Princess Approved: a place for sharing

Easter Bouquets 10% off

2013-03-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

Save 10% off your Easter Bouquets

Use Promo Code: EASTER

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126615262/easter-tissue-paper-flowers-12-count?

If you would like for me to customize an order for you, don't hesitate to contact me. I'll do my very best to meet your needs.

Flowers are made of premium tissue paper and attached to a 12" moss green chenille wire stem. Using pipe cleaners for the stems allows you to bend the stems to the length you need for the type of vase being used to display them in. Each flower will be made with six sheets of premium tissue paper. Using 6 sheets ensure's a tight full flower.

Flowers will ship flat. You will need to fluff them out. I will include an instruction sheet for fluffing. SAMPLE FLUFFED FLOWER INCLUDED WITH EVERY ORDER.

Flowers sizes will be slightly random. Flowers will measure approximately 4-5 inches in diameter. Please let me know what colors you would like. You will receive 12 flowers.

You will be sent a tracking number after your order has shipped. If you have a specific date that you need the flowers, please let me know!

GIVING THIS ITEM AS A GIFT?: I will be happy to ship directly to your recipient and enclose a complimentary card with your personal message!

Paper Flower Bouquet Sale!

2013-01-12T14:38:00.002-05:00

Enjoy 10% off at my Etsy Shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrincessApprovedShop

To celebrate my recently opened Etsy shop I'm offering 10% off all orders for the month of January!

Use promo code: Super10

Make any occasion festive with a colorful paper flower bouquet! Birthdays, Weddings, Brunch, Luncheons, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Dinner Parties...the possibilities are endless!

If you would like for me to customize an order for you, don't hesitate to contact me. I'll do my very best to meet your needs.

Flowers are made of tissue paper and attached to a 12" green pipe cleaner. If you would like white or black stems please specify at the time of order. If you do not select a different color stem, they will ship green. Using pipe cleaners for the stems allows you to bend the stems to the length you need for the type of vase being used to display them in. Each flower will be made with six sheets of tissue paper.

If you choose the Mixed Color option, please let me know what colors you would like! If you would like a special color that you don't see listed as an option, please contact me and I'll see if I can accommodate your request.

Flowers will ship flat. You will need to fluff them out. I will include an instruction sheet for fluffing.

Flowers sizes will be slightly random. Flowers will measure approximately 4-5 inches in diameter. Please let me know what colors you would like. You will receive 12 flowers.

Paper Flower Appetizer Picks!

Fiesta Colors! Flowers ship flat. You fluff!

B.A.A.C. Bikers Against Animal Cruelty

2012-11-25T13:29:00.004-05:00

Holiday Pet Portraits with Biker Santa 2012!

http://www.bikersagainstanimalcruelty.org

My husband and I were invited to attend the B.A.A.C.'s Holiday Portraits with Biker Santa at Gengras Harley Davidson in East Hartford, CT. We gladly accepted and brought our girls Carly & Bella to help support the B.A.A.C. and their efforts to raise money and supplies to help animals in need.

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed meeting other animal lovers and the numerous volunteers that helped make this event happen. My husband and I will definitely be attending future B.A.A.C. events.

Please visit the B.A.A.C.'s website listed above to learn more about B.A.A.C., become a member, find out information regarding future events, purchase support merchandise or to make a donation. All contributions are tax deductible! You may make a secure payment on-line or mail a check to: B.A.A.C., Inc., P.O. Box 68, North Haven, CT 06473 Help support this awesome organization!

Bella having her picture taken with Santa!

Refreshments were served while waiting for your pictures.

Buddy was sporting his holiday wear.

These two were dressed in their finest biker outfits to support the event!

This little sweetheart was born with a set of angel wings. Look out Victoria's Secret!

This is where the magic happened so you could go home with your cherished photo's of Santa with your pet.

Me with my friend Reenie who invited me to the event.

Friends of all sizes were made.

Dressed to impress!

Isn't she precious?!

This little one melted my heart.

This event wasn't only for the dogs! Even our reptilian friends came out to meet Santa.

A great get together for family and friends!

Pepperoni & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

2012-11-19T09:55:00.002-05:00

Quick & Easy Dinner

Preheat oven to 375

I've been making this recipe for years and it's moist and delicious every time. You have many options when it comes to making the recipe. You can use turkey pepperoni, your favorite mustard and choose your favorite cheese as well! This recipe should take you only 30 minutes from start to finish! I use a frying pan that can go directly into the oven. If you don't have this type of frying pan, transfer the chicken onto a cookie sheet prior to placing in the oven.

