Cute little canvas by lemonswithapea on Etsy

Have a wonderful 2012!

I wanted to share a few of the awesome handmade items that I have bought for Christmas this year.. and a few that I have received!  I’m not saying who they are for… just in case

Someone I know is going to be sporting these awesome earrings really soon!  SevenPly recycles broken skateboards into fun and beautiful jewelry.  I just adore her shop, and knew someone who would too!

Recycled Skateboard Stud Earrings

I love these sock monkey cup cozies!  I have actually purchased two now, one as a birthday gift and one for a Christmas gift.  CrookedHookCreations has some of the cutest crochet items I have ever seen.  And these monkeys are perfect!

Sock Monkey Cup Cozy

One of my favorite shops on Etsy is OrangeThyme.  Rachel makes some amazing smellies!  And I mean that in the best possible way!!  I’m looking forward to receiving this cute little soap in the mail soon.  Complicated Reindeer is the brainwork of both Rachel and her 6-year-old daughter.  A sweet-smelling soap with lots of red glitter…. just like Rudolph’s nose!  There is none of this magical soap in stock at this time, but let me assure you that there isn’t a bad product in this shop.  They are all amazing!

Complicated Reindeer Soap by OrangeThyme

Owl Booties!

I haven’t fit into baby booties for quite some time now, but Erica found some awesome items from other Etsy sellers and had them sent to me. 

TNTees is a shop after my own heart!  TNTees litterally stands for “Trash into Tees” and that’s exactly what Jenelle does.  She makes  gorgeous jewelry, adorable clothing and functional and fun items out of recycled t-shirts.  You can see why I love this shop so much!  I just love my new produce bags

Recycled T-Shirt Produce Bags

I was also fortunate to receive 2 amazing items from DirtyDeedsSoap from my secret Santa.  The lavender soap smells so lovely, and the Chocolate Truffle Lip Balm is absolutely heavenly.  I don’t know how Erica knew that I was a soap addict, but I want to thank her and DirtyDeeds  for helping fuel my addiction  

Chocolate Truffles for your lips!

I most likely will be too busy to blog the next few weeks, so I wanted to leave you all with my Christmas wish….

I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!  Bless you all and I will see you in 2012!

Here are a few of my favorite Eco-Friendly gift items:

These gorgeous leg warmers from SweetBriers on Etsy are recycled from an old sweater.  They would look darling with some black tights and cute pumps!

I love these book lamps made by ConduitPress!  This is totally on my wish list this year!

World Book Encyclopedias Book Lamp

How about an organizer with drawers made from recycled cigar boxes?  Check out this awesome three shelved wooden case from APKHandmade!

Chest of Cigar Box Drawers

These recycled paper ornaments are so awesome!  Kerri from TheRehatchery hand cuts and assembles each one.  I love it!!

Geometric Paper Ornament made from a recycled Christmas Card

I think just about everyone I know would appreciate one of these gorgeous gifts… Including myself!!  (not that I’m hinting or anything….)

I, much like many others, always seem to have a hard time finding gifts for the kiddos in my life that fit this criteria and usually end up buying them some sort of mass-produced toy.  Shame….

However, this year I think I have found an artisan to help me in this area.  Meet Heidi and her adorable Sock Monkeys! 

Heidi is the talented owner of Heidi BG – Art for Children on Etsy.  Besides these sweet little sock monkeys, Heidi is also a very talented illustrator.  She does some of the most adorable nursery artwork out there, including custom portraits that are truly amazing!  On of my favorite pieces (other than her adorable sock monkeys) is her Custom Bunting Pennant Banners seen below.

So if you are anything like me, and are looking for some great gifts for the little ones in your life this holiday season, check out Heidi’s shop and help support a very talented small business owner!

As much as I hate the cooler weather, I am loving the rich and rustic colors I see all around me.  And I am looking forward to one of my favorite family traditions…  our annual trip to Green Bluff. 

Every year a few weeks before Halloween, our family takes a short drive up towards Mt. Spokane to the small farming community known as Green Bluff.  We take the entire day and visit several farms and partake in many of the fun family activities they set up. 

We usually start at the Harvest House, grab an espresso and a dozen pumpkin donuts (they are small and absolutely delish, so a dozen doesn’t last long).  We sit, enjoy our goodies, listen to live music and relax in the crisp autumn air.  The Harvest House also has fresh produce and an amazing selection of baked goods to buy, and we rarely get out of there without investing in some.

Angie enjoying an espresso and a few pumpkin donuts at the Harvest House

Another of our favorite stops is Walter’s Fruit Ranch.  Walter’s is well-known in this area for its amazing homemade fruit pies, preserves and syrups.  And they always have a great sugar-free selection.  I love to grab a fresh hot cider from the Cider Haus (the farm’s big, red barn) and then go into the store and grab a pie or two.  Walter’s also has the “Fruit Loop Express” – a tractor pulled tour of the ranch that stops in the orchard and allows you to pick your own fruit.   Lots of family fun!

