Category: Hacking This Life

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Don’t Let January Be Dreary

I hope you had a great holiday season! Ours was hectic, as always, but good. Usually, you have family, friends, great food, sparkling decorations and gifts, so how can that be bad?!

Recipes

My first item to share is a dessert charcuterie board I made for a friend’s birthday and not really a recipe. She loves homemade buttercream frosting so I made it with frosting and a lot of little things to dip in it. The picture is worth several words all ending with “yummy”.

Pancake Mix Cookies (wearenotmartha.com)

  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups pancake mix
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
  • In a stand mixer or in a bowl with hand mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
  • Mix in egg and vanilla until just combined.
  • With the mixer on low, blend in pancake mix until just combined, taking care not to over-mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Place bowl in fridge to let cookie dough chill for about 30 minutes.
  • Scoop about 3 Tbsp cookie dough (I use a #20 cookie scoop) onto prepared cookie sheets, about two inches apart. Cookies will spread a bit.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just turning golden around edges. Let cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

I had some confetti pancake mix in my cupboard and hadn’t used it for its real purpose. I knew that there are several ways to make cookies from cake mix. So I searched and found the above recipe to use with my pancake mix. They turned out really well.

Cool Whip Cookies (breadboozebacon.com)

This holiday I kept hearing about cool whip cookies so I decided to try them. I made them in red and in green. The tops really kind of crinkled pretty so they made a nice addition to my cookie board and the kids really seemed to like them.

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Red & green gel food coloring (liquid food color works too)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Sil-Pat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, egg, cool whip and vanilla. The dough will be thick and sticky.
  • Divide the dough in half and place one half in a second bowl. Add a couple drops of red food coloring to one bowl and a couple drops of green food coloring to the other bowl. Mix the food coloring into each half of the dough. Add more food coloring as needed until your desired color is reached.
  • Put the powdered sugar into a small bowl.
  • Use a small cookie scoop (or 1 tablespoon measuring spoon) to portion the dough into the bowl of sugar. One scoop at a time, place the dough into the sugar and roll it around until it is completely coated. Place the dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving 2-inches between each cookie. (Seriously, the cookies spread A LOT.)
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are set. The center of the cookie will still be soft, that’s okay.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Allow to finish cooling on a cookie rack.

Crockpot Cabbage Soup

I looked at a lot of recipes for cabbage soup, both in a crockpot and on the stove. In the end I kind of took the ingredients from each that I liked and cooked them all on low overnight. It came out great.

small bag of baby carrots or 2 large carrots cut up in chunks 1 small cabbage cut in about 1 to 2 inch chunks 2 cloves of garlic 1 medium white onion chopped 2 stalks of celery chopped 1 large can of stewed diced tomatoes 1 qt. vegetable broth 1/2 t. thyme 1/2 t. sage 1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Cheese with ……………………………….wait for it…………………..pickles?!!

I had never heard of it before but saw it on a restaurant menu and started wanting to make it. I have now tried it with both dill and sweet pickles. Both are good. You can use pickle slices or I have found the stackers version of pickles to be easy to work with for this sandwich. I drain the pickles and then pat them with a clean paper towel to take some of the liquid away. My personal favorite bread to eat it with is rye but any kind will work. Let me know if you try this.

Hacking Away

*I love my Crockpot and even though I try hard not to let the inside under the liner get dirty it does, somehow, get these brown drips and drizzles on it. You can clean this very easy with a small glass bowl of ammonia sitting in the bottom of the crockpot without the liner in it. Just put the lid on and let it sit overnight. The fumes from the ammonia will make the drips and drizzles easy to wipe off in the morning.

*Have you ever needed sweetened condensed milk for a recipe and not had any on hand? You can make your own. Just combine 3/4 cup powdered milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup hot water and blend until smooth. This equals one can of condensed sweetened milk.

*Ever have a smelly sink drain in the kitchen or bathroom? Hydrogen peroxide poured down the drain will get it odor free.

*Do your shoes smell? Put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer overnight. The cold temperature will kill the bacteria making the odor.

*Ever needed softened butter for a recipe and used the microwave only to have it start melting and not just soften? Me! Multiple times. Put boiling hot water in a microwave safe glass. Then dump the water out and turn the glass upside down over the stick of butter (which is sitting on its end). You have perfectly softened butter in a few minutes!

Craft Projects

I used my Cricut to create letters and a design for a Buffalo Bills sign for my door. I actually made two.

In my basement was a 6″ X 1″ board which measured 6 feet. I cut it in half and sanded it. After wiping it off with a damp, lint free cloth, and letting it dry I painted each 3 foot piece white. After painting, I lightly sanded again so the vinyl would have a smooth surface to adher to.

On my Cricut I cut 6″ high letters, H, M, and E. I made sure sure they were 6″ high and 4″to 5″ wide so that they would fit nicely on the board. Online I had purchased 12 different Buffalo Bills designs for $1.99. I brought one of the designs into my Cricut design space and used that for the O. For all items I used permanent vinyl.

The final step was to measure the placement of each item to be put onto the sign. I used chalk to mark my measurements because I could easily wipe it off when no longer needed. I measured 3″ down from the top and placed the H. From the bottom of the H I measured 2″ down and placed the Bills symbol and repeated that process with 2″ between each one which left 3″ at the bottom of the sign. When all the vinyl was on the sign I used my hands to smooth out and make sure the vinyl was attached securely.

Christmas Tree

You know how I love the Dollar Tree stores! Here is a very cheap and easy little piece of Christmas decor.

I bought a wooden Christmas tree form and two of the self adhesive wall tiles you can buy at DT (well, $1.25T). I removed the jute loop from the tree.I placed the two tiles on the tree form in a way in which looked nice and covered the complete piece. Once, I was happy with that I turned the tree over on a cutting board and using an Exacto knife trimmed off the excess. I used the tip of the knife to go through the tile where the hole for hanging was at the top of the tree and then put the jute back through the hole and tied it again. Viola!

Another Cricut Project

I was going a little crazy with my Cricut this Christmas and although everyone my not have one I think these things could be done in other mediums. For instance, rather than use the Cricut for the following project you could paint the letters on the bottles and bake them in the oven to make them permanent. Directions for this method can be found online.

Anyway, I cut out letter spelling “hands” and “dishes”. I happend to use silver permanent vinyl. I made one set with white ceramic pump bottles and one set with black ceramic pump bottles. The bottles I purchased from Walmart for $4.97 each.

I measured down the bottles about 2″ and placed the letters on each bottle. Then I filled them with hand soap and dish soap and they made nice little gifts for not much money at all.

Next month will be here fast and I am already working on some projects for Valentine’s Day. Please leave a comment and let me know if you tried anything in this post or share one of your ideas with me and other readers. See you soon!

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Just wanted to let everyone know that I went on a long trip in October and with the holidays, I haven’t gotten a post ready. After the New Year I will be back to regular blog posts. Here’s hoping you have missed me and will stay tuned. Happy Holidays!

turned on red and blue merry christmas neon sign
Photo by Jameel Hassan on Pexels.com
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Fabulous Fall Fun

It has been a busy time for me and I am sure everyone else is right there with me! Since it has been over a month since my last post I have quite a bit to share. Here’s hoping you find something of use and by all means, please share your recipes, hacks and craftiness with all of us in the comments.

Recipes

You might get the idea that I frequent fruit stands during harvest time when you look at these recipes and you would be correct!

Cold spaghetti Salad

1 lb. spaghetti noodles (broken in halves or thirds) black olives (chopped or sliced) cucumber (diced) red onion (diced) green pepper (diced) cherry tomatoes (cut in half) parmesan cheese Italian dressing

I cooked the pasta el dente and diced all the veggies. I didn’t put amounts here as I just put in as much as I wanted. When it looked good to me, I stopped. I put the noodles, once cold, in a bowl and then added the veggies. To that I added the Italian dressing and the parmesan and tossed. I reserved some dressing to add just prior to serving as so much gets absorbed.

