CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES

Got a hankerin' for something chocolate?  Then, these little babies will satisfy that craving.  Rich little cookies.  Very pretty and simple to make!

(makes two dozen)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup flour

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting hands

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl (preferably metal) stir together all of the dry ingredients.  Add butter and mix well, using an electric mixer.  Add egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.

Spread dough in a thin layer in bowl and freeze 10 minutes, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place powdered sugar in a small bowl and dust hands with additional.  Roll each piece of dough into a small ball (approximately 1") and then into the sugar.  Arrange balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are just set.  Cool cookies on racks.

So good... with a brownie-like flavor and texture.    Grab yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!

RE-PURPOSED CHAIR

This is chair #2 that I've re-purposed for my sewing area.  I had such fun with the first one, I decided to add another.  It's also handy having two chairs, to avoid constantly moving the chair between the two machines that I use most frequently; the multi-stitch machine and my serger.   So once again, I scouted my local thrift stores, and landed on a bargain at the ARC thrift store.  It was a solid wood chair (with heinous tartan plaid upholstery, coated with pet hair). The seat pan cushioning was still in good shape, which meant I wouldn't have to replace it.  So I knew this project was going to go really well.

BEFORE

AFTER

The first step was to remove the seat pan, and pull off the fabric, this took a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the seat pan.  And then a flat head screw driver and some pliers did the trick with the huge number of staples which were used to secure the fabric.

After sanding the chair to rough it up and prepare for painting, I used a combination of spray paint and craft paints that I already had in my collection,   After the turquoise base color was applied I sprayed on some antique white, then used a sponge brush to add some tan, pink and peach.

After the paint had dried for a full 24 hours, I distressed it a bit with the sander.   The final step was a coat of clear satin finish (spray paint).

In between the painting, I took care of the re-upholstery, using the matching fabric from the first chair.

So this project literally was the cost of the chair at $9.99, I had everything else already on hand; leftover paint, fabric and vinyl for the lettering on the back of the chair.

....and there they are side-by-side.  You can see my third machine there on the left; it's my old workhorse from the 80's that I still use!  It's awesome when I have multiple projects going at the same time.  The natural light that comes in right over my sewing table is awesome!

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

This is a really easy recipe to put together, and it packs a flavorful punch.  It's kind of like an upside down taco salad!

This recipe can easily feed 6 people...I made it for just my husband and myself and we had several leftover meals.  Tip:  If you are making it for fewer people and will have leftovers, I would suggest not starting with the chips in the bottom of the casserole, since they'll get soggy with refrigeration.  Instead, add them to the top of the casserole once it's finished cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 lb. lean ground beef

1 16 oz. can Old El Paso refried beans

1 16 oz. jar Old El Paso Thick n' Chunky Salsa

1 1 oz. pkg. low sodium taco seasoning mix

2 ½ cups coarsely broken tortilla chips

½ medium green bell pepper, chopped

4 medium green onions, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped 

1 cup shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, or taco flavored cheese

¼ cup sliced ripe olives

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 large avocado

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 12 inch skillet, cook beef (*I used venison) over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked; drain.  Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix.  Reduce heat to medium.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

In an ungreased 2 quart casserole, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips.  Top evenly with meat. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese, and olives. 

Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.  Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining ½ cup tomato, and remaining tortilla chips.  Serve with sliced avocado.

Enjoy!

WINE BARREL

One of the things I wanted to do with my new studio was find a better solution for storing my fabric. I have a number of fabrics that I have rolled on cardboard cores and I didn't like the way they looked under my pattern table.   I knew there had to be a better option that was functional and eye appealing at the same time.........and here it is!

An old wine barrel.  It fits well with the decor and has a ton of room.  When I first started sourcing where I could purchase a barrel, what I found was really pricey.  Not what I had in mind.  With a little determination,  I found a local option  with some really great prices.

Now, I will tell you, I did have a couple of surprises that went along with my purchase.  First, all of the pictures on their website showed beautifully stained barrels.  However, when I picked mine up, that was not the case.

The picture to the left is what I picked up......secondly, the first thing my husband asked when we got it out of my car was "How do we get the top off?"  Huh, what top?  I didn't even realize when it was loaded for me that both ends of the barrel were sealed.

After a call back to the company for a little instruction, and a couple of You Tube videos, my husband was able to remove the top without the entire barrel falling apart.  (You really should watch a You Tube video on how these barrels are constructed.  It's fascinating)

Another surprise was in store once the lid was removed, inside the barrel are oak planks which are used for seasoning/aging.  My husband found out that many people purchase these and use them while barbecuing.  Needless to say, he has a whole box full now to have fun with this grilling season.

After we let the barrel air out for a while, (the garage smelled like a winery for a solid week.  The pungent odor of the wine was crazy!) and we found a pocket of spring days that was dry and warm, the finishing project could begin.

