Easy Marinade or Rub Recipe (Three Pepper)

It stopped raining long enough for us to grill some chicken last night for dinner. It was too cloudy to get any good "foodie" shots, but I did snap an iPhone pic of the marinade we used. It's absolutely delicious on pork chops, and pretty tasty with chicken too. If you're looking for an Easy Marinade Recipe to make weeknight dinners a breeze, you might want to give this one a try! 

Easy Marinade or Rub (Three Pepper)

originally from Southern Living's Easy Weeknight Favorites

Ingredients:

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions:

Combine paprika and the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. The. End.

Seriously, it's that simple. I usually brush it over pork chops before broiling them, and you can do the same with the chicken...adding drizzle later to "baste" it. 

I often substitute items or mix things up, maybe adding more red pepper and minced garlic instead of the fresh...if that's what I have on hand.

Very tasty!

Do you have a favorite marinade or rub recipe?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

Spring Craft and DIY To Do List for 2013

Spray paint weather has finally arrived in Virginia! With a new puppy, some craziness at home, and a super-awesome stomach bug that has made the rounds, I haven't had much time to devote to my creative side lately. I'm hoping that making a list will help motivate me. Are you a list maker? Here's my personal crafty and DIY list for this Spring:

1. Finish cleaning and updating my vintage printer's drawer.

I scored this bad boy at a local flea market and have had the supplies to make a few changes for a couple of months now. Time to pull it out of the broom closet and work some magic!

2. Create some artwork for the area above my kitchen sideboard.

No, the Valentine's Day decor is not still up! But it's a better shot than the current area, which is piled up with bills, school papers, a dog food bowl (true story), and my camera. (blushing)

T's helping me with getting the kitchen painted. I. hate. painting. Hate! So once the walls are refreshed, I have something cute I want to try with my Silhouette SD and some cool IKEA frames. I think they will fill that area nicely.

3. Make nice with my sewing machine and the couch.

I finally put the PB slipcover on my couch...and it now totally needs to be unwrinkled and de-fuzzed. But I am not loving it with my old plaid pillows. Blech. I have tons of drop cloth material...I want to try some pillows with ruffles, stencils, etc. 

4. Whine until T builds a shelving area above the girls' desk in their room. 

Natalie and Michaela Byrd have a huge wall of unused space in their room above their desk. I'm hoping to convince T to help me build some nice shelves and an art/corkboard display area. I think it would really look cute and keep their stuffed toys off the floor.

5. Spray paint something!

Good grief, I don't keep a case of spray paint in the laundry room for nuthin'! Mama loves to spray paint stuff. I want to head out and find a small crate to fix up for the puppy's toys. They are worse than the kids'! Almost. 

I know for a fact that there about 50 other things I could/would like to add to this list. But I'm already feeling a little overwhelmed with stuff we have going on, so I'm going to leave it with these five things for now. 

What's on your to-do list for this Spring? I'd love to know!

Highlighted Links (Project Ideas)

Hello, hello! If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

On Sundays, I like to share fabulous projects from the link party with my readers. I add many of these Features to my Pinterest page as well as Facebook, so be sure to link back in your post!

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye:

~Spring Front Porch via Cottage in the Oaks

~Spiked Snickerdoodle Milkshake via The Pink Flour

~Faux Vintage Wire Baskets via Creatively Southern

Share Your Best Post of the Week-- Link Up!

Happy Saturday! What are you up to today? I just wanted to offer you guys a quick "weekend update." Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Today's the day to link up because I'm busy rounding up more Features for tomorrow! I'd love to know which ones caught your eye.

All kinds of posts are welcome here: We have recipes, party ideas, room makeovers, crafts, printables, tips and tricks, home decor, DIY, fashion advice, and more! The code for the button is near the end of this post, or you can add a text link back to me within your post.

This is just a quick "sneak peek" snapshot of all the awesome projects that have been shared at the party this week. You can click the party link above to check them out and share your own project! I'd love to Feature you in tomorrow's post!

If you haven't linked up yet, hop on over! Be sure to browse some of the amazing projects that have been shared.

If you missed this week's posts at Serenity Now, here are some links for you:

• Tissue Paper Pom Poms (Inexpensive Girls' Room Decor)
• Make a Buttermilk Substitute in 5 Minutes
• Spring Project Ideas
• 10 More "Must-Follow" Pinterest Profiles

So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us here! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too. Here's the button in case you'd rather use that than a text link back.

<a href=" http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>

More Features coming tomorrow!

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. This is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects! Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link.

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Here are a few of my faves I spotted around the web this week:

sources listed below

~Paper Plate Flowers via Parties for Pennies

~Coffee Bar at Home via An Inviting Home

~Window Cornice Tutorial via Vanessa Shaffer Designs

~West Elm Inspired Globe Pendant via Mad in Crafts

~And Me? I'd love it if you have a moment to click over. This week featured:

• Tissue Paper Pom Poms (Inexpensive Girls' Room Decor)
• Make a Buttermilk Substitute in 5 Minutes
• Spring Project Ideas
• 10 More "Must-Follow" Pinterest Profiles

Time to link up your best post of the week!

