Archive for the ‘Crafts & Celebrations’ Category

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Gift Giving: Sweet Little Ribbon Rings

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010


We finished our last day of school on Friday.  That week was extremely busy and I found myself scrambling on Thursday to pull together teacher gifts to give to our teachers. In year’s past, I just bought each teacher a bouquet of flowers. This year, I wanted to try making the fabric rings that were featured in our notebook on Make It Do instead and thought it would be a great craft to do with my kids.

I don’t sew and didn’t have any fabric laying around so I opted to follow the directions for this project, but replace the fabric with ribbon instead. The ring forms were found in the jewelry-making supplies at Michael’s ($2.99 for six ring bases) and I was ready to go.

You really could do just about any width of ribbon between 5/8″ and eve up to 1 1/2″ depending on how big you would like your ring or what you already have in your craft supplies. I will say that the lighter colored ribbon was easier to work with because the darker ribbon showed any little blob of glue that got stuck to it.

I couldn’t wait to make a few for myself and, of course, my glue gun conked out on me and I will have to buy another one. Luckily, it had enough steam in it to make the gifts and I am so proud of how they turned out!

We paired these rings with big bags of  Honey Nut Granola, tied with some yellow ribbon. I made a double batch and then baked it in the oven while I worked on the ribbon rings. I also tried to write a heartfelt note to each teacher to tell them what they have meant to our family. I have a feeling that these mean a lot more than any gift card or gift I could create for them- at least I hope they do!

Do you do teacher gifts? What did you make this year or what have you done in past years? I would love to hear your ideas!

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Posted in Kids Crafts | 14 Comments »

Gift Giving: Putting Your Own Spin on Photo Journals

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

I could not wait to show you guys what I made for my moms for Mother’s Day this year.  Unfortunately, to keep it a secret, I had to wait until the holiday was over to show them to you. That being said, these photo books would be perfect for just about any occasion, including the fast approaching Father’s Day holiday!

I know that many people are fans of the photo albums that you can create online, but I had never done one before. I adore taking pictures of my family, but I am not very good about printing them out and sharing them the way I should. I thought it might be neat to share with our moms this year a brag book that that they could enjoy for years to come. I admit that I prefer to make handmade gifts for these occasions (I doubt either mom will ever forget our infamous ping pong wreaths last year), but I knew that there could be a way that I could put a unique spin on these photo albums and add my own homemade touch.

I first weeded through all of the pictures and tried to get a good representation of both of the children as well as pictures of them with the other family members. After selecting my pictures and template (through the photo site I used), I then went to Quote Garden and tried to find a quote for each page of the photo album that would fit the pictures that I had selected. All in all, the process took four hours because of my own admitted perfectionism. I chose a soft-back cover (to save money) and I also visited Coupon Cabin to find a coupon code that I could use towards my purchase. These each cost roughly $16…and it was worth every penny.

These were a few of my favorite photos and quotes that were chosen:

“Everything is beautiful at the ballet” A Chorus Line

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” Katherine Hepburn

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of  a child. There are seven million.” Walt Streightiff

“I have the same goal I’ve had since I was a girl. I want to rule the world.” Madonna

“Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.” Vietnamese Proverb

“There’s no place like home.” Wizard of Oz

“The Force is strong with this one.” Darth Vadar

“A boy’s story is the best that is ever told.” Charles Dickens

“Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.” Author Unknown

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Confucius

“And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen.” Terri Guillemets

I can honestly say that my copy of this book has already become lovingly worn as I have placed it on my coffee table and glance through it almost daily. Each time, I walk a way a little misty-eyed, a little more thankful, and really proud of my amazing kids.

As the gifts were given, there were a few tears and a whole lot of pride radiating from our proud grandma and nana. It is the perfect gift for purse-toting and brag sessions. From what I hear, they have already made the rounds in their workplaces and churches. To me, that is when you know that a gift is a total success..when it just must be shared!

