You're Gonna Love It~Leap Day Edition!

Can you believe it's already the end of February already?  Luckily, we got an extra day this year!  do we have any Leap Day birthdays out there?  The weather was awesome this past weekend so I was able to get out and do some garden clean up!  I cannot wait for the soil to warm up enough to get some seeds in! With Spring just a few weeks away, I say we party like it's already here!

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

My homesteading buddy Tammy from Taylor-Made Homestead dropped off a brilliant spice hack which earned her the most clicked last week!

Head on over to see how she takes something most of us just throw away into a wonderfully useful pantry staple!

My pick of the week comes from the creative Brenda who blogs over at Muchmore Creative.

You HAVE to head over to see what she used for these St. Patrick's Day tags! Genius I tell you!!

If you have been featured here, or over at my  co-host Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week. Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page over there too (like my love for coffee)!

Now for this week's link-up! 

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. It is the first Tuesday of the month so ANYTHING GOES!!  (Etsy shops, giveaways, contests...you name it!) 

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

An InLinkz Link-up

You're Gonna Love It Link Party

Happy Party Day my friends!  I'm sure about where you are, but here in Colorado, it sure feels like Spring is on it's way!  It's only about a month away and I cannot wait!  My gardens are calling my name and I am looking forward to getting my hands into some warm dirt! I also always feel like partying so let's get this one started!

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

Patti from All Things new dropped by last week with a beautiful tutorial.

Isn't this drop cloth tablecloth amazing? Her instructions and photos make it look really easy to make too!

My pick of the week has me wishing I could thrift shop with Jessica at Domestic Bliss Squared!

You must click over and see the outfit she put together from thrift store finds! That Coach purse alone is calling my name and even using my middle name!!

If you have been featured here, or over at my  co-host Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week. Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page over there too (like my love for coffee)!

Now for this week's link-up! 

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. It is the first Tuesday of the month so ANYTHING GOES!!  (Etsy shops, giveaways, contests...you name it!) 

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

An InLinkz Link-up

The Easier Way To Clean Your Interior Oven Glass

I'm here today to share with you my tip to easily clean the interior of your oven glass door. When I say easy, I'm talking 15 minutes from start to finish!  

This is my oven door after a couple of months of baking cakes, cookies, bacon, roasts, chickens, casseroles, etc.. This is also my oven door after running it through a full self-clean cycle. Yeah, not a happy girl! The interior of the oven looks like new but for some reason, it never gets the glass clean at all!  

Grease is still baked and caked onto the glass. I took this as a challenge! How could I get this clean in as few of steps and in as little time as possible? 

I gathered up some of my very favorite kitchen cleaning "tools" and got to work.
The Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser is seriously one of my very favorite cleaning products. My stove has a ceramic top and this stuff cleans up cooked on messes without scratching the surface!  I have used it weekly on the stove top for 2 years now and it looks like new! (I am not being paid by, nor am I affiliated with Bar Keepers Friend.  Although, I would not turn away a case of it if it showed up on my doorstep...just saying).

The first step is to tape off the oven glass all around using a good quality painter's tape. Just cover as little of the glass as you can.

You then want to run your fingernail along where the glass meets the door. Why do this? This keeps any liquid from getting inside the glass and the door.  You do not want that!  If you do get any in between, it will require you to take the door apart. Speaking from experience, that is not a one person job and it may result in hair pulling and language not fit for human ears. Trust me, just tape it really good! 

Once you have the glass taped off, follow the instructions on the bottle of the Bar Keepers Friend and shake it really well. Pour a good amount on the glass and take a wet scrubby sponge and spread it around.

Unlike the baking soda and water methods I have seen on the web, you do not have to let this sit nor do you need any type of abrasive scrubber or steel wool. I use the purple, no scratch, scrubby sponge you see here.  It really takes very little effort to get that caked on gunk off of the glass!  No elbow grease needed.
You then need to rinse it all off really well. I start with a damp rag and then paper towels. Now, if you still have some spots, dribble some water on them and gently scrape them off with a razor blade. **DO NOT** try to do this on dry glass! You will scratch it!

And, voila!  Look at how clean it is!

I usually do a final wipe down with glass cleaner and then remove the tape.