Although I was prepared to tackle the sanding, staining, and finishing, I have to give full credit to my husband for this project. What I've learned  over the years is when it comes to woodworking projects, he likes to take the lead.  I have to admit, he is really good at it.  So, I let him go for it.  

I absolutely love the way it looks......and, just as I had hoped, I was able to fill it chock-full of all of the large bolts of fabric that I've collected from my days in outer wear, as well as the items that I purchase large quantities of fairly regularly like various shades of tulle, and bridal satin.   So cool!!

HAM STRATA

I've been trying to get better at using up leftovers by finding a good recipe that uses that particular item.  In this case, I had some sliced ham in the freezer (for months actually) that I needed to use before it ended up with a severe case of freezer burn.  So, I started looking up breakfast recipes that used ham.  I found several actually, landing on a strata.  An added bonus for me when I do this is when the recipe is a winner....which was the case with this one!

What's cool about strata recipes is most recipes have you prepare it and refrigerate it overnight.  So, when you awaken, you can pre-heat the oven and pop it in and be enjoying a nice hot breakfast in about an hour.

INGREDIENTS:

*9 slices bread, torn into bite size pieces

½ cup diced fresh mushrooms (I had a few leftover cremini in the fridge)
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed cooked ham
8 eggs
2 cups milk

* the recipe did not indicate what type of bread, so I went with a hearty multi-grain.  It was good, but I think next time I'd like to try a sourdough

DIRECTIONS:
Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle the mushrooms and pepper evenly over the bread layer.  Sprinkle half the cheese.  Top with the remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Whisk together the eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan.  Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

The next morning......pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.

I cut up individual squares (yes...with the leftovers...)  and placed them in the freezer.  Now, I'll have some easy "go to" breakfasts that can be heated in the microwave.

Enjoy!
recipe c/o: all recipes.com

STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

I came up with this recipe while searching for a stuffed pork tenderloin recipe.....I chose to combine a couple of different ideas that I found.   It's fairly easy to assemble, looks pretty, and tastes great!

I served it with long grain/wild rice and broccoli and squash sauteed in lemon butter sauce.  It was delish!

INGREDIENTS:

*2 pork tenderloins (butterflied and pounded)

10 crimini mushrooms, diced

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 cups fresh spinach

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

6-8 slices cooked bacon

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

kitchen string

* I used two pork tenderloins, since one didn't seem like enough for four people.  It turns out we barely cut into the second loin.   On the flip side, I have leftovers for one night this week.! 

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cook the bacon, let drain and crumble into small pieces

2.  Dice the mushrooms

3.  Butterfly the tenderloin and cover with plastic wrap; pound with the flat edge of a mallet

4.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

5.  Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook mushrooms, thyme, garlic, sage, pepper and salt in the oil until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are softened; approximately 5-10 minutes.  

6.  Add spinach and cook until wilted; approximately 5 minutes.  Stir in mustard and bacon bits, and remove from heat.

7. Spread the mixture on top of the butterflied tenderloin; leaving a ½ border on all sides.  Tightly roll the tenderloin around the filling and tie together with kitchen string. 

8.  Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and place rolled tenderloin in the hot oil.  Sear until all sides are golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

9.  Bake in a pre-heated oven until internal temp is 160 degrees; approximately 25-30 minutes.  

Enjoy!

STORAGE CABINET

As part of the design for the basement studio, we carved out room for a big beautiful closet.  It's awesome!  As I started moving all of my supplies in there, I realized it would really be helpful to have a wall cabinet. It would provide so much room and allow me to organize a bit better than the plastic tubs I was using.

I knew exactly where to go, since I've shopped/bought items there before when I made my business signage, and the shutters I distressed for my daughter. You can't beat the prices!  I knew it would cost me close to $150 to buy a cabinet at one of the big box stores.  I found one at Bud's for $60; it's 39" tall x 23" wide x 12" deep, and has 4 shelves.

BEFORE

I wanted a fun, and bold look, so I started by painting the cabinet doors and exterior a clean white color.  Then, I painted an abstract look on the panels of the doors.  A couple of sassy handles from Hobby Lobby at 50% off, and I had a whole new look!

AFTER

I spent hours today, purging, organizing and re-organizing......I'm good with it for now, but I'm sure it will get re-organized at least a half dozen times before I land on the best way to utilize my new found space!  

The white paint was spray paint I had on hand, and I chose to use a variety of craft paints I had (in one of those plastic tubs I was mentioning) as well. 

It was fun just to create with no inhibitions. I used several types of brushes and sponges brushes, put on some good music and went for it! 

I confidently thought I could easily put the handles on myself, and was humbled by the fact it wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be....so I had to have my husband rescue/repair the screw holes I made.  It's a long story.......including learning that you can't just pull a drill bit out of the wood if it sticks in there....cuz, HELLO....it's scorching hot!!

Not one of my better attempts at handy work.   I am good however, with a hammer and a caulking gun.  Just call me the CaulkMeister!