Wall Dolls

The fun never stops with my new Cricut. This is my latest project - wall dolls! This doll is 10 inches tall and I mixed and matched a few things to make a Tinkerbell for little Mags. I also cut out these letters and embellished them with brads, ribbon, fibers, flowers, faux pearls and gems. I put it up with sticky tack. I told her that I had a surprise for her and she smiled and kicked her feet with excitement all the way up the stairs. I covered her eyes and then let her see the surprise. It was so cute, her jaw literally dropped and she spent the next 5 minutes staring at it and trying to tear it down from the wall. Good thing mom is smart enough to put it out of reach. I'm selling wall dolls on etsy so tell your friends!

Sale at Etsy

Fo a limited time (until January 1) everything in my Etsy store is 50% off. Tell your friends! :)

Two Obsessions

My obsessions have joined forces! Cricut and Twilight! Though he is no Edward, I still think this little guy is pretty cute.

I love you Cricut

Here is the "Holiday Edition" of what my paper doll cartridge for the Cricut can do. This is just a tiny sampling. It can also do the 3 wise men and all the barn animals, Santa's Reindeer, Mrs. Clause and much much more. There are probably over 30 other themes that the paper dool cartridge can do from mermaid, to vampire, to genie, to princess, to pioneer, to pilgirm, etc. There are a million things. I just wish I could do them all at once!! There aren't enough hours in the day for all the things I want to do with this glorious machine! I love you John! Thanks for my present!!!

5 Little Monkies

As you can see from my Etsy site I have gone craft crazy, but I save the best stuff for little Mags. Don't tell her but this Christmas she is going to get these little monkies in her stocking. Since she forgets easily right now we did play with them a little bit right after I made them. I couldn't help myself. She loved singing the song with them and soon we will have to read all of the books to her with them as well.

Recipe Request

Taylor wants to make fudge. So I need simple, yet delicious recipes. Thanks!

Guacamole

When I was 4 I got a cookbook and many cooking items. This was the begining of my love of food. The first thing I ever made from this book was guacamole. It has become my signature dish in my family and I have changed it over the years. Measurements are not precice and they aren't meant to be. Use your tastebuds as you put ingredients together and make it according to what you think tastes the best. It's very simple. That's what makes it taste so good.

2 avocados, mashed

1-2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1 Tb. olive oil

2-3 Tb. lemon juice

salt to taste

Mango Salsa

1 mango, diced
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
2-3 Tb. olive oil
1-2 Tb. White vinegar
1-2 Tb. lemon juice
a few dashes of salt
a few dashes of chile powder

1. Mix is bowl. Best if served the same day.

Great with mexican food. I also make a bacon wrapped chicken with BBQ sauce that I eat with rice. It tastes great with this salsa over top.

Rainbow Thank You

Here's a little card I made for Patti a long time ago. It's a two piece card tied together with different ribbons. The top is a white piece of paper glued onto a black piece of paper. The back is black and I used a white paint pen for writing on the inside. Flowers were created with different punches and coordinating scraps of paper. The thanks was stamped and embossed with my new favorite ink. It's a gold ink that really sparkles. I love it!!

Thai Beef Salad

This dish was invented by me last week and after eating it again tonight for dinner we can call it a success.
1/4 head of cabbage shredded
1/4 c. shredded carrots
1 green onion sliced
1/4 c. cilantro, large chop
approx. 1/2 pound steak, sliced thin
1/4 c. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1/4 c. water
approx. 1 Tbs. soy sauce
salt and pepper
La Choy Rice Noodles

1. Place cabbage, carrots, green onion and cilantro in a bowl.
2. In separate bowl mix Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and water. Pour over salad mixture. Let sit.
3. Slice beef and lightly salt and pepper it. Place it in a hot pan until completely cooked. Remove from heat and add soy sauce.
4. Place warm beef over salad. Garnish with La Choy Rice Noodles.

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar

This is a cookie sheet advent calendar I made today. It was an old gross cookie sheet that was ready for the trash but of course I cannot throw anything away so I recycled it! The Merry Christmas and the numbers were cut out using the Cricut Expression that my friend Mikelle is so lucky to have. It was like magic using this machine and I must have one. Everything else was just stuff I had around the house. The red border is magnetic and travels to which day it is of the month. The last two spots are also magnets that I made from magazines, one is Santa and the other is Christ. If you click on the picture you can see the paper and other things in more detail. I barely finished it 5 minutes ago so you can still see that some of the Mod Podge hadn't dried yet. The creative options are endless with a craft like this. Love it!

Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Chris makes this easy recipe and it turns out every time with great taste.

Pie Filling
Use Jell-O Banana Cream Cook & Serve pudding. Follow the directions on the back. We usually cook it in the microwave, but be careful that it doesn't boil over.

Graham Cracker Crust
This is the recipe on the back of the HoneyMaid Graham Crumbs box.
Combine 1 and 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 melted margerine or butter. Press on bottom of a 9-inch pan or 9-inch pie plate.

Cover the crust with sliced bananas. Pour the pie filling on top. Place in refrigerator to set. Top with real whipped cream and more sliced bananas.

Dream Whip Banana Cream Pie

2 envelopes Dream Whip
2 3/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 packages Jell-O instant banana pudding
1-2 bananas
1-2 graham cracker crust pie shells (depending on size)

1. Whip Dream whip with 1 cup of milk and vanilla until fluffy
2. Add remaining milk and pudding packets, continue to whip
3. Place sliced bananas in pie shell and spoon pudding mixture on top
4. Chill for 4 hours

This is the recipe that comes on the Dream Whip box. I have found it to taste the best. More or less dream whip can be used to change the sweetness.

Recipe Request

Banana Cream Pie -- any recipe would be appreciated.

Patchwork Puppy Dog

This is my take on a vintage patchwork puppy dog that one of my relatives made back in the day. The top picture was created tonight out of different patterned fabrics. The ears are made from corduroy and flannel. Some of the fabrics are vintage but most are not. The bottom picture was my inspiration. It has had many more years of love and washes which I think make it so great. It is very soft and very cute. I think after some love and a few years my patchwork puppy dog will look just as special.

Tips for a Juicy Turkey

The most important tip I can give on cooking a nice juicy turkey (or chicken) would not only to cook it slowly in a lower temperature but to not carve your turkey right away. When you pull your turkey out of the oven keep it in the pan for about 20-30 additional minutes. What this will do is allow all of the juices that escaped a chance to work their way back in. A dry turkey is one that has been carved too soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chipboard Craft Kits

My brother, Collin, just bought a new house and needed some decorations. His house is black and white on the inside and I think he wanted to run with that theme. I found at the Dollar Tree these really great chipboard craft kits. For $1 I got the four main bases, an alphabet of chipboard letters, and over two dozen other things such as borders, frames, tags, etc. There were different styles and themes to the kits and I have plenty left over for other crafts or cards. To compare, if you were to buy the letters alone at Hobby Lobby (where I checked) it would have cost you $6. Always check the dollar store first!

A New Discovery

I have recently discovered a new website which you all should be aware of.

http://www.etsy.com/

It's like an e-bay but for crafts! You can get lots of ideas from the items on here, you can buy things or you can sell things. What a great idea!

Activity Books Cases

My dad loves Sudoku and doesn't ever leave home without a Sudoku book. So this year for his birthday I decided to adapt one of the activity books I made for Maggie into a case for my dad. It holds one book, mechanical pencils and an eraser pen.

Supplies:

2 pieces of felt

1 inch long piece of Velcro

piece of pleather or other study material

Basic How to:

Lay out a piece of felt and then place the second piece of felt on top. Cut second piece to the desired size you want your pockets. Sew lines on pockets to desired sizes to fit your materials (pencils, etc.) Then sew the felt onto your pleather (with the latch in between). Trim. The options are endless with what you can put in these or how you can make them just use your own creativity!

Pimp my Sit and Spin

I think one of my greatest talents would have to be my ability to turn trash into treasures. I got this sit and spin for $4 at Kids Market. I loved the one I had as a kid and plus I need to prep Maggie for the teacups at Disney World so she doesn't puke like her Daddy. Well, the paper on this one was in pretty bad shape not to mention that it is straight from the 80's. Maybe it is the one I had as a kid... well, to make a long story short, the plastic was in nice shape so I bought it, added paper and paper polka dots and then Modge Podged it to seal it up. Much cuter and Maggie loves it!

Award Winning Cranberry Apple Pie

True story - I won 1st place at a baking competition for this little concoction. I came up with it 45 minutes before the competition. It must have been an inspired recipe.


1 can apple pie filling
1 can cranberry suace (whole berries)
1 deep pie shell

1. Mix pie filling and cranberry sauce.
2. Pour into shell
3. Bake in oven at say, 375 until crust is golden brown, maybe 30 minutes.

