*Disclaimer: I was compensated by Minted to write this post.  This post was written by me.  All opinions are 100% mine.*

This year has just flown by!  It seems like it was just yesterday that my husband and I were figuring out how in the world to design Christmas cards and where to have them printed.  We settled for a not so great answer and ended up with subpar cards to send out to a few of our friends that live far away.

This year I wanted something better.

And this year I found the answer, and I am SO excited to share it with all of you today!

Enter: Minted.

Okay you guys.  Minted.com is SO awesome!  They have hundreds of different card choices, from flat-cards to fold-out cards, to mini-book cards.  Every card can be customized with your own picture(s), color, greeting,  and my favorite…the SHAPE!

I don’t know about you, but at Christmas time I start getting so many cards, and eventually they all start looking the same: a rectangular card with a picture on it that says “Merry Christmas”.

Well, no more cliche cards from my family!  You can pick a different shape for you card for no additional cost!  Seriously. So. Cool.

Here are some of my personal favorites that I’m debating between this year:

Autograph

Family Year In Review

Making Spirits Bright

Glitter Holiday

Oh So Merry Collage

Bright and Chalky

Glitter Garden

Not only does Minted offer Holiday Cards, they offer a huge selection of wedding, birthday, baby shower invitations etc., stationary, business cards, banners, party decor and SO much more!  Go check them out!!

And, not only does Minted have a fabulous shop, they also have a great BLOG!  (Hooray for blogs!!)  Their blog is called Julep and offers many wonderful ideas.

One of the posts I love from Julep is How To Gold-Leaf a Pumpkin.  Remember back when I told you all how I thought that plain pumpkins were just so…boring?  Well, these gold-leaved pumpkins are anything but boring!

You can find this and more at minted’s blog Julep.

Happy Holidays!

**PLEASE PIN FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Apple Jello Salad by A Pinch of Glitter

Mountain Dew Apple Cinnamon Dumplings by A Pinch of Glitter

Milky Way Caramel Apple Nachos by A Pinch of Glitter

Caramel Apple Gooey Bars by Crazy for Crust

Apple Toffee Crumble by Something Swanky

Apple Pie Muddy Buddies by A Pumpkin and A Princess

Caramel Apple Milky Way Cheesecake Cookie Bars by Inside BruCrew Life

Crockpot Apple Butter by Changing My Destiny

Apple Fritter Waffles with Caramel Sauce by Call Me PMC

Apple Pie Baked in the Apples by Chronicles of a Domestic Dilettante

Homemade Apple Pie Filling by Inside BruCrew Life

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies by Baking With Blondie

Apple Rings by How To: Simplify

Apple Pie Popcorn Balls by Couponing and Cooking

Apple Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Bars by Lemons for Lulu

Apple Streusel Pizza by Cooking with Curls

Apple Turnovers with Vanilla Glaze by Love Grows Wild

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip by Couponing and Cooking

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread by Half Baked

Apple Pie Shakes by Lady Behind the Curtain

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad by Chef In Training

Bite Size Apple Pies by Cookin’ Up North

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup by Food Done Light

Apple Cider Donuts by Baked by Rachel

Spiced Apple Cider by Cooking Melangery

Apple Pie Cookies by Food Pusher

Caramel Apple In A Jar by The Gunny Sack

Skinny S’mores Apple Salad by Something Swanky

Apple Snickerdoodle Cobbler by Baked by Rachel

Kale Apple and Pork Potstickers by Hungry Girl Por Vida

Apple Cheesecake Bars by Crazy For Crust

Apple Crisp Pizza by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Biscoff Apple Empanadas by The Domestic Rebel

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Caramel Apple Granola Bars by Inside BruCrew Life

Apple Pie Caramel Apples by Miss CandiQuik

Caramel Apple Squares by My Baking Addiction

Caramel Apple Cake by The Charm of Home

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider by Number 2 Pencil

Snickers Caramel Apple Pie by I Heart Naptime

Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Brown Butter Maple Glaze by Beyond Frosting

Apple Cinnamon Muddy Buddies by Dessert Now, Dinner Later!

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pull Apart by Julie’s Eats and Treats

Easy Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars by Shaken Together

Salted Caramel Spiced Apple Macarons by Blahnik Baker

Apple Toffee Blondies by Cookies and Cups

Cinnamon Cider by The Frugal Girls

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins by Baked by Rachel

How to Make Purple Candy Apples by Rose Bakes

Slow Cooker Apple Pork Loin by The Kitchen is My Playground

Autumn Turkey and Apple Salad by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Apple Cider Caramels by Ecokaren

Apple Crisp Ice Cream by Shared Appetite

Bacon n’ Apple Cheeseburger Sliders on Key Ingredient

It’s that time again…time for the Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge!