Just a few quick tips:

– Don’t forget to check for coupon codes through whatever photo book publishing site you use. There are usually multiple coupons available. Be sure to compare which coupon will offer you the most bang for your buck. My 20% off coupon, for example, was less than the shipping cost so make sure you crunch those numbers before ordering. Just Google, “Photo company’s coupon code”  and you should get plenty of codes to use towards your purchase.

– I found it easiest to sort my pictures by date first so I could group pictures together on pages easier. Sorting by date also helps to allow the flow into the different seasons of the year and pictures to flow a little more naturally.

– Choose a template with a neutral palette, that will compliment and not detract away from the beauty of your photos.

– Edit your photos before putting them into your book. I use Picnik for my photo editing needs and I absolutely love it. You don’t need to get carried away with the editing (unless you just love to), but it can be a great tool for saturating the color, adjusting color temperature, switching to black-and-white, or adjusting the exposure or contrast in a photo.

Looking for some added Father’s Day inspiration? These crafty bottles brimming over with treats were a hit with my hubby last year.  Our dads also really loved our movie gifts and handmade photo compact disc jackets filled with great music in years past.

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Ironically, I had some great timing on this post because today is the last day to enter for a $50 Snapfish gift card for Father’s Day. Please head over there and get your entry in today! And yes, I actually had to pay for all of those photo books so I am extremely jealous you can get one for free!! Entries are due by 8PM eastern time tonight! Good luck, friends

What did you do for Mother’s Day gifts this year? What is up your sleeve for Father’s Day? Please share!

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Posted in Gifts | 13 Comments »

Reminder: Glad to Give Bake Sale on Friday

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Friday is our big bake sale day and I have been hard at work in my kitchen to share a fun, healthy, and easy recipe that could be shared at your next bake sale. Bake sale goodies are a specialty in our kitchen and for a moment’s worth of effort; you can produce dozens of goodies and treats for fundraising efforts.

This is a very special bake sale though because we are raising funds for the Glad to Give organization to help pediatric cancer research. Every single day, 36 children are diagnosed with cancer.  Sadly, one in every five children diagnosed dies. How heartbreaking for the parents of these children and for the children that are suffering, especially if more money could just be allocated to the cause to further cancer research. That is where our virtual bake sale comes in.

I am hosting a little bake sale tour and I am excited to show you what one winner (drawn randomly) will receive for participating. This goodie basket contains an apron with matching pot holders, silicone reusable bake cups, measuring spoons, a wire whisk, cupcake sprinkles, a new egg timer and, “The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook.”

I hope that you will consider participating and sharing a favorite baking recipe in honor of this campaign. It would mean the world to me, but it would mean a world more to the families of these children! Start gathering those recipes and think of the ways that you could help with my virtual bake sale. I can’t do it without you!

Meet back here on Friday morning to join in the fun and help raise awareness about the Glad to Give Campaign.

Disclaimer: I was paid for this campaign and invested every dollar back into it to spread the word about pediatric cancer. It is far better to give than to receive. I hope you will consider doing the same!

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Posted in Family, Gifts, My Work | 11 Comments »

Because I Am Glad to Give & I Want You To Give Too!

Monday, April 19th, 2010

When someone once asked me one word to describe myself, the word that came to mind was, “giver.” I love to give to others and thrive in any environment where I can share a piece of myself with someone else. There is nothing I love more than the giving of food, the giving of my time to make someone’s day easier, even being the giver of advice that might make a mom’s day run a little smoother. I am a giver because it comes naturally to me and that is why I am thrilled to share about a campaign that you can give back frugally and thoughtfully to families who are faced with a disease called pediatric cancer.

Did you know that the number one death disease of children living in the United States is pediatric cancer? Why is it the number one killer? Truthfully, it kills children daily because the funds are just not there to develop the research to find a cure for this disease.

I was asked to help spread the word about a campaign called, “Glad to Give,” that is sponsored by the GLAD company.  They believe that they can raise the funds for this research one cookie at a time. Yes, you heard that right! This campaign’s roots are firmly planted in that beautiful thing we love… bake sales!

