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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

DIY Summer Wreath

DIY wreath

Well hello! Today I'm showing off my DIY wreath that I "made" in about 3 minutes. I had a double wreath hanging on my front door, but I'm over that one.

DIY Wreat, Summer Wreath

SO, here's my new summer wreath, which, cost me all of $3.99.


DIY wreath

Yesssss! I love grapevine wreaths, because they look nice all on their own. With the addition of some (fake) flowers and a little ribbon, you have a great new wreath.

A couple of days ago it was a hot as blazes kinda day, but raining. The kids were out, Big A was working and there was nothing to do, so I had to find something to amuse me! (This is when I get into trouble - more on this later). Lucky for my husband, I stayed away from the mall, and headed straight to AC Moore and the dollar store!

AC Moore had 18" grape vine wreaths on sale for $2.99, so I snapped one up, and headed to the dollar store, where I bought a garland of sunflower blooms for, well, a dollar!  A little hot glue and a ribbon, and voila.

Then, because it was still raining, and I was still bored, I inevitably managed to get into said trouble.

(This is a cautionary tale...)

I have fairly long (to my mid-back) blond hair. I dry it, curl it, and straighten it. It's not in the best condition, but that's what conditioner is for, right?

Because I was still bored after making my wreath, I decided to straighten my hair, and realized I had, well, ahem, uh... dark roots. Furthermore, I had no time or money to go get my hair done before we leave for our camping trip. So, I grabbed a box of, uh, well, ahem, uh...  blond hair dye.

"How bad can it be?" I asked myself.

"Not bad at all" I reassured myself.

So, as per the directions in the box, I slathered the hair color on the roots ONLY. And waited the 25 minutes. So far so good. Easy. But boring.

Next, I put the rest of the color all over my hair, and the box said "wait 5 minutes". That's what you are supposed to do.

Here's what you are NOT supposed to do:

You are not supposed to squish the dye all over your head, and then decide to call your sister. You do not do that because you know 5 minutes is not long enough. You know that because you and your sister can easily talk for hours.

After I finally hung up (only because my iphone dropped the call), I realize the timer went off 10 minutes ago. So I quickly rinsed my hair.

I didn't realize there was a problem until I tried to dry my hair - and couldn't run a brush through it. I thought, "this could be a problem".

And I was right. I jumped in the car and drove as fast as was reasonably safe to the nearest, open, hairdresser. My hair was fried. Fried like this:


Source (This chick might like her hair like this, but I. Do. Not.)

I found a salon that met my strict qualifications of:

1. They had to be OPEN, and
2. there is no #2

Fast forward, my long hair is now short, and I am much wiser from the lecture, given to me by a 19 year old, on the dangers of dying my own hair while talking on the phone.

I'm not sure how this ties in with my new DIY Wreath. I guess it doesn't. Except that, not only does my front door have a new look, so do I.


LINK PARTIES for each day of the week. I can't say I make it to every one of these, but I'd like to!

If you have a link party I haven't listed, please email me or comment below!


SUNDAY

 

Sunny Simple Sundays Party at Sunny Simple Life
Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime
Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things
Restyled Sundays at Stylish Once Again
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop at A Blossoming Life

 
 
MONDAY

Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick (first Monday of the month)
 
TUESDAY
Savvy Southern Style
 
WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY
 
FRIDAY
 
 
SATURDAY
 
at 2 comments:

Thursday, July 25, 2013

English Butter Tarts



Currant Tarts, English Butter Tarts, Dessert, Tarts
 

Currant Tarts (Or English Butter Tarts)

 
English Butter Tarts, or Currant Tarts as my family calls them, apparently originate from Canada. This confuses me, because my Great Grandmother used to make these and said she got the recipe from an English woman, and that they were English Butter Tarts. It doesn't matter though, because, first of all, I'm easily confused, and second of all, WHO CARES? These are awesome no matter who thought of them first!
 
I beg you to make them!!!
 
(A note - you can certainly used store-bought pie crust - I do! Also, you can even use store bought puff pastry - again, I do, although the pie crust is better.)

For the Filling

  • 1/2 cup real butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar                                                   
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup dried currants                                                   

For the Pastry

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup lard
  • 3 -4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

  1. To Make the Filling:
  2. Wash the currants and drain them.
  3. Stir the sugar and butter together well. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the currants.
  4. To Make the Pastry:
  5. Mix the flour and salt together.
  6. Cut the lard into the flour and salt until the consistency is like crumbs. Gradually add enough of the water to make the dough hold together, and form it into a ball. 
  7. Roll out the dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter and fit into muffin tins (regular size, not mini).
  8. To Assemble & Bake:
  9. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees 
  10. Put a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the filling into each unbaked tart shell.  
  11. Bake @ 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and golden and crust is done. (Don't over bake - the filling should not be too brown or crispy. I usually pull them at 15 minutes).
 
 
Smorgasbord Special Butter Tarts
 
(source)

at 1 comment:

Monday, July 22, 2013

Culinary Bucket List

Okay, so tell me, how on earth is July almost over? We've had a whirlwind of weddings, graduations and birthdays, so I suppose that's why the summer is slipping by. Lucky for us, we still have a 10 day camping trip, and then another few weeks before school starts. But there's so much to do! And I plan on enjoying every last bit of our summer with the kids, Big A and our families.

Who am I kidding? At risk of being labeled a piggy food obsessed, I'm going to be honest - one of my main concerns is that there are about a million recipes I wanted to try this summer, but haven't been able to so far! Yes, I would like a little wine to go with my whine.