Ingredients:

Thin sliced chicken cutlets

Pepperoni

Mustard

Cheese

Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Wash chicken cutlets and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Line cutlet with pepperoni.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Roll up and secure with a small bamboo skewer or large tooth pick.

Brush with mustard.

Coat with bread crumbs.

Spray frying pan with olive oil and let heat up on med heat. Place rolled cutlets in pan and then spray rolled cutlets with additional olive oil.

Cook on each side until golden brown. Approximately 3 minutes each side.

Place pan in a preheated oven at 375 until rolled cutlets are thoroughly cooked. Approximately 10 minutes. ENJOY!

Easy Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

2012-11-17T09:20:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving Day Snacks!

One of my favorite snacks is chocolate dipped pretzels. Whip up a batch of these as a tasty treat this Thanksgiving and Christmas too! They take minutes to prepare and are even quicker to go down. Put some in a tin or cookie bag and give as a cute and affordable holiday gift.

Ingredients:

1 package white almond bark

1 package chocolate almond bark

1 bag round pretzels

Materials:

Cookie sheets

Wax Paper

Melt Chocolate almond bark in a microwavable bowl until smooth and creamy. I like to melt my chocolate on defrost mode.

I like the look of the round pretzels but any pretzel will work.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Dip each pretzel 3/4 of the way in the melted almond bark and place onto cookie sheet. If you wait a few minutes for the chocolate to cool, it will coat your pretzel a little heavier and be easier to work with.

Melt a block of the white almond bark in a small plastic freezer bag in the microwave on defrost mode. Once it has melted snip a very small corner of the bag. Pipe white almond bark in a back and forth motion over the dipped pretzels. Almond bark sets very quickly so it's not necessary to put in freezer or fridge to firm up. If you can't find almond bark you may use chocolate chips however, you will need to place in the freezer to get them to set and firm up again.

ENJOY!

Light & Fluffy Biscuits for Thanksgiving Dinner

2012-11-08T09:04:00.001-05:00

This one's a keeper!

I'm making Thanksgiving dinner this year and started browsing on the web for some recipes. I came across this biscuit recipe for an alternative to the traditional dinner rolls. What caught my eye is that they're made with soda. I wasn't sure what to make of this so I decided to give them a test drive prior to making them for Thanksgiving. Well let me tell you this recipe is a keeper! The recipe I found was slightly sparse on the actual directions so maybe this will help you to learn from my trial and errors. These biscuits will be made in my house for years to come. They're actually very, very easy to make. And if you've been following my blog, you know that I like to keep it simple.

Preheat oven to 450

Ingredients:

2 cups "Jiffy" all purpose baking mix or Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup lemon/lime soda (I used diet. I also used generic but you can use 7UP or Sprite)

4 tbs. butter

Add baking mix to bowl.

Add sour cream and mix together by cutting sour cream into the mix.

Add soda and mix together by stirring.

Place dough on a large cutting board that has been coated with additional baking mix. This dough is extremely sticky! Be sure to place plenty of extra mix on cutting board.

My tip! Place some baking mix in a small bowl and continue to dip your fingers into it prior to touching the dough. Be sure to do this after you cut the dough to pick them up to put into baking dish.

Pat dough out on cutting board. This is the thickness that I did because the recipe didn't tell you just how thick to make them. Urgg! So learn from my lesson and make them slightly thicker than this.

If you don't have a biscuit cutter use a glass. And remember to dip your fingers in the baking mix prior to lifting them up to place into the baking dish. If you don't you may not be able to get them off the cutting board.

Melt butter and pour into the bottom of a 9" square baking dish. I like to melt my butter in the microwave on the defrost mode. Place cut biscuits into baking dish with the melted butter. This seemed odd to me that the butter is on the bottom but after they were cooked I understood. So no worries!

I had extra dough because I patted them down slightly too much. So I decided to bake the extra ones without butter to see if it was really needed. The answer to this is yes it's really needed. They were still good, but they didn't compare to the ones cooked in the butter.

Bake at 450 until biscuits are golden brown. I cooked mine for 16 minutes. Enjoy!

