Layered Pie

This recipe is simple and can be altered any way you like it.
Graham Cracker Crust:

• 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 -3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup pecan crumbs (optional)

Mix all ingredients and press down on the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan.

Cheesecake filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 9 ox. cool whip (1/2 carton...save the rest for the top)

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, and then fold in the cool whip. Spread on top of Graham Cracker crust.

Pudding Layer:

• 2 small pkgs. of instant pudding (I mixed 1 butterscotch with 1 chocolate).
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk

Beat for 2 minutes then spread on top Cheese cake layer.

Spread the remaining cool whip on top and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Adjustable Waist Tutu Tutorial

There is nothing cuter than a little girl in a tutu!! I love this tutu tutorial I found at The Daily Couture Co. because you can adjust the waist as the child grows and there is absolutely no sewing involved.

What you need:

• Tulle of choice 50 yards (2 spools of 6inch tulle 25 yards each). You can find the spools of tulle online or at craft stores such as JoAnn's or Roberts Crafts. I cut my tulle strips 6 X 30in for my daughters tutu.
  
• 2-2 1/2 inch width Ribbon...this will be used for the adjustable waist band
  
• Scissors
• Optional---Add some embellishments! I like to use decorative ribbon to make it look unique (just tie it on the same way as the tulle).
  

If you would like further instructions on how to make the adjustable waist and how to tie on the tulle feel free to check out the tutu tutorial at The Daily Couture Co.


*If you would like to make the tutu extra full then you will need to double the stands of tulle when you tie them on.
Here are some other tutu tutorials that may help you design your very own tutu:
Lost In Stash
Plum Tickled

Thanks to Season Atwater Photography who took these gorgeous pictures of my little girl.

Deusprovidebit's hat giveaway

I found the cutest little handmade hats on ETSY. Deusprovidebit's shop on ETSY features a great line of hand knit hats and cocoons for all ages! Each hat has it's own unique flare. The shop's goal is to put a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye!

Deusprovidebit is offering one lucky reader a signature red and white newborn polka dot pixies hat.

Here's How To Enter:
Make sure to follow link to Deusprovidebit. Then send an email with Duesprovidebit as the subject to gettogetherideas@gmail.com. In the body of the email enter your name and address and answer the following question: What is your favorite hat that Deusprovidebit sells? You have until Saturday March 13th to enter...good luck!


We want to spread the word about Get Together Ideas ..so if you refer someone to gettogetherideas.com and they enter our giveaway you get an extra entry.

How to get an extra entry:
1. Send the names of the people you referred with your entry
2. If they enter the contest you will receive an extra entry

Bonus:

• Extra entry...link Get Together Ideas on your blog. Include the blog URL in the email to make sure you get your extra entry.
  
• Receive an extra entry by subscribing to this blog. Enter email address and then hit subscribe (top right hand corner of page).
• Become a fan or Deusprovidebit on facebook
• Become a fan of Deusprovidebit on Twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter...send me link to the tweet.
  

Make sure to send me an extra email telling me if you completed any of the bonus entries.


Congratulations to Kerrie G. the winner of our BrightFeet Giveaway!...courtesy of random.org

Seafood Wantons

Ingredients:

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 oz imitation crab meat
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped green onion

Directions: Mix all ingredients together....place about 1 tsp filling into the center of wanton wrapper and fold in half...you may need to wet the edges of wrap with water so the sides stick together. Brown both sides in frying pan of grapeseed oil or olive oil. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Spring Rolls Recipe

This Spring Roll recipe is delicious!!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless pork chops (cooked and chopped) or--1 lb ground pork, cooked
• 1 cube chicken bouillon (crushed)
• 1/2 c chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 c shredded carrots
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 egg (beaten)
• Grape seed oil or Olive Oil
  

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, spoon 1/4 cup mixture into spring roll wrapper and roll. Fill a frying pan 1/2 way up with grape seed oil (tastes less greasy and healthier), or olive oil. Brown on all sides, and serve with some sweet and sour sauce.
Makes 11-12 spring rolls.

Asain Salad Recipe

My friend brought this salad she found over at The Pioneer Woman to a dinner party we had and I fell in love. The salad is beautiful and tasty too! I modified the original just a little, so if you want the original recipe check out The Pioneer Woman post.

