You win some, you lose some

I got together with a friend this weekend to do some holiday baking. In addition to the usual suspects, I decided to add in a few recipes I've discovered on Pinterest, such as http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748329109759/.

This came out pretty good - not great, but I think I know why. As in, I didn't follow the directions closely enough and didn't let the caramel thicken after it came to a slow boil. It's still tasty, just a little grainy. I'll definitely make it again.

We also tried to make this http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328571631/. Granted, Lauren was making this, not me, so I'm not exactly sure what went wrong. She said once she added the mint to the white chocolate that everything got lumpy and she was no longer able to stir it. She did try to do it in a microwave vs. a double boiler, so maybe if I try it in the future I will use a double boiler in hopes of eliminating that particular issue.

Comfort food at its best

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327181565/

This is the first recipe I ever made off of Pinterest, and probably the best. Again, I use Jimmy Dean's Hot sausage. And, if you were in any kind of "hurry," you could totally skip the "cheesy yum" and just go with straight shredded mozzarella.

Stuffed pasta shells

I really like this recipe:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327183493/

I have recipes for a couple of versions of stuffed pasta shells, but this one is probably my favorite. I use a 1-pound tube of Jimmy Dean's Hot sausage, which I think gives it really nice flavor.

Banoffee Pie

As fun to say as it is to eat:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327183514/

Let's be honest here. You can make this recipe the long and (probably) more delicious way, or you can make it in about 4 minutes. I think it's safe to say I did it the short route, and used a store-bought crust, a can of dulce de leche and a bowl of frozen whipped cream. And you know what? It was good.

Would I take the time to make it the "right" way in the future? Sure. But if I am in need of something quick and easy, I'm totally okay with going the short route again.

Easy and impressive

If you are looking for a quick and easy brunch dish that looks impressive, here it is:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327184586/

Rather than making my own dough, I took a shortcut and just used refrigerated dough. See? Easy!

In a word: tasty

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327187240/

Chambord and champagne? What's not to like?

These were not remotely terrible

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327363740/

That is all. :)

Who doesn't like the ease of a crockpot?

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327583726/
This recipe was great in theory, but it just lacked a little pizzazz. Maybe just needed to increase the spices?

Occasionally you strike out

Truth is, these were borderline gross:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328188706/

I'll admit, I didn't make them *exactly* according to the recipe (this is pretty standard for me, actually). I don't think I used an entire pound of Velveeta. Which may have been the problem, because the mixture was just too thick. Beyond that, though, it tasted like plastic, just like... well, just like Velveeta. Guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

Putzy, but delicious

I decided to try making these:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748329002894/

And I have to tell you, they hit all of the right taste sensations - they are salty, they are sweet, they are crunchy, they have chocolate and peanut butter. What's not to like??

What's not to like is trying to pipe the peanut butter mixture into the Bugle. I'm pretty sure I had hand cramps days later. Still, I'm willing to keep them in the rotation as an annual holiday treat.

Birthday cake

I modeled my son's first birthday cake off of this one:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328353049/

Needless to say, mine didn't look that awesome! But, I tried :)

Photography

I have stolen quite a few photography ideas from Pinterest, including:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328639975/
Here's my version:

I think it will be great fun to keep up this photo year after year.

More leaves:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328606927/
And mine:

Of course, not all pictures turn out exactly like the Pinterest version:

Totally stole this idea and suggested it to the photographer who took G's six month photos:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327198674/
The photo by Toni Fogarty of Front Porch Photography in Belle Plaine, MN turned out just as awesome!

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327187245/
I also did a version of this to document G's first birthday:

And, while we didn't get an exact match to this:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327181652/
I think this picture is in the spirit of the original:

Long Distance hug

http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748327650786/

We made these back in May to send to the Grandmas in their Mother's Day cards (they both live out of state). They were a big hit!

Birthday book

From Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328374620/

For my son's first birthday, I made him a book of pictures of our dog, Monte, along with a story about how Monte doesn't bark and has a curly tail and pointy ears. Should be a great keepsake for many years to come!

12 months of baby

This is one of the first Pinterest ideas I "lifted" for my own use:
http://pinterest.com/pin/170925748328780720/

I'm pretty happy with how mine turned out as well: