Chicken recipes: It's what's for dinner!

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Chicken has been on sale a lot and I've got a freezer full of all kinds. I thought I'd share some of my chicken recipes with you.
Sticky chicken: this is awesome, and I always have to pull out the big roasting pan and make three whole chickens because everyone loves sticky chicken and I want leftovers. The spice mixture you rub on this is wonderful and you baste the chicken throughout the cooking time which is what makes the skin "sticky".

Chili-maple glazed chicken: this is one of many "dump chicken" recipes that I love! They are easy, and you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them, then defrost and "dump" into a baking dish and bake in the oven or "dump" in the crock pot or slow cooker and let it cook while you're out running errands or at work.

Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: perfect for summer grilling! No grill? That's okay, you can make these in the oven and turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to make sure they get a nice brown on them. You can also make these on a grill pan or on the GF grill.

Sesame hoisin chicken wings: these wings are so good! They're a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, sticky but crispy. Yummy! Perfect any time of the year. They make a wonderful appetizer for an outdoor summer party, as well as the Super Bowl.


Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: the first time I made them, huge hit! They've asked for them twice since. I serve with Greek salad, homemade pita bread and homemade tzatziki, which is a delicious dip/spread made with yogurt, cucumbers and garlic.





If the links don't work, you can copy and paste them directly:
Sticky chicken: www.examiner.com/article/oven-roasted-sticky-chicken-recipe
Chili-maple glazed chicken: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Sesame hoisin chicken wings: www.examiner.com/article/serve-up-a-chicken-wing-super-bowl-buffet-sesame-hoisin-chicken-wing-recipe

Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: www.examiner.com/article/ground-chicken-recipe-chicken-spanakopita-meatballs-with-tzatziki-and-pita 
Bonus recipes:

• homemade tzatziki: www.examiner.com/article/tzatziki-recipe-greek-cucumber-yogurt-dip
• homemade pita: www.examiner.com/article/pita-bread-recipe
• Greek salad: www.examiner.com/article/how-to-make-fresh-salad-dressings-recipes-to-save-you-money-2012

Till next time, keep on keeping on and fight the frugal fight!

This week's featured recipes: Summer recipes, meatless Monday recipes, weeknight and back to school recipes and fudgy brownie cookies recipe!

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This week I've been sharing up a storm with summer recipes, especially pickles and recipes to use the bounty in your garden, from you CSA or from the Farmers market. I've also been sharing quick back to school and weeknight dinner recipes. We've also been sharing Meatless Monday recipes.

Next week we'll be sharing more quick back to school recipes, crock pot recipes and cooking for two. Hubby and I have recently become sort of empty nesters with one son living on his own, and one son living here, but not really. He's out a lot, working, spending time with his girlfriend and his friends, he rarely eats at home anymore. So, we're learning to cook for two a couple of nights each week.

In today's blog post you'll find links to the recipes I've shared from July 1st through July 21. Enjoy and let me know how you like the recipes you try.
Don't forget to join us on Facebook at Better Frugal Living for Families and Rachael's Recipes, Frugal Living Advice and Homemaking Hints.

Summer recipes:
Watermelon and tomato salad

Easy and refreshing watermelon pops


Meatless Monday recipes:
Meatless taco pizza
Greek quesadillas
Quick weeknight or back to school dinner recipesCuban quesadillasSteak pitas


Easy, delicious dessert or snack ideasFudgy brownie cookiesUntil next time, I remain...Frugally yours!Rachael Monaco

Menu planning to save money: What's for dinner 8-18-12 through 8-24-12

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Chicken fricassee with sweet potato dumplings

Menu planning saves me money, plan and simple. During the summer months, life is a little more relaxed, but when the weather starts to get cooler, I get back to structured menu planning with even more purpose!
Here's what we'll be eating for dinner this week. Breakfast is pretty basic, we either have yogurt with homemade granola or oatmeal or toast and eggs. Lunch is almost always whatever was leftover from dinner the night before or a sandwich and soup. You'll find the links to most of the recipes in my blog. Let me know if you need help finding them!