This salad recipe is huge!!...you could easily 1/2 it...we fed a group of 16 and had 1/2 the salad left over.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed and cooled
• ½ heads Sliced Napa Asain Cabbage
• ½ heads Sliced Purple Cabbage
• ½ bags Baby Spinach
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts
  
• Chopped Cilantro, about 1/2 a bunch
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 whole Lime, Juiced (I will use less next time, the lime was a little overpowering)
  
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 10 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Heaping Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapeno's, Chopped
• Chopped Cilantro

Directions:

Mix salad dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix all together and serve on a platter.

Egg Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground hamburger meat
  
• 1/2 lb ground sausage (I like to use Hot Jimmy Dean sausage).
• 1 medium size onion chopped
  
• 1 pkg cole slaw (can find it in the bagged salads section of grocery store)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2-1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
• Grape seed oil (less greasy taste and healthier) or olive oil.
  

* Optional items:

• Bean sprouts
• Chopped mushrooms
• Shredded broccoli slaw
  

Directions:
Brown hamburger, sausage and onion, and garlic. Once the meat is browned add the flour to the meat and mix. Add the cole slaw and optional items, the soy sauce and mix. This will be the filling for the egg rolls.

Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each egg roll wrapper and roll according to directions on pkg. Fill your frying pan 1/2 way up with grapeseed or olive oil and brown egg rolls on all sides until crispy.

Oriental Themed Dinner Party

This weekend we got a bunch of friends together and hosted an Oriental themed dinner party. It was so much fun! We put up tables around the room, but only about 8 inches off the floor. Each guests sat on the floor instead of on a chair to give the party more of an Asian feel.

I found this beautiful Oriental themed place setting with black square plates and a silk hand fans placed on the top. For a cheaper version you can find black square paper plates and paper fans.

We decorated with red, white, and Asian decorative table cloths. Garnished the tables with chop sticks and chocolate dipped fortune cookies.

For decorations we strung Chinese lanterns from both sides of the room, hanging over our heads. Visit your all party store to find paper products like dragons, lanterns and novelty table-top decorations.

You could also decorate with these cute Chinese takeout box candle holders I found over at Beaucoup.

For dinner we had each couple bring their favorite Oriental dish.
Here is a list of what we had for dinner:

• Egg Rolls
• Spring Rolls
• Seafood Wantons
• Beautiful Asian Salad
• Fried Rice
• Lettuce Wraps..(PF Chang's copycat recipe)
• Chicken Peanut Curry
  

The food was absolutely delicious! And the best part of all was none of us had to spend the entire day preparing and cooking the meal. Check back for some amazing Oriental recipes!

Optional entertainment ideas:

• Rent or buy sumo suits for your guests to use.

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• pint of half and half
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp Parsley
  
• 1/4 cup white cooking wine

Breadsticks Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour

Directions: Put water and yeast in a mixing bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast starts to get a little bubbly. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix. Take dough out of mixer and knead for 3 minutes. Dough should be slightly sticky. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes in a bowl.

• Melt 1/3 cup butter, put 1/2 of the butter on the bottom of a cookie sheet.
• Roll dough out the size and shape of the cookie sheet.
  
• Place the dough in the cookie sheet and then use a pizza cutter and cut the width of the dough about 1 inch thick.

• Put the remaining butter on top of the breadsticks.
  
• Sprinkle toppings on top: Parmesan Cheese, garlic salt, and parsley.

• Let rise 30 minutes
• Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve along side pasta or soup....delicious!

Decorative Journals

Alida over at I Make Stuff has started a Write it Out Project, handmade journals for grieving military widows. She is an Iraq war widow and is reaching out to help comfort other war widows. She found that keeping a journal has helped her grieve. She has posted a tutorial on how to make these adorable decorative journals. If you would like to contribute one yourself head on over to I Make Stuff and email Alida at alidanicolelee@gmail.com and she will tell you what to do next.

What you will need:

• Composition notebook
• Two coordinating fabrics
• Ribbon
• Button
• Craft paper and modge podge, if desired

BrightFeet Lighted Slippers

Doug Vick the inventor of the lighted slipper BrightFeet has been featured on Good Morning America, the Today show and the View. He came up with the idea after getting up one night in the middle of the night....he bumped into the bedpost while making his way back to bed. He realized then that there are probably millions of people who have done the exact same thing. He created a product that allows a person to navigate "hands free" through a darkened house.

