DIY: Dad's Chicken Stroganoff

Wanna know my go to recipe when all else fails? 

My Pa's Chicken Stroganoff.

One of my favorite family recipes.

It's super easy, super yummy, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Here's what you'll need:

*This picture doesn't show everything, see below for the complete list

3 Chicken Breasts

1/2 of a medium onion

Egg noodles

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Mushrooms

Milk

A good dollop of sour cream

Canola Oil

Your favorite seasonings {mine are season salt, pepper, and garlic powder}

First dice up your onion and chicken breasts, sprinkle with your favorite seasonings, and fry them up in oil. 

Then add the mushrooms, both cans of cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and about 1 cup of milk {more depending on how creamy you like it...}

Next, add the noodles.  I usually put in about 3 or 4 good handfuls.

Keep that on medium heat until the noodles are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!

Wanna know the best part?  It seems the left-overs taste even better the next day, bonus!

What's your favorite family recipe?


And speaking of family, I'd like to wish my parents a VERY Happy 32nd Wedding Anniversary today!!! Love you both so much :)

What I Wore: Girl Power and Landscaping

I'm stepping out of the box with my What I Wore Wednesday post this week.

It all started from this pin:

                                Source: etsy.com via Katie on Pinterest

It got me thinking.  I'm gonna go ahead & lay mulch in our front flower garden all.by.myself.

Hey, give me some credit.  Those bags of mulch are heavy!

And I had no clue what I was doing.
But, Grace helped me out.

And us girls, we got the job done.  All by ourselves.

Outfit Details:The oldest, rattiest, clothes that I own. Oh, I also sported that flannel here.  And the rain boots here.
Cheers ladies, we're great and we can do great things!

What it's Really Like to Live in Germany.

Warning: You're gonna wanna stretch out your belly for this post by Alyx, from Everyday is a New Adventure.  She'll give you a good gut laugh or two.  Enjoy!

Hey there, My Darling Day Readers! PLEASE do not run away just because this is a guest post. Because that will make me cry [okay, not really, but... I had to try to guilt trip you into it, right? Right].

i try to look hardcore, but really I'm not.

Anyway. My name is Alyx, and I'm a pillow-hogging, German-speaking, world traveling (sorta), book reading amazon woman who blogs over here (click it, you know you want to peer pressure). It's a pretty cool little place, if I do say so myself.

See? I told you I'm not hardcore. 

Okay, on to the point of this post. I've been living in Germany for the past 10 months, and wanted to tell you what it's really like to live the so-called "glamorous" life of an expat.

-- you will have to pee. Well, duh. But first, you will have to pay. THEN you will go into a bathroom stall, look at the toilet, and think you accidentally went to the men's side because there doesn't seem to be a toilet seat. THEN when you're done peeing, you will wonder where the eff the flusher is.

-- you will starve on holidays and weekends. Probably. If you're as forgetful/irresponsible as me, you will starve at least once while living abroad. The stores close at 8 pm every day and are closed on Sundays and every holiday imaginable. It's common to have 3 or 4 days in a row where every store is closed. Trust me when I tell you that one bag of rice does not feed two very hungry giant people for three days in a row.

via

-- you will wear wet underwear at least once. Europeans don't believe in dryers, and I have had to wear wet underwear to work more times than I care to count.

-- you will cry over cupcakes and donuts and McDonald's. Seriously. Watch the video. It's real, people. You know - first world problems. 

-- you will get stranded in the middle of nowhere because someone decided to go on strike. Unions - everyone's a member of one here - even the public transport workers. So... you'll probably get stranded in the middle of nowhere with no idea how to get home. Hopefully you carry a sleeping bag with you at all times, because you're spending the night in a train station. Kidding. You can always call someone you barely know and ask for a ride (provided, of course, you barely know someone within a 20 km radius).

So... yeah - you get to travel the continent and visit lots of cool things, but it's all fun and games until someone forgets to go to the store before a long weekend. Then it's bad. REALLY bad.

