Chuck E Cheese Birthday & Giveaway Winners

Today is my baby girl M's 4th birthday! I can not believe how much she has changed over these past years. We asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she said....Chuck E Cheese! So very fitting for today since today we pick the 3 winners of the Chuck E Cheese's Giveaway! So here we go.....

First winner is.......# 23 BabeeLove 


Winner #2 is......#49 Danielle 


Winner #3 is......# 45 Amber 


Congrats to the winners, thank you to everyone who entered and Happy Birthday to my babe!!!

Italian Zucchini Cakes

Last night on their way out of town for the weekend, my lovely neighbors brought by some more zucchini, squash and beans from their garden. So with a new crop of goodies...what to make, what to make? While wondering around on my new obsession Pinterest (thanks Mama's A Mess for introducing me to it) I found a recipe for zucchini cakes from Life's Ambrosia. As I normally do I took a found recipe and altered it to fit what is in my pantry. So here is my spin on zucchini cakes with an Italian flare.


1 large Zucchini shredded (about 3 cups)
1 cup Progresso Italian Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 egg
Minced Garlic (to taste)
Black Pepper & Kosher Salt (to taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Shred a large zucchini and drain. I used paper towels to help squeeze out the moisture. Add remaining ingredients to the shredded zucchini except for the oil and mix.

Heat EVOO in a pan. Form your cakes and add when oil is ready. Cook until beautifully golden brown on both sides.

Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. That's it, super easy right?

Now what to do with these beautiful cakes? They can be eaten plain because the fresh flavor of the zucchini and from the seasoned panko is amazing, or you can top them. In Des's recipe she recommends ranch dressing...yes please! 

So I whipped up some buttermilk ranch dressing before I got started making the cakes and put it in the fridge to set. Yes, these cakes are delicious dipped in the cool dressing, but I wanted to finish them with something zesty. Then the light bulb went off. I remembered I had some amazing jarred Bruschetta from Trader Joe's in my fridge, perfect! I spooned some of this wonderful mix onto the cakes and topped with fresh basil leaves from my garden. I have found my new favorite anytime food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or even served as an appetizer this is a tasty crowd pleaser!

Buon Appetito!!

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New Couch Pillow Covers

Such a lonely living room

Yesterday I spent the day working outside. Riding the mower over our three acres, weeding the garden, watering, checking to make sure the woodchucks couldn't get in to eat any more of my plants, ect... It was the first glorious day we have had in a week. Then the claps of thunder were heard in the distance and I headed inside. A few moments later it down pours. It was like a monsoon. The wind whipped through the trees, the rain beat down on the roof and the thunder shook the house.

About an hour after I had been in my house I realized I didn't feel too hot. Come to see I had a sunburn, a wicked sunburn. The tops of my thighs were getting brighter by the minute and the skin tight. Then I noticed the heat searing off my back. You probably could have fried an egg on my red hot skin. No! I am usually so careful with my skin. Being a fair skinned Scottish lass I have to be. Crap! Of course I have no Solarcaine or anything of that fashion because I never need it. What to do, what to do. Long story short....a hand towel soaked in cool water with baking soda applied to the skin works wonders and feels marvelous!

Needless to say I was in no shape to go anywhere today so I decided to do something I have wanted to do for awhile...make covers for my couch pillows. I searched the web and found a simple tutorial from Cottage Magpie. I went through my fabric stash and while I wanted something bright and sunny, I also wanted to tie in the browns from the living room and the teal/aqua from my kitchen. Tada...brown and teal fabric it is.

This is the couch and pillows before.....

...and after!

I used the cotton Chocolate Lollipop from Anna Maria and a perfect colour match chocolate corduroy with teal dots as the second fabric. They match perfectly each other and really bring in the aqua colour from my kitchen. I could not believe how easy it was to make an envelope style pillow case, do not know why I thought it was more complicated. Now I can make more shams/covers for my bed and the girls rooms too!

My Epic Cake Fail

Last Friday was a big baking day for us. C and I made some zucchini bread with walnuts and mini chocolate chips, the savory zucchini quiche and we also made hubby a birthday cake. His favorite cake is German Chocolate but I wanted to add something special...a filling perhaps. 

