Autumn...

Autumn...the beginning of my FAVORITE time of the year. The weather cools down (everywhere except California apparently) and sweaters and scarves and boots are publicly acceptable again. Cooking, baking, and crafts are abundant at the end of the year too! Unfortunately, it's been WAY to hot to bake anything. With fall quickly approaching I couldn't help myself. I went into storage and took out the few autumnal items I have and began the pilgrimage to the craft store to continue building my seasonal arsenal. Since I haven't lived in my own place for very long, it's taking some time to accumulate enough stuff to decorate. This year, I'm going to build my collection when the season ends by purchasing the clearanced fall items.

Blah, blah, blah you're thinking. Where are the crafts, the desserts, the savory, delectable dinners? They are coming! For now I have a few crafts that I've started working on.

Remember the burlap Christmas wreath? It has been updated throughout the year, but I did remember to take a few pictures for the Autumn wreath update. All I did was replace the winter picks with fall picks. I cut apart some of them so I could artistically arrange them around the form. The update was about $4. Not too shabby for a whole new look... AND I LOVE IT!

I have another wreath project in the works, but I'll save that for another blog since I only have the wreath form completed. :/

Aside from the wreath I have also updated my dining room table. Originally the stems I purchased were supposed to make up two vases worth of arrangements, buuuuut it ended up as one.

I suppose that is all for now. I'm browsing my recipes to see if there is anything I'm going to try for dinner. Stay tuned for another update. 

Paper Roll Craft

I actually, successfully, made a craft I found on Pinterest! ::gasp:: I'm just as shocked as you are. After browsing Pinterest and longing to have a house that I can do what I want with, I came back to reality and realized that I better start finding things to better my small, homey apartment. Although pinning that amazing fire pit, fantastic kitchen with tons of storage and a gas stove, innovative large house additions, and that oh so cute nursery (no, so don't bother asking). I decided to re-visit the boards on which I had compiled things I previously "liked". I began collecting toilet paper rolls right after I found this craft and have since been battling the bag in the hall closet. The one hundredth time it fell out of the closet must have been today. Since it was a wonderfully warm California day, I decided to sit on my un-pinterested balcony and get the craft crafted.

Here is the original.

Here is what I did and what you will need:
18 toilet paper rolls
Elmer's Glue-All Multi-Purpose Glue
Scissors
Black Spray Paint
Wax paper

1. Mark the rolls at 1 inch intervals. Luckily, my rolls were exactly 4 inches long. (Except the one I took a picture of.)

2. Fold (squish) the roll, preferably where you made the marks.

3. Cut along your marks.

4. Once you have all of the pieces cut, lay out wax paper. If you do it on regular paper, the glue will stick and then you have to cut your project away from the paper. Then lay out your design.

5. Glue where the pieces are touching. You may want to use clothes pins to hold the pieces together after putting them together. I didn't do this, but they seemed to stay just fine.

6. Wait 30 minutes to an hour, depending on what glue you used. Make sure you wait for the glue to dry before picking it up. Lay new wax paper before spray painting. (I used the same paper and didn't wait for the glue to completely finish drying and now I have to trim painted glue chunks from my piece.)

7. Spray paint, in a well ventilated area! Be sure to spray both sides. You will need more than 1 coat. 

8. Ta-da! I used a total of 72 pieces. It is almost 3 feet by 1 foot.

Since I'm not completely sure where I wanted to hang it, I had my hubby hold it up so you could see the finished piece clearly. 

What I learned: 

Next time I will do this on a table instead of the floor. My legs are killing me! 

Matte spray paint worked as a base coat, but I will be adding a black glossy coat. 

Toilet paper rolls have a swirl mark similar to how a package of crescent rolls opens. Try not to use those pieces since they do not have a smooth finish. 

Until the next craft...

My Newest Finds

Here are 2 new websites that I found yesterday and am excited to try. I'm still exploring them, but so far I like what I've found. Check em' out!