As parents with busy schedules, I know that volunteering and baking might not be the top two things on your priority list. What if you knew that those two things could make a difference in a child’s life though? Glad to Give is offering up some fantastic ideas for how you can participate and how you can be a part of their partnership with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Here are some easy and frugal things you can do to participate:

Buy GLAD® Products and Contribute to Pediatric Cancer Research: This spring, every time you purchase a  GLAD product (to help host a bake sale or for other use), the Glad Products Company will make a $1 donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, up to $200,000! Just enter the UPC code here!

Enter the GLAD Recipe for Giving Contest: GLAD recognizes the time spent prepping, kneading and decorating bake sale treats is quality family time that instills a spirit of service in children. To help celebrate families in action, GLAD® is conducting the GLAD® Recipe for Giving Contest. Consumers can share their “recipe” – that is, tip or advice – on how their family gives back through food related activities. Four consumer winners will each win $1,000 toward a family activity of their choice and a chance to compete alongside a celebrity in the holiday GLAD® Recipe for Giving Celebrity Challenge. Come November, the two lucky consumers on the winning celebrity team raising the most money will each receive a “voluntourism” trip for four to St. Lucia.

Host a Bake Sale: I know that this might take a little work on your part, but imagine the lives that you could touch through the donations raised. GLAD will take you through the process in four easy steps that will have your raising funds in no time!

I am committed to this campaign and committed to spreading the word about how you can help. I want to kick off the GLAD to give campaign by donating $400 to jump start the cause and I need your participation!

I am going to be hosting a virtual bake sale on May 14th. I am asking you to participate here on the site and share your best bake sale recipes!  From those entries, I will randomly select a winner who will receive a box full of baking goodies (valued at $50, prepared by me!) just for sharing one of your bake sale recipes and sharing about your participation in Glad to Give! Doesn’t that sound lovely?

I hope that you will consider participating and sharing a favorite baking recipe in honor of this campaign. It would mean the world to me, but it would mean a world more to the families of these children! Start gathering those recipes and think of the ways that you could help with my virtual bake sale. I can’t do it without you!

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In honor of all things bake sale, here is a quick cookie recipe that can be made out of pantry ingredients and one ingredient that makes the whole thing go a little quicker… the ever amazing cake mix!

Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add peanut butter, oil, eggs, and water. Mix until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly using a fork dipped in water. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies set on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before carefully removing from the cookie sheet to cool on wire racks. Amy’s Notes: Be sure to keep the cooking time to the ten to twelve minutes and don’t let the lighter color fool you. I had some burnt cookies in my first batch because I left them in the oven too long. Let them cool as instructed and then place them on a pretty plate for serving. Then you need to complete the most difficult step of all…Try to graciously accept the compliments without giving away your cooking secrets (which I never can do myself!).

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Disclaimer: I was paid for this campaign and invested every dollar back into it to spread the word about pediatric cancer. It is far better to give than to receive. I hope you will consider doing the same!

What is one way you donate your time or talents to charity? How do you make this a family priority?

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Posted in Family, Gifts | 8 Comments »

Homemade Bunny Bread

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010


When I see cake pans at the thrift store, I can’t resist picking them up, even if I have nothing in mind to do with them. This bunny-shaped pan was $2 at Goodwill and has been gathering dust in my basement. I decided to break it out to make the kids a special Easter treat.

Our Easter tradition usually consists of my homemade cinnamon rolls, but I thought it would be fun to do something a little different this year. I remembered this great little recipe for homemade monkey bread and also know that it happens to be one of my husband’s favorite childhood treats so I thought I would give this recipe a spin.

I opt for the lazy version though and prefer making things in my handy little bread machine, so I modified the recipe to put my little appliance to work and thought I would share my version here.

