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Sweet and Spicy Pork Burritos

posted in food by Hanna on
If you haven’t had a burrito from Cafe Rio yet, then you’re probably one of the few and I can assure you, you are missing out! Basically drop everything you are doing, pack up the kids and go get some for dinner and if you don’t live near one, put it on your list of “places to eat” next time you’re in the area. It will change your life! Are you getting an idea of how much I love this?
Because I crave these burritos often I started my search to find a copy-cat recipe. After giving a couple recipes a try I found this recipe to be by far the easiest and best tasting. So let’s just jump right into how to make not only the sweet pork but all the fixings to make essentially you’re own “Cafe Rio” burrito from home.
Cafe Rio Sweet and Spicy pork
1 (2.5-3 lb) pork loin roast
1 can yellow El Pato sauce
1 can green El Pato sauce
1 can tomato sauce
3/4 c brown sugar
Put roast in a slow cooker with about of 2 cups water. Cook on high for 8-10 hours. Remove roast and shred with forks, removing any fat. Return shredded pork to slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Stir to combine well and heat through until warm (about 1 hour on high).
To Serve:
 
In a flour tortilla, add a layer of rice, sweet pork, and black beans. Roll up like a burrito and spoon green enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Top with enchilada ranch dressing, pico de gallo (recipe below), roman lettuce, sour cream and guacamole.
Here is the how to make the enchilada ranch dressing to go over the burrito. This was a concoction that my husband came up with and we ended up loving it so much that we make it every time now!
Pico de Gallo
 
– 6 roma tomatoes
– 1/2 red onion diced
– 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
– 1/2 jalapeao seeded and minced
– 1/2 lime juiced
– 1 clove minced garlic
– 1 pinch garlic powder
– 1 pinch cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Donut Miss This Party!

posted in family, food, friends, money saving tips, party, printable, recipe by Sara on
Hello again! As I’m sure many of you can relate to, life have been a bit busy…then again when is it not?! In the mist of all the working, blogging, and family time I got a little behind with some of my other responsibilities. There were heaps of laundry everywhere, the house needed a major cleaning, the fridge needed to be restocked, and I was literally running on fumes. I wish I was one of those super moms who could balance life perfectly and get it all done, but I am simply not one of  them. In fact, balancing life is quite a struggle for me. I sometimes get to the point where life is so out of balance that I need to step back, re-group, get organized, relax, and start again. Unfortunately, last week was one of those weeks. I wish I could say  that I’ve come back with all the answers on how to live a balanced life, but to be honest I’m not sure I will ever have all the answers. It is something that I strive to work at everyday; some days I succeed, and other days I fail completely. Such is the game of life I guess. Tomorrow is always a new day and a new beginning. As for today, I feel refreshed and so happy to be back!
During our week away, both Hanna’s daughters and my daughter all had birthdays! These little girls are growing up so fast! My little Addie turned 2, and I’m still besides myself at when my baby girl became a toddler! As you may remember from the Picnic Themed Birthday Party post I wrote several weeks ago, we’re not big birthday people. Growing up we always had quiet birthday dinners with our family, and while we still like to keep things simple, you know how we love to throw parties! So, this week we will be showing you some ideas on how to throw an inexpensive birthday party while still wowing your guests and making your child’s birthday special. 
While my daughter is still very small, I like to choose party themes that will entertain guests of all ages. This year I decided to go with an adorable donut themed party. Originally I had planned to have this cute little party at the park, but sadly due to a rainy forecast we were forced to move it inside at the last minute. With the last minute changes I didn’t have much time to plan out or decorate the new space, but in the end it didn’t really matter and every one seemed to have a good time… the birthday girl included! Any excuse to play with friends and eat yummy treats and my daughter is totally there!
As you can see, I tried to keep things fairly simple. Here is a tip: when doing a party on a budget, be sure to check out your local dollar stores and party discount stores for all your paper products and party decorations. That is where I bought 95% of my decorations, plates, cups, napkins, etc. The adorable striped straws I found at Target for $2.99 for a pack of 20. Sometimes Target will also have some cute party stuff in there dollar section. I was also able to find some darling donut printables from Oh Happy Day and Confetti Sunshine. Not only where they a perfect addition to the party, but they are completely free! You’ll definitely want to check these out!
As for the food budget, I didn’t have $50 to spend on six dozen donuts so I decided to “make” them myself for half the price. By “make”, I mean fry. I simply took the Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits, punched a hole in the middle of each biscuit, and then fried them in a pan of oil. Within minutes you have yourself a perfectly golden brown, delicious donut. After letting the donuts cool for a bit, I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting. For the cinnamon and sugar coated donuts you’ll want to toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar when they are still hot. 
Here is what I  used for the frosting:
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz brick cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2-3 Tbsp milk
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla
Added flavors:
Chocolate: add 2-3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, plus an addition 2-3 Tbsp of milk
Strawberry: blend in 1/4 cup of freshly sliced strawberries
Maple: add 2-3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
Lastly, I topped off my donuts with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and almond slices.
To tie our two parties together, Hanna created this fun confetti dot banner. I mean seriously, what birthday party is complete without confetti?! You’ll see how Hanna used the banner in her party theme on Wednesday. If you love it as much as we do, we’ve created a FREE downloadable version below!
(click the text to download)
 Overall, I spent under $75 in total on the party. $30 was spent on the decorations and paper products, and the rest went toward the food budget. After it was all said and done, here are some tips to take away when planning a birthday party on a budget:
  • Shop at you local dollar store or discount party store when looking for decorations or paper products
  • Search your house for items you can re-purpose or use as decorations
  • Ask friends to borrow certain items you do not have instead of buying them
  • Search for free printables online or design your invites/banners yourself
  • Keep things simple (this will make your life and your budget a lot happier) 
  • Plan ahead, and shop sales!
While not everything went completely as planned, it was a great party celebrating a special little girl. While we are still fairly new-comers to the area, I felt blessed by the number of our new friends who came to celebrate with us.

