Wow! We just were decorated for St. Patty’s Day and we need to switch to Spring/Easter decor. We only have 13 days! I am a massive decorator. I do it up for Cinco de Mayo and any other holiday that comes down the pike. Do you love to be festive too? Please share in the comments.
I have some recipes and crafts to share with you that are appropriate for this month. Here’s hoping you see something you find interesting.
I am switching the order of my topics a little to spice things up.
Hacks for Your Life
*Are you still pouring your pasta water down the drain? You may want to stop that and save it! If you’re making bread the pasta water has starch and the flavor from the pasta in it and will give the bread a depth of flavor. You can also use pasta water to cook your rice. It will add flavor and a richness to the rice. The pasta water can be used to thin out to thick of a sauce like marinara or as broth in soups. Another use is to let the water cool and water your plants with it.
*Did you know you can use fabric softener sheets for many reasons other than in the dryer? Used dryer sheets make great dustclothes and you can ward off gnats and mosquitos. Just put a fresh dryer sheet in your pocket and leave just a little sticking out. These pests hate the smell! Discourage dust from collecting on your tv just by wiping it down with a used dryer sheet.
*Ever have cloudy glass bottle or the like? You can clear that up with rubbing alcohol. If the opening is large enough to get your hand in you just use a paper towel and the alcohol to wipe that cloudiness away. If the opening is too small you can pore some rubbing alcohol in the bottle and by covering the opening with your hand you’re able to twirl it around in the bottle. Clouds gone!
*If you have ever wanted to reuse a Cool Whip other container for a project but that printing on the container annoying? You can use nail polish remover to get all that off.
*If you would like to get your wooden cutting board really clean and free from smells and food residue just rub it with coarse salt and let it sit for 15 minutes. Ta da!
Recipes
Sweet Potato Muffins (goodinthesimple.com)
Ingredients
- 3 cups of mashed sweet potato, see below for instructions
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup ground flaxseed meal, optional
Instructions
- To prep the sweet potatoes (this can be done a day or so ahead if you want to break up the muffin-making process): Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until the inside is soft when poked with a fork. Remove and let cool. When the potatoes are cool, peel off the skin and mash the sweet potato filling with a fork or masher until any big lumps are gone. Measure out 3 cups worth of filling.
- To make the muffins: In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then add the sweet potato.
- Pour into muffin tins/cups. If using flaxseed, sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake at 325 for approximately 30 minutes.
These are very tasty without being overly sweet. This is also a good way to use leftover sweet potatoes.
Veggie Pot Pie in the Crockpot (lifecurrents.com)
Ingredients
Pot pie filling:
- 1 large onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- 6 medium carrots
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup frozen peas thawed
Dumpling Biscuit Crust:
- again, I’m not sure that this will work in all crock pots. still testing, but included for those that it has worked for in the past
- 1 & ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 & ¼ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 & ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
Make filling:
- Finely chop the onion. Add chopped onions, oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a large slow cooker, cover, and turn on high while you prepare the rest of the veggies.1 large onion,3 tablespoons olive oil,1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt,½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Chop the potatoes into ½-inch dice. Make sure they are all fairly uniform in size so they cook at about the same rate.3 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- Peel and chop carrots into ¼-inch thick slices.6 medium carrots
- Add chopped potatoes, carrots, and broth to the slow cooker. Cover and turn to low. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.3 cups vegetable broth
- After filling has cooked for 6-8 hours, and veggies are tender.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Stir the ½ cup of flour into the butter, and mix the 1 ½ cups milk, dried thyme, garlic powder, and wine into flour. Stir with a whisk until most of the lumps have dissolved. Don’t worry if you have some left, they will disappear into the pot pie.1 tablespoon unsalted butter,½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour,1 ½ cups whole milk,1 teaspoon dried thyme,2 teaspoons garlic powder,¼ cup dry white wine
- Stir the milk-flour mixture into the veggies in the slow cooker, fully mixing it in.
Make biscuit dumpling crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients in the bowl, and mix until a loose sticky batter forms, and all ingredients are combined.1 & ¼ cups all-purpose flour,2 & ¼ teaspoons granulated sugar,2 & ¼ teaspoons baking powder,¾ teaspoons salt,¾ cup buttermilk
- Drop the biscuit crust batter by large spoonfuls onto the top of the pot pie filling in the slow cooker. Leave the lid off and cook for 1 hour on high.
Finish pot pie:
- Stir the thawed peas into the pot pie filling, (remove one of the biscuits from the top if necessary to get at the filling). Taste the filling for salt and pepper.3/4 cup frozen peas thawed
- Serve the pot pie while hot. Garnish with additional fresh thyme if de
This recipe was super scrumptious! So much flavor and the dumpling crust was to die for!
Leftover Mashed Potato Soup (togetherasafamily.com)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
Garnishes for Serving
- sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once melted slowly sprinkle in the flour, while whisking constantly, until it forms a thick paste texture.* This should take less than 30 seconds of constant whisking. You don’t want to burn it. Just mix until it’s combined and turns into a thick paste.* Have the flour measured out and ready to go before starting the recipe. Same thing with the milk, have it measured and ready to pour.
