Thanks Pinterest!

So I've been kinda busy, kinda lazy these past few weeks. I became deathly ill (at least it felt like it) for about a week so we mainly ate frozen pizza. Then I interviewed for a position in Raleigh and got it! So I've been busy packing up boxes. I'm super excited!!

Anyway, this past week I've been on pinterest a bit more and found this recipe for Mexican Stuffed Shells from The Way To His Heart. It was pretty easy to veganize and I'm really glad I did! Two of my favorite types of food combined, really it couldn't be bad. I could not find shells at my grocery though, so I used manicotti instead.

Mexican Pasta
What You Need:

• 1 lb vegetarian crumbles (I used Morning Star but the Boca version is really good too) 
• 1 package taco seasoining
• 4 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1 package manicotti shells
• 1.5 cups salsa
• 1 cup taco sauce (found in the Mexican section)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese mix
• Green onions and sour cream to top

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the pasta according to the packaging. 
3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, combine the 'meat' crumbles, taco seasoning, and cream cheese. Heat on medium low, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese melts. Once it melts, remove from heat. 
4. Once the pasta is cooked through, pour the salsa over the bottom of your casserole dish. Stuff some of the 'meat' mixture into each manicotti/shell and lay them over the salsa. Pour the taco sauce over the pasta and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Top with the cheese and bake for another 20 minutes. 

Sausage Lasagna

As far as I can remember, when my mom made lasagna she made it this way. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but I was ready to try out a new recipe. We had some leftover sausage from the jambalaya and I figured now was as good a time as any to try making sausage lasagna. I kinda winged it (wung it?) for this one and just went wherever my nose took me and it turned out beautifully. I felt like Remy from Ratatouille. 

Sausage Lasagna

What You Need:

• 9 cooked lasagna noodles
• 1 jar sauce (if you make your own pasta sauce, more power to ya) 
• 2 (vegan) sausage links/roughly 1 lb sausage links
• 1/2 large green pepper, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 8 oz firm tofu (8 oz ricotta cheese if you're not going the vegan route) 
• 1 tbsp dry basil
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 1 package (vegan) shredded mozzarella cheese

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the sausage links to make half inch quarter pieces and slice the tofu (if using) into small squares. Add to large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until the tofu resembles ricotta cheese texture.
3. Chop up the vegetables and add to the sausage mixture along with 1/4 cup of pasta sauce and 1/4 cup of cheese and the spices. 
4. Pour 1/4 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish. Lay 3 or so lasagna noodles down (depending on the shape and size of your dish), cover with half of the sausage mixture. Then add 3 more noodles and cover that with 1/4 cup of pasta sauce. Add the remaining sausage mixture and cover with the last of the lasagna noodles. Top it off with the rest of the pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. 
5. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. 

Feeling Adventurous?

So we've been in a cooking rut. Seriously. It's been a lot of pasta and Mexican. So, I decided it was time to seriously switch things up. I guess after making the switch from vegan to vegetarian it was easier to just make things I already knew how to do.

So, what did I make while in this adventurous mood? Jambalaya! I've never made it before, and honestly, didn't think I'd like it all that much. I suggested it to Chris in passing as an option for our meal plan and he was so enthusiastic about it I knew I was being suckered into making it. You live and learn, right? Anyway, I'm really glad he did because it was amazing! I found the original recipe on food.com, and of course tweaked it because that's how I roll.

Vegetarian Jambalaya
What You Need:

• 1/2 cup (vegan) butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chili pepper (2 if you're like me and like your food extra spicy)
• 1 tbsp creole (to be honest, I didn't have this so I used Old Bay seasoning with some cumin powder. They were close enough in my book) 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 pound (vegan/vegetarian) sausage
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups brown rice
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of chopped tomatoes

The Process: 

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, serrano chili pepper, celery, and the seasonings. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, sausage, and rice. 
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook until the rice is tender. 

I wish I were a better photographer. I feel like this picture should ooze tasty. 