I was sent a pair of lighted slippers to test and review. I love them! They are comfortable, durable, and best of all no more tripping over shoes and toys left on the floor in the middle of the night. The slippers have a soft padded insole, and non-skid soles. My favorite feature is the on/off light sensor and the weight sensor. The light only comes on when you are wearing the slippers in the dark. Even my kids love them! They have been wearing my slippers when they play hide and go seek in the dark.

One lucky reader is going to get a free pair of BrightFeet lighted slippers!

How To Enter:
Make sure to follow link to BrightFeet. Then send an email with BrightFeet as the subject to gettogetherideas@gmail.com. In the body of the email enter your name and address and answer the following question: What is your favorite item that BrightFeet sells? You have until Saturday March 6th at midnight to enter....Good luck!
We want to spread the word about Get Together Ideas ..so if you refer someone to gettogetherideas.com and they enter our giveaway you get an extra entry.

How to get an extra entry:
1. Send the names of the people you referred with your entry
2. If they enter the contest you will receive an extra entry

Bonus:

• Extra entry...link Get Together Ideas on your blog. Include the blog URL in the email to make sure you get your extra entry.
  
• Receive an extra entry by subscribing to this blog. Enter email address and then hit subscribe (top right hand corner of page).
• Become a fan of BrightFeet on facebook and you will receive an extra entry.

Congratulations to Angela P. the winner of our Ashlyn's Bowtique giveaway....courtesty of random.org

Amish Friendship bread

Amish Friendship Bread
This sweet bread is a big hit at my house, my family loves it! The Amish Friendship bread gets passed around from friend to friend. Check out the previous post Amish Friendship Bread Starter for instructions on how to make the starter for the bread.

Once your starter is complete and you have made it to day 10-- you will make 2 loaves of bread and you will be left with 4 starter bags. Pass 3 starter bags and copy of instructions out to your friends and keep one for yourself. If you keep a starter bag you will be baking bread every 10 days.

Instructions:
Day 1 - Receive the starter (the recipe for the starter is below)

Day 2 - Mush the bag

Day 3 - Mush the bag

Day 4 - Mush the bag

Day 5 - Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Mush the bag

Day 6 - Mush the bag

Day 7 - Mush the bag

Day 8 - Mush the bag

Day 9 - Mush the bag

Day 10 - Bake--follow instructions below

• Pour entire contents in bag into a non-metal bowl.
  
• Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups milk, mix well.
  
• Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags. --This will count as day 1. Give 4 friends a recipe and a starter bag. If you keep a starter for yourself you will be baking every 10 days.
  
• Preheat oven to 325
• Add the following to the remaining batter in the bowl (remaining batter about 2 1/2 c.)

Add:

• 3 eggs
• 1 c. oil (or 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. applesauce)
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. flour
• 1 large box of vanilla instant pudding

1. Grease two loaf pans. Mix an additional 1/2 c. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of the mixture.
2. Divide the batter evenly into the 2 pans. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top.
3. Bake 45-1hr depending on oven Cool until bread loosens from the pan (about 10 minutes). Turn out onto a serving dish. Serve warm or cold.
   

Do not bake more than 2 loaves at a time. Modifications: Use lemon pudding and add 2 1/2 TBSP poppy-seeds. Use chocolate pudding and chocolate chips.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

This is the recipe to start the Amish Friendship bread. It is very important to use wooden or plastic utensils and plastic or glass bowls...no metal. Do not refrigerate the starter bag!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing is better then a warm bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup on a cold day. My sister-in-law shared this family recipe with me and it is delicious. The best part about it is this is a forgiving recipe. If you use different measurements or leave ingredients out it still tastes good. Taste's good served over the top of some mashed potatoes!

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of chicken broth
• 2 family size cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
  
• 2 cans of small cans of Cream of Mushroom soup or Cream of Celery soup
• 3 chicken breasts cut up into bite size pieces
• 1 onion chopped thin
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

* Optional:

• 2-3 Extra Chicken Bouillon cubes for taste
• 1-2 cups celery
• 1-2 cups sliced carrots
  

Directions:

Mix chicken broth and the chopped onion and any vegetables and boil until onion and vegetables are tender. Add soups, cooked chicken breasts and then add the noodles and boil for about 10-15 minutes.

Homemade Noodles:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• about 1/4-1/3 cup evaporated milk.
  

