Monday, July 31, 2023

Watch Strap Loops

I was inspired to make beaded loops for my Apple watch straps after seeing this idea on Amazon - they have lots of different styles but I knew how easy and quick beaded ones would be to make. And they are both easy and quick! And super cute :)

My strap is about 3/4" wide. String seed beads on a length of stretchy cord, I made mine about 1 3/4" long; knot the ends together to form a bead circle that slides over the end of the strap. Add a drop of clear glue to the knot to help hold it, wait for it to dry and then snip off the excess cord. 






Because they are so quick to make I just sat and played with different beads and charms and made all of these in minutes. Now that I know how much I like them, I am going to make a few that look good together and group them in sets of 3 or 5 - once I do that I will update this post to show you!

7.31.22: 🔥 week 31

7.31.21: Al's baked beans (re-run)

7.31.20: album cover t-shirt

7.31.19: mexican street corn salad

7.31.18: freezing pesto

7.31.17: boho earrings 

7.31.16: Al's baked beans are the best!

Sunday, July 30, 2023

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 31)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what happened at camp last week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~

7/23: 🔥 week 30

7/24: reusable kitchen sponges

7/25: TT corndog beddar cheddars

7/26: whipped ricotta and cream cheese dip

7/27: Macey's chinese chicken and corn soup

7/28: MSTI: ice cream?

7/29: words 

What's Cooking ~

That's it for this week - stop by next week to see what we think to make at camp! Bye :)


Sincerely ~

Jill
camp counselor 


7.30.22: angry balls cocktail

7.30.21: harvey wallbanger

7.30.20: beef wellington

7.30.19: tt - guacamole toast

7.30.18: road trip bracelets

7.30.17: spinach, beet, goat cheese salad

Friday, July 28, 2023

My Sister Tried It: Ice Cream?

I have been trying to cut down on my night time snacking but its very hard to do when the husband and his ridiculous metabolism is eating a bag of sour cream and onion chips beside me. Now in all honestly chips wouldn't be my thing - it would be ice cream for sure. I was discussing life and its unfairness with Brooke and she told me something she saw on Tik Tok that I should try. Yes I'm aware that teens (and others) get recipes from Tik Tok however that's not usually my favorite go to for that sort of thing. 

This time though I was willing to give it a try. 

Maybe everyone knew this was a thing except me but here it is: 

Frozen Banana in a blender with flavored protein powder and a tiny bit of low fat milk.  She promised me it would taste like ice cream. I am not new to the world of frozen bananas in smoothies so how is this not just a smoothie?  She assures me if I blend it less and use less milk it will be ice cream. LOL. so here I go. 

one frozen banana
2 TBS Peanut Butter protein powder
Dash of milk

Blend until smooth. 

Sure enough.. ice cream.  Ok maybe not a big bowl of Moosetrax but definitely satisfying enough to feel like a treat and curb the cravings. Again, maybe everyone else in the world knew this was a thing - but either way try it! Oh, and I guess in the future maybe I need to get a Tik Tok? :)




Thursday, July 27, 2023

GF Chinese Chicken Corn and Bean Soup by Macey

 GF Chinese Chicken Corn & Bean Soup (So yum)!! 


  • 2 cans of sweet corn 
  • 1 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken
  • 6 cups of chicken broth (stock, bouillon, etc). 
  • Green onion 
  • White beans (1 can, rinsed) 
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 3 T. tapioca flour (gluten free) or cornstarch
  • 3 T. water
  • 1 Tablespoons GF soy sauce, or to taste
  • Salt and pepper 
  • Top with some greens for looks :)

1. Add one can of corn with the liquid to 1 cup of the stock and blend it up with an immersion blender until no kernels are left. You can also do it with a standing blender or food processor.

2. Then add the remaining stock and the other can of corn to the crockpot 

3. Mix the flour and water together and stir into the crockpot. Then I add in 2 whisked eggs into the crockpot, this makes the soup have like ribbons in it… it’s delicious, trust me. 

4. Make sure to rinse first, then I add white beans and chopped green onions. Then add seasonings (you can dress this soup up down however you prefer to season but I usually just stick to salt and pepper and occasionally add ground black pepper and chili flakes if I want something more spicy). Add soy sauce to taste. 

5. I allow this soup to cook for an hour before I add the shredded chicken. (Remember, I’m using chicken from the whole chicken I made on Sunday, so I’m just shredding pieces of cooked chicken and putting them into the pot right before it’s done so that it doesn’t overcook the meat!) 

6. I usually top this with green onion, but today I was very low on green onion so instead (for looks) I threw a little fresh parsley. It was delicious.