Best Ever Chicken Piccata

2012-11-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

Tender & Delicious Every Time

My favorite chicken dish is Chicken Piccata! This is my favorite recipe for it because I'm not a fan of egg batter on my chicken and that's all I can seem to find when I order Chicken Piccata while dining out. This recipe calls for the chicken to be lightly dredged in flour. It's just enough to lightly thicken your sauce to really cling to your pasta side dish! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Serve over your favorite pasta!

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breasts sliced thin

salt & pepper to season

1 cup flour

4 tbs olive oil (or as needed)

2 cups dry white wine

4 tbs butter

4 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

4-5 tbls capers

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 tbs fresh chopped parsley

Wash and trim excess fat off of chicken breast. If you didn't buy thin cut chicken breast cut chicken horizontally into thin slices. I can generally get two large and one small piece out of a breast.

Place chicken breast onto a large cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. I use my husband (now mine) rubber mallet to pound out the breast.

Pound chicken gently but firmly at the same time. You want to break the chicken down till it's very thin, but you don't want it to break apart. I get mine as thin as I can so don't worry about it being too thin. This step is key to keeping your chicken breast tender while cooking.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

I also like to season the flour with salt and pepper. Gently dredge chicken in flour on both sides and shake off any excess.

Place chicken on a plate until ready to grill.

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add additional olive oil as your grilling the chicken as needed. I use a 14" low wall pan to grill my chicken.

Add chicken to pan once olive oil has heated and cook on both sides 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

Don't crowd the chicken while it's grilling. Once cooked remove from pan and set aside.

I like to use very small capers and lean towards 5 tbs rather than 4 tbs of them.

While the chicken is cooking squeeze the lemon juice, mince or press garlic, chop parsley, measure out wine and butter.

Add wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, these add lots of flavor to your sauce. Continue to boil approximately 2 minutes or until wine has reduce by half.

Add butter, capers, garlic and parsley to pan. Stir well.

Return chicken back to pan and cover with sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes at a simmer. Remove from heat. Let chicken rest in sauce for at least 5 minutes prior to serving. Sauce will thicken a bit while sitting. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy. I prefer serving it with an angle hair pasta.

Blueberry Bread Pudding

2012-11-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

Short Prep Time

Looking for a quick, easy and delicious recipe to use up your old bread? Try this bread pudding recipe. Swap out the blueberries for chocolate chips, raisins or mixed berries. Let your imagination run wild and enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

6 slices bread (try using croissants)

2 tbs melted butter

1/2 cup blueberries

4 eggs beaten

2 cups milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

3/4 cups sugar ( I think you can use less if desired)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. apple pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Break bread and place in baking dish. (I use an 8" square baker)Drizzle butter over bread and sprinkle with blueberries.

In a mixing bowl: mix eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, apple pie spice and vanilla until well blended.

Pour mixture over bread. Use a fork to push bread down into mixture until covered and bread is soaked.

Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated 350 oven. Enjoy!

Chili Dip

2012-10-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

Super Easy to Prepare

I first had this dip when my friend Alyssa served this at one of her house parties. I love it then and I still love it now! This is definitely my number 1 "go to" party dip. This recipe only takes minutes to prepare and it's the first to go whenever I serve it.

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (I always use light)

1 can prepared chili (with or without beans, but I use with beans)

1-2 cups of shredded cheddar (I never measure out the cheese, I just use enough to provide an even coat on top)

Spread cream cheese evenly to cover bottom of baking dish. I use an 8" square baker.

Spread can of chili over cream cheese to evenly coat.

Spread cheddar cheese evenly over top of chili and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Serve with Tortilla chips.

Like I said, it's super easy. Enjoy!

Mummy Pretzels for Halloween!

2012-10-24T10:09:00.004-04:00

Fun Halloween Party Food

I saw a picture of these while browsing on-line and thought that they were so cute and just had to give it a try. Here's my directions for making these cute Mummy Pretzels.

Ingredients:

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1 pack almond bark or 1 bag white chocolate chips

Rod pretzels

Materials:

Tin foil and baking sheets

Add both bags of chocolate chips to double boiler.

Melt chips stirring occasionally over med - low heat.

Continue to stir until smooth and creamy. Reserve about 1 tablespoon melted chocolate to use later for the eyes.

Pour melted chocolate onto a large piece of tin foil.

Roll pretzels in chocolate, leaving several inches on the bottom free of chocolate.

