Wednesday, February 20, 2013

DIY Wednesday: Homemade Goldfish Crackers by Guest Blogger Melissa Phillips

Today for DIY Wednesday I thought I'd switch things up and bring in a guest blogger! Today's post is by my beautiful sister in law, Melissa.  Melissa is married to my older brother Shane and they have an adorable 16 month old little girl named, Ella, and another baby on the way that is due in July.  Melissa is a great wife and mom and she is always cooking the most wonderful recipes, eating at their house is a treat for sure. :) Melissa is going to share on how to make your own homemade goldfish crackers for your little ones (or for yourself if you enjoy eating them too), take it away Melissa!

(this is a snapshot of me and my sweet little family taken by Gabrielle)


Hi Readers!! My name is Melissa and as Gabrielle said I am married to her brother Shane and I am the mommy to a delightful, energetic 16 month old named Ella.  Shane and I are expecting baby # 2 in July and we are so excited about growing our family.  I love being a mom and a wife and I am always looking for ways to save my family money and feed them healthful things at the same time.  Ella LOVES Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and of course Goldfish, but I have found that we go through those boxes of crackers very quickly since she loves to snack on them, at $3-$4 a box that can add up quickly so I decided to try to make my own.  I found this recipe on how to make goldfish crackers and modified it to fit my taste. I hope you and your little ones enjoy it!

What You Will Need:
8 oz. shredded super sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons of cold water (I ended up using 4 tbsp. for the crackers I made)
4 tablespoons of cold butter cut into cubes.

Step 1.) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Step 2.) Blend cheese, flour, butter, and salt in your food processor.

Step 3.) Slowly pulse in your cold water to mixture 1 tablespoon at a time.  You may have to add more than 2 tablespoons of water.  Just keep checking the consistency until all of the flour is mixed well.  (I ended up using 4 tablespoons of water.)

Step 4.) Form your dough into a ball and cover it into plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 5.) Roll out your dough onto a piece of aluminum foil.  The thinner you roll your dough the crispier the cracker.

Step 6.) Use your cookie cutter of choice to cut the crackers.  Place on your cookie sheet in columns.

Step 7.) Bake crackers at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crispy.  (I baked mine just a touch longer than 15 minutes to get them to a level of crispiness I liked).

Step 8.) Reserve dough scraps to form another ball.  You may have to put the dough back into the refrigerator to harden before cutting more crackers.

Step 9.) Repeat process until you have used up all your dough.

Step 10.) Place crackers into an airtight container to keep them fresh.  (I used an aluminum can with a plastic lid that I had lying around the house.)

Recipe yields 7 dozen crackers.

Photo of rolled out homemade dough for goldfish crackers.

Homemade goldfish crackers dough being cut out with cookie cutters

Homemade goldfish dough in fish shapes on cookie sheet

Little girl with cracker in her hand standing next to pomeranian

Little girl eating homemade goldfish crackers.
(Ella enjoying her crackers :)



Sunday, February 17, 2013

Happy Birthday Stephen!

Today is a very special day, it is my precious husband's birthday.  It is quite hard for me to even put into words how much I love my husband or how much he means to me, but I thought I would at least try to verbalize it.  I told my husband the other day that I knew it was his birthday that was coming up and not mine, but that I feel like I am the person who receives the gift each year because to be honest I think of my husband as a gift that God gave me.  And what a precious gift he has been in my life!  Before my husband came along I didn't date anyone and when I met him it was as if a missing puzzle piece was put into the puzzle that is my life and everything all of the sudden made sense. Stephen is my rock of strength when I am unsure about myself and who I am.  He is constantly encouraging me to keep pursuing the things that make me happy.  He is the person that makes me laugh and not take myself so seriously (which is something I really need).  He is the person who makes beautiful music that any composer would be proud of, but yet is still so humble and realizes that the gifts he has are from God. Being married to Stephen has been a journey, the best journey I have ever been entrusted to embark upon.  I am thankful for each morning that I wake up and see his beautiful face across from mine because I know it is another day to be with my sweet beloved. Happy Birthday Sweetheart!


Friday, February 15, 2013

Keri and Dakota's Crest Center Winter Wedding by Asheville, NC Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Keri and Dakota's Wedding was held on a beautiful, mild day in December! It took place at the picturesque Crest Center  atop Crest Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina.  Dakota and Keri were highschool sweethearts and their wedding perfectly fit their sweet love story.  Keri is a girly girl so it is no surprise that she chose pink carnations and roses as the flowers for their big day! The wedding was beautifully decorated with hand carved signs accenting the reception area and diy pom poms hung from the ceiling over the dance floor and did I mention they had adorable bride and groom cake pops as wedding favors?!! The gorgeous Appalachian Mountains were the backdrop for their sunset ceremony and guests then went to dance the night away in the pavilion! Their wedding was an absolute blast because it highlighted the things and people they love and their guests knew how to get down and have a party.  Any wedding that features a groom and mother dancing to "Gangnam Style," is a night to be remembered for sure! Congrats Keri and Dakota and to feature words from your wedding decorations "you have found the one whom your soul loves," and I am so happy for you both.