Breakfast Burrito the Easy Way

I am attaching a link as it is so much easier to watch than to explain. I tried it for my son and it came out great! Side note, you should follow the Pun Guys and their wives on any of the social media. They’re great!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-UNK_GK0T-GK1C&v=797095441297711

Corn and Zucchini Fritters *gonnawantseconds.com

  • 2 cups zucchini grated with skin on
  • ▢1 cup corn cooked corn kernels or canned sweet corn
  • ▢2 large eggs
  • ▢½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ▢1 cup cheddar mild or sharp, grated
  • ▢1 medium garlic clove minced
  • ▢¼ cups green onions or chives chopped
  • ▢1 teaspoon salt
  • ▢¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ▢½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ▢¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ▢½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • Grate the zucchini and transfer it to a colander. Season with a teaspoon of salt and let stand for 15-30 minutes. Press down on the zucchini (2 cups) to remove as much liquid as possible. Lay zucchini out on a clean dish towel and wring towel to squeeze out more moisture, Repeat with another clean towel until no more liquid comes out.
  • Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Heat a little cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown. If you want more uniform shapes, spread out the batter quickly with the back of the spoon and even out the edges into a round shape. Cook fritters in batches and keep warm in a preheated oven at 400°F until ready to serve.
  • Serve warm with parsley or green onions, sour cream, or ketchup.

Zucchini Bread *foodcharlatan.com

Everyone has access to some version of a recipe for this item but this is the first one I tried that had sour cream and it was DELISH!

Bowl 1

  • 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, optional
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, 12 ounces, about 2 zucchini

Bowl 2

  • 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) melted
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, light olive oil, etc
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar*, packed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, I used half mini, half dark chocolate chopped
  • 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, or pecans
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar, or granulated sugar, to top bread
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease well with nonstick spray.
  • If you plan to add nuts to your bread, toast them now. Spread about 3/4 cup chopped nuts on a dry baking sheet. Toast at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stir the nuts and continue baking in 2 minute intervals, stirring every time, until the nuts are browned and very fragrant.** Set aside to cool.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a large microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave.
  • Add 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar*, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk together until combined.
  • Add the zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.
  • If you plan to add (1 cup) chocolate chips*** or (3/4 cup) nuts, add them to the batter before the flour is even all the way mixed in, see photos. Then stir together with a spatula with as few strokes as possible. Over mixing the batter will result in tough bread.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top your loaf with 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, or a scatter of chocolate chips (or both! But use sparingly, if you add too much it will weigh down your loaf so that it doesn’t rise well.)
  • Bake the bread in the center of the oven at 350 for about 60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with no batter on it.You may need to bake the bread for up to 70 or even 80 minutes, so prepare to be patient. Do not take it out of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. (Be sure that you’re not seeing chocolate if you used chocolate chips) Cover your bread with foil as it finishes baking if it is getting over browned.
  • Let your bread cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. At this point, if you used parchment paper, lift your bread out of the pan and let finish cooling on a wire rack. If you didn’t use parchment paper, let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then flip the bread into your hand or a plate, then transfer back to the cooling rack. Let finish cooling on it’s side for extra crispy edges.

Veggie Pinwheel Appetizers *peasandcrayons.com

  • 1 cup chopped veggies: broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper
  • 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 TBSP chopped green onion
  • Choose and chop your veggies. I mince mine extra small so there’s a little bit of everything in each tasty bite.
  • Allow cream cheese to soften for easy mixing. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper.
  • For easy rolling, microwave tortillas for 15-20 seconds first. Spread on cream cheese mixture and sprinkle evenly with veggies, cheese, and chopped onion.
  • Start at the edge of the tortilla and roll it, tightly, until you reach the opposite side.
  • The cream cheese will help it stick. Fasten with a toothpick or two and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes to set.. Feel free to chill overnight in the fridge (tightly wrapped or in a storage container) if making these in advance for easy. meal/snack prep.
  • All that’s left is to slice into pinwheels and serve!

*when I made these I just used 3 colors of bell peppers diced instead of the veggies listed. So I think you could use any combo you would like.

Crafts

I used a skull drinking cup and flowers from Dollar Tree for this. I removed the cap and straw rom the cup and put black ribbon around the neck. Before placing the flowers in, I filled the cup 2/3 full with uncooked rice to weight it down. Then I just added the flowers and there you go!

I went to a few thrift stores and collected two bundt pans and a large jello mold. I spray painted them all a burnt orange. I tied ribbon through the middle and made a big loop for hanging. Then it was just to embellesh as I desired. All the ribbon, flowers and leaves came from Dollar Tree and most I had on hand. This one wreath was made for less than $5.

Who remembers Cousin Itt from the Addams Family? I love this little guy! This summer I had purchased 2 grass skirts from Dollar Tree in anticipation of doing this project. I also bought the sunglasses there. The hat was another story. I had to buy it for $12.99 from the Spirit store. All together this cost $16. I hot glued the skirts inside the hat and put the hat ontop of a tall candle stick I had. I put glue on the nose of the glasses and the hinges of the bows. I held it in place a couple minutes for the glue to set and “Itt” was done.

All of us girls have to take a bath now and again! This stylish lady is wearingg a black turbin (made out of tulle and glued in place) and has an orange bath pouf (also made with tulle). I purchased the tub at a thrift store and filled about 2/3 of it with tissue paper. Ontop of the paper I spread 2 bags of glass beads from Dollar Tree. I ordered the skeleton from Amazon as I needed one where all the joints were moveable and I couldn’t find one locally. She is divine!

I used a twelve inch wreath form from Dollar Tree and wound the loopy orange yarn (purchased from Amazon) around it. The yarn was anchored with a knot at the beginning and the end. I used hot glue to attach the embellishments that I already had on hand.

This didn’t take much craftiness at all. I just found the perfect Fall orange vase at a thrift store and used the colorful sunflowers I had on hand to fill it. The flowers are anchored in floral foam. The best part is not only that it is pretty but it only cost $2.

This guy right here ties with Cousin Itt for my favorite item! I picked up the frame a long time ago really cheap. I spray painted it black. I tied an orange ribbon like a bow tie for this cool fella. He is holding a sign that I had in my stash and wrote on with a chalk pen. The flowers, bow and jack-o-lantern were all items from Dollar Tree that I had on hand. The only thing I spent money on was the skeleton and mini Corona bottle from Amazon. He greets all my visitors!

Hackity, Hackity, Hacks

*If you are like me and use your coffee grinder for things other than coffee like spices here is a trick to clean it. Just use Cheerios! Grind them in the grinder maybe one batch and possibly a second and your grinder is clean as a whistle!

*Grilling season is all but over but I discovered a little trick that I want to share. I always start a grease fire when grilling burgers. I have tried lining the grate withw foil but I usually poke a hole in the foil when turning the burgers. A cheap foil disposable pan from Dollar Tree was the solution! i grilled them in the pan until nearly done and most grease was out. Then I put them on the grate to get some grill marks.

*I bet you’re like me and sometimes forget to take butter out of the frig to soften and desperately want to butter your bread. Usually microwaving it melts a little too much of it. You can use your box grater right over the item you want to butter and grate the end of your stick of butter until you have the desired amount on your bread. Presto, change-o! buttered toast or bread

*Have you ever been dinged with a late fee on a credit card or other bill? Usually by calling or emailing customer service you can have the fee waived as a courtesy, providing it is not a frequent thing.

*If you want to read books free, download the free Libby app to access your local library. Download books on your phone, tablet, computer or ipad.

*Stop paying for subscriptions you forgot you had. Download the Truebill app. The app will locate all your subscriptions and list them for you. If you see any you no longer want Truebill will cancel them on your behalf.

*Make Thursday night a pantry night to save on food waste. Use the items you have on hand to create your dinner. Americans waste 30 to 40% of their food supply by not using it until it is inedible. Thursday pantry nights can help lower that percentage.

* Going along with that last hack, create an “eat me first” section in your refrigerator. Use this section for things like little end nubs of cheese blocks, a lemon that needs used soon, a half serving of leftover pasta, etc.

*Check local gas prices on your phone with apps like GasBuddy orWaze. You can compare prices and head where the best price is (providing you don’t have to drive too far).

* Share streaming services. Check the ones you have and have your family members do the same. Usually, these services allow a certain number of “household members” or “family members”. See how many you can have and share services and cost.

Hope you enjoyed this post and I will see you next month with more “stuff”. Keep warm and dry!