7.27.22: zucchini brownies version 2

7.27.21: travel medication tip

7.27.20: gourmet s'mores

7.27.19: penne alla vecchia bettola

7.27.18: Japanese string gardening

7.27.17: crochet a mug cozy











7.27.16: travel trip for medications



Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Whipped Ricotta - Cream Cheese Dip

I used to make a certain dip all the time - you probably did too since it was a standard 'classic' back in the day haha - put a block of cream cheese on a serving plate, cover it with orange marmalade and top with black pepper. Served with Ritz of course! Yum, it's actually quite good even if it is old-school. The other day I wanted to make dip for a dinner party and almost made the one above, but decided to fancy it up a bit. 

I whipped 1/2 container ricotta, the block of softened cream cheese and a little milk together until smooth, seasoned with coarse salt and pepper. Spread in a small serving dish, spooned orange marmalade overtop and sprinkled on black pepper. Simple and delicious. 

I served it with an assortment of crackers, including Ritz :)


in addition to other crackers, it's really good on these raincoast crisps


Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Tip-sy Tuesday: Corndog Bedder Cheddars

This tip isn't really a tip, more like a 'hey have you seen this?' find...maybe this is only new or news to me but I was very excited (I know, I know, it doesn't take much - yes I can feel you rolling your eyes at me). 

Pillsbury has come out with corn dog wraps - find it in a tube where their crescent rolls are. 

The instructions are to wrap hot dogs and bake but I took it one step farther and rolled the corn dog wraps around turkey better cheddar smoked sausage links and YUM!!! I'm so happy right now. 

Side story for why I don't have a picture to show you - I made these for lunch when Mark and LeDonna were over and after we demolished them someone asked if I was going to blog it. I said no, because all it is is a store-bought piece of dough wrapped around a hot dog and I had no creative input at all LOL so what is there to blog? But then after discussing I agreed that even if I didn't make it up I should still be sharing this amazing find with everyone :)

YUM. 


7.25.22: star plates


Monday, July 24, 2023

Reusable Kitchen Sponges

I love this idea to make reusable sponges - I have a regular store-bought sponge next to my kitchen sink and try to put it thru the dishwasher to clean it as much as possible, and I've been using a towel that is only for wiping counters and cleaning up messes to reduce how many paper towels I go thru; I made a couple of these fabric reusable scrubbers and so far am finding them very useful and cleaner than my sponge since I remember to wash these when I do kitchen towels. The mesh is great for adding some scrubbing power, I found it pre-packaged at Hobby Lobby hanging in the aisle of sewing supplies (not on a bolt that had to be cut, maybe they have that to, I don't know). The batting I found isn't as thick as I'd like, I folded a piece in half to add some heft but I'm going to keep looking for thicker batting. 


I'm cutting and pasting the directions found at BHG since I just followed their directions and have nothing to add, I did take pictures of each step when I made them:

Store-bought sponges are wasteful, and can often be an eyesore in your kitchen. If you're looking for an excuse to toss your bright yellow scrubbing tools, consider their environmental impact: The microplastics used to manufacture typical kitchen sponges actually come out each time you use the sponge—meaning they go straight down your drain and into the ocean, where they sit forever.

Luckily, there's an alternative that works just as well. We'll show you how to make your own no-waste kitchen sponges. It's an easy sewing project you can finish in an afternoon, and the best part is that the sponges use printed cotton fabric, so you can choose any color or pattern you like.

How to Make a Zero-Waste Sponge 

Supplies Needed 

  • Cotton fabric 
  • Terrycloth 
  • Mesh 
  • Scissors 
  • Mildew-resistant poly batting 
  • Sewing pins
  • Sewing machine (or needle and thread)

Step-by-Step Directions 

Follow these simple how-to instructions to make your own no-waste kitchen scrubbers. You should be able to make one in under an hour.

Step 1: Cut and Prep Fabrics 

Before you can start sewing, prepare the materials: Everything used in this project is plastic-free, so you can rest easy knowing you're not washing any microplastics down the drain. And since the pieces needed are relatively small, this is a great time to use up some fabric scraps from past projects. You'll need a 5x7-inch piece of printed cotton ($13 per yard, Rifle Paper Co.) terrycloth, and mesh. If you can't find terrycloth fabric, try using an inexpensive hand towel. You'll also need to cut a 3x5-inch piece of 1/2-inch thick mildew-resistant poly batting ($32 for 5 yards, Sailrite).

Step 2: Assemble Pieces 

To assemble the sponge, layer the mesh piece between the cotton and terrycloth pieces, right sides together. Use sewing pins ($4, Joann) to secure the layers together, then stitch around the perimeter with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave a 3-inch opening at one end of the sponge. Clip the corners, then turn the fabric right-side out.

