Off to the Florida KEYS!!

See y'all later. I'm heading to the keys tonight. We are going for the entire weekend for one of my best friend's bachelorette parties! Hope everyone has a great Labor Day. I'll be back on Tuesday!

Where To Put All Those Wedding Pictures...

I've been doing my research on photo albums to put all of my wedding pictures and I thought I would share my findings with all of you brides to be and recent brides. There are a few of these that would make great baby books as well...so this post is for everyone! What do you think? Is there one that I missed? Help me decide!!

This classic monogrammed photo album from Neiman Marcus runs $98.00 and holds 146 photos.
Look at all the great options at Jenni Bick. I LOVE the sage and blush combo!
Here is the small and large photo albums from Jenni Bick. The small runs $138.00 and holds...200 pictures (I think, the description is confusing to me.) The large album holds 400 pictures (I think) and runs $173.00. I love this website and Jenni even has a blog.

These bright colored and fun albums from Neiman Marcus are $38.00 and hold 120 photos.

This pretty green and white plaid from Liz & Daisy is $70.00 for the large album and it holds 200 photos.
This pretty pink silk album from Liz and Daisy can hold 200 photos and can be monogrammed for $70.00.

Monogrammed 8 1/2 by 11 photo album comes with 50 two sided adhesive pages for $35.00 from The Pink Giraffe.

Assorted Photo Albums from Dunham Road

I could do a monogrammed one in this green with pink monogram and pink and green polka dot ribbon for $70.00 (holds 200 pictures, plus for $5.00 you can get extra pages for another 200)

Or a plain one is this pretty pink and green fabric from Dunham Road for $60.00 and holds 200 photos.



Monogrammed Silk Scrapbook from The Pink Giraffe for $55.00

Your Recipes

Wow girls! We've got some cooks among us. Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to write in and share their recipes. If you forgot, then just leave a comment to this post with your recipe! I hope you all enjoy these recipes. I plan on trying each and every one of them!

Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Alabama-Style Shrimp Bake
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 tablespoon hot sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds jumbo fresh shrimp
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Rinse shrimp with
cold water; drain well. Layer shrimp, lemon slices, and onion slices in an
ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Pour butter mixture over shrimp. Bake,
uncovered, at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, basting
occasionally with pan juices. Serves 6.

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Sausage Dip

1 roll of sausage (any brand)

1 small can of chopped green chilies

1 block of cream cheese

1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

1 loaf of Hawaiian bread (or similar bread to make bread bowl)

Preheat Oven to 350F. Cook Sausage in skillet, drain fat. Drain chilies, and add to sausage. Add cream cheese and mix everything together. Place mixture in your bread bowl and cover with cheddar cheese. Cook in over until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

For Bread Bowl:

Cut in a circle around top of bread. Take top off and cut and spoon out inside of bread. Leave about an inch of bread at the bottom. Place bread bowl on a baking sheet and place bread pieces all around it.
********
Fajas
8-oz sour cream
1 package of cream cheese - 8 oz?
12-oz of shredded cheese
1 tbsp of sugar - can use a few packs of splenda - don't want it to be
really sweet
1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1 tbsp of graded onion
1 package of tortilla shells
1 jar of salsa

Strain the chilies
Mix all ingredients together
Spread mixture in a line on the tortilla shells
Roll them up
Place in the refrigerator over night - or at least several hours
Slice them into bite size, dipable pieces
Place them on a platter and serve with salsa
Enjoy!
****

Peanut Clusters

8 blocks of Chocolate Almond Bark (12 in package)

32 oz of dry Roasted Salted Peanuts
Package of semi sweet chocolate morsels-toll house

Package of milk chocolate morsels

(Could add marshmallows)

Melt all chocolate ingredients (not too melted) in the microwave, mix in nuts and spoon on to

wax paper. Let it dry. Then serve! Yummy!