Saturday 8-18-12                                                                                                       Beef + potato hash                                                                                                        Steamed green beans with lemon and sea salt                                                              Salad with homemade dressing                                                                                      cupcakes
Sunday 8-19-12Going out to dinner with gift certificate
Monday 8-20-12                                                                                                               Spaghetti with homemade sauce, zucchini + yellow squash                          Cheesy garlic breadiSalad with homemade dressing
Tuesday 8-21-12Crock pot ham + cheesy potatoesSteamed broccoliSalad with homemade dressing
Wednesday 8-22-12Chicken fricassee with biscuits                                                                                        Wax beans                                                                                                                      Salad with homemade dressing
Thursday 8-23-12C.O.R.N = Clean Out the Refrigerator NightAKA leftovers
Friday 8-24-12Veggie, cheese + ham frittata                                                                                      Hash browns with onions + peppers                                                                       Toast                                                                                                                       Salad with homemade dressing
Until next time I remain Frugally Yours!Rachael Monaco

Bryant Terry's Inspired Southern Food (Vegan)

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So, Paula Deen decides to make lighter Southern food and it gets headlines? It's a campaign year, and I am sick of the mud-slinging, so I will just say this: I think the wrong person has been getting the headlines all this time. When it comes to Southern food, real Southern food that has evolved — as any cuisine should — my vote is for Bryant Terry, including his book, The Inspired Vegan.

Yes, vegan. And Southern food without bacon and lard. Terry's recipes use many of the classic ingredients one associates with good Southern cooking; black-eyed peas, greens, sweet potatoes, grits, johnny cakes, sweet tea, molasses. And, he definitely doesn't use factory-farmed pork or Velveeta, which is not on any seasonal, heritage ingredient list I can fathom, Southern or not. The beauty of Terry's take on Southern ingredients is that he's re-thought them, added his life influences, often Asian, and continues to create. Food, like everything else, must evolve.

Terry's food is healthy. This commitment to good, healthy food is not just in his cooking, he lives it. Terry has worked for food access and food justice as well as nutrition education and empowerment throughout the span of his career. This is not a new brand image he's acquired for marketing purposes.

Vegan or not, and I am not a vegan, his recipes are creative, and, as the title suggests, inspired. The recipe for Savory Grits with Sauteed Broad Beans, Roasted Fennel, and Thyme is the sole reason my 7-year-old now requests "Fennel!" as a favorite vegetable when we shop.

This fall, I am looking forward to trying Sweet Potato-Cornmeal Drop Biscuits with Maple Syrup. The fresh shell peas at the market right now will be great in Black-eyed Peas in Garlic Ginger Braised Mustard Greens. Terry's Pickled Red Onions are a staple condiment in our fridge for months now.

Get past the "vegan" thing if you are not vegan. When I am run dry on ideas for making vegetables delicious, I turn to vegan cookbooks for inspiration. Not the ones that try to make non-meat versions of a burger or hot dog, but the ones like Terry's that embrace the flavors and richness that vegetables and grains can bring. The title is so aptly named. This is Inspired cooking. And Terry, as a chef who uses his creativity to help and inspire others, and to bring about food justice and healthy choices for all is my kind of inspiration, too.