Step 3: Fill Sponge 

To give the sponge a similar texture to the store-bought version, insert the mildew-resistant poly batting through the 3-inch opening you left in the fabric. This will also give your sponge some absorbency. Once you've added the batting, fold the opening inward and topstitch it closed. To finish the sponge, topstitch around the perimeter with a 1/2-inch seam allowance—when you're done, the sponge is ready to use! Be sure to rinse off the sponge and squeeze all the water out after each use to keep the sponge looking and smelling fresh. To clean your reusable kitchen sponge, wash it in your washing machine with detergent and dry completely.


terry cloth, mesh, cotton fabric, batting

sew right sides together, leave a gap to turn it right side out

turn it so the fabric and mesh is on one side, the terry cloth is the back side

add the batting 

sew the opening closed

sew all around the finished sponge

Found here at bhg

7.24.22: 🔥 week 30 

7.24.21: Cathy's peach cobbler

7.24.20: tuna cauliflower salad



7.24.16: Nuremberg


Sunday, July 23, 2023

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 30)

 Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what happened at camp last week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~

7/16: 🔥 week 29

7/17: pearl stretchy bracelets

7/18: TT lemon juice ice cubes

7/19: MSIH: chicken cobbler

7/20: Macey's scrambled eggs

7/21: MSTI: towel hanger

7/22: words

What's Cooking ~

That's it for this week - hope you'll stop by to see what we make at camp next week!

Sincerely ~

Jill
camp counselor


Friday, July 21, 2023

My Sis Tried It: Towel Hanger

Well, this one is a weird one. I had a framed Pittsburg Steelers “terrible towel” in our basement. It didn’t fit quite right and constantly was scorching down in the frame. Tried taping it inside the frame, kept messing with it, just didn’t look great.  A friend then gave me a Wolfpack towel (from our basketball team” so that set me on a mission to frame this one better. Lo and behold I stumbled upon these awesome magnetic hangers! Who knew this was a thing! (Was I the only one?). These came in different sizes on Amazon, way cheaper than a frame, and strong magnetic hold. As I tried to capture in the pictures you simply pay the strip out, out down your object and place the other magnet strip on top. Fantastic. Could be used for any fabrics, paper, poster etc. but really worked fantastic for these towels. So happy with how it turned out! 




 7.21.22: pork tenderloin with mustard rub

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Scrambled Eggs by Macey

Want to know the secret to the best scrambled eggs? It’s sour cream! 

On Saturdays when I have more time to cook in the kitchen, I will cut potatoes into little baby squares and fry them in a cast iron skillet. I add parsley, thyme, fresh, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

When making my eggs, I add one dollop of sour cream for every egg. Whisk this thoroughly, so there are no clumps of sour cream, butter the pan before you put the eggs into the pan, and flip them just as it starts to bubble! (Think… light and fluffy eggs, not “fried!”) 

The eggs with sour cream are great by themselves, however I like to add cheese. For this specific meal, I added some mozzarella cheese into the eggs just as they were done cooking so the cheese is still melty. 

I topped this with a dollop of sour cream, some salsa and fresh avocado! 😊 SO GOOD! (Definitely a bigger breakfast than normal but 🤷🏼‍♀️ 🐖) 😂 


7.20.22: peach cobbler

7.20.21: TT - silpat vs parchment paper

7.20.20: chocolate chip, banana, oatmeal muffins

7.20.19: grilled tuna pasta salad

7.20.18: kid craft: beach jars

7.20.17: how I organize my garden stuff

7.20.16: Budapest and Vienna


Wednesday, July 19, 2023

My Sis is Hungry: Chicken Cobbler

I usually like to make my sister dishes to review that I don't want to make for Dave and I - that didn't come out exactly right, I'm not making her food I don't want to eat hahah, I just mean for one reason or another we probably won't eat it but I know she'll like. For instance, I don't like spicy food and she does, and Dave doesn't like onions and peppers which rules out a lot of recipes! Anyway, back to the point. I bought the ingredients for this dish to make for my sis but it didn't work for her to accept my food when I needed to make it (LOL, the nerve!), so I made it for Dave and I first. He liked it more than I did, especially the bread topping, I thought it was fine but a little nothing (I omitted the onion for ours). So when I later made it for my sissy I tried to doctor it a little by adding salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, 1 onion, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Here's what she had to say:


Chicken Cobbler?  Really?  I'm a fan of all forms of cobbler but wasn't sure what to expect with that title. 
So this one was very interesting.  Doesn't fall under a specific category- was interesting. Not soup, more of a casserole. Pieces of chicken with mushrooms (yum) and bread pieces on the top.  I do indeed love me some bread. 
So the first time we took it out too soon.  I did not listen to my sisters advice for cooking.  She said leave in until brown- but watch it so it doesnt get too brown.  That then meant we took it out too soon.  That made the bread pieces not super cooked- which I actually kind of liked since then I could taste the bread (and I dont like croutons) haha. We ate half that way while we put it back in to continue cooking.  When the bread on top was cooked it still wasnt like croutons but not gonna lie when I say I think I preferred it undercooked (again, because I love bread). 

