How to Grow Tulips in a Vase Indoors

How to Grow Tulips in a Vase Indoors

1. Choose a glass vase and add enough clear marbles or pebbles to fill about a third of the vase.
2. Add the tulip bulb (pointed end up) on top of the marbles. Cover the bulb with a few more marbles or pebbles to help give the growing root support.
3. Add fresh water into the vase. The water shouldn’t touch the bulb, but it should be very close, so that the roots will grow in
4. Watch your beautiful tulips grow.

Healthy Creamy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Check out this creamy but healthy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe! Yum! It's perfect for winter.

Ingredients
        1 Tbsp. olive oil
        1 small white onion, diced
        2 carrots, peeled and diced
        2 celery stalks, diced
        2 cloves garlic, minced
        1/3 cup flour
        8 cups chicken broth
        3 cups cooked shredded chicken
        2 cups uncooked egg noodles or pasta (I used "wide" egg noodles)
        1 (12 oz.) can evaporated skim milk
        1 tsp. salt
        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
        1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
        1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
        (optional garnish) chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, and celery for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, and cook and stir for an additional minute. Gradually stir in broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Season with additional salt and pepper or seasonings if needed.
3. Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

SOURCE: Gimme Some Oven

One Pot Mexican Skillet with Noodles

I don't know about you guys, but I've been CRAVING Mexican food AND pasta. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it considering it had both of the things I've been craving lately. It seems relatively healthy too! I also love it because you can make it in one pot. I'm going to add some sauteed onions too because that's something else I can't get enough of.

INGREDIENTS
        1 tablespoon olive oil
        1 pound ground turkey
        1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
        2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
        2 cups cooked elbows pasta
        1 Roma tomato, diced
        1 cup corn kernels
        1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
        1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
        1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
        2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2.  Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.
3.  Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Serve immediately, topped with avocado and cilantro.

SOURCE: Damn Delcious

Mango and Avocado Arugula Salad

Here's another great salad with avocado. This salad adds in mango - a trendy and healthy fruit. You only need a few ingredients to make this salad. Yummy!

• 1 medium mango, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup pecan halves, as desired
• A big handful or two of baby arugula leaves, as desired
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, optional
• Your favorite dressing to pass around (see suggestions following recipe)

Combine the mango with the avocado (toss the avocado gently with the lemon or lime juice first) on a serving platter or shallow bowl.

Add the pecans and arugula, and toss gently. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes and serve at once. Pass around the dressing of your choice.

How to Make Homemade Yogurt using a Crock Pot

Homemade Yogurt in the Crock Pot Recipe

• 1/2 gallon milk (Whole milk will make the yogurt thicker, but any milk will work.)
• 1/2 cup plain unflavored yogurt (Any kind with live active cultures will work. Be sure to save a half cup of this batch of homemade yogurt to use as a starter next time!)
  

Pour the half gallon of milk into your crock pot and turn it on low. Cook it for 2 hours and 45 minutes (set the timer to remember to turn it off!)

After 2 hours and 45 minutes, turn the crock pot off and let it sit down 3 hours.

Spoon a small amount of the milk into a small bowl and add the half cup of yogurt to it. Mix together thoroughly.

Dump this mixture back into the milk in the crock pot and mix it around well.

Put the lid back on your crock pot and wrap the crock pot with a large beach towel or blanket (make sure the crock pot is unplugged and turned off!). Yes, I know, it sounds a little ridiculous to wrap a crock pot with a beach towel, but I did some research online and it seems that the experts recommend this step as it helps keep the heat in the crock pot and allows it to cool more slowly.

Let the beach-towel-wrapped crock pot sit for 8-12 hours (or overnight). After 8-12 hours, it should be thickened.

Spoon yogurt into jars or plastic containers and refrigerate a few hours before eating.

This will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator. Be sure to save a half cup to use as a starter for your next batch of homemade yogurt.

Source: Money Saving Mom

Mexican Style Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 15 ounces whole peeled tomatoes in juice
• ½ teaspoon organic canola oil
• 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Instructions

1. Place vegetable broth and tomatoes in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil to medium high. Add chiles and onion and cook for 4 minutes. Add quinoa, then garlic and paprika and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often. Add tomato mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. Add peas and recover. Cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff and serve.

Source: Cooking Quinoa

Free Valentine's Day Printables

Valentine's Day is coming up. I normally don't do much to celebrate, but I think I might change that this year. I found all of these really cute printables.

lolly jane

jen gallacher

Nest of Posies

Living on Love

Urban Comfort

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breasts

Chicken is the meat I cook most in my kitchen. I fell in love with this easy recipe and it pretty much literally melts in your mouth. Can you say yum?

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings.

2. Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish.

3. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Source: Food.com

No-Bake Energy Bites

No-bake energy bites - these things are ADDICTING, but are a great afternoon snack. They last a week or so in the fridge so I like to make a batch on the weekend and take a few of these no-bake energy bites to work for my 3:00 o'clock sweet tooth.

I've even added a little nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves to add a new twist to the taste. I don't like to add in the flaxseed since it gives the no-bake energy bites a very nutty flavor. Once you have the oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and coconut base, you can really get creative with spices and other substitutions like sunflower seeds or chopped nuts.

• 1 cup oatmeal
• ½ cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and form into tablespoon sized balls. Refrigerate a few minutes before indulging. 

Source: Smashed Peas and Carrots

Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

I absolutely LOVE this avocado strawberry spinach salad! It combines some of my favorite things - strawberries, avocados and blue cheese. The salad is also so pretty with the different colors and textures.

Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
6 cups fresh baby spinach
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 avocado, diced (or you can double this to 2 avocados!)
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
half a small red onion, thinly sliced
poppyseed dressing (recipe below)

Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup avocado oil (or any oil, such as olive oil)
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
pinch of ground dry mustard (optional)
salt and pepper

[view full recipe]