- Add the whole milk and whisk together to combine. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, while whisking frequently, until it has thickened.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring the pot of soup to a simmer (low boil on the edges of the pot).* If needed, turn the heat up to medium to bring the soup with the broth to a simmer (a slight boil). Watch carefully and whisk it frequently to avoid the milk from burning.
- Add the mashed potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine everything together and to melt the cheese.
- Soup is ready to serve when it’s thicker and the cheese has fully melted into the soup. Serve with chopped bacon, additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions.
Green Velvet Brownies (plainchicken.com)
Brownies
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (1-oz) bottle green liquid food coloring
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
- Microwave chocolate chips and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.
- Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour, green food coloring, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
- For the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.
- Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.
I made these as dessert for our traditional cornbeef and cabbage dinner for St. Patty’s Day. They were a big hit. I would say that they are chocolatey but not as much as tradition brownie. I actually liked that fact.
Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls (budgetbytes.com)
Ingredients
- 6 cups prepared mashed potatoes $2.17
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels* $1.49
- 1 15oz. can can black beans $0.79
- 1/2 tsp chili powder** $0.10
- 4 oz. cheddar, shredded $1.00
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce $0.68
- 2 green onions, sliced $0.22
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional) $0.33
Instructions
- Allow the corn kernels to thaw, or heat them through if you plan to eat the bowls immediately. Rinse and drain the black beans, then add them to a bowl along with the chili powder and stir until the beans are coated.
- To build the bowls, place about 1.5 cups mashed potatoes in each bowl, then top with about 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1/3 cup black beans, about 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce, and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and jalapeño.
- Serve the bowls immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. To reheat, simply microwave until the mashed potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.
I made this recipe but switched it all up due to having a mixed group of people (vegetarian and none vegetarian). I used a white biscuit gravy in place of the BBQ sauce. For toppings we used the green onions, shredded cheddar, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives. Each person created their own bowls and topped what they wanted.
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup (realhousemoms.com)
Ingredients
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 head cauliflower green part discarded & cut into chunks
- 1 cup leeks diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish
- Cooked and crumbed bacon
- Green onion or chives chopped
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, cauliflower, leeks, garlic, and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Add everything from the slow cooker into a blender, cover, and pulse until smooth. (or use an immersion blender right in the crock pot.) Add the blended soup base back to the slow cooker.
- Add in shredded cheese and heavy cream. Stir until the cheese is melted into the soup. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. (I usually add about a 1/4 teaspoon and a pinch of pepper.)
- Portion soup into bowls and serve topped with bacon, cheese, and chives, if desired.
I love using my crockpot for soups! It is so easy and it makes the house smell wonderful! I used some corn broth that I had made and frozen instead of the chicken broth. I gave some to people and they are loved it. It was very savory and delish!
Crafts
Leprachaun Hat
I belong to a Home Bureau and we get together to do a project once a month. We also, socialize and share a meal. It is a great time. For our February meeting w made this little cutie.
We used a 6 inch clay pot and corresponding tray. First we painted the pot and tray green and allowed it to dry. The black stripe at the bottom of the pot was painted and added after that. We had tried to use felt or ribbon for the stripe but with the way the pot narrows at the bottom it was too hard to make it lay flat. The shamrock was a scrapbook sticker and the buckle on the hat was thin gold ribbon that I cut and hot glued in place. I stuffed a little more than half the pot with tissue paper and then used coins from the Dollar Tree to top it off.
Stackable Bunny
The Dollar Tree was selling these stackable eggs in their Five Dollar section. (I think they’re going to have to change the store’s name.) They also sold them in all white. I stacked them and then used this fluffy wired yarn stuff I had on hand to wrap around the bottom of each egg. Then I used a Dollar Tree bunny ears headband and hot glued just the center portion to the top. Lastly, I added a bunny tail (one guess where I bought it) and put the bunny on a silver charger.
Spring Wreath
I used a wooden beaded wreath, flowers and ribbon from the Dollar Tree to make this wreath. I hot glue the bow and the flowers in place and made a hanger out of ribbon. I am not sure I will leave the hanger on because it seems to draw out the beaded circle and it looks more like an oval.
Paper Straw Egg
This, along with a bunny shape, was our project for Home Bureau this month. We used a wooden cutout from Dollar Tree from which we removed the jute hanger. We hot glued the straws onto the cutout. Some of us measured and cut before we glued them down and some just glued the straws on and using an exacto knife cut the excess off after glueing. I added a bow and a little bunny cutout that was painted to match the bowl. Of course the little bunny had to have a tail too! The piece is displayed on a plate stand. I haven’t quite finished my bunny but will share it next month.
See you next month and have a wonderful beginning to your Spring! I love to get comments so leave one.