Homemade Bunny Bread or Bread Machine Monkey Bread
Author: Adapted from Baking Bites
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 10 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup water, warm (100-110F)
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup milk, warm (100-110F)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (beaten)
  • 3 – 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (.25-oz)
  • Sugar Mixture:
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions
  1. Lightly grease a standard 10-in bundt pan with vegetable oil or any cake-shaped pan. Set aside.
  2. In a microwavable bowl, combine the water, milk, and butter and microwave it for one minute (or just until warm). Pour this into the bottom of your bread machine. Add the egg and vanilla next. Add the flour, salt, sugar, and then finally the yeast. Run the Dough cycle on your bread machine and let it run through the entire cycle until it beeps.
  3. Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and gently deflate so that dough is relatively flat (maybe 1/2-3/4 inch thick) Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut off small pieces of dough to form 1/2 to 1-inch balls. As you cut each piece of dough, roll it into a ball in the palms of your hands. Dunk each ball in butter, use the fork to remove it and transfer it to the sugar mixture to be thoroughly coated. Place all coated dough balls into prepared bundt pan.
  4. Once all balls have been coated and places in the pan, cover the pan lightly with plastic wrap and let bread rise for 60 minutes, until almost doubled in size. I covered this with plastic wrap and then popped it in the fridge overnight.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350F when you are ready to bake it.
  6. If it is in the refrigerator, pull it out a half hour before and let it rise on the kitchen counter before baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Bread will spring back when lightly pressed. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving platter.
  7. Eat immediately (or reheat leftovers), as the bread is best served warm and gooey.
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Posted in Breakfast, Celebrations, Desserts, Kid Eats, Sides | 23 Comments »

Slushie Filled Celebrating

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Slushie sloshing toasts were made to our new-to-use house and to our amazing kids who approached the renovation as though it were a new adventure each day. Dust everywhere? Let’s write our names! Wood in the way? Let’s pretend it is a hurdle. No couches? Let’s jump on pillows and make forts.

It is the resilience of my children that I admire most and that makes me proud to be their mom. It is that problem-solving and one-big-adventure thinking that I need to embrace in my own life. What if I used that same thinking and approached life situations this way? Wouldn’t my life be just a little grander?

A slushie sloshing toast to this new way of thinking! Bring on the adventures!

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Posted in Celebrations | 3 Comments »

All Knitted Up: Knitted Gifts With a Purpose

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

My knitting needles have been clicking at high speed these days with knitted gifts that needed to be turned around quickly. That being said, there is nothing more meaningful to me than knitting with a purpose. I love to have an intention that gives me the opportunity to focus on someone really important and make a gift to show them what they mean to me.

My girlfriend, Kathy Friend, has been such a gift to me.  She is the first person I call when I need help with a big event in my life. She has helped me find clothes that fit, she helps me feel more confident by guiding on me on good style choices, and she is my sounding board on the difficulties of working from home. She is my friend through and through. It is rare that you find someone that genuine in your life and I am so thankful for her friendship.

For over six years, Kathy and her husband have been trying to adopt a little girl named Anya from Russia. There has been much paperwork, many hurdles, and so many life lessons that they have garnered from this experience. After waiting this long, they are in Russia now to get their little girl. My heart skips a beat when I think about it.

I wanted to create a gift for Anya that would be meaningful and hopefully remind her of coming home.  I made another Bon Bon Baby Blanket but larger, that could be her travel blanket as they make the flight from Russia to America. It was done in all of the colors of the US flag as she comes to America, to live with her family that love her more than life itself.

Please keep the Friend family on your prayer list as they finish the final details of bringing Anya home. It is such a big moment of transition for all of them and I am so full of hope for this little family!

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Welcome to America Travel Blanket

Pattern: Sweet Bon Bon Blanket by Suzanne Middlebrooks (available as a free download for Ravelry members)

Needle Size: US 9 Needles

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun Candy Cane Red, Lion Brand Homespun Hepplewhite (used as the garter stitch section throughout the entire blanket), and Lion Brand Homespun Blue Sky Montana

Notes: Homespun yarn is definitely not my first choice when it comes to a baby blanket. For a travel blanket though, this yarn worked really well and created a beautiful design throughout the pattern with the mix of colors. If you were creating a baby blanket though, cotton yarn would definitely be my first choice!

This pattern is a great one for a beginning knitter and the only stitch you need to know is  the kfbf combination, which I found how to do on You Tube. Because of the width of this blanket (a cast on of only 96 stitches) it comes together very quickly and it makes a beautiful chevron pattern with a garter edge.