Halloween Cards

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

The Basics: Stamped cardstock with clear embossing ink and used clear powder. Large tag was stamped with white stars. Added orange dot paper using ziz zag on sewing machine and ghost paper using a squiggle stitch. Glued on ribbon to resemble a bat. Added smaller tag using punches and clear embossing ink and distress black powder. Same technique with the BOO. Added accents of orange dot paper and crinkled black paper. Inside used same stamping technique as outside with paper accents. Glued entire card to a black piece of textured cardstock.

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

The basics: I used a sewing machine and white thread to create the BOO spider web. Added a spider created with clear embossing ink and black distress powder. Accented with orange dot paper, gross granied ribbon of alternating lengths and inked edges. Inside has ripped ghoost paper and orange brads.

Bread

I love bread making. Breads are easily my favorite thing to make. I have stopped buying bread since I left work and make only homemade bread now that I am home long enough to do it!

Here's yesterday's batch. I should probably add that it was made with Canadian flour! :)
Homemade Bread

Soften 1 T. yeast in 1/4 c. warm water

In a mixer combine 2 1/2 c. hot water, 1/4 c. oil, 1 T. salt and a little less than 1/2 c. sugar. Mix until dissolved and blended. Add 4 cups of flour, mix until blended well. Add yeast, and mix thoroughly. Add about 3 c. more flour. Let raise until doubled (at least an hour) twice, if needed. Form into loaves (2) and let raise at least one more hour. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes on the rack second to bottom.

Canadian Thanksgiving Pierogis

In lieu of a turkey this year, Tom opted for the much cheaper pierogis.

Card Making

I haven't made any cards for awhile, but here are some of my better ones I made at Card Camp.



These ones I did create on my own at home.

Halloween Crafts

Last week Maggie and I decided that it was time to decorate for Halloween! The only problem was that we didn't have very many decorations. Solution? Make your own! Also the dollar store has some great buys!

Placemats - Old black fabric that I stamped with paint and a 10 cent foam stamp I bought 2 years ago at an after Halloween sale and paint I got from a yard sale for $1 for a box of 20 different colors. I then sewed it into placemats.

Candles - Candlesticks I got from a relief society activity a while ago. I just melted 2 black crayons and dripped the wax on top.

Bowl of skulls - I got the skulls at the dollar store but needed something to put them in. After looking through the garrage I found a bowl I made in high school ceramics!

Skeleton chandelier - I found a string of skeletons at the dollar store and just hung them up there!

These are little candy jars I made from Maggie's old formula cans, a pair of old work out pants and felt. I used the slick pants to make a little bag which I lined the inside of the can with. I then wrapped the can in felt, hot gluing it on. I then accesorized with more felt, wire, and felt filled with stuffing for the tail and the bolts. I'm going to make a pumpkin, devil, witch and vampire next.

These were all supplies I have been collecting over the years so the total NEW cost of making my Halloween decorations was $3. If you count the old supplies the cost probably goes up to $5. Not bad on the wallet and I sure had a lot of fun making all of it!

Info about the background

I was trying some new things out with the background of the site from some templates I found on another site. I'm still working on figuring out how to do a new template but still keep some of our important features. With the chocolate background the way it was I was not able to post to the blog directly from the blog. I assume you may have had the same troubles so for now I changed it back to the original until I can get that kink worked out. I hope that no one is inconvienienced by my experiments.

Pierogis

When we were in Rexburg Alicia made these one Sunday and we stopped by to try the leftovers. It was my first experience and I've been hooked ever since. This is her recipe. I always serve these with kielbasa sausage sliced and fried a little.

Dough:
3 c. flour
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream (I use light and it works just fine)
1/2 t. salt

Filling:
5 potatoes
1 onion, diced
3 slices of American cheese (I use a little more)
butter

Boil potatoes, drain, add sauteed onions. cheese, and mash. Set aside. Combine dough ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes. Roll out and cut in circles using a cup. Put 1 t. (I do a little more) of filling in each circle. Fold over dough and seal edges. Boil in water for 5 minutes and drain. Saute more onions in butter. Add cooked pierogies and fry a little. Sprinkle with dried parsley. Serve warm with sour cream.

Easy BBQ Recipe

Put equal amounts of soy sauce and olive oil in ziploc bag (we used canola oil). Add seasonings to taste (lemon pepper, garlic salt, etc.). Add pork, chicken or beef. Preheat BBQ on high, then put on low while you cook your meat.

