DIY Cork Coasters

I decided to make my mom a Condo-Warming gift for her new condo in Colorado. What better gift than one that has our family and the beautiful Colorado scenery.

For this project you need:

• 4x4 Cork Coasters (Package of 6 for $2.77 at Hobby Lobby)
• Poster Board
• Craft Glue
• Modge Podge
• Photos
• Foam Brush

And now how to:

Trace the coaster outline onto the poster board and cut out one for each coaster. Match up edges and trim to make sure there is no overlap. 

Using the craft glue, glue a piece of poster board to each of the coasters on one side. and place under heavy books to make sure it dries flat. Best use of my OT Books thus far....

After about 10 minutes, remove the books and let the glue finish drying. While the glue is drying, trace and cut out the photos. 

Glue the photos on top of the poster board using modge podge and again, place under heavy books for about 10 minutes. 

Once the photos are secure, paint a vertical layer of modge podge across the photos. Don't worry, it will look like you ruined the pictures....

Once that layer is dry, paint another layer of modge podge in the opposite direction of the first layer. So it would be horizontal, going up and down. You can add another layer of modge podge depending on how thick your layers are. 

After 24 hours, you can seal the coaster with a clear spray paint. It makes them shiny! 

It's a great idea for an inexpensive, personalized gift for anyone!! 

-Tina

Crock-pot Chicken Spaghetti

So I decided I wanted to make chicken spaghetti.... but without the Velveeta, so basically healthy[er]. However, my bright idea stopped when I tried to involve the Jalapenos...

A few things I learned while making this dinner:

1. Wal-Mart Jalapenos are HOT and should not be consumed raw.... or you will wind up with burns...
2. Shredded cheese contains potato starch (to keep it from sticking) and will not melt as creamy as freshly grated cheese

Crock-Pot Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped/shredded cooked chicken (I had left over grilled chicken to use)

12 oz spaghetti, cooked al dente

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz cream cheese (or Neufchâtel Cheese as I used)

8 oz freshly grated Colby-Jack Cheese

1 can Mild Tomatoes & Green Chilies (aka Rotel)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup of wanter
2 Tbsp of parsley
1 Tbsp of basil 

Salt, Pepper, & Tony's to taste

Directions:

Saute the onions, pepper, garlic, and celery in a little olive oil until soft. Cook the pasta 3-4 minutes less than the box says, or until al dente. 

Combine all the ingredients into a crock-pot and let cook on low for 2-3 hours!

Turned out quite yummy and cheesy! Play with the spices to fit your taste buds.

-Tina

Celebrating Fall with Cookies

I will not be a daily blogger, but I've tried some new recipes lately that I feel must be shared!

Today marks my longest trail run ever, 7 miles :) And with that for celebration as well as the beginning of fall,  baking is a must. So I made:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The initial recipe is yet another Food Network original, but I made some modifications:

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

**NOTE: if you don't have all these spices, you can add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead!**

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. 

Beat in the egg, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. 

In a large bowl, use a sifter and mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. 

Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. 

Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. 

Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

I also made some cream cheese icing to put on top and here are the results:

They are super soft cookies, even 3 days after baking! Enjoy!

~Tina

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I'm not by any means a blogger, but it would be nice to have a place to record my recipes, runs, and highlights of those things in between. I am currently training for a half marathon 8 weeks away..(yikes!) and enjoying the stress relief of baking to catch up on my calorie intake! My latest venture was:

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I borrowed the initial recipe from Giada De Laurentiis (aka Food Network). Here is the recipe with my adjustments:

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1 egg

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup slivered almonds, 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup craisins (or raisins) 

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg until frothy. Stir in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey. Add the melted butter, oats and almonds. Stir to combine, then add the chocolate chips.

Using a rubber spatula, spread mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly to form an even layer. 

Bake until the edge of the mixture begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into squares, and store in the refrigerator.

It makes about 15-20 bars depending on your size. Here's my finished product: 

I thought they were super yummy and chewy! Dusty agreed! 

Now it's homework time, but here's a sneak peak at my current crafting project, a state of Louisiana string art:

It will be finished in about 2 months... Happy weekend!!