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Dog Days of Summer

(The dog days of summer are from July 3 to August 11, who knew the dog days had a specific time period? Not me!

Recipes

Corn and Tomato Salad (iheartnaptime.net)

  • ▢2 cups cooked corn (cut kernals from cob)
  • ▢1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • ▢1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
  • ▢1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (julienned)
  • ▢2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ▢2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ▢1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
  • ▢1/8 teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
  • Combine the corn, onion, tomatoes and basil in a medium size bowl. Pour the vinegar and olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined. 
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before serving. 

*I added a little lime juice to this as well. Delish!

Turn Any Cake Mix Into A Pound Cake (Wilton)

  • Vegetable Pan Spray
  • 1 Package Your Favorite Cake Mix
  • 1 Package Instant Pudding and Pie Filling Mix (4-serving size)
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Water
  • ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil

Use a bundt pan or angel food cake pan for this. You can leave the cake unfrosted or add a powdered sugar glaze. When I made mine I used a butter pecan cake mix. Then I used powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and a little cinnamon to make a glaze which I drizzled on top.

Tik Tok One Pan Baked Mac and Cheese

Instead of repeating the recipe I am going to give you the link so you can see pics for yourself! It was delicious!

https://viralrecipes.com/tiktok-mac-and-cheese/

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (thebakingchocolates.com)

  • 4 ripe bananas, medium or 1 & ⅓ cups of mashed banana
  • ⅓ cup melted butter cooled
  • ⅔ cup sugar or sugar of choice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease your muffin tins
  • Peel bananas and throw them in a big bowl with the melted butter and smash it all together with a fork.
  • Keep blending until the mixture is creamy and smooth, not chunky.
  • Add sugar, egg and vanilla and mix just until combined.
  • Stir in salt and baking soda.
  • Add flour and chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
  • Divide into muffin tins.
  • Bake until cake tester or toothpick pulls out cleanly for about 18-20 minutes

I made these for a bake sale and they were well received.

Salad in a Jar

There are tons of recipes for putting a salad in a canning jar. I will just tell you the basics and you can experiment.

You always put your dressing in first. Then you put in any vegetables you want that won’t get wilted from the dressing. I put in peppers, celery, cucumbers, red onion, etc. Then you put in your tomatoes on top of all those and finally the lettuce. Screw your top on and refrigerate. When you are ready to eat your salad turn the jar upside down so the dressing trickles through all the fixings. You can shake or stir when you’re ready. Then enjoy.

Hacks!

  • Does anyone use match sticks any more? I use them every once in awhile and in between those times the box they came gets broken down and they end up being loose all over the drawer. Here’s a handy solution.

I just used a canning jar, as you can see, and cut a circle of sandpaper (to strike them on) and inserted it in the ring ontop of the canning lid.

  • Another trick with a canning jar is to use one with either a shaker top or some sort of slotted top like the one below to store twine or jute in. It really makes a nice “dispenser”. I bought the lid at Dollar Tree (well, really, where else?).
  • Have you ever thought of using a swiffer mop with one of the dry pads on it to dust your walls? I have started doing that because I noticed especially on dark painted walls you can see the dust. It works very well.
  • I made some deviled eggs for a picnic and tried putting a little sweet relish in the egg yolk mixture and it was a really nice touch. Let me know in the comments if you have done it before or if you try it now.

Crafty Times

Home Sign

I purchased a frame from Dollar ($1.25 Tree) Tree that had a plain black background with a string of jute and 3 small wooden clips to hold pictures, etc. I removed the jute and clips and placed a section of a map on the black background. This section of the map was the area that included the street where I live. I had a wooden cut out of the word “home”, also from Dollar Tree, which I painted and glued to the bottom of the frame. There was a jute string already on the back of the piece for hanging. It could stand as well but I liked it hanging. I made some for my children as well.

I live in Buffalo Bills country and a friend and I decided to do our own version of a craft we had seen in a store. We purchased one of the bicycle wheel wreath frames, red, blue and white chunky yarn, a small piece of wood, a Buffalo Bills sticker and a string of painted beads. We painted the wood and affixed the sticker to it. Next we cut lengths of yarn and arranged them in a way that we liked. The lengths of yarn were then looped over the center of the wreath form. We glued the wooden piece above the yarn. Finally we cut the string of beads and glued them along the top of the yarn. I plan on using mine on my door. You could do this with any team and their team colors.

This is not strictly a craft but I wanted to share it anyway. I had been looking for a bike to paint completely, even the tires, in one solid color. I planned to put a basket on it and use the basket for flowers. This year at the County Fair I saw a gentleman with a lot of scrap metal on his truck to turn in for cash. I saw a bike that was perfect for my needs and purchased it for $20. This year I decided not to paint it because I liked the muted aqua color it was. I may paint it next year and then again, maybe not. It adds a little cuteness to my yard.

Thank you for reading! I hope you got some good ideas from this month’s post and I love reading your comments! Share some of your crafts and recipes with me. See you next month!

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Summer Breezes

Seals and Crofts just roamed through my head. How about you? I loved that song. Brings back some good memories.

I have some interesting things to share this month. Hopefully, you will think so too. I have been busy! So here we go……………………

Recipes

I recently made a banana poke cake with a pudding and Cool Whip frosting. It turned out really nice and the birthday girl liked it. First I made a banana cake with a Duncan Hines mix. I used a wooden spoon handle to poke holes in the cake and poured vanilla pudding made with only half the milk into the holes and ontop of the cake. I used the following frosting to top it off.

Pudding and Cool Whip Frosting

It is so simple that it is ridiculous! You use a 6 serving box of your favorite pudding (I used vanilla) and prepare it using half the milk. Then you fold in a whole 16 ounce container of Cool Whip! Viola!

Dill Pickle Macaroni Salad (togetherasafamily.com)

  • 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
  • ⅓ cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
  • 2 cups chopped baby dill pickles
  • 1 block (8 oz) Colby Jack cheese cubed small
  • 1 small white onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ⅓ cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Cook pasta according to package directions.Don’t forget to add some salt to the boiling water before adding the pasta. I add about 1 teaspoon.
  • When pasta is done cooking drain pasta and rinse with cold water.Move rinsed cooked pasta to a mixing bowl and pour ⅓ cup of pickle juice over it. Stir to combine. Let it sit while you prepare the rest.
  • Chop the dill pickles and cheese into small cubes. Finely chop the white onion.
  • Drain the pasta again that was sitting in the pickle juice. Add it back to the mixing bowl. Add in the pickles, cheese, and white onion. Stir to combine.
  • In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over the pasta salad. Stir everything together to combine well.Salad can be eaten right away but I prefer it cold, and if you do too, then cover it and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.
  • * I would recommend not making this too far ahead of time. For best results serve this salad within a few hours of making it. Either right away or after the refrigeration time. Leftovers do keep well in the fridge but the dressing thickens up and it’s not as creamy as when you first make it.

*It was delicious! I am sure you could do the same thing but with sweet pickles depending on your preference. I didn’t know if my company would like the raw onions in the salad so I used onion powder as a substitute.

Hacks

*I have shared in the past that you can add some milk to the water you boil corn on the cob in to make it extra juicy. I have now found out that you can add powdered milk to the water and it has the same effect.

*If you have a dishwasher you can save time on the finished end when you presort silverware into separate compartments when you load the dishwasher. Then when it is time to unload you simply grab a handful of spoons, or forks or knives and put them away.

*You can move heavy furniture easily if you put old socks on each leg. You don’t have to buy those special discs for furniture moving. The effect with socks is the same. Slip, slidin’ away!

*Summer is the time for grilling and dining “al fresco”. There is sometimes a concern for keeping salads like macaroni salad cold during the meal. It can be solved easily by buying some of those disposable foil pans. You put about and inch or two of water in the larger pan and freeze it. A couple of smaller pans holding your perishables will fit right in the pan and stay cold due to the ice frozen in the bottom.

*My friend, Sue, shared an app with me called, Merlin. It is awesome. I downloaded it from the Play Store right away and have been using it. You just open it, click to record the sound of the birds you hear and it identifies them for you as well as, giving you information on them. Try it!!

