Dreaming of a seussical Christmas

For as long as I can remember the grinch has been my Christmas favorite- maybe bc we have so much in common >:) I have long wanted to make him the theme for my Christmas decor and this year I finally committed to make this dream a reality. It all started before Halloween when I fell in love...w/ yet another creation by the queen of decor Ronnie Hackradt. She had a display wreath and I had to have it- we added some aqua and it was the anchor for all of my decorations. Hopefully next year I will have a chance to expand on them- fortunately I have a whole year to plan ;) but I am really excited it came together and as added bonus has been all the comments from men that the decor has received. You know it's a big deal w the ups man says "now that's a WREATH!" or when the husband says "these are the coolest Christmas decorations we have ever done"- agreed

Thanksgiving decor

Any excuse to decorate right? Again I turned to Ronnie @ lala's land and was ecstatic w/ my wreath....leopard always has a place in my heart. I left my same pumpkin bowl bar decoration
Side note about the bowl- I originally loathed this bowl which was a trinket that survived my husbands singlehood and has some how lingered around for 8yrs of cohabitation. I was planning on doing something w/ it (paint, decorative decals, and just throwing it in the trash all crossed my mind) some how this piece grew on me, I think it's the neutral color, and now I use it as a centerpiece for the breakfast bar...you never know I guess

The center piece I was really proud of in addition to loving the outcome it cost about $5 to make. The foliage was on sale @ michaels and that's where the $5 was spent. The jar was a left over from heb/central market brand vodka sauce (the lazy Italians good friend) it was a "mason" jar and I thought it was so cute I kept it. I had some left over gold in my ever expanding paint stash to paint it w/ I used the same technique from my mercury glass project. There you have it! I have never decorated for thanks giving and had a great time putting it all together :)

Halloween decor

We didn't get a chance to really blow it out on the Halloween decorations this year we are still getting the hang of this whole having a kid w/ a Halloween bday thing and for some reason time really does sort of dissappear mysteriously once you have a little person to take care of and work around. But out here in the burbs if you don't decorate you look like either a total social pariah or possibly a sex offender so even though it's not required it is heavily encouraged through peer pressure. Despite my lack of time I enthusiastically embrace any excuse to decorate. Halloween is favorite holiday so even though there was no need for a commercial grade fog machine or vat of fake corn syrup blood I did use the holiday as an opportunity to play around w some new decorations for the house I didn't get really elaborate but it was fun and I was proud of the result and effort :) in the case of the wreath I was proud of my good taste ;) but also I am so excited to find my new decor guardian angel Ronnie Hackradt- the owner of lala's land. I love, love, love her creations and will likely harass her for all future holidays.

Centerpiece fail

After a long blog hiatus i am finally getting back to documenting my adventures in diy (both failures and successes). Here was a spring time attempt @ a centerpiece I saw in bhg. It was a "butterfly tree" and all around fail... I set it up and was never quite sure about it after a few weeks of looking at it I decided that I hated it and tossed it. This decision was affirmed by my husband who first had said it was an "interesting idea" now said it was "the most horrible thing ever, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You tried." thanks. Even though it was a bad deal the same issue of bhg gave way to my now go to centerpiece (centerpiece for when there is no holiday to decorate for) which turned out to be a win, so all in all not a total loss....

The "go-to" centerpiece

The awful butterfly tree

DIY Mani/ pedi

I love getting a mani/pedi as much as the next girl but I dont get around to doing it much for the following reasons: time (i am a new mom), cost, and lack of staying power. First the time issue, pretty obvious and self explanatory nail salons arent open 24 hrs so if the only time i can get my nails done is 10:30 at night im s.o.l. Then there is cost, not necessarily monetary bc its usually not really expensive but when time is a commodity there is an opportunity cost involved. To me the most important issue has always been staying power, if i am going to make the investment in a mani/pedi i want it to last at least a work week. I dont think that's unreasonable, but I have natural nails staying power has always been a problem This led me on a quest to find the best products on the market for a DIY mani/pedi.

Before i start I should mention that i have not tried the new minx mani, which is rumored to last up to a month.But I did try the sally hansen salon effects nail wraps product which many beauty editors hyped as a DIY alternative to the minx. I saw the ads and took the bait, especially when i saw that they had a leopard option. My conclusion can be summed up in the words of a wise man named Flava Flav, "Dont believe the hype." To be more specific here are my grievances w/ this product:

1. time, the product took at least twice the time to apply

2.staying power, there is no problem with smudging and it is a fairly mess free process. however less than a day later the decal/paint whatever was already peeling off. I applied the product before bed and by the time i woke up they were peeling :(

Final note: Unless you just need the look for the night, like for halloween or an 80's party dont waste your time or money.you would probably be better off using press on nails bc they dont take as long to apply.

