Fabulous Finds Friday Week #3

Check out all of this weeks fabulous finds!

Fabulous Find #1 comes from a blog called
The Little Round Table.
Her table settings are fabulous. Instead of roses in the glass, you could use mini pumpkins and orange candles.


Fabulous Find #2
Strawberries and whipped cream for a fast easy delcious dessert. This recipe and picture is from Joy of Baking




Fabulous Find # 3
This is such a great idea. Keep prepackaged healthy snack trays in the refrigerator for kids. Healthy snacks are all ready for the taking. There are lots of other great ideas on the blog as well.
This idea and picture is from a blog called Real Simple



Fabulous Find # 4 is from a wonderful blog that I follow called
Oh She Glows. Angela says her blog is, "healthy vegan recipe blog chronicling my life" Isn't that the cutist idea for a Thanksgiving place setting.


 Fabulous Find #5 This fabulous Crudite and Dip  Pumpkin for Halloween Entertaining  comes from a low carb, sugar free and grain free blog called,The Rogue Cookie

Shared on Pennywise Platter Thursday, Full Plate Thursday  Simple Lives Thursday,
Friday Potluck ;Family Friendly Fridays ;Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites ;Food on Fridays ;Foodie Friday ;Food Trip Friday ;Fat Camp Friday ; Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap ;Creation Corner, Friday’s Link Party ;Feature Yourself Friday ;Sweets This Week Friday ;Simply Delish Living Well Blog Hop  Katherine Martinelli Blog Hop

, My Meatless Mondays ;Mouthwatering Mondays ; Homemaker Mondays ; Midnight Maniac Meatless  ;  Monday Mania ; Melt in Your Mouth Mondays ; Made By You Mondays ; Made With Love Mondays ;; Menu Mondays ; Mangia Mondays; ; Motivate Me Mondays; Two Maids a Baking; Made It Monday; Making Your Home Sing Monday; Making Monday Marvelous Day; Making the World Cuter Monday; Amaze Me Mondays; Muffin Monday; Motivated Mondays ; Homestead Barn Hop ; Make Your Own Mondays ; A Marvelous Monday ; Savvy Homemade Monday

Tuesday Night Supper Club; Tasty Tuesdays; Tempt My Tummy Tuesday ; Tuesdays At the Table; Made From Scratch Tuesday; What’s On Your Plate?; Delectable Tuesday ; Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday; Totally Tasty Tuesday; Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party; Show Me What You Got  ; Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie  ; Tuesday To Do List; Tuesday Time Out Inspiration Party; Lil Luna Linky Party; Anti-Procrastination Tuesday; Tea Party Tuesday; Tuesday Confessional; Topsy Turvy Tuesday; Recipe Roundup: Gluten Free on a Budget ; Tuesday Talent Show at Chef in Training ; Tutorial Tuesday ; Tuesday Time Out ; Domestically Divine Tuesday ; Take a Look Tuesday ; Terrific Under $10 Tuesdays ; Hearth and Soul Hop ; Frugal Tuesday Tip

What’s Cooking Wednesday; Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try; What’s Cooking Wednesday; What’s For Dinner?; Works For Me Wednesday; Real Food Wednesday; Whatever Goes Wednesday; What’s On the Menu Wednesday; We Did It Wednesday; Penny Pinching Party; Friendly Wednesday; Passionately Artistic; Your Whims Wednesday; Show and Tell Linking Party Wednesday; Wow Me Wednesdays; Wild Wednesday Hop; Show and Share; Wow Me Wednesday; Sweet Tempatations; ; Success U-Wednesday Link-up ; The Mommy Club ; Create and Share ; Workshop Wednesday ; Healthy 2Day Wednesdays  Gluten Free Recipe Roundup

Recipe Swap Thursday; Creative Juice Thursday; Tasty Traditions; Full Plate Thursday; Cooking Thursday; Turning the Table Thursday; It’s A Keeper Thursday; What’s Cooking Thursday; Making It with Allie Thursdays; Frugal Follies Thursday; Simple Lives Thursday; Bake with Bizzy; Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Link Party; Share Your Awesomeness Thursdays; It’s a Blog Party; Vintage Recipe Thursday ; Haute Stuff Thursday ; Things I Love Thursday
Pennywise Platter Thursday, Full Plate Thursday  Simple Lives Thursday,
Friday Potluck ;Family Friendly Fridays ;Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites ;Food on Fridays ;Foodie Friday ;Food Trip Friday ;Fat Camp Friday ; Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap ;Creation Corner, Friday’s Link Party ;Feature Yourself Friday ;Sweets This Week Friday ;Simply Delish ;Presto Pasta

Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

Vegetarian Hot & Sour Soup

      

 Hot and sour soup is my favorite soup
The Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Chinatown in Philadelphia makes an awesome gluten free Hot and Sour Soup ( I bring my own gluten free soy sauce)! But , it takes me a 1/2 hour to drive to Philly and an additional hour to find a parking space in Chinatown! So,  I don't go very often .
I


For years I have been searching for a good gluten free hot and sour soup recipe that I can make at home; I think I finally found one.



Me ( in black) and My Cousin Harriet ( in red)
 Ready to Eat a Beautiful Dinner at Her House In Florida

 I teach in a private boarding prep school that serves fabulous lunches. They use fresh wholesome ingredients, nothing is fried, and they make many ethnic specialties. It is amazing because they serve over 700 people. Last week they made Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup .

Truthfully, I didn't expect it to taste authentic, but I was pleasantly surprised .It was so good, I did something I never thought of doing in the fourteen years I have been eating lunches in our school dining hall.
 I asked for the recipe!

The following recipe was given to me by the head chef,  "Joe" . So I'm calling the recipe what else, but-

Joe's Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients
4 cups of  flavorful vegetable broth
4 cups boiling water
2 TBSP gluten free soy sauce ( or use Braggs Amino Acids from the health food store)
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil - I bought a brand made in USA , not Japan ( radiation fallout??)
1-2 TBSP hot sauce to taste
1/2 cup green onion , chopped
1 pound tofu, drained and sliced in matchsticks
2 containers fresh mushrooms, sliced in half and then thin
1 small container of bamboo shoots , sliced in matchsticks ( I skipped it)
salt and pepper to taste

Save for the end
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Saute green onions, mushrooms, and tofu for a few minutes in olive oil spray to mingle flavors. Add hot vegetable broth, boiling water, gluten free soy sauce, hot sauce, and optional bamboo shoots. Cook for 10 minutes . When soup is done, mix 1 TBSP of cornstarch in 1/2 cup water in a separate bowl. Next, slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the cooking soup and stir the soup until it is slightly thickened. Season with toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Step by Step Pictures





Get some fresh green onions or scallions ( These were beauties at the Asian Market)





Chop scallions






Cut mushrooms in half and slice ( you can mix other varieties of mushrooms as well)

  


Add chopped scallions, mushrooms, and tofu to a large skillet

 




Saute mushrooms, scallions, and tofu

 


Add broth,  boiling water, sesame oil, hot sauce, gluten free soy sauce, and bamboo shoots if desired.  Cook covered on low simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cornstarch and water, stir and allow to sit for about 1/2 hour before serving for flavors to mingle. Tastes good the next day too.

 


Enjoy

 
Homemade Vegetarian Broth:
I made a vegetarian broth from parsnips, parsley, carrots, and celery, parsley, 5 russet potatoes, and salt and pepper. Strain and use broth.

This recipe has been posted on the following fabulous blogs:

Tuesday Night Supper Club; Tasty Tuesdays; Tempt My Tummy Tuesday ; Tuesdays At the Table; Made From Scratch Tuesday; What’s On Your Plate?; Delectable Tuesday ; ; Totally Tasty Tuesday; Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party; Show Me What You Got  ; Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie  ; Tuesday To Do List; Tuesday Time Out Inspiration Party; Anti-Procrastination Tuesday; Tea Party Tuesday; Tuesday Confessional; Topsy Turvy Tuesday; Recipe Roundup: Gluten Free on a Budget ; Tuesday Talent Show at Chef in Training ; Tutorial Tuesday ; Tuesday Time Out ; Domestically Divine Tuesday ; Take a Look Tuesday ; Terrific Under $10 Tuesdays ; Hearth and Soul Hop ; Frugal Tuesday Tip Slightly Indulgent Tuesday Traditional Tuesdays, , Grain Free Tuesday,    ,  Recipes I can't wait to try.