It's Bigger Than Just School Lunch

To contact us Click HERE

As many blog posts as I have written bemoaning school lunches and nutrition for kids, it's refreshing to share good news. Here's an updated menu with the proposed USDA changes for better nutrition for school meals. It's much improved and I was even surprised to see jicama on the ingredients list.
What I like most about it is that it is a bit realistic. It's healthier swaps for things kids have been eating. What I would call "transitional foods." There's a chance kids will actually eat part of these lunches. Much of the rationale used to block school food changes hinged on precisely that: kids won't eat healthy foods. There is more waste. It won't work. And, frankly, they are right. If kids won't eat these items at home, how can we expect them to at school?
It's like a chicken and egg thing. Or a chicken nugget and egg mcmuffin thing. Do kids eat poorly because they get junk food in schools every day, or do kids eat junk food every day so they will only eat junk food in schools?
I've read with envy all the amenities and fresh food that Alice Water's and Co. have implemented in Berkeley schools along with their Edible Schoolyard program. I think about that program, even as I am applauding these hard-won changes. But,read this article in Grist about just how well the kids in Berkeley are eating and what they are not eating. Do they eat a better diet and non-processed foods than other kids? Yes. But, even with all the advantages, frankly the kids still aren't eating as well as they could.

We're winning in our schools. Which is incredibly important for kids whose best meals and main nutrition for the week come from our school lunch program. Let's not stop here. 
Let's keep fixing school lunches.Let's fix lunch at home. Let's help others get access to affordable, healthy foods.Let's make healthier choices in quick serve restaurants. Let's tackle junk food marketing to kids.Let's tackle our whole food system that's designed around commodity crops for animal feed and processed foods.
Let's tackle our own kid's eating habits at home.

A bit of history for perspective:

The first school lunch programs were created by teachers and moms. They often included things like a garden on site and even a cow for fresh milk.

The first school lunch legislation was passed in 1946. The program was not designed as a way to help feed hungry kids alone. It was also established to use surplus agricultural commodities which in turn kept food prices from crashing. The program was funded with $10 million per year in 1946 dollars (114.6 million today) to feed 6.7 million children. Today's budget is $11 billion annually to feed 31 million kids daily.

What are "surplus agricultural commodities?" Commodities may not sound much like food, but historically this meant the basic items produced from a farm; corn, wheat, soy, rice, meat, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Not so much now, but we'll get to that in a later lesson.

In many ways, the 1946 legislation was well-intentioned if not fairly administrated. Okay, it sounded good at least.

Here's a few other quotes from the 1946 legislation that might make us all yearn for the good old days, or at least the old days of good lunch as it was promised:

• "The need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program, rather than operating it on a year-to-year basis, or one dependent solely on agricultural surpluses that for a child may be nutritionally unbalanced or nutritionally unattractive, has now become apparent."
• "It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food ..."
• "The educational features of a properly chosen diet served at school should not be under-emphasized. Not only is the child taught what a good diet consists of, but his parents and family likewise are indirectly instructed."

While it may seem like some of our lunch items around today have enough preservatives to have endured since 1946, the lunch program then contained a lot fewer processed foods. It was 1946 after all. Here are the 1946 recommendations for a typical meal per child:
Milk, whole, 1/2 pint Protein-rich food consisting of any of the following or a combination thereof:

• 2 oz. Fresh or processed meat, poultry meat, cheese, cooked or canned fish
• Dry peas or beans or soy beans, cooked, ½ cup
• Peanut Butter, 4 tbsp.
• Eggs, 1

Raw, cooked, or canned vegetables or fruits, or both, ¾ cupBread, muffins or hot bread made of whole grain cereal or enriched flour, 1 portion
So, at least 66 years ago, folks knew that our country's future was linked to healthy children. That not all agricultural commodities are healthy foods. And that the meal provided should be exemplary of what families should eat at home. The meal was also based on whole foods; milk, protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti

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I had such a good time on Around the Kitchen Sink radio show with Heather Tallman (aka Basilmomma) last week. If you missed the podcast, you can listen to it here. 

Today is recipe #9 on the Holiday Baking list for these Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti. They're so crunchy and go perfectly with your favorite hot beverage. 

Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
3 tbsp. Brewed Espresso (or you can use coffee)
1/2 c. White Chocolate Chips
Cooking Spray



Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until well blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, espresso and vanilla. 
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.  
4. Next, fold in the chocolate. 
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, then form two, 12” long log shapes and flatten down so that it is no higher than 1”. 
6. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the dough and bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.  
7. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice diagonally into 1/2" thick slices and put them back on the baking sheet. 
8. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes per side, then remove from the oven. Let cool and allow to harden before serving. Makes 2 1/2 dz.

Enjoy! 

Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

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This sauce has been on my "to make" list for quite some time, but I was waiting for the right moment. You see, my children never particularly cared for Kalamata olives or capers (or as they lovingly refer to them as "deer poop"...yes I know, I have two comedians on my hands here), but I've been adding them into some of the foods I've been making little by little and they have eaten and liked them each time, just not on their own. 

So when I met Joi, from the Joi of Pickles, at a recent craft fair and book signing event, I just had to try her Kalamata olives. These olives were so fresh and the best part, they were already pitted! I figured I'd make a puttanesca sauce with them and also decided to add in some sausage since I had already taken it out of the freezer. This sauce was INCREDIBLY flavorful with the pungent flavors of garlic and olives and the briny, lemon flavor from the capers. 


Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
1 lb. Fettuccine
Prepared Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
5 Links Italian Sweet Sausage, casings removed
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 Plum (Roma) Tomatoes, chopped
1 c. Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp. Capers
1/2 c. Red Wine (I used a dry Tuscan)
1/2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 c. Tomato Paste
Fresh Ground Red Pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and add the sausage; then break apart using a wooden spoon. Saute until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. 
2. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil and add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers. Saute until the onions start to turn translucent; then add in the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste and red pepper. Stir well, then add in the cooked sausage. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes;
3. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions; drain water. 
4.  Pour the thick sauce over the cooked fettuccine and toss; coating all of the pasta. Serves 6. 

Enjoy! 




It will speed up the preparation process if you assemble all of  your ingredients prior to making the sauce by getting all of your chopping done at once and putting them all in a bowl. 

If you're looking for a Vegetarian option, omit the sausage and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. 





Well, this is it. My last post for 2012. I can't believe this year is coming to a close. It's been a pretty exciting year filled with both good and bad memories, but I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store.  CEK will be taking some time off to spend quality time with family and friends; and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season. I'll be back January 2, 2013 to ring in the new year with more experiments and I hope you'll follow along on my adventures. 
Thank you for visiting Carrie's Experimental Kitchen and from our family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season and Happy New Year!   ~ Carrie

Capital Grille Mashed Potatoes (Copycat)

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Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, I know I did. I usually host Christmas Eve and Christmas Day each year, and this year was no exception. It's fun, but also a little tiring. Especially because I still wasn't able to stand for long periods of time with my recent calf injury and my husband had surgery on his thumb shortly after that. By the time this holiday was over, I just needed to decompress and spend time alone with my immediate family; which we're not able to do very often. 

I'm not one for making resolutions each year, but with my husband traveling so frequently for business, we both agreed that this year we would try to carve out more time to spend with each other when we had the opportunity. So my husband and I rejuvenated by going into the city for a couple of days to see the sights, take in dinner at Remi (where I had some fantastic homemade rosemary gnocchi with roasted vegetables) and saw Les Miserables at the movies and Once, the musical (both excellent!). We had a fabulous time and the kids enjoyed spending some one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa. 
While trying to figure out which recipe I was going to share first in 2013, I was reflecting back on all of the food that I had made for parties and gatherings in December and I just had to start with these potatoes. My husband and I received a gift certificate to The Capital Grille (which is a national chain of upscale steakhouses) and we were finally able to go recently. The food was excellent for a chain restaurant and they also have an amazing wine list. This recipe should technically come with a warning as it is NOT a healthy recipe by any means, but they were so good that even my husband, who usually doesn't like ANY mashed potatoes, LOVED them. They're so buttery, creamy and made a wonderful side dish; especially with our ham I made on Christmas Eve. 
Capital Grille Mashed Potatoes (Copycat)2 1/2 lb. Red Potatoes1 Stick Butter1+ c. Heavy Cream1/2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
Directions:1. Wash potato skins with a vegetable brush, then cube. 2. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes become soft when you insert a fork or tip of a knife into them. 3. Drain the water then place potatoes back in the pot. 4. Add the butter, 1 cup of heavy cream and salt and beat until whipped without lumps using an electric mixer. Add more cream gradually if needed. Serves 8 (5oz per serving). 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 319, Carbs 30.4g, Fat 21.1g, Protein 2.8g, Fiber 2.6g*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.
Enjoy and Happy New Year! 

