Making it Monday...

I make brownies pretty regularly to take to Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's.  I always buy Duncan Hines Brownie Mix with Walnuts (2 boxes) to make a double batch to bake in a 9" x 13" pan.  They run about $2.60 a box these days.

This week I saw a recipe for a homemade mix and added all the ingredients to the gallon jar above and shook it up to mix together.  I haven't done the math to see if it comes out cheaper or not, but it is handy to have a big batch ready in the pantry when the need arises.  Especially one without possibly harmful food additives.

 

This photo does NOT do them justice.  They are the perfect combination of moist chewy center and flaky top crust.  

I found the recipe at the Healthy Homesteader linked here:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8iV70XSStw/?igsh=dGx3cXZ1cXJrcmRj

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

6 cups sugar

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a dark cool location.  (I measured all ingredients into a gallon jar, put the lid on, and shook until all ingredients were evenly mixed.)

To make small batch of brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease an 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan.

In a large bowl, mix 2 1/4 cup brownie mix with 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Mix until batter is smooth. Pour in greased pan, and bake for 20 - 24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

To make large batch of brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9" x 13" pan.

In a large bowl mix 4 1/2 cup brownie mix with 1 cup melted butter, 4 eggs, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.  Mix until batter is smooth.  Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Store baked brownies covered at room temperature.

Making it Monday...

Another catch up of cards made...this is a long one as it has been awhile.

The next eight are from August 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit by Stampin' Up!  The first three were made pretty much by just following the instructions that came with the kit.

When I made the one above as per the instructions, I found it way to frenetic.  Then I went on to make some that were more to my taste.

The one above and the one below both use the same background paper.  The one above I used some floral stamps to stamp over the flowers of the background.

The one above is pretty simple; I just outlined the background spirals and flowers with a black pen.  This was CASEd by a design I saw at Cards by Cheryl on Youtube.

This was also CASEd from Youtube at Stamp Your Art Out With Rachel Tessman.  That brightly colored laser cut against the black sings to me...it says...Light Bright Lalalalalala.  LOL, all I can remember is the Light Bright name and the tune of their jingle...and those amazing colored pegs against the black background.  Ooooo...and COLORFORMS...another good toy that was very visually appealing to me as a child.

Then I thought I would turn the laser cut over to use the white backing side, and I put it on a lavendar background.  I dropped it it the mail this morning to my mother-in-law as that is her favorite color.

This was also inspired from Cards by Cheryl.  I loved her suggestion of cutting all the banners in half and using them as a bunting.

This one and then next four are all birthday cards from over the summer.  This one has a slug bug for my Catiebug on her 16th birthday to commemorate her getting her driver's license.

The candles were for Bobby's 22nd birthday.  Looking back, I have given him a lot of 'candle' cards over the years...maybe because I want all his wishes to come true.  :)

This one  was for our beautiful Chloe's 15th birthday.

This yellow 'I Miss You'...

...and this "Wish we could hang out" went to friends.

I made this seashell card as a condolence for the loss of a wonderful man. 

And I loved its elegance so much that I made it again using a metallic gold layer to border the embossed seashells.  It went out as a wedding card to a celebrity...no kidding...you would definitely recognize the name if I was allowed to use it...alas, it's work related.

And I will close with this wine bottle sleeve that I made last week.  It's not really a card, but it is made from paper with great directions from Wow Nola Creations along with her Youtube video.

And with that I will close.  I was up stamping at 5 a.m. this morning, and that is SO unlike me.  Well, I can't say I've never done it before, but when I have, it was because I had stayed up stamping all night, not got up and stamped before work like I did today!  :)

Making it Monday - Oatmeal to go...

New Year's Day activity...made oatmeal...16 servings.  :)  

I am not, and never have been, an early morning breakfast eater.  But I do get hungry before lunch time.  Since it has been cold, I like to have something warm sometime after I arrive at work.  

I made my own single servings of oatmeal that I can take to work with me.  Actually I'm going to take them all to work and put them in the cupboard there.  If I don't, there will be mornings that I forget to take one with me.

I started with this recipe for KEURIG OATMEAL from Do It On A Dime.  Then I tweaked it.  I used:

1 42-ounce canister Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal                 (Removed 1 c oats and pulsed in blender till I had oat flour)

2 cups dried milk

In a BIG bowl, dump all of the oats from the canister, the 1 cup of oat flour, and 2 cups of dried milk.  Stir together to mix well.  (The blended oat flour gives a creamier consistency to the cooked oatmeal.)

I portioned this into lidded cardboard containers that I purchased last winter when I made portable oatmeal then.  In each of the cups I placed 2/3 cup of the oats/dry milk mix.  (At those ratios, it made 16 individual servings.)

