The Wednesday Dish

Hello again kiddos!  It's time for another Wednesday dish!  Today is a simple recipe that I tried, and everyone in the family loved it!  It was really easy to whip together...nothing fancy, but tasted yummy! :D  I have before and after shots for you - and a recipe card.  It's called "Chicken Hurry" and only has 5 ingredients!  I made garlic mashed potatoes on the side - yum yum! :D

Hope if you guys try this you all like it also!

Any special recipes you want to share with us?

What I made Monday

Good Morning!

Yes, it is that dreaded Monday again! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!!!  If you can believe it - I did get some crafting done this weekend!  My husband has been BEGGING for a scarf from me - so I broke down and finished it for Christmas.  I crocheted that bad boy until my fingers cramped up!  Here are some pictures :

He requested this specific yarn - it's super super fuzzy! It's alpaca yarn - very thick and fuzzy and super duper warm!  It was a pretty simple pattern, crocheting 215 and then making 23 rows of single crochet, only working in back stitches.  He loves it, I'm very proud of how it looks, and now it's time for more scarf goodness! :D

Did anyone else have a chance to finish any projects, or make something cool this past week?

Merry Christmas!!

From us to you -

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have a wonderful day with friends and family wherever you are.  What a great holiday!  Let's all remember to give more than to receive, and never forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  We wish you the best this upcoming New Year. Best Wishes on this wonderful day.


Love from us,

  and

The Wednesday Dish-- Holiday Ham

I Love Ham on Christmas.  Not the spiral kind, but a big chunk of ham covered in pineapple glaze.  Pineapple glaze you might ask? Yes! If only you could see how delicious it is. (sorry no pictures).  Here is the recipe.  It is a keeper for all your holiday hams!

What I made Monday

Welcome Bloggers!  It is Monday again (what a dreaded day) - and I'm here to show you what I made!
This is a recycled craft - last year I made scented towels dipped in candle wax and rolled.  I had a bunch of wax left!  And I had extra coffee mugs with Christmas decor on them, and they were sitting in a box in the basement.  What a waste!  So I decided to make Christmas candles - all I had to buy were the wicks!!!

To melt my wax - I used an old coffee can.  It works perfect for me - I can sit it on the stove in another pot with water.

Now, you can't let your wax burn!!  You are supposed to use a thermometer - but wouldn't you know, I didn't have one.  So, I just sorta guessed.  I slowly melted the wax, and once it was all liquid, I started to pour.
But! Before you go hog wild and start pouring - you need your wicks in your containers!  I dipped the metal edge in the melted wax, and stuck it to the bottom of the container, and clothes pinned the extra wick edge on the lip of the containers so the wick wouldn't move when poured on.  I also added cinnamon scent to the candles.  You can buy scents and candle dyes at any craft shop.  Cinnamon candles are one of my favorites, and since these were mostly for me - cinnamon it was! :D

 

Then, you pour.  I used an old funnel to pour it - very slowly.  You want to get it not quite at the top, because you will have to repour!

Now, once your wax has dried some, you will notice a dip in the middle of it.  Now we repour our melted wax, and top the candle off, so we don't have lumpy shapes!

Now you just cut your wicks - and tada!  Finished candles!  I have them everywhere!  One downstairs, one in the dining room, one in my daughters room, and one in the bathroom!  A quick and easy way to make my house festive! :D

I hope you all enjoyed.  Did anyone else get any crafting done this weekend??

Fab Friday Newz

Happy Friday to all the readers!!
It's time for another round of
FAB FRIDAY NEWZ


This Friday my news is:
1. I got my Christmas presents mailed out to my family in California ( to me, this is fabulous!!!  It's been coming together for so long, and I thought it might be late, but no, it's scheduled to be delivered next Wednesday!!!)
2. On a sad note - my poor little man got shots! Yes, I know, they are good for him.  But I can't help shed a tear every time he gets poked!  He got extra shots this visit because of flu shots. :(  Poor guy!!!
3. I filled almost all of my baking orders!!  I still have one for next Monday, but the rush is over!  Phew!!!
What's everyone else's FFN???



My News:
My husband is doing well with his finals. Looks like he might pull of straight A's this semester
I signed up for a Creative Writing Class for next semester. Yikes.

I am extremely exhausted and stressed. Why is this good? Its good that its almost Christmas and the stress can lessen.
And, since my hubs doesnt read this blog, I can say that I bought tickets for he and I to go to our first play in January! Exciting!

The Wednesday Dish!!!

Peanut Butter Blossoms!


Yes kiddos - once again, your Wednesday dish is cookies! (I'm a baker, what can I say)
These cookies are yummy! Everyone loves them!  They are pretty easy to make, and easy to wrap up in a cute bag and bow - then just slap on a gift tag and give it to your neighbors, coworkers, other SAHM's in your play groups - anyone who you want to say thanks to and show you're thinking of them!!!  But don't forget to save a few for yourself, cuz they are delicious!  I even took the time to make a cuter recipe card.  (Yes, I can see you there rolling your eyes and saying "well La-Di-Dah".  I know who you are!)

The hardest part of this cookie is rolling them in sugar, and after baking putting a chocolate goodie on top!  Most people put chocolate kisses, but I have a lovely Father in Law who delivers for a candy shoppe, and they give me chocolate stars!  Then I don't have to unwrap them, and it's a nice unique touch.

So here are the pictures kiddos, and the recipe.  I hope you try them, enjoy them, and share them! :D

Rolling them in sugar!

On the pan to bake.

The stars - you gotta push them a little to stick in the cookies!