Breakfast Of Course

Holy cow Batman! I haven't posted in ages. I have been slacking. To be honest, I just haven't been in the cooking mood. The things I have cooked recently are regulars in our household and are already on the blog. This morning, though, I was feeling adventurous. I've been craving pumpkin lately, I have no idea why, and so I made baked pumpkin oatmeal. Top it with some warm syrup and it's heavenly!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
What You Need:

• 2 1/2 cups dry oats
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cup (vanilla soy) milk
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 4 tsp cinnamon (plus some to sprinkle on the top) 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, the canned pumpkin, and the oats in a bowl, then cover the bottom of your casserole dish with the oat mixture. 
3. Mix the milk, syrup, and vanilla in another bowl. Pour this mixture over the oats. Top it with the raisins and if you're a cinnamon fanatic like me, sprinkle more cinnamon on the top. 
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve with warm syrup. 

I'm sure you're wondering what is in my mug. Okay okay, I'll tell you. It's my vanilla mocha latte :) It is 1/4th chocolate almond milk, 1/4th vanilla soy milk, and half coffee which equals pure joy in a cup. 

Buttermilk Pancakes

I was thinking, maybe I should come up with a clever name and post breakfast type foods on a specific day. Probably Sunday since that's when I have my fancy breakfasts. Well, by fancy I mean something other than just a banana. Anyway, if you have any suggestions of what my breakfast day should be called, please let me know! I'll try to do a little brainstorming myself.

This week I tweaked a vegan pancake recipe from my fav cookbook Get Healthy, Go Vegan. Using a skill I learned while making the Cinnamon Rolls, I turned my vanilla soy milk into buttermilk which I personally think made these pancakes so much better.

Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
What You Need:

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/3 cup (vanilla) soy milk
• 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar 
• blueberries (optional)

The Process: 

1. Pour the vinegar into a cup containing the soy milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients and heat the pan. 
3. Once the 'buttermilk' is ready, add it to the dry ingredients and mix in the blueberries if you chose to have them. 
4. Poor the batter onto a non-stick pan or oiled pan. Flip when it starts to bubble, about 1-2 minutes per side. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day! 

Softball Fuel

Now that I'm on my (9 day) summer break, I started cooking a little more. I've also gotten a little more experimental and cooked with quinoa and sweet potatoes tonight! Only my second time cooking with either of those ingredients. And it turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself. I found the original recipe here at Good Life Eats, but it was a guest post by Some the Wiser, and of course I tweaked it some to suit my taste buds (I really don't like olives).

Sweet Chick Quinoa Wrap
What You Need:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• black pepper to taste
• Whole wheat flat bread/tortillas

The Process: 

1. In a large pan, cook quinoa and nutritional yeast in the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. 
2. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until soft. 
3. Once the quinoa is finished cooking, add remaining ingredients to the large pan and simmer until all of the mixture is warm. Fill your wrap and enjoy! 

With the combination of carbs and fats, it was the perfect fuel for Chris before his community softball game. Sasha loves cheering for her daddy. 

Grillin' Out

We celebrated my pseudo graduation last weekend by firing up the grill for the first time this spring/summer. I was too lazy to attempt to make tasty vegan burgers so I just bought Boca Burgers. However, Christopher and I worked together to make his burgers extra yummy. I may be vegan but I still have mean grillin' out skills.

Best Burger
What You Need:

• 2 lbs hamburger meat
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup instant oats
• 1 egg

The Process:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Using wax paper, shape each burger
3. Grill and enjoy :) 

My burgers are the ones on the left. Just ignore the one that decided to be blazingly bright. 

We topped ours with tomato, onion, spinach, and mushrooms. The mushrooms were camera shy I suppose. 

Summer Break

Finals are over! I walked across the stage today :) I have a couple of classes to take over the summer but I am so close to being done with undergrad that I can almost taste it! My parents came to town for the graduation ceremony and afterwards my mom said she and my sister needed to go to the fabric store. Perfect!, I thought. I've had an unfinished project in my kitchen for months. I found the absolute best fabric that incorporates all the colors we use in the kitchen!

The project started off with this piece of furniture. Originally a cabinet I suppose? I'm not sure what you call this, but the doors had fallen off years ago and it was a dull tan that didn't fit in at all with our kitchen.

I started off by sanding it down to get it closer to the original wood. I then used paint we had lying around to paint it. I used a white we used for the trim in the living room and the same blue I painted the canvas with.

