Candle Bling from Vintage Jewelry

I was looking for a candle wreath or something to decorate my candle that sits on my newly painted candle holder. Since I have a shabby chic theme in my living room, I wanted something sparkly and old. Then I remembered I had an old bracelet stuffed in a box in my closet. I'm really trying to clean out and display my vintage items rather than having them packed away, so I used my bracelet as candle bling and I love it!

 

Love and peace,

~ Simply Tammi

Flavored Sugars

When I went to the grocery store the other day, I noticed in the spice area they were selling Cinnamon-Sugar Mix for about $4.00!  I was a little surprised to say the least.  Our family has been making this and using it for years (for less than $4!)
So just in case you haven't tried it, here it is:

• I use a glass spice jar and add about 2 tsp of ground cinnamon, then fill the rest of the jar with sugar. Give it a shake to mix.  

This makes a great topping for muffins or banana bread, just sprinkle it on top before baking.  You can make dinner bread sticks into "dessert" bread sticks, spread a little butter on them and sprinkle the top with the mixture before you bake them.  It also makes a yummy topping for toast with a little butter or peanut butter!
This also makes a nice gift idea.

For a bigger batch:

•  2 cups of granulated sugar
•  add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon and a couple cinnamon sticks to a jar that seals tightly.  

To make Vanilla Sugar

• Cut a vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds from the bean into the sugar, then bury the bean in the sugar.  This works well in desserts and drinks.  It takes about a week to infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar.  

These mixtures will last about a year in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
~Simply Angie

Angel Hair Pasta and Chicken

 

I must admit that Monday night cooking is not my favorite item from my to-do list, so last night I made it simple with pasta and chicken. You can experiment with this recipe, I change my ingredients and seasonings depending on what I have on hand. It takes about 30 minutes to make and I always make enough so we have leftovers!
Ingredients:
1/4 c olive oil
2 chicken breasts (no skin or bones)
2 T dried basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1-2 c canned tomatoes with juice or 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or diced
1/3 c any shredded cheese (mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan)
8 oz angel hair pasta
Sea salt
Slice chicken breasts at a diagonal and add to a pan (over medium heat) that contains olive oil, basil, oregano, rosemary, onion, and garlic. (Make sure your olive oil is hot when you add your chicken). I turned my chicken a couple of times during cooking to make sure both sides were very light golden brown. It took about 15-20 minutes. Add water to a large pot (about half full), add about 2 T sea salt and boil. Add the angel hair pasta, remove the cover and boil 8 minutes, stirring a few times. When your pasta is done, drain most of the water but keep enough to cover the bottom of the pan. You will need to use your judgement on this. I didn't have fresh tomatoes so I used canned tomatoes and the juice. But if you use fresh tomatoes, you will need more liquid so you will want to keep more of the pasta water. Add the chicken and oil mixture to the pasta. I let mine simmer for about 10 minutes then shredded the cheese over the top prior to serving. This makes about 4-6 servings.
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I wanted to post the chocolate buttercream frosting recipe but since we've had so many requests for the cupcake recipe, I decided to include them both. These are just the best chocolate cupcakes ever, I love family recipes!
Ingredients:

1/4 c butter (room temperature)

1/4 c coconut oil (room temperature)

2 cups white sugar

6 T cocoa

2/3 c sour milk (add 1 T white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk)

2 tsp baking soda (add it to the milk)

4 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Mix butter and coconut oil with sugar. Then add ingredients as listed until you get to the water.  Beat ingredients on medium for about 1 minute the add the boiling water. Turn down your mixer speed or hot water will be splashing everywhere, trust me on this! The batter will be runny but don't panic! Preheat your oven to 350F. I used paper cupcake liners in my muffin pan. The regular size cupcakes will take about 20-25 minutes to bake.  Press slightly on the tops with your finger, if they bounce back they're done.
Cool in pan for 2-5 minutes. If you are using mini muffin tins, bake for 15-18 minutes. I made 106 minis from this recipe. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack until they have cooled enough to frost them or freeze them in an airtight container until you are ready to frost them.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup melted chocolate (I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then beat in the butter and heavy whipping cream. Once this is mixed add your melted chocolate. When smooth, add the vanilla extract. You might need to add more cream if your frosting is too thick. My sister frosted these using a large tip and pastry bag, so we wanted a little thicker consistency. Enjoy your cupcakes - these are the best!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi