Thursday's Treasures

Welcome back to another week of Thursday's Treasures! Can you believe that tomorrow is Halloween?? We are hoping the rain lets up just long enough for some trick-or-treating so our little bumble bee, Incredible, and ladybug can have their Halloween fun! And then....it's on to Thanksgiving!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for last week's party....and now....here are the features!! 

Be sure to stop by and show them some love!

Shrimp Pasta Primavera

This simple dish comes together quickly and easily, yet feels like a fancy restaurant dish! Use your family's favorite noodles and vegetables for a delicious meal no one can resist!

It's been a while since I've posted dinner recipes around here....and now, two in a row! There's a reason for that, and it has everything to do with the tiny little being that's growing inside me. See....for the longest time, the LAST thing I felt like doing was making dinner for my family! Especially something that would be blog-worthy. So, for weeks, we lived on breakfast for dinner, Trader Joe's frozen meals, sandwiches, cans of soup, or whatever Jorden felt like picking up on his way home. It was a sad reality, but true. (Sorry, family!)

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Creamy risotto with shitake and cremini mushrooms, Vidalia onions, Fontina cheese, and dried sage.....a huge explosion of flavor, and ready in just 30 minutes!

Have you ever been to one of those restaurants where everything you taste is over the top incredible? Where one dish is better than the next...and there's nothing you wouldn't order over and over again? They're not easy to find, but when you find one, you know it. And it's the ONLY place you want to go...especially when you're going out to celebrate! Well...this past weekend was my birthday weekend, and we went to our favorite restaurant ever. It's a tapas place called La Merenda.....and it's to die for.

White Chocolate Candy Corn Buckeyes

White Chocolate Candy Corn Buckeyes - everything you love about the original, but with a fun Halloween twist! A perfectly salty-sweet treat you won't be able to resist!

I am happy to report that we are officially less than one week away from Halloween....and the girls all have costumes! Woo hoo! Before you get too excited, I should probably say that they're nothing special. Or creative. I didn't come up with them or make them...I didn't spend hours on Pinterest looking up ideas and, in fact, we spent hardly any time at all picking them out. But it doesn't matter. Because everyone is happy! And that makes me VERY happy.

Fall Mantel

My rustic Fall Mantel combines earthy browns and whites with just a pop of orange 

for an easy transition from fall to winter!

I'm not exactly sure why I haven't shared my Fall Mantel with you yet....aside from the fact that I've been busy enticing you with food....! It's interesting how blogging evolves over time, how when I first started blogging I thought I would ONLY be sharing DIY and home decor projects with you....and how, in reality, I pretty much ONLY share food and recipes. I guess you find your niche and tend to stick with it.

Thursday's Treasures

Happy Wednesday, Everyone! Welcome back to another week of Thursday's Treasures! I hope your week is going well and that you are looking forward to a fun weekend. I will be celebrating my birthday this weekend with good food and good company...so that's DEFINITELY something to look forward to!

Speaking of good food....I can't wait for you to check out this week's features. They look DELICIOUS!! I was drawn to so many of your amazing apple recipes and, with the colder weather here, your cozy dinner recipes caught my eye, too! So....without further ado....here are this week's fabulous features!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Bark

Smooth, creamy white chocolate paired with pumpkin pie spice and crunchy gingersnap cookies....

A crunchy, creamy, sweet and snappy bark, perfect for fall parties, gifts, or gatherings!

So I did the math the other day and realized that Christmas is just two months away. Nooooooo!!!! Okay....let me take a step back. It's not that I don't love Christmas just as much as the next person.....I do! I love decorating for it and baking for it and getting ready for it. I even love shopping for it....at least at the beginning. Like when I start now and there's no stress and the stores are still empty and I know I still have two months to find the perfect gift. But as the weeks start dwindling and Christmas is really in the air, it's a whole different story.

Chocolate Covered Candy Corn Pretzels & Our Big News!

White chocolate covered pretzel rods covered in a generous coating of crushed Candy Corn M&M's.
A perfectly fun, simple, and tasty treat for Halloween!

Chocolate covered pretzels are one of my favorite treats EVER. There is something about the sweet and salty combination that really hits the spot....and today is DEFINITELY a day that calls for a special treat! Not only because we made it through a weekend full of kids' birthday parties, play dates, and soccer games....(although that feels treat-worthy in itself)....but because we've now successfully made it through the first 10 weeks of our fourth pregnancy! Woo hoo!! And let me tell you - it has been a LONG 10 weeks!

Apple Cheesecake Breakfast Quesadillas

Ooey gooey cheesecake filling, paired with apples and stuffed inside a flour tortilla, grilled to perfection and dusted with a sweet cinnamon sugar topping. Who says you can't have dessert for breakfast?

A few weekends ago, Jorden and I took the kiddos apple picking. And, for better or for worse, that's basically all it ended up being. We went, we picked, and we left. With a LOT of apples, of course. But there was no frolicking, no frills, no "day at the orchard" for us.....we just. picked. apples. It may have had something to do with the long list of rules they handed us as we drove in.....about not climbing trees and only picking from certain rows and paying for every apple you pick and so on. Or the giant signs about shoplifting that were staring us down every time we turned a corner. Those definitely put a different spin on things....or made us feel like we MUST be doing something wrong! No wonder we didn't exactly want to linger....!

Thursday's Treasures Link Party

Hello, Everyone! Happy Wednesday! I'm so glad you joined us for another week of Thursday's Treasures....it was so inspiring to see all your fabulous posts from last week. Can't wait to see what you've been up to since then!