Crafty-business

First of all, I want to update you on the vintage radio I shared last time. At that point I had taken out the guts and given the cabinet one coat of taupe chalk paint. i have since given it a second coat and once that dried, I used antique wax to give it an aged effect. Next I glued the knobs back on using E6000 and a little bit of hot glue to hold them in place until the E6000 cured. I had removed the cloth that covered the speaker because it was rotten. In place of that I put screen inside of the cabinet. I bought color changing LED lights to stick inside so I wanted them to glow through the screen and around the radio dial. To get that effect with the dial I used sponge spacers to hold the dial out just a bit from the case and secured it using the same glue method as with the knobs. The end result is that it looks like the radio is on. After placing the lights I used cardboard staple to the back so that the lights didn’t glow on the wall. Let me know what you think. I am in love with the result!

Quick and Easy Summer Tablecloth

This tablecloth is made entirely from bandanas that I bought for $1 a piece at Walmart. I sewed them together, just overlapping a little bit and there you go, great look! I made this for only $9!

Summer Wall Hanging!

I bought 3 pair of flip flops at Dollar Tree and glued them to a wooden dowel in a pleasing pattern with hot glue and E6000. Using my Cricut I cut out of vinyl letters to spell Summer. The letters were attached to the flip flops. It hangs by a loop of jute which I secured to the flip flops.

This next project I completed (kind of) this morning. I formed the “window” using paint stirrers that I purchased at Home Depot and painted them with off white chalk paint. I used screen I already had to make the screened in window effect. The flower boxes are 2 wooden boxes I purchased at Dollar Tree and painted using the same chalk paint. I glued the boxes to the bottom of the window frame, added floral foam and flowers. The reason I stated that it is kind of done is that I still want some sort of scene in the window. Right now I am pondering how to do that.

Here’s hoping this post hit some good notes with you and see you next month!!

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Sunshine and the Smell of Freshly Mown Lawn!

I have been reveling in these Summer moments. I love the smells, the food, the brightness and of course, the summer decorating. I have been up to my usual with decorating, trying new recipes and crafting. Hopefully you will find something of interest here that will spark joy and/ or your imagination.

Recipes

Dutch Baby (thekitchn.com)

(A German pancake in a cast iron pan which is light and fluffy but primarily, delish! It is easy but makes you look like an award winning chef to your friends.)

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Powdered sugar, maple syrup, and jam, for serving4

Blend the batter: Place the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend for 10 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then blend for another 10 seconds. The batter will be quite loose and liquidy. Rest the batter: Leave the batter in the blender and set aside to rest 20 to 25 minutes. This gives the flour time to absorb the liquid. Heat the pan and oven: Meanwhile, place a 9 to 10-inch oven safe skillet on the middle rack of the oven and remove any racks above it. Heat the oven to 425°F. Melt the butter: When ready to make the pancake, remove the skillet from the oven using oven mitts and place it on top of the stove. Add the butter and swirl the pan to melt the butter and coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the batter: Pour the batter on top of the butter. Tilt the pan if needed so that the batter runs evenly to all sides. Place the skillet in the oven. Bake the Dutch baby: Bake until the Dutch baby is puffed, lightly browned across the top, and darker brown on the sides and edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve while hot: You can either serve from the pan or transfer the Dutch baby to a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup or jam.

*Notes

I used a whisk rather than a blender. It set about as long as it took for me to heat the pan and add the butter. It came out perfectly!

Sheet Pan Pancakes (dinnerthendessert.com)

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
  • 1 cup strawberries , sliced
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Add the dry ingredients and whisk together, then add the wet and combine fully.
  • Spray a half-size baking sheet with baking spray and pour the pancake batter onto the pan, spreading evenly.
  • Put the strawberries and blueberries evenly over the batter and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Sheet Pan Eggs (thehouseofthesmiths.com)

15 eggs 1/3 cup milk Salt & Pepper Cheese Bacon -really, just anything else you like. Veggies are great in this too.  – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. – Generously coat a sheet pan with nonstick spray. – Mix all of your ingredients together. – Pour them onto the sheet pan.  – Bake for 18-25 minutes (they are done when the center no longer wiggles) – Let cool. – Cut into squares and package in individual portions for easy reheating.

One might get the idea I like breakfast or something!!

Craft Time

I bought this wood anchor cut out at Dollar Tree (hey, at least I am consistent and you know what to expect from me!). I buy cute napkins whenever I see them. This napkin came from, wait for it…………..wait…………. The Christmas Tree Shoppe! Shocked you, right? I lightly sanded the anchor and dusted it off. I separated the top ply of the napkin. Then I used Mod Podge and a brush to coat the anchor. I carefully laid the one ply from the napkin on the wet anchor. Then with plastic wrap over it I smoothed it out. I do have a brayer and used that to smooth it out more. Once I was happy with that, I gave it another coat of Mod Podge and allowed it to dry. After it was completely dry, I used fine sand paper to take of the excess napkin from the edges. You need to be careful doing this and only hit the edge or you will rip the napkin on the top of your project. As a final touch I made a little decorative dangly with jute and a seashell.

This is a bicycle wreath form that I purchased at Dollar Tree. The flowers and tulle came from there as well. It was a snap to put together. I used floral wire to attach the flowers to the wreath form. Many wreaths look really nice when their adornments are off center as this does.

This charger was picked up at Big Lots for $3. I had the ribbon on hand and printed the lettering out of vinyl on my Cricut. There is no reason you couldn’t just write on the charger also. I had it on a plate stand but have now added a hanger made out of jute and a popsicle stick so that I could hang it.

I used a 10 inch foam wreath form from Dollar tree and ordered the little drink umbrellas from Amazon. The starfish suspended in the middle also came from Dollar Tree. I used jute to create the hanger and to suspend the starfish. The pick had to be cut off so that they were able to rest on the form. As you are aware, the picks are long so that they can be put in beverages. You just don’t need them that long for this project. It is a good idea to stick some glue on the tip of the pick before pressing it into the wreath form as they tend to randomly fall out if you don’t.

A month or so ago, I participated in a flea market. The lady next to our table didn’t want to have to pack up these wooden spools of thread so she sold a shoebox full to me for $1. I used a 10 inch wreath form to create this display. The needle book in the center is a double from my collection of needle books. I just love the bright colors and the assortment of sizes!

Dollar tree had orb wreath forms. I grabbed a couple but was unsure of how I was going to use them. I checked around online and got some ideas. I used the pine strips, like you use to hide the trunk of an artificial tree, to cover the orb entirely. Then I had little fairy lights that I wove in and among the greenery. Finally, for summer, a little flamingo.

Recent Finds

I picked up this vintage radio at a sale for $20. I have taken all the “guts” out. I plan on using chalk paint to dress it up and putting the radio dial on knobs back on. The finishing touch will be LED lights inside which will glow through the cloth where the speaker was. I also plan on putting LED lights in red behind the radio dial so they glow around the dial. Pictures to follow as I work on it.

This lamp shade is another flea market find. I just adored the graphics and had the perfect spot for it!

Hacking Life

  • Did you know you can make your own “no melt” bird suet? I have a lot of birds in my backyard that eat at the feeders on my deck. During the pandemic the “no melt” suet seemed to always be out of stock. There are a lot of recipes out there. I am still trying to perfect my blend. Here is a basic recipe that you can tweek to suit your needs.
  • 2 cups Quick Cooking Oats
  • 2 cups Cornmeal
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1/3 cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
  • 1 cup Lard

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Combine the oats, cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter on top of the dry ingredients.
  • Melt the lard in a microwave safe container (I use my glass measuring cup). It should take about 30 to 45 seconds to melt the lard. (I usually stop microwaving before it’s totally melted and just stir it to melt the last remaining bits).
  • Pour the melted lard over the ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir to combine everything together.
  • Press the mixture into individual molds (Recycled containers from store bought bird cakes work well). Put the molds into the refrigerator to harden a bit more. This recipe makes about four suet cakes.
  • Once hardened the cakes can be removed from the molds and put into suet cage containers outdoors for the birds to enjoy. themakeyourownzone.com

  • It is going to be time for corn on the cob. If you would like to take the corn off the cob you can do it easily without losing any kernels by using a bundt pan or an angel food cake pan. Just anchor the cob in the hole in the center and using a sharp knife shave down the sides. All the kernels fall in the pan!
aforkstale.com
  • Coca Cola is an excellent rust buster. Whatever you need to de-rust just soak it in Coke for awhile! This ability is due to the citric acid that is contained in the soft drink.
  • Cottage cheese and sour cream will last twice as long if you store it upside down. A vacuum is formed when this is done which keeps the products from spoiling.
  • Did you know that if you are out of baking powder you can make your own? Two teaspoons cream of tartar and one teaspoon of baking soda equals one Tablespoon of baking powder.
  • Do you ever get itchy ears? This happens mainly due to allergies. Just swab your ear with olive oil on a cotton swab and it usually helps.

