Saturday, July 5, 2014

Patriotic Red, White, and Blue Striped Deviled Eggs

This Fourth of July has certainly been a special one.  Swimming, great food, family, & fireworks.  That's what the Fourth means to me.  A time to be together, enjoying the warm weather, eating yummy food, and celebrating this great country we live in!  And we certainly put some emphasis on the 'eating yummy food' part.  I had family here from up North and wanted to make this day a little extra special.  I'll be blogging about our day in an upcoming post, but I thought I'd share a few recipes from the day first.

These festive little eggs were the perfect side dish for our decorated table.  What's a BBQ without deviled eggs?  I don't think I've ever attending or hosted one without them.  And I don't think I ever want to attend one that doesn't have them.  {So, if you ever invite me the a BBQ and tell me what's on the menu and I decline, please read the statement before this.}





I have to admit, these are a little more time consuming than regular deviled eggs, but not by much.  They're pretty easy to make and you can make them a day ahead of time.  Just try it, I promise it won't be that bad! Honest!

Below I'll post how to actually make a deviled egg, if you don't know how to already.  But I don't have exact measurements for each ingredient because, well, I never measure.  And I always make a different amount of eggs each time I make them.  So I'll try to explain as best as I can.

To Make Deviled Eggs:

  • Eggs
  • Mayonaisse
  • Mustard
  • Salt & Pepper
1. Start by placing your eggs in a sauce pot and cover with water.  Place over high heat, and boil for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and cover.  Let it sit on the burner for a while. I found that boiling them for a quick 10 minutes and then placing the lid on, it doesn't dry your eggs and you're left with a bright yellow yolk.

2. Once the eggs are cool, cut in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the yolks into a bowl.  

3. This is when you'll be striping the eggs, which you can find the directions below.

4. To make the filling, you can either mash the yolks by hand if you like the filling a little lumpier or place in a food processor for a smoother filling. When I want them to look fancy shmancy I place them in a food processor so it's easier to use a piping bag and there won't be any lumps getting stuck in the decorating tip.

5. Add in enough mayonnaise so the mixture is really moist.  I only add in a little mustard (probably around 2 tsp. or so) for a little extra color and taste, but I don't want it to be overpowering.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Then pipe or spoon the mixture into the egg whites.  Then you're done! :)

To Make Striped Eggs:

  • Deviled eggs (without filling)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tsp. white vinegar
  • Red food coloring
  • Blue food coloring
Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water into two small bowls.  Add in 1 tsp. of vinegar into each bowl and red food coloring into one bowl, blue into the other.  For this, I used Wilton's food coloring.



Next, take your egg whites and dip one side into the blue water for a few seconds and then set on some foil or wax paper to dry.



After you've dipped all the eggs, dip the other side into the red water for a few seconds.


 Place the eggs back onto the foil or wax paper to dry for a few minutes.  This is the only reason it takes a little longer is because of the drying time.  Patience, grasshopper!

After they've dried and you notice some excess water in the middles you can just pat them dry with a paper towel or napkin.  The vinegar in the water or any excess water in the middle doesn't change the taste of the egg at all.

For these eggs I placed my yolk mixture into a pastry bag with a decorative tip.  

I used a tall glass and placed the bag in, and wrapped the top around the rim of the glass.  Makes filling the bag MUCH easier when you don't have extra hands there helping you hold that sucker open!



Pipe the mixture into your patriotic little eggs, and you're finished.  

See?  That wasn't so bad.  Next time, ya gotta trust me!





Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

A Festive Fourth of July (Set Of Four FREE Printables)

With Fourth of July right around the corner, I'm in the midst of planning a really fun party for our family (which I will be blogging about in a future post.)



But I thought I'd share a few printables that I made that would go great with any decorated and festive 4th of July tablescape.  Simply download, print them out, trim them to size, frame, and enjoy!

Hope everyone has a safe and healthy Independence Day!


Click HERE to download my FREE CHALKBOARD PRINTABLE


Click HERE to download my FREE USA PRINTABLE


Click HERE to download my free SUBWAY ART PRINTABLE



Click HERE to download my FREE 8x10 FOURTH OF JULY PRINTABLE


Happy Printing!