Another great place to visit is Siemers Farm.  We don’t always stop here, but when my daughter was a bit younger, it was a yearly must.  Siemers has a lot of the same features as the Harvest House and Walter’s, but it is definitely designed to appeal to the kids.  In addition to great food, craft vendors, an awesome farm store and a very cool gift shop, Siemers also has a giant blow up slide and a very large corn maze.  In the middle of the corn maze is a four-story “castle” for the kids to explore.  

The Corn and Hedge Maze at Siemer's Farms

There are also several farms up on Green Bluff where you can pick your own pumpkins.  And many places like The Harvest House have areas where you can choose from just picked pumpkins, if you prefer to do it that way.  

If you would like more information on Green Bluff or any of the Farms I mentioned, you can find it here:

http://www.greenbluffgrowers.com/

Happy Autumn to all!  Now to get me some pumpkin donuts…

Adorable little pumpkins by Bobbi Lewin

Autumn Leaves Paperweight by AuberryGirl

And, of course, one of my favorite parts about Autumn… Halloween!  Here is one of my Halloween necklaces that I currently have on sale in my Etsy Shop.

Halloween Interchangable Bottle Cap Necklace

However, to make it up to you all, I have decided to share a recipe for the most amazing cupcakes ever to come out of my kitchen. 

I have always been a sucker for “Samoas”.  If you don’t know what Samoas are, they are chocolate, caramel, coconut goodness wrapped up in a donut shaped cookie.  They are like cookie crack, and they are pushed by some of the most dangerous dealers… Girl Scouts.

The other day on Pinterest (if you don’t know what “Pinterest” is yet, check it out) I ran across a recipe for Samoas Cupcakes.  I nearly pee’d myself with excitement.  I mean, cupcakes… great!  Samoas…. awesome!!  Samoas Cupcakes…. OMGosh!  Honey, catch me while I pass out!!  Needless to say, I was ecstatic

So, please, take this token of apology and make these babies up ASAP!  They will not disappoint.

SAMOAS CUPCAKES

Aren't they pretty?!?

(adapted from The Novice Chef)

For the Cupcakes

• 2 cups  sugar
• 1-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
• 1 cup coconut, packed
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Add in eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and coconut flavoring.  Mix well.

4. Fold in coconut, then add boiling water.  (Batter will be very thin)

5. Pour batter into muffin tins, filling each cup no more than 3/4 full.  Bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for several minutes, but then remove cupcakes from tins on cool on a wire rack.

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caramel topping
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream butter until fluffy.

2. Add in vanilla extract, salt and caramel topping.  Slowly add the powdered sugar into your mixture.  If icing is still too thin after 4 cups, add a bit more powdered sugar.   You want it light and fluffy, not too dense.

3. Wait until cupcakes are completely cool, and use a pastry bag to ice the cupcakes.

To top the Cupcakes

• 1 cup toasted coconut
• dark chocolate chips (I used Kroger brand “chunks”)
• caramel topping for drizzling

1. Toast coconut by placing shredded coconut on a cookie sheet and baking it on 300 for about 15-20 minutes.  Mix/turn the coconut every 5 minutes to make sure it toasts evenly. 

2. Once the coconut is toasted and has cooled, place a dab on the top of each cupcake (about a tbsp).

3. Place 3 (or so) dark chocolate chips on top of the coconut, pushing them down slightly to “stick” them into the frosting.

4. Drizzle caramel topping on to the top of the cupcake.

Now eat.  Enjoy.  Repeat.

However, since we are trying to save money and eat in, the only way I was going to get a good Philly sandwich, is if I made it myself… so that’s just what I did!  I didn’t adapt this from any recipe… just sort of “winged” it and it turned out awesome – so of course, I must share!

Tera’s Shredded Chicken Philly Sandwich

You’ll need:

6 sub rolls

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

16oz low sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp Mrs Dash Extra Spicy

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1tsp sesame oil

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 medium yellow onion thinly sliced

1/2 green pepper thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper thinly sliced

black pepper

6 slices provolone cheese

Mayo (Optional – I used a very thin coating of low fat mayo)

Optional: Mustard, BBQ, Tabasco or any other fixing you prefer

First slow cook the chicken by placing the breasts, broth, garlic, Mrs Dash and a dash of black pepper together in the crock-pot and cooking on high for 4 hours.

Once the chicken is done, turn the crock-pot to low, drain the liquid from the crock pot and shred the chicken.  Mix together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, worcestershire sauce and rice vinegar in a cup.  Once blended, pour over the shredded chicken and mix.  Keep it on the low heat until it is ready to be served.

Coat a frying pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Begin to saute the onion and peppers on a medium heat.  Add a dash of black pepper.  Saute until the vegetables are no longer crisp – until the onions begin to turn translucent.