Roll until chocolate evenly coats top of pretzel rod.

Placed dipped rods onto a tin foil lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer to set chocolate for about 5 mins.

Almond bark comes in cubes. It will also cool much faster than the chocolate chips.

While your rods are setting in the freezer, it's time to melt your almond bark. Place two - three cubes in a small freezer bag. Put in microwave and melt in 30 second intervals until completely melted. Between each 30 second interval remove and squish around.

Once it's melted snip off a very small corner of the bag.

Drizzle almond bark in a back and forth motion making sure to leave a space towards the top for the eyes.

Melt a cube of almond bark in microwave in a bowl for the eyes. Dip a bamboo skewer in the melted chocolate and dab onto pretzel to make eyes. Then use a toothpick and dip in reserved milk chocolate and dot the center of the white chocolate eyes.

Once all eyes have been added, place back in freezer for a bit to set the eyes and then place on a serving tray. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Easy Crab Dip

2012-10-21T09:37:00.002-04:00

Quick & Easy To Make

Are you looking for a quick and easy dip to bring to a Halloween Party this year? Try this tasty crab dip that you can whip up in minutes!

Ingredients:

2 packages cream cheese

1 can crab meat

cocktail sauce

crackers of your choice

Add cream cheese and crab meat to a bowl. Remember to have your cream cheese at room temperature to mix easier.

Mix until smooth and creamy. If you would like additional zip to your dip add a tablespoon or two of horseradish sauce.

Place mixture onto the plate that you plan to serve the dip on.

Place plastic wrap over the mixture and gently mold into a mound. Chill like this in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Right before serving, top with cocktail sauce. Serve with crackers and enjoy! I like to use a heavy cracker like a Triscuit.

Where I Go To Stay Fit!

2012-10-18T09:29:00.000-04:00

We had the honor of Joe as a trainer for Filthy Fifty but generally Warrior Workout is taught by Chris.

Fit Behavior, Rocky Hill, CT

http://www.fitbehavior.com/

I'm often asked where I go to stay fit and I happy to say that I belong to Fit Behavior in Rocky Hill, CT.

I've belonged to many fitness facilities but Fit Behavior is my favorite and the only place that I've been where the workouts are never the same. Every day and every week the workouts change. No worries about becoming bored! They offer many classes for you to choose from: 30 Fit, Pilates, Power Pilates, Yoga, Bootcamp, Zumba and personal training just to name a few.

The trainers at Fit Behavior are wonderful and very patient! Chris is by far the most patient and has a ton of tolerance when we act up, Kim is like a little cheerleader and definitely gets you motivated, Joe is sweet and a ton of fun to have in class and Jared is sure to keep you in form and on the right track!

They recently started a new class Warrior Workout on Monday evenings. This is a class that will push you to give it your all. No slacking here and if you do you'll definitely get a nudge to keep going. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to push your workout to the next level.

Warrior Workout: Filthy Fifty
My classmate Lisa said it should have been named Fifty Shades of DONE!

Box Jumps!

Russian Twists

Push Press

Burpees

Believe it or not we had some extra time so we played around with the ropes!

Fun For You & Your Dog: Agility Classes!

2012-10-15T11:09:00.000-04:00

Central K9, Glastonbury, CT

http://www.centralk9.com/

Are you looking to have a good time with your dog? Try an agility class. Not only is it fun for your dog but it will be fun for you too! You'll be amazed at how quickly your dog will learn to climb over A-frames, swoosh through shoots, jump through tires and play on the seesaw. Having a great trainer is the first step. My husband I have been taking our dogs to Central K9 in Glastonbury, CT since our dogs were puppies. At Central K9 you can leave your dogs for Doggie Daycare, take Obedience Classes, Agility Classes and so much more. Central K9 is owned and operated by Jessica Edgerly. She also has a great staff by her side to see to all of your pets needs. Visit Central K9's website today to see what they have to offer you!

Halloween Decorating with Spider Web

2012-10-09T11:30:00.002-04:00

Turn Your Guest Restroom into a Giant Spider Web

I turned our guest restroom into a giant spider web to decorate for Halloween. Hang creepy cloth over several areas and stretch spider web from corner to corner. Add plastic spiders, salamanders, bats, rats and cockroaches throughout. I even placed a tree branch in the corner and placed a black crow on the limb. Let your creepy senses go wild. But most of all... have fun!