Monday, June 30, 2014

How To Paint Thrift Store/Garage Sale Finds { From Drab To Fab }

When I discovered that I could paint thrift store finds I was ecstatic.  Like, 'put-on-some-tap-shoes-and-do-a-little-dance' type of excited.  If I would have known this sooner, I wouldn't have passed up so many good finds that just weren't the right color.  Or even some that were so cute but had horrific colors, patterns, or had some scratches or damage.  But the best part about doing a "thrift store makeover" is that you only need one type of paint and it takes only a few minutes.  Just makes ya wanna sing, doesn't it?? Go ahead, I won't tell.




For this project you'll need:


  • Thrift store and/or garage sale finds ( I'm a "state the obvious" type of person )
  • Rust-Oleum Universal Spray Paint in the color Gloss White (can use any color, actually)
I started by wiping down all my vases with a mix of vinegar and water.  Make sure your finds are all free of dirt and dust.

Here's what the paint looks like:

These were the vases I had purchased at my local thrift store.  The tall bud vase I actually got for .49.  Seriously?  I could look under the seats of my car and buy a million!




I just gave everything two thin coats of paint, letting the coats dry for a few hours in between.  I sprayed them about 3-4 inches away so there wouldn't be any runs. I sprayed one thin coat on the inside too.  Easy peasy!



And that's it!  Takes no time at all and gives new life to otherwise boring old decor.

I even painted this little owl that was .99 at a garage sale.  


Poor little guy was sitting there all alone.  No one wanted him because he was quite the ugly duckling!  But with a fresh coat of paint, he's one of my favorite little decor pieces!  See?  Our mothers were right! Never judge a book by it's cover. Here he is with his new makeover:


Dapper, isn't he?

I'll always be on the lookout for things that I could change up and make new with a few coats of paint and a whole lot of imagination.



Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dining Room Hutch Makeover Reveal




When I got the call from my mother asking me if I wanted her old dining room set I immediately jumped on it.  I've been looking for a dining room hutch for a long time and couldn't find anything that I liked. They were either too big, too small, or just not the right look for me.  I loved the design of this hutch, the detail, and because it was a lighted one as well, made it all the more appealing to me.  The only thing that bothered me was it seemed a little outdated for what I was looking for.  Dark wood (and laminate), gold handles, and a table to match.  It immediately darkened up my dining room and lately I've been on a kick to brighten EVERYTHING in my house and add in color. So I knew this project would have to come sooner than later so I was determined to get it done.

This isn't going to be a full detail tutorial like my usual furniture reveals are.  And actually, there really wasn't much to this hutch.  I didn't even sand it! I've been working on a few projects for weeks now and the thought of starting up my sander again made a little nauseous. ( okay, slight over-reaction) but you get what I'm saying!

So, as any furniture reveal starts, here's the before:




It's not bad.  The condition is perfect.  There wasn't any damage, scratches, or holes.  It was just too dark for me. So I took off all the hardware, detached the top part of the hutch from the bottom, and I took it out to the garage.  ( And when I say "I", I totally mean my husband).

I was a little nervous redoing this hutch because while the bottom cabinets are real wood (which I've obviously worked with before) the top sides and back of the hutch is laminate.  I didn't know how it was going to work out with me not sanding it.  But I figured I'd give it a whirl and see how it turned out.



After removing all of the glass and cabinet doors, it was ready to be primed.  Because I wasn't going to be doing any sanding, I used Zinnser Cover Stain Primer.  If you're going to skip sanding, it's recommended that you use an oil based primer.  And that's the one I had on hand, so it was perfect.



I did two coats of primer on the bottom and top half of the hutch, letting each coat dry for 2 hours.

Now, if you follow my blog or have read previous furniture re-do posts, you know my absolute favorite  go to white paint is Popped Corn by Behr.  I LOVE it.  The first coat of paint I applied with a sprayer because the hutch was just so huge looking to me! I was completely overwhelmed when I actually saw all of the detail it had on it.


I picked up this little sprayer from Harbor Freight for a measly $16.99.  God bless the people who decided to put it on sale!  And on top of the great price, it's purple? Um, yes please!