Not all the products on the market are bad, much the opposite. There are lots of great products out there and they arent necessarily the most expensive. The main requirement for a good nail polish is the brush, the wider the better, bc you make less strokes, take less time, and have less room for errors (multiple strokes can lead to streaks and texture, tacky) My favorite polishes are Rimmel lasting finish, and Sally hansen insta-dri. Both of these polishes have great wide brushes, last almost 2 weeks, and are both under $5. I also LOVE sally hansen insta-dri anti-chip top coat, this makes ANY polish last longer, dry faster, and gives a high gloss salon shine. I use Kiss manicure tapes for french manicures or the trendy moon mani, but like in the salon these processes takes a little longer and requires some patience.

As for a pedi, i have never had much problems with their staying power however, during the summer heals get dry even the best pedi cannot fight that. So i did cave and buy the pedegg. it works surprisingly well, even on the most neglected feet. Its also pretty inexpensive, painless and easy to use. i recently purchased another infomercial pedi product called heel-tastic, the jury is still out on this product but it does seem to work well in conjunction with the pedegg.
So you dont have to be a slave to the salon get good looking nails, there are a lot of great options out there (you can find almost any color or brand they use at the salon, ulta has the best selection and they always have coupons in magazines or direct mailers). The only thing i havent been able to replicate from the nail salon is the awesome massage they give your hands and feet, so when i have the time i do treat my self :)

Mercury Glass

This project came from what country people would call a high class problem. I had a ton of clear glass vases on hand, most of them from flower bouquets I had received over the years. I first saw this project on HGTV, and saw many variations on the web and in different craft blogs, here is the one I went with this time but it is a pretty easy technique and there are endless possibilities for different variations so Im pretty sure i will be doing more projects like this:

Materials:

Clean glass container or vase

Spray paint (in this case i used krylon bright silver metallic and krylon hammered texture in black as n accent color)

1. prepare a well ventilated area with a drop cloth, also make sure that your glass container is very clean.

2. evenly spray paint the inside of the glass container, if drips occur turn container horizontal and rotate until the drips have spread out. Repeat this step as needed until the inside is covered.

- in this variation I added a few sprays of my accent color right after this step, for a more vintage look stuff a plastic bag in the container while the paint is still wet it gives a great textured look.  

before

after

Hot stuff

Again this is another ode to BBQ season it is also pool season, so unless you are crazy you have some kind of pool in your back (or front if you are truly country) yard, bc God knows it gets insanely hot in the summer. If you have an in-ground true to life cement pond or an above ground pool that can stand more than a family of 4, you probably find yourself entertaining pretty frequently so it is good to have some good snacks on hand to feed your guest. These are a few of my tried and true crowd pleasin' favorites, the good news is they are fairly easy to make, and the better news is that they can both be frozen so they are on hand for later use.Both of these recipes are courtesy of my aunt Susie who is an undisputed culinary queen.

Hot wing dip

Personalized w/ a Parmesan cheese star, God bless America 

 

1 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1c of hot wing sauce- I like franks or sweet baby rays best
1c of blue cheese or ranch dressing- I like to use 1/2 a cup of each mainly bc i like both :)
1 block of cream cheese softened
Cheddar cheese for topping

1. Preheat to 350, 400 if frozen
2. Beat/ mix ingredients
3. Top w/ cheddar cheese
4. Bake until cheddar is melted and bubbling around edge- about 30 mins, longer if dip is frozen

 
Devil's Candy

Hello Lovah xoxoxox

 

* special note/ warning: DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do this recipe with out plastic/vinyl gloves on you will regret it jalapeno oil burns like fire and nothing helps but time so also try to avoid touching your face while preparing these. This is an easy recipe but it can be time consuming try to make a large amount and freeze so they are on hand

Fresh Jalapenos
Cream cheese softened
Bacon- turkey bacon or center cut works best

1. Remove the stems of the jalapenos, half, and remove seed (I cannot stress this enough, WEAR GLOVES!!!!)
2. Spread cream cheese inside the hollowed out jalapenos
3. Half the pack of bacon and wrap the jalapenos, use toothpicks to secure if necessary
4. Bake at 400 for 45mins or until bacon is crispy, turkey bacon usually cooks much faster and has less grease.

Optional- add in to the cream cheese are also good some chopped shrimp or Parmesan cheese makes a nice addition.

Eat your veggies!