So C and I made chocolate mousse for the first time. I Googled for an easy recipe and found one at Food For A Hungry Soul. It was fun, super easy and tasted wonderful. I was very excited for the final product. After a new hours when the mousse was chilled I pipped it onto my bottom layer cake and then topped that with my second layer. I frosted the whole cake with the coconut frosting and put the completed cake back in the fridge to set.

When I went back to check on it a few hours later, to my horror this is what I found.....

HUGE EPIC FAIL! What happened to my beautiful cake? One side just fell apart and I think the top cake was to heavy for the mousse and squished it. I have never had a cake do this, granted I do not make many cakes, and it was my first mousse filling, but still! Oh well, not everything (or every cake) in life will turn out perfect, it's just important to roll with it.

Hubby got a huge kick out of it when he returned home from his trip. I am always happy to oblige in his happiness, even at my expense...lol So we decided to cut it and see how it tasted.

It was amazing!!!! The cake was so moist and the mousse was fabulous, rich and silky. Everyone happily shoved cake in their face, and I was happy it turned out to be a hit. In the end I used this cake as a important lesson for my girls. Do not judge anything or anyone by its out word appearance, it's what is on the inside that matters the most.

Fresh & Savory Zucchini Quiche

I have been baking up a storm since I got all that wonderful zucchini from my neighbors. I made 2 loaves of bread with walnuts and 2 more loaves still with walnuts but also added mini chocolate chips. Perfect for my freezer stash.

Then I thought, what next? Quiche! I love it, you may remember my favorite recipe I posted way back in 2008.... "Broccoli Bacon Quiche". So I went on the hunt for an amazing recipe. I found one on All Recipes and thought I would give it a try for breakfast.

Super easy, love that it included Ricotta which I never have used in quiche before, and really liked the spices. Here is the recipe (with my changes), or you can click HERE and go straight to the original recipe plus reviews.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 lb Thinly Sliced  and  Grated Zucchini (half and half)

1 1/2 cup Mozzerella Shredded Cheese

1 cup Ricotta

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

3 Eggs, Beaten

Pinch Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Dried Basil

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Sweet Paprika

DIRECTIONS:

Pre heat oven to 425. Prick the bottom of the pie crust and bake for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and turn temp down to 350.

The original recipe calls for all sliced zucchini, but I was using what I had in my refrigerator, and I already had some grated from making the bread. So I took the grated and thought I would use that for the pie and slice some fresh to use for the top decoration. Perfect.

In a skillet melt the butter and saute the grated and sliced zucchini until tender, drain. Place the grated zucchini in the bottom of the pie shell and top with the shredded mozzarella. 

In a bowl whisk the egg and add the ricotta, cream, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and garlic. Once combined pour into the crust. Then arrange sliced zucchini around the top and middle. Sprinkle the sweet paprika over the top and pop in the oven. I baked mine for 60 minutes. I find that recipes from others always call for a bake time of only 40-45 minutes, but I have found for me it never works out. So now I just automatically bake for an even hour.

And voila...delicious. So savory, fresh and cheesy, all the perfect combinations. This has easily become my new favorite quiche, it has amazing layers. You can see the sauteed grated zucchini on the bottom, then the cheesy, savory layer and more tasty zucchini on top...perfection!

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Collecting Vintage Camera's

Kodak Brownie Six-20 & Ansco Shur-Flash

Along with some of my other "obsessions", I have started collecting vintage cameras. I found my first the Eastman Kodak Six-20 Brownie circa 1933-1941 at a welcoming center in Indiana while we were moving cross country. I saw it for sale on the counter and just had to have it. From that point on I have been keeping my eyes wide open for more. Can you believe it originally sold for about $2.50?

The next two were found in local antique stores around town. The Ansco Shur-Flash circa 1930's caught my eye with it's art deco, stainless steel face plate. Next to it is the Herco Imperial 620 Snap Shot circa 1955. 