The next two coats were applied with a 6" foam roller brush.

I wanted the back of the hutch to have a really pretty pop of color against my all white decor.  So I chose the color Cool Jazz by Behr.  It's a Tiffany blue type of color, with sort of a beachy vibe to it.  It's a gorgeous color and looks so clean and fresh with the bright white paint.  So I gave the inside of the hutch two coats of paint, letting the first coat dry overnight.

I sprayed all of the hardware with a thin coat of spray primer I had on hand and when they were dry I gave them all two thin coats of Rust-Oleum silver metallic spray paint.



After putting the hutch all back together, it was done.  It took me a total of 12 hours to complete it.  Not too shabby, right?  Keep in mind, that includes all drying time.  I was just glad it was over and ready to be put back in it's original spot, looking more beautiful and fresh with it's makeover!


Here's the complete before and after:



I couldn't wait to see how my white decor would look against the bluish/green background, and was so excited to see the way it turned out.






( In a future post I'll show you how I transformed that little owl into the handsome little guy he is today.  He was certainly an ugly ducking! )

And there ya have it!  My dining room hutch reveal.

Now it's onto redoing my dining room table and chairs! That will be coming soon, so keep a lookout for that!



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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings


This chicken and dumplings recipe is so delicious and the best part is, it's all done in the crockpot.  I've been looking for a good recipe, but when I searched on Pinterest they were all made with "cream of chemical" soups.  So I just threw in a bunch of stuff, turned it on, and crossed my fingers.  The outcome was a warm, creamy, and delicious soup that is guaranteed to become a family favorite :)


Ingredients:


For Soup:

  • 1 package chicken breasts
  • 4 Tbsp. margarine/butter
  • 2 boxes ( 32 oz) chicken broth
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 bag frozen corn
  • 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley


For Dumplings:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder


Directions:

Add in chicken breasts to the bottom of your crockpot.  Add in all soup ingredients and cook on LOW for 7 hours.  When the chicken is cooked, remove from crockpot and shred or break apart with two forks.  Add back into broth.

For the dumplings, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Drop dough by round tablespoons into the soup.  Cover.  Cook 1 hour on high.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Note:  For a thinner soup, add in some more chicken broth.  
For a thicker consistency, you can add in 1-2 Tbsp. of cornstarch.  







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Sunday, June 22, 2014

DIY Centerpiece/Decor Using Styrofoam Balls & Cheap Craft Supplies

This DIY project is so simple to make and can really be made from things most people already have around their home.  I did have to purchase the styrofoam balls ( got them at Wal-Mart for around $5. ) But everything else I already had on hand.



Supplies I Used:




  • 1 Package large styrofoam balls
  • 1 Package small styrofoam balls
  • Fabric
  • Tacks
  • Yarn and/or Twine
  • Hot glue gun
To wrap styrofoam with fabric:
I started by cutting scrap pieces of fabric I had left over from a previous project.  I cut them into strips. No certain length or width.  


I placed a dot of hot glue onto the styrofoam and wrapped each piece around, putting hot glue onto the end, and overlapping each piece.





To wrap styrofoam with yarn:
I placed a dab of hot glue on the ball in the middle.  I started to wrap the ball, going upwards, placing hot glue every few strands so it would be tightly woven together.  



When i finished at the top, I placed another dab of hot glue.  Then starting underneath where I first began, I started wrapping again until I finished at the other end of the styrofoam.  


I also wrapped them with yarn overlapping, just as I did with the fabric.  


To apply tacks:
Simply push in tacks, overlapping slightly. 



You can see me in the tacks. Oh, hey there! :)

And that's it! Just place them in a vase, on a decorative plate, or in a glass bowl and you have a cute centerpiece that is simple to make and very inexpensive.






Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Boy's Room Free Printable

I've been working on updating my kid's rooms and have been working on a few printables and so I thought I'd share a few with you over the next few weeks!  This is for an 8x10 frame.  It's simple with a touch of nautical.  I thought it would go perfect in my son's room because of his red, white, and blue theme.  Happy printing!

CLICK HERE to download the printable.