DIY Twine Basket

I’m always looking for new storage solutions for all the stuff that we have. I love baskets and bowls, and anytime that I can get storage that is functional but looks good too I consider it a plus. So I decided to make my own storage. I needed a little basket for all my wax melts. They were just loose in my linen closet and every time I wanted a new one, I had to dig through the closet to find them. Putting them in a basket is a great solution.

It’s a really easy project too. Just a little time consuming. You will need twine, and E-6000 glue.

First tie a knot in the twine. Then rub some glue along the edges of the twine, keep wrapping and gluing in a circular pattern, until you have base that is the size you want. Then place the glue along the top of the twine and wrap the twine on top continuing to go up until it is the desired height. Cut the twine and glue the end down. I decided to make the basket a little more decorative and braided the twine and then glued it around the outside. Let dry then you are ready to use.

Enjoy

Strawberry Lemonade Beer

It’s Memorial Day! I hope in the midst of all the BBQ’s and parties that you go to today that you take a moment and remember what today is really about. A time to remember those who have gone before us, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. I think it’s important that we never forget the reality and the real cost of war. So take a moment and if you are so inclined say a little prayer for those who gave so much.

As Memorial Day Weekend has turned into a celebration with Family and Friends I thought I would share this drink recipe. Now I have a little disclaimer I HATE BEER! No really I never drink it, ever. I would rather not drink than drink a beer. But I thought what the hay I’ll give this recipe a try!

Strawberry Lemonade Beer, is so good! I was so surprised I was really thinking ugh I’m not going to like this there’s no way. But I DID! YAY! It’s a really light and refreshing drink!

Ingredients:

1lb Strawberries, sliced

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Lemonade

3 Beers (for a non-alcoholic version use ginger-ale)

Ice

Directions:

Place Strawberries and Sugar in a bowl and let sit to bring out the juices of the berries. Then mix with the lemonade. Pour in the beers and stir. Add Ice to glasses and pour the lemonade mixture over the ice. Garnish with Strawberries and Lemon slices.

Enjoy

Caramel Apple S'mores

Does anything say summer better than a S’more? To me it’s the iconic summer treat. Swimming, camp outs, bonfires on the beach and s’mores, yep that’s summer to me! But if you are like me and trying to watch your weight s’mores can be a diet killer.  When I saw the apple s’mores on Pinterest I knew I had to try them. I mean it makes it a totally healthy treat if it’s made with Apples right? Ok maybe not but they are still so good.

It actually tastes like one of those gourmet caramel apple. But it’s a lot more fun to make and a bit easier to eat!

Ingredients:

Granny Smith Apples

Chocolate Bars

Marshmallows

Caramels (I used Lancaster Caramels)

Directions:

Slice the apples into rounds and remove the seeds/core. Place a square of chocolate on top of one apple slice, flatten a piece of caramel and place over the chocolate. Toast your marshmallows. With another apple slice slide the toasted marshmallow onto your chocolate caramel topped apple slice.

Enjoy

DIY Fire Starters

I can’t believe that this weekend is Memorial Day Weekend?! It’s the unofficial kick off of summer and man am I ready for it. I’m looking forward to so much, we have family coming to visit, and the Hubster is home for the whole summer and well its summer what’s not to love?

We are going to try and get some camping in this summer. We love to camp and it feels like it’s been forever since we went. Well because it has! If you are going to go camping this summer you will probably be making a camp fire. Is there anything more frustrating than attempting to start a fire? I always get so frustrated when I can’t get it to stay lit. The Hubster had a solution for me. Fire starters, made from egg cartons, sawdust/dryer lint, and melted wax.

I love this idea, basically it’s free. Everything I used would have otherwise been thrown away.

Here’s how you make it.

Take a cardboard egg carton, fill it with sawdust or dryer lint, pour melted wax over the top of everything, and let set up, store until you are ready to use. Then break a section off when you are ready to build a fire.

Place in the bottom of your fire pit, place your wood over top and light the fire starter! Then watch it BURN BABY BURN!

Enjoy

Seasonal Eating: Cherries

Summers almost here! I can’t wait I’m really looking forward to this summer, it’s the first one since we moved to Washington that the Hubster will actually be home!! YAY!!

It also means that the Farmers Market is going to open soon! I LOVE THE FARMERS MARKET! There really isn’t much better than fresh fruit and veggies!

Our Farmers Market doesn’t open until June but I am enjoying the fresh fruit that’s in season and in the grocery store right now.

CHERRIES! I love Cherries! I don’t usually bake with them usually we just eat them all as soon as we get them! But I thought it would be fun to try to bake a dessert with them. As I was searching for a recipe I was surprised by how many were using canned cherries, I mean I use them too but it was hard to find a recipe that used fresh cherries! I finally found one HERE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Cherries

3/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter, the add in the brown sugar and stir. Mix in the remaining ingredients until combined. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool and serve.

Enjoy

Healthy Meals: Green Smoothies

At the beginning of the year I did a Green Smoothie Challenge. I was surprised to find that I really liked it! I thought for sure it was going to be gross and that I was going to be able to taste the spinach. But you really can’t! I found that it was really about finding the right fruits to mix to make something you would like to drink! Now I have to warn you these drinks don’t always look appetizing. Man Child would sometimes look at me like what in the world is that! And the Hubster? Forget about it. He wanted nothing to do with the smoothies. He would try them when he was home on the weekends but often it was barely a sip. By playing around with the recipes and adding things we liked I did find one that we all really liked.

