DIY Gift Tags

Gift tags are like birthday candles and umbrellas, everyone has them but can't find when you need them! And in my case, I can never seem to have "right" ones!!

Well, being that it's so easy to make/cut your own tags, why not just do that when you need them? 

So, here are some examples I've done for this Christmas, but that I'm now (that I saw the light!) planning to use throughout the year!

Find shapes of tags you want to make, or use cookie cutters, jar lids, and just trace them on cardboard (I use recycled boxes from cereal, crackers, or alike!). 

Save and use/upcycle interesting papers you get from all kinds of sources, save scraps of craft paper to make different shapes and size tags for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Housewarming, or ANY other gift tag-requiring event!

One other thing I do is save/reuse EVERY ribbon, string, or anything that can be used to wrap/tie gifts! Like below the brown/white rope ribbon was save from something else.

I also save tags from things I buy as templates to duplicate the shapes.  Making your tags makes gifts that much more special I think!  

Merry Christmas and happy gift tag making!!

HomeMade Croutons

HomeMade Croutons

These deliciously crunchy & tasty little morsels are made out of old bread, from my own homemade bread, but you can use any bread you have! I'm actually not a big fan of croutons, unless they're homemade! Store-bought croutons are always either too hard or too light and void of substance, to me!

INGREDIENTS:
Half loaf of bread.  Here I used my own homemade bread.  Denser crustier bread works best.
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste

BAKE: 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with foil.
Slice bread lengthwise, like you're going to make a sandwich, then into slices at an angle,  and  finally into bite size cubes.

In a bowl just big enough for croutons or in a plastic bag and drizzle croutons with oil while tossing to get a bit of oil on each crouton.  Then sprinkle salt & pepper to taste. And finally sprinkle garlic and onion powder, while tossing.

Spread on single layer on foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Check them and see they're to your liking, and if not, bake for another two minutes.  ENJOY!!

Turkey Orzo Soup

Turkey Orzo Soup

Did you save your turkey carcass??
By The Way, there should be another name for carcass when it's used for cooking! I'm just saying.

Hope you did, I ALWAYS do and then we have turkey noodle (orzo) soup all weekend following Thanksgiving! I use orzo because the regular noodles soak up too much liquid and then become super large and soggy.  Using orzo was my later mother-in-law, Carolyn's idea - not mine!

INGREDIENTS:
Turkey carcass (I also use the carcass of store-bought rotisserie chicken)
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped carrots
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp dry thyme (or 4 fresh sprigs)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup green onion, chopped - optional
Tabasco sauce, to taste - optional

MAKES: 10-15 large bowls

INSTRUCTIONS:
In large pot add enough water to cover the carcass.  Gently boil with onions and salt until meat falls off the bone, about 1 hr or so.

Remove/skim as much of the fat from the top as possible. 
Take out all the bones and let them cool, then remove as much of the meat as possible and put it back in the broth.

Add the celery and carrots and cook another 20 minutes or so until they are tender. While veggies are cooking, cook orzo according to package directions, then add to soup. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. DONE!!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love adding freshly chopped green onions on top and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce for a bit of kick. ENJOY!!

DIY Dragon Pillow Case

So, Toothless is my grandson West's FAVORITE dragon of all time!! So, I had to make him a soft pillow case so he could go to sleep every night with his favorite dragon and dream of riding him!

I found a what I thought would be an easy template for me to  trace, cut and stitch on. 

This TEMPLATE fit what I wanted just perfectly! 

HOW TO:
1. Trace shape from screen on paper, or print and cut.
2. Spray adhesive on back of paper so it stick to your fabric, but still PIN in place for cutting ease.
3. Pin fabric cut out onto pillow case panel and stitch in place with a zig-zag stitch appropriate for your fabric. Here I used a narrow zig zag in med length and was easy to go around tight shapes
4.  You can add a matching/coordinating ribbon if you like, and here the back was from an old pillow case with an eyelet trip so I used a ribbon on that.

 My grandson's words when he opened the gift were "I LOVE IT....I LOVE MY DRAGON!!" Wow, what more can you ask for. Absolutely nothing!

And here, wearing his dragon slayer's gear and face painting, is my inspiration for making this pillow case. Note the amazing Toothless dragon on his cake, made my his mom!

Hearty Veggie Soup

 This wonderful soup is as delicious as it is versatile!

The base is potatoes, white beans, garlic & tomatoes.  After that you can add pretty much anything you have in your fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 Medium russet potatoes, cubed into bite size cubes

3 Carrots, peeled and chopped

2 zucchini or squash

3 Galic cloves, finely chopped

1 Cup chopped parsley or cilantro

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped

1 14.5-oz can petite chopped tomatoes, you could add fresh as well.

