Decorative Paper Flowers...

 

Since I haven't posted a craft tutorial in quite awhile, and I need to add to my Ideas page, I thought I would share this fun decorative project with you.

This is a super cheap way to add decor to a party... and I LOVE anything that saves me a buck or two!

There are a few steps in creating these paper flowers, but I think it is well worth it. You'll end up with an adorable decoration that you can hang from your patio, above a dessert bar, or along your staircase... as I have done.

So, let's get going.

Supplies:

• 6 paper bags, such as colorful lunch bags- per flower
• A ruler
• A pencil
• Scissors
• A hole punch
• Double sided tape
• String
• An object with a rounded edge, such as a cup saucer

Step 1:

Fold the bottom of each bag down on it's self and with a ruler, draw a

straight line just above the crease at the bottom.

You will be cutting this section of

the bag off later:

Step 2:

Measure and mark the center of the top of each bag with a ruler and pencil:

Step 3:

Measure from the center point, diagonally... your preference... on each side of the bags: 

Step 4:

Take a saucer, or another object with a rounded edge, and connect the two points

on each bag. This will make the petal shape:

Step 5:

Cut along your pencil marks and punch a hole just above the base of each bag.

Place double sided tape as shown below. Stack and tape all the bags together.

Cut the string to your desired length and loosely tie a knot to secure it:  

Step 6:

Fan out your bags, pull the two ends together, and tape them to secure.

Place the string along the center of the two ends before securing.

This will help it to hang evenly:

If you want to get all fancy, use crafting scissors that have the decorative edges to cut your petal shape.

I'm linking this post up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It.

I hope you'll enjoy making these nifty paper flowers...

Vegetable Beef Soup...

 

I love making soup and here's why:

One... It's easy. Hello, I love anything you can put together with little to no effort.

Two... You can throw any ingredient you want into it and make it your own.

Three... It's comfort food... and who doesn't like that!?!

I adapted this soup from a recipe that my mom would make for dinner when I was growing up. I change it up every now and again, depending on how I'm feeling. Sometimes I put cabbage in it or sometimes I add corn. That's the beauty of making soup..... you can do what you want... put your own touch on it.

Here's how I like to eat this particular soup:

One... With saltine crackers crumbled up into the soup.

Two... Lots of shredded cheddar cheese mixed in... lots.

Three... Can't forget the Deviled Ham Spread for the extra saltine crackers I like to eat with it. 

I'll share the Deviled Ham Spread along with this recipe, but I don't have any photos... sorry... we ate it all before I could snap a shot. Seriously... you have got to make it to accompany this soup. You really, really do! Be forewarned: It's not the prettiest spread in the room, but it tastes great.  

Trust me...

Vegetable Beef Soup

• 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, Divided
• 1 Pound of Ground Beef
• 2 Teaspoons of Salt, Divided
• 1 Teaspoon of Pepper, Divided
• 1 Teaspoon of Season Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Cup of Carrots, Peeled and Diced
• 1 Cup of Celery, Diced
• 2 Cups of New or White Potatoes, Diced
• 2 Quarts of Water
• 6 Beef Bullion Cubes

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium/high heat in Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, season salt, and garlic powder. Brown the ground beef, drain and remove from the pot; set aside. Add another 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to your now empty pot. Cook the carrots, celery, potatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper until the vegetables are softened; about 8 minutes. Return the ground beef to the pot. Add the water and beef bullion. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with saltine crackers, Deviled Ham Spread, and shredded cheddar cheese. Makes 12 servings.

Deviled Ham Spread

• 8 Hard Boiled Eggs, Cooled and Diced
• 1/4 of a Whole Onion, Diced
• 4 Cans (4.25 OZ) of Deviled Ham
• 1/3 - 1/2 Cups of Mayonnaise, Or To Taste

In a medium sized bowl, mix all the ingredients until combined. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Spread on saltine crackers or on bread. Makes 8 cups.

*You can find the Deviled Ham in the same aisle as the tuna at the grocery store.

Enjoy!

Project Simplify Week #3 and Orange Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting...

 

Oh, how I do love Project Simplify...

I'm kickin' clutter in the derriere... and cookin' and bakin' some yummy stuff to reward my hard work.

What?

I need some incentive, people!

Anyway... this weeks Hot Spot was our kids' toys and/or clothes. Luckily, I had already gone through both my girls' dressers before starting Project Simplify. My oldest daughter is nearly twelve, so she pretty much takes care of her bedroom and she's very organized.

As for my nearly seven year old... well, that's another story.

She has tons of toys... TONS... and I usually go through her toys before Christmas and her birthday. So, this project came just in the nick of time. The most unruly area of her room that needed to be tackled was her closet. She had board games, puzzles, train sets... and baby memorabilia. I won't lie, I got a little teary eyed as I went through her baby stuff. Then I remembered I no longer have midnight feedings and potty training to deal with. That usually snaps me right out of it...

Now, onto my before and after snap shots... cuz I know you're just dying with anticipation.

The right side of the closet.

The left side of the closet.

My reward for showing this weeks Hot Spot who's boss......

Orange Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. A well deserved treat.

And they make your house smell amazing... really, they do. Don't believe me? Well, you'll just have to bake them to find out...

