Mother's Love Pendant for Mom's Day

Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Disc with children's names.  This will be a gift for a special mom from her husband.

Make Your Own Bread and Butter Pickles

 

My absolute favorite pickle is the Bread and Butter pickle.  Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this fantastic recipe to make my own...at Brown Eyed Baker.  I ran right out and bought a fancy, shmancy vegetable slicer at Bed, Bath and Beyond to cut cucs to pickle!  This is seriously easy.

Ingredients
5 medium sized cucumbers (I looked for pickling cucumbers and turned up with nothing.  I settled for the smallest ones that I could find.)
Kosher salt, to sprinkle
1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric

To Prepare
1.  Cut cucumbers approximately 1/4 inch thick with fancy vegetable slicer (or a regular paring knife...haha)

2.  Layer in a bowl sprinkled with kosher salt, cover and set in the frig for an hour or two.

3.  Remove cucumbers from the bowl and rinse in a colander, return to emptied bowl, toss with onion and set aside.

4.  In a medium saucepan, add vinegars, sugars and spices over medium heat and stir until sugars are dissolved.

5.  Pour mixture over cucumbers and onions and let set for about an hour at room temperature.

6.  Transfer all ingredients to an air tight container and set in the frig overnight.

Enjoy the sweet goodness!  (They will keep in the frig for 2 weeks.)  I can't believe that I made them myself!  I'm not sure how necessary the onions are for the flavor.  I may try to had them without to see, it's not like I will eat them.  =)   I'm sure I can can them as well to keep them longer if I want to make a big batch like cucumber harvesting time this summer???  Can't wait!

Sausage, Peppers & Onions - Crockpot & Freezer Meal

I have great intentions of getting to my projects but it's just not happening right now.  I'm posting some more of my Crockpot & Freezer Meals until our lives slow down a bit and mom has some time to get to her projects.  I haven't even planted my seeds indoors for our garden yet.  I better get on that... like yesterday.  

Sausage, Peppers and Onions in a crockpot?  As a freezer meal?  Why yes!


Ingredients
6 Italian Sausages
2 Green Peppers, sliced
1 Red Pepper, sliced
1 Large Onion, sliced
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Seasoning
Drizzle of Olive Oil

To Prepare
Ziploc Freezer Bag
1.  Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.
2.  Seal with as little air as possible.
3.  Mix ingredients in bag once closed.
4.  Lay flat and freeze.
5.  When ready to cook:
     a.  Thaw frozen bag inside a bowl in the frig (1/2 - 1 day).  Throw in crockpot for 4 - 6 hours on high with 1/2 cup of water.
     -or-
     b.  Empty frozen bag into crockpot and cook on high 6 - 8 hours with 1/2 cup of water.

Baked Fresh
Throw ingredients into crockpot and cook on high for 4 - 6 hours.

Please note that crockpot times may vary.  If it's the first time that you are making this dish and/or you don't know your crockpot that well, make it on the weekend while you are home.  

To Serve
Serve over noodles or with bread and mozzarella cheese.  Enjoy!

My Inspiration:  Ring Around the Rosies

Puppy

Puppy a.k.a. FUR BALL

Wuzzy Fuzzy Wasn't Fuzzy, Was He?  

He's so pathetically bald that he's cute.  Can you believe that it's the same dog?  Poor Puppy.  I think they went a bit short on his hair cut but he can see now.

Chipotle Chicken - Crockpot & Freezer Meal

We have been crazy busy with football and baseball and I am super behind on my blogging responsibilities... I'm hoping to complete some projects this weekend.  It's like tackle football all over again!  I will survive.  This is short lived, only three and a half more weeks of flag football.  I can make it.  

This picture doesn't do it justice.  It is actually quite tasty.  I find it best cooked in the oven once thawed.  

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
1 T Onion Powder
1 T Minced Garlic
1 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 t chicken bouillon
2 T sugar
1/2 c water

To Prepare
Ziploc Freezer Bag
1.  Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.
2.  Seal with as little air as possible.
3.  Mix ingredients in bag once closed.
4.  Lay flat and freeze.
5.  When ready to cook:
     a.  Thaw frozen bag inside a bowl in the frig (1/2 - 1 day).  Throw in crockpot for 4  - 6 hours on low.
     -or-
     b.  Thaw frozen bag inside a bowl in the frig (1/2 - 1 day).  Empty bag into a baking pan.  Cover with        foil.  Bake at 375F for 40 - 50 minutes, remove foil for the last 10 - 15 minutes.

Baked Fresh
1.  Place chicken breasts in a baking pan.
2.  Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3.  Pour mixture over chicken and cover with foil.
4.  Bake at 375F for 40 - 50 minutes, remove foil for the last 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve with a tasty side dish and enjoy!

