Deco Mesh Wreath

Taking a one day break from 'starch madness' to share this quick easy dollar store craft just in time for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. We're having dinner here Friday night (sticking with my old school traditional meal of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, click here for recipes) and I was surfing around for easy decorations - I feel like I've done so many St. Patty's crafts that I figured I'd probably just re-use an old one haha but then I saw this mesh wreath idea, watched a couple minutes of a video on the technique and immediately hit up the local dollar store. 

All you need is a wire wreath frame, this one is 14"; 6 rolls of mesh ribbon, I planned to mix a couple different greens but all they had was this lighter green and some sparkly white so I bought 4 green and 2 white; pipe cleaners and scissors. 

I didn't video myself doing this but click here for the one I followed, it's very easy but too hard to describe so watch the video. You attach one end of the ribbon onto the wire form using a piece of a pipe cleaner, then draw up loops thru the rows of the wreath form and repeat over and over. Once the wreath is full separate and fluff each loop, but be careful to not pull up on the loops because they are just sitting in between the wires, nothing is holding them in place. I took some pictures but really, just watch the video haha. 

I laid it in the middle of the table as a centerpiece and just set foam shamrocks on top. Then I found a gold vase and put dollar store fake flowers in it and placed in the center of the wreath. Last I poked Rolos onto bamboo skewers and stuck into the vase (I wanted gold coins but couldn't find any, and I like how the shooting Rolos look). 

the video I followed is on youtube under 'deco mesh wreath' by Crafts with Chris if the link above doesn't work. 

3.16.22: leprechaun veggie tray (by Jen) 

3.16.21: TT steamer basket

3.16.19: St. Paddy's 2019 Plan

3.16.18: felt shamrocks

3.16.17: green tassel earrings

3.16.16: leprechaun coloring page 

SM: Irish Soda Bread

I always follow Christa's recipe for Irish soda bread (which I promised I wouldn't share), hers has more of a quick bread texture and everyone loves it. So when I was googling for any different recipes for our St. Patrick's Day meal and I came across this recipe from Ina Garten for a bread that is more like sandwich bread than quick bread I thought it might be nice to have a second option in the Irish soda bread department. I haven't made it yet but Ina can be trusted and I'm comfortable sharing her recipe for you in time for St. Paddy's day! 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
• 4 T. sugara
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 4 T. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" dice 
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 t. grated orange zest
• 1 C. dried currants

1. Preheat the oven to 375'. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in thee bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

3. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 T. of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet. 

4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the brea with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

5. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

recipe found here at foodnetwork. also click to read reviews and a few suggestions. 

3.15.22: TT taco salad

3.15.21: leprechaun veggie tray

3.15.20: 🔥week 11

3.15.19: stuffed zucchini

3.15.18: corned beef dinner

3.15.17: caramel chocolate chip cookies

3.15.16: Irish creme delights

SM/Tip-sy Tuesday: Foods High in Starch

For today's tip-sy tip I found a list of foods high in starch, which plays into this month's theme of 'starch madness' (and it's just reading for information, not a recipe whew - tired of starch recipes yet?!)

image found here

This info is from an article I saw at healthline.com, some of these I didn't realize are higher in starch than some of their carb counterparts. If you want to read the article and the info that breaks down each of these foods click here, otherwise I'll just list them (note: higher in starch doesn't mean un-healthy, I worried when I saw oats and whole wheat on this list!):

1. Cornstarch

2. Rice Krispie Cereals

3. Pretzels

4. Millet Flour

5. Sorghum Flour

6. White Flour

7. Saltine Crackers

8. Oats

9. Whole Wheat Flour

10. Instant Noodles

11. English Muffins

12. Bagels

13. White Bread 

14. Tortillas 

15. Shortbread Cookies

16. Rice

17. Pasta

18. Corn

19. Potatoes

3.14.22: ManDay Monday: chicken salad

3.14.21: 🔥 week 11

3.14.20: bloody mary rim salt

3.14.19: Jen's Hello Fresh review

3.14.18: irish cream bundt cake

3.14.17: rope covered curtain rod (poll)

3.14.16: ribbon bracelet

Starch Madness: Carrot Candy

The original recipe calls for 8 carrots, but after I cut the first big carrot into super thin rounds I realized that I didn't need 8 carrots worth of 'candy'. The rounds do shrink up a lot, so next time I'll do maybe 2 or 3 carrots on a larger pan. The carrot flavor is intensified and the texture is chewy - a great addition to a salad or just to snack on; easy to make once you've sliced the carrots. I used a v-slicer/mandolin, if you use a knife try to cut them into equal thickness slices. 