Pinterest Challenge Week #3

posted in food, printable, recipe by Sara on
Wow what a week! Besides the beyond beautiful weather, I got to spend some time with family for a bridal shower and a wedding earlier this week. Sara and I have also been talking pretty much everyday in making some future plans for our blog– we’re so excited about it! But, for now let’s get to this week’s Pinterest Challenge. For week #3 I put together an ice cream sundae kit. I’m an all around chocolate lover when it comes to mix-ins for my ice cream so this kit was nothing short of that! I also created my own labels which I’ll be posting next week and I’ll give you the run down of everything I put in the kit.
Mmm, I could definitely go for an ice cream sundae right now… I hope that box it coming my way! The weather here in Oregon has been absolutely wonderful as well, perfect for a cold refreshing treat! Thankfully the warm sunshine has given me the energy and drive I’ve needed to overcome a busy week. While life has been a little very busy around my house lately, it always remains exciting. Hanna mentioned some big plans we have coming up regarding our blog, and while we are keeping them under wraps for now, she is right, we’re super excited about them! Anyway, with a busy schedule I’ve needed so some quick and easy meals to add to my recipe collection. In my Pinterest search, I found this Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus. As always I put my own little twist on the recipe based on what I had in my fridge. Instead of using sun dried tomatoes (which are like $5.00 for a little jar!) I used some cherry tomatoes that I sauteed with garlic. I also decided to add some roasted zucchini to the mix as well, and of course lots and lots of cheese! To top it all off, I whipped up a loaf of my dad’s Fabulous French Bread (that is really the name of the recipes in my family cookbook). All in all, it was delicious and easy to make. Definitely a keeper! 

That wraps up week 3 of the Pinterest Challenge! If you haven’t already seen what the other talented ladies in the challenge have been up to, here are some of our favorite projects from week 3!

 Lime Cream Popsicle | by Delineate Your Dwelling

 Be sure to visit all the other talented bloggers that have joined in on the challenge– there are a LOT more fun and inspiring projects! Again they are:
Katelyn // Ginny // Corey // Megin // Vanessa
 Amy // Havalah // Stephanie

Also, become a follower of our Pinterest Challenge Pinterest board to keep up with all the lasted projects and inspiration!

Link’n Blogs Linky Party {#20}

posted in baby, blogging, crafts, diy, family, food, health, holidays, inspiration, kids, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood, organization, parenting, party, recipe, sewing, thrifted, tutorial by Sara on
Today we’re honored to be guest hosting the Link’n Blogs linky party brought to you by Put a Bird On It. This is our first time ever “hosting” a linky party and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the inspiration and talent of so many wonderful bloggers! It is actually through linky parties that we have come across some of our favorite blogs and have connected with some amazing people. With that being said, we invite you all to share, connect, inspire, and be inspired yourself!

Welcome to Link’n Blogs {#20} !
A place to link up your projects and make new friends. We are all about visiting links and following new bloggers here at Link’n Blogs. Remember to leave comments and PIN PIN PIN!
Cause sharing is caring. 


**Your links will show up on ALL blogs hosting the link party!**

Interested in guest hosting Link’n Blogs?!
I’ve created a spreadsheet where you can sign up to host a link party! It’s a great way to get to know other bloggers, share a recent post with other party goers and pick the features. Sign up using the link below!

Grab my party button! 
 



