Top Braid

My hair is getting so much longer (for me that is) and I'm trying to figure out how to keep it cute (and out of my face!). With my hair in a middle part I did this braid on one side alongside of the part and like how it turned out - thought I'd share if you're looking for hair style ideas!

clip the hair you don't want braided out of the way

make a very loose braid towards the back and fasten it with a small ponytail holder

(obviously) remove the clips at this point...:)

PS: I'm wearing my cold knee jeans again this week, I'm lovin' them! It's my usual simple outfit of t-shirt and jeans, but with the bunch of multi-colored bead bracelets and patterned tennies (and my new braid) I think it looks a little more "done".

Baked Lemon Donuts

We were invited to friends' for dinner and I asked what I could bring. Cathy said "nothing" but I said I was going to bring something so she might as well tell me what...they are about to go on vacation and she didn't want to eat any heavy dessert so I searched Pinterest for something on the lighter side and came across this recipe for baked donuts - ok so maybe that's not "light" exactly, but it's lighter than fried donuts hahaha!

I've never made baked donuts before and kinda thought they might just end up tasting like cupcakes with a hole in the middle and was SHOCKED that they ACTUALLY taste like a donut! Woohoo! I wish I didn't know this - now I have the pans and they are really easy to make so I'm worried I'll make them all the time! Yikes. On the plus side, this recipe only makes a dozen so I can only go so far eating them...;)

I found the recipe here - it's almost identical to the recipe that comes with the pans other than she topped with sugar. I love the texture the crunchy sugar adds and I think brushing them with butter (don't tell Cathy that part please!) before rolling in sugar really helped make them moist and delish! I coated the bottom along with the top of the donut because in her picture thats what it looks like she did even though the directions don't say that. YUM.

Completely random thing before you read the recipe - I have no idea if my first sentence "we were invited to friends' " is correct! Is it "friend's"?. How to pluralize in this sentence? I cannot even find the answer on google. My editing skills are lacking on this one. Anyone know? I almost re-worded it to "we were invited to Al and Cathy's for dinner" but then I decided what the heck - friends' it is until I hear otherwise.

um, no they are not.

Ingredients 

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• FOR THE COATING:
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to center position and preheat oven to 425°F. Spray two 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch. Whisk in sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest until batter is smooth and combined, but do not over-mix. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared donut pans.
3. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the edges of the donuts begin to turn a light golden brown and the tops of the donuts spring back when lightly touched. Allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
4. In a mini food processor, combine the sugar and lemon zest and pulse until finely ground (you may simply stir together the sugar and zest if you don't have a food processor). Place the melted butter in a shallow bowl. Dip one side of each donut in the butter, and then press into the sugar/zest mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

The cornstarch lightens up the texture of the donuts, akin to using cake flour. If you prefer, you may omit the cornstarch and increase the flour to 2 cups.

Changing a Lightbulb

Haha well that's a lame title for this post but I don't know what else to call it! I have a little hint to share with you that I recently learned when I couldn't figure out how to get to a burned out lightbulb and had to ask my friend Mark (aka: Mr. French). So the bulb is under a glass cover set into a round metal trim piece that is flush up and tight against the ceiling...yes I know these pieces probably have names and if I went to the hardware store and described what I just wrote they would make fun of me but whatever, just go with it...it's stuck up tight to the ceiling but the glass is set inside it so I knew there was a trick to removing it but I couldn't tell how and didn't want to break anything. 

So I texted Mark and asked - he said to just pull down on the trim piece, it's up there so tight because there is a clip/spring thing holding it up there. So sure enough I pulled (I had to pull it pretty hard and never would have done that without him telling me!) and it did come down. The springs will still be trying to pull it back to the ceiling though, so you need to unhook one side of it so it'll stay down and you can get to the bulb. Such a simple thing but I didn't know it, thought maybe you didn't either! Don't tell me if I'm the only person who couldn't figure this out...this makes me think of "how many people does it take to change a lightbulb" jokes - this one makes me laugh:

How Many Dogs Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

      Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our
      whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid
      burned-out light bulb?

      Border Collie: Just one. And I'll replace any wiring that's not up to
      code.

      Dachshund: I can't reach the stupid lamp!

      Toy Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border collie's ear and he'll do
      it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

      Rottweiler: Make me.

      Shi-tzu: Puh-leeze, dah-ling. Let the servants. . .

      Lab: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I?
      Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?

      Malamute: Let the Border collie do it. You can feed me while he's
      busy.

      Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the
      dark.

      Doberman Pinscher: While it's dark, I'm going to sleep on the couch.

      Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.

      Hound Dog: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

      Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

      Pointer: I see it, there it is, right there...

      Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

      Australian Shepherd: First I'll get all the light bulbs in a little circle...

      Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? Light bulb? That thing I just ate
      was a light bulb?

DIY: Cold Knee Jeans

These jeans were in the Goodwill pile but only because when I got new jeans the other day I thought I should go thru my old jeans and get rid of some...this was the only pair I'm not crazy about so was willing to let go of them (unfortunately I still can't fit all of my jeans in the drawer and am going to have to downsize further!).  But then I've seen "cold knee" jeans everywhere lately and I wanted to see if I could make them... didn't want to cut up any of my jeans...remembered the Goodwill ones and...voila, cold knee jeans!

It isn't hard AT ALL to distress your own jeans and totally not necessary to pay top dollar for someone else to rip them up haha! If you're chicken to take a knife to your favorite jeans, experiment with a pair you don't love or are willing to cut into shorts (or buy some inexpensive ones) in case it doesn't work to your satisfaction!

For these I wanted the whole knee removed, you can also just do "regular" distressing using the same techniques (minus removing the knee part!). I put the jeans on and marked where my knee is with pins, then cut a big square out (I used the first square as a pattern for the second knee but they didn't end up being exact - which I like). Then take a razor (box cutter or craft knife also works) and make horizontal slits above and below the hole you just made. NOTE: if you don't want to have the knee out and just want them distressed, only do that last step of cutting slits along where you want them ripped - knee, thigh, pockets, hems, etc...). Once you've made the cuts, wash and dry the jeans two times - that creates the worn frayed edges where you made the cuts.

There is a good video on blog.freepeople.com that shows you how to distress your jeans if you want to watch.

I removed about a 3" square from each knee, making sure to not cut all the way thru to the back side!

insert a piece of cardboard or something thick (to protect going all the way thru) before you cut the slits 

end result after washing and drying.

I also released the hem by removing the seam with a seam-ripper - I've worn them both down as shown above, and rolled up into a cuff. 

Meatloaf

 I love meatloaf, D doesn't...until I started making it this way that is. It's a very basic, simple recipe but it's a winner and I know make it all the time and he loves it. It doesn't have onions or peppers but the chili sauce adds a lot of flavor to make up for it. I've mentioned this recipe before but it never got its own post - and I think it's time to correct that.

• 1 pound each lean ground beef, ground pork, and ground lamb (or turkey)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups bread crumbs, (crumbled bread, oatmeal, or smashed saltines also work)
• 1 jar chili sauce (homemade or store bought)
• splash of milk
• salt and pepper
• ketchup

Mix the eggs, bread crumbs, ½ jar chili sauce, salt and pepper to taste together in a large bowl then add some milk until the mixture is moistened. Add the ground meats and mix together (don't overwork the meat or it'll get tough). Divide into 2 equal halves, place each half in a 9” cake pan and shape into a circle leaving about a 1” space between the meat and side of pan for grease to collect in (you can use loaf pans, but I always make it in a round cake pan - I like that the grease has someplace to go). Mix the remaining ½ jar chili sauce with some ketchup and spoon over each meatloaf (like you're frosting the top of a cake). Cover with aluminum foil and bake 350’ for 45 mins to one hour until done - remove the cover during the last few minutes. 

I usually make this in 2 round cake pans but I will often make one half in a cake pan that we eat that night, and one half divided evenly and baked in muffin tins and then freeze them - super handy to have individual portions on hand.

I know this is very basic but it's tried and true, and everyone seems to like it so...it works for us!

Lollipop Flower

Need a small, quick, cute, easy gift for a little friend (or just to brighten someones day)? Check out this idea - I wanted a gift for a little girls dance recital but didn't want to give the traditional flowers...I had the idea to dress up a swirly pop, but then my sister suggested gluing construction paper flower petals to the back of it so it'd be sort of like giving flowers - great idea! I didn't end up gluing individual petals tho, I just cut out one big flower from cardstock and glued the lollipop to the center. It had a big label on the front that I didn't like (and it wouldn't come off) so I cut a circle from cardstock to cover it and then because it still wasn't cute enough I added googly eyes, drew on a mouth, and finished with curly ribbon. Look how cute it turned out :) The hardest part was finding the rainbow swirly lollipop...I went everywhere and ended up finding one at a dollar store - why was this such a hard thing to find?

Outfit idea: Distressed Jeans with Tied-on Shirt

I love this outfit - I feel pretty hip in it and it's super comfy, what more could I ask for (unless the outfit also made me look miraculously thinner hahaha!)? I didn't want it to look too perfect or done, it should look casual and almost like an afterthought - so cuffs aren't perfect and the shirt is a little "sloppy" on purpose. Added silver dangling earrings shaped like guitars and my big silver watch.

black t-shirt, olive green jeans, my favorite flannel shirt that Tesha bought me, and black combat boots (which by the way are my new favorite shoes - so comfortable!).

