Staining Small Projects (The easy way!)

I had some unfinished letters I bought at a craft store for $1 each to use as photo props. I had planned on spray painting them, but then I happened upon a stain marker I bought to touch up some hot wheel mishaps on our baseboards and a light bulb went off. I thought, "What an easy way to stain a small project like my letters." I figured if it didn't look good I could still spray paint them. I ended up loving the way they turned out and it was as easy as coloring with a marker!

 I purchased this stain marker in Red Mahogany at Home Depot for $6.

 I applied 2 coats and let it dry.

 They turned out super cute and photographed very well.

I even used them in a newborn shoot over the weekend! :)

-Amy

Red Power Juice

I love the fact that my 4 year old son LOVES our juicer and will literally drink anything that passes through that thing. Considering he is a very picky eater, this is a huge, huge blessing! Today he got home from school and of course wanted a snack but instead of running to the pantry he grabbed a beet root and said, "This would make a great red juice," so I went with it! We searched the fridge and fruit bowl for ingredients to make a delicious and oh so healthy red juice.

 Ingredients:
-1 Beet Root
-2 Carrots
-1 c. Watermelon
-1 Apple
-1 Peach
-1 hand full of Black Cherries
- splash Pomegranate Juice

  

My little man loved it!

 

 -Amy

Baked Grapefruit Crumble

If you have never had baked grapefruit, you are certainly missing out. It is such a tasty treat, and best of all, it is good for you! I made some last night (which I quickly devoured), and I decided to share my easy recipe.

1 grapefruit, cut in half
2 tablespoons of rolled oats
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small bowl mix together the ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.

3. Place the grapefruit halves in a oven safe-bowl or cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

-Sarah

Delicious & Healthy Grape Salad

The other night I was craving grape salad, (you know, the kind you see at potlucks with the grapes coated in that white creamy frosting...) so I googled recipes and realized quickly that grape salad was not conducive with my attempt to be swimsuit ready for my Florida trip next month. The ingredients included things like a jar of marshmallow cream, a whole package of cream cheese, sour cream, gram crackers and a WHOLE CUP OF SUGAR!!! Completely appalled, I decided I would make my own recipe that would be healthy but equally as yummy.

Ingredients:
-3 cups Grapes
-2 Apples (chopped in 1in. cubes)
-4oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
-1 cup Greek Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
-1 tsp Vanilla Extract
-Juice of 1/2 of a Lemon
-1 tsp Lemon Zest
-1 tbls Sugar
-1 cup Granola (I used Bear Naked Honey Almond Crunch)

Directions:
-Wash and chop fruit. Place prepared fruit in a medium sized bowl with a lid.
-In a small mixing bowl beat together the next 6 ingredients until smooth and then pour over fruit. Add the granola and use a large spoon to fold in the fruit until evenly coated. Cover and chill in the fridge. Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!

-Amy

DIY (no-sew) Heart Knee Patch Pants

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I have been seeing lots of adorable Valentine's Day clothes for kids. Instead of buying something for my daughter, I decided I would make something for her. 

Materials: 
-pants
-fabric for hearts
-Heat n Bond Ultrahold (you can get this at any craft store)
-scissors
-iron

Simply start off by cutting out a heart on a piece of paper and lay it on your fabric. Trace the heart and cut the heart shape out of your fabric.

If you have never heard of Heat n Bond it is really an amazing product. It is an iron-on adhesive that works wonders. The Heat n Bond UltraHold is extremely durable, so if stitching isn't desired, this should do the trick.

All I did was cut out a few squares and rectangles of the Heat n Bond, and I added it to the back of the heart.

Then you iron the paper for only a few seconds. Once it cools, you remove the paper.

 

Now you add the heart to the pants and press and hold the iron down for about 10 seconds on each section until the entire piece is bonded.

Now repeat for the other knee and voila, you are done! This whole process only took about 10 minutes.

I was a little worried at first that the hearts might come off since I didn't sew them on, but so far they have really held up. My daughter has been playing in them all day and they still are holding on strong!

-Sarah

Wellness Shots

Well, the time has come: I finally got sick for the first time since starting this blog. While it is rather unfortunate for myself, it is your lucky day! I always tend to underestimate the effectiveness of this little concoction I made up a few years ago, but it never ceases to amaze me with its effectiveness. My only regret is the fact that I never think to make them until I get sick. I recommend you make these and keep them in the fridge so that when you feel sickness creeping at your door, you can give your body that boost to kick it out before it gets too comfortable. 

 Ingredients:
-1 Lemon
-2 Tbls Ginger
-2 Tbls Honey
-1/4 Tbls Ground Red Pepper (Cheyenne)
-4 tea bags of Green or Echinacea tea

  Brew  tea bags in 8 oz of water and let seep for 3-5 minutes.

 While tea seeps add the remaining ingredients to a mini food processor or blender.

 Roll the lemon on the counter to loosen up the juice and using a microplane, zest the outer peel. Then, squeeze all the juice you can from the lemon.

 

Add the ginger...

 

and ground red pepper.

 Add the brewed tea and then blend until the ingredients have been well dispersed throughout.

  

This recipe makes eight 2 ounce shots. I like to store them in mini plastic containers like these in the fridge so they are easy to grab when I need one.   

 

 This my friend is a shot: It is strong and spicy and just like on Saturday nights you are going to need to grab yourself a chaser. I chose an ice cold can of Ginger Ale.  It will burn going down but grab some tissues because your sinuses will open up and your body will be on turbo speed to getting back to tip top health!

After a day and half of feeling like pure and utter death, I think the simple fact that a few hours after my wellness shot I am sitting here writing a blog post when it is pushing midnight, is a testament in and off itself! Don't wait, go get your ingredients and get your wellness shots ready so when you feel that cold comin' on you can reach in the fridge and tip it on back!

-Amy

Mini Veggie Bites-Perfect Toddler Food

This is a great recipe to encourage your child to enjoy eating vegetables. The fritters are easy to hold, and it makes a wonderful meal for a toddler.

Preparation: 5 minutes; Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
-1 carrot
-1 zucchini
-1 small potato
-dash of salt & pepper
-2 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp parmesan cheese
-1 tbsp bread crumbs (optional)
-vegetable for frying

Grate all the vegetables.

Squeeze out the excess moisture from the grated vegetables. The best way to do this is to lay the vegetables on a few sheets of paper towel and then cover the vegetables with more paper towel and press down to soak up the excess liquid.

Somebody was very eager to help momma!

Mix the vegetables in a bowl with the seasoning and flour and form into round fritters using your hands.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the fritters, gently flattening them with a spatula. Saute for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through.

Drain on paper towels. They should be golden and crisp on the outside and fully cooked inside.

This is one of my 16 month old daughter's favorite treats, and she was so excited to be eating the veggie bites for dinner. Can you tell? 

-Sarah