1 15oz can Cannellini (or white) beans

8 cups water or broth (I use water), and sometimes a splash of red wine.

 Salt & Pepper to taste.

1.  Chop and measure everything.  It's so much easier when you have everything ready to go in!

2.  Heat the oil and add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a pot big enough to fit all the ingredients and be able to stir.

3.  When garlic starts to brown and you can smell it, add the potatoes and onions. Cook about 3 mins while mixing them around.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT BEANS & PARSLEY/CILANTRO. Cook for about 25 mins until carrots and potatoes are tender, then add beans and salt & pepper to taste.

5. Let the beans cook in the soup for about 5 mins.  Turn off heat and add the parsley or cilantro and blend some of the soup if you wish.

NOTE:  

Here is a version where IF you blend part of the soup it can be a bit thicker but the taste is pretty much the same. I use my immersion blender and place it in about three spots and blend for a few seconds just to give the soup a thicker body. When adding your water or broth use your own judgement to get the consistency you like.

Here is about how big I chop my veggies.

 You can really use almost any veggie you like.  Sometimes I use broccoli instead of zucchini, you can add mushrooms too. One thing I don't use is celery. It just gives a flavor I prefer in other soups, like chicken noodle.

After cooking the soup for about 25-30 mins I add the beans and let them get heated, about 5 mins and it's ready to enjoy.

Yard MakeOver on a BUDGET!!

Okay, so I don't claim to be an "expert" in gardening... but I do profess to LOVE gardening.  And just BEING IN the garden is a bliss for me!  All my troubles disappear when I'm in my garden.

 

 Here I'm starting with the AFTER...where the cosmos grew taller than me this year. This is a SIDE YARD by the way.

 

AFTER: Heavenly morning & evening walks took place here!

As a lover of gardening, and a frugal domestic diva, of course I always try to find ways to transform my garden (garden areas) with the least amount of money or effort.

Here you see what I mean.  A few seed packets of Cosmos & Sweet William completely transformed this side yard in my house.

One thing that works for me is to spend a little time before & after I have to go to "work".  It both clears my mind at the start, and relieves stress at the end of the day!

 

This is how it started out. You can see some stepping stones (it's what I saw)  next to the fence, which I ended up moving to the middle and arranging in curvy pathway.

BEFORE: You can see the end of the gate at the end...looking toward the street. 
When I first saw this I could "see" the possibilites!

 

It's nice to have a place to sit, rest, and enjoy he journey of a growing garden.

 

This is looking toward the backyard...notice the tall pine trees in the background.
An apple tree was later planted right before the trees. It was grafted with 3 types of apples!

 

Here you still see the pine trees but the Cosmos are just loving it here! The only drawback about Cosmos is that they're annuals.  You just got to take them out at the end of the season, but you get to start over with something NEW! :)

This space evolved as the years passed and different beautiful flowers grow here, inlcluden even an apple tree.

What I did
Basically all I did here was just dig up around the whole area to loosen the dirt. Then I moved the "pavers" (anything I found around the yard) to form the path I wanted. I also installed a drip irrigation system to water things. Once I planted (scattered) the seeds and added other plants here and there as I came across something on the "discount shelf" a Lowe's it pretty much just evolved to what you see.

Enjoy playing in YOUR garden!

Easy Guacamole

This guacamole is not just easy to make and delicious...it's also beautiful!

This is just one avocado's worth but for a big party it's almost part of the

centerpiece it's so pretty to look at.

INGREDIENTS

1 large avocado (for every 3-4 people.  Less if serving other dip or hors d'oeuvres.

1 lg tomato, diced

1/3 onion, any type

1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped

(or 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, for hot. Less if you want it mild)

1/2 chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

salt & pepper to taste

After cutting around the avocado, get the pit with your knife.

To get pit off the knife, tap the back of the knife on a cutting board, or similar surface.

 Score the inside/flesh of the the avocado into small squares and coop out with a spoon.

Season all ingredients and gently mix to combine.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Here are some delicious tacos made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, but this beautiful thing can also be used as a TOPPING on any grilled MEAT or as part of any SALAD (make less spicy for this one)...oh, and who could forget with lovely crunchy CHIPS!

Garlic Polenta Cakes



I happened to make the "heart-shapped" last Valentine's Day, but you can of course cut it this into ANY shape you want, depending on the occassion, guest, or menu!

1 Golden Pheasant's MICROWAVE recipe
5 garlic cloves (yes...I LOVE garlic!), minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (that's what I use)

PREPARATION
Peel and mince garlic.  Mix polenta according to package directions. Heat oil and add garlic.  Swirl or stir garlic until slightly golden brown and aromatic. Pour immediately over polental and stir to mix.  Cook polenta according to package instructions.

If you're familiar with polenta you know you can have EITHER creamy, right after cooking, and serve with a sauce dish like Italian Sauge & Polenta.  OR let it cool and cut into shapes and brown in hot oil (2-3 tbsp) until golden brown (when it's like candy to me!).

Serving suggestions:
I really wish more recipes would 'suggest' what they go best with.  I love serving creamy polenta with anything that has a red Italian style sauce, and a protein, such as lamb or pork chops with a simple Cucumber & Tomato, or Tomato & Onion salad. ENJOY!

APPLE CRUNCH CAKE

EASY, MOIST, DELICIOUS!

What I love about this cake is that it's as easy to make as it is delicious to eat!

And the few and common ingredients you need you probably already have in your pantry.

This is case is delicious by itself, or with hot beverage and you could top with whipped cream if wanted.

I use any apples I have on hand or that are on sale.

Dry ingredients. 

(oops, didn't take a pic of mixed wet ingredients!)

Mixture will be lumpy. Here I added raisins (I was making it for someone who liked raisins), but I would not do it again, as I'm not a big fan.

 Here it is...50 mins to 1 hr later. So MOIST yet CRUNCHY and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups apples (about 4 apples), peeled and diced
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional). I like using slivered almonds. If using walnuts or pecans add them after the all ingredients are combined, so dry flour doesn't get into the crevices.

PREPARATION
Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.

Add wet ingredients, including apples, to flour mixture and mix well to combine. Bake for about 1 hr in greased 9x13, or smaller, pan. 

Done when tip of knife comes out clean. Check at 50 mins, since some ovens run hotter.

NOTE: Usually you mix sugar with eggs & oil, but in this case adding it to the flour is part of what gives this its yummy texture & crunch.

Meeting his parents!

After FIVE years of knowing my sweet and loving boyfriend, Chris, we headed out on our first "vacation" to OR to visit his parents, Molly and Peter.

We packed the dog, Tommy, and off we went. On the way there we stopped in Ashland, where we with Chris' friend, Steve and his wife Anna. Steve and Chris go way back to HS.

We had a fantastic dinner at Standing Stone Brewing Company(photo below), where I ordered their delicious Red Cabbage Cole Slaw...and got the recipe!

Here are Molly and Peter seeing us off in front of their home. Their home is so lovely inside...decorated in a Nautical theme with a ton of sentimental items from years gone by.

I came back home inspered to pull out all our treasures and display them so we can enjoy them every day.

This quilt was made my Chris' grandmother from her mother's old dresses! How lovely is that, right? I'll never throw away another piece of clothing again!

On our first day visiting South Beach, we went for a walk on the beach. It was sunny when we left the house and 10 minutes later we returned completely soaked and covered in hail!

You got it! The photo below was strategically cropped to hide the extra minutes on my "hour glass" figure!

Here Chris with uncle Larry, who we visited on our back, in Crescent City.  Sshh, don't tell anyone, but Chris is hiding his sigarette behind him.  Larry was so much fun to hang out with and I hope to go back just so we can spend more time with him. The end :)

Family Visit to PA

Below is my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandbabies! I'm in CA they're in PA, where these pics were taken during my visit for my grandson's 3rd bday. It was a "How To Train Your Dragon" theme party and it was so much fun!

 Kids pick flowers and inspect the garden

 So yeah, when you have grandchildren you can't stop taking photos of them, and you thinkg EVERYTHING about them is cute...right down to their little toes!!

 Here they are bird watching from inside  the house, since it was just too darn hot to go outside.

Another Great Find

This glass table with 4 chairs turned out more on the modern side. The chairs are not modern per se they just average low-end chairs, but painting them black gave them an "updated" feel and look.

Black is not a color most people think of when they want a "neutral" color. However, as you see here it can be a backdrop to any color you love! This entire set cost only SIXTY FIVE dollars on CL.

I look for great deals to stage my listings and when I'm done with them I resell them, since I can't keep them all.

Money-Saving Tips to Furnish Your Home!

It is always my goal to NEVER pay full price for new furniture, because I can get great things at a fraction of the cost!

Take this queen size bed frame (with headboard & footboard) for example. I got at it a garage sale for $15! The guy threw in the mirror for free. I cleaned up the mirror and sold it on CL for $20....so, you could say I made $5 on the rest!

As you can see here, the whole thing was dirty, dusty and the mirror has stickers on it. The headboard had a crack where the frame latches to it, so I just glued with wood grue.

Once I removed the stickers from the mirror I sanded it a bit and cleaned it up. Here is in all its glory!

The entire thing was retouched with black flat spray paint and it was like new! I am a professional home-stating REALTOR, so the bedding you see here is just for staging...it's an air mattress.