the front of kody's stadium
the locker room
target practice
the end zone
2.14.2011
colts playhouse
hi all! a friend of mine asked me to create a colts theme playhouse for her little boy. i had so much fun creating one for her. can't wait to see pics of her lil' guy enjoying his stadium! thanks for letting me create a wonderful memory, melissa!!
2.12.2011
giveaway!!
amazing stuff for any party occasion. they do invitations, party packages, holiday cards, birth announcements, and many more. they will even work with you to help you design a one-of-a-kind affair. :)
want a chance to win the $50 giveaway? click here. deadline is february 15th at midnight.
best of luck!
2.11.2011
sweet treats
i did it. i finished all 4 recipes one day at a time. they are ready for delivery. i am pretty excited to get the girls out of the house tomorrow. fingers crossed temps reach at least 40 degrees...
thought i would share the final product with you all.
i have had the striped bags forever. finally, i used them! the heart bag is from target $1 bins. (cha-ching) all in all i had four different treats to put in each bag. valentine chocolate bark, homemade marshmallows, chocolate and coconut lace cookies, and chocolate chip and cinnamon waffle cookies. here's a closer look at each and the link to the recipe. enjoy. i sure did.
thought i would share the final product with you all.
i have had the striped bags forever. finally, i used them! the heart bag is from target $1 bins. (cha-ching) all in all i had four different treats to put in each bag. valentine chocolate bark, homemade marshmallows, chocolate and coconut lace cookies, and chocolate chip and cinnamon waffle cookies. here's a closer look at each and the link to the recipe. enjoy. i sure did.
valentine chocolate bark recipe
homemade marshmallows recipe (sorry, didn't really get a good pic before i packaged them)
chocolate and coconut lace cookies recipe
TIP: i used 1/2 T as a scoop instead of 1 T. i thought the cookies were huge. take a look at the difference!
we're talking softball vs. baseball
chocolate chip and cinnamon waffle cookies recipe (she calls them pizzelles but i used my waffle iron instead) delicious!! they crisp up after they cool down. yum.
there you go. i promise you will LOVE everyone of these recipes. absolutely delicious and your house will smell awesome! your husband and kids will thank you and your pants will curse you.
2.10.2011
gooey goodness
with valentine's day upon us, i can't help but want to bake and create in the kitchen. i love to bake. feels so therapeutic to me. my mom loves to bake. i have tons of memories of delicious smells coming from our kitchen growing up. she is amazing at making cakes, cookies, and other desserts. mmmmmm. and she always let me lick the spatulas and beaters. yep, even if the batter included eggs.
since i am on a quest to eat healthier and lose, gulp, 20 more pounds, there is NO way i can have sweets on hand. and that is exactly why i decided to do my baking and give it away to unsuspecting neighbors. :)
i have four recipes that i want to take a crack at but i also have two little girlies running around the house. so, i devised a plan to "bake" one recipe a day with hopes to package it all up and deliver this weekend when the weather people are calling for a warm up. yesterday, i made valentine chocolate bark. yum. i had a small bite and it was FAB! i found this devilish, er i mean, delish recipe on my new favorite blog, bake at 350. check it out. that girl has her stuff together.
tonight's recipe is homemade marshmallows. um, yeah. ok, so i'm not a huge fan of marshmallows but i was intrigued to make my own. a few years ago, there was a cute little coffee shop in downtown fortville. (yes, you read that right) i used to stop in before work some days to get their version of a caramel macchiato. well, if i managed to get up early enough... anyhoo, the shop also had gorgeous jumbo muffins and other various snackies to go with coffee. and someone local made homemade marshmallows in different flavors, packaged them pretty, and sold them at the coffee shop. never bought them but always admired them while i waited for my drink. so, when i came across a recipe for homemade marshmallows i had to do it.
here's what you need:
2/3 c. water, divided
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (next to the other gelatin)
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
here are the steps:
1. spray an 8x8 pan and coat it with powdered sugar (WARNING: use a clear spray, not butter flavored. i used the butter flavored and it made the bottom of the marshmallows yellow)
2. pour 1/3 cup of water and gelatin into a stand mixer and let it sit for 10 minutes
3. meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water, sugar, syrup, and salt in a pan over medium-high heat. cook without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees
4. on low, add the hot syrup mixture to the gelatin and add the vanilla (NOTE: you may want to use clear vanilla extract because the brown kind will turn your batter colors) increase to medium-high and beat for 8 minutes. you'll know it's ready because the batter starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
5. spread into the pan. this was the trickiest part... it is so stinking sticky!! a spatula was not doing the trick so i kept wetting my hand and using it to scrape out the batter. use your hand to pat it down evenly. set aside for one hour.
