DIY Easter Wreath

Almond Easter Wreath

via Country Living

This Colorful Candy Wreath comes together
in a short time and don't you thing the Egg-shaped Jordan almonds
make an especially sweet spring decoration!

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Step 1: Take a 12-inch Styrofoam wreath, and beginning with the inside circumference, hot-glue the almonds in place, overlapping a few of them to add dimension.

Step 2: Continue in a circular pattern until the entire front and inner and outer edges of the wreath are covered.

Step 3: Hang with a sturdy piece of cotton ribbon, or oversize rickrack trim as shown.

To store the wreath, wrap it in paper, place flat in a box, and keep in a cool, dry spot. It should last for one to two years.

See the full tutorial here on Country Living.

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St. Patty Dinner

Need some St. Patrick's Dinner ideas?  

I used to make this all the time. 

. . . yummy comfort food  . . .

Shepherd's Pie 

via mom-mom.com

 This one is from
      Martha Stewart

Southwest Shepherd Pie

via Texas Kids

or how about this

Skillet Shepherd's Pie Recipe

via Woman's Day 

Add a garden salad and some 

"green" bread 

via Desert Wind

and you're in LUCK~ 

Looking for a St. Patty "cupcake" ?

Recipe and Picture via 

Love From The Oven

Green Velvet Cupcakes

(makes 2 dozen cupcakes)

For the Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 oz green food coloring

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Grease your cake pans, muffin tins, whoopie pie pans, whatever method you decide to go with.  Or be crazy like me and do them all.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with whisk.  Add in remaining liquid ingredients.   Whisk until blended and sit aside.   I waited until the very end to add the food coloring, because frankly, that much food coloring scares me and I had to work out the courage to do it.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 package of softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 bag powdered sugar (2 lb bag)
• Milk as needed

Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.   Gradually add in powdered sugar and continue mixing.   I add in milk as needed to get to the desired consistency.

... so cute as Mini-cupcakes

via Love From The Oven

 More "lucky" Cupcakes

 HERE

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A Healthy St. Patrick's Dish

The Deen Bros. Lighter Chicken Florentine

By Bobby and Jamie Deen

The Deen Bros. Lighter Chicken Florentine

492 Fewer Calories
36 g Less Fat

Ingredients:
4 (5-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a medium baking dish with cooking spray.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken in one layer to the baking dish.

Add the oil to the skillet along with the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

Whisk together the flour with 2 tablespoons of the milk in a 2-cup glass measure until smooth. Stir in the remaining milk, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg until blended. Add the milk mixture to the spinach mixture in the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until bubbly around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Prep Time:  10 min
Cook Time:  30 min
Difficulty:  Easy
Servings: 4

Original recipe courtesy Paula Deen:  Chicken Florentine
Lightened Up recipe courtesy of The Deen Brothers and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

Per Serving (1 piece of chicken with 1/2 cup sauce): 343 Cal; 51 g Protein; 8 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 0 g Sugar; 307 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 629 mg Sodium; 116 mg Cholesterol

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A Handy Chart for You

via savings.com

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Tuesday Tip - Shipping Cookies

Shipping Cookies

Use Martha's tips 


for shipping cookies to ensure they arrive safe, sound, and delicious.

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Thanksgiving Week

 The thankful tree

This year the "Thankful Tree" was by far the most popular item of the season.

The e-store has not yet  re-opened but we had them in the Etsy Store

and couldn't keep them in stock!

Thankful Tree Enclosed with the box of leaves is a pretty little card that explains the meaning and traditions of the tree...making the "Thankful Tree" the perfect gift for family and friends! This whimsical wire tree will be a highlight the whole Autumn Season! It is the perfect way to encourage intentional gratitude.

Designed for the Thanksgiving Season of Bounteous Blessings 

in mind but perfect for holidays and special celebrations throughout the year!

The Thankful Tree is shipped with a small paper 

mache box filled with a variety of 30 leaf cutouts 

and a Black Fine Point Sharpie. Each leaf is hand 

threaded and tied with a string for hanging. 

Throughout the season The Thankful Tree 

serves as a reminder of blessings and gifts.

There are many wonderful traditions

 that can evolve from this fun "Tree".

• Have a family activity the first of November and share

 ideas about gratitude and blessings. 

Each family member is given a leaf to write on. 

This can be repeated each week leading to Thanksgiving Day.

• Throughout the season guests can write their name, 

the date and what they are grateful for.

• On Thanksgiving Day read all the blessings 

shared by family and friends.

• Leaves could be used to write 

good deeds and acts of service.

May the Thankful Tree bless your home 

with happy hearts filled with gratitude

 and an awareness of the people and blessings

that enrich our lives daily!

Thankful Tree

Enclosed with the box of leaves is a pretty little card that explains
the meaning and traditions of the tree...making the
"Thankful Tree" the perfect gift for family and friends!
This whimsical wire tree will be a highlight the
whole Autumn Season! It is the perfect
way to encourage intentional gratitude.

Tree measures 20" high.(box for leaves and leaf colors will vary)
We are still selling the extra leaves.

Thankful Leaves

I love thinking about all the little blessings and

thoughts of gratitude people have hanging on their 

"Thankful Trees"!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Week!

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Please Vote

via Jones Design Company

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Halloween Cupcake Toppers

We found a fun Halloween Printable 

by Artist, Johanna Parker at her : BLOG 

FREE Download HERE!