For anyone who is new, here is a quick rundown: each month, any bloggers that would like to participate are given two ingredients that they are to create a dessert out of.  Then, on the second Thursday of each month, we all get together and post our recipes and join in a link party to share our recipes.  Also, new this month, we are each starting Pinterest boards to go along with the month’s theme.

This month’s ingredients: Maple and Pears.

I will be totally honest with you, I was NOT excited about these ingredients.

Maple just reminds me of sticky breakfast syrup.  Which, I suppose I like just fine, but…to make a dessert out of?!  Blah.

And pears!?  I eat those out of a can for my lunch when I’m feeling like a hobo and don’t even want to make myself a PB&J.

Two very blah ingredients, and I’m supposed to make a DESSERT out of them!?

Challenge accepted

Crepes seem like a magical food to me.  They’re like the food you can eat at any level of savory or sweet.  Throw bacon, eggs, peppers, and salsa on them and you’ve got one heck of a meal right there.  Put butter and a little sugar on them: a great snack with a touch of sweet.

Whip up these maple and pear crepes and you’ve got yourself a full-on dessert.  Add the maple whipped cream and you’ve got yourself the dessert of a lifetime!

Maple Pear Crepes with Maple Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
Crepes:
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 Tbs. butter, melted
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Filling:
1 can (29 oz.) pears
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. maple extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
         1/4 tsp. nutmeg
         3-4 Tsp. flour
   Whipped Cream:
Half Pint (236 mL) Whipping Cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup

Directions:
1. Place all crepe ingredients in a blender and blend together for 1 minute.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour (do not skip this step!).
2. Meanwhile, dice pears into bite sized chunks.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, stir together pears and brown sugar.
4. Add maple extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, to allow sauce to thicken slightly.
5. Whisk in flour until the sauce is thick and sticky.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, whip the whipping cream with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
7. Mix in powdered sugar and maple syrup.
8. To cook the crepes: in a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat, pour a thin layer of batter.  Once the edges are dry and the center is bubbly, flip the crepe to cook the other side.
9. Stuff crepes with the pear filling and roll up.  Top with maple whipped cream and extra maple syrup if desired.  Enjoy!

Click below to see all of the great Maple and Pear Recipes created by bloggers this month!

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Oh my goodness.  Can you believe that the holiday season is already here?!?  It feels like one day it was summer and the next day I’m pinning peppermint on Pinterest.  Say what?!

I know I’ve made it clear before that I am not a fan of the bitter cold that comes with winter.  I wish that it could be summer year-round.

However, one thing that I am a fan of is all of the delicious recipes that are posted this time of year.  And, I feel like it’s only getting started!  Sure, we all know that Pinterest goes through this MASSIVE pumpkin phase each year, but that doesn’t quite count.  Even I can’t fill my diet with only pumpkin products

I hope you enjoy what I have found this week, and know that it will only get better as we get deeper into the winter season!

Here are the RULES:

1. PIN FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE!!!
2. Want to see these pins on Pinterest?  Follow me 3. If I featured you, go ahead a grab a featured button from my sidebar! 4. Enjoy!

60+ Thanksgiving Sides Recipes by Lil’ Luna

Candy Cane Blossoms by Cupcake Diaries

75+ DIY Gift Ideas Under $5 by Lil’ Luna

Glittery Snowball Tutorial by View Along the Way

Tile Coaster Tutorial by The Cottage Mama

Cherry Cheesecake Fluff Salad by Something Swanky

White Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake by Inside BruCrew Life

Butterfinger Popcorn by Six Sisters’ Stuff

Pumpkin Cinnamon Twist Knots by A Kitchen Addiction

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta by Tastes Better From Scratch

I LOVE Thanksgiving time.  I was recently at the store to see what sort of Thanksgiving decor they had (and to see if there was any I absolutely couldn’t live without!), and I was lucky if I could find a few racks of Fall, yet alone Thanksgiving items, among all of the CHRISTMAS stuff.  I couldn’t believe it!!  I mean, I have come to the realization that Christmas is over-commercialized and yada yada, but to completely ignore Thanksgiving is NOT okay with me!  Shouldn’t we be giving thanks for what we have, and not be so worried about what we think we should have?