Orange Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Cake:

• 2 Cups of Flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Unsalted Butter (1 stick), Softened
• 1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest, Roughly 1 Large Orange
• 3 Large Eggs, at Room Temperature
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup of Milk
• 1/2 Cup of Orange Juice

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 1/2 Cup of Salted Butter (1 stick), Softened
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
• 4 Tablespoons of Half & Half

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).

Line muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the milk and orange juice in a measuring cup and set aside. Cream the butter, sugar, and zest in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, combining well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Next, add the milk/orange juice mixture and the flour mixture, alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Evenly scoop the batter into the pre-lined muffin tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cupcakes. Cool completely. Makes 18 cupcakes.

For the frosting, combine the sifted powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the half & half in a large bowl. Mix until almost combined. Add the rest of the half & half and combine well. Frosts 18-24 cupcakes. If you feel the frosting is too sweet, just add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness.

Decorate with orange sprinkles and/or white pearl nonpareils after frosting your cupcakes.

Enjoy!



I'm linking this post up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It, Sweet Tooth Friday, and Simple Mom's Project Simplify Week #3: Kids Toys & Clothes Results.

Now I'm gonna go have myself a cupcake...

Creamy Key Lime Tart...

Guess what I'm going to be doing tonight...

... go on now, guess.

Well, I will be indulging in this yummy dessert while watching The Celebrity Apprentice. I just can't get enough Reality TV... really I can't.

I know, I know... it's not the best of television out there, but I love the drama!

As I mentioned before... I love my "stories." And yes, The Celebrity Apprentice qualifies as one...

... the wealthy, the divorced, the DRAMA.

I mean, reality stars are the utmost definition of drama. Hello... Lil Jon, Latoya Jackson, Jose Canseco... GARY BUSEY, for goodness sake!

Yep, I'm gonna sit myself down with a big piece of this Creamy Key Lime Tart (another great recipe from my mother-in-law, by the way), stuff my face and enjoy Donald Trump's hair and Lil Jon's grill... Whuuuut, Okaaayyy, Yeaahh!!!

Let's not forget Gary Busey's quirky introspective on life...

Ah, yes... I heart you Reality TV.


Creamy Key Lime Tart

FOR THE CRUST:

• 4-½ cups Honey Bunches Of Oats Cereal With Almonds, Crushed
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted

FOR THE FILLING:

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ⅓ cups Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Lime Peel
• 2 drops Green Food Coloring, Optional
• 1 cup Non- Dairy Whipped Topping (plus Extra For Topping) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine the cereal, sugar and butter; mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart or springform pan. Bake 8-9 minutes; cool completely.

Filling:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and milk. Slowly add in the juice, peel, and coloring; beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping.

Pour into cooled crust. Chill 1 hour or until set. Garnish with more whipped topping and/or lime peel.

Enjoy!



I've linked this post up to Made it on Monday and Food Fight Friday. Head on over and check out the other links!
 
Yours Truly, Watcher of Reality TV...

Project Simplify: Week #2 and Homemade Macaroni and Cheese...

 

Well, I did it again... I procrastinated. I had all week and finally on the last day, decided to start sorting through my hot mess.

This weeks Hot Spot was Paper Clutter... and I had a few different places in my home that had accumulated paper clutter. I'm notorious for filing papers here and there. A bad habit, I know.

I spent about six hours going through four areas. It went pretty smoothly, until I hit my storage area underneath the stairs. Can you say NIGHTMARE? I decided to count this as a paper clutter area because I have school materials, crafts, and stationary stored on the shelves.

I won't leave you in suspense any longer. Here are my before and after photos...

Our computer area.

The kitchen counter top where I keep some of my cookbooks and recipes.

My buffet, where I like to keep magazines. I know, it doesn't look like much of a difference,

but I got rid of a lot of magazines, Okay!?!

Last, but not least... the dreaded storage under the stairs. Que the scary slasher music...

It looks a little more organized, right?  Well, it should... I got rid of four large

trash bags in this area alone!

Well, that's all folks...

P.S... Excuse the bad lighting on my photos, I had no natural light coming in when I took them.

Before I go and pass out from exhaustion, I want to share some comfort food with you. My mother-in-laws recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. It makes things all better...

... really, it does.

Oh So Good Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 pound Elbow Pasta, Cooked And Drained
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 cups 2% Milk, Divided
• 1 bag Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese (16 Oz), Divided
• 1 cup Shredded Parmesan, Divided
• 3 Tablespoons Dried Chopped Onion
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
• 2-½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Begin by boiling 4 quarts of water and cooking the elbow pasta until al dente (8-10 minutes).

While doing so, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour until combined. Next, whisk in 1 cup of milk and combine well with the four mixture. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Now whisk in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese into the saucepan until well combined with the milk mixture. Keep alternating 1 cup of milk to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, whisking all the while, until a sauce begins to form. Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the cheese sauce thickens. You’ll know when it is ready when the sauce coats a spoon and drips off only a little bit. When the cheese sauce is finished remove from the heat and set aside.

After the pasta has been drained, return it to the pot and pour in the cheese sauce, dried chopped onion, parsley flakes, and 1/2 cup of the shredded parmesan. Stir, coating the pasta well; then put the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with rolls or a salad.

Enjoy!



I'm linking this up to Simple Mom's Project Simplify: Paper Clutter Results.

Just call me Ms. Procrastinator...