This was also found in a local antique store actually the same time I bought the above Herco Imperial. This is the Rolls Bakelite Camera circa 1939. I was drawn to this one because it came in it's original case...however the case is very old and worn and really not pretty, but it's cool to have.

Now this one so far is my favorite, I just got her. Hubby and I have made friends with a WWII antiques dealer, so we went out for hubby's b-day last weekend to meet up with him at a WWII reenactment. This is a German Voigtländer Bessa 66 also known as the "baby bessa". Circa 1938 there is two models, the standard and the deluxe. The above pictured is the deluxe model as it features a yellow "moment" filter that is hinged to the front lens so it can be moved out of the way if preferred. Besides the moment filter being cracked it is in really good condition and am so glad to have found it. 

So that so far is my collection. I have found so many wonderful vintage camera's for sale online that I would love to own, but I think finding them in antique stores, bizarre's and while just out and about makes the find more fun!

Fresh Produce From The Neighbors

I received a call from my neighbors asking if I wanted some fresh zucchini and squash they had just harvested this morning. Yummm YAH! They have such an amazing beautiful garden (I will have to get pics to post later). I am always envious when I drive past their house and hope that next year mine will look just a quarter as wonderful as theirs.

So the girls and I wander over to find Linda sitting on the covered porch that over looks their property. The breeze was blowing, tree's are swaying and she is cleaning today's harvest. It was just so picture perfect and peaceful.

We chatted for awhile about everything and anything including the family of woodchucks that have been getting into their garden. YAHA! Now I know who has been eating the leaves off my carrots and cucumber plants, although I still do not know how they are getting in, but apparently they are pretty resourceful.

Just then Lee, her husband, walks up with a bushel of garlic that he had just taken off the drying racks. They were beautiful and proceeds to add it to a bag full of goodies just for us. Zucchini, squash, green beans, yellow wax beans, garlic and homemade zucchini brownies (which of course the girls snatched up quickly), all for us.

I felt loved and grateful. We really could not have asked for better neighbors than them for so many reasons. They are loving, friendly, and just all around good people. You can only hope to raise your children around people and a community like we have found here and I never want to leave. I am happy here and even though we have only been here but a few months, I can only see my love for North Eastern PA and the people growing. However like hubby says, "let's see how we feel after the snow comes"...lol

My head is already spinning with what to do with this produce. I think I will hang the garlic in the basement, maybe mince and can some for the freezer. The smaller bulbs I will save and plant in our garden on Columbus Day.

Automatically I thought about fresh zucchini bread in different varieties...some with mini chocolate chips, some with walnuts, ect. I love crook neck squash steamed and added to pasta with EVOO and garlic salt..... and the beans? Well C and M are already eating them raw as a snack so we will see what I have left once they are done...lol

Chuck E. Cheese's New Pizza Review & Giveaway

When a child hears the name "Chuck E. Cheese" if they are like mine they scream "where a kid can be a kid" and then proceed to beg me to take them. For me they are known for being a fun place to have a birthday party, a family fun night out and of course the big guy himself, Chuck E. Cheese. I remember when my brothers and I would have our birthday parties there....as early back as the 80's (yes, I am that old) and through all these memories I never remember saying I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for the pizza. This may change.

After more than 30 years of fun, parties, games and more Chuck E. Cheese's has revamped their pizza recipe. The new pizza features fresh, never-frozen dough, a crispier crust, fresh vegetables and gone are the days of the frozen cheese blend and instead replaced with 100-percent natural mozzarella cheese, freshly grated in Chuck E. Cheese’s kitchens every day.

I was given the opportunity to take my family for a fun night out at Chuck E. Cheese's and try out this new pizza recipe. Whenever food is put in front of my family whether I make it or not, I am always apprehensive. My girls and hubby have very strong feelings about everything food related, especially my husband above all else. So I know if my family gives the thumbs up, it's gold baby.

We ordered a half pepperoni half supreme and it looked awesome when it arrived to the table. The very first thing I noticed when looking at it was the melted cheese and the absence of a layer of grease which I have seen on my pizza's in the past. When you do not have to blot your pizza with a paper napkin, it is a good day. 