I topped the dry oats in each container with a spoon of brown sugar, a spoon of dried coconut flakes, a spoon of dried cranberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  (Those were my add-ins, because that was what I had on hand.  The spoon I used was somewhere between a teaspoon and a Tablespoon.  They can be added to the oats/dry milk and stirred together before portioning, but I wanted to be sure to get an equal amount of add-ins to each container.)

To prepare, I use 6 ounces of HOT water (either microwaved or from Keurig).  Then I cover the cup with lid and let sit a couple of minutes, stir well, put lid back on for another minute or two and it should be ready.  

I used Old-Fashioned Oats instead of instant.  Instant oats would probably 'cook' faster.

Also, the disposable cardboard containers are solely my preference for taking to my job.  I am lucky if I get time to make and eat at my desk, so I don't want to have to add time to rinse or wash a glass container.  But I would definitely go with reusable if I was making it for at home.

Making it Monday...

This was our dessert last evening at our Sunday family supper.  It's called a German-ChocoFlan.  A client brought some into work for us, and I begged for the recipe.  Here's where I have to apologize, because I cannot share her recipe with you.  The one she gave me is her own creation, and I didn't ask permission to share it.

But here is a link to a similar recipe and its video.  Both of the recipes (the one in the preceding link and my client's) are baked in a water bath.  That was a little nerve wracking with Rudy curiously running around my feet

And I would suggest baking it the day before you want to serve it, since you have to completely cool before turning it out of the pan; and you want to chill it and store in the refrigerator.

Now, the texture of mine turned out much differently than our client's.  Her choco layer was more of a cake texture, and both of my layers were more of a cheesecake texture.  I'm pretty sure I know what I misunderstood in the recipe that caused that.  But, hey, I love cheesecake, so I really like how it turned out.  I will try it again the way I think she intended, and then I may just have to try it again the exact way I did it this time.  ;)

Making it Monday: Pancake Mix recipe...

I first saw this recipe on Do It On A Dime, so the credit goes to Kathryn.  So nice to have on hand when I just want to make an easy supper (because we never have pancakes for breakfast).

It was a snap to make a batch as part of Chandler's Christmas present.  And then while I had all the tools and ingredients out, I made another batch to fill my own empty jar.

In a BIG bowl place:

   10 cups all purpose flour

   9.5 ounce package of instant dry milk

   1/2 cup of sugar

   4 Tablespoons of baking powder

   1 Tablespoon of salt

I use a whisk to gently mix all the dry ingredients, making sure to get everything well blended throughout.  

Then I transfer it to a large jar with a lid.

I put the directions for the additions to make it into batter on the outside of the lid, so it's ready at hand when I need it.

Kathryn says use 2 cups mix, 1 cup water, and 1 egg, but that was too thick to pour when I tried it, so I decreased the mix amount I use.  Just try it out and see what works for you.

And I put the recipe to make another batch of mix inside the lid, so I can refill the jar when it's empty.  

We like pancakes and waffles at our house, and I use this mix for both.

Making it Monday...

Here's a quick blog post and a quick recipe.  I'm giving mostly gift cards and gift certificates for Christmas, so I want to include them along with a little something else for the kids & grandkids to open.  This year there are no quilts like last Christmas!

But there will be some snacks and goodies, and here is one that is both super easy and super delicious!

Okay, these photos show the ingredients for 2 batches; one made with Cheez-Its and one made with Club Minis crackers (you can use regular saltines, but I couldn't find the small saltines, so I bought the Club Minis).  The recipe that follows is for 1 batch.  

Snack Crackers

In a bowl, whisk together:

   1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

   1 packet of Zesty Italian salad dressing mix

   1 packet of Ranch salad dressing mix

   1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 Tablespoons if you like the heat)

Place 2  12.4 ounce boxes of crackers of your choice into a large airtight container.  Pour the oil/dressing  over the crackers, and turn to mix the oil throughout the crackers.  Turn the container every 30 minutes for 4 hours.

That's it!

I like to use my glass gallon jars, because the two boxes of crackers fit in them easily, and the jars roll easily across the counter top, which makes mixing the oil throughout the crackers a snap.  After mixing periodically for 4 hours, I will pour the finished crackers into a gifting container (because my gallon jars are keepers...yeah...I AM selfish with them!)

Making it Monday...

I made this yesterday while a cake was in the oven.  Neither the wreath nor the cake were the best work I've ever done, but they both were passable.  I took them with me to Kasey & Beau's for Sunday family supper.

I saw this tutorial on Youtube, and I just really wanted to make one.  I don't usually decorate with wreaths, so I figured if Kasey didn't want it, maybe one of the girls might want to hang it in their room.

