More Signs...

Remember the Diva Pina Colada Star I made?  Well, the same friend asked if I could whip up a few more decorations for their show.  Gladly!!  The creative cast was looking for a marquee"ish" looking sign and a starship, spacy, futuristic sign.  Yes, that's basically the descriptions I was given, along with the wording that was to be on the sign.  Get creative she said.  Ha!  I really think they turned out pretty good for poster board and foam core.

Using my Cricut and some really fun fonts, here are a few I created.

Finished pieces:

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You can shred chicken how???

I've seen a picture of "easily" shredded chicken on Pinterest at least a dozen times.  I finally decided to give it a try.  We like chicken tacos, I hate shredding the chicken.  I told my kids if this pin works, I'm going to be so happy!!

First I baked my chicken like normal, then I tossed it in my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, just like I saw Becca at bluecricketdesign do.  Turned it on, gave it a spin and guess what....IT WORKS!!!  Like for reals!!  I don't think it will work as easily if your chicken is cold, but maybe we'll try that next time.

Yup, that's Pinteresting!

Reverse Stenciling

I saw a technique by Mallory from SimplyMal.com that used contact paper or stickers to create a reverse stencil so you can make a sign or whatever.  I hate my handwriting and well, my painting isn't much better.  I own a Cricut, so why not give this reverse stencil technique a try.  I created the stencil, placed it on my wood for the sign I wanted to make.

Now, I realize after I did all of this, that I probably didn't pick the best of colors.  In my head it was going to look really great, but I needed to use a brighter or lighter color for the rest of my sign.  The technique worked great and it's a fun new way to make things.  Hope you give it a try!

After the stickers were removed, this is how it looked. 

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Zucchini Tots or Bites

Zucchini is really in full bloom around here.  There is zucchini everywhere.  I saw this pin and had to make the recipe for zucchini tots.  They sounded too good not to try, and very minimal calories per!!

I found the recipe at The Curious Country Cook  I believe Rayna Lynn found the base of the recipe from Kelsey over at the Naptime Chef.  Between these two fine ladies, they have come up with a wonderfully delicious idea!

Here is the recipe I used:

Zucchini Bites

Recipe adapted: The Naptime Chef

yields: 12 mini muffins

1 cups zucchini, grated
1 egg (1 large egg equals 3-4 tbsp when whisked together)
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs - I used Italian style
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

I of course used plain bread crumbs and Locatelli cheese instead of cheddar.  I cooked mine for a little longer too, I wanted them to be very browned, after 18 minutes they were still too pale for me, so mine cooked for about 20-25 minutes.  It's possible that I used more than 1 cup of zucchini and I believe that's why they took a little longer.

Be sure to grease your mini muffin pan before you start...a little bit of cooking spray will do the trick.

Mix your ingredients super well

Put em in the oven after you fill your muffin pan

Finished product...YUMMO!!!

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Dill Dip

Went to a party the other day and had a taste of Dill Dip with veggies.  Wow, I really loved the flavor.  So much so, that once we left the party, I went to the grocery store to buy the identical dip.  Much to my dismay, they didin’t carry it.  Uggh, now what?  Make my own of course.  I remembered reading on Pinterest people using Greek Yogurt in place of Sour Cream, so I thought this would be a fine time to try that idea out.  I bought fresh dill and Greek Yogurt at the store, oh and a bunch of veggies…yummy!!!  I got online once I got home and found this recipe from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. I of course did what I always do and used it as a guideline or Pinspiration as I like to say, but basically made her dip, minus the mayo and added fresh dill.  I have to say my family loved it, nobody suspected this was actually healthy.  I love when that happens!

Here's what I used:

Greek Yogurt, fresh dill, parsley, minced onion and TS Seasoned Salt

I omitted the mayo, cause I was kinda trying to keep healthy and low calorie/low fat with this recipe.  I've made this twice now and learned that since I was cutting out the mayo, I needed to reduce the salt too.  I used about 4 sprigs of dill.  I have no idea how much that is, but it looked like "enough" to me.  

Here's the finished product:  

Dill Dip Pinspired by Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

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Rotten Strawberries? No More!

Ever hear of Tupperware?  You’d have to be living in another universe not to have.  How many of your friends have had a Tupperware Party?  Too many to count, right?  I attended a friend’s party and the lady really sold me on these items called Fridge Smart Containers.  She said they kept your veggies and fruits longer and helped to save you money.  I mean let’s face it, doesn’t it just irritate the heck out of ya when you throw food away, especially fresh produce!!  Besides “supposedly” being able to keep my fresh fruits and veggies longer, I was already looking for new containers to complete this task, so I bought them to help my friend out with her party.  Kinda of pricey if you ask me, but I  got “better” containers than I was currently using.  I liked the warranty and I added up what I had spent on the throw aways and the purchase seemed sound enough.  Don’t get me wrong, I reuse the throw away containers, but after a few visits through the dishwasher, they get kinda yucky.  Let me be VERY clear.  I am not a Tupperware consultant, I’m not trying to sell their product for them, I am just sharing my experience. 

Strawberries were on sale last week for $1.88.  That’s a good sale and we eat lots of strawberries (did you know they help brighten your teeth?)  Strawberries NEVER store long, but I bought three containers knowing we would eat them all.  I only had one Tupperware Fridge Smart not in use, so I put as many strawberries in there that I could and kept the rest in their original packaging. 

I bought the strawberries a week ago today.  Look at the difference between original packed and Tupperware packed.  Needless to say, it’s been a week and we have not finished the strawberries yet.  Thankfully, I only had to throw away a few berries from the original container.  The others are still great and will be eaten with lunch this week.

Side by side....original packaging and fridge smart container...wow!  what a difference!

I really couldn’t believe my eyes.  These containers really DO work!!!  Next time, note to self.  Buy more strawberries and use very large Fridge Smart container to store them.

~Yup, that’s Pinteresting

Diva Pina Colada

A friend of mine recently asked if I would make her something.  She participates in a community type theater and needed a star sign for an actor in the play.  A placard on a door.  You know the kind that you picture on a celebrity's dressing room door.  She wanted it gold and big enough to see from the audience, but normal size for a standard door.  Oh, and the rest was up to me.  OK, sure I can do that.  I've tinkered with a saw here and there and I like to paint and be crafty, so this would be fun.

I first selected Luan since it was lightweight and could be hung up easily.  I created a star template on the wood and got to cutting.

 

A professional photographer, I am not, but you get the idea

 After I cut and sanded, it was time to paint the star and add the lettering.  I used a vinyl cutting machine to create the letters for the star.

Here is the finished product, I hope it Pinspires you to create a little something out of the ordinary.

Diva Pina Colada...I hope to get a picture with the actor soon.

Yup, that's Pinteresting!