Ziplist This website is very versatile, although I don't have a smart phone I still like it. You can check off ingredients to add to a digital shopping list (yes, there's an app for that), browse recipes from tons of sites - that's how I found the following link, add recipes to a box, AND even "check" to add them to your digital grocery list. Also, create a sensible stockpile of things you always need on hand, use the grocery list template, create lists based on what store you need to get the items from, and my favorite part.... coupons! (It's not the coupon mecca, but I printed some good stuff yesterday.) I'm still exploring this website and trying to figure out how to completely use it, but so far so good.

Skinny Taste I found LOTS of new recipes that I want to try. There are pages upon pages of yummy things to try. On a diet? You can search for recipes based on Weight Watchers Points, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Holidays, Meat, and type of meal. Like Ziplist, you can also add things to a recipe box or grocery list. My favorite part of this website is that it gives you the nutritional information and has lots of pictures to show you each step. (Maybe I should think about taking more step-by-step pictures.)

Til I browse again...

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake / Blueberry Cookies

I have had this dinner recipe for weeks now. Every time I go to the market, there is always one ingredient that I forget to get. Finally, I made it a point to write the recipe on the back of my grocery list. Over the last few years, I've mostly been way too busy to try new recipes, especially those that took longer than 20 minutes. After getting home from a 12 hour day at 8pm who really wants to cook? It definitely wasn't me... and it wasn't that I didn't want to cook, I was just exhausted, and stopping at a local drive through was just easier. Now that I have plenty of free time to browse my favorite recipe sites, I'm finding that there are tons of recipes that I could have made ahead of time to save money, time, and I'll actually know what ingredients I'm putting into my body. (Taking a health class and watching Dr. Oz really makes you think about the things you consume.) I definitely check the labels of everything I purchase now. Granted, grocery prep and shopping takes more time now that I have detailed grocery lists, coupons, sales, and label checking to do. However, it is completely worth it, especially when I can get dijon mustard for 19 cents and save almost 50% on my grocery bills.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake (Original Recipe)
Actual Prep Time: 1 hour+; Cook Time: 25 minutes
The reason the prep time is so long is because the brown rice takes about 1 hr 45 minutes in the rice cooker. If you purchase pre-cooked rice, and have pre-cooked chicken on hand, the prep will only be about 15 minutes.

8 Cooked and Diced Boneless Chicken Tenderloins (about 2 cups)
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup frozen corn
15 oz Pinto Beans drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream (This was too much! 1/2 to 3/4 cup will be much better)
4 oz can fluid green chilies (I used Ortega Fire Roasted Diced Green Chilies)
3/4 cup salsa (I used Pace - Medium)
3/4 cup mexican blend shredded cheese plus a little more for on top.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Bake for 25 minutes.

What I learned: Next time, I'll use 4 cups rice and less sour cream. It tasted good and I ate it with a flour tortilla, but for someone that doesn't prefer the taste of sour cream (my hubby), use less. Increasing the salsa was a good choice I made. I'm debating on possibly adding some fresh or canned diced tomatoes too.
**** If you make this, I'd love to hear how it comes out with the adjustments.

Blueberry Cookies (Original Recipe)
I followed original recipe almost exactly this time.

3/4 cup butter, softened (original called for margarine)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions:
"In a mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar until fluffy texture.Add eggs, lemon rind, and vanilla; beat until combined.
In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to combine. Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in the berries. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen." I got about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

That's all for today folks.

Dutch Potatoes

This is one of my favorite things to make. To me, this is comfort food. It can be used as a side dish, or the main course. My grandparents used to make this quite often and there are many different renditions of the recipe. (I may make them in the next few weeks.) Granted it's not exactly the same because the produce they used was straight from their garden, but I think this is pretty good too. Originally it's made with uncooked butter lettuce and hand-cut diced bacon (from a block not strips). My modified version includes kale and kielbasa. Since my hubby is a carnivore, I needed to add more meat into the mixture. I certainly miss my grandma AND grandpa's cooking, but since one is no longer here and the other doesn't remember how to cook :( I must try to carry on the traditional foods that I grew up on. Soon, I will add more of their recipes that I have recently learned.