Anyone w/ country roots probably has a relative w/ a green thumb and some space to go crazy w/ either a big yard or some actual acreage. This can be both a blessing and a curse, my papa (pronouced pap-paw) is quite the master gardener and every season he has a huge crop of something. I have also given him the nickname "the produce pusher" bc he insists on you taking pounds of it or he will look at your like you have some how offended him deeply. This past winter he had a plentiful crop of greens and turnips (like i said it can be a curse) after a visit he sent me home with 4 empty butter bowls that had been converted into tupperware filled with frozen green, and about 4 lbs of turnips. what to do right? you cant say no bc he will shun you and you dont want it to go bad bc its still food. so w a little inspiration I was able to turn this curse into a blessing. I also threw in a recipe for kale which is an equally undesirable veggie that can be edible w/ the right recipe:
 
* special note/inspiration: the following recipe is from my m.i.l. and her crafty neighbor, it is basically unscathed however in my house we will use cheese!!!
 
Turnips au gratin

1 chopped onion
4c chopped turnips
Butter
3 eggs
3 oz of softened cream cheese
3/4c of flavored bread crumbs
1 c of cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven 350
2. Saute onions, and turnips in butter until turnips are soft
3. Mix/ beat eggs, cream cheese, cheese and 1/2 of the bread crumbs
4. Add turnips and egg mixture and transfer to casserole dish, top w/ cheese and remaining bread crumbs
5. Bake for 30 mins.

*Special note/inspiration:One of our favorite places to eat is a place called Fat Mikes at the Market (http://www.fatmikesonline.com) which is practically walking distance from my house. They cook seasonal veggies and specialize in "texas comfort food" everything is amazing. He made some greens that were absolutely out of this world and I headed home to create a knock off of this recipe. If you are ever in the Spring, TX area I strongly encourage you to check them out and try the original :

Knock off greens

2 cups of cooked greens
2-3 slices of bacon (turkey bacon is fine)
1/4 of a white onion sliced and diced- optional
a splash of Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
 
1. saute in a pan until bacon is fully cooked, and serve.

 
*Special note/inspiration: This recipe was from F&W, obviously something of a go-to for me, the actual recipe had a yougurt dip as an add on in case you wanted to use this as an appetizer.

Crispy Kale

1 Bunch of Kale
2 cloves of garlic pressed
olive oil
salt and pepper to season
 
1. Preheat oven to 400
2.Chop bottoms of kale to your preference
3. Toss kale w/ olive oil (just enough to coat) garlic and salt and pepper
4.Lay out on baking sheet and bake until crispy- every oven is differnet mine takes about 20 mins.
 
Yougurt dip
 
Plain Greek yougurt
Pressed garlic and lemon juice to taste
 
1. Mix and serve.

My answer to coleslaw- the purist salad

Now that BBQ season is upon us i figured it fitting to post a recipe I tried a few months ago, its called "The Purist salad and it was courtesy of F&W magazine I tried this bc it looked like a healthy but daring dish that might be worth a shot, and the hubs liked it so much that he requests it on a fairly regular basis (it should also be noted, that he initially turned his nose up at it, as he does many recipes he ends of loving. men, they're just not as smart as we are :P) this dish has also replaced the popular bbq side coleslaw in my house, its definitely worth a shot to mix things up:
 
*special note- the only thing I changed is the brussel sprouts, i have found that fresh ones do not work as well as frozen ones that have been defrosted, they can
get too tough and its kind of trying to eat a tamale w/ the corn husk still on it.

Purist salad 
8oz of brussel sprouts quartered 
1/2 head of purple cabbage shredded 
1/4c dried cranberries/ craisins 
1/4c pine nuts 
1/4c dried dates 
Olive oil 
Brown mustard 
Red pepper flakes 
2 cloves garlic pressed 
Salt 
Cayanne pepper 
Lemon juice 
Shredded Pecorino/ Romano cheese 

1. Toss Brussel sprouts in olive oil, season w/ salt, pepper, and pepper flakes then bale on cookie sheet at 450 for 20 min, sprouts can also be grilled in place of this step. 
2. Make dressing w/ olive oil, garlic, mustard, cayanne, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. 
3. Mix brussel sprouts, cabbage, pine nuts, craisins, dates, and cheese, then dress and toss.