I stuck to the 96 stitch cast on and just made the blanket longer so it could be draped over her legs. My little Emily was a great helper and held my yarn for me as well as letting me use her as a model for travel blanket sizing.

I could not be more proud with how this turned out. It did take a lot longer to make then I had thought (four weeks almost), but I am so proud of the results!

I hope it will be something special for her and something that she will be able to snuggle up with for a long time. Welcome to America, Anya! We can’t wait to meet you!

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When my I spoke to one of my girlfriends and found out that her mom was ill, I wanted to do something…  anything to help her.  For me, learning to knit was as much a gift to myself as it is a gift to others. I asked what color was her mother’s favorite and she shared with me that her mom really loved pink. I put my needles on a speed of eleven, and worked on this shawl for hours at a time until it was done. I wanted it to be there when she needed it most.

I wanted this prayer shawl to offer warmth and comfort while still being fashionable and something that I myself would wear. I went back to my favorite shawl pattern, “Alice’s Lace Shawl” by Alice Beck in the The Prayer Shawl Companion book.

For me, half of the beauty of a prayer shawl is in the details. It isn’t just the knitting that makes it beautiful, it is the personalization that is created for that special person. I found the beautiful cross charm at Michael’s in the jewelry section. It was $7.99, but I used my 40% off coupon. The yarn was marked down to $2.99 a ball and it took two balls to create.

I used ribbon from my ribbon stash to pull it together and printed a prayer out for her that came from the book that is highlighted above. It was printed on pink polka dotted paper that I already had in my craft supplies. Tucked in tissue, it was shipped Priority and sent to the sweet recipient to let her know she is being prayed for by someone who has yet to even meet her.


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Pretty In Pink Lace Shawl

Pattern: Alice’s Lace Shawl by Alice Beck (from The Prayer Shawl Companion Book)

Needle Size: US 13 Needles

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky Solid in Antique Rose (2 Skeins)

Notes: Prayer shawls can be simple or complicated, but the idea behind them is that they are woven together with yarn and with prayer. As you create them, you pray for the person and ask God that the shawl can offer them comfort through difficult times.

I found a fantastic book on prayer shawls called The Prayer Shawl Companion by Janet Bristow & Victoria A. Cole-Galo. The book offered thirty-eight different patterns that could be used to create a unique prayer shawl for someone in need. In the pattern book, I chose, “Alice’s Lace Shawl,” because the pattern had only one row of pattern and then a row of purling and a row of knitting. It was simple enough that I could concentrate on prayer and complex enough that it created a scalloped edge with just enough lace, while still being warm.

This project took me six days of straight knitting every single moment that I had. The lace shawls that I created with Homespun Yarn knitted up much, much faster than this one, but they didn’t have any pink Homespun at Michael’s so I had to go with a less bulky yarn.

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Disclosure: The knitting book link is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the book quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me some yarn instead.  Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely?

What crafts have you been working on? How do you benefit others with your crafting abilities?

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Posted in Knitting | 7 Comments »

Red Carpet Bunco & a Cast of Great Recipes

Monday, January 25th, 2010

I can admit that Bunco, for me, is one of life’s delicious little pleasures! Our group has been rolling the dice for years now and every year we add more fun girls and make the most of this one day together each month.

When I think about it, I get a little misty-eyed. We have lost members as they have moved to other areas, we have gained new friends as we add new people to the group, our children have grown, new babies have been added to the mix, we celebrate each other and our accomplishments, and love each other when things are not going well. These women have been one of those steady things in my life that I know I can count on and I feel blessed to love each of them. Whether we are rocking it out in our old bridesmaid dresses, enjoying a night of 70’s fun, having tea for charity, or being decked out as retro housewives, we find a way to celebrate together once a month!

When Degree contacted me to see if I would be interested in hosting a red carpet evening for the SAG Awards, I immediately thought of my Bunco Babes and how we could make this a fun night together.

I feel so spoiled with my site sometimes and I feel so blessed to get opportunities like these. I look forward to spoiling my friends and family when I can incorporate them into these events and I invited my Bunco Babes group over for a night of pampering and fun.