So. Come say hi before I die of starvation (it's a holiday weekend)! 

Isn't she hilarious/gorgeous/talented {she designed my blog design you know!}?
Make sure you stop over and show her some love!

What's in your beach bag?

Now that summer is approaching, the wonderful Sharon is going to share what staples she keeps in her beach bag... what are your necessities when at the beach?

Hi guys! I'm Sharon and I'm a petite fashion blogger (I'm 4'10") at The Tiny Heart. I live with my hubby and our two dogs, Jinx and Oliver at the Jersey shore.

When Katie asked me to fill in for her while she's on vacation, I just knew I wanted to share with you guys what's in my beach bag. I live just one block from the ocean so I'm always at the beach! Many people (including myself) consider Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of summer, so now is the perfect time to start planning your beach bag!

Let's talk about the bag itself. Some people like to have fancy beach bags, but since your beach bag is going to get pretty beat up from the sun, sand, and water, I don't spend a lot on mine. I actually got this bag for free during a store promotion. I think it's pretty cute and it's functional. Sometimes I'll swap it out for a different one to match my bikini.

Here's what inside the bag:

1. Sunscreen. While I do love sitting in the sun, I don't want skin cancer or to wind up looking all leathery like George Hamilton. So I always use SPF 30 or above (often times I use 50, like this one). I prefer the spray ones to the lotion because they're so much easier and quicker to apply. I use a tinted moisturizer with SPF for my face since the traditional sunscreens can clog pores.

2. Water. You're going to need water if you're sitting out in the sun for hours and nothing quenches thirst like water. I like to put mine in the freezer a few hours before I head to the beach so it stays nice and cold all day in my cooler.

3. Magazines. A guilty pleasure of mine is reading style or celebrity gossip mags on the beach. My favorites are Glamour, Cosmo, People, and Lucky. Just be careful touching the ink or it may rub off onto your skin from the sunscreen!

4. Cover up. I like to wear a long tunic/tank as my beach cover up to get double the use out of it. The one in my bag is by Romeo & Juliet Couture and I often wear it as a shirt when I'm not on the beach.

5. iPod. Not only can I listen to music, but I use the Kindle app to read books. Putting in my headphones is crucial for tuning that one loud/annoying person who decides to sit near you. Just be careful with blowing sand getting into your electronics. (For this reason, I leave my iPad at home).

6. Flip Flops. These are essential for walking in the hot sand or else you're going to burn your feet. Plus you'll look like a local, since you can usually spot the tourists in their sneakers. I like to stock up on the ones from Old Navy, since they make them in every color of the rainbow for less than 4 bucks.

This is not pictured, but I also like to bring a little wallet to keep some cash on me. One of the best parts of the beach is eating greasy boardwalk foods (like burgers, cheese fries, and chicken fingers. Is anyone else getting hungry?), so you're going to want cash.

Throw on a colorful swimsuit and you're good to go! 

Come on over and visit me at The Tiny Heart! 

Thanks Sharon!  Sure makes me wish I lived a block away from the beach too!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!  I figured since you gals are still on a sugar high from yesterday's post, this scrumptious guest post would fit right in.  Take it away Katie!


Hi My Darling Days readers!
I'm Katie from J&K and I'm so honored to be here today while Katie's down in FL soaking up the sun.

{Let's all take a moment to be a bit jealous.}

I only stumbled on MDD recently and am so in love!

A little bit about me:

I live in Indiana with the mister {J}

and our two puppy love nuggets.

{Who I am a bit obsessed with!}

I recently {last week!} graduated from grad school with my Master's in Social Work...

and just {yesterday!} started a job as a home-based family therapist. Um, what?! People trust me to do that?! 

But enough about me!

I want to share with you one of my all time favorite go-to recipes today.

Chocolate chip Banana Muffins.

Deeeeelish.

And so easy!