Homemade T-shirts

Ok so if you are country (or just poor) like I was growing up you probably had a wardrobe littered with homemade t-shirts. Most of mine growing up were plain white ts decorated w technologically advanced (for 1989 anyway) tshirt paints. One of my favorites was one my mom had made as a test shirt it had various dinosaurs made from dipping Dino shaped sponges into electric fluorescent shades of puff paint then transferring to the tshirt. Again it was probably a test shirt but I quickly integrated it as a staple to my regular clothing rotation. Sadly for the sake of this discussion I was unable to locate either the shirt or a photo (here at my house, I'm sure there is a photo somewhere) but that was where the homemade tshirt originated in my life. There have obviously been some advances in the techniques and products available one of which is tshirt transfer sheets for your printer. Being a vintage/generally crazy tshirt lover I always have some ideas for a custom tshirt, but it wasn't since a new kids on the block homemade concert ts gone wrong incident that I attempted to make another one. With the arrival of my son my creative "nesting" energies have been in overdrive and so came the urges to design and make clothing for him. My husband is also a vintage/crazy tshirt lover so I draw on his fashion sense for a lot of inspiration for our sons clothes. These were a simple and fun project I completed for him using 2 of my favorite cinematic folk "heroes"


the bandit onesie



the scarface bib


How-to and tips:
- I started w a blank bib and onesie, then used tshirt transfers specifically designed for colored shirts (both Avery and Print Works make a good product that is available at Target, Walmart, and craft stores like Joanns, hobby lobby, michaels, etc.). These transfers go on the front or "printed side up" and are peeled prior to the iron on, so unlike white tshirt transfers the photos did not need to be inverted, but in some transfers the photos used may need to be inverted then printed so it transfers correctly.I also used some transfer letters from the michaels these come in various fonts sizes and textures (check your sales papers for your local craft store and stock up when they go on sale, they are a good inexpensive craft staple to have).
 
*A special note, it is illegal to market and distribute trademarked logos or artwork so no setting up shop out of the trunk of your car, however Im sure "donations" for custom orders can be readily accepted ;p
have fun creating :)

The Food & Wine Magazine Chili Recipe

My favorite thing to do as of late is what I call the "Test Kitchen," its basically just trying out a new recipe. I like to change it up and have more people than my usual stale audience (my husband) bc that makes it more interesting, fun and also constructive bc each new person bring their individual pallet and experiences to the table and you never know what you are going to learn or what can be brought to your attention through their observations. One of my favorite people to cook w/ or for is my mother in law Jean Ann, she trained as a chef so she always has good suggestions (although if she hits me with them before my morning coffee and prozac i dont always want to hear it :P) and she is a food lover like me so she doesnt mind being a "Test Kitchen" guinea pig. She came over last week and there was freezing weather predicted I had just the recipe...

When I saw this recipe in f&w recently and had to try it...unfortunately I will have to file the results under "misadventure" this was the hottest chili I have ever had in my life! I actually didn't use all of the peppers the recipe called for bc I could not find the pasilla chiles that the recipe calls for so I can only imagine how hot it would have been if ALL of the chiles. After a few bites the chili was basically inedible, but the combination of rich unexpected flavors was so good I had to find a way to salvage some of the goodness, plus by this point I was really craving a bowl of chili, so the way I ended up making this failed experiment into a delicious meal was by making my own "go-to" chili recipe and adding the broth of the experimental chili to it. The result was spectacular, so despite the fact that I would probably not make the f&w recipe again it was a very valuable learning tool and here is what I learned:

• when seasoning meat, sometimes it is not necessary to add the heat. This recipe called for the meat to be seasoned w cinnamon, cumin and coriander this actually added a rich dimension to the chili as opposed to overwhelming it with distracting spices.
• unexpected ingredients like a strong cup of coffee or a snappy pale ale can add a great kick of flavor.
• be selective about your meat, sometimes it is best to go with a different meat than a recipe calls for based on your own personal preference. This recipe called for boneless short ribs, I personally would have preferred tenderloin or maybe a well marbled stew meat
• (or anything else, the short ribs sort of had the texture of shoe leather
• another reason, we can file this under "misadventure") but it is all a matter
• of preference.
• - my mother in law taught me this one, when your mouth is burning from spice the best remedy is to douse it in sugar it works quicker than anything I have ever tried.

so there you have it my chili review and the lessons I learned w/o the heartache :) hope it was helpful...and remember w cooking as in life it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it.

the f&w recipe




Jazz’s Go To Chili
 

1 lb. of lean ground beef or turkey

1 can of Rotels tomatoes
1 can of ranch style beans w/ jalapeno
1 cup of juice (clamato, or spicy V8) or broth*
1 ½ tbsp of corn starch
2 cloves of garlic pressed
Misc. spices: cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder

*In this instance I used the broth from the f&w chili, however these are the ingredients I would usually use.
 

1. Brown and season meat using spices suggested above or your own custom blend.
2. Transfer meat to pot for simmering, add all other ingredients except the cornstarch
3. After chili has simmered for 30 min- 1 hour add cornstarch to thicken. Add additional spices to taste.
4. Simmer for additional 30 mins, serve with fritos and shredded cheese.