As you can see from the above two pictures, we keep dog food in this cabinet. We also have a bin of dog toys that go in there. It's convenient to have a place to put them but they were kind of unsightly in the kitchen, right by the table. So, today, I added fabric curtains! 

I attached them using little squares of velcro. I did this for two reasons. The first being because this is where the dog stuff goes and the dogs know that and hang out by it so the fabric is bound to get dirty. With velcro I can take it off, wash it, and put it back on! The second being that I can change it later if I decide the flowers are too bold or summery. Maybe later I'll do a plaid for the fall and winter? Either way, right now it makes me smile :D

French Toast

I have really loved waking up on a Sunday morning and having a nice breakfast. Normally I just eat a banana or an apple for breakfast so I can get extra sleep on my busier days. I still work on Sundays but don't go in until noon. That leaves all morning to relax :)

This week's Sunday morning breakfast was french toast. This was my absolute favorite breakfast food growing up. Actually, it still is. I freaking love french toast. I was really excited when I found a vegan recipe for it in my favorite cookbook, Get Healthy, Go Vegan. I adapted it to suit my obsession with cinnamon and vanilla with the result of amazing vegan french toast!

Vegan French Toast
What You Need:

• 8oz/1 pkg silken tofu
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy/almond milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Sliced whole wheat bread

The Process:

1. Add all the ingredients, except the bread, to the blender. Blend on low until it is a smooth liquid. 
2. Dip the bread slices into the mixture and place onto a heated pan. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes per side. 

I had mine with maple syrup and a glass of soy milk. It was a wonderful start to the day! 

Flower Power

Once, at a party where I knew next to no one a girl walked up to me and asked "Are you a hippie?". I wasn't wearing tie-dye and I didn't have flowers in my hair but Chris quickly answered "Yes, she is." What makes someone a 'hippie' these days? Is it because I like to garden and don't eat meat? That seems silly to me. But, I will say that I do love a good flower halo.

My great-grandmother, fittingly nick named "Wowee", taught me how to make a flower halo when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I think of her every time I make one. She told me she and her friends would make them all the time when she was a little girl. 

If being vegan makes me a hippie then by golly I'll take it. This vegan version asparagus pizza is to die for! I found it here at Dainty Chef and adapted it to suit my needs. The main difference is that I used garlic hummus in place of spreadable garlic herb cheese. I wish I had had the time to make my homemade pizza dough but exams week stress struck again and we just went with a store bought one. 

Asparagus Pizza

What You Need: 

• Pizza dough
• Asparagus spears
• 4 oz shredded (vegan) mozzarella
• 4 tbsp garlic hummus
• 1/2 spinach leaves
• Olive oil for brushing

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, or according to the packaging. 
2. Brush the dough with the olive oil. Spread the garlic hummus across the dough. Then add the spinach. Top with the mozzarella and the shaved asparagus (you can shave the asparagus spears using a vegetable peeler). 
3. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. 

Spinach Baked Ziti

I'm pleased to announce that I have gone local and haven't been to Starbucks in days! Days yall! That's a long time for me during exams week. Instead, I have been going to a new coffee shop downtown called the Scullery. It's quieter than Starbucks, therefore, more conducive to studying and writing papers. And, of course, it's a local business.

And all of that has nothing to do with the recipe I'm sharing today. Today I'm sharing spinach baked ziti. I use to make it all the time and it was always a huge hit and impressed my (college) friends. I made it so often that I grew tired of it and just now made it for Chris for the first time, and we've been together for nearly three years. Chris devoured it so I'm assuming it was a huge hit for him as well.

Spinach Baked Ziti
What You Need:

• 1 lb/1 package ziti
• 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 8 oz chopped mushrooms
• 8 oz shredded (vegan) mozzarella 
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 lb tofu, mashed

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook ziti according to packaging. 
2. In a large bowl mix the spinach, mushrooms, 1/2 of mozzarella, 1/2 sauce and the tofu. Once pasta is cooked, add it to the mixture. 
3. Put the mixture into your casserole dish. Cover with the remaining pasta sauce and top it with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

We had ours with a whole wheat Italian bread loaf and a spinach salad. 