Spook Up Your Home for Halloween

2012-10-08T11:42:00.001-04:00

Spooky Mirror

Stretch some spider web across a mirror to create a spooky effect. Dress up with some plastic spiders, tape construction paper bats to the wall and hang a spider mobile made from a tree branch and your done!

Bats, Bats and More Bats!

2012-10-07T19:28:00.002-04:00

D.I.Y. Bat Wall Decor

Here's another idea for decorating on a budget that I found on line. Simply use a bat template and cut bats out of black construction paper. Tape to wall in the pattern of your choice!

D.I.Y. Halloween Bat Mobile

2012-10-07T19:12:00.001-04:00

While browsing on line looking for some Halloween inspiration, I came across a picture of a bat mobile that I absolutely fell in love with. I decided to give it a try and it turned out to be much easier than anticipated and extremely budget friendly! We're throwing a Halloween Party this year and I'm trying to decorate on a budget. Less money on decorations = more food and alcohol

Materials:
Tree branch with several small branches
Bats cut out of construction paper
Or buy them pre-cut
String (I used gray)
Spider Web
Plastic Spiders
Fishing line

Thread a large sewing needle with string and knot at the end.

Push needle through bat and pull string all the way through. Choose different lengths of string each time to stagger bats. Note: If you put the needle towards the head of the bat, it will hang flying upwards. If you put it near the bottom it will hang flying down.

Tie strings to the branch staggering the bats. I also used several sizes and templates for the bats.

Pull spider web between the branches and add plastic spiders.
Hang mobile with fishing line. Use tape to secure that won't leave sticky residue or peel your paint off.

A Thrilling Obstacle Course Race!

2012-10-06T10:05:00.000-04:00

Rugged Maniac, Southwick, MA 2012

http://www.ruggedmaniac.com/

Are you looking to challenge yourself? Sign up for a Rugged Maniac race and let the excitement begin! Rugged Maniac tours throughout the US. Each Rugged Maniac race consist of at least 20 obstacles to include climbing walls, swimming under barbed wire, jumping over fire and so much more.

There are numerous obstacle course races available for you to participate in throughout the US i.e. Rugged Maniac, Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder and Spartan just to name a few.

I personally have never participated in a race such as this and wasn't sure what to expect but was happy to have the opportunity to do so. The question is will I do it again. YES! I went through a gamut of emotions fear, excitement, hope and happiness. What I didn't realize until I came across the first large wall was that my fear of heights would impact my performance in the race. However, with the support from my teammates and other runners I made it through. It amazed me the kindness and camaraderie that was shared throughout the race. And if it wasn't for the kindness of others, I'm not so sure I would have made it over all of the walls! I will let you in on a little secret: I skipped the first large wall and the jumping from log to log obstacle. I would like to say to everyone that lent a helping hand to me that day, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Gather a team and let the excitement begin.

I was determined to get through this obstacle even after I cut my knee on the lovely rocks beneath all the mud.

And I'm off to the next obstacle.

Yes, the water was cold!

This is one of the obstacles that I chose to skip.

The water just seemed to get colder with each obstacle.

At the bottom of the slide was another large pool of muddy water.

This obstacle was tough because those tubes just kept spinning!

Don't worry the local fire department was standing by.

I was starting to get the hang of the walls.

That was until I reached this one! But my teammates helped me and we all reached the finish line! What's waiting for you at the end of the finish line: bananas, water, oranges and BEER!
After the race you can grab a bite to eat, drink beer, listen to a band and hit the bleachers to observe the other runners.

Healthy Snack Choice & Easy To Make!

2012-10-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

Baked Seasoned Kale Chips

Looking for a tasty, healthy, crispy snack choice? Put away the potato chips and make a batch of crispy Kale chips! They're affordable and easy to make. The possibilities are endless when choosing your seasoning. Salt and pepper, garlic and Parmesan, southwest... you choose!

What I used for this batch:
1 large bunch Kale
Olive Oil
Salt
White pepper
Toasted Garlic
Queso Cotija Cheese (grated Mexican style cheese)
Fiesta Seasoning (Tastefully Simple)

Preheat oven to 350

Break Kale into 1-2 inch pieces. Wash and spin dry in salad spinner.

Mix olive oil and seasoning with Kale leaves in a bowl.

