D.I.Y. Easter Egg "Basket"

Easter is almost here!!  Here is an easy, fun project to do with kids or to use as a cute centerpiece.  

What you need:

Yarn

Water Balloons

Candy of choice

Tacks

Glue

Tweezers

Gloves

Gather your supplies!

In the first step, you have to put the candy inside the balloon.  This is not easy with one person.  Just have someone hold it open and drop in 4-6 pieces of candy.  Blow up balloon just like you would without candy in it.  Make it about 3-4 inches long or a nice "egg" shape. 

Using 1 part water to 1 part glue, soak yarn just enough to get it all moistened. *Or check out our D.I.Y Mod Podge!  It worked great! To make your own, click HERE!

We put too much glue on one. Dipping it got it too saturated so we switched to doing it as in the picture below. 

Carefully wrap the balloon with the yarn, making sure to leave enough space to be able to remove the balloon but also small enough so the candy won't fall out. 

Above is the one that was too saturated.  It probably would have been fine if we gave it more time to dry but I would recommend not using so much glue mixture. 

 Find a place to hang to dry.  Lay a cloth on the floor to catch dripping glue. *Notice the two end ones.  They were not as saturated as the middle one.  They dried better and looked better.*

Allow to dry completely.  We waited overnight. 

Using a pin, pop the balloon.  I used a tweezers to remove the balloon.  It worked slick. 

TA DAAA! :)  Aren't they adorable.  A cute decoration that has a yummy treat.  Have fun!

Organizing DVD's and CD's

Don't we all wish we were a little more organized?? Here is a simple solution to keep all those photo cd's, games, and dvd's a little more organized!

Now you will be able to fit this big pile of games into a small amount of space.  Not only will it look neat, you will be able to easily access them all! :) 

Now you can decide 

if you want to alphabetize all the games or not... I don't and my kids don't seem to mind. They don't usually even know what game they are looking for until they flip through it and find the "right" one.  ;)

All you need to purchase is the photo books along with the sleeves. They can be found in the photo section of most major retailers. I found mine at Walmart.  The "book" was less than $4 and I paid less than $1 for every 5 sleeves to slip the games in.

Now all you need to do, is to remove the games from the original package and insert it into a sleeve and put it into the correctly labeled book. Next step...chuck the original packaging! Yep, as in throw the case in the garbage! I know this may be difficult for some of you but trust me, you will thank me later! ;)

I use this simple solution for all of our video games, all of our photo cd's (lots), and all of our dvd movies!! I can't believe how much space this saves...and everything is so much more organized!

Something about organization makes me happy. ...hope this makes you happy, too!! :)

Kettle Corn (in 10 Minutes!)

When making popcorn, I normally stick to my easy stove-top recipe. (You can find that here!) It's salty and delicious, but tonight I was in the mood for something a bit sweeter. I didn't want to go through the work of making caramel corn, plus I wanted it right away and didn't want to wait. Yes, I know....complaints, complaints.

I decided to try a variation of my stove-top popcorn. Using sugar instead of salt during the popping process. It turned out great! A perfect balance between sweet and salty with a caramelized crunchy coating. :)

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. popcorn kernels

salt

DIRECTIONS

Start by heating the oil over medium heat until watery.

Add the sugar and stir.

It will begin to get thicker, the sugar will dissolve and begin to change color.

Add the popcorn kernels.

Cover and begin shaking the pan back and forth, side to side over the burner. (Remember to use hot mitts!)

Listen for the popping. Keep shaking it until the popping begins to slow. (Keeping it moving will help keep the sugar from burning, as well as coating the kernels as they're popping. Be ready for a workout!)

When the popping slows, quickly dump into a large bowl. 

While it's still sticky, quickly sprinkle with desired amount of salt and stir it up. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Look at that sweet & salty crunchy coating....

ENJOY! :)

Overnight Caramel Rolls

This is a recipe that I received years ago from another home schooling mother.  I have altered it a bit, but I am thankful to her for giving me this recipe.  It has become one of our family favorites!

You will need:

1 package yeast

3 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 teaspoon salt

10-11 cups flour

Note:  I quadrupled this batch, so keep that in mind when looking at the pictures. 

Pour water into large bowl.  Sprinkle yeast on warm water.  Add sugar and oil.

Beat in 3 cups flour into mixture.  Then add the salt.  Mix in remaining flour. 

Make a soft dough and knead lightly until a soft dough is formed.  

Put the dough into oiled bowl.  Cover with a damp towel.  

Let rise for 4 hours.

Divide the dough into two and roll each part out into a rectangular shape.

Melt 1/2 cup butter and spread it on the dough.  

Sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar.

Cut the dough in half. 

 A pizza cutter works great! : )

Then roll up.  Slice into 1 1/2 inch slices.

In the meantime....Make your caramel sauce.