This recipe is all my own but this is My Inspiration which sounds tasty (if you like beans...lol), give it a try!

'Steel' Tee

Just showing off a Tee that I made for my 'Steel' using Silhouette Heat Transfer Vinyl and my Silhouette.  I couldn't get the little guy to model it for me so this is all ya get!  =)  It was designed by yours truly.  I'm so proud.  =)  Love my Silhouette. 

Bird Nest Brownies

I made these cute little Bird Nest Brownies for Easter.  

I first made brownies per the package instructions in (greased) mini muffin tins.  Mine took about 15 minutes.   The toothpick came out almost clean... (you don't want it clean or the brownie won't be soft)

I let the brownies cool an popped them out of the muffin tin.  I, then, decorated them by using a chocolate frosting tub spooned into a ziploc bag with a decorating tip making little nest and popping little chocolate filled eggs in each nest...

My Inspiration:  mylittle3andme.co.uk

Easter Moon Pies

Cool Whip n Pudding Cream sandwiched in the center of two Cake Mix Cookies = Fabulous Easter Moon Pies...Need I say more?  

Oh yeah, you may want need the recipe...

Ingredients

Cookies

1 box of yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1 t baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup Easter M&Ms

Filling

1 tub of Cool Whip, thawed

1 box of Cheesecake pudding mix (small box)

To Prepare

1.  Combine cake mix, eggs, baking powder and oil in a mixing bowl.  

2.  Stir in M&Ms.

3.  Form balls of dough on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.  

4.  Bake at 350F for approximately 10 minutes, oven times may vary so keep an eye out until edges are a golden brown.  

5.  Set aside to let cool.

6.  Combine pudding mix and cool whip in a small mixing bowl.

7.  Once cookies have cooled, dollop a good spoonful of that cool whip filling on the under side of a cookie and smoosh another one on top of it.

8.  Enjoy the yumminess!

My Inspiration:  Couponing & Cooking

Steel's First Grade Music Concert

That's my angel!  He did a great job at his concert and he made a great sailor!  (See below...)  Just showing off my baby...

Teriyaki Chicken - Crockpot & Freezer Meal

This was super good.  I bet it would be great served over rice, if you liked rice.  lol.  I found it super good as is.  I found that it is better to thaw and then make in the crockpot so you don't have to add water (if it were frozen) and thus making it too watery in the crockpot.

Click Read More for the Recipe...

Warriors Cheerleader Gear

Silhouette Projects?  Why, absolutely!  I'm in! Kelly (friend and fellow Silhouette fan) was in need of some cheerleader gear for her daughter's upcoming competition.  I busted out the ol' Silhouette to come to the rescue.  [She has since ordered a new Cameo!  I can't wait for her to share her projects with me.] 

We made two different style tees using vinyl and fabric paint.  Check out a tutorial here. 

We, also, decorated a couple megaphones using vinyl and transfer tape.  Check out a tutorial here. 

St. Patty's Day Projects and Fun

I know that it's 5 days after the fact and I'm still posting about St. Patrick's Day but I was behind  on posting and I wanted to make sure I posted everything.  This will be a quick run down of all this year's projects and last and some extra fun that I didn't have separate posts about. I promise I will now hang my St. Pat's hat until next year!!  =)

Green Decor Projects:

St. Pat's WordArt

Stampin' Shamrocks

St. Pat's Keep Calm

Silhouette Double Sided Adhesive with Glitter

St. Pat's Picture Display using Dynamic Frames

Shamrockin' Chandelier

Shamrock Bathroom Decor

Shamrock Front Door Fun

No Slip Shamrock Hand Towels

Shamrock Table Rug

Green Food and Drink Fun:

 Green Eggs (no ham)

Lime Jello (with a bit of extra green) and Pistachio Pudding, both topped with Cool Whip

 

Cupcakes with Green Cool Whip Frosting 

Brownies with Shamrocks made with a stencil cut on my Silhouette and Green Decorating Spray

Green Cheddar Bacon Spread

 

Shamrock cut out of Chalkboard Vinyl (using Silhouette) for drink labels

 

 Juice Box Waters colored Green

Decorated Green Beer Pitcher

St. Patrick's Gold Treats

Green Gear:

 

 

Silhouette Vinyl Stencils and Fabric Paint Tees

How Tos:  Patty Party Tees & St. Pat's Beer Tee

   

Silhouette Heat Transfer Iron Ons

How Tos:  Irish Steel Tee, Our Fav Leprechaun & Arrr-ish Fun

Patty Party Purse

Irish for Beer Pendant