6. carefully remove the goop from the pan and put on a cutting board. cut into cubes. i cut it into 36 cubes. the key is to keep rewetting your knife!! toss the cubes into powdered sugar.
7. package into pretties :)
since i am on a quest to eat healthier and lose, gulp, 20 more pounds, there is NO way i can have sweets on hand. and that is exactly why i decided to do my baking and give it away to unsuspecting neighbors. :)
i have four recipes that i want to take a crack at but i also have two little girlies running around the house. so, i devised a plan to "bake" one recipe a day with hopes to package it all up and deliver this weekend when the weather people are calling for a warm up. yesterday, i made valentine chocolate bark. yum. i had a small bite and it was FAB! i found this devilish, er i mean, delish recipe on my new favorite blog, bake at 350. check it out. that girl has her stuff together.
tonight's recipe is homemade marshmallows. um, yeah. ok, so i'm not a huge fan of marshmallows but i was intrigued to make my own. a few years ago, there was a cute little coffee shop in downtown fortville. (yes, you read that right) i used to stop in before work some days to get their version of a caramel macchiato. well, if i managed to get up early enough... anyhoo, the shop also had gorgeous jumbo muffins and other various snackies to go with coffee. and someone local made homemade marshmallows in different flavors, packaged them pretty, and sold them at the coffee shop. never bought them but always admired them while i waited for my drink. so, when i came across a recipe for homemade marshmallows i had to do it.
here's what you need:
2/3 c. water, divided
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (next to the other gelatin)
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
here are the steps:
1. spray an 8x8 pan and coat it with powdered sugar (WARNING: use a clear spray, not butter flavored. i used the butter flavored and it made the bottom of the marshmallows yellow)
2. pour 1/3 cup of water and gelatin into a stand mixer and let it sit for 10 minutes
3. meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water, sugar, syrup, and salt in a pan over medium-high heat. cook without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees
4. on low, add the hot syrup mixture to the gelatin and add the vanilla (NOTE: you may want to use clear vanilla extract because the brown kind will turn your batter colors) increase to medium-high and beat for 8 minutes. you'll know it's ready because the batter starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
5. spread into the pan. this was the trickiest part... it is so stinking sticky!! a spatula was not doing the trick so i kept wetting my hand and using it to scrape out the batter. use your hand to pat it down evenly. set aside for one hour.
6. carefully remove the goop from the pan and put on a cutting board. cut into cubes. i cut it into 36 cubes. the key is to keep rewetting your knife!! toss the cubes into powdered sugar.
7. package into pretties :)
how jealous are you?
oh, and aunt joyce...wouldn't these just knock the socks off the raccoons over memorial day?
now, if your kitchen is a mess like mine was, find yourself two little helpers to put the messy dishes into the dishwasher.
love them more than marshmallows
2.01.2011
something white to love
tired of snow? me too. tired of ice storms? i am. scared your power will go out? um, yes. stick and tired of all that white stuff? you betchya. but i do love my new white wreath!
3. pinch one end of the fabric tube and drench with hot glue then stick to the wreath.
5. to make the bow, i cut two strips of ribbon different lengths. then i made them into a loop and secured with glue. i stacked the smaller loop on top of the larger and secured with glue. next, cut a short strip of ribbon and wrap around the middle of the two loops and secure with glue. (it should look like a bow now) cut two more strips of ribbon at the same length for the bow's tails. cut one more strip of ribbon to attach to the wreath for hanging it. i doubled this strip by folding it in half then gluing it to the back of the wreath. finally, glue the tails to the top of the hanging loop then glue the bow on top of that. sorry for this confusing step. i did not take pictures of this part!! but here is how it looks all done and hanging on my front door. :)
too cute, isn't it? i LOVE how it turned out. it was super easy to make but a bit timely. stole the instructions off of another blog which you can see here. and this is how i did it...
materials needed:
styrofoam heart wreath (found mine at joann's)
1.5 yards of white taffeta
hot glue gun
valentine-y ribbon
the steps:
1. cut the fabric into 20" x 2" strips. i did cut some shorter to vary the thickness of the roses.
2. roll the strips into tubes and secure the end with glue.
3. pinch one end of the fabric tube and drench with hot glue then stick to the wreath.
4. continue adding the roses to the front of the wreath only. fill in spots where you can still see the styrofoam.
5. to make the bow, i cut two strips of ribbon different lengths. then i made them into a loop and secured with glue. i stacked the smaller loop on top of the larger and secured with glue. next, cut a short strip of ribbon and wrap around the middle of the two loops and secure with glue. (it should look like a bow now) cut two more strips of ribbon at the same length for the bow's tails. cut one more strip of ribbon to attach to the wreath for hanging it. i doubled this strip by folding it in half then gluing it to the back of the wreath. finally, glue the tails to the top of the hanging loop then glue the bow on top of that. sorry for this confusing step. i did not take pictures of this part!! but here is how it looks all done and hanging on my front door. :)
p.s. charlie the cat wanted in the picture
1.26.2011
129 days until "summer break", uuuummmmmm...
shit. that's 18 weeks and 3 days. i have over 30 pounds to lose before then. shit.
i LIVE to eat.
but i need to...............
