$1 Store Center Pieces

I'm having a party but I don't have a lot of serving space so I made two centerpieces for my counter in the kitchen. I didn't want to spend a ton of money or even a half-ton of money for centerpieces. I have lots of bowl and plates but they are just for everyday use and are a hodge podge of different patterns and sized. serving bowls. I also wanted this to be a bit more pleasing to the eyes.

Here is what I came up with: I headed off to the $1 store and picked up some different shaped platters and serving bowls and some small punch cups. Once I got home I dug out my hot glue gun and the assembly began.  After some figuring, I glued a smaller oval bowl above a larger oval platter. I tried different arrangements but finally decided on this one.

I like them! This will save me some counter space and double the amount of food that I can serve!

What I used:

2 Oval bowls

2 Oval platters

2 plastic punch cups

Hot Glue

I glued the smaller oval bowl to the top and the large oval platter on the bottom of one punch cup. Just be sure to use light weight food as this won't stand up to a ton of food!

This looked good and was a huge hit!  Everyone asked me where I got my platters...tee-hee-hee!

Asparagus Spears in a Pig Blanket

Have you ever started to gather the ingredients for a recipe and the grocery store was out of everything that is on  your list?  Well, that happened to the original recipe that I wanted to make.  The recipe called for turkey bacon and large, thick stalked asparagus.

On this particular occasion the grocery store was out of turkey bacon, due to a sale. Ugh! I needed some bacon for this recipe and I didn't want to drive to another store just for turkey bacon, so I gave in and grabbed a cheap package of thinly sliced pork bacon. I am not a huge fan of bacon. I like it okay, but I'd rather have turkey sausage or turkey bacon --it's better for healthy eating...oh, well.

The Asparagus was on sale too but not the good thick kind but some that was scrawny and pencil thin. This recipe was beginning to look like a bust but I bought the sad looking asparagus anyway.

Now, the original recipe called for a single beefy stalk of asparagus wrapped with a single slice of turkey bacon and baked in an oven until the bacon was crisp and the asparagus was tender. Well, it wasn't going to happen this time...I had to improvise.

So, I decided to cook these in a skillet, on the stove top, and bundle several asparagus together so that they would mimic a thick stalk...this might just work!
Yep! Success!  They were absolutely scrumptious! (Angels are singing!)

So without further adieu...

Asparagus Spears Wrapped in a Pig Blanket

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch of Asparagus - the scrawny, thin, cheap, out-of-season kind
• 1 lb package of thinly sliced bacon - the cheap store brand, that was on sale is what I used.
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3 Tablespoons of REAL maple syrup ( I don't know if you could use the corn syrup, imitation pancake stuff?)
• 1 Tablespoon real butter (don't even think of using the waxy imitation margarine! Besides, you are already using real, artery clogging bacon...really!)

Additional Supplies:

• Large non-stick skillet
• Cutting board
• Sharp chopping knife
• Flat metal lid - smaller than the actual skillet. (This prevents bacon splatter from getting all over the stove top and won't steam the food...it allows the steam to escape).
• Tongs
• Heavy Pyrex measuring cup -to collect the grease from the cooked bacon.
• Wet cloth - wiping off the outside of the frying pan after pouring off excess grease.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash the asparagus. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. On the cutting board, using the sharp knife, cut off the woody, tough bottoms of the asparagus (to see where to cut, pick up one stalk and bend it until it snaps in half. That is where to cut all the other asparagus in the bunch). Discard the bottoms.
3. Heat the non-stick skillet to medium temperature. While it is heating up, wrap the asparagus.
4. Gather up 3 thin stalks. Tightly wrap 1 thin slice of bacon around all three stalks. (No need to secure the bacon.) Do this until all the stalks are used up. Three stalks to one slice of bacon.
5. Lay all the wrapped asparagus in the hot skillet and sprinkle with the salt.
6. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cover with the flat lid. 
7. Allow the bacon to sizzle and cook until it is a dark crispy color. 
8. Turn them over to cook all sides.
9. Hold the lid over the asparagus and drain off the grease so the bacon will crisp up faster and not cook in all the fat drippings. CAREFULLY!!!! with the wet cloth, wipe off any drips and continue to cook.
10. When the last side of bacon is cooking add in the butter and maple syrup. Stir and when it thickens, remove the wrapped asparagus's. 

Serve hot! SO SCRUMPTIOUS!

Sweet Pinweels

These pinwheels are truly addicting. I made these fairly quickly with ready to bake

ingredients found at the grocer.  These are truly easy to make, light and flaky with a hint of sweetness...and very impressive looking.
You might want to make a double batch because they will go fast!