Next was the crust. I am a huge crust fan and my girls, not so much..they never eat it. This new fresh dough as light and crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. Cooked perfectly to a light golden color. The sauce was very flavorful and did not saturate the pie. Of course fresh veggies on a pizza is heaven for me and I was not let down. However the biggest, tastiest change I noticed was the cheese. Creamy, gooey, and had that fresh mozzarella taste that I always love when I make pizzas at home.

I am delighted by the changes, and my family? Not only did the girls and hubby all love the taste and helped themselves to seconds and thirds, but my girls ate the crust...shocker! After stuffing our faces with delicious pizza we played some more games and headed home. Bellies full, family fun had...it was a great night at Chuck E. Cheese's. We are definitely delighted with the new recipe change to their pizza and look forward to having many more family nights together at our local Chuck E. Cheese's. As a matter of fact, M's birthday is at the end of the month, guess where we will be going to celebrate..lol

Would you like to have a FREE family fun night at a Chuck E. Cheese's near you and try out the new pizza recipe for yourself? Of course you do!

Chuck E. Cheese's is giving away Guest Passes to 3 very lucky winners. Included in this Guest Pass is....

* 1 Large Pizza (of your choice)

* 4 Soft Drinks

* 30 Game Tokens

How To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment and tell me what your kids love most about Chuck E. Cheese's.
Please make sure if you do not have a valid email address on your blog or profile, add it to your comment so I can contact you easily.

NOTE: If you skip the mandatory entry, none of your entries will count for the giveaway.


Extra Entries:  (please leave separate comments for each entry)

* Follow My Blog On GFC (or tell me you already do) (1 entry)

* "Like" Chuck E. Cheese's on Facebook. (1 entries)

* Follow Me and Chuck E. Cheese's on Twitter and Tweet This....(2 entries) Leave your status link in your comment!

Chuck E. Cheese's New Pizza and Family Fun Giveaway! 3 Winners! @sewfierce @chuckecheese http://tinyurl.com/65debtr

* Blog about this fun & tasty Giveaway (4 entries) Leave blog link in your comment.

Giveaway open to US Residents Only.

Giveaway closes July 30th @ 11:59pm (EST). 3 Winners will be picked  on July 31st 2011 by Random.org and notified by email, a post will follow. Winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email otherwise a new winner will be picked.


Disclaimer: I was contacted by M/C/C for Chuck E. Cheese's to write a review and host a giveaway. I was given the above mentioned items free of charge for my review. I received no monitory compensation. Any and all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and are unbiased.

Fresh Strawberries From The Garden!

We have our first yummy treat from the garden. Today is a much cooler day then the past few so I decided to go out and do some weeding. P.S. not a fan of weeding, already thinking of next years garden...maybe an elevated box, laying down that no weed tarp thing, hmmm? Anyways, I noticed one of the three strawberry plants actually had red, ripe berries on them, but I was confused. They didn't look like the the big berries I buy in the store, they were wicked small. Now when I say small, I mean small. The largest was as big as a quarter and the smallest was the size of a dime! The hands holding the berries is my youngest M whom is almost 4 yrs old. So you can see in her tiny hands they actually look large..lol

Regardless of size, the girls and I enjoyed the little morsel's which were both sweet and tangy. We enjoyed them most of all because they came from our backyard and when we were done C turns to me and says "mommy you grow the best garden ever" and M quickly agreed. Gotta love those girls. I can not wait to see what we harvest next. I see a few tomatoes are becoming nice and red and the jalapenos are pretty close....I envision fresh salsa very soon :)

Sew Fierce Is Up & Running!

Well, it's not like I completely went away, just took a brake for awhile to spend more time with my girls..then the holidays came and we moved cross country so the shop has been on standby. However as of a few minutes ago I posted 6 new dresses in my Etsy Shop...wahoo! It feels great to be working again and to use my brain for more than cleaning the house, fetching snacks for the monsters, ect...

So stop by the SHOP and take a peek and if your so inclined, become a fan on our Facebook Page too!