Olive Garden Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Oh Yummy!  So excited to find this recipe on recipeswikia.com

Just add your favorite veggies, croutons and/or chips for dipping.

Olive Garden Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

 

Olive Garden Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

Added by Creynolds

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4

Description

This is a great spinach dip from Olive Garden. I'm sure you've had it, but if not you absolutely need to give it a try. This recipe is straight out of a restaurant cookbook so you'll find it exactly the same as in the restaurant!

• Check out more Restaurant Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned or frozen and thawed)
• ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• dash black pepper

On the side

• crackers, chips, or sliced toasted pitas

Directions :       Boil the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.

1. Drain in a colander when done.
2. Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave set on high for 1 minute.
3. Or, use a saucepan to heat the cheese over medium heat just until hot.
4. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts to the cream cheese and stir well.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the cream cheese and combine.
6. Serve hot with crackers, chips, or toasted pitas for dipping.

Back to School Lunches

Are you tired of making the same boring lunches for your kids or buying in adequate food provided by the school??  I found these fantastic ideas for fun kids lunches as well as these fabulous containers to keep them in from Easy Lunch Boxes.  Check out their website for even more lunch and picnic ideas!

Showcase Toddler Art

As the mom of a toddler and two older children, I love all their creations!  I wish I could save them all, but unfortunately  well I'd have a fire hazard on my hands!  I found this fantastic idea from Whitney from Squash Blossom Babies on how to showcase your toddlers artwork as a Masterpiece:

 This project is fun and it makes such a cute keepsake!

The supplies are basic:

• Paper scribbled on by toddler
• Canvas
• Paint
• Modpodge
• Foam brushes
• Scissors or paper cutting knife
• Pattern – I searched online for flower patterns and flower petals

Paint the canvas and allow it to dry completely.  Apply a second or third coat of paint if needed.

Simply cut out your pattern using your knife or scissors.  Cut out the pattern and then use the pattern to cut the scribbled paper.

Use Modpodge to glue the pattern to the canvas, then modpodge the entire canvas.  Allow to dry and repeat until the canvas is covered to your liking.  I did about 4 or 5 coats.

I hope you will find this tutorial to be helpful and mostly inspiring!  Think of it as recycling.  Don’t throw away your child’s first artwork….turn it into a masterpiece!

Whitney

Boot Bling

Have you ever heard of Boot Bling??  Well, I think this is going to be the newest trend by creator Patricia Young from PSY Designs.  Check out her whole Cowgirl Way Collection here.

Make sure you check out all of Patricia's great designs in her Etsy shop at PSY Designs.  Beautiful designs all handmade!





Not only can you wear these any season - unlike anklets but they are a fantastic way to add that extra sparkle to your outfit!

Patricia offers a great selection of different "Bling" for your boots - check out these:

Upcycle Shutters-A Few Ideas

Here are just four ideas for upcycling those old shutters.  I've used them myself for an earring display for craft fairs. 



Shutter Wall Display

Blog ‘From The Tortoise & The Hare’ features an awesome  step-by-step tutorial on how to make the pretty shutter display below,  DIY Shutter Wall Display Tutorial – HERE!

Via here

Shutter Sidetable

DIY Shutter SideTable from GoodHouseKeeping

DIY Shutter Side Table TUTORIAL – HERE!

Via here

Shutter Screen or Room Divider

Some high gloss paint in grey and black achieves a modern feel.

Via Here

 

Shutter Post Card Rack

The slotted design of shutter means they’re awesome for holding mail and post cards.

Via here

Lite Raw Summer Salad

Looks beautiful and delicious.  Very nutritious from vintageindie.com blog

Organic & Whole Living: Lite Raw Summer Salad

Summer is about eating fresh, local and lite. This is one of my favorite go to salads for lunch, dinner or even a snack!  It's refreshing, and the ingredients can usually be found in abundance during the summer.

Ingredients:

Israeli Cucumbers, English Cucumbers or any cucumbers you have.

Small Red Onion

Cherry Tomatoes

Lemon Juice

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

To prepare the salad, cut the cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes in half, dice the red onion and cucumber into a fine dice. If you choose to use a regular cucumber or another cucumber with a tougher peel, you may wish to peel it. Israeli cucumbers have a forgiving peel and I like to leave it on. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and season to taste with salt & pepper.  Mix to coat. If you aren't going to eat it right away, cover it, but leave it on your counter to marinate. It will only get better with time.