I'll want to wear this look again soon but it's bound to be too hot for it until fall - so I tried it on with a lighter black tank and ankle strap sandals and like it this way too! I'll do this when it's warm out - and of course if the flannel is too much I'll tie on a lighter-weight button up.

Chopping Leafy Herbs

Here's how I chop leafy herbs like parsley:

- wash and dry the stems then remove the leaves (discard stems)
- gather a big handful under your hand on a cutting board, curl your hand over the herbs keeping them in a bundle, remember to curl your fingertips under!
- keeping the tip of a large knife on the cutting board, lift the heel of the knife and rock it back and forth chopping the herbs, slowly move your fingers back thru the pile of leaves pushing them forward as you continue chopping. You might need to stop and gather the leaves back into a pile under your hand.
-after you've done that a couple times thru the pile, then just continue to rock the knife up and down keeping the tip on the cutting board, mincing the herbs as fine as you desire.

Because I'm afraid I'm not describing this very well just watch this little video!




click here to see my yummy orzo pasta salad post that has lots of chopped parsley in it!

Mini Hand Pies

These are a little bit time consuming, not gonna lie, but they aren't hard and they are very, very, very good. It's totally worth the extra assembly time - they are delish, easy to transport and eat, perfect picnic food, and making dessert in miniature form always makes them better for some reason ;)

I did use a couple shortcuts, I mean it when I say they are simple to make!

Ingredients:
-prepared pie crust (I use the rolled up kind found in the dairy section)
-berry jam (for these I used store-bought strawberry and homemade blackberry)
-strawberries if desired to make the filling a little thicker
-cornstarch if the jam is too runny
-egg wash (beat one egg with a tiny bit of water in a small bowl)
-coarse sugar

Directions:
-heat oven to 350'
-roll out pie crust until it's a little thinner than if you were making a full pie
-cut out 2.5" circles using a cookie cutter or glass that measures approx that size. note you can make these any size you want but after testing out different sizes (I tried larger 3.5" and also folding a circle in half) but ultimately the little 2.5" won out. make sure you have an even number of circles since you need a top and bottom for each hand pie
-put down a circle on a parchment lined baking sheet, top with a little bit of jam and a small piece of fruit
-brush egg wash around the edges of the circle (top and bottom), lay the top circle on the bottom circle encasing the jam
-using a fork crimp the edges together all the way around
-brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and poke a couple little holes in the top for steam to escape.
-bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown.

Note: I did a test batch before making a whole pan of these which was good because I used way too much filling and a lot of it oozed out. Experiment with one or two to see how much jam you need to fill the pies without it all leaking out - with the strawberry jam I found it was too runny while baking so I added a bit of cornstarch and some diced strawberries to make it a little thicker. My homemade blackberry jam is super thick so worked perfectly. You want as much filling as you can without it all oozing out! I used two boxes of pie crust and ended up with 44 hand pies not counting my experimental ones. 44 sounds like a lot but they'll go fast!

these are my "testers" -  too much filling!

before baking

after baking - the 2 blackberry on the right held their filling
but the strawberry really oozed out. I adjusted the rest of the
strawberry by adding a little cornstarch and chopped fruit before
filling the pies. 

mmmmmm...mini pie goodness

Mason Jar Graduation Gift

This might be too late for you to make this year since it's almost mid-June and most kids have graduated by now...but it's a cute easy idea if you still need a gift! Or if you are hosting a graduation open house these would be super cute decorations on the tables.  It's been on Pinterest for a while now, I have no idea who to credit for the original post! I'll try to remember to re-share this idea next Spring in time for you to make one ;)

Supplies:
black cardstock
embroidery thread
1 brad
hot glue
mason jar with ring

Directions:

1) from black cardstock cut out a 3.5" square and a 1" strip as long as needed to go around the ring that screws onto the top of your mason jar
2) glue the strip around the ring, then glue the square to the top of the ring.
3) make a tassel out of embroidery thread (whatever color you want but if you can make it the school colors that'd be nice!) that is about 3" long, leaving a 6" tail. If you need instructions for making a tassel click here but remember to find something to wrap the embroidery thread around that will give you the correct length of your finished tassel.
4) poke a hole in the top of the cardstock square and run the tail thru it, letting the tassel dangle off the edge of the square. I put a star shaped brad in the hole over top of the thread to make it look nicer, a round one would work fine. Or whatever you have that will cover the hole! Then trim any thread off that is hanging on the inside.
5) it's not necessary but I cut a circle out of the black cardstock to cover the underside of the cap where the thread and brad are, just to finish it a little more.
6) fill the jar with anything - I rolled up dollar bills and stuffed the jar full but you can fill with whatever gift you want that will fit! gift cards, candy, a mini survival kit...or just use these for decorations - so cute!