Times Square NYC

Bryant Terry's Inspired Southern Food (Vegan)

To contact us Click HERE


So, Paula Deen decides to make lighter Southern food and it gets headlines? It's a campaign year, and I am sick of the mud-slinging, so I will just say this: I think the wrong person has been getting the headlines all this time. When it comes to Southern food, real Southern food that has evolved — as any cuisine should — my vote is for Bryant Terry, including his book, The Inspired Vegan.

Yes, vegan. And Southern food without bacon and lard. Terry's recipes use many of the classic ingredients one associates with good Southern cooking; black-eyed peas, greens, sweet potatoes, grits, johnny cakes, sweet tea, molasses. And, he definitely doesn't use factory-farmed pork or Velveeta, which is not on any seasonal, heritage ingredient list I can fathom, Southern or not. The beauty of Terry's take on Southern ingredients is that he's re-thought them, added his life influences, often Asian, and continues to create. Food, like everything else, must evolve.

Terry's food is healthy. This commitment to good, healthy food is not just in his cooking, he lives it. Terry has worked for food access and food justice as well as nutrition education and empowerment throughout the span of his career. This is not a new brand image he's acquired for marketing purposes.

Vegan or not, and I am not a vegan, his recipes are creative, and, as the title suggests, inspired. The recipe for Savory Grits with Sauteed Broad Beans, Roasted Fennel, and Thyme is the sole reason my 7-year-old now requests "Fennel!" as a favorite vegetable when we shop.

This fall, I am looking forward to trying Sweet Potato-Cornmeal Drop Biscuits with Maple Syrup. The fresh shell peas at the market right now will be great in Black-eyed Peas in Garlic Ginger Braised Mustard Greens. Terry's Pickled Red Onions are a staple condiment in our fridge for months now.

Get past the "vegan" thing if you are not vegan. When I am run dry on ideas for making vegetables delicious, I turn to vegan cookbooks for inspiration. Not the ones that try to make non-meat versions of a burger or hot dog, but the ones like Terry's that embrace the flavors and richness that vegetables and grains can bring. The title is so aptly named. This is Inspired cooking. And Terry, as a chef who uses his creativity to help and inspire others, and to bring about food justice and healthy choices for all is my kind of inspiration, too.

It's Bigger Than Just School Lunch

To contact us Click HERE

As many blog posts as I have written bemoaning school lunches and nutrition for kids, it's refreshing to share good news. Here's an updated menu with the proposed USDA changes for better nutrition for school meals. It's much improved and I was even surprised to see jicama on the ingredients list.
What I like most about it is that it is a bit realistic. It's healthier swaps for things kids have been eating. What I would call "transitional foods." There's a chance kids will actually eat part of these lunches. Much of the rationale used to block school food changes hinged on precisely that: kids won't eat healthy foods. There is more waste. It won't work. And, frankly, they are right. If kids won't eat these items at home, how can we expect them to at school?
It's like a chicken and egg thing. Or a chicken nugget and egg mcmuffin thing. Do kids eat poorly because they get junk food in schools every day, or do kids eat junk food every day so they will only eat junk food in schools?
I've read with envy all the amenities and fresh food that Alice Water's and Co. have implemented in Berkeley schools along with their Edible Schoolyard program. I think about that program, even as I am applauding these hard-won changes. But,read this article in Grist about just how well the kids in Berkeley are eating and what they are not eating. Do they eat a better diet and non-processed foods than other kids? Yes. But, even with all the advantages, frankly the kids still aren't eating as well as they could.