There are so many variations that I make of this salad, you really can do just about anything. Sometimes I omit the onion and add a little balsamic vinegar, diced yellow crook neck squash and zucchini, along with some fresh basil and oregano.

Enjoy!

Sharpie Tie Dye

This is a super fun project for kids!  It's really easy for them to do and fun also.  What a great way to dress up a shirt, dress, pants, skirt - even pants.

What You Need:

• Pre-washed white or light colored t-shirt
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Liquid dropper or medicine dropper
• Small plastic cup(s)
• Rubber bands
• Variety of colored Sharpies

Do It!:

1.  Choose a spot to start and put your cup in right side up and secure a rubber band around the cup rim holding the shirt tightly in place.
2. Pick your colors and create a small design in the center of the stretched circle. Keep your designs to the size of a quarter or half dollar because the alcohol will make the colors spread out a lot.
3. Using your dropper drip approximately 10 drops of rubbing alcohol in the center of your design and watch the colors spread.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 in different places on your piece of clothing to get your ideal design.
5. Heat set the colors by tossing the shirt in the dryer for a while before wearing.

Photos and DIY via The Art Girl Jackie

Light Bulb Moment...

Here are a couple of fun things to do with old light bulbs.  Very pretty party ideas or even just some nice and different home decor.  Best part is - it's recycled!  So your helping the environment too!

DIY: Lace Light Bulbs

Spray paint a doily onto a light bulb or use a silver pen and draw your own designs. When the light shines through, it will cast a beautiful pattern on your walls.

And from Pinterest (I just LOVE Pinterest!):

Hanging vases made from used light bulbs.

Scrabble Tile Tutorial

Scrabble tile charms and pendants are becoming extremely popular.  I think they are so adorable and have wanted to try my hand at making them too.  I found this great tutorial from Beadaholic.  Has anyone else tried this?  If so, please comment and share your experience.  Check it out:

Make Chalkboard Paint in Any Color

Here is a recipe for chalkboard paint from Martha Stewart.   You can use this for so many projects and it's simple-which I really like.  In a later article I will share some great ideas for the chalkboard paint so stay tuned.



I recently saw these Chalkboard Rocks from Pottery Barn that you can write on with chalk and thought…”I can make those!” So I did! I had been wanting to paint something with chalk board paint (which has been all the rage on the craft blogs the past several months) to try out a homemade chalk paint recipe I found while browsing Martha Stewart’s site a while back.

If you haven’t noticed, Chalkboard Paint is pretty expensive. This recipe is super easy and only requires two ingredients…paint (of any color or type) and some Non-Sanded Tile Grout. I found mine at Home Depot for $4 and some change (can’t remember exactly). But you can find the grout at any home improvement store.

Then you will need to simply mix 1 cup of paint and 2 Tablespoons of grout. That’s it! Just make sure to stir it really well so that there are no lumps. You can use any paint. Paint for plastics or acrylic paint or house paint. You can also use any color of paint. How fun is that? There are so many possibilities and price is now no longer a factor! You could paint a whole room in chalk board paint! Your kids would think you were da bomb!

I really love the look of these black chalk board rocks. The room I have them in currently has a lot of black accents and so they fit in perfectly with the decor. Now I can keep them year round and just change what I write on them with chalk!

What would you like to use your chalk board paint for?

This sounds wonderful!  Different from the dropped biscuits that I grew up loving.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

by Eat at Home on August 2, 2009 in Main Courses, Poultry
See this recipe post on Eat at Home’s site! August 2, 2009

Main CoursesPoultry

4.95 Mitt(s) 41 Rating(s)

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 20 Minutes
Difficulty Easy
Servings 8

8

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

A bowl of chicken and dumplings. A glass of sweet tea. It’s a meal any Kentuckian would be proud to fix and danged happy to sit down to. And it’s not hard to make. Come on, I’ll show you how.

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.
Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.
Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.
To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!
For more pictures and instructions, see the related link above!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup Milk, A Bit Less Than A Full Cup
• 2 quarts Chicken Broth
• 3 cups Cooked Chicken