The longest part of the cookies is the cooling time!  I set them on paper towels on my counter top.  The chocolate melts and then has to reset.  Once all my cookies are baked, I use my natural cooler (its about 20 outside here in Wisconsin) and put them on trays and sit in the garage for a little and the chocolate cools super quick!  And there you have it.  Yummy cookies!!

Picnic Roll Tutorial - Look what I made Monday

I love Picnics.  When my husband and I were dating, our first Christmas together he wanted a list of things to get me. The only thing I could decide that I wanted that Christmas was a Picnic Basket.  I was pleasantly surprised at the basket that he picked out. I love it! It is currently in storage, but this spring I am going to pull it out and use it with my new Picnic Roll.

Here is my very own tutorial on how to make your own.  First, what is a Picnic Roll you might ask? It holds all of your silverware (or plasticware) for you to easily throw into your basket and take with you.

First, buy a kitchen towel from the dollar store. This one is from Dollar Tree. Cut the towel in half,

You will need to fold the towel over twice on the cut edge and iron it so that you create a clean edge just like the other three on the towel.

Sew down your iron hemmed edge.

Turn your towel so that your fresh sewn hem is at the bottom, closest to you. Then fold the towel up about two thirds of the way.  I stuck a fork in at this part to test the height. I wanted part of the towel on top to still be able to fold down.

I pinned the towel and also pinned in a ribbon into the right side so when I sewed the sides up, the ribbon was sewn in. The ribbon is used to tie your roll into a roll shape. :D  Kind of like the crayon rolls everyone has brilliantly been making!

Then, starting at the fold, after I had, I sewed up the two sides, and then down the middle.

After the middle, I measured in between the middle and the edge and sewed up that middle on both sides.  Thus, creating four pockets.

This will complete your picnic roll. Simple enough. A hem stitch, and five stitches to create the pockets with the ribbon tie.

Here is the picnic roll with silverware: forks and spoons.

I like to fold over the top before I roll up the picnic roll.

The picnic roll, all rolled up and ready to be thrown into your basket or into a lunch box.  Great for a family of four, or you can fit more than one set of plasticware in each pocket.

Enjoy making it!

Also, for those of you who dont have the time or don't want to sew your own, you can always find some at my Etsy shop for $7. 

Fab Friday Newz

Fab Friday!

Here is my good news:
One of the kids in my Primary class is getting baptized on Sunday!
Chuck is feeling much better-- dont think it was a kidney stone
Jesse says "hidad" and sometimes he will say "hi". but mostly Hi Dad as one word
I have been getting a lot more ideas for our Semi-Homade Christmas!  I will show you one of the things I have been working on soon!!!
My cube at work is getting cleaned out and I finally have space to put my papers etc.
Jesse's 1 year pictures came in and he is adorable!
Tomorrow I guest post over at [ReDeemed]-- Come check it out!
P.S. I finished some of my Picnic Roll's-- put together a tutorial, and added them to my etsy shop. Go me!



And here is my good news:
I'm halfway to 50! (Is that good or bad? ;))
I mailed out all my Christmas cards this year!
Sirona, my stepdaughter, got all her grades up - we did lots of extra credit, extra studying, and extra tutoring!!!
I've got all my containers to make my Christmas candles - pictures to follow when I get them melted, scented and poured!
And my last FFN - Here I am, chatting with you all!!!
Happy Friday to Everyone!!!

The Wednesday Dish!!!

Okay kiddos - here's the deal.  Starting this Wednesday, we will be exposing you to a new and exciting recipe!  Sometimes it will be something sweet, sometimes something easy, but we promise that you will love it.  We won't throw random recipes at you - we promise to have tried them!

So to kick off The Wednesday Dish - Cookies!  I even attempted to take pictures of my baking process.  (Bear in mind, this is my first baking tutorial with pictures, and I have a new camera - so be nice!)

This cookie recipe has a little something for everyone.  Nut lovers, milk chocolate lovers, and semi sweet chocolate lovers!  I stole this from my mother in law!! XD

First - heat your oven to 375.  Let it get nice and warm while you bake.  Cream the butter and sugar together - 2 cups butter, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups white sugar.  Add 4 eggs. 2 tsp vanilla and mix.  I used my hand mixer - and proceeded to put the mixture in another bowl and hand mix, because this is a lot of dough!!

Then measure 5 cups of oatmeal, and grind it in your blender.  Yes, that's right, your blender.  You will still have a little oatmeal chunks, but it should look more like flour.

Mix your blended oatmeal with 4 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp baking powder.  Then mix it with your wet ingredients.

Next step : get your hands dirty!  Take 2 4oz chocolate bars (or one 8oz, but I couldn't find one) and grated it -

Here is a picture of my chocolate shavings!

Then you add your chocolate, along with 24oz chocolate chips, and 3 cups of nuts - I used walnut - and mix mix mix!

I use a cookie scoop so I get more uniform cookies :

and yes, I use silicone pads also - no sticky cookies here!

Bake your cookies for 10 minutes - and TADA - you have yummy deliciousness for your tummy!

This recipe makes 112 cookies, yes, it's a lot - but I was giving cookies out to people.  It's the holiday season, you tend to hand out more baked goods.  You can easily half this recipe, or put your dough in the fridge, and just bake up a tray as you crave chocolate!

So kiddos - there is my first attempt at a tutorial!  Also, here is my first attempt at a recipe card!  I couldn't find a template, so I made it all on my lonesome! Any comments and suggestions - or links to good places for templates - are appreciated!

Have a great Wed!