Invitation Inspiration

Take a picture of your child holding a picture on poster board with a face cutout, and order postcards of the photo from an online photo shop. Use for party invitations. (I used Snapfish.com.) We had a great time coloring the poster board together, too!

Microwave Popcorn

No more bagged popcorn! If you have a microwave-safe bowl, like Pyrex, and a microwave-safe plate, you're in business. Simply put a couple tablespoons of popcorn kernels in the bowl, cover with the plate and heat it on high until the pops are no longer frequent.

This works for air-popping, or you can add some oil. I use coconut oil, and it works well. (It doesn't have a coconut flavor.)

I like that I can avoid creating more trash with this method, and I can control the amount and the flavor of the popcorn. My kids love it with a little salt and Parmesan cheese.
If nothing else, kernel for kernel, the glass bowl method is much cheaper.

Butterfly Birthday

My little girl turned five this week, and she is very into bugs, especially butterflies. This was her cake. The butterfly is made from two 9-inch rounds, cut into a butterfly shape and two mini cupcakes for the head. The caterpillar is mini cupcakes and sour worms for legs. It was a big hit!

Sea Shell Keepsake Jar

We just returned from a family trip to the beach, and my four-year-old daughter collected a LOT of shells. She wants to keep them and display them in her room, and I want them to be accessible and safe. So, once again I borrowed a great idea from Pinterest, and took a jar, glued a shell to the top, and spray-painted it. The jar is plastic and kid-friendly, and I got it for less than $2 at Walmart. She loves it!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever make homemade chocolate chip cookies that turn out too hard? If you want them to stay moist like those big stunners from your favorite bakery, you need to use some shortening or oil along with butter. Butter-only recipes have nice flavor but bake up too crisp and flattened.

To get great results every time, I use the basic chocolate chip cookie recipe from the classic Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and tweak it a little. This makes a huge batch, because I almost always need enough for company or freeze a batch for another time.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil (or shortening, like Crisco - either regular or butter flavor)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 
1 cup sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups all purpose flour
1 bag chocolate chips
(and any other option ingredients you like, such as chopped pecans, coconut flakes, or peanut butter chips)


Cream the butter/oil/shortening and sugars together well, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add them in, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add chocolate chips and such last. Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes. Cool and store in large ziploc bags.
They stay moist and chewy, even out of the fridge - and freeze beautifully.

Ohhh, yes.

 

Outdoor Chandelier

Christmas lights + thrift store wreath! I saw this idea online, and though I am generally terrible at any kind of craft project, this was within my reach. My camera isn't great with nighttime shots, so it's hard to appreciate the final product, but it's really great for patio ambiance.

Start with a large, rustic wreath. I found this one at a thrift store for $1.25 and cut off all the flowers and ribbons.

Wrap the wreath with Christmas lights. I used all white, but colored would make a nice party light.

Wrap, wrap, wrap. I used three strands. Be sure to test them first!

Then tie equal lengths of jute or rope around three or four points around the wreath to hang it, chandelier style.

Hang it. This part was easy for me because we have this woodwork over our deck.

I chose to hang ours pretty low over the table, so it really lights up an al fresco evening meal.

The best night picture my camera can offer. Love it!

Hot Ham and Cheese Quesadillas

We do quesadillas weekly at our house. It makes an easy, no utensil meal, and it's usually a go-to meatless favorite with beans, cheese, onions, salsa, and sour cream. Sometimes even plain cheese with fruit on the side. Tonight I went with Daddy's interests in mind and made a hot ham and cheese variety. I used ham sandwich ingredients, plus some green onions. It was a huge success - even with the kids, minus the onions on theirs.

Dice up some ham. I had some leftover breakfast ham.

Spread mayonnaise on one tortilla and mustard on the other.

Pile on the ham, cheese (we used mozzarella) and some chopped green onion. Cover with the other half and cook in either a quesadilla maker or on a cookie sheet in the oven, until golden.

Can you smell it? Mmm. If you've never done mayonnaise on a hot sandwich you are missing out. It really brings out the flavor in a new way, like a tangy cream.

Meanwhile, I had leftover madness (veggie spaghetti and chicken strip) with spinach and raisin salad. Did I mention I also gave up white flour for Lent, hence no flour tortillas?