Grandma's Pull Aparts

When I was a young girl, we would go and spend the night at my Great Grandma's house. Everyone loved going to her house. She had a large tub that we always took bubble baths in and for breakfast we always made Sticky Buns! They are super easy and super delicious!

 

Pull-A-Parts Recipe 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I use sliced almonds)

1 square margarine

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I don't use)

1/2 cup brown sugar

small package Butterscotch Pudding (not instant)

12 to18 Rhodes Texas frozen rolls

Directions:

1. Grease bundt pan (can also use a large loaf pan)

2. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Place part of frozen rolls on top of nuts

3. Sprinkle half of pudding mix on top of rolls.

4. Add other part of frozen rolls and the rest of pudding.

5. Melt margarine and sugar together and pour evenly over rolls.

6. Let rise all day or at night (8 hours)

7. Wake up and bake 350 degrees for 30 Min or until brown.

8. Remove from pan upside down on plate.

 

 This is me with my Great Grandmother, enjoying Pull-A-Parts after my bubble bath! I am so grateful that I was able to have such a wonderful grandmother. We learned so much from her!

Hawaiian Meatballs

This is one of our favorite meals! Not only is it delicious, but it looks beautiful! I love colorful meals.

Hawaiian Meatballs

Make this yummy ground beef recipe for dinner

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 C dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 C milk
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 C)

Serves 6

Preparation time: 10min

Total time: 10min

Meatball Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients and form into round meatballs. Should make about 20 1 1/2 in meatballs.
2. Bake uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Sauce Ingredients:
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits
Water
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 C. vinegar
1 C. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbps. lemon juice
1/2 C. chopped green bell peppers
2 Tbsp. pimentos
*when I'm on a tight budget or I'm lazy, I omit the green bell peppers on pimentos and it still tastes great!

Sauce Directions:
1. Combine pineapple juice with water to make 2 cups. Blend with cornstarch and cook until thickened.
2. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.
3. Add meatballs and serve over rice!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Devin and I made peanut butter cookies to take to a neighbor and realized we didn't have any paper plates to deliver them on! Once the cookies cooled down, we stacked them in the center of saran wrap, brought the corners up to the top and tied a ribbon around. I think it turned out cute!

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C peanut butter
1/4 C shortening
1/4 C margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt


Directions:
1. Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, margarine, and egg until well blended.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients
Optional: Cover and refrigerate 1-3 hours (my Mom prefers to make her's this way)
3. Shape dough into balls and flatten in a crisscross patter with fork dipped in flour
4. Bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes.

Harry Potter Party!

Are you a Harry Potter nerd? Maybe your kids? I will admit... I am a Harry Potter nerd. I love the books. I am a critic of the movies. Nevertheless, I still watch them and I am excited for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 to come out next week!

I think it would be so much fun to have a Harry Potter Party in celebration of the movie. Here are some great ideas for your Harry Potter Party!

Gourmet Mom On The Go provides us a recipe for BUTTERBEER! If you don't know what butterbeer is, go read Harry Potter.

Here is a recipe for CHOCOLATE FROGS!

You'll have to purchase this chocolate frog mold from Amazon, it's only $2.50 + Shipping

And, if you are feeling really ambitious, you can go to The Leaky Cauldron and use their free printable for the famous chocolate frog hexagon box!

I also thought it would be fun to make wands! They are chocolate covered pretzel sticks! Add a little baking glitter or sprinkles for a magical effect!

And, don't forget to pick up some jelly beans to use as Berti Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans

Happy Party Planning!

Favicon update - for Blogger!

Have you noticed this little new feature? Add your own favicon WITHOUT doing any coding! I know there are many of you that just smiled.

1. Log on to blogger.com
2. Click DESIGN
3. Upload image

Go check it out and add your favicon today!

*favicon is the little icon/image next to the url in your internet browser window.

One man's TRASH is another woman's TREASURE!

Literally.

Last weekend my husband was taking out the trash (yes, he does that occasionally) on his way out. He gave me a call and said, "There's a crate in the trash that looks pretty cool, you should come down and look at it." So I went out and sure enough, it was cool!

So, we reached in and pulled it out of the big dumpster. It smelt disgusting. But, we hosed it off and it's looking pretty good. It is from 1953! And, milk only cost .25 cents. Now, what to do with it??

I know it's been a long time. We were homeless for a month. Then with moving in, job searching, and life, I was pretty busy! We're getting settled in though and I am happy for that!

SNAP! The Conference

Are you a blogger? Have you heard about the SNAP! Conference next year?SNAP is a creative blogging and social media, three-day conference in April 19-21, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah They are targeting the best bloggers representing modern handmade, contemporary craft, mind-blowing events and DIY.