Spread evenly onto cookie sheet. I love using my natural stoneware cookie sheet for this recipe! Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. Start keeping a close eye on them at the 8 minute mark. You may even want to stir them on the tray half way in baking time. Be sure not to over cook. Remove from oven, cool and place in a zip lock bag or air tight container. Enjoy!

Easy & Quick Shaved Steak Sandwiches!

2012-09-27T10:06:00.001-04:00

Quick & Easy Dinner Choice

If you're like me, I'm sure you have nights when making dinner is just a hassle. These quick and easy steak sandwiches seem to hit the spot when time is of the essence. You can also make this recipe using turkey sausage cut into chunks!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Shaved Steak

1 lg. Yellow Onion

Fire Roasted Peppers (See previous post on how to make)

Handful of Shredded Mozzarella

Salt & Pepper to Taste

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Kaiser Rolls (I try and get Whole Wheat)

Preheat skillet on med-high heat and add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Slice onion and add to pan. Grill on med-high heat until onions are highly brown and become translucent. My tip on caramelizing grilled onions: You'll notice that the onions appear to stop cooking prior to them reaching the dark brown point. At this point, add the extra tablespoon of oil and then they'll begin to brown up again!

Once your onions have caramelized, add the fire roasted peppers to the pan for a couple of minutes. Remove onions and peppers from pan and set aside.

Add shaved steak to pan. Season with salt and pepper. When the steak has just browned (as shown in picture), drain oil and juice and return peppers and onions back to the pan. Do not allow steak to cook more than this before adding back peppers and onions or it will just dry out and taste icky!

Stir in peppers and onions.

Sprinkle a handful of mozzarella over mixture and stir.

Place mixture on bun and enjoy!

D.I.Y. Acorn Wreath (It's Easier Than it Looks)

2012-09-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Fabulous Acorn Wreath for Any Season!

I came across these wreaths while browsing on the internet trying to figure out what type of craft projects that I could create with acorns. I just fell in love with them! And let me tell you the pictures don't do it justice. It looks much nicer in person and turned out to be much easier and quicker than anticipated. You can keep them natural and change out the material or ribbon used to hang them to match a season/occasion or spray paint them!

Materials:

Acorns, Acorns & More Acorns!

Straw Wreath (I found mine at Michaels Crafts, they're very inexpensive the 8" $2.50, 12" $3.50)

Ribbon or Fabric for Hanging

Tools:

Mini Glue Gun

Mini Glue Sticks (You use a lot of glue! I buy my glue sticks at the Dollar Store 20count bag for $1) I used about 1 1/2 bags of glue sticks.

Blow Dryer

I had seen a tutorial stating to bake your acorns for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350. I tried this but found that it dried out the acorns too much and they split. So I decided to take my chances with critters and skip this step.

I started at the base of the inside of the wreath to begin to glue the acorns.

I continued by working from the bottom up in a circular fashion.

Take your time choosing the right acorns to fit with the previous one used. It's kind of like a puzzle.

I had also read a tutorial that stated that there is no need to do the back side of the wreath. However, I had a hard time with finding a cut off point. As a result I decided to do the back of the wreath. Because I started at the inside base and worked my way out, the acorns rounded nicely with the wreath and the backside was actually flat and not rounded like the front of the wreath. It hangs just fine!

To get rid of the fly away glue strings, take a blow dryer over your wreath.

Once your wreath is completed and the glue has had time to set. Take a paper towel and rub lightly across the whole wreath to bring out the natural shine of the acorns. They tend to have a white film on them but it rubs off nicely!

D.I.Y. Ghost Appetizer Picks

2012-09-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

Add a Little Fun to Your Appetizers this Halloween!

Want to add a festive fun touch to your Halloween party this year? Craft up a few of these cute and easy to make ghost appetizer picks!

Materials:

White Fabric (I used fabric that had a shine to it)

Bamboo Picks (Can be found at your grocery store)

White Ribbon

Foam Balls (23mm)

Black Paint

Tools:

Mini Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (My local Dollar Store sells mini glue sticks)

Small Paint Brush

Cut fabric into 5"x5" pieces.

Use pick to poke hole into foam ball.

Add a small bit of hot glue to bottom of pick and stick into hole previously made.

Add a small dab of hot glue to center of fabric.

Stick foam ball onto hot glue on fabric. (This step makes it easier to tie fabric around pick)

Gather fabric around pick and secure with ribbon.

