Friday, August 30, 2013

Friday Features {No. 24}

Happy, happy Friday everyone!!

I don't know about you guys, but I am SO ready for the weekend. We got back last week from a two week trip to Canada so there has been a lot of unpacking and laundry... I am so glad that that is behind me and I can now focus on the fun stuff!
Today is a special day here in my household because it is my hubbies birthday.
'Happy Birthday Dwayne!!' 
My little one loves to have birthday parties so we will be decorating and baking a cake today. Later, some swimming and a nice dinner out. And then, tomorrow my best friend from back home is coming to visit for a week. I'm so excited!

Ok, enough about me, lol. As we do every week, we had some fantastic ideas linked up. You guys always make it so hard for us to choose which ones to feature. But, after much humming and hawing, we have come up with our 5 favourites.

Jamie's Pick

DIY Decorated Old Wooden Window via Successful Secrets


Emily's Pick

Summer Fruit Flan via Thimbles, Bobbins, Paper & Ink


Jill's Pick

Play Kitchen Renovation via Night Owl Corner
 

Karla's Pick

Upcycled Picture Frame Trays via Creative Ramblings



Lydia's Pick

Easy, Fresh Pizza Sauce via Coffee with Us 3


Congrats to those of you that were featured, you definitely deserve it!! Make sure to grab our 'I Was Featured' button and display it proudly. :)



Thursday, August 29, 2013

Parm & Mayo Alaskan Halibut: A Recipe to Drool Over!


Back in June my family and I embarked on a 2 week vacation to Alaska. It was truly amazing; definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Now, lucky for us, not only did we bring back some unforgettable memories and great photos, but we also brought back some of the best fish I have ever eaten (about 50 lbs of it actually)! If you have never tried Halibut, then I 100% recommend it. After eating its flaky, non fishy deliciousness, there is no doubt in my mind why many claim Halibut to be the best eatin' fish around.

The great part about this fish (other than how good it tastes) is that we got to catch it ourselves, and not on some expensive charter boat either.

 
A friend of my husbands, who happens to live there, invited us out on his fishing boat, drove us out about 40 miles into the middle of Prince William Sound and gave us some wonderful one on one halibut fishing guidance.

 
It.

 

Was.

Those suckers were heavy!!

Awesome!!

Miss J loved that the fish were as big as she was!

Now of course, due to the large amount of halibut we brought home, I have been on the lookout for as many different recipes ( or inspirations for ones) as I can find. I have tried about four different recipes now, but this one takes the cake! I found the inspiration for my recipe on Allrecipes.com titled 'Heavenly Halibut'. It is very quick (about 25 minutes from start to on the table quick) and easy, with delicious results!

 
 
 
Can't Get Started Without:
 
~halibut
~parmesan cheese
~hot sauce
~butter
~garlic
~salt
~mayo
~dill weed










I started by preheating my oven to 375 degrees.

While my oven was getting warmed up I stirred together in a bowl; my grated parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, dill weed, garlic, & hot sauce.


Once the oven was ready, I placed my halibut filets in a baking dish and spread my sauce all over it.


Next I tossed it in the oven and let it bake for 15 min.


I followed this up with a few minutes under the broiler until the sauce was bubbly and lightly browned. Yummy!

 
( The real recipe called for green onion and for the fish to be broiled and not baked, but I chose to change things up a bit.)

This halibut recipe is a HUGE hit with my family (even my incredibly picky children) and when paired with some garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, it really makes the perfect meal!

You can find the original recipe here or you can make, in my opinion, the better version. ;)

Parm & Mayo Halibut Filets
~1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
~1/4 c. butter, softened
~3 tbs. mayonnaise
~2 tbs. lemon juice
~1/4 tsp. salt
~4-5 dashes hot sauce
~1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
~1/2 tsp. garlic powder
~2 lbs. halibut filets with skin on ( I find if you leave the skin on, only the skin sticks to the pan and the meat pulls away from the skin effortlessly)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In bowl mix together, Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, hot sauce, dill weed, and garlic powder.

3. Place halibut filets in a baking dish and spread sauce over entire filet.

4. Bake for 15 min or until fish is easily flaked.

5. Broil on low for 3-5 min until topping is bubbly and lightly browned.


What is your favourite fish? I would love to hear about any of your best fish recipes and love to hear if you try this one out. And don't worry, you don't actually have to go to Alaska to get some good Halibut filets, but if you ever get the opportunity, I highly recommend it!!

Linking Up With:

The Best Blog Recipes
52 Mantels
 
Gingerly Made
 



Wednesday, August 28, 2013

12 Inexpensive Back to School Teacher Gifts {Round Up}

"School bells are ringing, loud and clear;
Vacation’s over, school is here.
We hunt our pencils and our books,
And say goodbye to fields and brooks,
To carefree days of sunny hours,
To birds and butterflies and flowers.
But we are glad school has begun.
For work is always mixed with fun.
When autumn comes and the weather is cool,
Nothing can take the place of school."
~School by Winifred C. Marshall

Here in Huckleberry land we're gearing up for our little ones to head back to school in the next few weeks. All of our oldest will be in Preschool this year, while a few of our littler ones will be attending Mother's Day Out for the first time. There are definitely mixed feelings from excitement to worry and even a little bit of fear thrown in for good measure. After all, it's never easy to let your babies go, is it? (Although, I'm not gonna lie, Lydia and I will be high fiving each other as soon as we drop our kiddos off and will then head to the nearest thrift store. Sshh... Don't tell!!)
So, I thought it'd be fun to round up a few creative and inexpensive back to school teacher gift ideas. 