You will need: 

2 Cups brown sugar

1 cup melted butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

Heat on medium-high heat until mixed well.  Do not boil.

  

  

Pour sauce into pans.  

After slicing the dough, lay each roll onto the sauce leaving a little room for 'growth'.  

Let rise 'til morning.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until done. 

Remove from oven.

Let cool for 5 minutes.

Then invert pan onto counter.

May be placed back in the pan or on a serving platter with the caramel side up.

Sorry for not having a finished photo with the baked rolls.....I forgot to take pictures the next morning.  : (  

I guess we were too anxious to eat them.  : )

Enjoy! 

Cauliflower Crust

Due to health reasons, so many people seem to be reducing their intake of gluten, or cutting it out completely. No bread? I think I would die. I'm a sucker when it comes to a good slice of homemade bread or pizza, and I can't imagine never being able to indulge in a greasy yummy stick of cheesy bread. 

I realize though, that sometimes people don't have the choice to live gluten-free. Why should they miss out?

I found many recipes for cauliflower crust and created one that worked with what I had on hand. 

Oh. My. Goodness.

My husband and I both loved it! We ate almost the entire thing and didn't even feel guilty afterwards. :)

There is absolutely no flour in this chewy crust. You can top it with your favorite pizza toppings or just cheese, and it will be delicious either way.

Ingredients

CRUST:

1/2 head of cauliflower

2 eggs

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tsp. dried oregano

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

EXTRA:

additional cheese 

your choice of toppings (pepperoni, onion, etc.)

marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.

Break or cut your cauliflower into chunks and place in the food processor.

Pulse until it resembles rice.

In a microwave safe dish, cover the cauliflower and microwave for 10 minutes.

Transfer it into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, 1 cup cheese, oregano, garlic, and salt & pepper.

Mix together until well blended.

Dump onto the center of your prepared baking sheet and press into a "crust".

Bake the crust for 20-30 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with your choice of toppings.

Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted.

****************************************************************

(Directions with Photos)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.

Break or cut your cauliflower into chunks and place in the food processor.

Pulse until it resembles rice.

In a microwave safe dish, cover the cauliflower and microwave for 10 minutes.

(I just used a bowl then covered it with a heavy plate, and it worked perfectly.)

Transfer it into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, 1 cup cheese, oregano, garlic, and salt & pepper.

Mix together until well blended.

Dump onto the center of your prepared baking sheet and press into a "crust".

Bake the crust for 20-30 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with your choice of toppings.

Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted.

We used our cauliflower crust to make cheesy "breadsticks" and dipped them in marinara sauce.

Delicious! :)

Summer Mason Jar "Cups"

Snow...rain....cold...I don't know where you are from but I know a portion of the U.S. has been complaining about winter weather running into spring.  Being from Tennessee, I am not enjoying the normal 70 degree for this time of year.  Although it's reluctant to arrive, we all know that summer WILL get here, even if we end up skipping spring all together.  In anticipation, I decided to find something to hold my, uh hmm, water for those hot summer days.  Who am I kidding---a refreshing Mexican Madra on a hot day won't hurt anyone. Sitting outside and visiting is a daily occurrence for my husband and I when the nice weather arrives. 

I have had these mason jar cups for years, never using them.  The other day I saw someone do this on Pinterest and I thought it was adorable and useful.  

Funny story...my husband and I were sitting on the deck one day and a bird flew by.  You can probably guess where this is going.  I ended up receiving a big plop of poo right on my head.  It was hilarious.  Along with keeping the bugs out, this simple idea can keep out the poo too. :)

ALL YOU NEED:

Mason Jars (handles not necessary but they are very cute)

Screw tops

Cupcake liners

Straws

A YUMMY DRINK

Taco Seasoning

Prepackaged mixes?? 

No thank you!! If you are anything like me, you are always looking for a better, tastier, and healthier alternative to the shelves full of prepackaged foods! 

Taco seasoning is something I use often...from beef tacos, chicken burritos, chicken tator tot hotdish, tator tot taco bake...the list goes on....

 This is a recipe I make (and remake) a lot!

It tastes great! Another bonus??...Way cheaper 

than those little packets you can buy!

Here is what you will need to make your own fabulous taco seasoning:

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoonsground cumin

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons black pepper

You will also need a bowl to mix all the seasonings in and an empty shaker container. I just peel the label of a large seasoning container and 

write "taco seasoning" in permanent marker. Easy enough, right? :) 

....Just for visual reference...:)

Combine all the seasonings in a medium size bowl and mix well.

Simply pour or funnel the mix into a container and you are done!! If only everything was that simple! ;)

I use 2-3 Tablespoons per pound of ground beef for tacos or when any recipe calls for taco seasoning.  Also, if you like a little "kick" to your taco seasoning, feel free to add a little crushed or ground red pepper.  Since my house is full of little people, I avoid making things too spicy.  

Hope this mix becomes a staple in your pantry!!