There's nothing for it, but for me to get working!

So, with sheer determination, I vow to make the following ten recipes before the kids go back to school. (With my appetite, this shouldn't be too taxing.)

My Summer 2013 Culinary Bucket List:

1. Pinned from Modern Day Moms this "recipe" is something I'm dying to make. (Yes, I admit it, I'm dying to wrap a processed, cheese-stuffed hot dog, in bacon, and grill it.)

 Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog
(Confession: I'll probably use mayonnaise instead of mustard!)

2. I can't resist making this no-bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie from The Kitchen Is My Playground. (I'll do just about anything to prove to my kids that I can bake, and I think I might achieve that goal with this recipe! Who cares if it's "technically" not baking? They won't know.)



3. I'm all over burgers, but sometimes I feel like changing things up a bit. These Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Burgers look amazing. Check out the recipe at What's Gaby Cooking!




4. The Crafty Lumberjacks came up with this Kale and Blue Cheese Stuffed Flank Steak!  I'm sooo IN! This would be awesome on the grill, even though the directions are for baking. I'm going to serve this some night with a big salad, and #5!



5. SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl shared this recipe for Grilled Corn with Chipotle Butter - wouldn't that be perfect with the Flank Steak?

 
 
6.  Artsy Foodie has a recipe that is definitely on my list for light dinner on a hot night! I'm thinking about making this while we're camping. Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken! I like the idea of serving this with a tomato and cucumber salad, and some fresh green beans, but I'm pretty sure Big A will require something a little more substantial - so probably a Yellow Rice dish as well.
 
Cilantro Thai Chicken
 
7.  Big A and I love seafood. Scallops are a favorite, and these sound great: Scallops With A Parmesan Crust For the BBQ, from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. I've never tried to BBQ anything with a cheese coating on it, because I always assumed it would burn off. However, these look so good I have to TRY! I would definitely serve the scallops with a salad and some sort of basil dressing.
 
 
8. These Key Lime Cheesecakes are so cute! I have to! Check out the recipe at Cupcake Canyon!
 
 
 

9. Avocado. (I like it. I love it. I want some more of it... That song is totally stuck in my head.)

I have to try Crispy Avocado Fries, and soon. They look so good - crispy outside, creamy inside. Go to Rachel Schultz for the recipe! I'm not sure if I'm going to serve these as a side with grilled shrimp, or as an appetizer with a creamy dipping sauce? Maybe both.

Baked Avocado Fries from Rachel Schultz


10. Lobster. Admittedly, this is not something I need to try... I try these all the time. But I haven't had them yet this summer, and it's high time! Lobster reminds me of summers in Maine with my family, and romantic dinners with my honey.

Boil lots of salty water. Add your 2lb lobsters - 1 per person - to the water, head first. (Be brave! They don't scream, I swear. Well, they complain a little, but just ignore them... I'm JOKING!) Bring back to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove with tongs, and let cool before you crack and eat them. *Serve with LOTS of melted butter, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Go directly to heaven!

How to Boil and Eat Lobster (photo)
(photo source)

Well, that's my list. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited that I have a culinary bucket list! I can't wait to try everything!

If you try any of these recipes, please pin from the original source, but let me know what you thought. I would love to compare notes! And please also tell me, what have you got left to eat do this summer?

C'mon and join the party!

SUNDAY

 

Sunny Simple Sundays Party at Sunny Simple Life
Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime
Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things
Restyled Sundays at Stylish Once Again
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop at A Blossoming Life

 
 
MONDAY

Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick (first Monday of the month)
 
TUESDAY
Savvy Southern Style
 
WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY
 
FRIDAY
 
 
SATURDAY
 
at 10 comments:

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Living in the Moment



DIY Wall Art
 
My kids are going to KILL ME! Because, yup, I have Pitbull lyrics hanging in our kitchen. Not only do my teenagers think I am old and decrepit, they think Pitbull is old, AND creepy. In fact, that's kind of the reason I chose Pitbull lyrics. I like to antagonize my teenagers. It's fun.
 
That's living in the moment.
 
I had a canvas, I had some burlap, and I had some Thickers. It came out kinda cute, but now it needs something. I think it would look A LOT better with a frame of sorts.
 
This is where I need your help. What should I do?
 
Here are some ideas I found around the webby world.
 
love to knw how 2 du this by 2mi
 
Might be fun to make a cluster of paper flowers made from music sheets, and either frame around the burlap, or maybe cluster some paper flowers in a corner or two.  Source
 
 
Or it might look good with wood shims, framing the lyrics...source
 
 
I like the idea of making a twig frame too. Source
 
 
The overlapped ribbon looks great, like above. Using some sort of natural looking material. Source
 
finished 1
 
I saw this tutorial on making a burlap mat. It's essentially burlap glued to cardboard. I was thinking maybe I could used a different shade of burlap and maybe stencil the boarder with a pattern. Source
 
 
 
Or just wrap it, for an interesting look. Source
 
So, what do YOU think? Leave me a comment and let me know.
 
Until I make a decision, Pitbull is hangin' all Nekkid in the kitchen. Creeping out the kids.
 
 
 
Come party in the meantime!  


SUNDAY

 

Sunny Simple Sundays Party at Sunny Simple Life
Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime
Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things
Restyled Sundays at Stylish Once Again
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop at A Blossoming Life

 
 
MONDAY

Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick (first Monday of the month)
 
TUESDAY
Savvy Southern Style
 
WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY
 
FRIDAY
 
 
SATURDAY
 
 
at 14 comments: