Roll Tide Deco Mesh Wreath!

Here I go again with yet another deco-mesh wreath project.  Since football season is just beginning and  about to be in full swing I opted for a wreath that displayed my proud alumni status and the team I cheer the hardest far... which is of course, The University of Alabama!!

1) You will need a wire wreath frame, your deco mesh, some pipe cleaners and any accessories/ribbons or other items you want to use on your wreath.

2) The pic below shows the wire frame I used, there are three sizes and I usually choose the medium size frame.  For a thick full wreath, you will want to use the wide rolls of deco mesh and you can easily use up an entire roll on a medium sized wreath frame.

Notes:  For a really good picture tutorial (if that is what you are looking for) visit www.clumsycrafter.com and look for the "Deco Mesh Wreath Tutorial."  It's an awesome tutorial on how to gather the deco-mesh and tie it down using your pipe cleaners.

4)  Once I finished the deco mesh portion of the wreath I added some ribbon and a letter that I painted white and then added some white glitter too for a bit of a brighter white color.

Veggie Bowl with A Twist!

I've always been a huge fan of "up cycling" and when the opportunity arises I give it a shot every chance I get.  My latest adventure was to create a container I could use in the kitchen to hold some fresh produce but added more style and more color than a regular vegetable holder/bowl.  So, ... I settled in to make my own container!

1) I started with a clean and dry container.  In this case it was a plastic Cascade Container.  I didn't even bother to remove the labels since I knew I would be covering over them.

2) I selected the fabric I wanted to cover it with and then some accents such as ribbon and a flower.  Since it is so close to fall I opted for colors that would work with other Fall/Autumn decorations in the house.

3)  Next, you will want to measure and cut the fabric in the length necessary to cover your container.  Then, using 1/2 glue and 1/2 water mixture "paint" one side of the plastic container and press your fabric gently down onto the sticky surface.  Continue with "painting" each side of the container and then pressing your fabric into place until you have finished all four sides.

4) Afterwards, if you plan on using a ribbon, you will want to use your glue and water mixture to "paint" the back of the ribbon and then press it into place around the container as you choose.

5) The picture above shows fabric which has been glued down along with a wire edged ribbon which has also been glued into place.  You can still see the glue in some places, especially along the ribbon, but a mixture of 1/2 glue and 1/2 water will dry to be clear and you won't even be able to see it.

6)  The dried version of my Veggie Bowl with a Twist!  It adds a nice splash of color to the kitchen and since it is plastic it will be a breeze to clean on the inside when necessary!

6)  This picture shows the side view of my veggie bowl where I've placed a few red potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash along with some cucumbers.  I was a bit surprised at the amount of produce this little craft holds!

7)  The final picture!  Overall I really enjoyed the project and it was super easy to make!  Although for the next one I think I'll ditch the ribbon at the bottom.  One important thing to not is that wire rimmed ribbon can be extremely difficult to "mod podge" into place.

A Cute lil' Fall Flower Vase

Fall is almost here and I find myself looking for easy and inexpensive ways to add a splash of Autumn color wherever I can.  This is how I settled on my fall flower vase craft.

I started with the supplies:
A candle holder from the Dollar Tree
Fall Ribbon
Adhesive - Be sure you choose one that dries clear!!
And finally, a salsa jar.  (I'm notorious for holding on to things that I might could upgrade into something decorative or usable).

1) Start by cleaning your jar and removing the label.  You can soak the jar in warm soapy water or use an oil of some type to remove most of the label.  I actually used some pledge orange oil (after soaking the jar).  This worked really well.  However, since I knew I would be wrapping the jar in ribbon I wasn't too concerned with getting it "perfectly clean."

2) Once the jar is dry measure the amount of ribbon you will need to wrap around the jar.  Cut to your desired length and on the backside of the ribbon and down the very middle, squeeze a line of adhesive from end to end then wrap the ribbon around your jar.


3) The next step is to glue the decorative jar to the candle holder.  All you have to do is line the rim of the candle holder with your adhesive and secure the jar by pressing it firmly down into the adhesive.

In the picture above you can see the adhesive has not yet dried and it leaves a "white ring" that's visible through the ribbon.  This is OK!  You will think your project is ruined but as long as the adhesive dries clear it will be fine.

Once it dries your done!  I did almost turn this into a candle holder but decided to use some left over Autumn decorations and turn into a vase instead.  But I think a pumpkin scented candle or maybe a cranberry candle for a splash of color would be nice too!

BBQ Bacon Chicken Pizza - YUM!

If you're a fan of BBQ pizzas here is a simple and EASY recipe that's quick to put together and "tastefully simple."  In a nutshell you need a pizza crust, chicken, bacon, BBQ Sauce, cheese and which ever toppings you prefer but I decided to include a more detailed list below.

Ingredients:
1) Pizza Crust
2) Non-stick cooking spray (or olive oil)
3) 1 Cup of BBQ Sauce of your choice (I prefer a good bit of sauce with mine but you could easily use     more or less BBQ Sauce.
4) 1-2lbs. of chopped chicken - depending on how much you prefer
5) 2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese &/or Mozzarella Cheese
6) Pizza toppings - I used Chopped Onion & Bell Pepper (which were frozen but it didn't matter - they don't have to be cooked for this recipe)
7) Bacon, Bacon seasoning from "Tastefully Simple" - or bacon bits if that's what you have.