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Here is one from reader Jennifer H. She says, "This recipe is a year round classic, but is especially nice in the winter. Also, the deep red hue of the sauce is very festive looking making it perfect for Christmas time. It is super easy to make and very flavorful. You can prepare it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge unbaked until you are ready to cook it."

Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients:
Chicken – I typically use boneless, skinless breasts, but you could you use any chicken you prefer (thighs, bone-in breast, etc.) For a holiday meal Cornish hens are a nice option.
1 can whole, cranberry sauce
1 packet onion soup mix
1 small bottle of Russian dressing (If you can’t find Russian dressing, use Catalina)

Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray
Wash and dry your chicken and set in the baking dish; salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients
Pour cranberry mixture over chicken and cover generously
Bake covered with foil for approximately 45 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size and type of chicken you select)

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Here is one from reader Amanda from NC:

This is my tried and true semi-homemade dish that my friend and family (especially my hubby) go crazy for.

Bar-b-que Chicken Pizza: Make or buy some pizza dough
Spread bar-b-que sauce (I always use KC Masterpiece Classic) on top
Sprinkle cut up chicken on top (I use the southwestern chicken strips short cuts, the extra flavor is great, and you don't have to go to the trouble of cooking chicken!)
Add chopped up onions and green peppers
Cover with cheddar cheese
If you want to make it fancy for friend add some smoked gouda cheese on top (yum-o)

Bake til cheese is melted and enjoy! Let me know if you try it and like it!

Thanks for your blog!

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Here's an easy one from the Midwest nest

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 stick, butter
1/3 c. white syrup
1/3 c. brown sugar
Grease 9"x 13" pan or casserole dish
Saute onion and pepper in butter
Combine with beans, syrup and brown sugar
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly

Always a popular dish.

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From Reader Ellen:

I've really enjoyed reading your blog lately -- I'm currently planning a wedding next year and we're also considering a move to New York after we're married (I went to school there, but moved home to Saint Louis after graduating). Anyway! I thought I'd send you one of my favorite recipes. I've made it frequently for my fiance and when our families come over for dinner.

It's a recipe for chicken cacciatore, but I serve it over yellow saffron rice, instead of pasta. The rice makes all the difference ;o) Makes GREAT leftovers -- before I serve it, I usually have to quickly snag some chicken and rice to put in a container before my fiance comes looking for second helpings! ;o)

I make it with mushrooms and with a variety of bell peppers -- red, yellow and orange. I also usually use canned stewed tomatoes -- Italian style. Oh, and I usually buy the packaged whole cut-up chicken, rather than hacking it up myself! Breast and thighs cook especially well. Essentially it's a modified version of this recipe , itself adapted from Food and Wine -- from the Simply Recipes blog:

****
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken) Recipe

For this recipe, we used fresh tomatoes and omitted the mushrooms. But you could easily add mushrooms and vegetables such as zucchini or bell peppers.

One 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes (or canned plum tomatoes in their juice)

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Push the onions to the side. Add the garlic and chicken pieces, skin-side down. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown, then turn pieces over and brown on the other side.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, on both sides. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.
3. Cook the chicken in the simmering liquid, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are very tender and the meat is almost falling off the bones, about 40 minutes. If the stew ever starts to dry out, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Serves 4-6.
Recipe adapted from one in an old issue of Food and Wine

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From Mrs. Preppy Wedding here's her favorite (and easy) recipe for two (you can double for more than 2 guests):

EASY TERIYAKI BEEF AND NOODLE BOWL
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 (9 ounce) package Green Giant Frozen Vegetables Teriyaki
1 1/2 cups water
1 (3 ounces) package oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, if desired
Brown ground beef in medium skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
Add frozen vegetables and water; mix well. Bring to a boil.
Break noodles into 4 pieces; add noodles and 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix to beef mixture (discard remaining seasoning mix or reserve for a later use). Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to separate noodles.
TO SERVE:
Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with chopped peanuts. If desired, serve with soy sauce.

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Here's a favorite from Mollie at The Paper Cafe.