Head on over to www.snaptheconference.com for more information. (their website is super cute! Kinda jealous I didn't think of it)

Don't forget! 5k run this Saturday!

If you're in Utah, don't forget to check out this event and help the Green family get closer to their chance at having children:

www.poundthepavementforparenthood.com

And, if you are a Utah blogger, PLEASE copy this image and post it on your blog or facebook!

Pound the Pavement for Parenthood 5k

I'm still on the move, but I needed to post about an upcoming event in Utah:

This Saturday, May 14th, there is a 5k run going on to raise money for the Green Family. Austin and Amanda Green have been actively trying to become pregnant for four years. After three failed artificial insemination attempts, they found out they will need IVF to make their dreams of becoming parents a reality. This 5k race will help them meet the overwhelming costs of the procedure.

For more information about the 5k , please visit the Pound the Pavement for Parenthood blog.

They are also accepting items to be sold at their booth at the Get Outdoors Expo in South Jordan, Utah. There is also information on how to donate items on the blog.

Moving

Hi there! Today, I wanted to tell you about my next big adventure! Devin and I are moving a couple of States away to Bellevue, WA  for his new job. We're excited and nervous at the same time.

I just wanted to let you all know that I won't be posting for awhile. I need to focus on packing, moving, getting settled, unpacking, and everything else that goes with moving. I'll see you again once we get settled (and internet), thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Any of you from the Seattle area? Any tips, suggestions, places we must go, things we must do?

Doll House Makeover

While Devin and I were visiting his parents, we helped his Mom repaint a bathroom upstairs. We had some extra paint and I knew just what to do with it. Repaint the doll house. The doll house is very old, but now the granddaughters are playing with it, so I thought it could use a facelift! Plus, with all those little hands, it was really dirty.

Before

After

I painted the roof and floors brown (the color of the bathroom) and the insides and outsides red. We left all the old wallpaper for sentimental reasons.

Yep, I even gave barbie a contemporary red kitchen! It was a fun project and hopefully the kids will enjoy it!

It's already Friday?

Can you believe it is Friday? This week went by so fast for me! Once again, there were some awesome projects out there in the blog world.

Boerman Ramblings made this wallet from scratch! No pattern or anything. I'm pretty impressed!

I loved the theme for this Birthday party! Corner House did an awesome job at creating a Tangled themed birthday party! I just love the movie tangled!! Would it be weird for someone in their 20's to have a Tangled themed birthday party? Just wondering...

By the way, if you're curious about the real story of Rapunzel, you can go and read it here. Just like Little Mermaid, I like the Disney version better.

I couldn't pass up posting these Oreo, cheesecake, brownies. Yes, I did just say all three, in one delicious bar. thank you Sweet Peas Kitchen for sharing this delicious treat!

Hope you all have a great Easter weekend!

Preparation time: 10min
Total time: 70min
Serves 6

Lasagna

This yummy, cheesy lasagna is sure to please a crowd

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 12 oz tomato paste
• 1 oz. spaghetti sauce mix
• 24 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 tbs. dried parsley
• 1 lb. grated cheese
• 1 box lasagna noodles

Directions
1. Brown hamburger, drain any excessive oil.
2. Stir in tomato paste, water, and sauce mix. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally. NOTE: when I first started making this meal, I thought this step was unnecessary and I skipped it. I was wrong. I ended up with soupy lasagna.
3. Mix the parsely into the cottage cheese
4. Lightly grease a large baking dish, 9x13. Spoon enough meat sauce on bottom of pan to cover
5. Top with strips of lasagna (do not cook lasagna noodles)
6. Spread half of cottage cheese and then cheese on top.
7. Repeat layers. END WITH MEAT SAUCE. Sprinkle with parmesan cheses
8. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cover with tinfoil!

Just out of the oven.

 

Serve with garlic or french bread and a salad or green beans.

Willow Spring Decor - FREE!

Devin and I went to Wyoming last week to visit our family. On the drive out there, we passed some beautiful red willow branches on the road. Naturally, I made Devin pull over so we could go out and clip some.

This particular willow grows in the Western States. They are the most red in the spring. You can also purchase them at most craft stores.

Materials:
Clippers
Willow bushes (frequently found by river beds)

Directions:
Go out and find some red willow bushes. When you are cutting your branches,  you want to cut the new growth, that is where it is the most vibrant red. Look for long, singular branches when possible.

