HANDMADE NOTE CARDS

I think I've mentioned before, every time I use my Silhouette machine I learn something new....and this project stood true to that fact.  Both my daughter and I were in need of some notecards and to me, if you have the ability to customized your cards, then by all means do it!  So, here's a couple that I put together recently.

The template of this "thanks" card was something I purchased from the Silhouette online store, so I can't take credit for that.  But, I will take credit for the color combo and the fabric and burlap flowers as the finishing touches.

I cut the design using an ivory card stock, then used a navy blue card stock underneath to highlight the design and lettering.  

A handwritten note and a gift card on the inside and it's the perfect touch for a special someone.

The teal note card below is ALL MINE.....and boy, did I learn a lot on this project.  For those of you who know of my daughter's photography business, teal is her official color and the KB logo has been her trademark since she began her business six years ago.

This project allowed me to learn how to "weld".  I won't go into the detail, because there are a number of  YouTube videos out there on the subject.  The one that I found most helpful was a little British lady who did an awesome job of showing each step along the way.    I would pause the video at each step and actually complete it as she did it.   What a huge help!

I knew I wanted to incorporate the KB logo and use teal as the backing, but until I learned how to "weld" the letters, it was completely cutting the KB out of the cardstock....so frustrating!!     You should have heard me squeal when it actually worked!!  

To finish it off, I actually typed out her message on the teal cardstock, sent the cardstock through my printer and then cut and glued them to the white cover.  Now they're all ready to go, and she just grabs one as she needs it.   So this one is actually more of a "postcard" design with the message on the back side, whereas the Thanks card is a tent style with the message on the inside.

I'm so pleased with how they turned out, and now they're both saved in my design files, so I'm all good to go the next time I need to make some!

RE-PURPOSED END TABLE

It's been a while since I had my hands busy with a good DIY project, so I was really looking forward to working on something.  Now that I've been settled into my studio for a little over a year, I've been able to really see what's working and what's not.  I'm happy to report, all-in-all I'm thrilled with the layout, design, and functionality.  In other words, I done good!!

I have noticed a couple things, little additions that would be nice and this project definitely fits the bill.  I had bought a little wooden stool for my fitting room but since it was taller and had a small seat,  I found it didn't have the functionality for my clients that I was hoping for.  So I started looking for an upholstered bench.  First, they're tough to find: secondly, most that I liked were very pricey, and thirdly, they just weren't quite what I was looking for.

So, I started down the path of looking at thrift stores, and Craig's list to find something (antique/vintage) that I could work with.  I wasn't having a lot of luck.  So, I had the brainstorm one day that I can find a lot of tables at thrift stores, so couldn't I convert a table into a bench?  Hello, hubby ... "I've got an idea", is usually how I start.   After he sits down and takes a deep breath, I then share.  He's the one that I use to vet my crazy ideas and then handle things like drilling, etc.  After all, he's a lot better at it than I am.  And, I know deep down he enjoys it!    So as it turns out, my idea had possibilities....so here's my our adventure!

BEFORE 

AFTER 

When I bought the table (for $7.99) the glass was missing, which was fine since I wasn't going to need it anyway.  My husband figured out the logistics of what it would take to make the table sturdy enough to sit on......

You can see that one of the first things he did was add some wooden slats on the underside to add strength and support for the wood ovals he was going to create to fill the space where the glass used to be.

Three wooden ovals were cut to officially turn the table into a bench.

A fourth oval was cut out of another board which I used for my part of the project, which was the actual upholstering.

I found a great piece of upholstery fabric in a neutral color at JoAnn's, and also picked up a piece of two inch foam and some 1 ½ button shells that I could cover in the upholstery fabric since I knew I wanted to tuft the top.

I had my husband drill holes about ¼ inch apart into the board.  I used that to help me stablize and secure the buttons versus just going through the foam.   I used an upholstery needle, and embroidery thread and started from the top of the piece and went through the foam into the drill hole securing the thread through the button shank.  On the underside of the board I tied my thread to muslin pieces to prevent thread breakage as I was tugging and knotting the buttons.


Then, for those of you who have upholstered, this should sound familiar. I worked with the board side up and began using the staple gun to secure my upholstery fabric.  This step takes kneeling on the board and really pulling the fabric tightly against the foam as you staple.

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I know my clients are going to love this in the changing area!   I have to tell you, I really debated about painting/distressing the wood since many of my pieces in the studio are distressed....but, the wood was in such good condition, I chose to keep it the way it was.

The few knicks that were on the legs, I was able to camouflage reasonably well with one of those touch up stain pens from Home Depot.

There are some beautiful wood carvings on two of the ends, as well as on the legs....and, I absolutely love the lion claw feet!  I really wanted something vintage, and to me the lion claw feet are classic.  

I have to tell you, the thrift store had two of these....I was so tempted to buy both of them! Fortunately, the rational side of my brain won out that day.  

MEATLOAF

Okay meatlovers...this one's for you!  It took me a couple tries to perfect it, so here it is! Add a side of potatoes and some veggies and you're good to go......

INGREDIENTS:

*1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

3/4 cup diced onion

½ cup catsup

1 egg

1 Tbsp. worchestershire

2 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 cup Quaker Oats

favorite BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix meats together in a large bowl using your hands.  Add all other ingredients and continue blending until well mixed.

Form two loaves and place in large baking pan.