Here’s what I liked about doing the Challenge I liked that I was getting so much fruit and veggies at one time! I also liked that it was a really quick breakfast! I don’t do them every day anymore but they are on a regular rotation for breakfasts. Give these smoothies a try you might be surprised how good they are!

The key to remember is to make sure you have at least one frozen fruit to add to each smoothie. It really makes a difference. I always throw my bananas that are getting a little brown into the freezer! 

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Spinach

1 cup Milk (I used fat free but you can use what you like)

1 Banana (frozen)

1 TBSP Peanut Butter (any nut butter will work I’ve made it with almond butter)

1 TBSP Cocoa Powder

1 TBSP Honey (optional)

1 TBSP Flaxseed

Directions:

In a blender first combine the milk and the Spinach, blend until the spinach is no longer chunky. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.

Enjoy

Strawberry Shortcake

If you saw my post on Wednesday about a Mothers Day Evening Off, you know that I made a strawberry shortcake to go with the dinner. Well I didn’t really make it I bought pound cake and cut up strawberries! But still it’s like making it right? That was a post from last year and now I’m totally craving strawberry shortcake! My Grandma used to make her own shortcakes that were a kind of sweet biscuit. So I thought I would give that a try. 

Pound Cake is my favorite way to have strawberry shortcake because well I could just eat the pound cake all by itself but if you put strawberries on it then its healthy right? No? Oh well it’s still good right!

But I don’t have any pound cake in the freezer, and I haven’t found a great recipe yet either! So I thought I would try to make something similar to what my Grandma made. These are pretty close I think! And this would be a great dessert for Mothers Day!

Ingredients:

(recipe adapted from Bisquick.com)

4 cups Strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup Sugar

2 1/3 cups Baking mix (I used Bisquick)

1/2cup Milk

3TBSP Sugar

3TBSP Butter, melted

Whipped Cream (I didn't have any so I just didn't use it)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

In medium bowl, stir baking mix, milk, sugar and butter until soft dough forms. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 6 spoonfuls.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Split open the warm shortcakes and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Enjoy

Mothers Day: Evening Off

*I thought I would share this post from last year again! I really think its such a great idea!  And now I'm hungry for both lasagna and strawberry shortcake!*

I was talking with my sister the other day about what we were getting our Mom’s for Mother’s Day. She was saying how she didn’t know what to get this year and I said why not either take Mom to lunch or maybe make her a dinner so she could have an “Evening Off” from cooking?! The more I was thinking about it I thought ya know what? That’s actually an awesome idea?! What could be better than having someone show up with a bag full of everything you need for dinner that night? So I thought I would show you what I would do if I was going to make an “Evening Off” from dinner gift Bag.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A Bag: Now you could just use a gift bag but I saw these great cooler bags in the grocery store when I was buying everything for the dinner and thought that it would be perfect. You could also use the grocery store insulated reusable bags that they have at all the stores now.

Main Dish: I chose Frozen Lasagna, why? Cause it’s easy and it’s always pretty good. However you could make something which would be EVEN better! I think my Sister is actually going to make a Turkey Spinach Lasagna with whole wheat pasta (which sounds awesome and I may have to steal the recipe)

Salad: I chose to use the salad bar at the Grocery store, but you could buy the bagged salad or make a salad.

French Bread: because Pasta without French bread I mean whats the point?

A nice Bottle of Wine (if they drink alcohol, if not maybe Lemonade or Iced Tea)

Dessert: I chose strawberry shortcake, using pound cake. I even bought the whip cream cause well yum! For the strawberries go ahead and cut them up and sprinkle a little sugar on them and put them into a container.

Don’t forget to include paper plates, plastic cutlery, and napkins. I mean if it’s truly going to be an Evening Off you don’t want them to have to do dishes right?

Just place everything in your bag and you are ready to deliver your gift of an Evening Off!

                                                          
                                                                    ENJOY!

Cilantro Jalapeno Dip

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Do you celebrate this holiday? We do for no other reason than it’s a good excuse to eat Mexican food! And we LOVE us some Mexican food in this house! Last year I shared a whole little fiesta complete with Mexican S'mores! You can find those recipes HERE! 

I’m not sure what we are going to have for dinner this year, but I do know I’m going to make this great Cilantro Jalapeno Dip that the Hubsters XO (executive officer) made at a company get together. It was really good and I’d never had it before. I love cilantro too so anytime I find something to make with it I always want to give it a try. I know cilantro is one of those things you either love or hate, my Mom thinks it tastes like soap, but I LOVE it!

Ingredients:

5 Jalapenos

Bunch of Cilantro

½ cup Greek Yogurt

½ cup Sour Cream

1 pkg Ranch Seasoning

Directions:

Remove seeds and stems from the Jalapenos, slice in half. Combine Jalapenos and Cilantro in a food processor and blend until smooth. In a mixing bowl combine the Ranch, Yogurt and Sour Cream. Then stir in the Cilantro mixture. Stir until combined.

Enjoy