Ingredients:

• Pepperidge Farms Puff pastry Dough, one package, thawed
• Any flavor or brand of fruit preserves or jam...do not use jelly!
• Decorative sugar (sometimes found around the cake baking supplies)
• 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon water = egg wash
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter

Additional Supplies:

• two baking-cookie sheet pans
• Two non-stick baking pads or parchment paper.
• basting brush (I purchased a cheap 2 inch paint brush)
• Pizza wheel cutter
• Large cutting board
• A little bit of all-purpose flour for dusting the surface of the cutting board
• Kitchen Timer
• Oven
• Cooling racks
• Spatula for lifting

Directions:

1. Remove the frozen dough from the box and thaw completely according to package directions. This takes about 40 minutes so give yourself plenty of time, or defrost overnight in the fridge.
2. Line two cookie/baking sheet pans with non-stick baking pads or parchment paper. Set aside.
3. When the pastry dough is completely thawed, unfold the two dough sheets onto a lightly floured cutting board.
4. Using a pizza wheel, Cut along the folded lines of the two dough sheets.
5. Now, cut each rectangle into three equal squares. You should have 18 squares when finished.
6. Next, cut each square from the corner to nearly... to the center. You'll be cutting at a diagonal. BE SURE TO LEAVE an uncut margin of about the size of a dime in the center. 
7. Preheat oven to 475f degrees.
8. Place the squares on the lined baking sheets.
9. Melt the butter. I use the microwave and heat for about 1 minute...in a covered bowl.
10. Brush each square with the melted butter.
11. After you have cut 4 diagonals each square will have 4 triangles. Using one corner point of each triangle, fold one corner toward the center and press down lightly in the center section. Each triangle will have one corner folded and one still at the edge. Do this for all four triangles. You will have four corners in the center and four corners making the points of the pinwheel.
12. Brush with egg wash.
13. Take a 1/2 teaspoon of preserves and place in the center of each pinwheel.
14. Sprinkle with decorative sugar crystals.
15. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 375f degrees until golden brown. Set the kitchen timer for 13 minutes...if needed add extra 3 minutes or until they are ready.
16. Protect your hands with oven mitts or hot pads and remove the cookie sheets from the oven. 
17. Using a flat flipping spatula, remove the hot pinwheels from the hot baking sheet and onto cooling racks.
18. Let them cool. When they are completely cooled, store in a sealed bag or container at room temperature. 
19. They will last 2-3 days at room temperature and 7-10 days if refrigerated.

DEE-LISH-OUS!!!!!!

Simple Ways to Freshen the Bathroom

I like my bathrooms to smell fresh and clean. Yes, bathrooms will smell from time to
Okay, I cannot clean my bathrooms every day, so to keep that ongoing fresh clean smell, I would have to burn candles or run the candle wax melting pot all day. When I leave the house I would have to blow out the candles and turn off the scented wax melting pot. That is not safe to have burning candles unattended and the melting wax running when I leave the house.

time, but when they are not being used, they should smell clean and pleasant.

Back in the 80's the Airwick company had replacement toilet paper roll holder that contained deodorizer crystals. You could replace your solid spring loaded holder with one of their pleasant smelling crystal filled inserts.  They were't really strong and when the crystals lost their scents, you had to purchase a new one. By the time it wasn't working, I had lost the original toilet paper holder! Now, I don't think they make them anymore. Well, I think I saw a cheap version at the dollar store, but who wants their bathroom smelling like vanilla ice cream or strawberries, or lemon pie in their bathroom? Yuck!

So, I was wondering how to make my own scented toilet paper holder? I was looking at the inside of the toilet paper roll and realized that the center is a porous cardboard. If I were to put on some of that scented oil on the cardboard, would do the same thing? YEP, IT WORKED! The more I used, the stronger and longer the scent lasted.

Here is what you do:  remove the toilet paper roll from the holder. Take a reed diffuser stick, carefully rub the saturated scented oil stick and rub it on the center of the cardboard, inside the tissue roll. DO NOT put it on the toilet paper! NOT GOOD. However, the center of the cardboard will not contaminate the toilet paper. Replace the roll to the holder, when the smell weakens, just add a bit more. Brilliant!

Give it a try! I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Homemade Caramel Corn! OH! SO DELICIOUS!

"...give me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..."  Oh yes, caramel corn...I really enjoy

the dark, sweet, crunchy, coated popcorn with the contrasting salty peanuts.  My husband and I were watching the Texas Rangers baseball game on television and I had an urge for some caramel corn, but I didn't want to get in the car and drive to the store. Especially on the Labor Day holiday. Nope...not happening!

I scoured the internet for caramel corn recipes. I finally found one that I thought I could make AND with the ingredients that I already had in my pantry.

Thankfully, I enjoy baking, cooking, and candy making. I have all the utensils, tools, and equipment for this impromptu candy craving. I checked the recipe and double checked my pantry for all the ingredients.  This recipe requires basic staples that most people have in their kitchen.