We're winning in our schools. Which is incredibly important for kids whose best meals and main nutrition for the week come from our school lunch program. Let's not stop here. 
Let's keep fixing school lunches.Let's fix lunch at home. Let's help others get access to affordable, healthy foods.Let's make healthier choices in quick serve restaurants. Let's tackle junk food marketing to kids.Let's tackle our whole food system that's designed around commodity crops for animal feed and processed foods.
Let's tackle our own kid's eating habits at home.

A bit of history for perspective:

The first school lunch programs were created by teachers and moms. They often included things like a garden on site and even a cow for fresh milk.

The first school lunch legislation was passed in 1946. The program was not designed as a way to help feed hungry kids alone. It was also established to use surplus agricultural commodities which in turn kept food prices from crashing. The program was funded with $10 million per year in 1946 dollars (114.6 million today) to feed 6.7 million children. Today's budget is $11 billion annually to feed 31 million kids daily.

What are "surplus agricultural commodities?" Commodities may not sound much like food, but historically this meant the basic items produced from a farm; corn, wheat, soy, rice, meat, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Not so much now, but we'll get to that in a later lesson.

In many ways, the 1946 legislation was well-intentioned if not fairly administrated. Okay, it sounded good at least.

Here's a few other quotes from the 1946 legislation that might make us all yearn for the good old days, or at least the old days of good lunch as it was promised:

• "The need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program, rather than operating it on a year-to-year basis, or one dependent solely on agricultural surpluses that for a child may be nutritionally unbalanced or nutritionally unattractive, has now become apparent."
• "It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food ..."
• "The educational features of a properly chosen diet served at school should not be under-emphasized. Not only is the child taught what a good diet consists of, but his parents and family likewise are indirectly instructed."

While it may seem like some of our lunch items around today have enough preservatives to have endured since 1946, the lunch program then contained a lot fewer processed foods. It was 1946 after all. Here are the 1946 recommendations for a typical meal per child:
Milk, whole, 1/2 pint Protein-rich food consisting of any of the following or a combination thereof:

• 2 oz. Fresh or processed meat, poultry meat, cheese, cooked or canned fish
• Dry peas or beans or soy beans, cooked, ½ cup
• Peanut Butter, 4 tbsp.
• Eggs, 1

Raw, cooked, or canned vegetables or fruits, or both, ¾ cupBread, muffins or hot bread made of whole grain cereal or enriched flour, 1 portion
So, at least 66 years ago, folks knew that our country's future was linked to healthy children. That not all agricultural commodities are healthy foods. And that the meal provided should be exemplary of what families should eat at home. The meal was also based on whole foods; milk, protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Unwrap Hope: Winter Wonder Cloches

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A few years ago I saw an ornament within the pages of Family Fun magazine. It was made out of a plastic drinking cup.

It’s par for the course that it generally takes me a year or more before I get around to making what inspires me. LOL.

I found some plastic wine glasses at Wal Mart (6 for $1.99) which got my wheels turning. Mr. Décor helped me out by cutting off the stems with his band saw.

While Mr. Décor sawed away I took a round bead and strung some bakers twine through it and knotted the end. I then punched out 2 pieces of heavy weight scrapbook paper and 1 chipboard layer. Make sure your punch size is a bit larger than the circumference of the glass you use. The chipboard was sandwiched between the scrapbook punches, glued and weighted down while drying. It needs to dry completely flat or the cloche will not rest level. 

Once the bottom layer is dry (approx. 2 hours) glue on your decorative elements and then paint on a thin layer of white craft glue to the bottom edge of the glass. Place the glass on top of the the scrap/chip board and then weigh it down to dry overnight.