Husband really likes mushrooms so that was his favorite part.  The broth was good- not exciting but good.  Not a ton of flavor but good. For me to decide if I was going to make this one again I would need to see the recipe because it seemed like too much work.  If it was easy and remotely healthy I would make it again. Undercooked of course. LOL. 

CHICKEN COBBLER CASSEROLE
  • 6 T. butter, divided
  • 4 cups cubed rolls (sourdough or white bread)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 can (10 3/4oz) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Instructions:

1. Melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter and toss in a large bowl with cubed bread, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Set aside.

2. Saute onions and mushrooms in remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in buttermilk, mushroom soup, roasted red peppers, and chicken. Stir constantly for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon mixture into a greased 9" baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish. Top evenly with the bread mixture.

4. Bake at 400' for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Jill here ~ couple notes: wasn't sure what the recipe meant by 'rolls' so I bought regular white dinner rolls like I would serve with spaghetti, 4 cups equaled 5 rolls. 2 onions seems like a lot of onion so I went with 1. If you don't have or want to buy buttermilk you can add a teaspoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it stand for a few minutes (don't worry, it will curdle and it's supposed to). Watch while it's baking, I didn't pay attention and at the 25 minute mark the rolls were almost too brown. 





recipe found here 



Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Tip-sy Tuesday: Lemon Juice Ice Cubes

This is so easy I can tell you all about it only using pictures :)



7.18.22: RV - organizing the hold
7.18.21: 🔥 week 29
7.18.20: ding dong ditch
7.18.19: msih - mexican stuffed peppers
7.18.18: Cathy's strawberry pie (so good!!)
7.18.17: tip to keep off the shoulder tops off the shoulder!
7.18.16: Jen's tip for washing baseball hats

Monday, July 17, 2023

Pearl Stretchy Bracelets

Jen saved a 3-strand pearl necklace from our grandma's jewelry box and asked me to make it into bracelets for the girls - great idea. Now everyone can have a special memory item whether they want to wear it or just keep it for the sentiment. 

I saved a few pairs of costume earrings that I'll do something with, haven't decided what just yet...




Add pearls and beads to a length of stretchy cord (about 12" long) until you get the size you want, mine are a little over 7"; tie and knot into a circle and add a drop of glue to the knot. 

Sunday, July 16, 2023

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 29)

Dear Campers ~

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

Posts ~

7/9: 🔥 week 28

7/10: daddy's survival kit

7/11: boom boom sauce

7/12: olive burgers

7/13: dreamcatcher by Macey

7/14: MSTI: brownie baked oatmeal

7/15: words

What's Cooking ~

  • grilled chicken, capresi salad (tomato, mozzarella, basil), roasted asparagus
  • burgers, potato salad, fruit salad
  • tuna noodle casserole, steamed green beans
  • walleye, potato salad, asparagus
  • marinated pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, wilted spinach

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy ~

  • read 'The First Husband' by Laura Dave ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 and really enjoyed it. Another easy beach read that I pretty much didn't put down and was sad when it was done. It's funny and sweet, about a woman figuring out what she wants and where 'home' is for her - I thought I knew how it was going to turn out and it surprised me, love that.  
  • also read 'The Lonely Hearts Book Club' by Lucy Gilmore. Once again it's another easy beach read that I really enjoyed. A young librarian and a grumpy old man form a misfit book club and a friendship. 
That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp!

Sincerely ~

Jill
camp counselor


Friday, July 14, 2023

My Sister Tried It: Brownie Baked Oatmeal

Hello Everyone! I'm back with another thing I tried.  
Since I have been working remote it has left me with a need to make more food at home.  No more office birthday parties, no coffee runs, no pot lucks. Blah. If you have followed any of my past posts I have been trying anything that comes up with oatmeal, protein powder, etc. Breakfast things that taste good but can almost pass as a dessert. (did I mention no more office doughnuts? Blah again).  Anyway, I also prefer anything I make to be somewhat healthy.  Or at least healthy enough that I can try to pass it off as good for me.  That then brings me to today's recipe.  Unlike my 4 ingredient protein balls, this one actually required a little more work.  At least 8 ingredients... and a stove! Oh the work! I"m exhausted. haha. 
I love brownies so had a feeling I would like this.  Don't be fooled though, this is not brownies.  Its oatmeal.  Chocolate oatmeal. Most of the things I have tried lately have been pretty successful. This one was more in the "just ok" category.  Dont get me wrong it was good - if you like chocolate oatmeal.  Not good if you were expecting brownies.  Which I was. So needless to say I was pretty disappointed. 

See below for their recipe. I followed it exactly except the flax. I didn't have any. No idea how/if that would have changed it but was "good" anyway. 
Give it a try!