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Tuesday Tip-How to Pick a Watermelon

HOW TO PICK A WATERMELON

via What About a Watermelon

1. LOOK – Your watermelon should be firm, symmetrical and free of major bruises or scars. Some minor scratches are okay, however. After all, the purpose of that thick rind is to protect the delicious contents inside. Ripe watermelons should also be dark green in color.

2. LIFT – The ripest watermelons have the most water. And since watermelons are 92 percent water, your watermelon should be relatively heavy for its size.

3. TURN – Turn your watermelon over and check out its bottom, which should have a creamy yellow spot (also called “the ground spot”). This is where the watermelon sat on the ground while it soaked up the sun at the farm. If this spot is white or greenish, your watermelon may have been picked too soon and might not be as ripe as it should be.

via The Kitchen

Learn more HERE

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Patriotic Trifle

Patriotic Trifle published in Simple & Delicious July/August 2007, p15

Ingredients

• 1 package (3 ounces) berry blue gelatin
• 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups cold whole milk
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 quart fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

• In two small bowls, combine each gelatin flavor with 1 cup boiling water. Stir 1/2 cup cold water into each. Pour each into an ungreased 9-in. square pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping.
• Set aside 1/4 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup strawberries for garnish. Cut the gelatin into 1-in. cubes. In a 3-qt. trifle bowl or serving dish, layer the strawberry gelatin, half of the cake cubes, the remaining blueberries and half of the pudding mixture.
• Top with blue gelatin and remaining cake cubes, strawberries and pudding mixture. Garnish with reserved berries and remaining whipped topping. Serve immediately. Yield: 16-20 servings.

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Red, White and Blue Bunting

Patriotic Bunting for the 4th

Ignite your Fourth of July festivities with a fresh stars and stripes theme. We played out our patriotic style by updating traditional bunting with crisp polka-dot and stripe fabrics, then covered cushions in more stripes and checks to amplify the fun. Here’s how you can make your own bunting.

What you'll need: Fabrics in red, white, and blue. (For a bunting to fit a 72-inch wide window opening, you'll need 3-1/3 yards of fabric in each color.) Spring-loaded tension rod To make the bunting: 1.      Measure the width of the window or other opening where you plan to hang your bunting. This will be the total width for your bunting, and the drop will be half the width measurement. (Example: 72 inches wide divided by 2 = 36 inch drop.) To determine yardage, multiply the drop measurement by 3-1/4 + 2 extra inches to finish ends. Example:  36 x 3-1/4 = 117 + 2 = 119. So for this width, you will need 3-1/3 yards of fabric (119 divided by 36 = 3-1/3 yards).    2.      You will cut a total of 5 strips of fabric for bunting: two red, two white, and one blue. To determine the width of each strip of fabric, divide 5 into the drop measurement, add 1 inch to each white and blue strip of fabric for seam allowances, and add 1-1/2 inch to each of the two red outside strips for seam allowances and hem/finishing. (Example: 36-inch drop divided by 5 = 7-1/4 + 1 = 8-1/4 inch width strips for both white and blue fabrics.  36-inch drop divided by 5 = 7-1/4 + 1-1/2 = 8-3/4 inch width strips for red fabrics.) Cut out strips.   3.     Sew strips together in color sequence as per photo using 1/2-inch seam allowances. Clean finish or serge the seams. Narrow hem the bottom edge of one of the red strips.   4.       Mark the center of the top red strip of fabric and box-pleat toward center about 5 times to take up the fullness. Gather the pleated fabric at center, if needed, to take up more fullness, keeping piece smooth.    5.      Rod Pocket:  Cut a strip of red fabric to encase the spring tension rod, adding 1 inch for seam allowances. Encase raw ends of top of bunting/pleating into the rod pocket.     6.      Insert pressure rod into casing for hanging. *Option: Add grommets along casing for hanging.

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Tuesday Tip - Fly those Flags!

Today is Flag Day!

Start flying Old Glory

via Country Living

Flag Etiquette

Here are some tips to make sure your tribute is a respectful one: 

-Display the flag only between sunrise and sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs. The flag may be displayed for twenty-four hours if illuminated in darkness.
- Do not display the flag in inclement weather.
- Whether displaying the flag vertically or horizontally, make sure the canton of stars is visible on the upper left-hand side.
- Do not let the flag touch the ground.
- The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
- Before flying a flag at half-staff, hoist to its peak for an instant before lowering it.
- When displayed against a wall with another flag, their staffs crossed, the American flag should be on the right of the other flag (on the viewer's left), with its staff on top of that of the other flag.
- When flags of states, cities, or localities are flown on the same halyard with the United States flag, the national flag should always be at the top. No other flag should be placed above, or if on the same level, to the flag's right.
- When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they should be flown from separate staffs of equal height. The flags should be of approximately equal size.
- When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle, the canton should be placed at the peak of the staff.
- An unusable flag that is damaged and worn and can no longer be displayed should be destroyed in a dignified way by burning.
- When not on display, the flag should be respectfully folded into a triangle, symbolizing the tricorn hats worn by colonial soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

 

This porch displays red, white, and blue bunting (the fabric that flags are made from) that has been tacked to the eaves and tied with ribbon at the bottom. The trios of small flags are held up by aluminum brackets.

 via Martha Stewart
A Patriotic Cupcake Display

via Country Living

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