Easter Brunch

For Easter brunch, I tried to make a few Easter/spring themed foods. Most of them didn't turn out like I had planned (I made bunny cinnamon rolls that looked like mice and a bunny made out of fruit that just looked evil), but this one did. Here are my hash brown bird nests. I saw the idea on pinterest and customized it to make it my own.

1. Let frozen hash browns thaw out until they are soft.
2. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter.
3. Pour hash browns into bowl and mix in desired amount of butter.
4. Put the mixture into several muffin tin cups, making sure to cover the bottom and push the mixtures up all sides.
5. Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, until it starts to brown. The center may not brown, but the sides will.
6. Remove from tins and fill with a variety of foods. We filled ours with scrambled eggs, bacon, and grilled vegetables.
7. Enjoy!

Bedroom Redecorating Project

I have been in the process of redecorating my bedroom. I have decided to go with a cool color scheme, consisting of mostly blues, greens, and silvers, and a theme of birds and nature. However, I have a very limited budget so I have had to be very creative in my approaches. It's been fun to figure out cheap and easy ways to spruce up my space and make it more relaxing.

One of my most recent projects was creating a painting to hang above my bed. I had been inspired by some ideas I had seen on pinterest, and decided to try to make one myself and add my own flair.

Bird Canvas Painting

I found two canvases, size 18" x 24" at Michael's Craft Store. I bought them on sale for only $1 a piece so it was not a deal that I could pass up!

I measured out the exact size of the canvases on two large sheets of paper. On these pieces I drew my design, a large tree spread over the two sheets. it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be to freehand the design, especially since I knew it didn't have to be perfect.

Next, I cut out my design. I laid the cut out tree pattern on top of the canvas and taped it down. Then I traced the pattern and removed the paper. The next part was the most difficult because it was a tedious process. I painted the background a metallic teal color that I created myself by mixing different paints. Then, I painted each tree branch in black.

I wasn't going to put any birds on the tree branches, until I found the ones pictured. They are little birds made out of mirrors that I found on sale at Joann's for only a few dollars. Even better, they are self-adhesive so I didn't need any glue to attach them to the canvases. I hung the paintings below so Christmas lights and the birds look beautiful sparkling in the light.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. It made my room look more comfortable, and a little more like me!

Favorite Recipe #1

On of my favorite dinners to make (and eat) is quinoa. Quinoa is considered to be a superfood. It has tons of fiber and protein in it, and pretty versatile. I usually add vegetables to my quinoa to add more vitamins and flavor.

First, add the desired amount of uncooked quinoa to a bowl. Remember, it expands, so you don't need a lot. I usually measure out about two small handfuls per person if its a main course of less if its a side.

Second, add enough water to the bowl to cover the quinoa. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a pot with water and let it boil.

Next, use a mesh strainer to remove the water. Run more water over the quinoa and drain again. Your quinoa has now been rinsed, which will make it taste less bitter.

Add the quinoa to the boiling water. Let it boil and then reduce heat. Cover, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until most water is gone and the quinoa has expanded and become tender.

While quinoa simmers, cook your vegetables. In the picture, I cut up one tomato, a few green onions, and added some minced garlic. I have also cooked it with red bell peppers, red onion, and broccoli.

Cook the vegetables in olive oil in a small sauce pan until they become soft.

Add the cooked quinoa to the saucepan and fold into the vegetables to combine. Cook for about a minute and then remove from heat.

Serve and enjoy immediately!

Festive Food!

I like to try to make the food I make fit with the holiday or season. I made heart shaped muffins on Valentine's Day, Jack-o-lantern shaped pancakes around Halloween, and recently snowman shaped Rice Krispy treats. My latest attempt at being festive...the snowman pizza!

Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cans of large biscuits (you can use more or less depending on the size you want your pizza to be)
A few tablespoons pizza  sauce (to taste)
Cheese (We used cheddar cheese, an Italian blend, and Kraft's new mozzarella cheese with Philadelphia cream cheese in it, and some feta on top)
Other toppings: pepperoni, olives, pineapple, etc.

1. Knead the biscuit dough into a large ball of dough. Roll it out onto you pan in the shape you want. I spread mine into two circles and then added a hat on top.
2. Spoon sauce onto the dough and spread it around, making sure to cover the entire pizza.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce, once again making sure that you don't miss any spots.
4. Top with any additional toppings you want. We put pepperoni on the hat and feta all over.
5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 F.
6. Eat!

It didn't turn out perfect, (I probably could have been better at making it look like a snowman) but it sure did taste good!

Second Advent Calendar

Here is my second advent calendar. I started by making small ornaments out of felt for each day of December (I forgot to take pictures of those).
We had collected 24 cans over the last few months. I cleaned out each one and then wrapped it in white paper. I also covered all sharp edges with a thin layer of hot glue to prevent any cuts.

Then, I placed a felt shape in each one, along with a small piece of candy. Next I wrote a number from 1-24 on each one.
I had had some tissue paper left over from a previous project. I cut several colors into squares about 6 in by 6 in and glued a square onto the top of each can.

Can Advent calendar

Finally, I tied a piece of black ribbon around the top of every can to further secure the tissue paper. This was the hardest part of the project. When I was done, I stacked the cans in several small pyramids. Every day of the month we punch through the tissue paper on a can to get the candy and ornament out. We hang each ornament on a small tree that I got from Target a few years ago.

It is a cheap yet fun and colorful advent calendar to have on display in our house!
By the way, I got the inspiration for this project from http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com/articles/advent-calendars-its-almost-time

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Sale

I will be taking advantage of this sale. I still need to get quite a few supplies for my homemade gifts that I am making for Christmas. I suggest you check it out too!

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

https://plus.google.com/113887494655418587758/posts/UZno7dkVQVQ

The Countdown to Christmas Begins

Every year, my family counts down to Christmas using an advent calendar. Usually we use a store bought one that is made up of little flaps that you fold back to reveal a quote about the holidays. This year, though, I decided to get creative and make my own countdown calendars. They ended up taking more time to create than I had thought they would, but I think they are turning out well. So far, I have finished one calendar and am finishing up the second.

For the first one, I collected 24 bottle caps from my friends and family.
Next, I cut out circles from various colors of scrapbook paper to fit inside of the caps.
I painted a holiday-themed picture on each circle, such as a snowman or Christmas cookies, and then wrote a number from 1-24 on each circle.
Finally, I popped each circle into a bottle cap.

Bottle Cap Advent Calendar

I found a cheap wooden frame at Michael's for only $1. I painted it white with red trim and put a picture of our family inside of it. I will be sticking the bottle caps around the edge of the frame each day until it is Christmas (I'm not sure how to stick them on yet, though).

I remembered that I had purchased a beautiful mirrored countdown calendar on clearance last January from Target, so I decided to combine the two by placing a bottle cap and small piece of candy in each of the doors.

For my other advent calendar, I sewed 24 Christmas-themed ornaments from felt. I will be placing them, along with more candy, inside of 24 decorated cans that I have collected over the last several months from my family's meals. Each day we will hang the ornaments on a small silver tree that was also purchased from Target on clearance a few years ago. Pictures of this calendar will be posted soon!