That being said, it will be forever known that in my house we will fully celebrate Thanksgiving and give it the attention it deserves

This will be the first Thanksgiving that I get to spend with my in-laws.  I’m super excited to be apart of all of their traditions!  I know that they make tons and TONS of pies (like 20 or 30!), so I definitely can’t wait for that!

However, I will definitely miss my own family’s Thanksgiving traditions.

Remember how I said in one of my recent posts that my family lives on an orchard?  Well, years ago when my grandmother was still alive and helping to run the orchard, she would go down by the highway where my parents now live and sell fruit from the orchard.  One day as my grandmother was selling apples, a woman came up to her and said that she always loved to buy apples from her orchard to make one of her favorite recipes.  This woman, Mrs. Wilson, gave my grandmother a copy of the recipe so she could try it out herself.

It was a recipe for a jello salad made using fresh, grated apples.  We called it Mrs. Wilson’s Set Salad.

My grandmother tried the recipe, and it became an instant family favorite.  We would have it at many Sunday dinners, and I cannot remember a Thanksgiving dinner in my life where this jello has not been served.

I may be biased, but I think this is the perfect Thanksgiving jello.  It is the perfect side dish and is just what you need to complete your meal.  Oh, and did I mention that it’s super easy!?

Apple Jello Salad
Ingredients:
1 small box (3 oz.) Cherry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Orange Juice
3 apples, peeled and grated
dash of salt

Directions:
1. Stir the Jell-O mix into the cup of boiling water.  Stir until dissolved.
2. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
3. Add the orange juice and salt.  Mix well.
4. Pour the Jell-O into an 8×8 pan**.
5. Add the apples, and lightly mix in until even.  Use a spoon to scoop off any bubbles.
6. Place on a level shelf in the refrigerator and allow to set until firm.  Enjoy!

**Double the recipe for a 9×13 pan

What a week it is has been!!

It sure was crazy at my house for Halloween.  I decided that I definitely did not want to just hand out fun-sized candy bars for Halloween this year, but I wanted to go full out and make lots of cute treats for the trick-or-treaters!  So I did exactly that.  I made not only one treat, but THREE.

The night before Halloween I was making a HUGE mess in my kitchen whipping up White Chocolate Reese’s Muddy Buddies, Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies, and (what turned out to be my absolute favorite) Butterfinger Fudge.  It was seriously a sugar factory in my kitchen!

The next day (on Halloween), my hubby made a stew…INSIDE OF A PUMPKIN.  He made it to take to our ward trunk-or-treat.  The men were in charge of bringing the soups/chili’s.  I gave him the idea to make it inside of a pumpkin (kind of like a dinner in a pumpkin).  I didn’t think he would actually want to do it, but he did!  It turned out fabulous

I found lots of great things this week while browsing Pinterest.  I wish that I could make them all!!  Here they are:

Bring the Heath Doughnuts by Mom on Timeout

Butterflake Dinner Rolls by Dessert Now, Dinner Later!

Creamy Vegetable Soup by Food Folks and Fun

Peppermint Fudge by Shugary Sweets

Sprinkle Nutella Rolls by Inside BruCrew Life

Parmesan Herb Stuffed Chicken by Will Cook for Smiles

Buffalo Chicken Fettuccine by Fifteen Spatulas

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Poptarts by Half Baked Harvest

Creamy Chicken Picasso by Let’s Dish

Sesame Ginger Sweet Teriyaki Salmon with Garlic Quinoa Stir-fry by Ambitious Kitchen

I always love having lots of fun in the kitchen.  I love to experiment and create.  I love when I can spend all day in the kitchen and cook the day away.

However…all day!?

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

I like to think that I have time to spend all day in the kitchen (and I cherish the days that I do!), but in reality, I just don’t have that kind of time.

That is the reason why I love dinners that are: quick, healthy, and delicious.

My number one go-to meal is still definitely my Ridiculously Easy Creamy Italian Chicken, but I think that Chicken Fajitas may be a close second.

Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken Breasts
2 tsp. canola oil
3 Bell Peppers (any color – I like to use one each of green, red, and yellow)
1 onion
1 Tbs. garlic salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. oregano
Flour tortillas
Optional:
Sour cream
Cheese
Salsa

Directions:
1. Cut chicken, onion and bell peppers into strips.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook chicken in canola oil just until outside is white.
3. Add bell peppers, onion, garlic salt, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, onion powder, and oregano.
4. Cook until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve over tortillas.  Optional toppings: sour cream, cheese, salsa.  Enjoy!