Recipe: Dutch Potatoes
Takes about 1 hour.
12 potatoes peeled and cut (about 7 cups)
4 hard boiled eggs diced
     Only use 1 or 2 yolks
1-2 cups Kale
4-5 tbsp mayo (to make it more creamy, add more mayo)
3 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 - 1 tbsp white vinegar (I used 1tbsp because I prefer it to taste tangy)
1 (13oz) package Hillshire Farm Beef Lil' Smokies cut into thirds OR 1/2 kielbasa rope sausage cubed

Boil the potatoes as if you were just going to make mashed potatoes. I usually toss the eggs in with the potatoes to cook.
Boil or steam the kale. Once cooked, you will have about 1/2 the volume of what you started with.
In a skillet, cook the Lil' Smokies until some get the "grilled crust" on them. Drain on newspaper or paper towel.

When everything is done cooking and drained, mash the potatoes with mayo, mustard, and vinegar. Then add the kale and mash again. Last, add the eggs and Lil' Smokies, and do NOT mash or the eggs will disappear into the mixture. Simply fold the eggs and meat in with a spoon. THAT'S IT!

Super Mario Themed Cupcakes

After weeks of planning and scouting numerous Pinterest entries, Google images, and blogs, Corey finally found some pictures of Super Mario themed cupcakes to make for the baby shower she was hosting. For such a prominent theme, one would think there would be WAY more options; unfortunately, there were not (unless you are a professional fondant and frosting crafter). There is no special recipe for the cupcakes: simply Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix.

Supply List:
Round Icing Tip and bag
Yellow Cake Mix
Vanilla Frosting
Blue colored sugar (simply add blue food coloring to a few tbsp of sugar, and mix)
Pre-made fondant (blue, red, yellow, green)
Star shaped cookie cutter
Various round caps to cut out circular shapes
Toothpicks

Not So Stuffed Peppers

If my memory serves me correctly, stuffed peppers was the first "real" recipe that I made. About eight to ten years ago my Spanish teacher gave us an assignment to make a Spanish themed dish, take pictures, etc. etc. Granted, I made a different dish (chimichangas) for the project, I discovered this recipe while I was researching. Still bearing the scar on my wrist from the oven burn I received when I removed the tray, I enjoy making and eating this wonderfully delicious dish. The first time I made this I followed the recipe to a tee, which I no longer have written but committed to memory. After everyone was finished eating, I noticed something: half of all of the bell peppers were left on the plate. "It's too much pepper," was the response I received. Which brings me to my 'Not So Stuffed Peppers' recipe. This casserole version is much easier to make, requires less peppers, and less pepper waste.
Writing this recipe was difficult, since I usually make this dish by sight/taste. Here goes...

Not So Stuffed Peppers:
Total prep and cooking time is about 1 hour. You can make the sauce/meat portion prior. Then just mix in the rice and bake.
2 cups cooked white rice
2-3 green bell peppers sliced (about 1-2 inches)
ground beef of turkey (I used about 3/4 cup cooked ground beef. If you really like meat, add more.)
1/2 tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
OR in lieu of basil, oregano, thyme use apx. 1- 1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (14.5 oz) peeled diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cans (14.5 oz) tomato sauce (I used 3/4 of a 29 oz can.)
1 tbsp brown sugar (reduces the acidity of the tomatoes)
1/4 cup mexican style cheese blend.

1. Cook the white rice. Remember 2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice. Luckily, I have a rice cooker so I don't have to watch it too closely. Set aside.
2. Slice the bell peppers. Lay the sliced peppers in a 9x13 baking dish and add a little olive oil. Remember to grease the pan. Bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes. Uncooked peppers can add a bitter taste to the casserole. See picture below.
3. In a skillet, brown ground beef with minced onion, basil, oregano, thyme, and/or italian seasoning, and salt.
4. Once ground beef is done, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Mix tomato sauce mixture with the white rice. Spread over cooked peppers. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. If you want to bake it longer, cover with foil so it doesn't dry out.

I ended up adding an additional 1/4 tsp of italian seasoning because it didn't quite taste right. :)