I get rave reviews every time I make it, and have taken it to lots of dinner parties, or just for the fam. It's super EASY, and so tasty... yet looks so 'gourmet!'!!Note: for the garlic cheese spread... if you want to make your own, just use cream cheese, garlic salt, parsely.( Is easier to buy ready made, but also more expensive) Also another tip: for the chicken, is easiest to buy chicken fillets (thinner pieces than regular chicken breasts that you have to pound out to flatten. again, they're more expensive, but much easier to work with, and they cook more evenly)


Garlic Cheese Chicken Rollups
Yields: 4 servings

" A Parmesan-butter crust encases chicken rolled around a dollop of garlic cheese."
INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken
breasts
1 cup dried bread crumbs,
seasoned
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (7 ounce) package garlic
cheese spread (Alouette brand is good -comes in a tub)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Pound chicken breasts until thinned out. In a shallow dish or bowl mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Dip one side of each breast into melted butter or margarine, then into crumb/cheese mixture. Place a dollop of cheese spread at one end of each chicken breast, on the side of the breast not dipped in the mixture. Roll up each breast and secure with toothpicks.
3. Place rollups in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle any remaining butter or margarine over all. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

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Sprinkled With Nuts recommended this recipe from Cooking Light

Spicy Basque-Style Chicken

Smoked paprika is a traditional ingredient in Spanish cuisine. Serve this dish with saffron rice to soak up the tasty sauce.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced green olives
2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Combine paprika and pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Turn chicken over. Add olives and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with prosciutto and parsley.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken, about 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon prosciutto, and 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley)

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Lisagh over at Grosgrain Garage always get raves with this one... enjoy!

Green Enchiladas

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
4 tbsp butter
1 large white onion chopped finely
1 lb fresh spinach
3 cups sour cream
2 cans green chiles
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup milk
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
12 flour tortillas
monterey jack cheese

1. Poach chicken breasts in pot of water 15 - 20 minutes. Steam spinach
over boiling water in a bamboo steamer over chicken breasts.
2. In small skillet, melt butter and sauté onion until tender.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter large casserole or lasagna dish.
4. Drain spinach and chop coarsely. Shred chicken.
5. Combine onion, spinach, sour cream, chilies cumin, and milk. Mix well
and season to taste.
6. Add half the sauce to shredded chicken and mix well. Fill tortillas
with equal amounts of chicken mixture and roll up. Place in baking dish
seam side down in one layer. Cover with grated cheese and top with
remaining sauce. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with salsa garnish.

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A Southern Yankee in Manhattan's Recipes:

Cold Oven Pound Cake - love to take this to people when visiting!

2 sticks butter
1/2 Cup Crisco
3 Cups sugar
3 Cups flour (plain)
5 eggs
1 Cup milk
1/2 ounce almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon mace

In your mixer cream butter and sugar well then add Crisco. Add eggs one at a time. Alternate adding flour and milk. Add almond extract, vanilla extract, and mace. Pour into greased and floured tube pan and place cake in the middle of a cold oven. set temp for 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

For Dinner:

Beef Stroganoff

1lb of your preferred beef (stew beef works well - or cube the meat you buy)
1 medium onion sliced.
1 stick butter or margarine
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Tablespoon flour
1/4 - 1/3 Cup Marsala Wine
1 heaping Tablespoon Sour Cream
Salt/Pepper
Garlic Powder
Wide Egg Noodles - as much as desired.
Chow Mein Noodles (optional)

Melt butter/margarine in skillet. Cook meat and onions until the pink is gone from the meat. Add 1 tablespoon flour; mix well. Stir in 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup. Add salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste. Add Marsala wine. Let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Boil egg noddles and drain. Place Stroganoff on egg noodles sprinkle chow mein noodles on top and serve.