As Porky Pig would say, “Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th… That’s all, folks!”  See you next month and enjoy the your Summer moments!

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Did You Miss Me?

Its been longer than a month since I last posted but its been a busy time. Now, is the time for us to catch up! Buckle up! There’s a lot of stuff in this post. Believe it or not, I held some for my next post. Whew!

Recipes

Peep Rice Krispie Treats

20 Peeps (any color, or mixed) 4 cups Rice Krispies 6 Tablespoons of butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9” X 13” pan. Line up the Peeps on the bottom of the pan. Then pour in the dry cereal covering the Peeps. Last slice the butter into thin pats and place over the cereal. Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven. Stir entire contents of pan together until thoroughly mixed. Allow to set and you have your Peeps Rice Krispie Treats. The kids love them! Well, if I’m being honest, adults do too!

Cubans on a Stick

If you need a cute little appetizer for a get together you should try this. It’s easy and tasty.

8 oz. block of Swiss cheese 8 oz. sliced ham 16 oz. jar of dill cocktail pickles toothpicks

Cut small cubes of cheese and thin strips of ham. cut the pickles in half. Put one of each on a toothpick.

For a dipping sauce use;

1/3 cup Dijon mustard 1/3 cup mayo 1/4 teaspoon onion powder pinch of salt 3 Tablespoons honey (optional)

Overnight Crockpot Steel Cut Oats

1 cup steel cut oats 4 cups water dash of salt if desired

Place in crockpot and cook while you sleep on low. You may also add flavorings like maple syrup, vanilla or fruit. It makes quite a bit but I place my leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. They keep for a week.

Veggie Enchilada Bake (aberdeens.kitchen.com)

  • 24-28 corn tortillas
  • 3 ½ cups red enchilada sauce
  • 1 tablespoon El Pato or your favorite Jalapeño sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 ½ cups sweet yellow corn kernels, cooked
  • 2 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese blend
  • Fresh cilantro, diced for garnish
  • Green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 9X13 casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Combine enchilada sauce and El Pato in a bowl until fully mixed.
  3. Spread about ½ a cup on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Lay 6-8 tortillas on the bottom of the pan (overlapping is fine).
  5. Spread about 1 cup of the mixed sauce onto the tortillas, fully coating them.
  6. Sprinkle half the beans, half the corn, and half the of the bell pepper on top of the sauced tortillas and top with a third of the cheese blend.
  7. Repeat the layering process starting again with the tortillas, then add sauce, then the rest of the beans, bell pepper, corn, and another third of the cheese.
  8. Top this second layer with another 8 tortillas. Coat with the remaining sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
  9. Place in the middle rack of the oven for 45 – 55 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, cheese is melted and the middle is cooked through.
  10. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

This was absolutely delicious and you didn’t miss having meat in it at all! I don’t like cilantro so I didn’t use it.

Veggie Loaf (octoberfarm.blogspot.com)

  • ½ cup brown rice, dry
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 ounces crimini mushrooms, stems removed, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach
  • 3 ounces sun dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 eggs, whisked
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add in mushrooms and tarragon and cook until mushrooms release their juices and the liquid evaporates, about 5 more minutes. Add in spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard, and broth. Add in vegetable mixture and rice and stir to combine.
  6. Generously grease a loaf pan with olive oil. Pour in vegetable mixture and smooth to flat with a spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until edges are nicely browned. Let cool slightly, then run a knife along edges and flip onto platter.

When I started preparing this I realized that what I had was roasted red peppers and not tomatoes. I used them anyway and it was fine. You have to be able to adapt!

Tortilla Toaster Sandwich (sbs.com.au)

I saw this on Tik Tok. There are many versions of it. You can fill it with whatever you like. It is delish! Watch the video below for the how to.

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/body_image/public/hnet-image_3.gif?itok=7YC-E7Sd&mtime=1596511742

Make sure to check out recipes on Tik To! They are usually so creative and easy!

For the Furry Ones

Dog Biscuits

14 oz. jar of baby food 1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix both ingredients thoroughly. Add more flour if needed until it is no longer sticky. Roll out your dough on a floured surface. Cut them into whatever shape and size you want. Bake for 24 minutes.

Store in paper sack. you can use a lot of different flavors of baby food. i used sweet potatoes but you can also use apple, banana, squash, carrots, peas, green beans, berries, just to name a few.

Sweet Potato Dog Chews

Using 2 whole sweet potatoes cut them into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise. Toss them in olive oil and cinnamon. Lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at y 250 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours. Store in paper sack.

Hacks

*No more struggling with tweezers to get a splinter out! Sometimes digging for a splinter with tweezers causes more pain. If the tip of the splinter is sticking out, cut a piece of duct tape and place it on the area, securely. Pull off quickly and the splinter should be on the tape.

*Why dirty more dishes than you need to? If mixing up a box mix or even your own recipe for say, brownies, spray your pan and then put all ingredients in the pan and mix. Saves the extra mixing bowl and works just as well.

*Soak potatoes in cold water before cooking. You will have fluffier, nicer textured potatoes. The water helps remove excess starch which can make potatoes gummy or sticky. You can soak as little or as long as you like up to 24 hours. I started doing this years ago on the day before Thanksgiving. It helps getting some of the prep out of the way too!

*Have you ever scorched a pan and felt like you needed a hammer and chisel to get the burned stuff off? Just place a fabric softener sheet in the bottom, add some dish soap and fill with hot water to cover the burned area. Allow to soak. It should be much easier to get off.

Craftiness Abounds!

Bottle Bunny

Friends saved me wine bottles and I made bunnies. I painted the bottles. It took two coats. Then I fashioned ears from burlap that I added some pink paint to. They then were glued on and I made a messy bow to hide the base of the ears. The face was painted on using paint markers. I made several colors.

Giant Egg

I had a large wooden egg that my cousin gave me. I decoupaged easter napkins (only the top printed ply) onto the eggs after I painted the egg white. I fashioned a hanger with a popsicle stick and jute which I hot glued to the back side. A messy bow went on top and I used a wooden bunny cutout, which I painted pink, on the bottom. Both items were hot glued on. I made a nice, festive door decor.

Sink Shelf

I had wanted a shelf for over my kitchen sink. I looked at them and then saw how expensive they were. I decided to make my own. I bought a piece of wood from Home Depot. Cut it to the length I needed for my sink and sanded it. I purchased drawer handles at Home Depot as well. After marking the correct places and drilling guide holes I attached the handles. Finally, I used food grade oil for wood to coat it.

Bunny Candlesticks

A friend and I painted the foam dice from Dollar Tree. I used white but you could do any color you like. I used paint markers to make the face. For the ears I used craft foam and fabric glued to the inner part. Using a X-acto knife I cut a little slit in the dice to slip the ears into the foam. Jute was used to make the bow and I added a button as an embellishment. Some of the bunnies I left as they were and these two I hot glued them to the tops of milk glass vases I had kicking around.

Easter Center Piece

I saw this idea on Pinterest and tried it out. First I put jelly beans in the bottom of a large vase. I thin put a small vase in the center on top of the jelly beans. Around the smaller vase I arrange Peeps bunnies and then made an arrangement with flowers, greenery and eggs. I am not a super adept flower arranger but it got compliments.

Carrot Door Hanging

My crafty friend and I each made carrot wall hangings. We cut out the carrot shape from cardboard and painted it orange. On top of mine I wrapped orange burlap ribbon and hot glued it to the back to anchor it. We had greenery from Dollar Tree that we hot glued to the back for the carrot tops. I used tulle ribbon to make a bow that I attached near the top. As I usually do, I fashioned a hanger from jute and a popsicle stick that was hot glued in place.