Bring home and arrange in a vase or create a spiral hand tied arrangement like mine and set on your mantel or vignette. I decided to try making a video to explain how to make a spiral hand tied arrangement:







 

If you did your spiral right, it should look like this and will be free standing:

Good luck making your own spring arrangement!

Check out other great crafts at:

Revamp your blog!

Today I am going to teach you how to use Blogger to give your blogspot blog a face lift. No costs and NO html!! We will be using blogger's template designer. This tutorial is for personal blogs and professional blogs.


To start, go to the Setting section on your blogspot dashboard, scroll down towards the bottom and make sure updated editor is selected.

After you have done that, go to the design tab and click Template Designer

This is where the fun starts! The first step inside Template Designer is to choose your template. There are 6 different templates to choose from and they all have variations. Play around and see what you like best.

Once you have chosen your template, move down to background. Use one of bloggers many backgrounds or upload your own! Blogger will even suggest color schemes that match the background. You need to click the arrow next to the picture to see the possible backgrounds.

Next, skip the adjust widths tab and go down to the layout. Choose how many columns you want, which side to have them on, and what you want your footer to look like. NOTE: the widths readjust themselves after you choose a layout, this is why we are choosing a layout first.

Now, you can go back and adjust the widths. If you want to be able to post the extra large photos, increase your entire blog to 1000 pixels.

The last step is the funnest! Go to advance and choose which fonts and colors you want for each element. Blogger has recently added more fonts. Just make sure to choose one that is readable.

There you have it! A new blog design without coding and without spending money! Have fun revamping your blogspot blog!

Have you added your own favicon yet? (the little icon next to the url in your browser) Read this tutorial on how: Favicon

Cashew Chicken

I got this recipe from a friend of mine when I got married. She gave me a starter kit of ingredients and recipes. Since I didn't buy most of the sauce ingredients, there aren't any prices this time. It's delicious though!

Cashew Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Oil
2-4 Garlic cloves
1 lb boneless chicken breast thinly sliced
½ c cashews
1 red pepper , sliced in stir-fry chunks or strips
1 scallion, thinly sliced for garnishing (optional)

Sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1tsp cornstarch in water
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/8 tsp white pepper (can substitute regular pepper)


Directions:
1. Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and white pepper; set aside.
2. Heat skillet; add oil, garlic (cook garlic in oil for about 30 seconds) then add chicken and the sauce. Stir as chicken cooks.
3. Turn heat to high and reduce the sauce until glaze forms.
4. Stir in red bell pepper (let cook for about 2 minute). If the sauce is not reduced and is thin, add enough corn starch to thicken..
5. Mix in roasted cashews and then put on a serving dish. Garnish with scallion and red bell pepper.
6. Serve best with jasmine rice; delicious with pasta as well.

Omelets

I love breakfast on the weekends. Mmm... When I was growing up, my Dad would frequently make breakfast on the weekends. His specialty: Omelets. I'm pretty sure he's the best Omelet maker ever. I would be laying in bed and hear the fork beating the eggs inside a cup and I knew: Dad's was making omelets! One of us kids would sit at the bar and beat the eggs while he put them together.

Still, when I hear an egg being beaten in a plastic container I think: Dad's making omelets!

Since moving out, I've tried to make omelets like my Dad. However, every time I tried, mine ended up being scrambled eggs. I was determined to get them right, so I practice a lot. Earlier this week, I made 2 perfect omelets. No scrambled eggs. Patience is the key.

Omelets

Ingredients
2 Eggs $0.24
Grated Cheese $0.25
Other: Whatever your heart desires! Here is what was in these particular omelets:
Ground Pork
Red Pepers
Onion
Servings 1 = $0.49-$1.00 (depending on what you put in them.


Directions
1. Crack and beat you eggs
2. Pour a little vegetable oil into a small frying pan and heat to medium low. I've found that the 3-4 works best. Pour egg in. Salt and pepper if desired.
3. Gently use a fork to scrape around the sides as the bottom side cooks.
4. Once the omelet is well cooked on the bottom flip it over using a spatula (this is where it could turn into scrambled eggs)
5. Add cheese and other ingredients.
6. Once cooked, fold together!

Good luck! What is your favorite breakfast food?

Friday Finds

Need some crafting inspiration? Check out these great projects:


Doesn't this egg look delicious? Visit the Caffeinated Globe to see great pictures.

I just love all of the detail Love, Laughter and Decor put into this spring wreath.

You might have already seen this project around lately. Taylor Made has submitted it to the DIY Club competition and the One Month To Win It competition. I think it will go far! Head on over to the blog to check out more pictures and see how this shower curtain was made.

Thanks for sharing your talents with us!