*Feel free to post my party button on your blog and say you linked up here!*



I am sharing a feature I did on Warby Parker collaborating with Architecture for Humanity. It’s a good company working towards a good cause!

Warby Parker + Architecture for Humanity






Katelyn is sharing a DELISH recipe for a spin on cheesy pasta. This looks so good! I love that it has bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon!



Be sure to give some love to our guest hosts – you will love their creative blogs!



These two girls have one of the cutest blogs! You’ve got to check out the Pinterest challenge they’re doing. Today, Hanna and Sara are sharing some divine cinnamon rolls – with a twist!






Chastity has a fun lifestyle blog and is momma to an adorable little cowboy! Today, she is sharing a heart filled printable perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. I love it!





Carolyn’s blog is all about her life as a stay at home mom to her two daughters {which she never thought she’d be!}. And her post this week is about just that.




Here are this week’s features:

My Pick

DIY Felt Flower Headbands by Maddie Moe’s




Katelyn’s Pick

DIY Stenciled Tray by Life in Velvet



Hanna and Sara’s Pick

DIY Geometric Photo Display by The Caldwell Project



Chastity’s Pick

Picnic Basket Tutorial by Over the Apple Tree



Carolyn’s Pick

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Sandwich by Belle of the Kitchen


Fan Favorites


Reversible Easter/Spring Wood Blocks by Something Splendid



Pantry Makeover by View from the Fridge




I know the bloggers featured would love if you would visit their posts and say hello!

All features will be pinned to my Link’n Blogs board. Follow it here!



Follow my blog! If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link.
Link to your blog post — not just your blog.
Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you.
If you enjoy a link, you can LIKE it {new feature!}
Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog. 
Grab my party button! – See more at: http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2013/12/diy-christmas-scriptures-advent.html#sthash.mPINNYsH.dpuf
Ok, here are the guidelines for the link party:  


Follow your HOSTS and GUEST HOSTS

If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link

Link to your blog post — not just your blog.

Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you

Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog
Share this link party on social media to help Link’n Blogs grow!

*Don’t be a LINK & RUN partier. Visit a couple links before you and a couple after!*


Happy Linking!

Leave a permalink on your blog back to the party to help our party grow!
*here is the link*
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/04/linkn-blogs-20.html


 

**********************************************


I monitor each link and may delete a link if it is not something I want to promote on my blog. If you see your link was deleted, please email me. I’d be happy to chat about why! Thanks! 

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Cinnamon Rolls With a Twist

posted in faith, family, food, recipe by Sara on
 Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists
Happy Monday, I hope everyone had an awesome weekend! Since my work schedule has changed, I’ve been able to enjoy four day weekends! I love having four full days home with the little one! However, my days off last week were hardly a break. Sometimes I feel more exhausted after a day home then after a day at work. I was so busy chasing after my daughter, catching up on housework, and running here and there that I hardly had a chance to breathe. Come Sunday, I was more  than ready to sit down, relax, and be uplifted (both physically, mentally, and spiritually).
For those of you who did not know, this weekend was General Conference for my church (not sure what General Conference is?…click HERE) and I must say that I was definitely uplifted! There were so many inspiring and hopeful messages; I simply loved every minute of it! Apart from the wonderful talks, one of my favorite things about conference time are these yummy cinnamon roll twists– our family tradition. It is one of the many recipes I’ve adopted from my mother-in-law, which I loving got permission to share it on the blog today.
Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists

Cinnamon Roll Twists (Makes about 30 rolls)

Mix together:
3 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp yeast

Let raise for 10-15 minutes.

Add:
4 cups flour (one at a time)
1 Tbsp salt
3 eggs (one at a time)

**If you are using a Bosch or Kitchen Aid, change your beaters to bread hooks, then mix in an additional:

6 cups flour (one at a time)

Roll out dough right away in a big rectangle leaving the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Spread 1 cube of softened butter over the top of the dough, then cover with brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold the rectangle in thirds, and seal the edges.  Cut the dough in 1 inch strips, twisting each piece. Place the twisted dough on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. When finished baking, frost immediately. (Icing recipe below)

Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists
 
Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists
Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists
Now for the cream cheese frosting…my favorite part. Simply frost these rolls right out of the oven so the frosting can melt and seep into every crack and crevasse; then eat and enjoy!
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cube softened butter
1 8 oz cube of softened cream cheese
powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp of milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists
Stripes and Polka Dots // Cinnamon Roll Twists

These always make WAY more than our little family could ever eat by ourselves, so we like to divide them up and take them around to our friends and neighbors for all can enjoy. I’ve never tried freezing them…if you should try it, let me know how it turns out.