Out of Town Bags

For our out of town bags, I ordered light pink and light green bags from Papers Mart. I used our monogram from I DO Originals to create stickers at a local print shop. In the bags, I put lots of local favorites including homemade pralines from a local candy kitchen, pecans from a local pecan farm, mini moonpies and beads (we have Mardi Gras in our area), a shopping brochure on the area, matches with our modified monogram (from For Your Party), and a bottle of water with our monogrammed sticker. I also put our sticker on the outside and filled each green bag with pink tissue and each pink bag with green tissue. For our immediate family, we also included a loaf of homemade peach nut bread.

My major project was the brochure that I put together for our guests. The front cover had our logo on it and the inside had a list of our favorite local restaurants and a list of things to do. We also included directions to the church and reception. I made two different brochures, one for guests and one for the wedding party. In the wedding party version, I included the entire schedule of events and specific details about everything. I had Kinko's print the color on pink cardstock and the inside on a heaveir grade regular white paper. I also had them put two holes on the spine and we tied pink ribbon to hold the brochures together. Yes, it took FOREVER! If you are thinking of doing something like this...start now. I'm a pretty organized person and from everything I heard the brochures really helped people! If you are interested in my template, just email me and I'll send it to you.





Notice our brochure in the far right corner and the matcches on the left.

Bridesmaid's Earrings

One of my KD pledge sisters from college designed and made all of my bridesmaid's earrings to go with their dresses. (She did half of them as a gift and I only paid for half of them...great wedding gift!!) The earrings are fresh water pearls with swarovski crystals in pale green (for a little tiny bit of sparkle) on sterling silver hooks. Thought I would share some close up pictures. For all of you brides, this is a great way to make sure everyone is wearing the same thing. When I look at my pictures I LOVE the way these earrings look with their green dresses. Laurel is wonderful at making jewelry and sells her things in Atlanta, Birmingham, Mobile, Charleston, and many other places. She doesn't have a website yet, but if you are interested, email me and I'll get you in touch with her.

Don't forget...Recipes Wanted

Magnolias, Marriage and Manhattan: Recipes Wanted

Bonanno's or Barefoot Sale

I finally ordered the platinum and gold I've been lusting after all summer to add to my "city" flat collection. Every girl needs a pair of dress up sandals. Get yours now!!

Bonanno's or barefoot sale!
August 25 thru Sept 8
For 2 weeks!!!

Every pair of Bonanno's:
$20.00 OFF!

When ordering on-line please mention:
"Bonanno's or barefoot"

Happy Birthday Sarah!

My oldest friend Sarah's birthday is today! Our Moms met in Lamaze class and we have been friends ever since. Here's a picture of us (I'm on the left, Sarah's on the right) at my birthday party a few years back. =) Sarah was in my wedding and even caught my bouquet...cheers to all of your birthday wishes coming true today. I love you.

Large Photo Albums??

I'm looking for a large photo album to put all of my non-professional wedding and wedding weekend pictures. I have about 500 pictures and I need somewhere safe to put them. If you have seen somewhere that offers great photo albums or if your store carries them, please let me know. I would like either something light pink/light green (my wedding colors,) or something ivory/white. Bonus points if I can get it monogrammed.

Blogs and Stores

Hi friends. I have been cleaning up my blog a little and some of the links that don't work. If you would like me to link to your blog, let me know! I love reading new blogs and I would love to hear from you if you are a reader of my blog. The same goes for you if you have a store. I just reorganized my category list for stores. Just let me know the name of your store and if you want I'll even do a spotlight on your store if you are willing to offer MMM readers a discount. Can't wait to hear from you.

PS. Don't forget your recipes. I'll give you until Wednesday!

Recipes Wanted

Ok ladies (and gents...not sure if there are any of you out there besides my husband and brother...but hello if you are out there) in the next week I want you to email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan@gmail.com with your favorite "old faithful" dinner recipe. Even if you think your recipe is so standard, please send it in. The easier the better because more of us novices will want to try it! I will compile all the recipes for a post later next week and then we will all have some new recipes to try. So...send them in. What's your twist on lasagna, spaghetti, tacos, meatloaf, etc. ? What recipe do you make when it is your turn for supper club or to host the in-laws? Can't wait to hear them all!

