find myself trying to experiment with alternate ingredients to see if I can make them healthier or better than the original…that is yet to be determined or at least that is yet to be determined by my husband who has volunteered himself to be my human guinea pig.

My nieces and nephews love the crunchy, creamy and chocolate smoothness of Scotcharoos so much that these treats have been requested as a formal birthday cake…this dessert is serious business in my family. 

Please don’t take my word on these, have fun and try them out yourself!  Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day.

“May you live a long life Full of gladness and health, With a pocket full of gold As the least of your wealth. May the dreams you hold dearest, Be those which come true, The kindness you spread, Keep returning to you.”
-Irish Blessings

Ingredients

  • 1 c. light corn syrup…………………..(I have used alternatives: honey, agave, or sugar water)
  • 1 c. sugar………………… (I use organic sugar cane or Organic Coconut Sugar)
  • 1 c. peanut butter
  • 6-8 c. rice Krispy cereal
  • 1 c. butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

 

 
 
Directions:

  1. In large sauce pan, turn stove on medium low and pour sugar and corn syrup or alternatives and mix until boiling.
  2. Once mixture is brought to a boil had your peanut butter and mix until smooth
  3. Pour rice Krispy cereal in sauce pan and blend until evenly coated
  4. Place mixture into a lightly greased or sprayed 8 x 13 glass Pyrex container. Push down on the mixture to even it out in the container and flatten any bumpy sections until even.
  5. In a bowl, you can either melt the chocolate on the stove top or in a microwave bowl.  If using the microwave change the power level to 7 and heat the chocolate 30 seconds at a time.  Make sure to mix the chocolate up after each time until smooth.
  6. Once the chocolate is smooth pour over the Rice Krispy mixture and even distribute the chocolate.


Enjoy!