10 More Must-Follow Pinterest Profiles

It's still a little crazy here, so I'm going to do another PSA and share 10 profiles of Pinterest users that I follow. Don't we all love to escape to our Pinterest boards every now and then? If you don't follow these ladies, you must check them out!

The girls from How Does She? They regularly Pin some of the most inspiring ideas for the home and family. Their Pinterest boards can be spotted here. 

Myra from My Blessed Life. You'll find her Pinterest boards here. She finds some really tempting recipes!

Anna from Ask Anna. Here are her Pin Boards. She finds great organizing tips!

Kim from 733. I like her boards because she finds neat craft ideas, and also fun stuff for kids. 

KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms adds the most delightful home decor photos to her Pinterest boards. A great one to follow.

Beth from Unskinny Boppy also has some really lovely home ideas Pinned to her boards. Don't miss her!

Jocelyn from Inside Brucrew Life not only posts the most amazing recipes...she Pins them too. Find her Pinterest profile here. 

Johnnie from Saved By Love Creations posts some amazing round-ups on her blog, and she finds great ones to Pin too. Find her on Pinterest here. 

Desiree from The 36th Avenue. Pretty printables, crafts, homey stuff. Find her here. 

Erin from How to Nest for Less Pins some great printables, DIY ideas, and home decor. Her boards are right here.

You can, of course, find my Pinterest boards here. They're a mash-up of recipes, crafts and DIY, home decor, organizing tips, and so much more!

Hope you find some great inspiration from these stellar Pinners! You can find more of my Pinterest Profile Recommendations here.

*Don't forget to bring your best post of the week to show off here at the link party, tomorrow morning at 8 am EST. Can't wait to see what kinds of creative ideas you'll share this week!

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

Spring Project Ideas

Good morning, readers. I had planned on sharing another edition of my Birthday Party Planning series today, but it's just been one of those weeks. I'm not feeling my best, so I'll leave you with a few links to browse for today. I hope to be back tomorrow, but the link party is most definitely on for Friday. I love to see your creativity.

In the meantime, you might want to check out a few of my favorite Spring projects:

• Updating Vintage Patio Furniture
• How to Get a Hydrangea Plant to Bloom
• DIY Monogram Outdoor Flag
• Keepsake Family Photo Collage Frame
• Hairbow Holder in a Frame
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Hope you have a great day!

Make a Buttermilk Substitute in Five Minutes (Quick Kitchen Tip)

Who else loves Kitchen Short Cuts? One of my recipe pet peeves is ingredients that cost an arm and a leg to make one measly dish. I also get cranky when a recipe calls for a "larger" item that I don't often use, and I feel like I'm stuck with it. Case in point, buttermilk. I have several recipes on the blog that call for buttermilk, but I hate spending a couple of bucks for a quart when I know I won't use much of it. My mom gave me this quick kitchen tip a few years back, and it's a lifesaver! Here's how you can Make Your Own Buttermilk Substitute at home in just five minutes!

The beauty of this recipe? It calls for just two staple ingredients:

-About 1 cup of milk

-1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar

1. Measure out about 1 cup of milk. 

(We use whole milk because it's what our girls drink)

2. Pour 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar into the milk.

3. Let it sit out for 5 minutes. 

(You'll notice it will start to look "bubbly" or curdled. That's okay.)

4. Use as much of the buttermilk as your recipe calls for.

I've never noticed a difference in taste in the completed recipes, and I use this substitute quite often. It stinks to have everything ready to go for baking, only to realize you're missing one ingredient. If you stock white vinegar in your pantry, you'll be set!

*Looking for a few yummy recipes with buttermilk in them? Here are two of my faves!

• Chocolate Reese's Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
• Chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes and Icing Tutorial

What's your best Kitchen Short-Cut Tip?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

Tissue Paper Pom Poms in the Girls' Room {Inexpensive Decor}

You guys might remember the cute tissue paper pom poms from Michaela Byrd's Barbie Birthday Party back in January. They are oh so easy to make (I use Martha Stewart's tutorial), but I didn't want to throw them out when I knew the chances are high that they'd be used again for another party. So I added them to the girls' room for some whimsical decor, and I love the look! So simple.

I'm fairly certain that the Scotch tape I hung them with isn't great for the ceiling, but I didn't want to poke holes up there with flat thumb tacks, my other option. I staggered them a bit to fill up the blank spots on the wall, and they add a nice pop of color!

I've been working on Natalie and Michaela Byrd's American Girl play area for months now, tweaking here and there in that corner of their room whenever it crosses my mind. So glad I decided to hold onto those pom poms! 

If you're interested in other American Girl projects, I have:

• DIY Doll Clothes Display Line
• Shoe and Accessory Organization
• Under the Bed Doll and Toy Storage. 

