Tahini Yogurt Dip/Sauce

What you'll need:

1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used Fage, my favorite)
1/2 cup diced cucumber (preferably seedless, 1/2 cup is about 1/2 a normal size cucumber)
1 tsp dried minced onion (you can also use fresh onion, finely diced)
2 tsp dill
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and/or pepper to taste

What you'll do:

So simple!  All you need to do is dice the cucumber finely (I used my handy, dandy Ninja) and mix all the ingredients together.  I love Lebanese cuisine, and I go crazy for this sauce every time I eat it.  It doesn't compare much to Aladdin's, but it's such a quick and simple recipe.  Once again, it was one of those things I came up with while rummaging in my "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard" (as I sometimes like to call it) for something to snack on one night.  It's great with the new Dill Trisuits or pita for dipping.  I'm going to make chicken gyros sometime soon with it, I'm sure it would be delish.

Old to New

Mozzarella and Spinach Croissants

Okay, so it's one of those random days when I decide to experiment with the random ingredients in my fridge. Today I discovered a delightful idea for an appetizer/finger food.

What you'll need:

Croissant Dough (pre-made in the can, or homemade)

Fresh Spinach leaves

Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

Olive Oil

Basil

Fresh Ground Pepper

Garlic Powder

What you'll do:

This is so simple. First, you'll preheat your oven based on the directions on the croissant package. Next, saute the spinach leaves in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkle of basil and a dash of garlic powder. This should not take long at all, just saute the leaves until they turn bright green, then set them aside (leaving them in the skillet). Prepare the croissants by laying them out on a cookie sheet evenly spaced out. I almost always use aluminum foil to cover my cookie sheets (Mainly because my cookie sheets look awful and are covered in almost irremovable grease. Plus, it's extremely easy cleanup!). Next, cut the string cheese sticks in half, placing half a stick long-ways against the widest end of the croissant dough. Next, top the cheese with 3-4 sauteed spinach leaves (you can use more if you're a huge spinach fan). The next part is easy, just roll the croissants up as you usually would, but be sure to pinch off any openings where cheese might melt and leak out. Once the croissants are rolled up, brush a mixture of olive oil, fresh ground pepper, and basil over the top. Now, just bake them based on the directions on the croissant label. **Be sure to keep an eye on them. For some reason, I find that those pre-made croissants seem to almost always burn on the bottom, even when you follow the directions. So, I cut off a couple minutes. They seem to taste better when they're a tad bit doughy anyway.** These are best served right away, so if you're making them as part of a meal, try to plan them as the last thing to be done so the cheese is still melty and gooey when served. I can't wait to make these again! Enjoy!

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Off Brand vs. Name Brand: Bikini Zone Shave Gel

I am always up for saving a few extra bucks, and almost always opt for the cheap brand of most of the products I buy. In most cases, it pays off and the products are virtually identical. So recently, in an effort to make a new bargain buy discovery, I tried the CVS brand version of Bikini Zone Shave Gel (which I actually use for my underarms, since I'm uber-prone to razor burn). Unfortunately, CVS's version of this product did not measure up at all. It was actually quite frustrating, because the gel is so thick that it clogged up my razor so bad that I had to rinse it thoroughly between each sweep, with little luck getting all the goop out. I got so aggrivated that I decided to give up and had to go back to the store and grab the real thing. I'm sure there are other off-brands of this product, and I will try to get ahold of them and see how they stand up sometime in the near future. But for now, those of you who are faithful users of Bikini Zone, stick with it!

Spice Up Your Candle Holders

Hanging Monogram

So, I am a self proclaimed Pinterest addict. If you haven't checked it out, you NEED to. Especially if you're into crafts. I saw this splendid idea for a hanging monogram and knew I had to try it out.

Since my new color scheme in my living room is going to be coral and pale blue/mint, I chose to theme the monogram in color and white colors. It actually turned out really cute! Here are the supplied I used to make it:

Cardboard large letter (you can find them at most craft stores

Decopodge

1/2 inch brush to apply decopodge

Ribbon

Decorative flowers

Twine or hemp string (somewhat thick)

Gorilla Glue (not pictured below)

Below, you can get an idea of how I started the application of the string. Your strategy may differ from mine as each letter differs. To secure the ends of the string, use Gorilla Glue, as it has an extremely strong and durable hold. As you apply the string, brush decopodge underneath it to secure and hold it. Don't worry about how the back of the letter ends up looking, it will be against the wall. The back of mine looked pretty haggard.

Once you're finished applying the string, you can then attach the flowers and ribbon. The flower I used had pins on the back, so I just stuck the pins in the letter and also secure them with a little Gorilla Glue on their backs. I used thumb tacks AND Gorilla Glue to attach the ribbons to the back of the letter. Then, just tie a pretty bow in the ribbon and you've got yourself a beautiful hanging monogram. Your hands will be tired and covered in glue, but it will be worth it!

Recent "I Can't Wait For Spring" Purchases

In my recent excitement about the coming of spring, I made a few purchases :)

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All items purchased at American Eagle Outfitters.