A Simple Recipe!

Easy & Delicious Pasta Salad

Hello Everyone!!

Today I will be sharing with you a very simple pasta salad recipe that will make your next gathering an occasion to remember!

Pasta Salads became increasingly popular during the 1990's.  You can find many different variations of salads that are already prepared and ready to eat at your local deli.  But these salads are very easy to prepare on your own.  

This particular salad only requires 7 ingredients and can be prepared in advance as well. Which is great because you don't want to be spend the entire duration of your party stuck in the kitchen preparing your side dishes.   

Ingredients:

16 Oz of Rotini Pasta;

1 16oz Bottle of Italian Dressing (Robust);

1  bag of Mini-Pepperoni;

5 Sticks of Mozzarella String Cheese

1- 10oz Package of Grape Tomatoes;

3 cups of Broccoli Florets;

1 Orange Bell Pepper

Instructions:

Cook the Rotini by following the instructions on the box; (cook until is "al dente" or however you prefer to your pasta to be cooked.  Once the Rotini is done, rinse the pasta with cool water and put it aside to cool down.

While your pasta is cooling, thinly sliced the Mozzarella String Cheese, slice the grape tomatoes in half, and diced the bell pepper.

Add all your ingredients into a very large bowl, (cooked & cooled pasta, tomatoes, broccoli, green pepper, mozzarella cheese, bell pepper).

Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing, and mix together.

Place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Tips:

If you are preparing this salad 24 to 48 hours prior to your event, I suggest you add the mozzarella right before the event. 

Enjoy! 

DIY: A Festive Fall Wreath Tutorial!

Hello Everyone: 

Labor Day has passed, the rains have began to arrive, along with the chilly mornings and warm afternoons. 

It truly feels like fall but officially Fall begins in just a few days, September 23, 2015! 

With my favorite season in mind, I can't help but to be excited to see the amazing colors, the pumpkin infused coffee and the right to wear BOOTS!! 

If you follow our Facebook Fan Page, Caramel Curlz N Swirls, then you already know my obsession with boots and nail polishes.  Of course my dear Husband always indulges me when it comes to my footwear! 

Although Fall has not officially began, this is the perfect time to create your DIY Projects!! The majority of the crafting stores are filling their shelves with winter decorations and all of the Fall & Halloween items have to be cleared from the floor, which means SALES SALES and more wonderful SALES!!!

I bought my items from Michaels, all of their Fall Decor & Fall Floral Accents on sale 40% but starting September 20th the sale will increase to 50% Off.  (Check with your local Store for more accurate prices, current sales and coupons)

The Materials:

 1. Glue Gun; 

2. Scissors; 

3. Wire cutters; 

1 Straw Wreath Form- 18 inch;

 2 Plaid Glittered Fall Ribbon (or the ribbon of your choice);

1 Green Floral Wire- 24 Gauge

1 Bush of Orange Mums;

1 Bush of Blood Red Flowers 

 4 Pumpkin with leaves embellishments

1 Pumpkin Shaped Wooden sign 

The Steps: 

 Start by applying a few drops of glue on one end of the ribbon and

apply it to the wreath form; 

Continue by tightly wrapping the ribbon around the wreath form;

 Continue to do the same until the entire wreath is covered or until half the wreath form is covered (whichever you decide); 

(In order to covered the entire wreath form, you will need 4 Ribbons)

 Cut the mum using your wire cutters make sure you leave approximately 2 inches of the

steam attached; 

Place the mums on the top half of your wreath form; 

Fluff them, rearrange them until you get the look you desire; 

I used one Orange Yellow mum, then 2 Red Orange Flowers; 

Cut the Pumpkin stems, again make sure you leave 

approximately 2 inches so that you may glue the wire 

to the wreath; 

 Here is the final result! 

If your wreath is too wide to fit on your wreath hanger, don't panic.  Simply apply 2 screws approximately 3/4 of an inch apart, cut some green floral wire, approximately a 2 1/2 inched long.  Wrap each end to one of the screws.  Now you can hang your wreath!!

A pre-made wreath like this can cost you approximately $60 to $89.00 depending on the size and fullness of the arrangement. 

Here is the total I spent making this: 

18 Inch Straw Wreath Form....$6.99

2 Glittered Wired Fall Ribbon....$4.98 

1 Green Floral Wire 24"....$1.99

1 Bush of Orange Mums....$5.99

1 Bush of Red Orange Flowers....$3.19

4 Glittered Pumpkin Accents....5.96

1 Pumpkin shaped Wood Sign....$3.59

TOTAL:  $32.69!!!

How Fantastic is that!!