Monday Message

~ My Monday Message ~

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One of the greatest things you'll ever learn 

is to love and be loved in return.

Love with all your heart!...

~ Tammy's Tunes ~ - Gato Barbieri

A favorite from one of our favorites:

~:~  Gato Barbieri  ~:~

"Europa" 

This is our all time favorite jazz musician.  This is the favorite of all of his music and I love it!  Gato plays in a soothing jazz style.  The best 'Sax' playing I've ever heard.  This is music that you feel.  Romantic and sensual.  Gato plays as if it's from his heart, and you'll feel it in yours.  It is worth a listen, and worthy of adding to your music collection.  As part of my "things I love" this is a perfect addition and since Valentine's Day is close, it is perfect for setting the mood for romance, so share this with your significant other too. This video is a great go together with this tune.  Sit back and listen, and enjoy this ...and then you'll probably do it again!

Hugs...

   

Chocolate Hugs and Kisses - in pretty recycled jars

I think these would make a great Valentine's Day gift! 

Chocolate Hugs-n-Kisses

in pretty recycled jars

 I did a post about these recycled jars last month, I made a couple to give as Christmas gifts.  

You can find the tutorial for making the Jars here.  Maybe using a sweet little valentine card or a heart shape for the tag attached could be added for extra cute-ness.  Maybe someone you know who also loves chocolate hugs-n-kisses would enjoy receiving these from you!

 I sure do love chocolate, and hugs-n-kisses too!  

Hugs-n-Kisses!...

Jalapeno Popper Dip

This dip is amazingly good, and is reminiscent of jalapeno poppers, hence the name.  A creamy, cheesy, spicy delicious dip that is sure to please.  I had made note of a dip recipe sometime ago and wanted to put my own spin on it, and give it a try.  I had forgotten about it until I started planning my holiday foods list and stumbled upon it in my recipe notes.  This was another great choice to serve with my other holiday foods at that time.  I just made this yummy dip again over the past weekend and since I hadn't taken photos of it before, I did capture some this time and wanted to share them and the recipe!

I think I could actually eat my weight in this stuff.  It really is that good!  I love this dip, it's creamy, cheesy, spicy goodness.  If you like hot and spicy, this is definitely going to be something you will enjoy.  If you don't, you can back off the jalapenos called for in the recipe and it would be good too, maybe even try using canned mild chilies instead?  I didn't have any complaints at all from anyone that tried this.  In fact everyone really enjoyed it.  I get requests to make it again, and again!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:
3  8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise
1-1/2 cups 4 cheese mexican blend cheese, shredded or cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 or 4 heaping tbsp diced jalapeno peppers or 4 to 6 fresh jalapenos-deseeded(seeds make it very hot)
1/4 cup of real bacon bits or 4 slices of crispy cooked bacon-diced
1/2 tsp onion powder or 1 tsp diced fresh onion


Topping:
1 cup of crushed ritz crackers
1/2 cup parmesan cheese - finely grated-the type from a can
1/2 stick of butter, melted


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare an oven safe dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise.  Add all of the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir together well. Spread into a baking dish, dip should be about an inch thick. Thicker dip will require longer time to cook.
Finely crush up the ritz crackers (I place them into a zip-lock baggie and smash them).  Mix crushed crackers, the parmesan cheese and melted butter together to form topping. Sprinkle topping evenly all over the dip.  Bake for 20-30 minutes of until bubbly and warmed through, and topping is slightly browned. Serve with ritz crackers for dipping, or other crackers or tortilla chips.

Spread into baking pan.

Add topping.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips...It will disappear quickly!

Enjoy!...

A 'LOVE' Find

This caught my eye while at the crafts store and I loved it.  I just had to have it!  Anything with the word 'Love' on it usually does catch my eye.  This sappy love filled gal loves, love and all that it is, so when I saw this and read it, it was going to be mine as soon as I could get my hands on it!  It goes well with my decor, and is perfect as part of my "things I love", so I wanted to include it in my February posts.  An unexpected LOVE find...but at this time of year love is even more noticeable, for Valentine's Day is approaching fast and I see LOVE everywhere!

This LOVE was unexpected!...