Lightly coat one side of the buns with mayo.  Then, cut or tear provolone slices in half and place them across the length of the buns.  Add the onions and peppers.  Add the chicken mixture.  Let the heat from the chicken, onions and peppers slightly melt the cheese.  Add any other condiments you might like (I highly suggest a little tabasco).  Eat.  Enjoy.

What you need:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

5 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 – 2 fresh jalapeno peppers diced

1 pound ground turkey

1 bottle Mexican beer (he used Dos Equis)

1 can whole peeled diced tomatoes, with their juice

Brown the turkey on the stove.  While the turkey is cooking, put the remaining ingredients in the crock-pot.  Once the raw color is completely gone from the turkey, add it to the crock-pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Serves 4.

We like to add low-fat shredded cheese and non-fat sour cream to our bowls.  I made up some cheesy garlic biscuits to go with the chili.  It was super delish!

I have been a bit MIA lately, and I apologize.

However, to make up for the absence, I am dedicated to post a weekend full of blogs – starting tonight!  Each post filled with wonderful recipes and pictures of super-delish food straight from my very own kitchen.  Each recipe is easy, and the ingredients are affordable and can be found at any local grocery.

My husband and I recently decided to buckle down financial-wise and to go out to eat as little as possible.  It has been pretty tough with me working full time and trying to maintain my “Craft Goddess” status, and him going to nursing school.  Neither of us has much left over energy to cook dinner after a long day at work / school.  However, we have done pretty well thus far.

To keep on track, we make up a meal list for the entire week and make up our grocery list according to it.  It has been fun coming up with new ideas and recipes each week!

I’m especially excited for this weekends menu.  So excited that I wanted to share it with you!  So I decided that at the end of each day, I would post a photo and recipe of the dinner that we cooked that night.

Tonight’s dinner was one of our household classics:  Juicy Lucy’s and Homemade Potato Chips

Juicy Lucy’s (enough for our family of 3)

Around 1 lbs of extra-lean ground hamburger

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Black Pepper & Garlic Powder – to taste

6 slices of cheese (we used reduce fat cheddar this time, but pepper-jack is our family favorite)

3 whole grain buns

Your family’s preferred condiments and veggies

Optional: We love to put turkey bacon on top our burgers, but didn’t have any this time around

Juicy Lucy’s are simple really.  It’s just a burger with a delicious surprise inside.

I start by putting the ground beef into a bowl and mixing in the Worcestershire sauce, pepper and garlic powder.  I use my hands to kneed the sauce and seasoning into the meat.  Once it is well mixed, I divide the hamburger into thirds.  Then I take each third and divide it into two round balls of meat.  I smash each ball down to an extra thin patty, sometimes placing the meat between two small pieces of wax paper and rolling it thin with a rolling pin.  However, you can get it thin enough with just your hands as well.

I take one of the thin, flat patties and use it as the “bottom” of my Lucy.  Next I take a piece of the cheese, rip it into 4 (roughly) equal squares and place them in the center of the patty.  Don’t stack them directly on top of one another, but just overlay them so that all 4 are in the center of the patty leaving at least a 1/2″ around the edge.  I then place the second thin, flat patty on top and “seal” the two patties around the edges with my fingers, creating one patty with a pocket of cheese in the middle.  It is important to seal the patties well, otherwise the cheese will escape when they are cooking.

After you have all your patties made up, it is time to stick those babies on the BBQ!  As the meat cooks, the cheese inside heats up to a beautiful, bubbly, tasty mess.  Once the meat is cooked through, take the 3 remaining slices of cheese and let them melt on top of the patties.  Then take them off the grill, place your patties on your buns and dress them up however you see fit.

The best thing about Juicy Lucys, is that very first bite.  The yummy cheese lava flows out from the middle of you burger like a river of hot, bubbly goodness.  Just be careful, sometime it can be a bit hot!

Homemade Potato Chips

4 – 5 medium sized baking potatoes

Olive Oil

Garlic and Herb Mrs Dash

Italian Seasoning

Preheat your oven to 425.  Wash and dry the potatoes.  Slice the ends off of each potato and discard the ends.  Slice the remainder of the potato into thin slices and place them in a large bowl.  I like to use a bowl with a lid (you will see why in one moment).  After they are all sliced, drizzle olive oil over the top… I’m guessing I use about 3 or 4 tbsp, but I don’t really measure.  Then throw the seasonings in as well.  Then I place the lid on the bowl and give them a good shake, coating the potatoes in oil and seasoning.

After they are all coated, place the sliced potatoes on a cookie sheet or baking pan in a thin layer.  It is okay to overlap a bit, but try to get them as thin of a layer as possible.  Then bake for about 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the potatoes.

I hope that you all enjoyed Friday night dinner at the Larson household.  Tune back in tomorrow for my hubby’s wonderful Beanless Turkey Chili!