Tag: wreaths

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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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