Bunny Wreath

This wreath was soooo easy! I had fluffy white yarn that I tied in place and wrapped around the entire wreath form. From Dollar Tree (I mean, what other store!) I bought a bunny ears headband. I cut the ears off and hot glued them to the back top of the wreath. My crafty friend, Shelly, had ordered bunny feet and was generous to give me a couple. I hot glued them on and there you have it!

Cinco de Mayo Wreath

By now you must know that I decorate for any holiday that comes down the pike. That’s just me. I can’t really help it!

I used a foam wreath form that I wrapped with burlap ribbon just in case any of the form would show through. I made a ribbon loop around the top to act as a hanger. To decorate the wreath I used cupcake liners and flower blossoms in bright colors. Cinco is festive! Lastly, I used long ribbon streamers which I glued to the back, bottom of the wreath. I really loved this project as I loved the colors!

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Spring, 28 Days and Counting!

It has been a busy month for me. That, in fact, is the way I like it. Busy, with just the right amount of relax time at home. How about you? What’s your favorite mix for life?

Projects

I may have gone just a little heavy on the crafting this past month. Then again, who’s going to judge me? I did several Valentine crafts that I would like to share.

I think my most favorite was a wreath that reminds me of a cardigan sweater. I had some puffy white yarn that I anchored with hot glue on a foam wreath form and then wound around until it was completely covered. Then I cut out felt heart shapes and glued them on the wreath. For the final touch I crisscrossed silver string around the whole wreath making sure the cross happened over the hearts. I fashioned a hanger out of the silver string also.

Of course I did a lot of craft shopping at Dollar Tree and this next project was entirely Dollar Tree.

I had the wooden heart and painted it with a black and white theme. (Before painting I removed the jute hanger and saved it to put back on when all paint was dry). I glued a wooden heart cut out to the center which I painted red. U added a bit of a messy bow to finish it off.

Using a wooden crate, craft sticks, wooden pallet, paint and little Valentine what nots I created a kissing booth. This little booth holds the chocolate kind. I painted everything white and used hot glue to assemble. The writing was done with a Sharpie paint pen.

I had picked up an old, unusual frame at a sale and saved it for a future project. I remembered it when doing Valentine’s crafts and put it to use. First, I removed the glass and painted the entire frame with ivory chalk paint. Then I gave it a coating of spread on, wipe off, antique wax to give it that patina. I have a lot of burlap coffee bags (thank you, Karen D.) and I cut a rectangle to fit in the frame and cut a felt red heart for the center. I added a red raffia bow but am not sure I will leave it. Let’s vote. Yes? or No?

6

Finally, I bought the large foam dice out of the toy section at Dollar Tree and used chalk paint to cover them. It took 2 coats. Then I glued wooden letters, that I painted red, and a heart shape on and viola!

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My friends, Sue and Shelly, got together to make a St. Patrick’s Day craft. The example we took the inspiration from was made using ribbon but we used yarn which was much easier to work with. For this project you need a half of a foam wreath form, yarn of rainbow colors, craft foam or something like it to make a cloud and a pot for the gold coins. We used hot glue to secure the beginning and ending of each yarn color, fashioned the shapes we needed from craft foam and used hot glue to assemble. Yarn was used to fashion a hanger. The gold coins can be found almost anywhere at this time of year.

Hacks

  • If you are into books, as I am, there is a great site that you can find almost anything on. There are used and new books and prices vary accordingly but everything is reasonable. You can also earn points toward free books. My daughter, Melanie, turned me onto this site and I love it! There is an app so I order right from my phone. www.thriftbooks.com
  • I bought a nice wooden stove cover form Etsy and the other day I dropped a heavy jar on it from the cupboard above the stove. Most people would never have seen it but I did. I have always used a damp cloth and a steam iron to fix such things but I had put a decal on the stove cover and was afraid how I could manage that so I searched for another way. I found one! You use a wooden match, dip it in water and use the match to put the water in the divot. I had to do this 3 times but the water soaked in through the break in the finish and puffed the wood back up. No more dent!
  • A friend and I were discussing frozen locks during this time of year in WNY and it made me remember that there was a simple fix. After thinking about it for a bit I remembered………….hand sanitizer. Squirt some in the lock if you can get it in and put some on the key. It should solve the problem and leave no residue!
  • After having seen many ads about a product I finally did some research on where to get the cheapest price and ended up going to Walmart for it. They are Cindy Joseph’s Boom Sticks. I love them! I use at least 2 of them every day. There is one for moisture, one for color and one for glimmer. They seem to last a long time so they really aren’t that expensive.

Pet Stuff

For those of you who have dogs in your life I thought I would share a couple items with you.

I make my own dog food most of the time. I have found it easier to make in the Crockpot and it stays nice an moist. My dogs prefer chicken or turkey over beef so I either purchase ground turkey or chicken. Turkey is most often more economical. I break that up and add to the Crockpot. I always add some rice and some oatmeal. Then, In proceed to add veggies. I usually use 2 kinds. Some examples are green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yams, pumpkin puree, etc. Always consult AKC on line t make sure something is good for dogs! I then cook it all together on low until everything is nicely cooked. A batch with 3 pounds of ground turkey lasts me for a week at two feedings a day with my small dogs.

To make a treat for my dog, Isobel, on her third birthday I tried my hand at pupcakes and shared the results with her friends too!

FOR THE CUPCAKE: (crazyforcrust.com)

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 medium banana mashed
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • 2 ounces cream cheese (OR BANANA)
  • 1/2 medium banana mashed, (OR CREAM CHEESE)
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. You can also use liners, if you want.
  • Stir peanut butter, oil, banana, and honey. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder until combined. Evenly distribute between the cavities of your muffin pan. Bake 10-20 minutes, until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
  • Banana frosting: stir mashed banana and peanut butter together. Frost. Serve immediately (the frosting will brown as the cupcakes sit).
  • PB Cream Cheese frosting: stir peanut butter and cream cheese. Frost. Store in refrigerator.

Yes, I am that person!

Recipes

I have been trying new things in the kitchen lately. I want to share some of what I have been up to.

Baked Rigatoni (mamalovesfood.com)

This a simple, quick and delicious dish. You can make it with ground meat or without as I did. Love the option for the Crockpot!

  • 1 pound rigatoni cooked and drained
  • 2 jars spaghetti sauce 24 ounces each
  • 1 pound ground beef or sausage browned/drained
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
  • ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • optional fresh basil,
  • 1 – 2- cups ricotta cheese, salt, and black pepper
  • In a large bowl, mix together cooked rigatoni, spaghetti sauce, browned ground meat, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.
  • Pour mixture into a 9×13” casserole dish and top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella.
  • Bake at 350F for 25 – 30 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted and bubbly. If you are using a broiler safe dish, you can turn on the broiler in the last couple minutes to brown the cheese, but watch closely!

Notes

.Slow CookerTo make this in a crockpot, add cooked rigatoni, pasta sauce, ground meat, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese to the crock. Mix well, then top with remaining mozzarella.Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours, or low for 3 hours, until cheese is melted and dish is heated through. 

Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner (fabeveryday.com)

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, halved or quartered if large
  • 1 pound green beans
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • freshly cracked salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees
    C). Spray a large sheet pan or jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.   
  2. Toss chicken, potatoes, green beans, and cherry
    tomatoes in a large bowl with olive oil and pesto. Spread onto the prepared
    sheet pan or jelly roll pan in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are
    fork-tender and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center and juices run
    clear, 20-25 minutes.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese (pipandebby.com)

  • 16 oz elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups milk
  • 8 oz velveeta cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup salted butter cut into chunks
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • Cook pasta in boiling water 3 minutes short of being al dente.
  • Place the cooked macaroni, milk, Velveeta, butter and cheddar cheese into a crockpot. Stir and top with Parmesan cheese. Set heat to Low and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally and check for doneness starting at the 2-hour mark.