Trim ribbon and fabric to desired length.

Use black paint to create eyes and mouth.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Plum Jam!

2012-09-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Quick & Easy Fresh Plum Jam

If you've been following my blog you've probably noticed a trend. I like things that are easy! This is by far my favorite jam and you'll be surprised just how quick and easy it is to make. The holidays are coming and nothing is better than getting a homemade gift. Think about a gift basket of homemade lemon curd, Martha's granola and fresh plum jam!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. plums (ripe but firm are best)

1 cup water

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbls butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Wash plums, slice in half and remove pits.

Remove the seeds from approximately 4-5 of the pits.

Place plums, seeds and water in a large pot. (Be sure you use a large pot. When the mixture boils once the sugar is added it really bubbles up.)

Bring plums to a boil and simmer for approximately 40 mins. or until plums are soft and pulpy.

Add sugar to mixture and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add to warm sterilized jars.

Don't put lid onto jars until the jam has completely cooled. Enjoy!
I told you it was easy!

Martha's Granola Recipe!

2012-09-22T09:23:00.001-04:00

Best Ever Homemade Granola

After posting this I went to the store and bought everything that I needed to make the recipe. Let me tell you this recipe is great! I can't get over how good it is and so easy to make. Not only is it easy and oh so good, the recipe makes a lot of it. Thanks again Martha! You were right there's no need to go out and buy granola again. Just a side note: I added 1/4 cup of mixed raisins.

My friend Martha graciously shared her granola recipe with us. Thank you Martha! Martha has her own blog site where you can learn how to lose 12-15 pounds in just 3 weeks!

http://hcgworks.squarespace.com/

Martha and her husband Wil, also have a store, Herbs, Etc. in Pampa, Texas. Visit their on-line store today for a wide variety of Nature's Sunshine Products! http://panhandlesunshine.com/?do=Home

You'll never buy commercial granola again! If you don't want to buy all the seeds listed in the recipe that's okay. Start with a few then add to your stash, keeping seeds, nuts and oats in your freezer. If your needing a little help with regular BM's, be sure to include flax seeds. You can find the seeds and large rolled oats at a health food store.

Mix in a large bowl:

3-4 cups large rolled oats ( Martha says regular oats don't work as well)

3 tbsp flax seeds

3 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (Martha likes raw & unsalted)

or you may use pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup toasted mix nuts coarsely chopped (Martha prefers Pecans)

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Nature's Sunshine Sea Salt http://panhandlesunshine.com/?sn=150-6

(This sea salt won the 2005 Gold Taste Award)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Canola oil (or your favorite, but don't use Olive oil)

2 tbsp honey (remember to coat your spoon with oil first)

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flakes (not shredded) add in the last 5 minutes

Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 20 minutes at 375.

Stir halfway through baking time.

Use a non-stick pan or line with foil.

Do not over bake. Not even an additional minute or the cinnamon will burn!

Optional:

Add 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries)

Enjoy your scrumptious homemade granola all by itself or put on top of yogurt, ice cream or hot cooked oats!

My Favorite Ways to Harvest Basil

2012-09-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

Freeze Your Basil and Make Some Basil Pecan Pesto!

For the last couple of years I've been growing my Basil in a large pot on my deck rather than in the ground. As a result, I get a ton of fresh basil at the end of the season, but what do I do with it all at the end of the growing season? Well my favorite method is to freeze it. This way I can enjoy it all winter in my sauces. This year I tried a new recipe for Basil Pesto that I found on-line but tweaked it a bit for my taste buds.

I'll start with my method for freezing basil and end with the Pesto Recipe!

Cut basil stems and remove all leaves.

Wash your basil and spin dry in a salad spinner. ( I love my Pampered Chef salad spinner!)

Roll several basil leaves together.

Cut with scissors. I find this method much quicker and easier than trying to chop with a knife.

Place chopped basil in a freezer proof container with a lid.

Don't have a freezer proof container or don't have room in your freezer, no worries! Place chopped basil in a small Ziploc freezer bag. Squeeze excess air out of bag prior to sealing.

Basil Pecan Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

Salt, Pepper & Cayenne Pepper to taste ( I love the little zip added from the Cayenne)

(You may even add a touch of fresh lemon juice)

Add all ingredients into a food processor.

Blend until there are no chunks and is creamy and paste like.

Toss with pasta and enjoy!