Directions:

• Mix ingredients adding more milk or more flour as needed. Dough will be slightly sticky to touch. Knead dough and roll out to desired thickness. I like it about 1/4 inch thick or slightly thinner. After I have the dough rolled out I use my pizza cutter and cut pieces about 1/3-1/2 inch width and about 2 inch length. The noodles get bigger when they are cooked. (I throw the cut up noodles into a bowl with flour to coat the outside so they don't stick together, before throwing them into the pot of soup).
  

Tips for the noodles:

1. Roll out noodle dough to desired thickness and then use a pizza cutter to cut them the desired length and width.
   
2. After I cut my up I let them dry at least 20-30 minutes before adding them to the hot liquid. Makes the noodle lots better.

Packing Flowers

I found a tutorial for these packing flowers over at Heather Bailey's and I fell in love. These flowers are so cute and super easy to make!

What you will need:

• Scrap of favorite material 3" X 20" (medium size flower).
• Piece of felt
• Button or scrap-booking brads
• Needle and thread
  

Ashlyn's Bowtique Giveaway

Are you looking for a great birthday or baby shower gift? Ashlyn's Bowtique clothing has unique style with a rocker edge. There is everything from Nursing covers, blankies, custom onesies for boys and girls, arm/leg warmers, and of course hair bows to finish off the look.
Every item is handmade!

Ashlyn's Bowtique has a refer a friend program. Every friend that you refer and orders something you will receive $3 off your next order.

I have been looking for cute ways to dress my kids in green for St. Patrick's Day. Ashlyn's Bowtique has some adorable St. Patrick's Day themed apparel for boys and girls. I love the appliqued shamrock onesies with the matching arm/leg warmers, and you can't forget the hair bow to match...so cute! Ashlyn's Bowtique is offering one lucky reader a $20 gift certificate to her ETSY shop.

How To Enter:
Make sure to follow link to Ashlyn's Bowtique. Then send an email with Ashlyn's Bowtique as the subject to gettogetherideas@gmail.com. In the body of the email enter your name and address and answer the following question: What is your favorite item that Ashlyn's Bowtique sells? You have until Saturday February 27th at midnight to enter....Good luck!
We want to spread the word about Get Together Ideas ..so if you refer someone to gettogetherideas.com and they enter our giveaway you get an extra entry.

How to get an extra entry:
1. Send the names of the people you referred with your entry
2. If they enter the contest you will receive an extra entry

Bonus:

• Extra entry...link Get Together Ideas on your blog. Include the blog URL in the email to make sure you get your extra entry.
  
• Receive an extra entry by subscribing to this blog. Enter email address and then hit subscribe (top right hand corner of page).
• Become a fan of Ashlyn's Bowtique on facebook and you will receive an extra entry.
  

Congratulations to Alena T. the winner of our Persnickety Clothing giveaway...courtesy of Random.org

Book Deal

Nothing is better than curling up on the couch in a warm blanket, and getting lost in a captivating book. Lately I can't get enough reading in. I found a great deal online...you can get 4 books for 4 bucks. I signed up for Quality Paperback Book Club and purchased, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Eclipse, and The Time Traveler's Wife.

There’s no automatic shipments here...you pick the books you want. They ask you to buy 2 more books sometime during the year. I was able to buy 1 of the required 2 for just $4.99. I picked up “Where the Sidewalk Ends and Giving Tree-2 Volumes package” for an additional $4.99.…I got 5 bestsellers, and an overnight bag. Full retail? $96.89. I paid $8.99.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream:
1 Cup Softened Butter (do not melt butter only soften)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 & 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 & 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Mix:
3/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 & 1/2 Cups Flour

Directions: Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients. Add 1 & 1/2 bags semi-sweet chips (I like to use half milk and half semi-sweet chocolate chips). Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Just remember to pull them out before they look done to you. Crunchy cookies are burned cookies :).

I like to just make a batch or two (to make sure I don't eat 30 cookies in one day)...I freeze the rest of the cookie dough for another day.

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

If you like mushrooms you are going to LOVE this salad recipe! This is my favorite salad recipe!!

Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Red Onion
• 1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 tsp Salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Add the sliced mushrooms and marinate in the dressing for 1 hour before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch or bag of Spinach
• 5 strips of bacon crumbled ( I usually add a little more bacon)
  
• 1 small red onion diced thin...(use 1 onion between the dressing and the salad)
• 1/2 lbs Swiss cheese
• 2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
  
• 1/2 lbs Mushrooms Sliced

Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Add poppy seed dressing and serve.