My Version of Birthday Cake

posted in food, holidays by Hanna on

There’s been a lot of birthday and party talk lately since both Sara’s and my girls have birthdays this month. I’m still in denial that my baby is going to be turning one! It’s such a precious time watching them grow in that first year but it’s also been so sweet to watch my girls interact more. By interacting I mainly mean screaming at the top of their lungs and then laughing about it. Oh girls.

Anyway along with not doing big birthday parties growing up in my family, we also didn’t have the usual birthday cakes either. My mom quickly learned that none of us really loved a regular birthday cake with an inch of frosting so it seemed pointless spending the time to make one and then have tons of leftovers that no one wanted. So instead we started a tradition where we just asked for our favorite dessert and in my family there a MANY! One of the big hits for birthdays is a Lemon Poppy Seed cake which I’m sharing with you today. The other is a Chocolate Eclair cake we’ll get to another time. Both are so so good and what is that word I seem to always be using? Oh yes, easy!
This Lemon Poppy Seed cake is great because it’s one of those recipes where you just dump everything in a bowl, mix and bake while the result is a moist and delicious cake. I also need to give a big shout out to my husband who finished this cake and took the pictures as I stuck the cake in the oven right before I was headed out to watch the General Women’s Meeting last weekend. It was a beautiful meeting with such a sweet and important message of lifting each other up as women through serving and befriending one another. If you missed it and are wanting some great inspiration you can watch it HERE.
Now let’s get to the recipe.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
1 Yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together. It’s kind of a thick batter so I used my electric beaters.

Spray a bunbt cake pan with cooking spray and then coat it lightly with flour to insure the cake doesn’t stick to the pan.

Pour the cake batter into the floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through. Once the cake is done let is cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan. In the mean time, mix together lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a pour-able glaze. (Tip: Start out with just a little bit of lemon juice, maybe 2 Tbsp while making the glaze.) Lastly drizzle the glaze over the cake using a spoon.

I’ll just pretend that I didn’t eat half of this cake by myself before I decided to get a grip and froze the rest of it. It’s still taking me some effort not to go get it out of the freezer!
Anyone else have some special birthday treats besides the usual birthday cake?

Picnic Themed Birthday Party

posted in crafts, diy, family, food, holidays, inspiration, kids, party by Hanna on
It is officially spring (as of March 20th) which for me marks the beginning of shorts, sandals, vacations, and birthday celebrations. Ironically enough, my daughter and both of Hanna’s girls all have birthdays in April about one week apart. 
Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots
Last year, instead of throwing two separate parties (little Livy was not yet born) Hanna and I decided to combined our girl’s birthday parties. Growing up, we never really had big elaborate birthday parties where we invited all our friends. Instead, my mom would make whatever we wanted for dinner and dessert and we’d celebrate our birthday with our family. However, this is not to say that we don’t enjoy throwing a good party. In fact, since Hanna and I have started our own families, throwing fun little parties together have become one of our favorite hobbies.

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

We wanted to keep things simple, yet provide a fun environment for our family and friends while creating a sweet memory for our little girls. We finally decided on a casual picnic themed birthday party at the park. Minus the unexpected chilly weather, we managed to pull off a fun party for all ages on a small budget of just $100. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Since the food took up the majority of our budget, we looked for inexpensive packaging ideas and decorations. Instead of purchasing “to-go” boxes, which can end up costing a lot of money, we bought simple brown paper sacks and then printed a cute little banner on them. All the sandwiches  were wrapped in wax paper and this cute pink checkered tissue paper that we found at Walmart for $3. The fruit cups were packaged in cheap plastic cups and then topped with saran wrap and baker’s twine. Finally, all the different sack lunch items got a colorful label that we made with scrapbook paper. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

For the decorations, we used some balloons I had leftover from my baby shower a year earlier and then we made some matching ruffled streamers. Here is a great tutorial from “Dana Made It” on how to make ruffled streamers– so cute! All the baskets and flowers were things that we had at home. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Great parties do not have to mean spending a lot of money. Try and look for areas where you can cut back or make simpler. Find things around your house, friends or family’s homes, or at second hand stores that can be reused for party decorations.  And last but not least, have a good time. What truly makes a good party is the people that you celebrate it with. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots
Honestly, this party seemed like it was just the other day. I can’t believe it has been almost a year later and that I’m already planning out birthday #2 for my daughter. Sadly, this year will not be a combined party since Hanna and I live much farther apart; however, we did manage to come up with the same birthday party theme for our girls. I guess great minds really do think alike… or maybe it’s our crazy twin connection. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this picnic party flashback! And for all you “go-doers” out there, I’ve also gathered up some more fabulous picnic party ideas and inspiration shown below:
Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Popsicle Picnic Party | Little Lovely
Boxed Lunch Picnic Party | All Things Heart and Home
Fabric Tent | Inspiration via Pinterest