Twenty minutes before its done (it takes approximately 60 minutes), drain off any grease/liquid and generously coat the top of the meatloaf with the BBQ sauce.  

Let sit 5 minutes prior to slicing.  

Enjoy!

* my freezer is loaded with ground venison thanks to my husband (the great white hunter), so just about anything that calls for ground beef, I substitute venision.  Since the vension is so lean, any drippings in the pan are from the pork.  By-the-way, this freezes great!  So, we usually take one of the loaves and freeze it to enjoy at a later date.

recipe adapted from: epicurious.com

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

So just like you, I saw a number of roasted cauliflower recipes all over social media.  In my quest to add more veggies into my diet, those recipes that look interesting/yummy and include veggies I can tolerate are definitely worth a try.   I have to tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed roasted cauliflower!

Now, based upon reviews that I read, I chose to try the recipe that used cauliflower pieces versus the whole head.   Reviews for recipes which roasted the entire head whole, indicated it didn't cook evenly so some of the cauliflower was soft and other parts were hard.

I apologize for the small portion, I had to snag this picture before it was all gone!!  I made an entire head and this single serving was all that was left.  That should give you a good indication as to how tasty this dish is....and it's really easy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 head fresh cauliflower

¼ cup olive oil

4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

½ cup parsley

¼ cup grated parmesan

1 clove garlic

kosher salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.   Rinse and cut up the cauliflower; place in an 11x7 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, 3 Tbsp, of the mustard, and salt and pepper to your liking.  Brush this mixture over the cauliflower and placed in a large baking dish. 

Bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes until soft. 

While the cauliflower is baking, mix together the parsley, parmesan and the remaining mustard. Sprinkle this mixture over the cauliflower and serve.

Enjoy! 

ALMOND BISCOTTI

I enjoy a good biscotti now and again, especially with a hot cup of tea or coffee for dunking!  This recipe had a wonderful almond flavor which was exactly what I was looking for.   Even better I already had all the ingredients in the pantry, except for one so I made a substitution that I'll share with you.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

*3 Tbsp. brandy

2 tsp. pure almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

3 large eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

1 ½ tsps. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

NOTE:  To roast the almonds, spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes; until they begin to turn golden.  (I did not chop them per the directions, basically because I forgot.....but, I liked the larger pieces in the finished product)

Stir together sugar, butter, *brandy, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. 

Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (14x3 inch) loaves.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes.  Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice into 3/4 inches slices, on the diagonal.  

Arrange biscotti with one cut side down, on a clean baking sheet (again, I lined mine with parchment) and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to rack to cool completely.

*since I didn't have any brandy in the house, I substituted  creme de' almond liquer that I had.  It gave the biscotti an even bolder almond flavor and slight pink color! 

Enjoy!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

To me, there's nothing better than a bowl of soup in the winter months...whether it be lunch or dinner. I'm totally satified with a hearty soup for a meal.   A month or so ago, I tried a tomato bisque that was absolutely delicious!  With that success, I thought I'd try a split pea soup.  I've always enjoyed split pea and was dreaming of a creamy pea soup with chunks of ham.  This recipe definitely delivered.....and the best thing is, you can throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it simmer all day long.

**I soaked the peas in 2 quarts of water overnight.  There are mixed reviews as to whether you need to do this especially when you're cooking the soup in the crockpot, so you decide.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. split peas

2 cups carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

32 oz. chicken broth

½ tsp. thyme

2 cups water

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups ham, cubed

1 cup chopped celery

1 Tbsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Remove peas from the water and add them and the rest of the ingredients to a crockpot.  Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.   Remove bay leaves before serving.

Tip:

I like my soups a bit creamier, so I chose to thicken mine up before serving.  To do that, I removed approximately 3 cups of the soup and placed it in a blender, I also added ¼ cup of instant mashed potato flakes (it was a great thickener...I love google!) to the soup.  Puree for approximately 30-45 seconds and then added that mixture back into the crockpot.  For me, it was the perfect consistency!  

Now today, after chilling in the fridge all night long, I found the soup needed to be thinned a bit, so I just added a bit of milk.  So good!!!

Enjoy!

Recipe c/o:  familyfreshmeals.com

EGG AND SWEET POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

I'm always up for trying new healthy breakfast recipes.  If they include eggs, I'm definitely interested since I'v found that eggs for breakfast can really keep me satisfied for a long time.  This particular recipe included sweet potatoes, which I found really intriguing so I gave it a whirl.

I would give it a "good" versus "great".....but you may think differently.  It really wasn't too tough to put together and it serves up nicely.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 lb.. low fat breakfast sausage (turkey or pork...I used the Jimmy Dean's pork variety)

12 large eggs

1 small sweet potato

1 cup baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a *9x9 baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.  Also add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil to a skillet set to medim-high heat.  Brown the breakfast sausage.  

While the sausage is browning, peel and slice your sweet potato thin to ensure they come out tender.  Line the baking dish with the potatoes.  In a medium bowl beat the eggs with a whisk and season with salt and pepper.

Top the potatoes with the sausage, then pour the eggs over the top.  Layer the spinach on top, as well as any other ingredients you may like.  (ideas:  tomatoes, onions, asparagus, cheese)  I added about ¼ cup of shredded mozarella. 

*as you can see from the picture, I used a cake tin since I don't have a 9x9 dish.

recipe c/o:  www.aimeemars.com