I used a store bought pizza crust but I'm sure any crust would work.  I find this specific crust to be a bit "sticky" or "doughy" because I prefer a thicker crusted pizza so the dough tends to be more dense.  You will definitely want some non-stick type of spray or just use some regular olive oil on your pizza pan or cookie sheet... whichever you choose to bake it on.

1) Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

2) Spray your baking pan GENEROUSLY with the non-stick spray and spread your pizza dough out.  What I like about this specific dough is that it doesn't have to be perfect (as you can tell from my picture below.. lol).  Pre-bake according to package directions.  For this, it was 8 minutes at 400 degrees.

3) Once your crust has pre-baked, spread your BBQ sauce all over the crust.  You do not need any pizza sauce with this recipe! I made this mistake once and (to me) it wasn't good at all!

4) Begin your toppings by spreading the chopped chicken all over the crust.  I seasoned mine with some "Tastefully Simple" seasoned salt and garlic during the cooking process but I'm sure whatever you have on hand would be delicious as well!

5)  Layer the shredded cheese and the other pizza toppings over the chicken and BBQ Sauce.

6) Add the bacon bits last or if you happen to have the Bacon, Bacon Seasoning sprinkle a generous amount over the pizza.

6) Bake according to package instructions or until the dough is done and the cheese has fully melted.

Enjoy!

Squash Fritters With Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

My husband and I decided we would try our hand at a garden this summer.  Little did we know our squash would produce in such an abundance I found myself looking for different ways to cook it when I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try.  It turned out to be delicious!  A recipe I will definitely make again next year!

You will need:

1) 2 cups of finely chopped yellow squash (or zucchini)

2) 1 egg

3) 1 Tbsp of salt

4) 1 Tbsp of pepper

5) 3/4 cup of All purpose flour

Optional "Add-Ins"- you can add them all or only one, which ever you prefer:

1) 1 cup of finely chopped onions

2) 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

3) 1/4 cup of bacon bits

The picture above is the yellow squash I used from our garden.  You can also use the zucchini squash if that's what you prefer.

I used a hand held grater and grated my yellow squash.


In a large bowl, combine squash, egg, salt, pepper and which ever "add-in" you prefer.  Once this is mixed together mix in your flour and stir well.  In a skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 inch of oil. (Tip: do NOT use high heat since these fritters can burn relatively quickly).  Allow enough time for the oil to heat.  You can test it if you want by dropping a really tiny piece of the dough mixture into the oil. If it sizzles and begins to fry your grease is ready... if it does not, give it a few more minutes to heat up.

Using a table spoon (or slightly bigger if you prefer) drop the batter into the oil.  Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.  Or, if you prefer ranch use that instead.  In the future, I definitely plan to use a melted cheese dip as a dipping sauce.

Italian Potatoes

Every once in a while I manage to accidentally stumble across a really good recipe in the kitchen.  It's not that I'm TRYING to get creative and make my own delicious dish but rather that I'm STARVING and looking for some home-cooking really fast.  This was the case with the Italian Potatoes.

You will need:
1) a bag of small "baby potatoes"
2) 1 packet of dry Italian Salad Dressing mix
3) Olive oil
4) salt and pepper to taste

Slice the baby potatoes in half and when you're finished add some olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced baby potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the potatoes with about 1/3 of the Italian seasoning and then cook till done.  They usually cook up pretty quick but they are done when you can easily pierce them all the way through with either a fork or butter knife.

Bacon-Cheddar Potato Rounds

I recently discovered Pinterest and found that there are some FANTASTIC recipes others have pinned! I am certainly not a chef but I pin the ones that interest me and then attempt to create my own version later.  Thus was the case with the Bacon-Cheddar Potato Rounds.  They turned out delicious and the sauce that goes with them is equally delicious.

I followed the Pinterest recipe as close as possible but decided to add more pictures because I thought it might be good for those of us who REALLY NEED pictures when we cook! lol

1) I started by slicing the potatoes into thin 1/8" pieces like the recipe called for

2)  Once you've sliced all the potatoes you want put them in cold water on medium/high heat with a lid and bring to a boil.  Once the potatoes have started to boil turn the heat off and remove them from the stove.  Gently scoop them out of the water and dry on paper towels.

Don't worry... it doesn't have to be perfect.  I gently dried them off and allowed them to drain any excess water and gave them time to cool off so I could handle them easier when adding the finishing touches.

3) After they have cooled and drained the potatoes line them up on a cookie sheet, pan, pizza stone or whatever you have!  And don't worry if they are overlapping like mine in the picture below.  In case you are wondering what I have placed beneath the potatoes it's parchment paper... and the only reason I did this was to avoid cleaning the cookie pan. (Yes, I admit, I can be a bit lazy)

4)  Once you have them lined up on a pan spray the with Pam Spray or I suppose you could even drizzle with olive oil if you prefer.  Liberally season them with salt and pepper to taste and then add some shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.  In my case, I did not have shredded cheddar cheese I had shredded Gouda cheese so I used that instead and they turned out just fine!

5)  Then place them in a preheated oven at 425 degrees.  I baked mine for about 20 minutes but I suppose you could baked them a longer or shorter period of time depending on how crispy or "done" you like for your potatoes to be.  Below is the finished product with the sour cream/ranch dip that makes them totally delicious.

For more help on this recipe you can look it up at www.allrecipes.com. It's a great appetizer and even works well as a side dish.