Here at our Lemon Tree Dwelling, we've been focusing on breakfast foods....at my kids' request. I hope you take a moment to check out my latest Harvest Granola recipe - it's sooooo good!!

Okay...now on to the good stuff. This week's FEATURES!

Harvest Granola

Old fashioned oats, blended with sliced almonds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon....then baked to crunchy perfection. Sweetly satisfying with yogurt, milk, or just by the handful!

As I mentioned a few days ago, my kids have pretty much lost all faith in me when it comes to delicious weekday breakfasts. It happens quickly with kids - the boredom, the dissatisfaction, the loss of faith. And when I had to explain to them for the fourth day in a row that we had cereal but no milk, peanut butter but no bread, pancake mix but no eggs to actually make it.....I couldn't really blame them for giving up hope.

Maple Sausage Crescent Rolls

Light, flaky crescent rolls stuffed with breakfast sausage and cheddar cheese and drizzled with maple syrup. A deliciously simple breakfast idea for any day of the week!

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was one of the most exciting I've had in a while...! Let me explain. It all started when I got an email a few weeks ago from my good friend Tanya, who lives in Chicago and has been training for the Chicago marathon. The email said that she and her boyfriend were throwing a post-marathon party for all her friends and family to celebrate such a great accomplishment. And, immediately, I had a hunch.

Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pockets

A delicious breakfast you can eat with your hands...perfect for a busy morning or breakfast on the go!

It has come to my attention that breakfast time around here need some serious work. And yes, I admit, I've been getting into the habit of offering either toast or cereal for breakfast....every morning. And yes, of course, I knew it was only a matter of time before the troops rallied against me. Well, that time has come! There has been a serious uprising here at our Lemon Tree Dwelling, to the point where it's been making us nearly late for school because no one wants to eat their breakfast!! Clearly something needs to change.

Thursday's Treasures Link Party

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I am SO EXCITED tonight to be joining one of my FAVORITE link parties, Thursday's Treasures, with Christie from Food Done Light and Debi from Recipes For My Boys! Thanks to both of them for the wonderful invitation! 

I don't know about you, but I am loving this beautiful fall weather we are having. It is warm enough to enjoy being outside, but the leaves are covering the ground and there is just enough chill in the air to let you know that fall is really here! And along with fall comes delicious fall desserts.....which looked so amazing from last week's party that I had a hard time choosing my favorites!

But here they are.....my sweet features from last week!!

Nutella Milk Dud Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft peanut butter cookies stuffed with creamy Nutella and chewy Milk Duds. 

Everything you could ask for from one little cookie.

This past weekend was a birthday extravaganza around here! We spent all of Saturday partying at two 4 year old's birthday parties....first, my nephew Bex's, and then, our friend Will's. One was at home and one was at Chuck E. Cheese, but both parties had tons of food, drinks, cake, and craziness.....and goody bags.....and both had pinatas. Which can only mean one thing. We came home with lots and LOTS of candy!

Sweet & Salty Candy Corn Oreos

Deliciously sweet Candy Corn Oreos dipped in white chocolate and topped with dry-roasted peanuts. 

A sweet & salty match made in heaven!

There's something about chopped peanuts that brings back all kinds of delicious memories. Maybe because they're the topping on so many delicious treats! Like Drumsticks and McDonald's sundaes, caramel apples and peanut pershings - the best donuts when you really want to treat yourself!

Good Things Come in 3s Giveaway!

This month Sweet Twist of Blogging is celebrating some 3's! Her 3rd Blogiversary...and her 33rd birthday! And she has invited a group of us to help her celebrate! If you've never checked out her blog, you totally should! She is a wonderful baker and creates the most delectable desserts you could imagine.....like her recent Pumpkin Cookie Dough Rolo Brownies. Yes, you read that right. Pure deliciousness.

So.....thanks for stopping by today and joining in our GOOD THINGS COME IN 3S GIVEAWAY!! 

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin M&M Bars

Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars stuffed with Pumpkin Spice M&M's and topped with pumpkin spiced cinnamon and sugar. Pure fall comfort, in one delicious bar.

If you've been reading my posts for the last week or so, you know that Lemon Tree Dwelling has been heavy on the Halloween crafts and light on the good stuff (aka food!!) What can I say....other than that, every now and then, even I need a break from food! And my crafty side needs a little attention, too. So I hope you've had fun with the crafts (I know I have)....and now, back to the good stuff!

Mummy-Wrapped Utensils & Halloween Blog Hop

These adorable Mummy-Wrapped Utensils are made with just 5 materials
and are sure to add an extra dose of fun to your Halloween table!

Good morning, everyone! I'm so excited for today - not just because I get to share another fun Halloween project with you - but because I get to be part of this amazing Halloween Blog Hop with so many other talented bloggers! I hope you will stay to link up your latest Halloween projects below. I can't wait to see what you've been working on! I've been busy creating fun and simple Halloween crafts, like the Spooky Spider Plates and Funny Pumpkin Pails I already shared with you, and I have one more craft for you today: these adorable Mummy-Wrapped Utensils!

Spooky Spider Plates

Just three simple materials is all you need to make these Spooky Spider Plates - 

the perfect finishing touch to your Halloween festivities!

When it comes to being organized, I most definitely am NOT. And the truth is....I never have been! In high school my backpack was a mess of papers, books, and gum wrappers. In college I used to come home, exhausted, and fall asleep on TOP of the disaster that was my bed....(and the rest of my dorm room!) And my friends will still remind me of my attitude toward bills post-college....which was complete AVOIDANCE. Needless to say, organization has never been my strong suit.