1/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg, beaten

3 mashed bananas

1 1/2c. flour

1/2 c. nuts (or chocolate chips. or both)

1 tsp. vanilla {I like to add lots of extra!}

1 tsp. soda dissolved in water

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg. Add bananas, flour, nuts/choc. chips, vanilla, and soda in water. Pour batter into greased muffin or bread pans. Bake at 350* for 40-50 min for bread; 20-30 for muffins.

Yummm!  Any sentence with the words: chocolate, banana, and muffin in it, I am sure to love!

Thanks Katie!



Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Get your taste buds warmed up, this one will make you drool kids.

Hi Katie's friends! : )

My name's Whitney and I have a little blog called Keeping Up with the Cyperts where I ramble about random things, post yummy recipes, and the occasional DIY project. Random pretty much sums it up though.

I'm very excited about guest posting for sweet Katie and want to say thank you to both you guys and Katie for having me! I hope you like sweets... because boy do I have a good one for ya!

One day I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across this recipe. I think my jaw dropped and my fingers moved to the words "Pin It" quicker than they ever have before. And for good reason! These cookies are divine. They are heavenly. They are scrumptious. Basically, they are really good and you should try them. And they are cute on top of all of that deliciousness.

What you will need:

For the dough

 2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Softened Butter

3 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla 

1 Cup Sour Cream

6 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

  

For the center:

8 to 12 Tablespoons Softened Butter

1 1/2 Cups Packed Light Brown Sugar, divided into 1/4 cups

1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon, divided

For the icing:

8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

2-4 Tablespoons Milk

What to do:

1. In an electric mixer, mix together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until well combined. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

2. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half into a disc shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Don't skip this step!

3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch oval, about 12 inches by 5 inches. I didn't measure this out, I just eyeballed it and they were fine. It's alot less work that way. Spread each oval of dough with 2 Tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle on 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon.

4. Start rolling from the long end near you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough and lay onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper OR sprayed with non stick spray.

 5. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool before frosting.

How to make the frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese until soft and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. I only used a little over 1 Tablespoon of milk, but it's up to you!

I hope I have tempted you to try these! They are definitely worth the work!

Thanks again for letting me share your blog for a day Katie! : )

And thanks to Katie's readers for putting up with it! I hope you guys liked this post and will visit my blog as well. I'd LOVE to visit your blogs too!

Thanks Whitney, I'll be "pinning" these myself! :)

More from Meg's Make-up Must-Haves!

Today I have the beautiful Meg here talking about her make-ups favs, enjoy!

Hi Ladies! My name is Meghan and I blog over at More from Meg. I'm honored to be guest blogging for Katie! For my post I wanted to write about my makeup essentials - I read so many posts about this and finally decided to show you what my makeup must haves are. Below are the 8 items I use pretty much everyday give or take but I couldn't image my makeup routine with out these gems!

#1#2#3

#4#5 #6

#7#8

#1 The Present from Philosophy - Clear Makeup

#2 Tarte Amazonian 12 hr Foundation

#3 Tarte Airbrush Bamboo Foundation Brush

#4 E.L.F. Black Liquid Eyeliner

#5 Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara

#6 NYX Eyeshadow Set - Caviar and Bubbles

#7 E.L.F. All Over Face Whip - Lilac Petal

#8 Bare Minerals READY blush - The One

I always love to hear about new makeup and tips and tricks, so I can't wait to hear from all of you! And don't forget to head over to my blog so we can get to know each other better!! Thanks Katie!

Thank YOU Meg, I am eyeing up that Mascara ;)

Jewelry worth drooling over! {handmade love}

The other day I was screen shopping --  you know, it's like window shopping, except when you do it online... and well anyways, I came across a few Handmade jewelry shops that was I going gaga over!
I just gotta share their goodness with you all.
Here's a peeksie at each:

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What's your favorite piece... I kinda want them all.AND you know what's convenient?  My Birthday is June 4th...  Just an FYI.
*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post in anyway.