This is delicious. Taylor made it tonight with pork chops and I was in heaven. We cut up the meat and used it to make fajitas.

Recipe Request

I know someone has a recipe for pierogies. I would really like it.

Felt Food

Here is the felt food I have made for my baby. She loves it! Included in these photos are the following: bacon, eggs, watermelon, cantelope, avocado, mango, yellow squash, carrots, strawberries, potato, hotdog with bun and my personal favorite a hamburger (sesame seed bun, mustard, ketchup, patty, cheese, tomato, onion, pickles and lettuce).

I just freehanded everything by just cutting out the felt in what I thought the shapes of the food should be. If you have any specific questions about how I did anything please feel free to ask and I will be happy to explain.

Supplies used: felt, stuffing, sewing machine, glue gun.

Coconut Curry Chicken with Basmati Rice and Warm Spinach Salad

Coconut Curry Chicken

1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes, drained
2 chicken breasts, sliced
2 Tb. curry
1/2 c. coconut milk

1. Saute onion & garlic until golden brown.
2. Add curry, chicken and tomates and cook for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add milk and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve over rice

Warm Spinach Salad

1-2 Tb. olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, large chop
1 busshel, half a bag or 5-6 cups fresh spinach
1-2 Tb. lemon juice
salt & pepper

1. Saute garlic in olive oil until golden brown.
2. Turn down heat and add spinach and lemon juice and salt and pepper.
3. Contantly toss the spinach so that it becomes soft and warm but not brown and wilted (about 2-4 minutes).

Tip for cleaning your shower curtain

Gross shower curtain liner? No problem! Instead of throwing it away and buying a new one just throw it in the washing machine with a little bit of detergent and bleach. It will be good as new!

How to get garlic and onion smell off your hands

I love to cook with garlic and onions but I hate the way they make my hands smell afterward - sometimes for what seems like days!

To get the smell off your hands is simple. As you wash your hands or do the dishes after dinner just rub your hands a few times against the steel sides of your sink. It magically removes the smell.

I'm sure there is a scientific explanation for it but let's just call it magic.

A Couple of Recipes...

I'm excited to be a contributor on this blog! It makes me feel a little special...though I still have a lot to learn in the cooking arena. I'm excited to steal your recipes and try them!

This is also good because it will get me to take pictures of food I make. Tom used to take quite a few pictures of food at the beginning of our marriage, but I always made fun of him for doing it, so I don't have any recent ones.

I have made both these recipes in the last week, so I just pulled them off the top of my recipe box. I'll be sure to take pictures for the next post.

French Peasant Bread
1 T. yeast
2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
4 c. flour
oil
cornmeal
melted butter
Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from bowl and place 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise 1 hour. Brush tops with melted butter and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and cook and additional 15 minutes. Brush with butter again and serve warm.

This is SUCH a yummy new bread recipe I found. It is super easy - just takes a lot of time.

Oven Fried Potatoes (one of Tom's favorites)
12 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. pepper
1/3 c. vegetable oil
Place potatoes in a large resealable gallon-size plastic bag. Combine the parmesan and seasonings. Add to potatoes and shake to coat. Pour oil onto 2 15x10x1 inch baking pans; pour potatoes into pans. Bake uncovered at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

For crispier potatoes, I turn the temp up to about 400 - that is how we like them. I usually half this recipe. This recipe goes great with grilling...burgers, steaks, etc. We also like to grill veggies in our grill basket for this meal. I usually just cut up zucchini, squash, broccoli, onions, peppers (whatever I have on hand) and toss them in olive oil and season with spices.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Shortening
1 cup White sugar
1 cup Brown sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 cups Flour
1 pkg. Chocolate Chips

Mix together in order, adding flour last. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.

This is our family's favourite chocolate chip recipe! My hints for cookies are to use good ingredients (sorry - no cheap shortening, chocolate, etc.), and to underbake the cookies. They always taste better.

Roasted Garlic & Tomato Pasta

by Alicia Cutts

1- 1 1/2 c. grape tomatoes
4-5 cloves garlic - large chop
10-15 leaves fresh spinach - sliced
1/4 c. fetta cheese
1/4 c. Italian dressing
1 box bow tie pasta

1. Place tomatoes, garlic and Italian dressing an a small baking pan. Roast at 400 for about 20-25 minutes or until tomatoes start to split and garlic begins to brown.
2. Boil bowtie pasta. Once cooked, drain and place in a large bowl.
3. Mix spinach, fetta cheese and tomato/garlic mixture in with the noodles.