Degree gave us $100 for our food and drinks, a $100 Macy’s gift card for a red carpet dress for myself, another $100 Macy’s gift card to raffle off to my girlfriends, and scheduled a manicurist to come to our event and give us all manicures. We truly got the red carpet treatment!

I love getting ready for the parties and pulling everything together for our theme. We set up a manicure station on the lower level with oodles of magazines and cream puffs so that the girls could truly be pampered while they had their manicures.

The upper level was decorated with fresh flower bouquets, a red tablecloth (that I already owned), and a little bit of sparkle from the Valentine’s section of a local superstore.

We are usually chasing after our dice since the tables can be slippery so I found pieces of felt for a quarter and attached a little chipboard saying to each of them that could be centered on each table. These will be traveling to the next house and kept with our Bunco kit of supplies for the hostess. I was pretty proud of those.

I had no success at Macy’s finding the perfect red dress for the event so I opted for my favorite little black dress and found a red shrug to go over it. These flats were perfect since I was on my feet fielding the ladies down to the manicurist and subbing for everyone while they got their nails done. I found these at Marshall’s for $24.99 and thought they would be practical and fashionable while hosting the event!

We all loved our manicures and felt so glamorous after our red carpet nail treatment. All of the ladies got to choose a different shade of red for the evening.

This ring (pictured above) got more compliments than my dress and was a $4.20 purchase over at Forever 21. I love how it adds a little sparkle to my hand without breaking the bank.

Bunco is all about the food and I did take a little store-bought help since I had a food budget. I bought two trays of meat lasagnas ($10.99 each) and two large boxes of cream puffs for the manicure station and dessert table ($14.99 each).  Everything else was homemade though and everyone really seemed to enjoy the food.

In the spirit of red carpet deliciousness, these were the award-winning, red carpet-worthy dishes that rounded out the menu!

Roasted Green Beans

2 pounds fresh green beans (or a bag of frozen fancy green beans)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use the bottled garlic to save a little time)
Salt & Pepper
Zest from one lemon (save the juice for later)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grab a jelly roll pan and dump green beans on the pan. Sprinkle seasonings, lemon zest, and garlic over the green beans. Drizzle the olive oil over the green beans and then toss with your hands until they are all coated with the seasonings and zest. Spread out in a single layer and slide your cookie sheet into the oven. Roast fresh green beans for 20-25 minutes and roast frozen green beans for an additional 10-15 minutes. When they are done, pull from the oven and put them on a serving platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top (from the lemon you zested) and serve.

Spunky Spinach Dip (courtesy of Gooseberry Patch Cookbook)

2 cups salsa (approximately one standard size jar)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, softened and cubed
10 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Stir well. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until cooked through. If baking, cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes (double your cooking time for a double batch) in an oven-safe bowl (covered). Serve with your favorite dipper! I served this with fresh celery sticks and fresh carrots to balance out the heaviness of the lasagna.

Bacon & Ranch Cheese Ball

2 (8 ounce) packages of low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 package of Ranch dressing mix
1 cup cheddar cheese
5-7 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled (or buy prepackaged crumbled bacon)

Mix all of the ingredients together with a mixer until they are incorporated. Shape into a ball and roll in a plate of shredded cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. I served this with assorted pretzel crackers.

Classic Orange Chiffon Cake (Courtesy of The Cake Doctor)

5 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 package yellow cake mix

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower (I used canola oil)

1/4 cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons orange juice (I had to use 5 so you may need to increase this)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set aside an ungreased 10″ tube pan. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set the bowl aside. Place the cake mix, egg yolks, orange juice concentrate, oil, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl, and with the same beaters used to beat the egg whites, blend with the electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer to medium and beat for two more minutes, scraping the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended.

Turn the beaten egg whites out on top of the batter and with the spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter until the mixture is light but well combined. Pour into the pan and place int he oven.

Bake until it is golden brown and springs back when pressed with your finger for 48-52 minutes (Mine took 48 minutes).  Remove the pan and immediately turn it upside down over the neck of a glass bottle to cool for one hour. Run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a rack and then invert it again on a serving platter so it is right side up.