Steak & Italian Sausage Chili

I started making Chili using steak and italian sausage years ago to change up the recipe I had always used before, which called for using ground beef.  My husband loved the new steak and italian sausage method so much, that it is the only way he has wanted me to make it since.  It is hearty and meaty, and it's always a delicious crowd pleaser.  And might I add, a real man pleaser too!*wink*  

We love spicy foods around here at our place, so I usually make my chili hot and spicy.  We must have all the fixin's to go with our chili too, a bit of macaroni or pasta, shredded cheese, diced onion and a nice handful of Fritos corn chips to top it off.  I've also added a dollop of sour cream on occasion as well.  I often enjoy some saltine crackers on the side, they work well to scoop up a big ole bite of yummy-ness!  Sometimes adding a little butter on the crackers, to eat along with the chili is good too.  

This is one of those guess-timation recipes, a bit of this and a some of that, so I have as best put this to a follow-able recipe.  This recipe makes a big pot of chili! ...plenty for a group of maybe eight people, or plenty for second helpings for just a few, and/or plenty to freeze for later.  Enjoy!

Steak & Italian Sausage Chili

Ingredients:
1 -lb lean thin steak - cut into small cubes
1/2 -lb sweet italian sausage or 3 italian sausages with casing removed
5 -14oz cans of diced tomatoes (and their juice)
3 -16oz cans of chili beans (I prefer the Bush's brand)
1 packet mild chili seasoning
1 packet hot chili seasoning
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
olive oil -a drizzle to satue meat
ground red pepper or red pepper flakes to taste (optional-if you like more heat!)

Additional Ingredients and Toppings:
cooked macaroni or pasta
shredded cheese ie. cheddar or mexican blend or four cheese
diced onions
Fritos corn chips
saltine crackers
sour cream (optional)



Directions:
In large soup pot on med high heat, add olive oil and saute steak until no longer pink, push to outer edges and then add sausage to center of the pan and break up finely as it cooks, combine and continue to cook meats till browned.  Any liquid from the meats can be drained off at this time.  Add tomatoes and seasonings and stir together.  Add the beans and carefully stir in.  Add red pepper to your heat preference-(optional).  Simmer on low to medium heat, then increase temperature before serving.  (Tastes even better the next day, or if you have any left-overs)    

I love me some spicy chili!...

Roses Heart Wreath

After seeing a heart shaped wreath covered with beautiful fresh roses, it inspired me to make a wreath for the month of February.   Also since this month has Valentine's Day a heart wreath with red roses on it seemed the perfect choice.  Plus the heart shape is my favorite, and I love hearts!  I just knew a trip to the craft store would prove beneficial, and with bundles of silk roses at half price, my plan was in full bloom! 

I began with a wire hanger bent into a heart shape, two bundles of silk roses, 

about a dozen each, a sparkly red ribbon, and wire.  

Cut the roses leaving a few inches of stem and removed the greenery.

By pushing the stem up through the rose, the stem is curled up with needle nose pliers, 

then the stem pulled back into place.  

This keeps the rose head secure and from coming off the stem.(can also use glue on the

 stem and rose head to secure instead) 

Wrapped wire over each additional rose and stem, and continued to cover the hanger with the roses.

At the end the last stem was bent backwards and wire wrapped, the other stems were cut off

even with the bottom.

One side completed.

Second side in progress.

After all the roses were added, ribbon was added to cover the hanger and wire wrapping.

A pretty red bow added to the bottom finished it nicely!

Lovin' this heart!...

It's all about Love...and Chocolate!

Art and Chocolate.  Chocolate and Art.  

I thought this was worth sharing.  Love and chocolate...I Love it!

Beautiful and delicious looking artwork for the 2013 Godiva Golden Globes party.  What a beautiful display of love, and chocolate!  I was thinking that perhaps this is where all the unsold chocolate goes, although it is hard to believe that it's even possible to not sell all the chocolate.  However it's even harder for me to think that all this chocolate will go to waste after this!  Sad really for this chocolate lover to imagine any chocolate going to waste!  But this display is beautiful and it's all about love...and chocolate, and I love both!

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"The large Rose and chocolate LOVE installation was inspired by the notion “true love takes two,” this installation illustrates the perfect marriage of chocolate and roses as two ways to communicate love."

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and another

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"The LOVE installation in balloon letters was inspired by the music during the “Summer of Love” and the Beatles’ famed song, “All you Need is Love”

TASTEfully done!

One can never have too much Love and Chocolate!...

February Love

For the love of...

February  

Ah February, the month most associated with the celebration of love!   Love is to be shared, so share your love with those you love, each and every day!  

I'll be sharing some of my loves and things I love throughout this month 
in the name of LOVE!...