I only did 1 carrot but if you want to make a whole batch I don't think they'll go to waste (as long as you like carrots that is hahah, if you didn't why would you want to make them in the first place !). 

• 8 medium carrots, about 1 pound
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/2 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 225'. Slice the carrots into 1/8" rounds and toss with oil and salt, spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the slices are slightly shriveled, dehydrated, but still soft and chewy. Watch that they don't burn or stick to the pan. 

Check them at 2 hours, then continue baking until they are as chewy and crisp as you like, another 30 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container 

Note: I think my slices might have been thinner than 1/8", they were done in 1 1/2 hours. 

recipe found at VB6 (Vegan Before 6)

3.13.22: 🔥 week 11 

3.13.21: pet poison prevention week

3.13.20: copycat shamrock shake

3.13.19: island cupcakes

3.13.18: shamrock sun catcher

3.13.17: shamrock butterflies and paper garland (why did I post two that day? hmmm...)

3.13.16: crock pot corned beef 

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 11)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at (Starch Madness) camp last week:

Posts ~

(just put 'starch madness' in front of each of these posts, I'm tired of typing it already 😂)

3/5: 🔥 week 10

3/6: scalloped potato update 

3/7: TT carpet freshener with cornstarch

3/8: oatmeal cake (for breakfast)

3/9: dynamite shrimp rice bowl

3/10: crockpot spinach white bean soup

3/11: words

What's Cooking ~

• grilled chicken, broccoli cornbread, chopped salad
• steak, sautéed mushrooms, tater tots, caesar salad
• dynamite shrimp rice bowl
• stuffed salmon, roasted green beans

Did you remember the time change (for most of us anyway)? Sarge never understands it LOL

That's it for this week, hope you're enjoying all things starch! Let's see what more starchy-goodness I can come up with next week hahah. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

3.12.22: pot o'gold cupcakes

3.12.21: kid craft: paper leprechaun by Brooke

3.12.20:  TBT: St. Patrick's day luncheon and Green Pea Soup recipe

3.12.19: TT: single cupcake container

3.12.18: make a layered paper shamrock using decorative patterned paper

3.12.17: blueberry chutney (delish with pork tenderloin!)

3.12.16: copycat shamrock shake

3/11 ~ Words

3.11.22: leather feather earrings

3.11.21: shamrock pretzels

3.11.20: grilled scallops with chili-lime cream sauce

3.11.19: carpet freshener

3.11.18: instant pot love (and a creamy chicken pasta recipe) by Jenny

3.11.17: create a baking center

3.11.16: shamrock garland

Starch Madness: Crockpot Spinach White Bean Soup

This soup is surprisingly good and really easy! Not just for starch madness, I'll for sure make this again. I really like the addition of tomato puree with the broth, beans and spinach, it added a really nice flavor to what I usually think of broth-based bean soup. 

My changes and notes: I used chicken broth instead of vegetable, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, and added long-grain brown rice instead of white. I used baby spinach and didn't chop it up but I think I would like the texture better if I had smaller pieces of spinach - otherwise I love this soup!

•  6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato puree
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup uncooked converted long-grain rice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/8 t. salt
• 7 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

In a 4 quart crockpot, combine 1st 9 ingredients (broth thru salt); cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours until heated thru. Add spinach, cover and cook another 15 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Serve with parmesan. 

note: it's ok to freeze this soup before adding the parmesan. 

found here at taste of home 

3.10.22: MSIH peanut butter dream bars

3.10.21: crock pot corned beef (my favorite way to make St. Patrick's Day meal)

3.10.20: TT: hidden bank by Brooke

3.10.19: 🔥week 10

3.10.18: pots of gold

3.10.17: makeup brush holder by Brooke

3.10.16: creative photo class - portraits

SM: Dynamite Shrimp Rice Bowl

I haven't made a knockoff of one of my sis's hello fresh/home chef meals lately - so when I couldn't think of anything to make for dinner last night I remembered this recipe for 'dynamite shrimp rice bowl' and figured I'd try something different. I don't like spicy so 'dynamite' worried me a bit, but the only spice is from the boom boom sauce so I made my own version and left the heat out (you can purchase boom boom sauce in a bottle but I'm betting it'd be too spicy for me!). 