Pound Cake from a Cake Mix (eathomecooks.com)

  • 1 box white or yellow cake mix
  • 4 oz. box vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • Mix all the ingredients together with an electric mixer until well blended.
  • Pour into well greased bundt pan. I like to spray mine with Baker’s Joy cooking spray that also has flour in it.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool on the counter still in the pan for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from pan and cool completely.

*I actually used a butter pecan cake mix and it was great! I would think you could use any flavor of cake mix and adjust pudding flavor if desired. Wouldn’t banana with banana pudding be grand?!

Have a wonderful next month and remember Spring is officially 28 days away!!!! Please comment and share with your friends!

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Snowmen! That Is All

It is after Christmas and normally that would be kind of a blah, doldrums time but not in my house. I do snowmen, then add Valentine’s Day the first of February and finally St. Patrick’s exchanges for Valentine’s. I always have a decorating plan!

Anyway, I have a recap of a couple of the things that I did for Christmas and the usual recipes and “hacks for your life”. So let’s get this party started (as Pink so aptly said).

Recipes

Egg Roll in a Bowl (*spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com)

  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 large onion diced finely
  • 16 oz coleslaw mix
  • 1/2 cup carrots peeled and finely shredded
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • ½ to 3/4 cup soy sauce I used a little over ½ cup
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • green onion for garnish (optional)
  • Cook ground beef in a large deep sided skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Be careful to not break the ground beef into smaller pieces, keep the pieces larger.
  • Drain grease and return to the stovetop. Add onions and minced garlic and cook until meat is browned, again, keep the ground beef in larger pieces.
  • Add 2 tbsp sesame oil, carrots, and cabbage to the skillet. Use tongs to combine. Let cook for. about 5 minutes.
  • In a small separate bowl combine onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, soy sauce, and vegetable oil. Pour over meat and cabbage mixture.
  • Reduce heat and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Note: I made this for a vegetarian friend by substituting the Morning Star crumbles for the ground beef. It was delicious! You could actually sub any ground meat for the beef if you desired.

Soft Molasses Cookies (*moneywisemoms.com)

  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • granulated sugar for rolling cookies

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and molasses until well blended.

In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Stir into the creamed mixture until blended. Chill for at least an hour, or until firm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Note: This recipe made a lot! They were enjoyed by all!

Grinch Fudge (simplisticallyliving.com)

grinch fudge stacked
  • 14 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 – 14 oz can of condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • Neon green food coloring
  • Red heart sprinkles
  1. Start by lining a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil and lightly spray with baking spray. Set aside.
  2. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. You can do this by heating for 30 seconds, stirring and repeating until they are melted.
  3. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the condensed milk, butter and salt. Now, this will cause the chocolate to start to set. You want to stir fast and can stick it back into the microwave to reheat if needed.
  4. Add 7-8 drops of neon green food coloring until you reach the color you desire.
  5. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
  6. Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish and smooth out until it is evenly spread in the pan. You can also pick up the pan and give it a few light taps against the counter.
  7. Add your red heart sprinkles onto the top of the fudge. Spread them evenly apart so when you cut it, there is a single heart on each piece. In my pan I was able to fit 4 across and 4 down for 16 pieces.
  8. Stick the fudge in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight to set.
  9. Once the fudge is set, cut the fudge into even pieces and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
  • My daughter, Melanie is a Grinch fanatic and that is why I made this. I think although it tasted good that the guys in our family were put off by the color. It would, however, be good for a themed Christmas party.

Pumpkin Lush (crunchycreamysweet.com)

for crust:

  • 1.5 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

for cheesecake layer:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup whipped topping

for pumpkin layer:

  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4 oz
  • 1.25 cup half and half see note
  • 1.25 cup 100 % pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix
  • 2 cups whipped topping
  • chopped nuts optional
  • caramel sauce optional
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8″ or 9″ square baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

make the crust:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir with a fork graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Sprinkle into an even layer onto the bottom of a prepared baking pan. With a flat-bottom glass, press the crust down. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes then cool completely.

make the cheesecake layer:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix with a hand mixer softened cream cheese for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and mix in well. Add whipped topping and mix just until incorporated. Spread the mixture over cooled crust. Smooth out with an offset spatula.

make pumpkin layer:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk pudding mix with half and half until thick. Add pumpkin puree and spice and mix until well incorporated. Spread over cheesecake layer. Smooth out with an offset spatula.
  2. Top the pumpkin layer with remaining amount of whipped topping. Place in the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

To serve:

  1. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the dessert. Cut into 9 generous size squares, wiping the knife clean after each cut. You can also drizzle caramel sauce over each slice.

As I am prone to do, I experimented a little. Instead of graham crackers I used gingersnap cookies, crushed, for the crust and made it like you would for a no bake cheesecake which eliminated the baking part. It was delicious! This was a new dessert I added to my Thanksgiving repertoire.

Crafty-ness

  • Grinch Wreath

I took a candy cane wreath form from Dollar Tree (if you’re a regular reader, you are not surprised by that), red burlap, white fuzzy material from a Santa hat that I had, an ornament I had on hand, a section of ribbon, and neon green gloves (used just one) that I ordered from Amazon. All of the ribbon and material were held on with the ever trusty, hot glue!

  • Plaid Decor

I made these as favors for a Christmas party. I used wooden squares from Dollar Tree, a bow I had on hand, a section of plaid ribbon I had bought at Big Lots and Scrabble letters I had on hand. I fashioned a hanger with a piece of jute. If you ever get rid of a scrabble game, you know where you can send the letters! All items were held by hot glue. I did various sayings such as the one pictured and “Santa visit”, “Merry, Merry”, “Through the Snow” and “Merry and Bright”.

  • Rolling Pin Tree

I collected vintage rolling pins of various sizes for the better part of a year. I hunted at household and garage sales, friends, and ebay. I finally had enough to for a tree. My friend, Cheryl (shout out to you girl!) gave me a vintage door that she just couldn’t throw away. I measured as carefully as possible to attach hooks in the right places. The hooks were not long enough to come out and meet the handles on the rolling pins so I used jewelry wire to attach the pins to the hooks. I used a metal star that I had for the top and used a battery operated set of lights to finish the decor. I put it on my front porch and was quite pleased with the results.

  • Vintage Potato Masher What No

I used a vintage potato masher and made a little Christmas vignette and recipe holder out of it. All items were ones I had on hand. Of course, hot glue was my friend with this piece, as well.

  • Milk Glass Vase Christmas
  • I collected various sizes of milk glass vases from friends and relatives to create a simple Christmas display, I used pink ornaments for these since I had a section of my Christmas display that was pink and blue. Hot glue was used to hold the balls in place. This was a simple and pretty Christmas item to make.

Note: I also used the vases to make Christmas trees and forgot to take a picture. I cut triangular pieces of fabric in 3 different designs, stuffed them with fiberfill and glued them to the top of 3 vases. I added a silver set of jingle bells to complete the trees. The fabric I used was light blue with llamas and packages on it.

  • Snowman Wreath

I snagged a snowman wreath form at Dollar Tree when I found it and also, a scarf, a child’s beanie and mittens. The yarn was bulky white and I had to order that from Amazon. I wrapped the wreath with the yarn, gluing every so often as I couldn’t leave the yarn in one big piece. It was too cumbersome. I ending up cutting a large section at a time and gluing the beginning and ending of each piece until I covered the whole form. I then used hot glue to secure the beanie and mittens in place and tied the scarf around his neck. My friend, Shelly, had a little embellishment she let me use for the hat. Viola!

  • Saw Tree

I put a call out on Facebook and to my friends for old rusty hand saws once I saw this idea online. I had a wonderful response and made 3 trees with many leftover for future projects.

I used a little hot glue and E6000 to hold two saws together with the blades facing out and the handles forming the base of the tree. I used anything I had on hand to make the ornamentation and added battery operated lights. The stand was made out of 3 wooden blocks, using both glue types, attached to the mid back of the “tree” and a wooden painter stick to create the prop. The use of hot glue with the E6000 is just to hold the pieces together until the E6000 fully bonds which takes 24 hours.

Vintage Sifter

I used a vintage sifter, Christmas silk flowers and floral foam to create a decorative piece for a friend. She loves vintage pieces, especially with a little red! Before I gave it to her I removed the pine and child’s cookie cutter from the bottom since it didn’t come off as I had hoped. She can easily pull the flowers stuck into the floral foam out of the sifter and use it year round for decor as she sees fit.