For the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a medium mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Spread the glaze over the top and side of the cake. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes and then serve.

Side Note- After you measure out 1/4 cup of the thawed orange juice concentrate, prepare orange juice with the remaining concentrate by adding half as much water as the package directs. Use this orange juice in your cake batter and glaze.

Bunco Punch

ICE RING:
Orange slices
Lemon slices
Lime slices
Maraschino cherries
Cherry juice or red food coloring
Water
Metal ring mold

SIMPLE SYRUP (Prepare ahead) :
3 c. water
3 c. sugar
Combine, boil and cool.

PUNCH:
Simple syrup, chilled
4 c. chilled cranberry juice
3 c. chilled bottled lemon juice
2 c. chilled orange juice
2 c. chilled unsweetened pineapple juice
2 qt. chilled ginger ale
16 oz. rum or vodka or wine or champagne

Create your ice ring by throwing in the citrus fruit slices and then pouring in the jar of cherries (juice and all) Top the bundt pan off with water and then freeze overnight.

To serve: Unmold ice ring into punch bowl; add juices and liquor; add ginger ale.

This makes approximately 30 (6 ounce) servings.

The very famous radio superstar, Amy Watson from Cat Country, won the raffle for the $100 Macy’s gift card. She is having a baby next month so I can think of no one who deserves a little pampering and fun shopping more than her!

It was such a fantastic night of fun and a great kick-off to another great year of Bunco with my girlfriends!

Degree  is offering cool prizes daily and a chance to snag product coupons. Be sure to visit their site for more information and a recap of the red carpet fashion that was spotted at the SAG awards.

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Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009


Happy Holidays! I could not be more thankful for my readers and for this wonderful outlet for sharing. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and I will see you all back here after the New Year!

xoxo,
Amy

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Our Thrifty (And Holiday-Inspired) Birthday Party

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009


This was a big year for Emily! We celebrated her birthday with a family brunch and followed it up with her first fantastic friend birthday party with twenty-six guests! While throwing two parties may sound expensive, I wanted to share a few ways that we were able to celebrate Emily’s big day and keep it on a budget.

The first thing I did was send an evite to invite everyone in lieu of fancy invitations. We planned an afternoon get together with snacks and a decorate your own Christmas craft and cupcake bash instead of a luncheon. It was a great way to kill the afternoon, the time allowed for our older friends to come after school, and everyone got to leave with their own little creation.

The table was set with another inexpensive vinyl tablecloth from The Christmas Tree Shoppe ($2.99). I brought out our cupcake stands (a Walmart purchase for $5 each) and topped each with a red ornament. Sundae cups from the Dollar Store (already in the cupboard) were filled with candy canes that each child could take home and tied with a little white grosgrain ribbon.

To complete the holiday look, I got out my beautiful Nativity Hurricane Candle Set that I had received last year from DaySpring to review. In all of the holiday madness, I didn’t get to show these off last year, but I could not wait to get them out this year. Aren’t they stunning?

I also threw together a holiday music playlist on our computer for everyone to enjoy while we did our decorating and crafting. Everything from Diane Krall to Bing Crosby to Ella Fitzgerald was mixed into our holiday celebration. No celebration is complete without music, in my humble opinion!

In our front room, I set up a folding table with all of the holiday crafting supplies on it. I was going to do ornament decorating, but it got expensive with the amount of supplies I was going to need to buy. I found these cute little foam kits that included placemats and door hangers with tons of fun little foam stickers…enough for twenty crafts in each kit. The total cost spent on all of the craft supplies (with plenty leftover for decorating on Christmas Eve) was $10 thanks to the half off sales at Hobby Lobby.


I was so inspired by the cupcake decorating party that was featured on Ohdeedoh (and in our weekly Notebook) that I thought that would be a fun activity for the kids to do too. I spent $4 on cupcake decorating supplies and piled them into my tin tray for the kids to assemble. I had bought a ton of cute tin stuff for entertaining for my son’s patriotic birthday party. With a holiday baby and a 4th of July baby, I know that the red items can be used often in our house.