And it's a good thing I had intended all along to give it away, because it drove Rudy crazy!  He wanted to tear into it SO bad!  LOL  I think he thought it was a toy for him, because the legs do bear a striking resemblance to his Monkey Love (of which he has had many).  🙈  

Making it Monday...

I am so organized.  So on the ball.  So prepared and ready to go--and not at ALL a procrastinator--that I have time to stamp today.

Yeah.  That's right.  I said it.

Making a Mess Monday...

A few weeks ago Kasey came over to help me work on reorganizing the craft room/office (or let's be real, there was no 're' about it, it has never been organized).  At the end of the day, when we left off it looked like this...which from this angle does not look too bad...I mean comparatively.   But then I had a week of appointments, and a week of work, and it was today before we got back to it.

 Unfortunately, and as usual, things got worse before they can get better.  

 And it looks like it threw up all over the guest room...and to be honest, the kitchen, the dining room, and living room.

Kasey filled every square inch of her trunk with books and other donations to take to the Salvation Army.

 And I listed 1 file cabinet for sale.

And two small ones I listed for free.  And I will be listing other things for sale or free eventually.

Kasey starts her new job in a couple of weeks, so I am so appreciative of her willingness to spend some time helping me out.  I guarantee I would have given up already if I had been on my own in this.

I hope I can show you an 'after' photo before TOO much longer.

Making it Monday...

Today, possibly the coldest day of the year, was quilting day at the library.  

This is a W(ork) I(n) P(rogress) that I picked up to take with me today.  I believe the pattern is called 'Crosswalk.'  The center is made up of strips that are sewn together, cut to size, and then the white triangles are added to make a square.  The strips were sewn together and pressed a long time ago.  Today I added the white corners.  Now I need to press and trim the squares I finished today.  (The squares in these photos have been trimmed already.)

They will be assembled like so.  These bright Kaffe Fassett fabrics are so wild...not my normal palette at all.  I certainly have not been in a hurry to get this done.  It remains a WIP that is kept at easy access to grab to work on a bit at a time.

I had meant to put a meal in the Ninja slow cooker before I left this morning.  But I didn't, so when I got home about 3pm, I hurriedly seared the meat (right in the Ninja, which is why I love it so much) and tossed in onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbage, some beef bouillon and two packets of beef gravy mix with about 4 to 6 cups of water, brought it to a boil, then turned it to the 'HI' slow cook setting for 4 hours.  I baked cornbread, and we enjoyed a hot and filling meal on this chilly evening.

Making it Moday...

A couple of cards today using up scrap papers.

No school today, and Kasey was tied up in the city.  I went over to see if the girls wanted to hang out for a little while.  I took them out for lunch, and then they came home with me to dash off some notes to their great-grandmother.  I didn't have any cards made up for them, so I had them write in blank card bases, then made the card fronts after I delivered them back home.

I would have had them make the cards, but it had to be a very short visit.  Beau had yard work chores for them to help with at home.  We were lucky I could rescue them for even a little while.  :)

Making it Monday...

I showed this little peak at my most recent cross-stitch project back in early October.

Then I showed this close-up sneak peak last week.  Now that it has been received, I can show you the whole project.

The cross-stitching part of the project went SO quickly!  "Why a skull?" you may ask.  For Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), of course!  It's a big thing in this part of the country.  If you happened to see the Disney movie Coco, you get a sense of the traditions and celebrations that are all about remembering and honoring loved ones who have passed.  The skulls are called 'calaveras' or 'sugar skulls,' and a sweet friend of mine collects them.  

Here's where the progress started to slow...when I had to start adding those itty-bitty beads.  The challenge was the tiny eye of the beading needle...it was a smaller beading needle than I have ever used.  And, no, it wasn't just that my eyes are getting old!  A needle threader wouldn't even go through it.  I tried every trick in the book, and then I tried anything that came to mind.  Seriously, threading the needle took way more time than doing the actual bead work.  

DONE!  

Here's a close up that really shows all the beads in place.

Once I finished all the stitch work, I trimmed the excess perforated paper away and added a card-stock backing and a loop for hanging.

Since I was mailing it, I built a card around it.  I tried stamping the card, but the busy-ness of the sugar skull's design fought against any stamping, so I just used punches to make a flower crown (another tradition of the day) which also holds it in place on the card.  The sugar skull can be easily removed and hung in a window or added to other Dia de los Muertos decorations.

I naively believed I could get this finished and in the mail in early October so it could be used to decorate, but sadly I was late getting it done, and didn't get it in the mail until November 1, so it was received late...but it's the thought that counts, right?  :)