Hacking Away

  • We have several stray cats in our little neighborhood and I, with the help of my oldest son who cut the hole for me, made a little shelter for them that I placed in a safe place behind my house. I used an old cooler, which by definition, is insulated. My son cut the hole for me. I used duck tape to make sure there were no sharp edges around the hole. Inside I placed a blanket but you could use stray.
  • Walmart coupons

I have been using Walmart.com and the Walmart app to order groceries and other needs. Did you know there is a section on the site for coupons to use? Neither did I until recently. Here are the instructions on how to find the page and used the coupons. https://www.walmart.com/help/article/print-and-use-coupons/205b65e070f247d7a98687b7ff2d5cc9

  • Getting organized after the New Year? Me too! Here is a list I have found helpful as a guide. (bcicompound.com)

That list just makes me happy! I am a list and organization person at heart!

  • This may belong in the craft section but it is handy to know too, so…….. If you need to dye clothespins for a project, or any wooden item actually, just put them in a quart jar filled 2/3 full with hot water to which you have added one teaspoon of Rit dye. Soak for at least 4 hours or longer to obtain the desired shade. If you needed to dye a larger item you would just have to find a larger container and multiply the amounts of water and dye to create the amount of solution you needed.
  • Have you ever struggled with sweaters that have been hanging the normal way on a hanger? You know, those little lumps where the hanger ends on each side that mis form your sweater? Watch the video by clicking on the link. It will change your life! https://pin.it/79t3H88

That’s all this month peeps! I hope you were able to make it through this very long post and that there was something helpful! Now, I am on the hunt for next month’s gems. Or at least what I think are gems. Don’t forget to comment and leave me your ideas! I am always on the hunt for new ways to do things more efficiently, new recipes and of course, craft ideas. Thanks for following my blog and for reading! Happy New Year!!

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November and Buttoning Down The Hatches

It is that time of year when I see how long I can go without turning the furnace on, the outdoor decor for Summer comes into the basement and I pull out the cold weather clothes. I bet all of you are doing similar things. Many people don’t like the early darkness that comes with Fall. I never have minded it for a few reasons. When my kids were little, I didn’t have to worry about them outside and they were snug and warm come 5pm. Also, there is a coziness to it for me. Finally, I think I am a night person who feels more comfortable in my own skin in the dark hours. What about you?

New Product

I read about this product in the Good Housekeeping Ifmagazine and went online and ordered one right away. It is called Wad-free. It is for use with sheets and the like to keep them from getting wadded up in the washer and dryer. The product was on Shark Tank. It works amazingly well. If you would like to order one (or more) this is the address; https://wadfree.com/ . They cost less than $20.

Hacks

*If you’re shopping online and close to the amount of purchase needed to get free shipping you might be tempted to order another item (probably that you don’t really need) to reach the free shipping level. However, if you order a gift card to get to that level you can then use the gift card on your next purchase from that online site and that is really helpful!

*If you have a houseplant that is prone to drying out quickly when you repot it next time put a kitchen sponge in the bottom of the pot under the soil. The sponge will act as a reservoir absorbing and holding water to feed back to the plant.

*If you are a fan of brown rice and feel it takes a little too long to cook, here’s a way to hasten the process. Soak the rice in a covered pot with a ratio of 2 to 1 water to rice and leave it in the fridge overnight. Since the rice absorbs the water, it will take half the time to cook when you’re ready.

Google Street View is wonderful but if the idea of someone seeing your home or vehicle license plate has you a little weirded out there is some thing you can do about it. Pull up your address on Street View, click on the three dots on the toolbar, choose “report a problem”, and then select the option to blur your home, license plate, face, etc. Then drag the red box over the part of the view you want blurred. Submit it and viola’!

Recipes

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

My grand daughter requested these for her birthday treat. I couldn’t find any recipe per say so I just chopped up Oreos and added them to the regular recipe for the traditional treat. You could add candy corn, chocolate of any kind, jelly belly, or any other cookie or candy for a seasonal treat or a special grandchild’s birthday.

Cheesy Tator Tot Meatloaf Casserole (thisisnotdietfood.com)

This is a twist on the traditional dish that I am sure your family would love. Mine does! It definitely isn’t diet food, though.

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory & Brown Sugar barbecue sauce
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 30 Ritz crackers
  • 2 oz Lipton onion soup mix
  • 2 eggs, large
  • 24 oz frozen tater tots
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup real bacon bits
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Dump ketchup and barbecue sauce into a small mixing bowl.
  3. Stir well and set aside.
  4. Dump ground beef into a large mixing bowl.
  5. Place the Ritz crackers in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
  6. Pour the Ritz cracker crumbs into the bowl with the ground beef.
  7. Add the onion soup mix, eggs and 1/2 cup of the ketchup and barbecue sauce mixture to bowl with the ground beef.
  8. Use your hands to combine all of the ingredients well.
  9. Press the meat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
  10. Spread the remaining ketchup and barbecue sauce mixture on top of the meat.
  11. Place the frozen tater tots in a single layer on top of the sauce.

Mexican Street Corn Chicken (easyfamilyrecipes.com)

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (4-6 thin chicken breasts)
  • ▢3 cups sweet corn (2 cans, drained)
  • ▢1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • ▢1/4 cup sour cream
  • ▢1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • ▢1½ tsp chili powder
  • ▢1/2 tsp salt
  • ▢1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • ▢1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Topping

  • ▢1/4 cup queso fresco crumbled
  • ▢1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  • In a large bowl, combine the sweet corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chili powder and mix to combine.
  • In a casserole dish, lay the thin chicken breasts flat in the dish. Then season with salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Spread the corn mixture evenly over the top of the chicken.
  • Bake at 350˚F, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.) Then remove from the oven and garnish the top with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro.

*If you are one of the people that cilantro tastes like soap, just leave it off.

Crafts

Again, I have been quite productive in this department. I will share some of my projects with you.

Berry Basket Pumpkin

I just took two berry baskets and painted them orange. I turned one upside down and glued it to the other. Then I took a piece of cord for the stem and also glued that down. I added a silk leaf and burlap bow. I have gotten several compliments on it.

Slinky Pumpkin

I bought some slinkies from Dollar Tree. I glued the ends together and stuck a stem and leaf in the middle. That’s all there is to it and they are cute!

I bought a skeleton book folding pattern from Etsy for $4.99 and created a skull from an old hardcover book. I covered the book with black paper to go with the theme. Book folding is really fun and easy.

Decorative (and still useful) Clipboard

I used a plain clipboard from Dollar Tree and covered it with scrapbooking paper using Mod Podge. I lightly sanded the edges to take and extra bits off and then tied various ribbons on the clip part that went with the colors of the paper. It is a nice little extra gift and is useful as well as pretty.

Sorry about the phone charging cord in the photo.

Candy Corn Hats

I used a free pattern I found on Pinterest for this so if you’re interested in doing one you can easily find it there. I also made some hats with this pattern for my grandsons at their jobs to use this winter. Where they work the colors of black, red and blue were appropriate and I changed the ratio of each color. You can take this basic patter and do any color you want.

Pink Ribbon Wreath

To commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month I made this wreath using a ribbon wreath form and pink balloons from Dollar Tree. I also added some ribbon strips here and there and used floral wire for a hanger. The ribbons and balloons were tied on the wreath form. I only tied on 3 rungs of the form and left the fourth one which doesn’t show, empty.

Scarecrow Wreath

I used a witch’s hat form from Dollar Tree for this. I wrapped the top in wide burlap which I secured with hot glue. To the top I cut a bunch of grass off of a child’s skirt, tied it together and hot glued it on. The brim of the witch’s hat has ribbon and cord tied to it. I took a Dollar Tree pumpkin cut out and painted the face. Once that was dry I tied and glued it to the underside of the brim. To add a little extra pizzazz I glued a wooden turkey I had kicking around and a couple of leaves to the hat. I attached floral wire to the back for the hanger.

I hope you are having a wonderful Fall and that something interested you in this post. Leave a comment. Ask a question. I love to hear from you! Thanks for reading.3

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