Have you added any new bright spots to your home lately?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

Highlighted Links (Project Ideas)

Hello, hello! It's my birthday today, so I'm sharing some fabulous Features to celebrate! If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

On Sundays, I like to share fabulous projects from the link party with my readers. I add many of these Features to my Pinterest page as well as Facebook, so be sure to link back in your post!

*Don't forget to check out this weekend's big Silhouette discount...the perfect Mother's Day gift!

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye:

~Vintage Style Vignette via Shabby Love

~PB and J Cookies via Circus Berry

~Distressed Painted Mason Jars via it all started with paint

Share Your Best Post of the Week and Big Silhouette Discount!

Happy Saturday! What are you up to today? I just wanted to offer you guys a quick "weekend update." Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Today's the day to link up because I'm busy rounding up more Features for tomorrow! I'd love to know which ones caught your eye.

All kinds of posts are welcome here: We have recipes, party ideas, room makeovers, crafts, printables, tips and tricks, home decor, DIY, fashion advice, and more! The code for the button is near the end of this post, or you can add a text link back to me within your post.

This is just a quick "sneak peek" snapshot of all the awesome projects that have been shared at the party this week. You can click the party link above to check them out and share your own project! I'd love to Feature you in tomorrow's post!

If you haven't linked up yet, hop on over! Be sure to browse some of the amazing projects that have been shared.

I've got a fab Silhouette promo for you this month:

Get a CAMEO with a Premium Vinyl Bundle for $269.99 (regularly $329.96)
OR purchase a Portrait with Premium Vinyl Bundle for $139.99 (regularly $229.96).
OR get 25% off all Premium Vinyl!
**Use the code SERENITY when you check out!**

Feel free to "share!" Use this link to get to your bundle.

If you missed this week's posts at Serenity Now, here are some links for you:

• Making Progress on the Kitchen
• Where to Host a Birthday Party
• Ellie
• Spring Reading List, 2013

So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us here! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too. Here's the button in case you'd rather use that than a text link back.

<a href=" http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>

More Features coming tomorrow!

* If you are a Pinterest user, Pin from the original source so that each blogger gets credit for his/her work.*

If I've featured you, feel free to snag a button for your blog here.

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. This is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects! Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link.

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Here are a few of my faves I spotted around the web this week:

sources listed below

~Vintage Handkerchief Wrapping via adventures of an almost 40 year old intern

~Dining Room with Metallic Stripes via ink'd design

~Industrial Style Closet Organizer via Domestiphobia

~Beaded Sunburst Mirror via Setting for Four

~And Me? I'd love it if you have a moment to click over. This week featured:

• Making Progress on the Kitchen
• Where to Host a Birthday Party
• Ellie
• Spring Reading List, 2013

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Spring Reading List, 2013

I don't know about you, but in my area of Virginia, the weather seems to go from Winter to Summer in a matter of days. Spring tends to get left out as we jump from 40 degrees to 85 degrees. The pool doesn't open until May, so we're kind of hanging until then! With school and dance still in session, I still have some parking lot hours to fill, so here's my Spring Reading List for 2013. I've already finished a few of these, but they're going on the list so I can review them later! Please feel free to share your own picks in the comments section!

The Runaway Princess- Hester Browne

This chick-lit piece follows a modern-day woman as she marries into a royal family. I was intrigued by the idea of role of the media, social expectations, and how the main character's self-esteem is affected.

Alice, from White Princess to Washington Power Broker- Stacey A. Cordery

This biography of Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter caught my eye in the library a couple of weeks ago. Alice was legendary in Washington D.C. and could make or break a lot of political careers. I find it really interesting that she was fairly conservative and campaigned against her cousin FDR's New Deal.

I've Got Your Number- Sophie Kinsella

I wasn't a fan of the last couple of Sophie Kinsella books I picked up (very formulaic), but the first chapter of this one hooked me. I think she might just be back with her signature sense of humor!

Fall of Giants-Ken Follett

This historical fiction novel spans the length of World War I and follows several families from the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, and Russia as their lives intersect throughout the war. If you like history (I do!), this may be a good read.

Finishing Touches- Hester Browne

Another pick from Hester Browne. It's a "chick-lit" piece that follows a woman who takes over a failing finishing school after the death of her adoptive mother. She struggles with bringing the school into the modern world and mixing good etiquette with skills the modern young woman needs to know.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey- The Countess of Carnarvon

My mother-in-law showed me this one the last time I was visiting, and it looks like a must-read for any Downton Abbey fan. The Countess shares the story of the most famous inhabitant of Highclere Castle, the Lady Almina, who was the basis for Lady Cora Crawley's character.

Notorious Nineteen- Janet Evanovich

I'm finally caught up with this series. To be honest, they all run together after awhile, and I wish Stephanie would just go ahead and pick Morelli already. We'll see what happens....

Early to Rise- Andy Traub

I actually just downloaded this one to my Kindle Paperwhite after hearing the author call in to the Dave Ramsey radio show. Sounds like a great motivational read!

It's a good thing we have a great library. I'm looking forward to making time to read while the girls are busy with their after-school activities.

What's on YOUR reading list for this Spring?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!