This crayon pencil vase is sure to make any teacher smile via A Pumpkin and a Princess
Chocolate is good. Chocolate covered pretzels are even better via Simply This and That


Stay sharp! via A Little Tipsy
An apple (served with a delicious dip!) a day keeps the doctor away via Event Trender



A pretty and personalized way to keep germs away via Tami Wilson Photography


Tea served up in style via B- Handmade


How fun is this gorgeous Paint Splatter Apron? via ShopStylingBebe Etsy Shop


A homemade pencil box and a journal wrapped up in a pretty bow via The Party Dress


Apple Marshmallow Pops? Yes, please! via Fun Favors Events


Dress up any classroom with these creative paper wreath via Small Fry & Co.


This crayon monogram would also brighten up any teacher's day via Chic & Cheap Nursery


Treat their sweet tooth with a mouth watering apple pie popcorn ball via Couponing and Cooking

How awesome and creative are all of these ideas? This has been great inspiration for me and I'm excited to put together a little something to give to my boys' teachers next week! Also, I figure they need a little buttering up... Because, seriously, these people are saints for dealing with multiple toddlers All. Day. Long. ;)

Did you send a teacher gift with your child this year as they headed back to school? Did your little one start their school year yet?
Linking up with these great parties:

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Much Ado About Monday {No. 24}

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I don't know about you but I had a CRAZY busy weekend! On Friday, we celebrated my daughter's 4th birthday by having a mermaid themed birthday party at our house. We decided to have her party a few weeks early in case baby #3 (due at the end of September) arrived a little early {NOT a trait that he/she will share with me}. I planned on having a nice, small, simple party but apparently I just cannot help myself when it comes to planning parties. I swear, it's a sickness. I see glitter card stock and everything goes black and the next thing you know I've walked out of a  JoAnn's with five bags full of craft items and 32 projects to complete. I need an intervention. But the work is always a labor of love and my daughter was so appreciative and awestruck by her party...so definitely worth it. :)


On Sunday, I drove to Austin for one of my best friend's baby shower that I helped co-host. The shower was so cute with a You Are My Sunshine theme and super delicious Italian food. Pasta and cheese? Always a yes with this pregnant mama. So all in all, a very packed but oh-so-fun weekend.

I hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend as well! I know one person whose weekend got a little bit better..Tiffany Drew!! Congratulations!! You are the winner of our Karissa's Creations giveaway! Woohoo!!! I've sent you an email so be sure to respond within 48 hours to claim your fantastic prize.

Be sure to stop by and check out our features from last week as we had some phenomenal projects by some truly inspiring blogs. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us this week!



So without further ado:

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*We love our followers, and always follow back. Please follow us on GFC as well as BlogLovin:

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* Please link back to us in your post. Whether it be through a text link or by posting our super cute button somewhere in your post. We appreciate it!
* If you do NOT link back to us in your post, you will NOT be Featured on Much Ado About Monday. So, link back! You'll thank us later.
* Feel free to link up decorating tips, DIY projects, recipes, organizational ideas, sewing and crochet creations or anything else crafty or that you find inspirational.
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We hope that you find some inspiration here at Much Ado About Monday. We know that we are looking forward to checking out what you've been up to this week! 



Friday, August 23, 2013

Friday Features {No. 23}

Happy Friday Friends! 

We have embarked on yet another Friday and here at Huckleberry Land we have been bu-sy.

While Emily has returned from her East Coast family vacation and settling back in to her home routine, Jamie is heading home from O-Canada after a nice visit with her family.

Jill is getting back into teacher mode as she sets up for a new, busy semester and Lydia is getting ready for a new family member!

I, on the other hand, am getting ready to head to the State of 10,000 ish Lakes to see/visit my extended family and cool off from this heat wave in Houston! The unfortunate part of that is, I'm taking the kids and leaving my husband at home. I wonder who is really going on vacation here?!

Let's get back to business here, I have some bags to pack! We've been so blessed every week to party with some amazing bloggers. We love our followers and are so glad you choose us to party with every week! We have five amazing features for you, so be sure to visit them and give them a virtual high five :)

Karla's Pick

Fridge Coasters via The Adventures of Marlo and Bill


Jill's Pick

Sewing Caddy via The Princess & Her Cowboys


Lydia's Pick

Zippy Glasses Case via Windsor & Main


Emily's Pick

Lace Stenciled Headboard via Cutesy Crafts


Jamie's Pick

Glass Pendant Tutorial via BeBetsy

If you have been featured, be sure to grab our button if you wish. Have a great weekend, y'all!!