I made up a batch and, to my surprise, it turned out practically perfect!!!!! (I messed up and forgot to filter out the unpopped kernels). After the caramel corn had completely cooled, I bagged up individual bags (in zipper sandwich bags) to prevent me from eating the entire batch in one sitting.  It is just that good!  I hope you have the success I had on your first try, too!  Happy eating!

Ingredients for popcorn:

• 2 large bags of microwave popcorn (Plain... don't use any flavored popcorn, example: movie theater with heavy butter flavor, or kettle corn; Use the most plain kind of popcorn you can find.) Follow package directions for popping. Or you can pop your own.
•  Pop your own:  1/2 cup unpopped kernels plus 2 Tablespoons popcorn oil. Follow directions on popcorn label for cooking.
• FILTER out as many of the unpopped kernels as possible before cooking the caramel...you'll be glad you did!

Ingredients for Caramel:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter (not margarine)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (if you don't have dark brown...use light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons of molasses).
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• OPTIONAL ingredients (if you want to add some zing to your caramel corn, try one of the optional ingredients from this list): 2 tablespoons of maple syrup,  or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, or 1/4 teaspoon ginger...

Additional Supplies:

• Huge bowl that will hold 8 - cups of popped corn (I used two large bowls because I didn't have anything big enough).
• Wooden spoon
• Heavy, thick bottomed, 4 quart, non-stick sauce pan
• Candy thermometer (or you can try the timing method which might not turn out as well).
• 2 cookie sheets, lined with non-stick pads or parchment paper.

Directions for caramel sauce: READ THIS ENTIRE PROCESS BEFORE STARTING!!!!

1. Pop the corn, first, and set aside.
2. PREHEAT oven to 200f degrees.
3. Prepare your cookie sheets and set aside.
4. Measure out all the ingredients and have them ready for each step...DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!!!!!!
5. Attach the candy thermometer inside the pan. Make sure the thermometer does not rest on the bottom of the pan. It should be just so the base of the thermometer is in the hot liquid, otherwise you will get a false reading.
6. Melt the butter, in the sauce pan, over medium heat.
7. Add in the salt and dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar and molasses. ALSO, any optional liquid ingredients must be added here!), AND using the wooden spoon, stir continually...slowly to prevent the hot liquid from splattering...it is like hot lava and will burn skin on contact!!!!!!!!!
8. When the sugary liquid begins to bubble, turn up the heat to medium high and continue to stir UNTIL the candy thermometer reaches 250f degrees (between Soft Crack and Hard Crack)
9. Remove from the heat. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY pour in the vanilla extract (It will bubble like mad...careful it is hot lava!) I used a hot pad on my stirring hand to protect me from the hot liquid.
10. Do this next step pretty quickly: Add in the baking soda plus any optional ingredient and QUICKLY STIR. (The liquid will get slightly foamy and lighter in color after the baking soda is added).
11. CAREFULLY and QUICKLY pour this hot liquid over the popcorn and stir it until all the popcorn and peanuts are coated. It will immediately start to thicken and get sticky...Just continue to stir;  there will be some white from the popcorn showing through and this is normal. It will be sticky...I used two wooden spoons and tossed it like a salad.
12. Dump equal portions of the caramel corn on both cookie sheets. Gently spread out the gooey caramel corn.
13. Place both cookie sheets of caramel corn in the oven. Let it bake at this low temperature of 200f degrees for 20  minutes.
14. Turn off the oven, DO NOT OPEN the door and let it sit in the oven until the oven is completely cooled. About 2 hours.
15. Remove from the oven and break it apart.
16. Serve immediately or store in zipper style baggies.

Original Recipe Link

DIY $5 Mirror Art

I needed a mirror for my hallway, however to find a mirror that was large enough

and without looking cheap, cost quite a bit of sum of money.
I passed on many pretty mirrors hoping to find something trendy and inexpensive. Sadly, I was outta luck!

One day on a shopping expedition for another project I accidentally happened across some 8x10 mirrors. I thought, "If I could put these together, I might have a nice large mirror".
I bought some poster (extra thick foam core) board as a sturdy backing.
After I arrived home, I was excited to craft an artsy design with the mirrors.
I think my craft project was a success...and it looks really good. Best of all, I only spent $5!

Follow Instructions:
4 - $1 mirrors
1 large core board project poster
Thick craft glue
Marker (I used silver)
Scissors
3 Picture hanging 3M Command Strips

Lay out the poster board. Arrange the mirrors on the poster. I used a herringbone design.
Draw around the edges where the poster board is seen.
Remove the mirrors and cut of the parts of poster board that are not to be seen.
Generously slather on a the thick craft glue.
Apply the mirrors in the original design of choice.
Place heavy objects on top of the mirrors until the glue dries...about 24 hours.
When dry, on the back side, apply the 3M picture strips.
Follow instructions on the 3M packaging for hanging pictures.