I liked this more than Dave did but that might have been because I forgot to add the wonton strips (I topped my leftovers for breakfast with them and the crunch added quite a lot), he isn't a big sauce guy so didn't add the boom boom sauce, and he also said it needed more salt (why he didn't just add more salt at the table is on him 🙄). The original recipe called for 'cilantro lime' seasoning and seasoned rice vinegar, I didn't have those so changed it to dried cilantro and lemon pepper instead, and white vinegar.  

The original recipe heated the rice before mixing it with the other ingredients, I mixed mine in cold and then had the thought that shrimp don't take very long to cook and it might take longer for the rice to get hot - so I baked the rice a few minutes before adding the shrimp. If you start with the rice hot I don't think you would need to prebake it, making this a very quick dish. 

Here's how I made the knockoff recipe:

• 1 cup edamame (shelled)
• 1 cup cole slaw mix
• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 1 t. dried cilantro
• 1 t. lemon pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails-off
• boom boom sauce
• wonton strips

Preheat oven 400'. Pat shrimp dry, set aside. 

Combine rice, edamame, slaw mix, cilantro, lemon pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Spread into an even layer in a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven. Top mixture with shrimp, season with a little salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes until shrimp is cooked thru. 

Remove from the oven. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce to taste. Garnish with boom boom sauce and wonton strips. 

3.9.22: shanghai salmon

3.9.21: TT shamrock plant

3.9.20: shamrock garland

3.9.18: kids travel snack dispenser

3.9.17: crack dip

3.9.16: St. Patrick's table decor (pots of gold)

Starch Madness: Oatmeal Cake

My sis sent me this recipe and pictures (I'm using her pics so I can share this before making myself - cuz it's a good recipe for our theme this month) for oatmeal cake using ingredients you'd typically eat in your breakfast oatmeal. Yum, cake for breakfast anyone? I questioned her photo that looks like it made way more than the ingredients seems like it should but she said nope, she followed recipe exactly. It says sweetener optional so she added a tablespoon of honey and sprinkled with chocolate chips.

She said "it's actually delish, surprisingly good". And she's eating it for a snack instead of for breakfast. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 ripe banana (spottier the better)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk of choice
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• chocolate chips
• optional 1 T. sweetener of choice if you want it sweeter (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar are all good options)

Directions:

1. add all ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a blender and blend until fully combined.

2. pour batter into an oven-safe baking dish

3. top with chocolate chips

4. bake at 350' for 20-25 minutes

she found the recipe on Instagram

3.8.22: TT freezing asparagus

3.8.21: foam shamrock wreath

3.8.20: 🔥week 10

3.8.19: sew a fabric wallet 

3.8.18: wire-wrapped ring
3.8.17: Andes mint cookies
3.8.16: easy art for St. Patrick's day decor

Tip-sy Tuesday/Starch Madness : Carpet Freshener

A break from a starchy recipe, but still starch related haha. 

I made carpet freshener a long time ago only using baking soda and essential oil; this time I made it another way by combining equal parts cornstarch and baking soda along with essential oil in whatever scent you like.

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup baking soda
• 20-30 drops essential oil (I bought pine fresh scent or something like that at the Dollar Store, for using to make the carpet smell better the cheap stuff works just fine). Pine isn't my favorite scent but my choices were 'bartlett pear', 'marshmallow fluff', and something pecan...pine it is. 

I keep this in a mason jar fitted with the shaker top from a Kraft parmesan cheese jar. Sprinkle on carpets to help remove odors and stains. (I read that cornstarch is good for dealing with oily stains, it absorbs the oils.) Let it sit on the rug for 10-15 minutes before vacuuming. 

3.7.22: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

3.7.21: 🔥 week 10

3.7.20: St. Patrick's framed art

3.7 .19: braided bird toy 

3.7.18: healthy cauliflower soup

3.7.17: making breadcrumbs

3.7.16: foam shamrock indoor wreath