Manly Mini Cheesecakes {Whiskey + Chocolate}

Sometimes I get these ideas and these ideas tend to come to me at the last minute. They almost always come to fruition at the very last minute actually (drives Ryan nuts). Enter these little cuties. I finished cranking them out about 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave for the party. That's right we were late. But they were totally worth it. 

They're rich, creamy, and manly. Men will devour a cute little dessert like this, pinkies in the air, if you tell them there's whiskey in it. And they're the perfect size. You can enjoy the richness of cheesecake without committing to a huge slice. I'd say they're about the size of a 50 cent piece.

Our friend Marty was turning the big five zero. That's right, he's now officially over the hill. As friends arranged a huge shindig complete with lots of boozy karaoke, I asked Marty what edible delight I could bring. He told me he looOoves cheesecake. It was the perfect excuse for me to buy the mini cheesecake pan that I'd been eyeing for years.

Marty has a boozy love affair with Crown Royale, which triggered my decision to make a sampler of boozy infused mini cheesecakes. Sweet treats + alcoholic ingredients = very happy party-goers. 

The beauty of this basic cheesecake recipe is that you can pretty much add whatever you'd like to it. I made toppings out of what I had in my cabinets and fridge. My fiancé has a ridiculous sweet tooth, so there are always mini candy bars and ice cream toppings laying around.

Baby Birthday Banner {Tutorial}

It was my nephew's first birthday last week! And we threw him a mustache bash. I'll be sharing all of the stashy details soon enough. First up, this super cute baby face birthday banner. I got the idea from Stephanie over at Simply Radiant. 

I made two banners celebrating my nephew's adorably expressive face throughout his first year. And I absolutely love how they turned out. Some party goers thought they were really cute, some thought they  were a wee bit "creepy", but one thing's for sure they made everyone smile. My aunt even kept one of the banners to hang in her cubicle at work.

Be my bridesmaid? {Free Printable}

I'm engaged y'all! Which means...there will be lots of wedding projects coming your way. We're planning this wedding on a very tight budget. It's going to be a very merry DIY wedding. We plan on recruiting help from all those we love around us. First up, the bridesmaids.

I put together these cards to ask my girls to be my bridesmaids. Of course, I had to let them know what they'd be signing up for. So I came up with this list of duties. It just so happens to rhyme. Don't judge.

I tried to give the list an ombre effect. So despite what some may think, my printer was not running out of ink. To download the free printable, click here.

"Dia de Los Muertos" Sugar Skull Face Paint Tutorial

One of the many things I've learned from my mom -- always make your own Halloween costume and never spend a lot of money doing it. It's like a personal challenge every year to come up with a super sweet costume idea using things around the house and/or spending as little as possible. 

For example, my owl costume from last year or my paper wig.

And of course my man gets just as into it as I do. He's got just as many creative juices, flowing through his veins, as I do. Have I mentioned we're a match made in heaven? 

This year is another story. We've been so busy and exhausted lately. I mean, where did October go? We really hadn't planned anything for Halloween. Then Ryan came home from work the day before Halloween with some face paint and some rhinestones. "I'm going to make you a pretty little sugar skull," he said. 

I've had this fabulous photo pinned of a beautiful girl with her face painted like a sugar skull from el Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Ryan used her as the inspiration for what you see below. It's creepy, it's sparkly, it's awesome.

We got up earlier than usual so that he could paint and bedazzle my face before work. Unfortunately, not early enough to have time to take photos of each step as I had hoped. So I apologize for the lack of photos during the process, but I'll try to explain the steps as best I can.

Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes. I used to shy away from them, because they were always served with those weird little marshmallows on top. Was it dessert? Was it a veggie side? Let's just say that I'm much more of a savory sweet potato person. I tried these savory little buggers last night. So easy. So yummy in my tummy.

These sweet potatoes are cubed up and tossed in a balsamic reduction, sweetened with a little brown sugar, sprinkled with kosher salt, and then roasted to perfection in the oven. They're sweet and savory. This side dish is easy to make, but does take 40 minutes in the oven, so don't wait until the last minute to throw it together.

Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

Tequila Jalapeno Crab Dip

I'm so so sorry to those of you who are kind enough to check back for new postings. I know I've been M.I.A. I'm teaching high school again and while I love it, planning and grading occupy most of my time. This little delicious dip has been waiting to be posted for the last three weeks.

I made this tequila jalapeno crab dip for my first Pinterest party. Everyone had to bring some grub and something crafty to make that they had pinned. I've had this dip pinned for awhile and finally pulled the trigger. Result = pure deliciousness!

I made a few changes to the original recipe. I'm not a fan of mayo, so I used sour cream instead. I also added some red bell pepper, doubled the garlic, and used green salsa instead of the Tabasco. It ended up being so damn tasty! My Pinterest craft of bedazzling my iPhone charger however... a bust. You win some, you lose some.

I might consider nixing the sugar next time. The crab meat is sweet and the red bell pepper added an additional sweetness. I'm not sure the sugar is necessary...either way this dip is too good to pass up. Kick ass really.

To make the dip, start by seeding the peppers. Throw some jalapeno, Anaheim, red bell pepper, roma tomato, onion, and garlic into the food processor.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Do they look incredibly pretty? No. In fact, they kind of look like giant cocoons. But don't let their sad and frumpy appearance fool you. These zucchini blossoms, filled with a creamy mixture of goat cheese, cream cheese and herbs, are rich and delicious!

Ryan and I like to go to the local farmer's market in Chico as often as we can. Our most recent visit resulted in a bag of zucchini blossoms, some purple Chinese long beans, and a purple basil plant. The basil is now growing at warp speed in my back yard, waiting to be used for purple pesto (so cool). The Chinese long beans shriveled in the veggie drawer of my fridge before I could think of a way to use them. That's a dollar I'll never get back. And the zucchini blossoms...well we decided to stuff 'em with  cheese and fry 'em.

We decided to try out Giada De Laurentiis' recipe. A few things we did differently: we used herb flavored goat cheese instead of plain, we used milk instead of cream, and we left out the green onions (only because they were forgotten on the grocery list).

They went from delicate flowers to little deep-fried torpedoes of gooey goat cheese. The marinara was the perfect compliment for me. Ryan mixed up some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for his dip of choice.