Feeling Crafty

It's exams week. Ugh. I know I'm stressed when I cry in the library. So, when I came home I looked in my craft bag/closet (it started as just a bag of craft supplies in a closet but the supplies have taken over the entire closet) for something I could do tonight as a stress reliever. I know yall might be surprised to learn that I usually craft a lot more than I have in the past few months. In my bag/closet of crafts I found some paint, rope, a canvas and some paint pens.

The blue paint is one that I also used to paint part of a piece of furniture in the kitchen. Eventually that project will make it to the blog, but for now you should know that white and blues are the main two colors we want to have in our kitchen with an intent on a "beach cottage" feel. So the rope obviously was going to make the perfect "frame" for the canvas. I attached it using a simple hot glue gun.

I was SUPER excited because while watching Forks Over Knives I discovered my new favorite quote and wanted to incorporate it in the kitchen somehow. I don't know why the letters look yellow, but I used a white paint pen.

The Broke Man's Dinner

Rice and beans. If you've ever been in a tight spot financially you have probably been told you should eat more rice and beans. I once ate this for dinner every night for a week. Last summer, while I was in Spain, Chris asked what he could make for $5 and still have leftovers. I told him my special rice and beans recipe. He liked it so much he started making it all the time while I was away. You can eat it as is, or in a burrito, or with chicken on top.

Tonight, we chose to eat it in burritos. 

Rice & Beans:

What You Need: 

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup salsa
• 3 tbsp chili powder

The Process:

1. Cook the rice according to the packaging. To make it a quick meal, use instant brown rice. 
2. In a pan mix the rice, beans, salsa, and chili powder. Let simmer until the mixture is warm. 

Yummy Breakfast

Hello again, I feel like I haven't posted in ages. I've been working more and cooking less so I felt like I had nothing to contribute. But today, I have a delicious oatmeal breakfast to share with yall! I found the original recipe here at Kate's Recipe Box and just knew I had to create a vegan version.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup (almond) milk
• 1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce
• 2 tbsp melted (vegan) margarine
• 1 large apple or two small apples, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup raisins

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray your casserole dish with cooking oil. 
2. In a medium bowl mix the oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl mix the syrup, milk, applesauce, and margarine.
3. Put the apple pieces on the bottom of the dish along with half of the raisins. Cover with the oat mixture the distribute the milk mixture over the oats. Top it off with the remaining raisins. Bake for 35 minutes. 

I especially loved how the house smelled while it was baking. 

Productive Weekend

Chris and I started on our backyard project this weekend! We have a weird area that won't grow grass so we've decided to do a stone pathway. Just from the first stones, I can tell I'm going to really like it! It'll take a few weeks to finish due to our busy schedules but I'll show yall once it's finished :)

I also started studying for finals and worked this weekend so I'd say the past couple of days were a success! Again, I decided on a quick meal for dinner. Are you surprised? Start to finish, this one took 30 minutes. It's an adaption of a recipe from my favorite cook book, Get Healthy, Go Vegan.

Artichoke Fusilli
What You Need:

• 2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat fusilli
• 1 can artichoke hearts, cut into quarters
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay) 
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp basil
• pepper to taste

The Process:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package.
2. Heat the broth over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, artichoke hearts, wine and black pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the basil.
3. Serve the artichoke mixture over the cooked pasta and enjoy with a nice glass of wine :) 

A New Favorite

I can always tell when a new recipe is a hit by how little of the meal is left the next day. Last night's Veggie Baked Ziti was a new favorite of Christopher's. He made up his mind before he even tasted it, silly goose.

I especially like this baked ziti because it has so many different types of veggies in it. It's great for the same reason Rainy Day Soup is great, you can use up all of those left over vegetables in your fridge! I didn't make as many quesadillas as I expected (turns out they're more filling than they look) so I had a lot of squash and zucchini left over. Combine that with my recent craving for baked ziti and I give you Veggie Baked Ziti!

Veggie Baked Ziti
What You Need:

• 2 cups uncooked ziti
• 1 large summer squash, sliced
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used a garden medley sauce)
• 1 package (vegan) mozzarella cheese

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cook the pasta according to the packaging.
2. In a heated, oiled skillet add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, onion and garlic mixture, chopped veggies, spaghetti sauce, and 3/4 cups mozzarella cheese. Mix all together and scoop into a casserole dish. Top with all remaining cheese.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 

 

Eventually I'll master taking good pictures of casseroles. It's way harder than it looks. 

Yet Another Quick & Easy Dinner

I am seriously all about dinners that are ready, from start to finish, within 30 minutes. Especially now that it is warmer outside, I'd rather be spending my evenings taking a walk with Chris and the dogs than cooking dinner for hours. Last night's dinner was no exception. We had vegetable quesadillas, ready in just 15 minutes! I love that these quesadillas have the squash in them because it compliments the cheddar cheese really well.

Summer Squash Quesadillas
What You Need:

• 1 package whole wheat tortillas
• 1 package (vegan) cheddar cheese
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 8 ozs mushrooms
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• (vegan) sour cream and salsa to top it off

The Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While it is heating, chop up all the vegetables that you would like to put on your quesadilla. 
2. Put 1/4 cup of cheese on a tortilla. Add the vegetables and then add another 1/4 cup of cheese over the vegetables. Top with the second tortilla and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 
3. Serve with salsa and sour cream. 

Date Night

Tonight, on a whim, we decided to have a date night. It had been a month since our last one so we were pretty excited. We went and saw Hunger Games, which was awesome! I'll definitely need to read the books to find out what happens next. After the movie, Chris noticed that there was a frozen yogurt store, Loreta's, next to the theater. I begrudgingly agreed to go in, thinking there would be nothing I could have there. I happily admit that I was wrong. Loreta's had a delicious strawberry sorbet!

You get your own soft serve dessert and then go to the toppings bar to add toppings to your heart's desire :) We will definitely be going back.

We came back home for dinner and I made a creamy pepper pasta. I use to eat pasta nearly every day so I was thrilled to have a creamy pasta tonight to finish off our date night.

Creamy Pepper Pasta
What You Need:

• 1 lb/1 package fettuccini pasta
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon: zest from the lemon and 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups (soy) milk
• 1 cup (vegan) cheddar cheese

The Process:

1. Cook the pasta according to the packaging.
2. While the pasta is cooking slice the peppers and cook them in the oiled pan at medium heat. Add the lemon zest, pepper, and lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the pasta, milk, and cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the milk mixture is creamy rather than watery. 

 

We served ours with a french loaf. Chris also had his with broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken that he bought from our grocery. 

Sloppy Joes

Before we get to the recipe, I'm excited to say that Chris and I have figured out what we want to do to improve the backyard and it should cost less than $50! We currently have a weird spot that won't grow grass, a dirt pathway, and then another weird spot that won't grow grass. Hopefully we'll be tackling this project next weekend and I can show yall.

Now on to the sloppy joes! Sloppy joes has always been a favorite of mine. After becoming vegetarian I tried a few different recipes before deciding I preferred lentils for my joes and to make them the way I use to, just with lentils now.

Lentil Sloppy Joes
What You Need:

• 4 cups cooked lentils
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
• 3/4-1 1/4 cups ketchup
• 2 tbsp (vegan) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp mustard
• Whole wheat buns

The Process:

1. The easiest way to prepare for this meal would be to soak the uncooked lentils over night. If you do this, it will only take you about 5 minutes to make this meal. If you choose to cook them the day of, be prepared to let them cook for a couple of hours stove top. 
2. Chop up the celery and green pepper.
3. Once the lentils are ready, add them to a large pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the condiments, celery, and green pepper. Mix all together and let sit in the pan until warm. 
4. Serve on toasted hamburger buns. 

This post is linked to:

Scrumptious Sunday Link Party! 

Recipe Party 

Show Me What You Got! 

Easter Already?

That's how I felt when I looked at the calender today. And then I had a smack my head moment since just yesterday we decided to do baskets for each other on a budget of $20 each. Panic mode! So after work I hit up Dollar Tree and Target and completed the basket in less than an hour. Yay me! Although, I might cheat and make it $30 because I really want to get a nice beer to go with the basket.

What's in it, you ask?

• Wooden brain teaser, $1
• Cadbury eggs, $3
• Peeps, $1
• Plastic eggs, $1
• Chocolate bunny, $1
• Basket, $1
• Mrs. Fields mini chocolate sampler, $1
• Beer mug, $1 (why I want nice beers to add to it)
• Grass, $1
• Jelly beans, $1
• Chocolate eggs, $1
• Bubble bath, $5