Vineyard Vines Whale of a Sale

Hi friends! Head over to Vineyard Vines for their Whale of a Sale. I just picked up the following late birthday presents for myself. I also got a little surprise for my hubbie...this is my first purchase for him since we got married. I hope he likes it!

I got this Roll Tide Red shirt for $46.50 (normally$62.00) . He's going to try to fly home for the first game since I'm leaving him to go to one of my best friend's bachelorette parties in the keys!

I LOVE this simple pink v-neck tee and I got it for only $27.00 (normally $45.00)!



The pink lemonade shirt....on sale for $38.00 (normally $62.00)!

They didn't have the ones I wanted for my b-day in my size, so I got these cute pink and green starfish for only $24.00 (normally $39.50)! I hope they get here before Labor Day!

Hurry over to Vineyard Vines and get your last preppy summer fix! Let me know what you pick up!

Spotlight Store...The Paper Cafe

Today's Spotlight Store is The Paper Cafe! I had WAY too much fun checking out all the new invitations out there from their fabulous suppliers including Whitney English, Hicks Paper, The Paper Menu, and others.

They are offering Magnolias, Marriage and Manhattan readers free shipping till the end of the month (Aug). When placing you order, please enter MMM in the special instructions box of whatever product(s) you order. Once you place your order, you'll select to pay the regular shipping charge. However, once they receive your order and see the MMM code Paper Cafe will reimburse you for whatever the shipping amount was. Thanks Mollie and Paper Cafe!

I love this invitation...where was it a few months ago? =)
I love my Mexican and my fiestas and this invitation just needs a good party to go along with it! Love this bright and cheery save the date card!

Isn't this perfect for a kitchen and linen or everything shower. You'll find that I'm a sucker for any invitation that includes a monogram!

Perfect for the preppy and elegant bride that loves red!

Blue and brown anyone? Whitney English paid attention to the most popular wedding colors!

Love the polka dots on this one! Oh how I miss good BBQ...and the perfect BBQ party.
Great for a kitchen and linen shower. Love the monogram!
Perfect for a kitchen shower or supper club!
I love this one from Hicks Paper, titled "Preppy Bride"

This is one of my favorites for a baby shower invitation, you can even monogram the shirt! Classic, preppy baby boy shower invitation or announcement.

Isn't this a cute little girl baby shower invitation!
Love this new design from Hicks Paper for a Stock the Bar party or a Supper Club!

Love this new one from Whitney English. I especially love the monogram on top!

We have lots of baby showers coming up (I just found out of my friends are pregnant!) This is a cute baby shower invitation I might use.

Here are a few of my favorite baby announcements...

Great baby shower invitation or announcement for a boy!

This invitation looks similar to my bridesmaid luncheon invitation. I love it! How cute is this notepad!

This note card is so cute and preppy! I love it! This note card has is elegant and fun!
Loving this calling card!

Of course, the Three Designing Women Address stamper. You know you want one...what are you waiting for...check out all the new designs!

This monogrammed wrapping paper from The Paper Menu is fabulous!

Definitely love the Christmas version!

Finding an elegant "Save the Date" magnet is tough, but this one is perfect for your brown and blue wedding!

I also really like this one...
I'm thinking about ordering these simple cards to send to family and friends with our new address.
Isn't this a cute gift card/calling card?

Also from The Paper Menu, this sailboat design with the name is one of many cute designs you can have put on a onesie.

This mirror is perfect for any age and it on sale!

More monogrammed wrapping paper from The Paper Menu...what a brilliant idea!

I love this argyle preppy notepad!

This notepad is calling my name... This Three Designing Women notepad leaves room for your stamp...or you can use it as is.

Check out all of the really cute designs for bag tags or luggage tags. This is one of my favorites.
This is a precious address label. I especially love the pink and green "U!" Whew! Get ordering....now http://www.thepapercafe.net/!