It was time to wait for our friends to arrive and enjoy all of the food and festivities with them. We are so thankful to have so many great people in our lives to celebrate with us! The food and punch bowl overfloweth for the big day!

Here are the dishes that we shared with our friends! What made these dishes really special though? They were ALL make-ahead dishes and ALL thrifty so that I could enjoy the day with my special birthday girl!


It was time to enjoy our favorite Birthday Cupcakes. These are my favorite cupcakes in the world and are always the hit of any party. If you decorate them, the chocolate syrup frosting with sprinkles are a must! This year we left them undecorated for our activity for the kids.

The Best Birthday Cupcakes (From Cupcakes: The Cake Doctor Book)

24 paper liners
1 package plain butter recipe golden cake mix (I subbed with white and loved it!)
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line cupcake cups with liners. Set the pans aside. Place the cake mix, cream cheese, sugar, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, until the ingredients are well blended then stop the machine and scrape down the sides.

Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should be smooth and thickened.

Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full (You should get between 22-24 cupcakes). Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 24-27 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cool for five minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips.

Place them on a wire rack to cool fifteen minutes before frosting.

The star of the party, by far, was the cheese ball. I had so many recipe requests after the party for this one! It is so embarrassingly easy, but is always a showstopper when I bring it to holiday get togethers. Put the ingredients for this recipe on your grocery list and relish the joy in ease of the preparation and the compliments that come from it!

Bacon & Ranch Cheese Ball

2 (8 ounce) packages of low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 package of Ranch dressing mix
1 cup cheddar cheese
5-7 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled (or buy prepackaged crumbled bacon)

Mix all of the ingredients together with a mixer until they are incorporated. Shape into a ball and roll in a plate of shredded cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

This dip was nicknamed “Crack Dip” after the bowl was scraped clean when I brought it for Thanksgiving one year. I love to bring a sweet dessert dip that can be an unexpected surprise among the pies and holiday cookies. If you want to buy all of the ingredients at Aldi, I have employed my hand held chopper to chop up regular size chocolate chips for this recipe before with great results!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
More chocolate chips (optional) or chopped nuts, to roll the ball in

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Form cheese into a ball using hand protection (Saran wrap, wax paper, etc). Optional- just before serving, roll in additional chocolate chips or nuts of your choice. Serve with graham crackers.

Hate punch? It is likely you just hate that ginger ale in the punch. This punch is ginger ale free and looks positively festive for any holiday occasion. I barely had enough for a glass left and this punch is always a hit at all of our parties!

Holiday Party Punch

2 liter bottle strawberry-flavored soda (I found this at Walmart)
2 liter 7-Up
1 (12 ounce) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate (yellow)
1 can pineapple juice

Mix all the ingredients together for the punch. This will fill one large punch bowl or two smaller ones.


Hit the thrift stores for vintage tins and fill them up with holiday goodies for a unique display of yummy treats! This Chex Mix was cooked up in the slow cooker. If your slow cooker runs hot, I would just keep it on LOW instead of the HIGH that the recipe calls for. Mine about burnt up without keeping a careful eye on it. Putting it in the slow cooker while cooking up the rest of the food is a great way to make the house smell yummy and free up your stove in the process! This recipe easily doubles and I did just that for our party!

Slow Cooker Chex Mix

1 cup Cheerios toasted oat cereal
1 1/2 cups Rice Chex
1 cup Wheat Chex
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pretzel stick
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in your slow cooker. Mi
x remaining ingredients and pour over cereal mixture; toss to coat. Cook on HIGH, uncovered, for 2 hours (I would recommend cooking on low if your slow cooker runs really hot like mine!) Stir mixture well every 30 minutes. Turn slow cooker to LOW and cook for 2-4 hours. Store in air tight container. Makes 5 cups.

Emily had a fantastic party filled with more girlie gifts than a girl could ever ask for. My, turning four is quite grand! Happy birthday sweet Emily Marie! I am so thankful for your honest-to-goodness girl power, girlie ways, and assertive little spirit. I am one lucky mom!

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