So clean it looks like a mirror!  The whole project took me 15 minutes.  The hardest part is the taping! Amazing isn't it?  I know you want to try this for yourself because it is soooo easy!  If you do, I'd love it if you emailed me before & after photos and I'll feature them on my Facebook page! 

Like what you see? 

Well then, follow me by email and never miss a new post

Click here to see where I may be partying this week. 

AND

Don't forget to come by on Tuesday's

for the link party.

Happy Your Gonna Love It Time!

Welcome again dear friends to one of the funnest link parties in all of blogland! 
I hope this finds you all well and ready to share what you have recently created! Me?  Why today (Monday) is my birthday so I am in the mood to really party right now so let's get this started!

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

Sarah from Hyacinths For The Soul shared with us a wonderful post of all that this month brings to us.

February really is one of my favorite months!

My favorite pick of the week came from Make Mine Lemon.

I have been wanting to try my hand at making Gougeres for a long time now and Madonna breaks down the process into simple steps for me, and you, to follow!

If you have been featured here, or over at my  co-host Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week. Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page over there too (like my love for coffee)!

Now for this week's link-up! 

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. It is the first Tuesday of the month so ANYTHING GOES!!  (Etsy shops, giveaways, contests...you name it!) 

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing~Perfect For An Italian Date Night Tablescape

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MangiaTonight  #CollectiveBias

I have been working some odd hours lately and dinnertime with Mr. B has suffered.  On a recent night off, I decided to create a table setting for just us two and serve up a special dinner to allow us to reconnect. 

I didn't want to sacrifice taste or my time off so I was so happy to find the Bertolli Classic Meals at my local King Soopers store. 

I grabbed a couple of bags of the Chicken Carbonara but there are more options like Chicken Florentine & Farfalle, Italian Sausage & Rigatoni and Shrimp, Asparagus & Penne. All of them sounded awesome but I was in the mood for the white meat chicken and bacon in a rich Alfredo Sauce. The Bertolli Classic Meals allows me to create an Italian experience at home on those nights I have little time to be creative. "Mangia" or "eat" in Italian, is not just a word, itis an experience!  And an experience to Italy is what I wanted to my meal and tablescape to say when Mr. B walked in from a long day at work. Mangia honey!

Since the Bertolli dinner cooks up in just 10 minutes, I had plenty of time to whip up a romantic tablescape for two as well as an easy homemade Caesar salad dressing. 

My recipe for Caesar salad dressing is so simple!  I would bet you already have everything you need to make it for your family! I'm not a fan of anchovies so I add a splash of Worcestershire to give it that authentic flavor. I've included the recipe at the end of this post so that you can enjoy it too!

For my tablescape, I used 2 festive runners down the length of the table instead of a tablecloth or placemats.

I then layered a large dish to catch any drips, a shallow pasta bowl and a white bowl for the salad.

I placed a large wheel of Parmesan cheese under a covered cake plate. There is a grater handy as Mr. B likes his salad and pasta dinner cheesy.

A romantic dinner calls for some wine and I placed a chilled white in a rustic bowl.

A salad of coarsely torn romaine lettuce, croutons and the Caesar dressing mimic the colors in the runner almost perfectly!

Look at that yummy Bertolli Classic Chicken Carbonara!  Served in the large pasta serving bowl, it looks as good as it tastes!

Some hearty crusty bread, candles and of course, wine goblets, complete the table.  

I loved being able to put together not only a special tablescape but a wonderful meal for Mr. B!  I'm glad too, that I picked up two of the bags of Bertolli Classic Meals so that I can create another Mangia experience again for us soon!

Which Bertolli Classic Meal do you think would be a favorite in your home? You can find Bertolli items at some of the lowest prices of the year in a Kroger or Kroger banner store near you. Kroger banners include Fred Meyer, Smiths, Frys, Dillions, King Soopers, City Market, and QFC.

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

by: Kathe With An E

Prep Time: 10 Miutes

6077144

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Mayo
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients but the olive oil and salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking until smooth. Taste and add the salt and pepper to your taste (I used very little salt as the Parmesan cheese was salty enough. Place in an airtight container and chill for at least one hour, longer if possible. Will keep for up to 1 week tightly sealed.

Like what you see? 

Well then, follow me by email and never miss a new post

Click here to see where I may be partying this week. 

AND

Don't forget to come by on Tuesday's

for the link party.