Love the hillbilly method I used?

Once dry fill with glittery snow. Hot glue on your bead to seal.

Cut 5” lengths of shimmery pipe cleaner (Michaels) with wire cutters to wrap around the bead base.  Hot glue in place.

An alternative to the bead closure is using a button. I love how this antique shell button has a scalloped motif that repeats the scalloped base.

These snowy treasures are time consuming, but so precious.  I created an ornament for each of my children. Sweet Boy wanted a train.

The Fashionista requested a deer. She graduates this Thursday and I wish our house was as peaceful as this wintery scene. :)

I have made two very special pink angel cloches. The angels are vintage gems from the 60’s.

These angelic ornaments are available in my Etsy shop.

100% of all the profits will be donated

to the charity Hope Unlimited for Children.

The motto of Hope Unlimited is “Saving One Child at a Time”.

These aqua blue angels are being offered in the Etsy shop too with all profits benefiting this fine organization.

YOU personally can change the world of a child in mortal need. Not a child who is "just" living in poverty ... but a child whose very life is at grave risk unless circumstances change quickly. 

So yes, more angels. Vintage musical delights singing for HOPE.

If you’d like to purchase a Hope Angel please visit my Etsy shop.

If you would like to donate directly to Hope Unlimited please visit their site HERE.

You can make a difference in a child’s life.

Laura

Linking to:

Inspired By Charm PACOI, The Charm of Home, Common Ground, StoneGable, Today’s Creative Blog, Someday Crafts, SSS, Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Positively Splendid,The 36th Avenue, Jennifer Rizzo, Kelly’s Korner

© 2012 Decor To Adore Laura Ingalls Gunn All Rights Reserved

The 2012 Collection of Holiday Crafts and Decor

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I love to welcome people to my home with a happy wreath. The Sparkle and Shine design for this year does just that.

Right as you walk in the front entry there is a plate of sweets to greet guests.

From there you can see the tree with a vintage inspired tree topper.

On a table nearby sits holiday treasure boxes filled with candy.

I’ve already changed up the Christmas “fantle” and have added our stockings.

Yesterday I shared a very special tutorial ~ Cloches for Kids.

Today I am finishing up my baking and will share what goodies our family created and how they will be delivered later this week. I am also changing the Visions of Sugarplums table décor for a grand college graduation feast to be held tomorrow evening. Luckily my daughter’s soon to be alma mater, ASU, has colors of red and gold.

Mr. Decor and I are still enjoying the vintage inspired Advent Calendar for Sweethearts.

Tomorrow’s post will bring this past weeks recap of adventures the elves had in spreading joy, love, peace and laughter throughout our household.

May the peace and love of the season be yours,

Laura

Linking to:

Nesting Place 2012 Holiday Tour of Homes

Parisian Party Hats for New Years Eve

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Back in early December I shared that I was planning a Parisian tablescape for New Year’s Eve.

I thought it might be fun to give you a sneak peek and provide a tutorial for pretty party hats.

To create the hat base I used a free template found at Jones Design Company. I had some old atlas pages that worked well. 

Time Saving TIP: Print the image directly onto heavy paper versus making a pattern, tracing and then cutting out the template. 

After the hat was cut out various bits of leftover tinsel and trim were hot glued to the bottom. The two edges were then glued together to create a cone shape.

Old clock face images were found on Google and The Graphics Fairy. White craft glue and glitter add a bit of sparkle.

Scrapbooking paper punches in various sizes helped to create a rosette of sorts.

Chipboard letters and feathers also add in some fun.

Pearl picks propel the pizazz.

Bits of tinsel or pom poms finish off the top tip.

Happy.

Happier.

Go HERE to view the Parisian Party.

Laura

See you on Monday for Parisian Party Food!

Linking to:

 The Charm of Home, Common Ground, Today’s Creative Blog, Someday Crafts, Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Positively Splendid,The 36th Avenue, Jennifer Rizzo