EAT to live.
okay, diets? yuck. exercise? yuck. but if i want to ACTUALLY lose over 30 pounds by summer, then i have to do one or the other. fine. i'll give both a stab. (feels like the right word to use with diet and exercise, doesn't it?)
over 2 weeks ago, i made a decision to eat healthier. that means lots of fruits and veggies and protein. and no. no, not no, hell no does that mean going without carbs. so far, 10 pounds down. 20 to go.
with changing my eating habits, i find myself no longer thinking about my next meal at all times. and by eating better foods that are lower on the glycemic index (think, diabetics, kind of...) my blood sugar stays steadier all day. that means i don't binge eat. (and you're an idiot if you think i would EVER purge. i hate to throw up. and i hate to waste food.) of course, eating healthier tends to be a little boring or bland at times. i mean, i love pastries and lattes and fries and pie. what's a girl to do? well, i'll tell you. get some creative juices flowing and tweak some recipes. and i did just that. TWO yummy recipes that are bikini-friendly. :)
the first is a breakfast recipe. or i suppose you could have it for dessert... i made a blueberry cheese danish. it was good. not awesome but definitely curbed a craving for me. next time i am going to use strawberries instead since they tend to be sweeter than blueberries.
the second recipe is a beverage. it is my own version of a caramel macchiato. yum!!! i seriously sipped on this for an hour because i didn't want it to end!!!
i LIVE to eat.
but i need to...............
EAT to live.
okay, diets? yuck. exercise? yuck. but if i want to ACTUALLY lose over 30 pounds by summer, then i have to do one or the other. fine. i'll give both a stab. (feels like the right word to use with diet and exercise, doesn't it?)
over 2 weeks ago, i made a decision to eat healthier. that means lots of fruits and veggies and protein. and no. no, not no, hell no does that mean going without carbs. so far, 10 pounds down. 20 to go.
with changing my eating habits, i find myself no longer thinking about my next meal at all times. and by eating better foods that are lower on the glycemic index (think, diabetics, kind of...) my blood sugar stays steadier all day. that means i don't binge eat. (and you're an idiot if you think i would EVER purge. i hate to throw up. and i hate to waste food.) of course, eating healthier tends to be a little boring or bland at times. i mean, i love pastries and lattes and fries and pie. what's a girl to do? well, i'll tell you. get some creative juices flowing and tweak some recipes. and i did just that. TWO yummy recipes that are bikini-friendly. :)
the first is a breakfast recipe. or i suppose you could have it for dessert... i made a blueberry cheese danish. it was good. not awesome but definitely curbed a craving for me. next time i am going to use strawberries instead since they tend to be sweeter than blueberries.
skinny blueberry cheese danish--single serving
nutritional facts: 231 calories, 2g fat, 18g carbs, 16g protein
cake batter:
1/4 c. heartsmart bisquick
1 T. soy flour (you can sub for regular but your protein count will go down)
1 T. splenda
3 T. egg beaters
1 T. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. zero-calorie butter spray
cheese filling:
2 T. FF cream cheese
1 T. splenda
1 T. egg beaters
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
fruit topping:
1/2 c. fresh or frozen berries
1/2 T. splenda
preheat oven to 350 degrees. cake batter: mix dry ingredients first then add wet. pour into a PAM sprayed mini-loaf pan. cheese filling: soften cream cheese (microwave 10 sec.) then mix with splenda. next add wet ingredients. spoon on top of cake batter but leave room around the edges. fruit topping: defrost berries (if needed), then mash or chop. add splenda. spoon on top of the filling. bake 16 minutes. let cool. enjoy :)
the second recipe is a beverage. it is my own version of a caramel macchiato. yum!!! i seriously sipped on this for an hour because i didn't want it to end!!!
skinny caramel macchiato--single serving
nutritional facts: 105 calories, 0g fat, 22g carbs, 2.5g protein
1/3 c. skim milk
1/6 c. boiling water (40 mL)
1/6 c. international delight: coffee house inpiration skinny caramel macchiato
3/4 tsp. instant coffee
dash of cinnamon
2 T. FF aerosol whipped cream
combine first four ingredients. top with whipped cream and cinnamon. enjoy!!
if you try these recipes, let me know what you think. i'd love to hear any improvements or different versions! i would LOVE to add to my "skinny" collection. :)
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