Success U What’s Cooking Wednesday; Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try; What’s Cooking Wednesday; What’s For Dinner?; Works For Me Wednesday; Real Food Wednesday; Whatever Goes Wednesday; What’s On the Menu Wednesday; We Did It Wednesday; Penny Pinching Party; Friendly Wednesday; Passionately Artistic; Show Off Your Stuff; What I Whipped up Wednesday; Cast Party Wednesday; This Chick Cooks; Your Whims Wednesday; Show and Tell Linking Party Wednesday; Wow Me Wednesdays; Wild Wednesday Hop; Show and Share; Wow Me Wednesday; Sweet Tempatations; ; Success U-Wednesday Link-up ; The Mommy Club ; Create and Share ; Workshop Wednesday ; Healthy 2Day Wednesdays
Gluten Free Wednesday, Gold Star Wednesday,  What's on the Menu Wednesday, Welcome Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Roundup Works for me Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday, Thursday Ultimate Recipe Swap,

Tastetastic Recipe Swap Thursday; Creative Juice Thursday; Tasty Traditions; Full Plate Thursday; Cooking Thursday; Turning the Table Thursday; It’s A Keeper Thursday; What’s Cooking Thursday; Making It with Allie Thursdays; Frugal Follies Thursday; Simple Lives Thursday; Bake with Bizzy; Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Link Party; Share Your Awesomeness Thursdays; It’s a Blog Party; Vintage Recipe Thursday ; Haute Stuff Thursday ; Things I Love Thursday Pennywise Platter Thursday, Full Plate Thursday 

Friday Potluck ;Family Friendly Fridays ;Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites ;Food on Fridays ;Foodie Friday ;Food Trip Friday ;Fat Camp Friday ; Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap ;Creation Corner, Friday’s Link Party ;Feature Yourself Friday ;Sweets This Week Friday ;Simply Delish ;Presto Pasta Night ;It’s a Hodgepodge Friday ; Link Up Friday Living Well Blog Hop  Seasonal Sunday

Fabulous Finds Friday # 2

Fabulous Find # 1 from Martha Stewart
Trying to keep your sheet sets together?
Guess what is inside of each of those pillow cases: The entire set of sheets!


Picture from Martha Stewart
I love the idea and think it is a great fabulous find!  Go to her website to see how she folds her sheets to fit into its pillow case and everything is together neatly on the shelf. 
Pick up a pillow case and the matching sheet is inside!

Fabulous Finds # 2 from Muffin Tin Mom
Think twice before sending that Starbucks Cup to the recycle bin! Preferably in the "tall" size makes a great no-spill paint holder. The benefit is of course two-fold in that you are re-using (as in "reduce, reuse, recycle") and you are preventing spills at the same time! and because of the dome, it doen't tip easily.


Picture from Muffin Tin Mom


Faulous Find #3  from Thrifty and Fabulous
 Whatever kind of herbs you are growing , it's time to harvest it and dry them. Thrifty and Fabulous gives a step by step tutorial for very fast and easy method. I love this fabulous find!


Picture from Thifty and Fabulous

Fabulous Find # 4 from Kotori. Life Inspired blog

You know that plastic twist-tie thing? The one you get on that package of bagels or hamburger buns? The one that you toss into recycling? Why not actually use it next time on a roll of tape to keep the tape from sticking to itself? It peels off easily and can be reused each time you use the tape. Genius. Right?

Picture from Kotori Life Inspired Blog


FFabulous Find idea and picture # 5 is from a blog called Living In The Woods
I love the idea of a pumpkin holding my mums! How much better can it get for the fall season.
Check out her step by step tutorials


I've Linked these ideas to : Financial Friday  

Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home , My Meatless Mondays ;Mouthwatering Mondays ; Homemaker Mondays ; Midnight Maniac Meatless  ;  Monday Mania ; Melt in Your Mouth Mondays ; Made By You Mondays ; Made With Love Mondays ; Happy Homemaker Mondays ; Make a Food-e Friend Monday ; Menu Mondays ; Mangia Mondays; ; Motivate Me Mondays; Two Maids a Baking; Made It Monday; Making Your Home Sing Monday; Making Monday Marvelous Day; Making the World Cuter Monday; Amaze Me Mondays; Muffin Monday; Motivated Mondays ; Homestead Barn Hop ; Make Your Own Mondays ; A Marvelous Monday ; Savvy Homemade Monday

Tuesday Night Supper Club; Tasty Tuesdays; Tempt My Tummy Tuesday ; Tuesdays At the Table; Made From Scratch Tuesday; What’s On Your Plate?; Delectable Tuesday ; Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday; Totally Tasty Tuesday; Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party; Show Me What You Got  ; Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie  ; Tuesday To Do List; Tuesday Time Out Inspiration Party; Lil Luna Linky Party; Anti-Procrastination Tuesday; Tea Party Tuesday; Tuesday Confessional; Topsy Turvy Tuesday; Recipe Roundup: Gluten Free on a Budget ; Tuesday Talent Show at Chef in Training ; Tutorial Tuesday ; Tuesday Time Out ; Domestically Divine Tuesday ; Take a Look Tuesday ; Terrific Under $10 Tuesdays ; Hearth and Soul Hop ; Frugal Tuesday Tip

What’s Cooking Wednesday; Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try; What’s Cooking Wednesday; What’s For Dinner?; Works For Me Wednesday; Real Food Wednesday; Whatever Goes Wednesday; What’s On the Menu Wednesday; We Did It Wednesday; Penny Pinching Party; Friendly Wednesday; Passionately Artistic; Show Off Your Stuff; What I Whipped up Wednesday; Cast Party Wednesday; This Chick Cooks; Your Whims Wednesday; Show and Tell Linking Party Wednesday; Wow Me Wednesdays; Wild Wednesday Hop; Show and Share; Wow Me Wednesday; Sweet Tempatations; ; Success U-Wednesday Link-up ; The Mommy Club ; Create and Share ; Workshop Wednesday ; Healthy 2Day Wednesdays
Gluten Free Wednesday, Gold Star Wednesday,  What's on the Menu Wednesday, Welcome Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works for me Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday, Thursday Ultimate Recipe Swap,

  Tastetastic Recipe Swap Thursday; Creative Juice Thursday; Tasty Traditions; Full Plate Thursday; Cooking Thursday; Turning the Table Thursday; It’s A Keeper Thursday; What’s Cooking Thursday; Making It with Allie Thursdays; Frugal Follies Thursday; Simple Lives Thursday; Bake with Bizzy; Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Link Party; Share Your Awesomeness Thursdays; It’s a Blog Party; Vintage Recipe Thursday ; Haute Stuff Thursday ; Things I Love Thursday

How to make Pumpkin seeds in 3 easy steps

Got a pumpkin? Make pumpkin seeds!

One of the things my kids always looked forward to was carving their Halloween pumpkins. It was such a fun ritual. Living in Bucks County farmland, we always went to a local farm, took a hayride out to the pumpkin fields and each of my boys selected his very own pumpkin. We usually went on the weekend so we could come home and have time to carve them.

Carving was another story. Those beautiful orange pumpkins are filled with a messy glob of seeds intertwined with sticky gooey pulp. In the beginning, we used to throw the seeds away, but over the years, I learned that pumpkin seeds are not only edible, but are highly delicious and nutritious.

Why throw away the seeds when you can make pumpkin seeds in 3 easy steps and  provide a healthy snack  the entire family will enjoy?

How to make pumpkin seeds in 3 easy steps!

                       

1. Slice the top off of the pumpkin and scoop out the inner seeds. Place the seeds in a colander and wash and remove strings.  Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray and spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Then respray the seeds.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, checking and moving them around after 10 minutes.

   Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Variations: Spray seeds with oil and then choose one of the following seasonings to use before baking at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

• sprinkle seeds with cinnamon
• Sprinkle seeds with garlic powder and salt
• Sprinkle seeds with Cajun seasoning

Here some other uses for the inside and outside of your pumpkin: Use it all!


Pumpkin Muffins



From the blog  Living In The Woods
I love the idea of a pumpkin holding my mums! How much better can it get for the fall season.
Check out her step by step tutorials